Silence

3

It was almost three when I made it to the gym. Traffic had been pretty slow because of a wreck, but I didn't mind. Parking my bike under the tree, I quickly slip inside. "Hey Dave," I call out as I walk towards the locker room.

"Stone," Dave replies with a nod of his head. I planned on warming up until the fights started at five. I knew that my opponent tonight would be tough to beat, but I wasn't one to give up easily. And on top of that, I loved hard challenges.

An hour later, Wolfe walked in with his brother right behind him. When he saw me, he started laughing. "Really Stone, really? How hard does a Stone hit?"

"You know this chick?" His brother asked looking between the two of us. Wolfe chuckled. "Yeah. She's the one who gave me a few good hits." Jason eyes popped and I bit my lip to keep from laughing. I was about to speak, when I heard Bobbie's angry voice.

"So, this is what you ditched your family for?" He looked around the room, scorn in his eyes. I felt my body straighten as I stared at him. "No. I didn't just ditch my family for this, because they," I say as I motion to everyone watching us, "they are my family. These are the people who love me, protect me, believe me, and fight for me." I say as I glare at him.

He scoffs and steps towards me. Wolfe steps out from behind me and Bobbie freezes. "You're still hung up on that lie about J..."

"If you finish that, I'll break your nose." I growl out, my fists aching to punch his face. "I needed you that night Bobbie, but you just left me high and dry. That night, my brother died. I died. You showed me that someone doesn't have to have the same blood running through their veins to be family.

"You showed me that you can pick your own family. And I have. And you are not a part of my family." I hadn't realized that I was yelling at him at that point, but I didn't care. Wolfe laid his hand on my shoulder and I felt myself starting to calm down. I had a fight soon and I couldn't lose control now. "Thanks." I mutter softly as I turn away from Bobbie.

"Want me to show him out?"

"No, but just make sure he leaves." Quickly I start to wrap my wrists as everyone began to slowly return to their conversations that we had interrupted. "What was that about Stone?" Wolfe asked me softly as he stood before me, grabbing a hold of the punching bag.

"I'll tell you after the fight." He nods and I slip into my stance. Punch after punch, I push the memory away. This was not where I wanted to have a break down, not that I wanted to have one.

Ten minutes until five, I slip into the locker room and cleaned up. Slowly I slipped into my fighting clothes and waited by the door. Every now and then I would loosen up my muscles while listening to the fights. Dave's excited voice boomed out across the speakers.

"Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special match. Two of our very own fighters, Ghoul and Stone, will be facing off." The cheering that I heard made me smile. I opened the door and quickly entered the gym where Wolfe met me. He walked with me to the ring and held the rope up for me.

Once in the ring, I avoid eye contact with Ghoul. I knew that he was trying to see who I was, but he couldn't. Thanks to the hood of my half jacket. All he knew was that I was a female. Slowly we walked towards each other, listened to the ref explain the rules and bumped fists.

"You're going down." He whispers and I just smile at him. "Not if you go first." Let me tell you, no one would ever believe that one of my high school teachers had a double life as a boxer. "Fighters ready. Fight." The ref quickly slipped out of the ring and Ghoul and I started circling each other.