the boxer // lrh au

twenty ; talkative

"so, where do you guys even go when you swim?" michael asks once we were back in the car. luke was done with his training and it was evident he could use a little cooldown. he punched the bag like it was his least favorite thing in the world. 

"the hole." luke replies casually.

"hole? you guys swim in a hole?" michael asks, confused.

"well kind of." i say, entering the conversation.

michael shrugs at my response and then goes onto his phone. he was most definitely texting that girl he slept with the other night because there was a gigantic smile on his face. i turn my attention back to luke.

"when's your next fight?" i ask out of the blue. i knew i wasn't going to go, because i genuinely did not want to see luke get beat up, but i was curious anyway.

"tomorrow, why?" he asks.

"do you know who you're fighting?" i ask, dodging his question yet asking another. i didn't mean to, but i knew he probably didn't want me to go anyways so there was no point furthering the question.

"has anyone ever told you that you ask too many questions?" luke asks. i was originally going to dodge this question as well, but michael had another idea in mind.

"actually, in the beginning of high school, bella talked so much, you wouldn't even believe it." michael begins, leaning into luke. i give michael a weird glance but that doesn't stop him from talking.

"but then, people started making fun of her so much that she just stopped talking at school for like all of junior year.  it was so weird but then i got super mad so i beat up the guy who was doing it and then she went back to normal cause they stopped. you should've seen me luke, i was boxer material- i swear it," i knew michael had good intentions, but spilling my life story was not the best way to become best friends with luke.

luke realized it too as he slowly glances over to me, making sure i was all right with what he was saying. i just shrug and don't say anything.

"that's why you should never call her annoying or something when she talks. that- and she's never annoying." when michael was done telling his little anecdote, he goes back onto his phone and acts like he didn't say anything at all.

"people made fun of you during high school?" luke questions.

"i-i mean i guess." i shrug. people did, in fact, make fun of me but i didn't feel comfortable telling luke all this. he probably didn't even care to begin with.

"even with tyler around?"

i laugh a little at luke's new question.

"i think it started because tyler was around. tyler was a legend at my school. i don't know how long you've been friends with him but he was the star quarterback at our high school. i guess they didn't like that i was just an average girl who was nothing like her brother." i start picking at a thread on my shirt as it goes silent.

"actually, when tyler found out that people were being mean to her, he went berserk. he threw this whole rampage and then went to the school and demanded to talk to the principal." michael continued to type away at his phone as he talked. he talked about it so casually that it made me feel comfortable talking about this in front of luke.

it's not like michael was sinning. he was telling the truth. in the beginning of high school, i was a huge extrovert. i talked to everybody and tried to make friends. everyone said it was weird that michael was my only friend, so i started looking for more. in class, i was always talking to other people, but one guy started getting annoyed with me so he went around and told people to not like me. michael was there through it all. he knows to never call me annoying because it makes me paranoid that he didn't want me there. i guess that's why he told luke- so he wouldn't make that mistake.

nevertheless, i wouldn't have changed anything because i got michael out of the whole experience and he was the best thing that's ever happened to me. he knew me like the back of his hand and i hoped luke didn't find that weird or annoying. i was just starting to get used to his presence and would hate it if he didn't enjoy my company anymore.

"good, tyler did the right thing. and michael, nice job beating that guy up. i'm sure you won." luke glances at michael through the mirror and michael smiles widely. "and trust me- if i was there, i wouldn't have let those bastards live." luke whispers the last part but i don't think i was supposed to hear it because when i look over at luke, he quickly looks away back to the road.

"and bella, forget what i said earlier. ask me anything you want."

a/n

poorly written filler but important i promise !!! character building and spoiler alert: foreshadowing. also i needed to get this part into the story cause i want to start making it move a little bit quicker :)

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LOVE YA, MWAHH :)