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Post by Gabriel Hart on Oct 19, 2012 0:08:20 GMT -5
 Noel didn't have a short temper. He really didn't. He liked to think he was pretty evenly tempered, actually. Then why was he currently feeling like he wanted to beat the shit out of something? Probably because he was getting harassed. Again. Tyler was getting bullied. Again. It was all taking a toll on his mood. Which was why he was currently in the gym at school, beating the living shit out of the heavy punching bag.
There was nothing but the comforting sound of his fists hitting the punching bag with loud thwacks. It swung back and forth with the intensity of his blows. He spun on his heel, spotting carefully -- putting that practice his father gave him to good use -- before finding his target again and jabbing it with all his might. God, it felt good to just hit something. He stepped back briefly and grabbed the bag, trying to cool off. He hadn't taped his knuckles, so they were beaten raw from hitting the bag so hard. He looked down at them, wincing at the reddened skin that was starting to bleed. He cursed his idiocy and sat on a bench, taking some gauze out to clean and wrap his hands.
He didn't realize anyone had entered the gym; he was in a trance that he only got in when he was training with the bag or with his father. He finally looked up in the mirror next to him, eyes softening when he realized who was there and brushing his sweaty bangs back from his eyes.
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Post by Renee Hart on Oct 19, 2012 0:22:06 GMT -5
She waited, and she waited, and she waited some more. It wasn't like Gabe to be late, so the longer she stood by the entrance of the school, the more worried Renee became. He was supposed to meet her so they could walk home together, which was honestly more for her sake than for his. She couldn't be with him every second of the day, but she knew what a hard time he was having with bullies, so she was more comfortable walking him home to keep him safe.
It had been thirty minutes since Gabe promised he'd be there, and though she knew she needed to give him space and let him deal with things on his own, she finally cracked and went on a search for him. Once she began tracking him, it was easy to find him. She simply followed the sound of his fists. Renee gave a soft sigh as she entered, though he seemed to take no notice to her. She could have stepped in if she wanted to, but it was so rare for Gabe to look like such a wreck, that she just let him have it.
It took him a moment or so, but he finally caught a glimpse of her in the mirror. She gave him a gentle smile and took a step closer to him. Without a word, she crouched in front of him and lightly took the gauze from his hand. Carefully, she finished what he'd started. Speaking softly, she lifted her gaze to meet his, "What happened?" |
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Post by Gabriel Hart on Oct 22, 2012 18:15:27 GMT -5
Renee was one of the few people that was able to get to Gabe when he was in a mood like this. The only others were Tyler and his dad. They were the only people who really saw HIM and not the quiet, overly polite young man he showed to the rest of District 2. He smiled tiredly at Renee as she took over bandaging his hands.
Gabe knew he was supposed to meet Renee and Tyler so they could walk home, but he had been intercepted by bullies. They didn't hurt him much, but they had said some really nasty things about him and Tyler and one of them said some REALLY creepy things about his sister.
While careers were usually respected, Gabe and Tyler were mocked pretty frequently because they spent so much time together and because they were both gay. Rather than fight back, Gabriel chose to walk away, but he needed to let some anger off, so he came to the gym.
"I guess I lost track of time; I needed to let some steam off," he said, sheepishly. "Couple of guys were talking shit about you and Tyler, and one of them tried to lock me into a closet." People usually knew better than to insult Renee to her face, she was able to knock them out with no problem. Gabe usually refused to fight back if he could help it. If he was reaped, he'd save the fighting for the arena.
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Post by Renee Hart on Oct 22, 2012 23:23:50 GMT -5
Renee gave a nod of her head, and rose an eyebrow to her brother. She was used to defending him, and even Tyler, for that matter. What she wasn't used to was having to defend herself. Though she hadn't been there, and it was something she probably could have let go, she was curious. It wasn't even the fact that she'd been insulted that got under her skin, it was the fact that someone was brave enough to her and her brothers at the same time. Had no one learned how dangerous she could be?
She could feel her blood starting to boil more and more by the second. They tried to put him in a closet? Could they stoop any lower? Renee fully understood why Gabe was such a mess now. If she didn't think it'd add more stress to him, she'd tear her knuckles up in the exact same way. Then, another question came to mind: Where was Tyler?
"And these jerks," Renee pulled herself from the ground and took a seat beside her big brother. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. If she could, she'd steal all his pain away. "Do they have a name? I'm not afraid to track down some punks and give them a beating. Their faces should look like your hands."
Sometimes Renee found herself wishing her brother was different. Not in every way, just when it came to sticking up for himself. He was the sweetest person in the world, and really the best friend anyone could have. It was just cruel the way people treated him. Just because he's gay doesn't mean he's some kind of monster. If things didn't change, she was afraid she may go on some kind of murderous spree.
"You could show them, you know," Renee gave him a playful shrug. "You're the best fighter I know. All it would take is one hit, and they'd never mess with you again." |
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