They all joke about what they had pulled on me earlier and my expression as I sit back plotting my revenge. It is dark when we get back and they drop me off.

Gray smiles at me and doesn't move out of the way for me to get out.

"Magic word?"

I turn to Mason sitting to the other side of me and he smiles at me.

"Magic word is the only way you're getting out," he says smiling.

'Please?' I mouth, obviously annoyed.

"Actually it was 'move' but you're cute so you get a free pass," Mason says getting out. 

I roll my eyes and step out while he gets back in.

"Wait, Beth!" Willow calls after me as I start to the house.

She tosses a small case with a cd inside. I catch it and she rolls back up her window.

I wave to them as they drive off.

I follow after Leo as we head inside. I look over the case, making me almost walk into a few walls and almost trip over the stairs. 

Inside is four disks and on the clear case written in black scratched up sharpie reads 'Growing up.'

I smile as I head upstairs. I take a shower and go to my bedroom, changing into gym clothes even though it's only six. I plan on heading out and leaving sooner so that I can watch these. I quickly repack my bag and wrap my hands as I go out the front door.

I walk down the cold street. Seeing the same scene. Worn down houses, flickering street lights, dogs barking and mysterious people talking with their faces covered. Would it hurt the city to care just a little bit about this area? 

I walk with that same confident look. It was a lot easier to go down this street when I was young and somewhat innocent. Now I can feel the eyes watching me. 

I soon make it there regardless and see all of them lined up around the ring, sparring with one another. I quickly go to my locker and take out my helmet, mouth guard and gloves after putting my hair up.

I go in line with the others and stand in the back with Jared.

"Friends that kidnapped you finally let you go?"

I sigh and smile sheepishly, slightly nodding my head.

Okay confession time, when I was younger I did actually have a huge crush on Jared. Me acting awkward around him was my usual self to him. He was a year older then I and I'm not gonna lie, he's pretty cute. I got over it after I didn't see him for so long and I was a bit broken hearted but I got over it. Now that he and I are older...I'm still awkward. Not because I have a huge crush on him but because I can only think of how lovesick I used to be over him.

I put on my helmet on as we wait in line. Jace and Pablo are next and I watch Pablo wink at me before getting into his stance. Aw, he's gonna destroy Jace for me!

Ahead of us is Henry and he notices Pablo wink in my direction and he looks over at me. Jared is watching this unfold.

He looks to me and scoffs slightly as he eyes me. I turn to him and give him my best rage, evil, murder look and can create. His fury that hides behind his eyes flitches at my death glare and he turns back to the fight. I beat him once before, I could do it again. He knows that.

Once he turns his head back to the fight, I do the same.

Jared nudges my arm slightly and I look over and up at him. He smiles at me before putting his arm around my shoulders still smiling and he whispers to me loud enough for only me and Henry to hear.

"I think you scared him enough for one day," he says before pulling his head back.

I bite my lip to keep my smile limited as I look back at him. I watch Henry glare slightly at him.

Well, Pablo's fight did not end super well. They had to call it off because of both of them starting to get really bloodied noses. 

We near the front of the line and when Henry doesn't fight next I realize Jared and Henry are going to fight. Maggie comes behind me, going to be the person I fight and as David and Tony step out of the ring. Henry and Jared step in.

I see Jared smile at me and Henry slightly smirk at me with a really evil glint in his eye.

I worry for Jared as they start. They bring their gloves to their faces and get into their stance. They do the routine punches, nothing major till Jared throws a huge punch. 

It makes Henry fall to the ground and have to take a second before getting up and revealing a bloodied face, covering wherever the source of the blood is and a pain filled look.

Henry then throws an extremely illegal punch and I watch Jared almost double over and grab the ropes as the coach blows his whistle. All of us groan and wince as excruciating pain crosses his face. I hold my breath as I see him almost drop.

Arlo get's Henry out of the ring and I see Henry smile at me and Jared before Arlo practically shoves him into his office. 

Dax, Pablo, and Tony all come over to help Jared out of the ring.

They have to give him a second before stepping out of the ring and I see tears behind his eyes. On his way out of the ring, even though his pain, I see him smirk at me as my eyes are filled with concern for his long-term health. Especially if he ever wanted kids.

The coaches escort Henry from the building while Dennis sighs and rolls his eyes, motioning for me and Maggie to step up. He holds open the ropes and we make our way in.

"This is why coaching girls are so much easier," Dennis says under his breath, making sure we still all heard.

I smile and hear Maggie chuckle a little. Since this is just practice we both hold back a lot. We both almost caught some hard punches from one another but hold ourselves back. In the end, we are the only group who finished the whole five minutes without having to be pulled from the ring.

We continue drills and I see Jared come back in after a while and sit down. Henry doesn't come back though and his buddies soon leave and you can feel the entire room relax.

