< -- twenty - one -- >

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Hit hit hit

Right. Left. 

Right Right

Left Left

Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Hook. Uppercut.

“Damn you hit hard.” I shook out my hand as Ethan bounced from left to right shaking out his arms. Rolling his neck he pulled out his mouth guard. 

“Am I hitting you too hard? Do you need me to ease up?”

“I’m not a pussy E. Give me your best. I can take it.” Stuffing my hand back into the pad I put them up telling him to do the second combo we discussed. Hitting with more of his left to make his hits just as strong as his right, I asked where did he learn to hit so good.

Pushing back his hair with the gloves, he tried to swallow around his mouth guard. “Mike’s cousin has been taking us to a rec center on the other side of town. We’ve been learning some helpful moves.”

“How long have you been going there?”

“Since they tried to fight us in the cafeteria.” Hitting with more force than before my right hand was throbbing in the pad but I knew the fight made Ethan mad and that’s what was fueling him.

“Good good.” Taking a step back I switched up the moves so he could incorporate leg kicks. “So you got fit after a few days of working out?”

“Jealous?” Catching his kick at the last minute we both laughed at his sneak attack to get my ribs.

Crossing my eyes I held my hands out, “Definitely.” 

Dropping his arms Ethan pulled out his mouth guard wiping over his forehead again. “I’ve been lying to you sometimes Lars.”

“Only sometimes?” I joked.

“I know but I feel bad. Sometimes when I say that I’m going to hangout with Mike, I’m actually going to swim some laps at the school.”

“At school? You break into school Ethan?”

His sweaty red face began to brighten in color. “Worse. I made a copy of the custodian’s key.”

“Why though? You have a big ass pool in your own backyard.”

“I know,” he shrugged taking off a glove to get some water, “but going to school when it’s empty and I don’t have to worry about Griffin popping out from a dark corner feels different. It’s like I have the entire school to myself.”

“Because you do.” I laughed. “You’re breaking and entering on school grounds.”

Taking another drink from his water bottle he poured the rest over his hair wiping over the drips that threatened to get in his eyes. “I should probably stop before I get caught, right?”

“Why don’t you join the swim team then?”

“You forget Griffin is on the swim team?”

“Fuck Griffin.” Ethan gave a small laugh but I was serious about him not caring what Griffin thought. “Listen E, we’re about to be seniors. This is your last chance to get on the team. To do something that you want to and to hell if Griffin is on the team or not cause you’re going to go out for the team, make that shit, and beat all of his records!” I jumped up and down getting louder for encouragement. “Am I right?”

He only nodded.

“Am I right!” I yelled louder getting a quiet yeah in response. “I SAID AM I RIGHT MOTHERFU-”

“Lars!” Turning towards the house’s back doors mom narrowed her eyes at me. Shaking her head dressed in scrubs she glanced at her watch then back at me. “You need to watch your mouth.”

“Sorry, I was trying to be a good motivator and friend.” I motioned towards Ethan for conformation of the situation.

“There are better ways to motivate without using profanity kid. Where the hell did you get such a potty mouth?” She asked with a wink and a light chuckle. “But seriously, watch your mouth. Your sister has a friend over.”

“Hi Mrs. Crawford.”

“Is it that Lacey girl?” I shivered in a bad way not liking the way that little girl looked at me.

“It is.” She turned from me. “Hi Ethan. How are you honey?”

“I’m good Mrs. Crawford. How are you?”

“I’m good." She turned back to me, "I have two consultations today so keep an eye on the girls for me. I should be back before dinner though. Love you all.” Leaving with a wave mom left me in charge of Eloise and her creepy friend again.

“You think I could really make the swim team?”

“No doubt about it E.” I tapped his glove covered hands. “I’m sure you’re a beast in the water and you never know, you might meet some chicks on the swim team.”

“Yeah,” he smirked wiping over his neck, “I saw a few girls from Kelsey’s party that are on the swim team.”

