I Try To Be A Phinoix (Peyton)

I got out of the manor as soon as I could. Hot tears burned behind my eyes as I forced them to stay in. Betrayal stung deep inside me. How could I be so blind? It was so obvious.

Gods, I wanted to break down, I wanted to stop and curl up and cry until I couldn't anymore. I don't why but I didn't, something inside me kept me walking. That when I got home I could shut down. Now I had to get there.

I was so focused on not losing myself that I stopped paying attention to where I was going. When I stopped and looked where I was I realized that wasn't at my apartment instead I was at the alleyway that Hale and Ryker said they saw... where they met up.

I tried to swallow the golf ball-sized lump in my throat and looked around. Probably not the safest place to be right now. I knew I was right when I heard bone hitting flesh. I could see the shadows move in the alleyway. A tall slender figure stood over a bulky but smooth person who was swaying on his knees. The standing figure was sending rough, angry punches to the poor swaying shadow.

As a car past the headlights passed over the figures for a second. Enough for me to recognize the people.

"Hale?" my voice cracked.

She turned her head to me for a second then back to the person she was beating up, which I could now see was Cooper.

Hale brought her knee up and rammed it into Cooper's stomach. He let a long painful groan.

"You even think about coming near her again I will put your ass in the hospital, I've done it one this week, I will do it again. Got it?" Hale threatened in a hiss.

He quickly nodded his head.

"Great, Now get the Hell out of here."

She didn't have to tell him twice. Cooper got up, groaning in pain, and limped out of the alley and down the street as fast as he could.

Hale walked over to me. As the moonlight covered her face could I see she didn't come out of this fight unscathed, her lip was busted and swollen, a streak of blood ran down from her temple. She stood there speechless. I surprised her and myself when I bust into tears and hiccuped sobs. I leaned forward and borrowed my head into her chest and put my arms around her body. Slowly she reached up and returned the embrace and rubbed my back, not saying a single word.

-*-

I woke up snuggled up in my bed under my covers. My eyes burned and my head ached, luckily my blinds were shut. I groaned a flipped over to glare at my alarm clock. Seven-thirty on a Sunday morning. Why the hell was I awake?

I jumped when something like a groan or a snarl came from the floor. I peered over my eyes still half shut.

Hale was curled up on the floor with a pillow and blanket. She was twitching and had a permanent frown on her face.

Why was Hale asleep on my bedroom floor, and how did I get home last night?

I reached over the bedside table and grabbed a pen and dropped it on Hale's face.

She woke up startled.

"What the actual hell?" She grumbled and chucked the pen back at me.

Oh, surprise, she's not a morning person.

"How did we get here? And why are you still here?" I asked as I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

"I'm here because you had a god damn meltdown on the street last night, and fell asleep, on me. and I had to help you walk home, up to the fire escape, so your parents wouldn't know and then get you into bed. And by then it was too late to sneak back into the academy." Hale explained in a huff.

"I feel asleep in the street?"

"Yes. I let you rest on my shoulder and you fell asleep."

"Oh yeah... and did you really beat up Cooper?" I asked looking down, playing with a loose thread on the blanket.

"Yes." She answered in a dark snap, her lips pressed in a tight line. "I would have gotten the girl to, but she ran off. And by the way, Cooper isn't a good fighter. Kinda prissy."

"That's what I liked about him. He was sweet and gentle."

Hale rolled her eyes.

"Well if your gonna keep living in your safety bubble you need to be surrounded by people that can protect you."

"What?" I asked not on the page.

"You live in the self-absorbed safety bubble. Last night I thought I was going to have to break your window to get in, it was unlocked. You literally fell asleep in the street, and not to be a bitch, but your friends were literally dating right in front of you. I'm not going to tell you how to live, but you need someone looking after you. And that wimp was not it."

The reality check slapped me in the face, hard. Everything she said was so completely true and I'd been so oblivious to it all. I mean Cooper and Lucy? Gods am an idiot.

"And why can't I be the one to protect myself?" I asked defensively.

She shrugged.

"It could be, but Peyton Marshell could never do it."

I frowned and brought my knee's up to my chest, curling myself up.

"But Peyton Woods might be able to."

I turned to her and smiled brightly.

"You think so?"

"Won't be easy, but I think I could make a badass out of you." Hale gave a half-smile.

"You're going to teach me?" I asked surprised. Hale didn't seem like the patient teaching type.

"Uh yeah. Who else is going to teach you the correct way to defend yourself. What you need to learn isn't taught at planet fitness. Come on, get dressed."Hale stated, kicking off the blanket.

I scrambled out of the bed to my closet. I pulled out some black yoga pants and a gray sports top. I changed in my bathroom and put my hair up.

When I came back Hale was folding her blanket and tossed it on my bed. She was still dressed in her ripped jeans and t-shirt from last night.

"Do you want a change of clothes?" I offered.

