Outside The Ropes

by Ashley Claudy

“Great dinner for someone trying to prepare for a fight. Good to see you taking care of yourself, putting in that effort.” Sarcasm dripped from every word.

  “Leave her alone,” Dexter defended.

  I dropped the food, honestly confused. “What the hell? I thought you were done lecturing me, giving up.” I threw up my arms. “And anyways, what’s wrong with my food? Its sweet potato French fries and chicken tenders. I cut out the bread and I’m drinking unsweetened tea.”

  Gage’s lip twitched as he watched me. “Do you really think that food is good for you? That it gives you the nourishment you need?”

  I looked between Dexter and him, doubtful, and shrugged. “It’s better than my typical hamburger and onion rings, right?” I had thought I was eating low carb…

  Dexter laughed and put his arm around my shoulder. “Oh Rea, you have a lot to learn.”

  I dropped my head to the table, evading his arm and blocking out Gage’s judging glare. “I haven’t eaten today; I’m hungry. What the hell am I supposed to be eating?”

  “I have some leftovers you can eat, it’s better than that crap.” Gage grabbed some containers from the fridge.

  I straightened up. “Really, Thanks.” I didn’t want to push my luck and say anything else. I was surprised he was willing to help.

  He heated up Teriyaki glazed Tilapia with stir-fried vegetables and watched me expectantly as I took the first bite.

  I nodded. “That’s good. I could eat stuff like this. Where did you get it?”

  Dexter hopped up onto the kitchen island. “Gage made it. He’s the cook of the family. Without him I would starve. Or live off fast food.”

  “Help yourself while you’re here. If you would actually listen to me I’d help you, but you won’t.” He turned away from me, placing the containers back in the refrigerator.

  We were back to that, my decision to fight next week. He couldn’t get over me not doing what he thought was best.

  I shook my head, but kept silent as I finished my meal.

  “Thanks.” I rinsed off the dish and placed it in the dishwasher.

  “Alright, well we’re all downstairs if you want to hang out,” Dexter said to his brother as he hopped off the counter.

  “Sure, I’ll be down later.”

  I followed Dexter to the basement door.

  “You can go down Rea, I’ll be right there.” He opened the door, waving me through before closing it on me.

  When Gage walked into the basement the others gravitated towards him. Jase and Danny wanted him to play pool with them, while Aliya wanted to talk and flirt. Gage barely glanced her way though, and she eventually sat back down with Leona and me.

  After the boys played a couple of games of pool, Leona stood up and got their attention. “It’s the girls turn to play," she demanded.

  Jase was already racking the balls again.

  Dexter pulled Leona in to him and kissed her neck. “Alright Lee Lee, how about teams? Me and you, and who else?” He looked around.

  Aliya shook her head, “Not me, I suck.” She laughed, winking at Gage. “Maybe you could teach me later?”

  Dexter looked towards me. “Do you know how to play?”

  “Sure.” I stood, looking between Jase and Danny.

  “I’ll play,” Gage said, grabbing the pool stick from Jase.

  I licked my lips, agitated, hating that he could make me nervous about playing a friendly game of pool. I didn’t want lectures on what shots I lined up.

  After a bit, I loosened up some. I was sinking balls, not giving Gage any reason to criticize. But when I missed an easy shot I braced myself.

  He patted my hip as he passed by me and murmured, “Good try.”

  The brief contact jump started my heart, but he continued to the bar unfazed. He leaned back on the stool, sipping his beer, scanning the table as he waited for Dexter to shoot.

  Gage ended the game on his next turn and nodded to me. “Good game,” he said with his slight smile.

  “Thanks to you.” I nodded, wary that his judgmental side would return.

  He went for another drink, and I walked to the couch.

  Leona and Aliya had turned on music and were dancing with each other, loose with alcohol. The boys played PlayStation but divided their attention between the screen and the girls.

  “Come dance with us,” Leona attempted to coax me.

  “No, I’m gonna sit for a bit. It’s been a long day.”

  I sunk into the couch, and my exhaustion consumed me. After a while, the heavy tiredness of my limbs was replaced with weightlessness as my mind disconnected from my body on the verge of sleep.