Once it turns to eight and I have been practicing for about two hours, I step out of practice and get ready to go. Jared comes up next to me as I put away my things and grab my bag. 

I look over at him and mouth, 'are you okay?' Closing my locker after.

"Other than coming to the realization I may never be able to have kids, I'm alright."

I look sympathetically at him as I start to the door and he follows grabbing his bag.

"So do you know sign language well enough to use it?"

I nod my head.

"Oh good, that makes understanding you a whole lot easier," he says along with signing it.

I smile and sigh in relief. That will make tomorrow a lot easier.

I go to walk out the door and he follows beside him. 

"Did you wait for me to finish just so you could walk me out?" I sign to him.

"Walk you out? I was gonna walk you home considering the neighborhood. Plus I'm picking you up tomorrow, right?"

I smile at him and sigh.

"You don't need to, I walked these streets when I was ten," I sign as we walk out.

"Yeah and even then I still walked you home," he says smirking deeply at me.

"So, what school are you going to?" I sign.

"I go to Winterville, I'm a Junior, going to be a Senior this upcoming year. You're a Junior right?"

I nod my head.

"What school are you going to now?"

"Probably Winterville actually. A lot of my other friends are going there too."

"So who are your new friends? Last time we were around each other you used to try your hardest to avoid others."

"A few guys and a girl named Willow."

"Oh, so you have a boyfriend?"

"No! We're all just friends. Plus they got plenty of girls all over them." I say as I silently chuckle.

"A bunch of girls except for you?"

I nod my head, "what about you? You finally made some friends?"

"I have always had friends for your information. Mainly Jade, Maggie, Pablo, and Tony. But they don't go to my school so just a few guy friends I guess."

"What's the school like?"

"Pretty good. I mean, Mrs. Sharp is a pretty cool teacher but I recommend you stay away from Mr. Boyd. He's a creep. And don't sit at the center table. That's a good way to get an ear full of whining. Best bet is to come sit at my table of Seniors with your friends. It will get you popular quick and help me to kick out some of the people I don't like," he says chuckling.

I smile at him, that is until he looks up and his face drops. I look ahead and see a group of people standing there. They all are wearing dark hoodies and sending daggers through their eyes.

"Aw this your new girlfriend? The hero of the shooting? Figures. Date the popular ones till you get what you want," one of the girls spit with every bit of poison she can conjure.

"She's not my girlfriend. And your just upset I broke up with you because you cheated," he says sighing, obviously annoyed.

Um. I feel like your bringing in more trouble then I am.

"That's beside the point, you owe us money, you have it or not?"

My breath catches. He doesn't seem like someone to get high or drunk. Then again neither did my dad.

"Go ahead without me, I'll explain later I gotta take care of this," he says offering me a smile.

Instead, I am taken back. He is not who he used to be. He's right though. This isn't my problem if he is causing trouble. 

 I go to walk past them but one of the guys grab my wrist tightly enough so that I can't easily pull away. His hand can completely wrap around my wrist. I quickly turn to him and grab his wrist in return with my other hand, pressing down on the veins under his palm, hard.

He quickly loses his grip and bends his elbow in a pain reflex and I pull away, moving my entire body back. They all watch my expression in shock but I see past them to see Jared smiling at me. I ignore it though and turn my back to them all, walking away. 

He better have a good explanation for this. For someone in this neighborhood to say you owe them money isn't a good thing. I walk with my confidence strut away from the situation. Not going to argue with Jared about it till I hear punches landing.

I drop my head back, looking to the sky as I hear them punching Jared. Why can't I just stay out of stuff? My brain tells me to stay out of it but it's too late because my feet are already moving quickly back to him.

I quickly pull the girl off to the side by her hair as she is about to throw a punch at me. She yelps even though I didn't really even pull hard. At all. Pansy.

I grab one of the guys by his shoulder and as he turns to me I throw an uppercut, sending him back and the other two guys come at me. I knock the first out easily as he throws a punch at me and I return it with twice the force. But the second guy quickly comes behind him and charges at me. 

My feet go flying out from under me as he takes me down at the hips and I fall on my back, sending waves of pain up and down my body. I go to get up but he throws a punch at me and I block it. He quickly prys away my arms about to throw another punch and I gasp and whimper as I turn my head ready for the forceful impact. But it doesn't come and my hands are soon free.

I open my eyes and see Gray above me, offering a hand.

"You just can't stay out of trouble can you princess?"

Well, shoot. This is not a good situation.

I sigh and rest my head back on the cold concrete, closing my eyes and put my arm up to take his.

He chuckles at me and grabs my hands, pulling me to my feet. I smile at him and all the guys are looking at me but my eyes advert to Jared who Trever is giving him a hand up.

"Care to explain how you get yourself in these situations?" L.J. asks slightly amused.

Shoot.