The rest of the week was a blur. She avoided Teresa at school as much as possible. She only talked to Minho during classes and only when she absolutely had to, and only if he started the conversation. She also avoided Ben as much as possible. He seemed to steer clear when she was with Newt or Sonya. Which was nice. When Emily was at home, she kept herself scarce. Hiding in her room when she knew Teresa was home, and did her chores as quickly as possible. Ava wasn't home much anymore with her new job, which made life slightly better. She didn't have her breathing down her neck. 

Sunday showed up too quickly. She lay in bed just staring out the window for a while. Sunday was the one day she didn't have to get up early and make breakfast for everyone. Teresa always slept in and Ava never ate breakfast. Emily rolled over and curled up. She watched the rain hit the window and it slowly slid down the window. The weather seemed to dictate her mood. Today was gonna suck. She was dreading this project. Teresa was in a horrible mood yesterday when she got home from Minho's; screaming that Emily was trying to steal her boyfriend and ruin her life. 

"It's a shucken afternoon Teresa! Come along if you have to!" 

"Eww. No. That place is dirty and stinks." 

"And if I had my way I would NOT be partnered with him. Trust me!" 

She had stormed to her room, screaming and slamming things. Emily had retreated to her room and studied and complained to Sonya. 

Emily rolled out of bed with a groan. She slowly started to get dressed, pulling her leggings on and one of her dad's old hoodies. Her phone buzzed. Picking it up it was from Sonya.

Good luck babe

Thnx

I wish I could come give ya some support, but we gotta visit Grams & Gramps

All good. Say hey to Noodles

HA! Will do! Later babe

Her phone buzzed with a different name. 

Newt: What kind of shucked name is Noodles?!

Ha. You love it!

🙄It's a good thing I bloody like you, Love

Don't I know it. Have fun with your fam! 

Text if you need anything.

Thanx. 

She slid her phone into her hoodie pocket and grabbed her backpack and slouched down the stairs. She packed a lunch while she waited for coffee. Teresa came slouching into the kitchen, her usual perfect hair was thrown into a messy bun on  the top of her head and still in her pajamas. She glared at Emily. Emily ignored her as best she could, she just packed her bag, poured her coffee into a travel mug. threw it into her bag. She slipped her sneakers on and threw her baseball hat on. 

"I'm going to the gym for the day." 

She left before Teresa could answer. She grabbed her bike from the garage and headed to the gym. She breathed easier as soon as she was out of the house. She hated it so much. It was so stressful, Emily's anxiety was always worse inside that house. She had a calendar counting down the day until she was able to move out. The weather sucked today. It was chilly and drizzly. They never really got snow anymore. The world was slowly going to klunk, and in the last 50 years the weather was getting weird, so even living in Denver, by the mountains there was little to no snow. It took her forty five minutes to bike to the gym. If she had a car it would have only been fifteen. But a car cost money and that was something she wouldn't have until she was 18. 

Parking her bike she pulled her key out. Sunday's the gym only opened at noon, even Jorge needed a morning off. Unlocking the door and flicking the lights on, she turned the alarm off and just stood in the quiet stillness. She could almost hear her dad's voice calling out tips and encouragement to the different fighters he coached. Emily could could hear the laughs, shouts, thumps of fists on bags, and weights clinking around. Her eyes filled with tears her heart ached. She missed her dad so much. She needed to go visit him soon. She hadn't since they moved. 

Emily ran her finger tips over the big picture he had blown up of her when she was two. She didn't remember the picture, Jorge had taken it. According to Jorge, she had put on the big boxing gloves, and her dad paused the training with his client and held up the practice pads for her to hit. That was the first time she had put on the gloves and apparently fallen in love with the sport. She smiled at the story. 

"I hope I still make you proud dad." She whispered, running her hand over his face. 