  The tip of a finger trailed behind my ear, over my tattoo, and I shuddered as a wave of sensation shot to my toes.

  My eyes snapped open as Gage sucked in air between his teeth.

  “Sorry. I hadn’t noticed that before. A flame?” He lifted his eyebrow in question as he leaned back on the sofa, eyes intent on mine.

  I rubbed my own hand over the small flame tattoo behind my ear, trying to wipe away my strange reaction, and sat up. He was too close; I could feel his body heat surrounding me. And I was a little creeped out that he had been looking at me while I slept.

  Struggling to swallow, I attempted to laugh it off. “I’m the girl on fire.”

  “Seriously?” His eyes flicked over me as his smile grew.

  My stomach twisted and I shook my head, looking to the floor. I felt dizzy, still half asleep. “No. Not seriously."

  His smile faded at my words. Leaning into my ear, he whispered, “I know you’re tired. Come on,” he nodded to the stairs, “I’ll take you upstairs; you’ll sleep better. It’ll be quieter than down here.”

  Looking over to where Dexter was wrestling Jase over the PlayStation remote, I huffed a dry laugh. Letting my tired weight pull me back on the couch, I rolled my head on the cushion to face Gage. “I’m fine down here.” I closed my eyes, blocking his surprised look.

  His weight shifted next to me, the heat from him increasing, and I felt his breath against my lips as he spoke. “That’s good. Smart.” He tugged lightly on the bottom of my shirt.

  I opened my eyes. He was only inches away, his head rested on the couch mirroring mine. Every part of me tightened, shrinking away. I didn’t like not knowing what to expect, from him or from my body. My heart pounded and my breathing intensified.

  His eyes lit up as he leaned into my ear again, and his finger still played with the end of my shirt as his whispered breath tickled my skin. “You don’t have to be scared. I won’t bother you, nobody will. Not tonight.”

  Then he stood up, cold air filling the space he had been. And I struggled to regain control of my breathing and body.

  “Leona, take her to the room upstairs. She’s falling asleep,” Gage ordered.

  My muscles rebelled against moving, but I slowly sat up.

  “Don’t worry Lee, I can take her,” Dexter said.

  “No. I want to play you in Madden. Let Leona do it.”

  I got up in time to see Dexter nod in assent, taking the control from Gage.

  “You ready?” Leona asked, extending a hand to me.

  I nodded and pushed myself to standing, following Leona up the stairs.

  I glanced back at the room once. Aliya sat beside Gage and squeezed his arm in encouragement. He never even looked towards me, and I began to wonder if my sleep-deprived mind had dreamed any of that up.

  10: Tiny Storms

  I SLEPT HARD, THE KIND OF SLEEP that leaves you with no sense of time passing.

  I had followed Leona to the second floor and she had wavered between two rooms. “Gage’s room or the guest room?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

  I guess his whispered words to me hadn’t gone unnoticed by others.

  Walking past her, I pushed open the door she had gestured to as the guest room.

  The moment I settled in the sheets I was out. Gone to the world. No dreams, no nothing. And in the next moment I opened
my eyes. The room was lit with bright, clear light from outside. Out the window, tiny flakes swirled in the wind, moving every which way, defiant to gravity.

  Lying still on the bed, I listened for noises in the house. There was a faint scraping sound from below. Perhaps others were awake. The clock on the nightstand read 9:24.

  Sliding out of the sheets, I stretched and smiled. I felt good today. My muscles were sore, but the good kind, the kind that meant I was working hard.

  I paused, spotting my book bag against the wall. I had locked the bedroom door last night, but had not brought my bag up. It made me uneasy that someone had been in the room. I was typically not a deep sleeper and would have woken, but I also would usually never leave my book bag out.

  I checked the bedroom door... it was locked. When I checked the bathroom, I discovered it connected to the hallway as well, that’s how they got in.

  Kneeling by the bag, I did a quick inventory. Nothing seemed out of place or missing and the prickle of anxiety began to recede. Pulling the phone out of the front pocket, I saw several missed calls from Anthony, and text messages asking if I was okay, and telling me to call him if I needed him.

