Ride Off Into the Sunset

"Brian where exactly are we going?" Noelle asked over the engine of the bike.

"To a fight club one of my friends owns." He said. "They not only do fight matches but they also do boxing, karate, and self defense classes."

Noelle gulped as they continued on to their destination. Brian slowed down and drove into a parking lot. He killed the engine and got off as Noelle took her helmet off.

She looked seeing a big warehouse and a sign that read Fight Club and Self Defense Classes. Brian took her hand and lead her to the entrance.

Noelle gasped hearing punches being thrown and a body being slammed down.

Brian squeezed her hand. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

"I know I'm just scared is all." She said.

"Do you trust me?" Brian asked.

Noelle looked at him this was the question he had asked her the time he helped her cross the bridge and the time he and the others taught her how to swim.

"Of course I trust you Brian." Noelle said. "You have my full and complete trust."

He smiled and kissed her. "Then if you do you should know I won't let anything happen to you and I would never purposefully put you in a situation if I didn't think you could handle it."

"You're right." She said then managed a smile. "I'm ready."

Brian gave her that signature smile and opened the door leading her in. Noelle could see some guys punching bags, there was a crowd around two guys who were wrestling.

He lead her over to a guy with a shaved head. "Haner what's up?" He said hugging Brian.

"How ya doing Mike?" Brian asked.

"All good and who is this?" Mike asked smiling at Noelle.

"This is Noelle she wants to learn how to defend herself." He said.

"Really do you have any prior taking of self defense classes?" Mike asked.

"None at all." Noelle said.

"Alright then follow me." He said.

They followed Mike down a hallway and into a big room that had punching bags, weights, and mats where guys were fighting but they had other guys instructing them.

"Okay first off you're gonna have to change into something more appropriate." Mike said.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Noelle asked.

Both guys laughed. "You want to get down and dirty in your clothes?" Brian asked teasingly.

Noelle smacked him as Mike handed her some shorts and a tank.

She walked into the girls bathroom and changed into the clothes then walked back out to find Brian in shorts and a tank.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

He grinned. "Told you, you were gonna learn how to fight and I intend on teaching you how."

"Okay." Noelle said.

"Here." Mike said handing her some boxing gloves.

Noelle took them and put them on then went to stand in front of Brian.

"Okay first let's go some practice hits." He said holding his hands up.

Noelle held her fists up and started punching his hands. "Okay stop." He said.

"What'd I do?" Noelle asked.

"You're going too fast and not breathing while you're doing it." Brian said. "Keep doing that you'll be too out of breath to fight let's try again."

Noelle took a breath then hit one of his fist took a breath then hit again.

"Now you're going too slow." He said stopping her. "You can't go to slow or you'll get your ass kicked and you can't go too fast or you'll get your ass kicked."

"What do I do then?" Noelle asked.

Brian lead her to a punching bag he went on the other side of it and held it in place.

"Now hit this as hard as you can." He said.

Noelle took a breath and hit it. "You're kidding right?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

She frowned and hit it again. "Come on Noelle you can do better then that." He said.

Noelle tried again and again till she started sweating and panting.

"Come on you're hitting like a girl." Brian said trying to motivate her.

She punched it again the glove came off as her hand impacted the bag making Noelle cried out as pain shot through her hand.

"People have had broken bones and still tough and you're crying over a hurt hand?" Brian said. "That's pathetic."

Noelle looked up her eyes flaring without thinking she jumped and kicked the bag so hard that Brian fell as it hit his head and the bag slid down some.

Brian looked at her holding his head Noelle stood there breathing heavily. He grinned and got up stumbling from his head throbbing.

"You okay?" He asked grabbing ice from a nearby cooler.

"Yeah." She said. "How's your head?"

He chuckled. "It's throbbing but I've had worse."

"I'm sorry Brian." She said.

He shook his head taking her into his arms. "Don't be I kept talking you down till you retaliated and you did."

"I feel like lit like I just released something." Noelle said.

"You did." Brian said kissing her forehead. "What were you thinking about when you kicked the bag?"

"You at first cause you were really piddling me off." She said making him laugh. "Then I thought about my parents how they think they can run my life telling me who to hang with and what I'm doing with it." Then I thought of Eden how she would always put down others how she would use people and lastly how she would make fun of Julia."

"What you just released Noelle was all your anger and frustration towards the people in your life who cause you turmoil." He said.