Challenge The Proud

Hard and Fast

"Make it hard! And make it fast." - Challenge No.10

THE AIR WAS suffocating, damp, and tainted by the smell of feet perspiration and hot rubber. All gyms smelled that way, especially this one. Elsa took her training seriously and ignored the poor conditions and distasteful surroundings. This was the only place where people generally didn't know who she was, and were honest about her boxing skills.

Elsa punched the bag several times and remembered to breathe. She always forgot to breathe.

"Make it hard! And make it fast, girl," Track, her trainer for the past week, spoke up and grabbed Elsa's gloved hand by the wrist.

He guided her gloved hand, prodding a certain spot on the bag with it as he said, "Face." Then Track placed her fist against a lower spot on the bag saying, "Liver. That's where you want to catch your opponent opened, and to do that, you gotta keep your eyes opened."

With a chuckle, he released her wrist. Elsa was now puzzled by the man's amusement.

"What? It's not like I'm closing my eyes when I punch!" she exclaimed, but to her dismay, Elsa quickly realized that she was.

Every time she anticipated her punch landing on the bag, her eyes closed as if she was afraid of what she was doing, of what might happen once her punch landed. But knowing that she was doing it, Elsa was now able to control herself better, and with every punch she threw, her inclination to keep her eyes closed faded, bit by bit.

She kept her eyes opened and faced the indolent bag that didn't care for her weak punches.

"Faster!" Track demanded.

Elsa raised her arms in defeat and wiped her forehead with her arm as she let out a breathless, "I know! Faster, otherwise the opponent will see it coming. I know," Elsa lamented, taking her gloves off with sharp gestures that gave away her frustration.

"No, girl. Otherwise you lose your nerve and your punch's nothing more than a nudge," Track explained in a softer tone of voice and offered a wink as he handed Elsa a bottle of water.

Her trainer had no idea that she didn't really need to hit anyone. Not in a real fight anyway.

* * *

Elsa was standing by a punching bag panting and holding back her tears.

"I'm gonna get you next time, Crystal," she said with a snarl and a punch against the bag with her bare hand.

The silence was heavy, but so sweet in that moment, when everybody was enthralled by the performance and the only words that could break the spell and turn tightly pressed lips into wide smiles were, "Cut! Well done Miss Marin!"

The director clapped and Elsa sighed with relief.

This had been one of the hardest roles she had ever played - a teenager girl boxer looking to win that championship and get her parents to take her passion seriously, while she falls for the young assistant coach. Track would be pleased to find out that his tips had paid off, and that Elsa had managed to make her character's training and fighting scenes look authentic.

As always Elsa's step-father was waiting by her chair. He helped her put on a coat - one wouldn't think it, but the studio was freezing that day.

"Good job, sweetheart. You didn't need no boxin' lessons after all, see?" Bill, her step-father and agent, spoke lowly and rubbed Elsa's shoulders in a tender massage that she didn't find as relaxing as one would expect.

Bill didn't know about Track and his gym, and she was happy to leave things that way.

A guy approached with a tray of sandwiches and she reached out for one - they had been on set for five hours now, ever since six in the morning, and she had missed breakfast.

Bill waved at the guy and pulled Elsa's hand away from the tray.

"No, no. She's fine. You're not really hungry, are you sweetie?"

The guy with the food looked confounded at Elsa and Bill, hesitant to walk away. She didn't argue with Bill, she knew better than to contradict him. So, Elsa smiled and slightly shook her head.

"It's fine. I forgot I already had one earlier," Elsa said with a shrug.

"Alright, Miss Marin," the food guy uttered with a nod and walked away to offer the goodies to other members of the cast.

Bill's clench upon Elsa's shoulder eased up and she took a sip of water to at least fill her stomach with something. She turned her gaze away from the people that were eating nearby.

* * *

The last of the guests left. There were a lot of wine glasses and trays to clear away, but fortunately, Elsa wasn't responsible with the clean up. She was enjoying a quiet moment by the pool, and with her red formal dress still on, she sat on the edge dipping her tired feet in the water.

These parties were exhausting and boring. But they provided enough distractions for her to forget herself and the nasty little ideas that had started to take form ever since her visits to Track's gym, which had been nearly one year ago.

Elsa had started acting at age ten. At twenty-one, she was practically a veteran of the Hollywood movie industry. Elsa Marin - star, role model and... And whatever crap label people liked her to wear, she wore it. Bill made sure of that.

"Elsa, baby..."

Speaking of the devil. By the way he carried himself, Bill was a little tipsy and she knew what that meant.

Quickly and mumbling some excuses, Elsa stood up and sought to leave the pool area.

"No, you're not too tired. You're just upset I didn't have time for you lately," Bill said lowly and grabbed her arms pulling her to him.

"Don't pout. I've been thinkin' about you. I always think about you," Bill said softly and pecked her cheek.

Her stomach churned and with every breath, pain pangs pierced her racing heart. She knew what Bill was going to do, so she closed her eyes.

Bill's hands released her arms only to run along her back and over her waist and hips. His palms especially lingered on the small of her back, just above her butt cheeks. That was Bill's favorite spot on her body - that subtle curb leading to her bottom.

Her right hand slowly formed a fist and opening her eyes, Elsa peered up at Bill.

She made it hard and she made it fast - the punch that landed right against Bill's liver. It was enough to make him grunt and fall to his knees. Without a second thought, Elsa pushed him into the pool with her foot.

"Never again," were her firmly spoken words, and Elsa walked into the house with her long scarlet dress fluttering in the night breeze.

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