  I sent a quick message letting him know I had went to bed early last night and his response was almost immediate.

  Good. I kept you up too late Sunday, sorry. :)

  His text brought a smile to my lips. I liked staying up and talking to him. It was easy. He was easy, and I was beginning to appreciate that more and more.

  Gage set me on edge, I couldn’t figure out what he wanted, and didn’t know what to expect when I saw him. He flipped from angry to helpful to flirty at dizzying speeds. It was exhausting.

  I hope you’re safe and warm. Call me if you need me. I’ll get a sled to pick you up if I have to.

  Anthony’s text vibrated the phone in my hands, returning my smile. I knew he didn’t have genuine affection for me, that his interests were purely physical, but that just made it better. There was no pressure and he made no demands. I sent a quick thank you text and made my way downstairs.

  “Rocky? Where are you?” Dexter’s voice trailed up the stairs.

  I turned the corner and spotted Leona crouched down, looking under the couch in the living room.

  “He’s here,” she yelled over her shoulder and then turned back to the couch, her long hair falling over her and spreading on the floor. Her tone morphed into a high-pitched baby voice. “Come on Rocky. It’s alright I won’t let Dexter put you outside in this mess”

  Dexter walked into the living room, snowsuit undone from the chest up.

  “Don’t make that promise Lee.” He saw me, and his smile grew. “Rea you’re awake. Just in time. We’re testing Rocky’s hunting skills in the snow.”

  I raised my eyebrows, still confused. “Who’s Rocky?”

  “My cat,” He said as he lowered himself by the couch to look under it.

  Leona’s head popped up as she sat back on her feet. “He’s smart; he won’t come out for you.”

  But Rocky did come out, almost immediately, and Dexter scooped him up in his arms. He or she was pretty. All gray with a big bushy tail.

  I walked over to the cat in Dexter’s arms and ran my hand along its soft fur.

  “Rocky, like Rocky Balboa?”

  "No." He scoffed. "Like Rocky and Bullwinkle.” At my confused look he continued, “You know Rocky, the flying gray squirrel? Never mind. Come see what Jase and I have done. We’ve been busy this morning.”

  Dexter whispered things to the cat as he walked towards the kitchen.

  Jase stood by the sliding glass door to the deck, dressed in layers of sweaters and sweats. Snow gloves on, and a scarf wrapped haphazardly around his head.

  Gage sat back in a chair at the kitchen table, watching his brother, a plate piled high with eggs, ham, and toast in front of him.

  “Look Rea, we made a maze for Rocky. I want to see if he can find the treat I put at the end of it,” Dexter excitedly explained. “You got the video ready?”

  The snow was about eight inches high, but rounded mounds showed where they had built tunnels on the deck. The maze was mostly enclosed, but holes spotted the top of the paths.

  Jase took off his gloves and pulled out his phone, holding it up towards the maze. “All set.”

  I walked to the side of the sliding glass door to get a good view, but still stay out of the shot.

  Dexter kissed the top of the cat’s head. “Good luck buddy.” He released him at the start of the tunnel. Rocky patted at the snow a couple of times, and then crouched low, taking off into the maze. At the first hole he popped out, and ran on top of the course to the end. He dipped his head into the hole, coming up with a piece of ham, and jumped onto the deck rail before sailing off the other side.

  I gasped as I saw him spread his arms and legs, disappearing out of sight.

  “Is he okay?” I followed Dexter, Leona, and Jase outside. I peeked over the edge and saw him running down the pier. Relieved, I hopped back inside, my bare feet freezing in the snow.

  “That wily bastard foiled our plans,” Jase said.

  “Good for him,” Leona declared.

  Dexter just laughed.

  “Regan, eat some food and then we'll train.” Gage pointed to the stove. A frying pan was filled with eggs and another with ham. He stood up and walked to a cabinet. “Here’s the plates and toast is here.”

  “Thanks, but I can’t eat in the morning. I’ll take coffee though.” I could smell the coffee in the air and began scanning the counters for it.

  He shook his head, his face showing his displeasure. “No. You need to eat to have energy for our workout. Make yourself eat.” He forced the plate in his hands towards me.

