Post by moonwick on Apr 21, 2006 16:32:56 GMT -5
Emily sat on the bench at the bus stop, her cheeks still warm and flushed even though it had been half an hour since she left the coffee house. Well... that was fun, she thought, smiling. But her smile slowly faded as she noticed a ragged scrap of newspaper on the sidewalk beneath her shoe. “‘Wolverine’ Anthony Douglas to fight female newcomer Jade on Tuesday” the headline read. Emily bent down and picked it up, squinting and trying to decipher the print, but it was too dark out and the ink had been blurred with rain. She sighed and threw the scrap in a nearby trashcan.
The other matches had made Emily nervous, but not as nervous as she was now. She had heard stories about Douglas. Is it true, what they say? Did he really watch his family die when he was only a teenager? Emily frowned. No wonder he has such a chip on his shoulder. Poor guy. She didn’t see Douglas as crazy or insane, like everyone else did. She had been through pain, too. And pain…it can destroy a person. Better he take his violence out on me in the ring than out on someone else. Emily just hoped she could handle it.
The city bus screeched to a halt and Emily hopped aboard. The seats were mostly empty, except for one near the door where an elderly lady sat with a book of crossword puzzles and another in the back, where a young boy stared out the window, all alone. Emily walked to the back of the bus, sitting in the seat in front of the kid. The bus started moving and she turned around in her seat.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed, young man?” she asked, smirking with an eyebrow raised.
“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. The boy was only about ten or eleven years old, but he had an intelligent look in his eyes, as if he were older. “Hey…aren’t you Jade? That new lady wrestler who defeated Geno and the Byrd?”
Emily smiled, amused. “Well, in the ring I’m Jade, but you can call me Emily. What’s your name?”
“Pete,” he answered, shaking her hand to introduce himself. “I read all about you in the papers, and I’m coming to your match on Tuesday. My brother, he’s taking me. He wants to see Ace Anderson fight Lantlas.”
“Wouldn’t your brother be worried if he knew you were out alone at night like this?”
“I’m going to his place right now. My parents…” the boy’s eyes shifted to the floor. “My parents were fighting and I couldn't sleep so I called him. He told me to come over.”
The boy’s sad face broke Emily’s heart. “Well I’ll tell ya what, kiddo…if I see you after the match on Tuesday, maybe we could…go get ice cream cones or something. That is…if your brother doesn’t mind.”
Pete’s face lit up. “Can he come, too?!?”
“If he wants,” she laughed. “But hey, I have to go. You be careful. Stay out of trouble.” Emily winked and stood up.
“I will,” Pete grinned, and knowing she had cheered him up, Emily stepped off the bus, pleased despite her worries about the upcoming match.
The other matches had made Emily nervous, but not as nervous as she was now. She had heard stories about Douglas. Is it true, what they say? Did he really watch his family die when he was only a teenager? Emily frowned. No wonder he has such a chip on his shoulder. Poor guy. She didn’t see Douglas as crazy or insane, like everyone else did. She had been through pain, too. And pain…it can destroy a person. Better he take his violence out on me in the ring than out on someone else. Emily just hoped she could handle it.
The city bus screeched to a halt and Emily hopped aboard. The seats were mostly empty, except for one near the door where an elderly lady sat with a book of crossword puzzles and another in the back, where a young boy stared out the window, all alone. Emily walked to the back of the bus, sitting in the seat in front of the kid. The bus started moving and she turned around in her seat.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed, young man?” she asked, smirking with an eyebrow raised.
“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. The boy was only about ten or eleven years old, but he had an intelligent look in his eyes, as if he were older. “Hey…aren’t you Jade? That new lady wrestler who defeated Geno and the Byrd?”
Emily smiled, amused. “Well, in the ring I’m Jade, but you can call me Emily. What’s your name?”
“Pete,” he answered, shaking her hand to introduce himself. “I read all about you in the papers, and I’m coming to your match on Tuesday. My brother, he’s taking me. He wants to see Ace Anderson fight Lantlas.”
“Wouldn’t your brother be worried if he knew you were out alone at night like this?”
“I’m going to his place right now. My parents…” the boy’s eyes shifted to the floor. “My parents were fighting and I couldn't sleep so I called him. He told me to come over.”
The boy’s sad face broke Emily’s heart. “Well I’ll tell ya what, kiddo…if I see you after the match on Tuesday, maybe we could…go get ice cream cones or something. That is…if your brother doesn’t mind.”
Pete’s face lit up. “Can he come, too?!?”
“If he wants,” she laughed. “But hey, I have to go. You be careful. Stay out of trouble.” Emily winked and stood up.
“I will,” Pete grinned, and knowing she had cheered him up, Emily stepped off the bus, pleased despite her worries about the upcoming match.