Blinking her tears away, she turned away. Sitting on the stool she pulled her Biology notes out along with her coffee and started to read, copy and highlight. She always had an easier time relaxing and studying in the gym. No one was here yet, but it still smelt and looked and sounded familiar. 

"Ma Hija, your here early!" 

Emily jumped and looked up. Jorge had come in through the back door. She sat up and stretched, sitting hunched for over an hour made her back sore. She hoped off the chair and gave him a big hug. Jorge held her tight, she didn't want to let go. She held a bit tighter, He dumped his bag onto the floor and used both arms now to pull her tight. She lay her head down on his shoulder and just took a deep breath. 

"Can I come live you?" 

She had asked many many times over the years. 

"You know Ava would never allow that." 

"But why did dad leave me with that witch? Papi, I don't understand! You're my godfather, can I not just peace out? I'm almost 18!" She pouted. 

"I don't know, Millie. Your dad did it for some reason. It's bad again?" He pulled away, and took her chin, searching her face. 

"No, they haven't hit me again. But...uh, I thought maybe new school would be easier." She sank down onto the stool and told him everything, all the details. She even told him how hurt she felt. Jorge was never one to judge. He listened quietly, humming every once in a while. 

"Well, I'm glad you found a few friends. They seem like lovely people. And as far as this project, it should be a piece of cake. If she feels that strongly, why don't you do as much as you can at your place, at the kitchen table? She can see its just a school project and nothing more?" 

"Yeah...I guess so." 

"It's just a project, si?" He gave her a look. Emily rolled her eyes, her face heating up. 

"Papi! Sure he's easy on the eyes...but his ego can hardly fit through the door!" 

He just hummed, giving her skeptical look, "I'll be the one to figure that out." 

"He should be here sometime this afternoon. We have to interview you, and get your take on the business side of things." 

"Millie...does he know you own the business?" 

"No. He uhh...I never actually told him what the business was...but I gave him the address. If he's smart he'd look it up before just showing up." 

Jorge rolled his eyes and shook his head. Emily shrugged. 

"Okay, enough studying. Go blow off some steam." He indicated his head towards the bags. 

She grinned. "Come on old man, you gonna hold those training pads for me?' 

"Thought you'd never ask!" 

Emily hoped up and went to change. With her hair braided into two tight braid, her shorts, and cropped Fitz's Fitness gym t shirt. Taking her glasses off, she put everything back in her locker and came out of the change room. She grabbed the tape and was already taping her hands. Jorge finished taping it for her. A few others started to trickle in. 

"Hey Em!" 

"Emily! Haven't seen you in a while!" 

"Good to see ya Em. Hey Jorge!"

"Alright Millie, go warm up, and I'll meet you in the ring in thirty." He indicated with his head again. She got up and he kissed her forehead. "Your father would be proud of the young woman you are." 

Emily just smiled. She grabbed the skipping rope and started to warm up. Once she was warm, she went to the punching bag. The gym was now busy. The weekends usually were. It just meant more background noise and she preferred it. She had taken her headphones out. Alby had gotten her to try doing sit ups with her legs wrapped around the bag, to try and out do her previous number she jumped up and wrapped her legs and leaned backwards, the bag swung a little, but she grin at the challenge. She managed 15. five more than last time. She'd text Alby later. He could usually double her number. She hopped off. She saw Jorge waving her over to the ring. Climbing into it. He held the mitts up for her. 

Jab Jab Cross. Jab Cross Left Hook. Jab Cross Right Hook. Jab Jab Cross left Hook. Jab Jab Cross Right Hook. Cross Left Hook Cross. Cross Right Hook Cross. Jab Left Uppercut Left hook. Jab Right uppercut Right Hook. Jab Cross Jab Cross. 

Jorge was throwing all the different combinations at her. After going through it all once he started to throw a few ducks in. He was really making her brain work. And then he indicated with her feet She started throwing kicks in, Side kicks push kicks, round house kicks, using her left and her right. 