  My face pinched in frustration, but I kept quiet. I could feel all eyes on me and didn’t want to start a fight.

  “Fine. I’ll have some toast,” I relented.

  So much for my good mood this morning. Thirty seconds of talking to Gage wiped that away. I tried to shake off my frustration, but him watching me eat with his self-satisfied smile made it hard.

  I restrained the retorts that popped in my head. He said he would train me today and as angry as he made me, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn something. I needed to win next week. I tried to focus on that as I forced the toast down my throat.

  When I finished, I raised my eyebrows to him. “Better?”

  He nodded, smug. “Now go get dressed. I’ve got a gym downstairs we can use.”

  I did as told, but was still hesitant to approach him in the hallway upstairs when he came out of his room. He was dressed in a form-fitting Under Armour shirt and loose shorts.

  “Can I use your washer and dryer? I mean, I could give you some money, it’s just I can’t get to the Laundromat today…”

  “Don’t worry about it. That’s fine. Go get your clothes, we can start them now,” he cut off my rambling.

  I hated that smile he had. He knew I needed him, and it showed. It didn’t feel like a good position to be in with him.

  His gym was legit, equipped with a weight bench, speed bag, punching bag, treadmill, mats, and free weights. He had me show him my form on the punching bag first.

  “Stop,” he ordered. “You started off good, but now you’re getting sloppy. Keep your wrist straight.” He grabbed my arm, running his hand along my forearm and over my gloves. “Always keep this a straight line. Don’t increase your speed if you’re not in control.” He met my eyes, looking for understanding.

  I nodded and swallowed down the lump in my throat. He wasn’t being condescending or judging, just helpful, with an even voice. I wanted to prove I was good enough, better than he thought. But he made me feel inferior without even trying.

  I pulled out of his grasp and went back to the bag.

  “Good. Better.” He nodded in approval.

  I hit harder, but kept control, focusing on the line of my arm and the strength of my punch.

  Dexter sauntered in. �
��Hell yeah Rae, work that bag.” He walked over to Gage, who was lifting weights. “Figure I’ll put in a little time. They're all up now watching TV. Maybe we can go on a drive when we're done.”

  I did a cycle of strength training and skill moves, ending on the bag again. I felt good about the workout, already able to do much more then my first day at the gym. My good mood from this morning was back.

  Gage and Dexter were at the weight bench spotting each other, so I took the opportunity to let loose on the bag. After a combination punch, I lifted my leg in a roundhouse kick.

  “What the hell was that?” Dexter laughed.

  I smiled to him. “Just getting a full body workout.”

  “You do know there’s no kicking in boxing right?” Gage asked dryly.

  I couldn’t read him to know if he was teasing. “Yeah, I know that. But you know in real life you need to be prepared. Maybe I should switch to MMA.”

  Dexter groaned, “Don’t even get Gage started on that. He’s a purest.”

  Gage narrowed his eyes at Dexter. “I don’t mind the UFC. I like watching it. I’m not going to do it though. Boxing’s all about the strength of the punch, I focus on that.” He nodded towards me. “But you’re right, in real life you got to know more, especially if you’re a girl.”

  I nodded in complete agreement. “So you’ve thought about the UFC?” I asked, looking at both of them.

  Dexter smiled and nodded to Gage. “He has, I never would put this body through that.” He ran his hands over his shirt, down his torso.

  “Just your face?” I semi teased.

  “Boxing is straight forward. And at least I don’t have the danger of broken limbs,” Dexter responded.

  “I’ve done some training with UFC fighters, but it’s like Dexter said, I prefer boxing. The pure battle of strength.”

  I contained my eye roll. I didn’t want to poke the bear. Of course Gage thought his choices were best, he couldn’t just be honest like Dexter.

  “So you’ve got some kicks. What about escaping, do you know how to break free of holds?” Gage questioned, taking a step towards me.

  My mind immediately flashed to that night last month, when the one boy had his arms around me, and then James’s hands around my throat. The blood drained from me, leaving me cold. I thought I knew, I had studied videos about how to escape different scenarios, but it hadn’t worked.