Lachelle. Calm, cool and collected. A little aggressive but still. The complete opposite of me.

I stared down into her brown eyes. I was locked into her. I was focused on her. Focused.

I watched as Lachelle gave me a weak smile. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I'm scared of you."
"I crave your attention."
"Why do you hurt me?"
"Why do I let you?"
"I think I love you."

Words. I was never good at them. The voices in my head seem to be better at them than me. 

As I leaned over and kissed Lachelle all the red flags went away. I don't know her story. Even if I did I can't judge her for it. I can only judge her for what I know.

I know she likes vanilla. I know she likes karate. And by the way that she's kissing me, I know that she likes me.

I felt Lachelle wrap her arms around my neck and pulled me closer to her. For the first time since meeting her she is letting her guard down.

I'm going to take advantage of it.

I swept Lachelle off her feet. The gasp she made, made me want to laugh but I fought that urge. I didn't want her to stop kissing me and I really didn't want her to punch me in the face.

When I laid Lachelle on my bed she grabbed the neck of my shirt and pulled me down on top of her.

Looks like consent to me.

"Go further."

I continued kissing her. She let me explore the inside of her mouth with my tongue, and she tasted amazing. I wanted more.

I wasn't exactly sure what to do next. So I let my hands wander as I focused on her body.

I used my right hand to hold the majority of my weight off of Lachelle as my hand slid under her shirt and up her body. I felt the warmth of her body against my fingertips as I traced up her side.

I thought I was in control until I felt Lachelle slide both her hands in my shirt tracing up my back.

I broke the kiss as my body trembled uncontrollably. It was virtually impossible to gather composure. Especially when I heard Lachelle giggle in my ear "Want to keep talking?"

Have we said anything to each other?

Lachelle destroyed my train of thought when she ran her nails down my back. Not gonna lie it stung a little but I enjoyed it. This pain was a good pain.

My fucking alarm went off. Who set the alarm?

"Shit Alex. Your mom is about to be home." Lachelle informed me.

"My mom? When did you talk to my mom?" Oh yeah. One second we were in the park and the next second I'm in my room.

Lachelle pushed me off. "She said she was going to the store with Jim and they would be back in like thirty minutes. So, I sent you an alert for twenty minute which I thought woke you up." Lachelle sat up. I didn't realize till now how bright red she was.

Lachelle must have noticed me staring at her because she wouldn't stop talking. "Then you asked me to come up, so I did. Then you went all macho on me and pushed me up against the door. So, what was I supposed to do?"

Do I answer that? No it's a trap.

Lachelle was now avoiding my eyes.

"How did we get here?" I had to know. It was my original reason for calling Lachelle up before I got distracted.

Lachelle smiled at me. "I think you have like a personality disorder because I asked you to stop fighting me a few times. You like turned into this new person and just went for it"

Turned into a different person? Went for it? What the hell?

"At one point you had me pinned. Like hard too. "Lachelle stopped at that moment and blushed. I guess remembering the fight affected her. "Then you fell asleep on me when Jim came to pick us up."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What happened after I pinned you."

Lachelle was trying to hide her face with her hand. "Lachelle?" Lachelle quickly stood up and left my room. "Lachelle!"

***

Dinner with my mom and Jim wasn't as awkward as I thought it was going to be. Lachelle kept the conversation going with little to no issue. I can't tell if my mom likes her or not.

"So you're keeping up with Infinity Quest but you're not able to call me." My mom grilled me.

I sigh. "Mom I play after midnight. Do you want me to call you after midnight?"

"I would like you to leave my room at midnight." Lachelle mumbled.

My mom gave me the classical concerned mother look. Lachelle must have caught the look because I felt her leg brush up against mine.

"Do you two share a room?" Mom asked.

I wish. "No. Lachelle has a T.V. and let's me use it at night."

"Want me to buy you a T.V?" My mom asked.

No. Good God no. Shit. I'm a horrible person. I couldn't help but realize that the only reason Lachelle lets me into her room is the fact that I don't have a T.V. Right?

Wait, its different now. She's different now. We're different now. Right?

"Alex." Jim's voice echoed. "You're mother asked you a question."

A question I don't want to answer Jim. I scratched my head. "Um, sure." I hate myself. My expression on my face must have changed because the whole table went quiet.

"I don't mind if she uses my T.V." Lachelle said. "I have to start training for the tournament."

"What tournament?" There's a tournament?

"Mixed Martial Arts." Lachelle answered me. "That's why I been sparring with you. That and you can take a hit."

I nodded. "At least I get kisses out if it" I watched Lachelle and Jim start chocking. My mom raised her eyebrow at me. "You had your first kiss?"

"Yup." Here comes twenty more questions.

"Do you remember it?" My mom asked. I nodded as I drank my water. Hopefully I can drown myself. My mom however didn't miss a beat. "Tell me about it." It wasn't a question. It was an order.

So I told them. Every detail that I could remember. Running away. One hundred missed calls and three text messages. I was even able to recite the text messages. I remembered the smell of vanilla, the softness of the grass against my back, the warmth of Lachelle's hands and the taste of cherries on her lips.

When I finished my story I saw how red Lachelle was.

My mother on the other hand had her eyes trained on Lachelle. "And, you are okay with her running away? You know there is a chance she'll do it again."

I watched as Lachelle nodded. "I'm really fast ma'am. I remembered her from track. "

My mom smiled. "So Mixed Martial Arts? Tell me about it."