“Wait, you sit and watch from the bleachers?” Ethan shrugged standing up to get back to boxing. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I actually watch from the cracked door in case Griffin comes my way I’ll have time to run.”

Opening and closing my prosthetic making sure everything was fine, I put the pads back on walking back into the grass area. “No worries E. We’re gonna get you right over the summer and Griffin will be kissing the bottom of your shoes senior year.”

Raising his hands ready to strike bouncing from the left foot to his right, he paused, “Thanks Lars. I really appreciate you helping with this so I can handle Griffin on my own.”

“No problem.”

“Even if we’re out in the blazing sun and I’m pretty sure I’ve sweated off all my sunscreen.”

“You have on sunscreen?”

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s freaking hot as satan’s pubes and my skin is always dry from the pool -”

“Is that why you smell like chlorine all the time?”

“Yeah.” Ethan laughed rubbing over his dark hair.

Continuing to work over some drills Eloise and her friend came out a few times to ask for food and then to get in the pool. I was fine with them eating since they needed to survive but I didn’t like the way Ellie was looking at Ethan while he was shirtless and her friend gave me the creeps which of course made me say no.

Taking another ten minute break I walked through the house to check on the girls when the doorbell rang. Hearing a small stampede from the upper level I looked over my shoulder to find Eloise and Lacey running at full speed down the staircase.

“I got it! I got it! I got it!” My little sister yelled at me as she looked down at each step so she wouldn’t trip. “I’ll get it!”

Hand already on the doorknob I covered Ellie’s face with the other moving her away from the door. “I got it.” Pulling it open the little girl that came over for dinner awhile back smiled at me wearing orange sunglasses that covered most of her face.

“Hey Lars.” She bounced on her toes.

“Hi?” Noticing another person with her I looked over to the boy that made my sister blush. “I’m guessing you’re -”

“William! Kimberly!” My hand was pushed away from Eloise’s face as she scooted in front of me grabbing her friends. “Come on, let’s go swim.”

Pulling them into the house I had to step back letting them through but grabbed the end of Eloise’s ponytail as she tried to take off. “Ow Lars!” Rubbing the back of her head she gave me an icy glare.

“Hold on a sec young one Who said you could invite extra people?”

“They won’t be here long, I promise.”

“Ellie -”

“I promise Lars, please. Just let them stay for a few hours then they’ll leave. They just want to hangout and swim. Please Lars? Please? Please? Pleeeee-” Covering her mouth I begged her to stop.

Removing my hand she grinned up at me with those pleading puppy eyes. Those eyes she thought would get me but wouldn’t. I knew how to stand my ground with her. I was her brother. Her older brother and begging with round sad eyes wouldn’t budge -

“Fine.” I breathed out losing the battle as she squealed in excitement.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank yo-”

Firmly grabbing Eloise’s shoulders I stopped her bounced locking eyes for the serious part of this agreement. “Your friends can stay but you need to stay in the shallow end or on the edge in the shallow end.”

“What if they ask me to jump off the diving board?”

“Then you make up an excuse and stay away from the deep end.” Her brows lowered as she chewed on her bottom lip. I knew that look all too well. “I’m serious Ellie. If you can’t stay in the shallow end then I’ll make you wear a life jacket then you’ll really be embarrassed.”

“But -”

“Or you can stay away from the pool all together.”

“Okay, fine. Fine.” Dropping my arms I watched my little sister as she ran off to be with her friends. Running out the back door full of energy and excitement she didn’t bother to check that the door was even shut all the way.

Shaking my head as I followed behind her closing the door behind me, I jogged back over to Ethan as he raised himself on the pull up bar bringing his knees in then twisting before moving to an ‘L’ position. Doing two more he dropped to the ground shaking out his hands.

“Damn E. That shit looks hard as hell.”

“You’re still doing just leg raises?” He asked jokingly.

“I’ll have you know I also do weighted pull ups.”

“Let me see.”

“What?”

“I believe that you can do the knee twist with your straps too, don’t you?”

