And Then They Crumbled

PRINCESS | ONE

"You have a ten thirty, then an eleven o'clock make sure you rest well in between the fights the last one is going to be pretty ugly." Luke sighed walking circles around me while I practiced.

"The ten-thirty will be a girl that goes by the name of stigmata?" He paused.

"Stigmata?" My sweaty fist collided with the sandbag as I listened to Luke.

"Don't worry about the name Luke" I breathlessly grunted out.

"Right anyway stigmata, five foot four, the average time in-ring is three minutes one round, most matches won by knockout, fighting style is mixed martial arts, she seems to be going after your tittle"

"Doesn't everyone"

"Yeah you're right, but I still think you should be careful with that one word on the street is that she's been waiting for a chance to go at you I haven't had a chance to see her fight but many say she is a force to be reckoned"

"Okay sky-walker" I tsked.

"Your eleven o'clock is john ford" Luke continued ignoring my snide remark.

"The leader of the gang we are after?" I said while I took off my gloves.

"Yes this is a beat him or kill him in the ring situation, you need to take over his gang they have information Ben needs." Nodding I grabbed my towel drying off my neck and face.

"He's six foot three, slow momentum but he has a strong swing, left-handed so you need to watch out for that, kickboxing is his preferred method of fighting though he will switch in between boxing and jujitsu when his opponent is stronger."

"Yami" Joshua's voice rang through the basement which I used as a gym.

"What?" I rolled my eyes at the nickname he has for me.

"I'm bored" Even though my back was facing him I could practically see his ugly pouting face.

"Then get a job and do something with your life."

"Ouch sister that hurt right here," he said stopping in front of me, patting his chest and flinching. Our newly found relationship as brother and sister was a love/ hate type of thing. He annoyed me to no end and I snapped at him. That was our norm, although, in the beginning, it was more of hate rather than anything due to him holding out on many details of our family I wished to know.

"Besides I have a job" he beamed.

"Being a man w***e is not a job Josh" I frowned.

"Who pissed in your cheerios" His frown mirrored mine.

"Josh, what do you want?" Today was not the day to be messing with me. I had enough on my mind with the fights.

"Okay okay fine I can tell you are not in a good mood" he paused and stared at me, "he asked about you again"

"I cannot be bothered to care enough Josh stop telling me every time you talk to him." My heart hammered uncontrollably in my chest knowing he was asking about me again. I knew better though he had a girlfriend who he planned to get engaged too soon.

"Can you blame me I can't let my favorite ship sink" honestly Joshua was a totally different person than what I thought he was when I was still in high school and he was Cory, my bully. His personality did a one-eighty he wasn't as aggressive as he once was now he was more of a doting big brother always following me, telling anyone and everyone who would listen that I was his sister and he was my big brother, and threatening any man who dared look my way. It was cute. I actually really liked this side of him.

"let it go" My chest tightened constricting my breathing.

"Okay"

"I'm actually here to tell you that your class starts in three hours." He put his hand on my back rubbing away the ache.

"Thanks, Ill get going" I moved away and walked to the stairs. Let's see I have psychology today and then chemistry. That means I had class with Walter and James. I better hurry if I want to eat before I leave.

"Princes" I looked up to see James in the living room with Walter. I raised my eyebrow questionably at him.

"Yeah?" James smirked mischievously at me while Walter groaned, their eyes scanning me up and down soaking in every single detail.

"Could you cover up before we do the unthinkable to you" I shrugged.

"Here" He caught the water bottle I threw at him with ease.

"What's this for" He smiled wide at me.

"You sounded thirsty" I shrugged again.

"Oh come on princess you didn't say that last night" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at me. I knew what he was doing, James was always looking for new ways to make fun of Walter, and I couldn't help but go along with it.

"No!" Walter gasped dramatically his hand shooting up to cover his mouth in disbelief.

"Princesa say it isn't so! You did not do the nasty with that!" He shot a disgusted look at James before looking at me with a pout. I turned to James his eyes shone of mischief.

"James you promised you wouldn't say anything" I pouted playfully. James sucked in a breath.

"Oh god don't do that to me princess" he whispered breathlessly. He was obviously not expecting me to play along.

"I think I'm going to just go die in that corner over there" Walter sniffed and made his way toward a corner.

