Basic Boy (Complete)

Chapter 18: It's Not Finished

  "Well here goes, you ready!" I yelled as I stanced myself against Rale. It's been a year since the fight with Franko and after that, I never heard from him again.

  Alot has happened. I moved out and went to live in an aparment. I was relieved, because it was over and well all this has happened to me. This journey, meeting new friends and all, felt good. My cast was off because I thought I was ready to walk again. "Right!" Rale yelled as he prepared. "Go!" I rushed towards him and we both ducked at the same time. I went in for an elbow, but he dodged and countered. I dodged and went for a kick, but he dodged. He was fast, and well so was I.

  I grabbed him by the leg as he kicked me and tossed him to the floor. He kept his distance, inspecting me. With a swift motion, I drew my hand and curled a punch aiming at him. He dodged as expected, and I used my right to hit him in the side. Rale jumped back suprised. "I got to watch out for that, but i'm not going to lose." Rale said as he rubbed his side. We rushed eachother now, basically me and him were on par with eachother.

  As I took a step back, he got a hit in, suprising me. Now we were just sparring. "Hey you want to go eat something?" I said while dodging a kick. "Yeah I could eat." Rale said as he caught his breath. I took off my wraps and started pulling out clothes to take a shower. Rale left the room as I got ready and for at least 30 minutes I was in the shower, stuck in my mind thinking, "do I still want to fight?" This question pondered my mind ever since I left the club and went home.

  Everyone knew who I was now and it wasn't bad, just that alot of people stayed away from me. It was senior year and well it was good. I grabbed my phone and went out the door into my living room. I saw Rale and everyone standing there.

   "Welp, let's eat, who's picking?" I announced as Michelle was going to speak. "Well I call it, it's not fair that you guys always choose." "Yeah same." Vanessa chiped in. I laughed. "Ok then, where?"

  We went out to a exotic restaurant and stuffed our faces that night. After that, we headed to the beach and wanted to stay the night and we did. I went out with Vanessa and we walked along the beach, talking. "So babe, are you going to fight still, I mean you don't want to try professional or what?" She asked me as I was tossing a rock. "Well" I said as I was getting up. "I've been thinking and well maybe I will, this is something I can't turn off and well this is my passion." I told her. It was over now, but there's alot of things I have to do still.

  I held Vanessa close to me as I looked at the waves splash nearby. The smell of the salt, I finally was at peace, I mean it was over. I grabbed my bag and opened up a sheet to sit down and Vanessa joined me. We then talked for at least an hour until sleeping on the sand.

  I woke up to the sounds of birds chirping and the smell of the ocean filling my nostrils as I took a deep breath. You know how uncomfortable it is to wake up on a beach at 7 in the morning? I woke up Vanessa and we carried our things to the car. We met up with Rale, Chase, Michelle and Nathan. I grabbed Nathan by the shoulder. "Ok guys, what's next I-" I was interrupted by a phone call. We piled in the car as I started the ignition. I looked back at the phone.

  It was an unkown number. "Hello?" I spoke in, hearing sirens in the backround. "Is this Joseph?" The voice asked. "Yes, if I may ask, who is speaking?" I answered. What was going on? "I am officer Velazquez, do you know Leo Davis?" He asked. "What the hell, what is a police officer doing at his house?!"

  "What's going on? Where's Leo!" I yelled into the phone. "Joseph please calm down, I need you to take deep breaths." He told me as I switched places with Rale. I put the phone on my chest and told Rale to head to Leo's house.

   "Joseph unfortunately, Leo has passed away at 5 in the morning. The neighbors called us once they heard noises-" I dropped the phone on the floor and put my head in my hands. "What.. Why! Leo died! No he can't be dead right!?" I kept thinking that the whole way there. Nathan picked up the phone and told the officer to wait there and that we were coming. I was in pain. Why Leo, why him. "How, did he die?" I whispered. Nathan heard me and asked the Officer. "He said natural causes. I'm sorry Joseph, I.. don't know what to say." He told me. I didn't want to hear it, I didn't want to believe it.

  "Just drive Rale." That was the last thing I said until I arrived at the house. Once there I darted out and rushed up to the house dodging officers and paramedics. "Joseph!" I looked and saw a cop which I assumed was Velazquez. I ran up to him and he showed me to Leo. They morge workers were already picking him up. "So.. it's true." I fell on my knees beside the limp husk of my mentor. I was crying now. Velazquez made the workers leave for a couple of minutes so I could have time alone.

  "No.. you can't Leo, why... I didn't even say thank you!" I started yelling now. I didn't care anymore, why did he have to die!? I grabbed his body and hugged it, sobbing for what seemed like hours. I had to leave after that, I couldn't be with a dead body for that long, so the workers took him. I was broken. He was my mentor, I thought of him as a dad.

  When I got home that day, my friends left me alone for that time and I stayed in bed, huddled up. I couldn't stop thinking about him. He's dead, no re-do's, no dragon balls, nothing. He was gone and I had to accept it. Three days later, Velazquez stopped by my house to comfort me. I opened the door and he almost gasped. "Good morning Joseph, how are you doing. Don't tell me you haven't been taking care of yourself, when's the last time you took a shower?"

  I looked at him, a hoodie covering my face. I was in no mood to talk but still I needed to talk to someone. "I don't know, why what's up?" I asked him. I was emotionless, on auto pilot. "Well I wanted to check on you, here take this. I actually knew the old man a while back, that's his will. There will not be a funeral anyway." He told me while I grabbed the letter he handed me. "Why won't there be a funeral?" I asked, looking at the paper.

  "Read his will, and take care of yourself Joseph. I'll have to keep a eye on you. Don't go fighting around anymore." He chuckled as he walked back to his car. I thanked him and turned back inside. I looked at Leo's will and started to read.