Together Tomorrow

Chapter Twelve: Strike One

            Spinning her keys on her finger, Lea pushed open one of the large double doors of the apartment complex and strode into the parking lot. She hummed an indistinct tune, her mind full of warm thoughts and her chest brimming with fuzzy feelings. The past three weeks had been the greatest of her life. Ever sense Steve had kissed her on the fire escape that morning, she felt like she was floating everywhere she went instead of walking. They hadn't really talked about being an official couple, but that was alright with her for the time being. She needed to take things slow. A few little things had changed, like movie nights where happening every Friday, and they had coffee and breakfast together almost every morning. However, he hadn't kissed her again, and she hadn't used the term boyfriend yet.

Lea hadn't told anyone, but people she talked to regularly had noticed her overall mood change. Some of her coworkers from D.A.R.E. had nearly guessed it, and were convinced that she had a secret boyfriend she wasn't telling them about. She had kept her mouth shut for a variety of reasons, partly for Steve's privacy, and partly because there wasn't anything concrete between them yet.

            That didn't stop her from glowing with happiness, however. She jangled her keys a few more times before she reached her car and unlocked it. As soon as she turned the engine over she started the AC, the muggy heat of DC in the summer was certainly here to stay for a while. She brushed a loose curl out of her face and tucked it behind her ear as she eased her car out of the parking space. Lea flicked on the radio and drummed her thumbs on the steering wheel at the stop sign, waiting for an opening in the flow of traffic. Something caught her eye in the rearview mirror, she paused mid song, eyes narrowing trying to figure out what she was seeing.

            After a moment she adjusted her side mirror and looked again. Someone was lurking at the corner of her building. He had a black gang hoodie pulled low over his face, his arms crossed, and leaning causally against the brick sidewall, clinging to the shadows. Leas lips thinned; the gangster jacket did little to conceal how muscular the man was, and it was the wrong gang symbol for this part of town. She frowned, wondering if she should be concerned, but before she decided anything, another car pulled up behind her and honked. Lea jumped, and nearly stalled her car as she whipped out into the break in traffic. Soon, the sight of the gangster vanished from her mind as she reviewed the different fighting techniques she was to demonstraight at D.A.R.E. that afternoon.

            The rapid thud of fists on pads filled the room as Lea beat out several deft blows against her "attacker." It was methodical, she had practiced all of these moves many times before, but what she wasn't used to was having someone else do the talking. Rachel, one of the founders of D.A.R.E. (And arguably the most actively involved), was explaining each move that both Lea and her fully padded opponent were performing.  Lea gritted her teeth, pulling back from her second round. She might not be the best, but she knew she could handle this new recruit with ease. Hugo was brand new, this being his first time working with D.A.R.E., and even though he was notably buff, she could already tell he was slow with his blows, like he was checking every movement, unsure of himself.

            Grinning, Lea glanced at Rachel, with her fists still raised. Rachel nodded and gestured for her to lower her hands and start again. She lifted two fingers, set number two. Lea nodded and turned her back to Hugo, making as if she was just walking down the street. Hugo, in his fully padded gear, adjusted where he was so she would walk past him.

            "This is another common method of abduction, getting pulled into a dark alley way or some other forgotten corner." Rachel started the lecture part and Lea soon tuned her out.

            She walked by Hugo, again pretending he was unseen, lurking in the shadows. Just as her sneaker landed on the mat past him, he reached out and grabbed her. Even though it was just a drill, adrenaline rose up in her. She whirled around, pulling his hand off her, lifted it up, and landed a hard punch to the side of his rib cage. He grunted slightly and let her go.