Working out on the pull up bar wasn’t my everyday workout. In all honesty, I did it every once in a while working out in other ways that didn’t have me dangling from my prosthetic. My fear was always that it would pull and in the beginning the tug was very uncomfortable but within a few weeks I was able to do several reps with no problem. Nothing in life was really a problem until my last car ride with Cas.

Glancing over my shoulder Eloise sat on the edge of the pool with the other two girls while the little boy she liked did back stroked from one side of the pool to the other. “Sure.” Grabbing my straps I put them around the bar listening to Ethan as he explained how to the knee twist crunch.

Nodding my head I breathed in deeply knowing the pull I would feel from my prosthetic would be uncomfortable. Hearing Ethan count down from three I inhaled bringing my legs up into the L position then exhaled as I turned right bringing my knee up to the left side of my chest.

Giving him five reps of ten I dropped to the ground arms shaking, abs and shoulders burning, shaking my head feeling good that I was able to complete the tasks without failing. A small accomplishment that had me reconsidering returning to the pull up bar.

“Excellent job.” Feeling a slap to my back I stood using the bottom of my shirt to wipe the sweat running over my eyebrows. “You did amazing man!”

“Thanks E.”

“Same time tomorrow?” I nodded my head stretching out my shoulder blades. “Cool, I’m going to head home and hit the shower. I have a package that’s supposed to be delivered today so I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. Come on, I’ll walk you out.”

Walking past the kids Eloise’s eyes shifted from the boy in the pool to Ethan widening slightly as well as the other girls. Being the polite person he always is, Ethan waved goodbye earning him a few giggles and cherry faces that encouraged us to walk faster.

Going through the kitchen Ethan asked if he could fill up on water. Taking the opportunity, I told him about Neema and I making things official. “That’s amazing!” Nodding his head he wiped over his chin from the water that dripped as he drank.

Smiling at the warm feeling of knowing Neema was actually my girlfriend, I explained everything else that happened minus having her juices on my tongue.

Ethan’s shoulders were tense as a frown settled on his face. “I can’t believe that man could be so cruel to his own child.” He shook his head. “I really want to kick his ass.”

“Me too.”

“I can you know. I’ll do it.”

Squeezing his shoulder I gave him a friendly smile, “I know you would E but the only person that’s going to lay a hand on him will be me but it hasn’t come to that yet, so I can’t.”

Hearing a ding I looked on the counter for my cell remembering that I left it in my room. Ethan pulled out his phone checking it. “My package has been delivered.” He pocketed his phone. “Hey, can I borrow a shirt? I’ll bring it back tomorrow.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks. I’ll be outside. Don’t want to stink up your mom’s house more than I already have and your sister’s friend keeps looking in here.”

Turning to check outside Eloise’s friends quickly looked away giggling. Yeah, they’re definitely going to have to go soon.

“Good idea. I’ll meet you out there.”

Heading upstairs to get a shirt my phone began to vibrate on my dresser. Picking it up the picture I took in detention of Neema showed on the screen. Swiping the green circle I answered with a smile, “Hello?”

“Hey Lars. What are you doing?”

Pulling out a drawer I grabbed the top shirt. “Um, getting a shirt for Ethan.”

“Oh, Ethan’s there. Tell him I said hi.”

“He’s outside but I’ll tell him. What are you up to today?”

“Nothing much just -” A loud scream grabbed my attention.

Hearing several screams from my backyard I ran to the window opening the blinds to see if they were just playing around but the motionless body I saw surrounded drained the blood from my face.

No

“Lars? Hello?”

“W-Wait.” I forced out sprinting for the stairs. “Ellie! Ellie! ETHAN!”

Jumping over the last four steps I landed wrong sending myself into the wall. Hearing the drywall crack I pulled myself from the hole my shoulder created running through the house needing to get to my sister faster.

“ELLIE!”

My body froze.

“I don’t know what happen.” Someone cried.

“She was above water and then she wasn’t.”  Another cried.

“I-I-I slipped. I’m sorry. I-I sorry.”

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