Her mind shut off to the world around her. It was her and Jorge. All noise was gone; just her heavy breathing and heart beat, the blood rushing through her veins. The endorphins started flowing. The stress melted away, all her anxieties and worries. Her frown turned into smile and it turned into a smirk. It must have been at least thirty minutes of combinations Jorge did with her. He indicated for a break. 

"Jeeze Papi, that had my brain working over time! Last time you threw combinations at me was when Al and I had a beat going, and he was training for the championship."

Jorge just grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Wholly Shuck Emily!" 

Emily's head whipped around, her braids flying. Standing by the ring on the ground, his feet planted and huge arms crossed with the biggest smirk on his face, was Minho. Her face was already covered in sweat and red from sweating, so he could tell she cheeks flushed even more. His dark eyes were squinted so much they almost got lost. 

"Well, now I understand why Ben dropped so hard after you hit him. You know what your doing." 

"She sure does, she grew up here."

"Clearly. You must be her godfather."

"The one and only, Hermano. You must be Minho." 

"The one and only, Sir." He nodded his head in respect, but still had a huge smirk on his face, "Clearly I've been brought up in conversation." 

"Don't get cocky kid." Jorge warned

He chuckled, "wouldn't dream of it, Sir! After what I just saw, she could probably knock me into next week." 

"And don't you forget it!" Emily finally found her voice. She swiped her water, glaring at Jorge who just had a mischievous smirk. 

"I'll let you show him around Millie, and when your ready come find me, and we'll get started on that project." 

Emily glared at him some more, and huffed. She fit through the ring ropes and hoped down onto the floor beside Minho, who still hadn't taken his dark eyes off her. 

"Can I help you?" 

"Just trying to figure you out. Your very different from you sister."

"Step sister. And I'll take that as a compliment." 

"You two don't get along, do you?" 

"What tipped it off?" Emily rolled her eyes. She started to unwrap her hands. 

"So tell me the story." Minho unfolded his arms and shoved them into his jeans pockets. 

"What do you wanna know?"

"Start from the beginning." He shrugged, his voice and his face looked softer then he normally did at school.

Emily sighed. She told him, she told him how it was her and dad for ever, how she was raised here, Ava and Teresa, dads death. She hesitated on the next part. She knew there was some kind of thing going on with him and Teresa, and she didn't want to throw fuel on the fire. 

"...then it was Ava, Teresa and me. We moved closer to Ava's work this summer." 

"You hesitated in the middle. There's more to the story." 

She shrugged. "A step mother who didn't really want you is not the same as a mother...or father who was your whole world."

"Tes says her mother is pretty ridgid."

Emily scoffed, with a roll of her eyes. She shook her head and walked towards the wall of pictures before she said anything else. This was dangerous territory.  Minho followed, but didn't ask any more. She gave home a brief history of the gym. Pointing to the difference pictures and how the gym had changed. It still had that vintage feel, and that's what made this gym different. The vintage feel, the work hard, sweat harder.

"My grandfather was a boxer, and a good one apparently. But he took too many hits to the head, and had to stop, he started training other up and coming boxers. He had to rent other rings. When my dad had a bit of money, after he won a few big competitions, he bought this building and him and grandpa ran it until grandpa passed. And then dad and Papi Jorge ran it. Now...just Papi."

"And you, miss Millie." Jorge had come up behind them.

"What?" Minho asked, pulling his eyebrows together, frowning.

"Did she not tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Jorge." Emily said sharply.

"She actually is the owner. Her father wrote everything over to her once she's 18."

"No she didn't." Minho's eyes travelled to Emily. He frowned even deeper. Emily felt her face heating up. She hated when people asked and pride into her life. It was different when she volunteered the information, and she trusted them, like Newt and Sonya...

"I'm going to change, I'll be back in a few. Minho, if there is any questions you have about the business side if things Jorge can help. I'll be back and we can start."

~•~

•a little Emily Fitz kickboxing board•