Chapter Thirty-seven

Chapter 37

“I need to train.” I shook my head and he sighed giving up knowing the time training and me getting better had ruined his chances. My wall was down though and I felt him digging through my thoughts listening to my practice. Deep down at times when he was like this I felt guilty for getting obsessed with fighting but I couldn’t stop it. The fight was in me and then it clicked with me. “The fight has always been in me.” I whispered even though we were in class now and Piper paid more attention to us and was stricter on us than other teachers.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s why I’m so obsessed with winning. My past I’ve always been a fighter. I’ve always had to fight and I’ve always won. I made myself into a fighter. It’s not a power it’s something I forced onto myself.” I explained and I knew Piper was listening but her voice continued with the lesson just a little distractedly now she was listening as I figured out what had made me into a fighter.

“You made yourself a fighter?” Cole was still confused.

“I fought for Kali’s life first.” I whispered, “It was my first taste of the fight. I actually fought the servant to get away from him and then ran with Kali… I was saving her and myself. I won and I enjoyed the taste of victory. Then I fought Jonathon. It was my hardest and longest battle. It lasted my whole human life tons of little fights but I survived each one becoming stronger and more of a fighter each time. I started to play him. Now sometimes I can be the keeper of the cards in that game. My whole life I was shaping myself into one of the world’s best fighters and I never knew it. I never meant to do it.”

“I’m sorry that you had to go through all of that to get something you love so much.” He whispered pulling my desk closer.

“I really do love it though. I even love the feeling of losing to Booth now. It’s the feelings that you get while you’re fighting the adrenaline.” I whispered putting my head on his shoulder. “It’s like a drug.”

“It is your drug.” He laughed kissing my head as Piper dismissed class.

“I’m not that bad.” I argued.

“Should we go to the past or will you believe me?”

“I just get a little obsessed.”

“Okay whatever you say. Will you at least become un-obsessed for our wedding?”

“Of course I will.” I smiled kissing him eagerly and he kissed me back surprised but there was an eagerness in his kiss... a happiness.

“You’re back.” He smiled.

“I am.” I nodded clinging onto him, “I’m sorry I’m so obsessed with fighting.”

“Why do you feel so guilty?” he asked confused and worried and I knew he’d gotten my guilt from my thoughts.

“Because I’m so gone you rummage through my thoughts to try and figure out what happened in the practice.”

“Because I love you and want to know what makes you so happy and distracted not because you are abusing me. If it makes you come back to me sooner though…”

“Don’t.” I shook my head laughing but then I saw Sara. “Sara!!” I yelled.

“Hey!” she smiled, “I heard you took up a second kickboxing class to fill in Demons 101?”

“Yeah what can I say I get a little obsessed with fighting?”

“A little?!” Kalila, Lindsey, Poppy, Madison, Austin, and Ethan all said together.

“I’m guessing understatement.” Eli laughed.

“Yes.” Cole nodded.

“No.” I shook my head.

“I’d hate to see her completely obsessed.” Poppy laughed looking at Kalila.

“Don’t ask me I don’t remember a time.” Kalila laughed.

“Cole.” I said simply.

“Oh…” she laughed, “I remember.” She laughed harder knowing exactly what I was talking about but everybody else looked confused.

“You aren’t as obsessed with Cole as you are with kickboxing.” Madison laughed.

“I wish you were.” Cole said holding me tighter.

“She was…” Kalila sang and we laughed harder together.

“What are you two talking about?” Ethan asked.

“Let’s just say the time Cole thinks they first met isn’t the time they first met.” Kalila said and I blushed brightly. None of the family knew about that time and I’d conveniently left it out of my thoughts from Cole.

“Tell!!” Everybody chorused.

“Do and I’ll kill you!!” I yelled at Kalila when she opened her mouth.

“Why are you killing her now?” Booth asked sitting down.

“Hey Booth.” I smiled happily.

“Do you need help killing your sister?” he asked.

“Professor Stridden!” Ethan chastised, “I think her dad might be upset.”

“Kali are you going to tell them?” I asked.

“I haven’t decided.” She shrugged.

“Then I haven’t decided if I need your help killing her.” I told Booth. “So what are you doing here?”

“Well since Tristan said we have to come to lunch I figured I’d lunch with you.” He shrugged and I laughed.

“Lunch with me?”

“What?”

“I don’t know it just sounded funny.”

“Said the one hundred and sixty… seven… is it… year old girl.” He said.

“Oh you did not!” I squealed as everybody laughed.

“I did. What are you going to do about it? You can’t even beat me in a fight.” He laughed and everybody laughed harder as my face turned red.

“Argh!!!” I groaned, “Just wait I’m kicking your butt today during class.”

“I look forward to it. It will be the one that’s attached to the leg that kicked you onto yours.” He smiled laughing and I couldn’t help but laugh remembering how many times he’d used the same kick to get me.

“You’ve got to teach me to block that kick.” I begged.

“Why it’s the one I always use?”

“That’s why I expect it but I can’t block it. Unless…” I trailed off as my face dawned comprehension on what he’d been waiting for me to figure out, “My defense is to levitate over the kick and then I can come down on the other side or fight or just come down or…” I went over all my choices and he smiled seeming proud that I’d finally figured it out. Everybody else laughed though.

“I’ll see you last block.” Booth told me after lunch. We’d discussed fighting the entire time.

“Can’t you get me out of Spells and Defense?” I asked.

“No you need them.” He shook his head. “If you learn them and then learn to fight…” I snarled at him at the blow to the ego while everybody laughed, “I’ll teach you how to add them into your fighting.”

“You can do that?” I stopped in my tracks.

“It’s usually not something that’s taught unless you go to become a professor of fighting but I could see you becoming one so yeah you can.” He nodded.

“That is so cool.” I squealed excitedly and ran to spells. I kissed Cole quickly but distractedly not even fussing when he shimmered away in the middle of the kiss because I wasn’t there for the kiss either.