First You Fall

"Ow." I groaned as I hit the floor and clutched my side. I looked up and rolled over just before Johnny's foot could make contact with my stomach. Pushing aside the pain, I jumped back to my feet. Johnny wasted no time before swinging at me again. I managed to barely avoid his fist but I lost my balance again and Johnny took the opportunity to kick my legs out from under me. I crashed back to the floor and moaned.

"Time out." I whimpered, still rolling across the floor.

"There are no time outs. Get up."

"No." I said laying still and clutching my right side.

Johnny knelt down and looked me in the eye.

"You'd be dead right now." He stated simply.

"At the rate you're going, I'll be dead by tomorrow."

I knew I was being a bitch for complaining. After all I had practically begged him to teach me how to fight. And when he took it easy on me in the beginning, I demanded that he rough it up a bit. Three weeks later and I think I'm getting good at this. I'm a pretty fast learner but that doesn't change that fact that Johnny has been doing this for a lot longer, making him faster and stronger than me.

I took a deep breath and pushed the pain aside before getting back on my feet. Johnny stood too and advanced slowly on me again. I waited for him to get close enough to try to punch me before throwing my leg out and nailing him in the stomach. I could tell it didn't hurt him all that much but it slowed him down just enough for me to spin around and elbow him in the chest. While Johnny paused to catch his breath, I moved behind him and tried to catch him in a choke hold. Before I could wrap my small arm around his throat, he grabbed my forearm and swung me back in front of him before kicking my legs again. I fell to the floor for the thrid time in just minutes.

"I think we're done for the day." Johnny said, as I laid panting on the ground.

"You're getting really good. You can move really quickly and you're small enough to get out of tight positions. You just need to work on your weaknesses, like your footing." Johnny said as he reached out his hand to help me up. "All things considered, you're a damn good fighter and it's only been a couple of weeks."

"Well I've had a good teacher." I said, wrapping my arm around Johnny for support.

Johnny sat me down at the bottom of the stairs and I grabbed my water bottle.

"So how much longer do you think you can hide this from Zacky?" Johnny asked, leaning against the wall.

"However long I need to."

"We're lucky he hasn't been asking questions about what you do with your free time. I doubt you'll be able to explain to him why you're in so much pain all the time now."

"Look, I've got it under control. I'll break it to him gently. Eventually." I said, standing and attempting to stretch. "I'm gonna head home now."

Johnny followed me up the stairs and out of his basement. I made it to my car and climbed in, trying to avoid putting pressure in all the wrong places. Once I was comfortable I started the short drive home. I parked my car before making the slightly painful walk to the front door. I had barely made it in when Val came walking out of the lounge.

"Hey, I was looking for you. Matt, Zacky and Brian are busy. Want to go catch a movie or something." She said, stopping in front of me.

"Sorry, I'm pretty tired. I think I'm just going to bed." I moved past her and started up the stairs.

"Bed? It's barely seven o'clock." Val said, following me up the stairs.

"I'm just going to take a nap than."

"What's up with you?" Val said, jumping in front of me and blocking the door to mine and Zacky's room.

"What are you talking about? In fact, never mind. Can we just talk about whatever it is later?" I said, trying to get around Val.

"No we can't because you'll only be tired later. You're tired all the time now. And you're not around as much anymore either. You and Johnny are always-" Val paused and her eyes widened. "You're cheating on Zack with Johnny!" She practically shouted.

I jumped back out of pure shock but Val must have taken this as a sign of guilt because she took her obscene theory and went off.

"How could you do that to Zack?! And with Johnny. How can Johnny do that to Zacky?!" Val advanced on me.

"Relax." I said, throwing my hand over Val's mouth and pushing her backwards into the room. I had barely shut the door before Val started off again.

"Why the fuck would you do something like that-"

"Okay stop." I said, cutting Val off before she could get out of control. "I'm not cheating on Zacky with Johnny. I'm not cheating on Zacky at all." I said, waving my tired arms around as if that would help get the point across.

"Don't feed me that bullshit, Toni. You've been spending more time out of the house and whenever I call you're always at Johnny's place. Whenever you get home you act as if you'd just run a marathon or had hours and hours of really great sex. And that really great sex was with Johnny, not Zacky."

"Okay I am not having really great sex with anyone but Zacky, Val. And stop fucking shouting, are you trying to get Johnny and I killed?"

"So you admit you and Johnny are doing something wrong." Val said, lowering her voice slightly.

I sighed and just lifted my shirt up. I was too tired to argue with her anymore so she might as well hear the truth.

"What the fuck is that?" Val asked, reaching over and running her fingers over the bruise lining my stomach.

"A bruise." I said stating the obvious.

"What point are you trying to make? That you and Johnny like to get really rough and kinky behind Zacky's back?" Val asked, anger still evident in her voice.

"Val I would never do something like that and I can't believe you would even jump to that conclusion." I said pulling my shirt back down. "He's been teaching me how to fight." I finally explained.

We both stood there silent for a moment before Val started asking questions.

"Why and when did this happen? Why didn't you just come to me or at least tell me?"

"He started after that whole round of shit with Bailey. I just wanted to be able to protect myself like the rest of you. And I would have told you but the less people that know, the less chance Zacky will find out. Besides when he does find out, I don't want anyone else in trouble for keeping secrets from him."

"And Johnny's okay with all of this?" Val asked, cocking her head to the side.

"He's pushing me to just tell Zacky, but that's not in anyone's best interest. He'd be so fucking pissed at me, and he'll probably do some serious damage to Johnny."

"Like the damage Johnny's been doing to you?" Val said, lifting my shirt again. "Maybe you guys should slow it down for a while. Zacky's going to start to notice when you come home all beaten."

"I'm fine." I said, throwing my shirt back down. "And don't blame Johnny, I told him to go hard on me."

"I'm not blaming Johnny at all. You're not doubt the stubborn brains behind all of this. And you still should have told me about it. I thought we were closer than that."

"We are, Val." I sighed. "I just didn't want this to turn into anything to big."

"Fine. You're forgiven." Val looked at me and smiled. "But no more secrets like this."

"Agreed. And no more accusing me of cheating."

"Hey it was a legit mistake." Val said with a grin.

I just rolled my eyes and laid down on the bed.

"I'm so fucking tired."

"Yeah I remember how it was when I first started all of this." Val said, sitting down on the bed.

"How did you start all of this?" I turned to the side and asked Val.

"Okay my turn to keep my secrets. Gotta go bye." Val shot up and off of the bed, racing for the door.

I laughed and rolled over, too tired to chase her and find out. Besides, my mind was too preoccupied with thinking of ways to tell Zacky about what exactly I had been up to lately.