"I told you both it wasn't happening" I rolled my eyes at both of them. "Again' I added making Walter snap his head back towards me.

"So you didn't do the nasty with him?" He sniffed.

"No Walter I was joking but James over here couldn't take the heat" I smirked at a dazed James.

"Oh thank god I thought you might have caught an STD or something" he shuddered in disgust.

"Hey!" James shouted final snapping out of his daze.

"FYI I do monthly check up's I am cleaner than a Mexican mom's house before guests arrive" he huffed whacking Walter with a couch pillow. I laughed as Walter glared at him and threw a pillow of his own.

"I'm going to get ready I'll be down in twenty" I shouted over my shoulder as I walked away. I doubt any of them heard me, they were shouting and throwing pillows around. I smiled at their goofiness.

James was the mischievous one of the group. He always found ways to make us smile and annoy us to no end. He was the kind to speak his mind no matter how brutal or how embarrassing it was. He had blonde hair that he always combed neatly back, his honey-colored eyes made him seem like a Dream. Though his usual stoic expression made people shy away from him. A bit contradicting if you ask me.

Walter was pretty tall, then again everyone was taller than me. He was thin compared to James who looked like a bodybuilder but was equally as tough as James is. His brown curls were always bouncing with his movements they looked so soft I always had the urge to run my fingers through them. And his big brown eyes almost screamed innocence even though he was everything but innocent. He was the cutesy type, the type to act cute and nice, but was very mysterious and dark. I often clashed with him while James laughed and egged us on.

I never really understood how they became so attached to me. Nowadays I hardly ever get them off my back, wherever I go they go. Even if it is a run to the store for a few extra menstrual pads, they are right there beside me helping me decide which ones to get. I will admit at first it was frustrating. Though as time went on they grew on me.

"Princess!" I heard Walter shout from downstairs. I finished getting ready quickly and made my way downstairs before the boys began shouting at me again.

"What," I said entering the kitchen.

"Here," James slid a plate with eggs, bacon, and sausage. The smell caused my stomach to grumble.

"Thanks"

"Chemistry was canceled today" I raised an eyebrow at Walter.

"Something about the teacher" he shrugged looking down at his phone.

"Come on let's go or we will be late" James rushed me. I nodded stuffing spoon fulls of food in my mouth causing Walter to grin at me and James to shake his head.

"I call shotgun!" I ran outside towards Jame's car.

"Crap" I heard Walter swear running after me. James laughed at him and unlocked the car.

The car ride to the college was long and filled with Walter complaining about how cold it was. I honestly loved the cold it was mid-October and this year it was particularly really cold. The weather forecast said we would have snow this weekend and I was looking forward to it. I liked the car ride to college the scenery was beautiful, it was filled with large pine trees on either side of the road. It was breathtaking I often came here and rode my bike whenever I wanted to relax and clear my mind.

As we neared the college I thought about how much my life had changed these past few years. I wasn't the same girl I use to be. I was I guess calmer now than before I no longer kept in touch with anyone from my past other than Joshua, uncle Ben, and Luke. The rest were people who I had met along the way here like James and Walter. It was for their own good that I stayed away anyway. Even if I did miss them.

"Let's go princess" Jame opened my door and held out his hand for me.

I took his hand and made my way towards the college, with James on my right and Walter on my left carrying my backpack. Honestly, they did treat me like a princess hence the nickname. They were the sweetest guys to me, though the same can't be said to the rest of the girls they knew.

We made it to our classrooms and took our usual seats. By the time I had looked back up at the large round clock that hung over the board, it was one minute till dismissal. Class had gone by faster than I had thought it would. Soon the professor had dismissed us and we made our way to the house grabbing Mcdonalds on our way back. And before I knew it, it was time for my fights. Uncle Ben and Luke had packed my gym bag with the necessities. Such as a first aid kit, mouth guard, wrapping tape, and some cold water. After I had changed into some sportswear we pilled into Walter's car and drove to a secluded location two hours away from our house.

This was the normal routine every Friday we did the same thing. It had become more of a chore than a hobby. I thought maybe today could be different from the usual schedule, but unfortunately for me, the day had gone by not so surprisingly fast and with little to no entertainment. I had hoped today would be a bit less oh I don't know mundane, dull, boring, you get the picture.

Though I guess the saying be careful about what you wish for wasn't that far off.