Oh cool. Topic change.

"Well during the summer four camps boarder Lake Nyrae. Usually the four camp compete in the Lake Nyrae Karate Tournament. Unfortunately in recent years one of the camps was brought by a douche name Will and he created Camp Willie." Lachelle explained. "Camp Maindo was originally the only camp that accepted kids with mental illness to make them feel normal."

I watched as Lachelle broke in front of me. She was holding back tears as she spoke. "Will made it seem like mental illness was a choice. That we are choosing to be broken. Soon after that kids with depression, anxiety and PTSD went to his none special camp. Free of the human errors."

Lachelle was now looking down. "I'm not an error. Will is raising a society of bullies. The other kids stayed loyal to Camp Freedom and Camp Pride. So with the lack of campers Camp Maindo can only compete in the Karate tournament. Last year was the first year I was able to compete. This year I will win."

"Is Alexirae competing?" My mom asked.

Lachelle shock her head. "It's not mandatory."

"I'm fighting." As the words left my mouth all eyes were on me. I watched my mom nod, Jim opened his mouth in protest, but Lachelle beat him to it. "Alex no, it's coed." Lachelle protested.

"Alex no, it's coed." I mimicked.

I smiled at her as I watched the anger grow on her face. She looked like she wanted to murder me.

"You're not safe." 

That's a fact.

"New quest obtained. Do you wish to continue? Yes or no? " The robotic voice asked, 

***

Since we returned to camp, Lachelle has been giving me the silent treatment hard core. She literally locked me put of her room and everything. One minute she is kissing me and the next minute I'm dead to her.

I watched as she sat on the opposite side of the fighting room. Lachelle calls it a dojo, but you know the room where we fight. Lachelle caught me staring at her again. I watched as she blushed and tried to hide her smile. She's so beautiful.

Both of us directed our attention to Maindo when he walked inside. "Kioku, Ikari. I hope you two became closer over the weekend."

My eyes got so wide they nearly popped out of my head. I watched as. Lachelle turn a shade of red that I didn't think existed in any crayon box.

"Maybe you two should have went to Camp Pride." Maindo said. 

"You're not too old to get your ass beat." Lachelle threaten. Maindo seemed unfazed as he walked to the center of the mat. "Ikari. Kioku. Koi."

What the hell is koi?

Lachelle sprung to life and like a ninja that she is tried to kick Maindo in the face. Maindo flipped his cane up and used that to protect his face from her kick.

Oh shit.

I watched as Lachelle landed next to Maindo twirled his cane above his head and swung it down hard and Lachelle. Lachelle used both her arms and placed them in the shape of an X and took the impact of the blow. Lachelle fell hard on her back.

Maindo pointed his cane at me. "Koi Kioku."

It's a no for me dawg. I thought as I shook my head no. 

Maindo threw his cane in my direction. It was like a missile was launched towards my body. I'm scared.

The actual speed that the cane was traveling is still unknown to me. Everything around me was moving in slow motion. Except

"Down arrow!"

Lachelle's voice broke my trance as my body hit the floor. Maindo's cane flew over my body and hit the wall behind me.

"Alex move!" Lachelle screamed.

I rolled away as Maindo came crashing down on the spot my body was just laying at. I'm not sure how I got on my feet but I am now going hand to hand with Maindo. I was doing pretty well blocking his strikes, until the geezer kicked me in the chest.

I landed on my back, hard. I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see the next blow.

Vanilla?

I opened my eyes seeing Lachelle kneeling in front of me blocking a kick from Maindo. I watched as Lachelle switched her grip holding Maindo in place.

Maybe. Just maybe. I can be of some use to her.

"Achievement Unlocked: Skill of A Hero." The robotic voice announced. 

I received this kick more times than I can remember. I'm sure it's Lachelle's favorite. I jumped up and spun into my kick aiming at Maindo's face.

I'm not sure how but Maindo spun out his body at a much lower level than I. I flew over Maindo's body as his body's rotation freed him from Lachelle's grip.

I was able to land on my feet and keep my balance.

How? Where is all this coming from?

"Kioku the skill you possess has already been a part of you." Maindo spoke. "First you needed to understand your inner thoughts and find peace. Then you learned your body and find a balance between the mind, body and soul."

"Now you and Ikari need to work together for the final step. Self-confidence. Ikari found her talent in Karate." Maindo explained. "However you two kids shouldn't worry about the tournament."

"I'm entering." I explained.

I see it. I see the change. My memory isn't the best, but I know when the voices came. I know what triggers my run a ways. I know I have the ability to make friends.

I know I want self-confidence. I either need to beat Infinity Quest or place at the tournament.I know Lachelle has her own agenda, and I plan on letting her use me.

So, we trained. That translates to Lachelle beating my ass over and over and over again.

After about five hours Maindo said his goodbyes. "So I'll enter you both in the karate tournament." Maindo explained. "It starts in a week so don't get carried away."

Maindo left the fighting hut dojo thingy.

I went to program the date in my phone.

Shit.

In exactly a week Infinity Quest online play starts. Also it's my birthday. I added a reminder to call my mom and Jim the day before.

Sorry everyone. Lachelle needs me that day.

I looked over at Lachelle. I saw that she was stretching. I never would have thought I would be in a room with her in a friendly matter. Let alone challenging three major camps.

Camp Willie, Camp Freedom and Camp Pride. I'm coming for you.

Fan Art form the lovely Momo.