She shook her head.

"No thanks, I'm fine. You ready?"

I slipped my phone into my leg pocket and nodded.

"Great, I'll see you outside."

Before I could what ask she meant she was out my window scaling down the fire escape.

Alright then.

It was still early so I didn't suspect anyone would be up, I quietly made my way down the hall. I went into the kitchen and left a note on the whiteboard.

Went for a run, be home soon. Txt if you need me. - Peyton <3

I slipped outside and went downstairs to the street. Hale was waiting for me.

"So where exactly are we going?" I asked as I followed her down the street.

"My childhood wasn't really the best, left me with some really bad anger issues. Before street fighting, I found someone who helped me release that anger in more healthier ways. He owns a boxing place a few blocks down. Great place to get started." Hale explained.

"So what was the unhealthy way?" I asked not really expecting her to answer.

"A few different things, one of which ended with me punching a police officer. I spent the night in jail and had to go to court maintained anger management for a month."

I nodded listening to every word. I didn't know Hale, but I could tell she wasn't one to open up easily.

"Well, here we are," Hale said as she stopped in front of a door. Oscars Boxing was printed on the door.

We entered and stepped into the small building. A boxing ring took center stage and to left was some punching bags and to the right was some muscle-building machines.

My vision was blocked when a man stepped in front of us.

"Hale! Been a while since you stopped in chica. How are you?"

"Hey, Oscar. I'm hanging in there. How are you? How's Rosa?"

"Me and the wife are good. Who's your friend?"

"Oscar this is Peyton. She wants to learn some self-defense."

"Well the place is yours, have at it. It was nice to meet you, Peyton."

"It was nice to meet you too." I smiled as he left us.

Hale lead me over to the weights and place ten-pound weights in each of my hands. She instructed me to raise them over my head and to my waist till she returned.

At first, it was easy, but as the seconds ticked by they grew heavier and my arms shook. Damn, I was more out of shape then I realized.

When Hale returned I dropped the weights and let my arms out of their misery.

Hale had changed into black athletic shorts and a back sports top, and her hair was thrown up in a messy bun. She didn't have any shoes on instead she had some type of tape around her feet and hands.

I looked at her for my next task. Hale had me follow her to the other side of the room and we stood in front of the punching bags.

"Hit it." She stated simply.

"What?"

"Punch it. Curl your fingers into a fist and hit it."

I gave a frustrated sigh and balled up my fist and drew back before I could follow through Hale grabbed my wrist.

"Okay hold on." She uncurled my hand. "First it's a misconception that you tuck your thumb under your fingers, you can still break it. You place it on your ring finger knuckle. There." she rearranged my fingers as she explained. "Second, your stance is all wrong. Your legs need to be wider apart, and your left leg needs to move forward." she moved her foot and nudged my feet to the correct placement.

"Now let's see that punch. Don't hit hard just how me how you throw. Go through the motions."

I took a breath and brought my arm back and pushed it forward and made contact with the leather bag, it gave a sway.

"Not bad, a few tweaks. When you go to throw the punch put your whole body into it, which will take some stress off your wrist. Here watch."

She lined herself up on the bag next to mine. She brought her arm back and as it lunched forward Hales's waist, body and shoulder leaned into it, she also crunched down a bit.

"Try again."

I mimicked her stance. and tried again, this time I threw with my body, Hale was right, my wrist did feel better.

"Better. Here put these on."

She handed me a pair of boxing gloves, the kind that let your finger s visible and separated.

Hale put on her own pair and turned to me.

"Now the same thing, this time use both hands. Back and forth. The best punch comes from emotion, and the best emotion for this is anger. So think of what is making you angry. Start small then build up. But don't get lost in the rage, stay in control."

I nodded and turned to my bag.

"Ok I'll start, then you."

She hit the bag with a violent force and switched her hands.

"I hate that I met a great person , but I don't know if I can trust her, because people always disappoint me," Hale grunted out harshly.

My turn, I started my punches.

"I hate that in two days my whole life has been flipped upside down."

"Good, keep going." Hale encouraged.

"I hate that my parentsare to busy for me. That my best friend and boyfriend have been shacking up behind my back. And when I finally find about my birth parents, I have to kill one and the other may or may not be dead. And I can't do a damn thing about it!"

I gave a hard hate-filled punch and the bag swayed far away from me, too far to continue my rhythm. I felt better, a lot better, like a weight had been lifted off of me.

"Better?" Hale asked with half-smile.

"Much," I answered wiping sweat from my forehead. Hale tossed me water I gladly took it.

"Come on, we aren't done yet."

- *-

Two hours later I was finally back in my bed. I was a sweaty mess and there wasn't a part of my body that wasn't sore, but it was worth it. Hale spent the whole time teaching me how to defend myself, practicing on the punching bag. She said next time we would go into the boxing ring. Hopefully, I wouldn't be so sore then.