JADE COLLINS

Okay, this man's workout routine is definitely not for me.

After I finally got to hit Uncle John by his shins which was by luck because the man was so damn fast, he finally allowed me to take a break.

I collapsed on the basement floor in exhaustion. Dragging myself to lean on the wall of the basement I gulped water from my bottle. Uncle John walked out of the basement without a sweat, on his way out, he said "I would soon be back, we're not done here".

Ughhhh, I really thought I was going to get off easy. Poking my sore ribs, I sighed. I'm honestly tired of this training/workout. I'm really not the athletic type. I don't know why Uncle John is making me workout. Probably because I'm a sore loser.

He had been sending glares my way since we started the workout/training today. He didn't even break a sweat whereas I'm in a puddle of my sweat about to drown in the same sweat and I'm supposed to be the younger one with more stamina.

It took like 30 minutes before Uncle John got back, by that time I was already comfortable with the position I was in, resting on the wall. He sent a glare my way and surprisingly sent me to my room.

I was so happy I forgot to be careful while getting up, feeling spikes of pain shoot up my entire body, I hissed trying to hide my pain from Uncle John. I think he heard but he turned his back at me, pretending not to notice. Well that's better than me getting insults for being weak.

Going upstairs to my room was easier said than done. After forcing myself to shower knowing I would regret it the next day if I don't, I collapsed on my bed.

There was this shrill noise disturbing me. I didn't know where it came from. Trying to swat it,

"Ouch" someone exclaimed. And I mumbled in response.

"Get up lazy ass, dad is calling us to workout" the person exclaimed.

Workout? What workout? Wait..............What? I opened my eyes and looked at Jeanine.

"Ugh, that's why he let me off easy yesterday" I said. My sore muscles haven't rested yet. Massaging my body, I got up to change to my workout clothes. I really don't understand Uncle John, we never worked out immediately after a session. Well we never used to work out either anyways.

"Let's go" I said to Jeanine. You might think that I should be so tired from work outs and stuff but I actually like it now, if only Uncle John would calm down and give me routines at my pace.

"I'm going to teach you how to fight" Uncle John said immediately we entered the basement. It was quite dark so I don't know how he saw us. My heart beat at my ribcage ferociously. I really don't like confrontations, I literally cry anytime I have them. When you add to fight?...... Hell, I've never fought anyone before, unless you count my prank wars with Hades as one.

"Jeanine, you know the drill" Uncle John said. Jeanine switched on the light and I saw that the basement arrangement had changed. Sand bags hung from the ceiling, boxing gloves were on the table. Jeanine went to the long sand bag, put on her gloves and started hitting it.

"You are going to learn with this" He pointed to a smaller sand bag.

"Go and take your gloves" he ordered.

As I was putting the gloves on, I was thinking of how to punch the stupid sandbag. I must have been too slow because I suddenly felt a pull on my hand. "You wear it like this" Uncle John roughly put on my gloves for me the right way.

Going to where the sand bag was stationed, I could hear grunts from Jeanine as she was pounding away at her sand bag, giving it kicks and all. Woooow, she's good.

Uncle John showed me few steps on how to about punching the bag and gave me space to do my thing.

Trying to impress Uncle John on the first try, I hit the sandbag to hard and it came back with vengeance hitting me square on the face. It got dark pretty quickly in my head and I saw shiny stars, I crumpled on the floor holding my nose in pain. Which I couldn't really do because of the stupid gloves.

I heard hissing around me and an ice pack was on my face immediately. I opened my eyes to see the cold calculating eyes of Uncle John. "Do not hit the bag too hard, it bounces back to hit you in the face, you have to find a balance and a rhythm with your punches" he stated.

I looked at him holding the ice pack over my nose. The pain was leaving slowly but surely. Couldn't he have told me this before the bag hit me, I frowned. Jeanine came over to me checking whether my nose was okay. "Thank God it isn't broken" she said.

Well I think, that's better because I don't think I could handle the pain of a broken nose because this hurts like a bitch.

"Do what I taught you right this time" Uncle John stated. This man is crazy, I think he wants me to die. A sandbag just hit my face for God's sake.

"But a sandbag just hit her face" Jeanine spoke up for me.

"And so what" Uncle John stated coldly.

"Your hands still work right" he questioned me. I didn't answer.

"Here's what you don't know girls, people aren't going to say they've taken enough from you, they're going to keep on taking and taking until you stand up and decide to fight for yourself and how are you going to fight back, by crying?" He said again his voice getting higher and angrier as he kept on talking.

"By whining like a puppy?" He said.

When we didn't answer because those questions were definitely rhetorical.

He finally shouted "I THOUGHT I ASKED A QUESTION, YOUR HANDS STILL WORK RIGHT?"

Gasping, I nodded my head and started punching the sandbag correctly this time.

Jeanine ran back to her station and continued with what she was doing, kicking and punching the bag.

"Put more force" Uncle John spoke up walking around me. I added force, punching the bag and sweating by this time. Why can't this man go and sit down. He's always hard on me. Well you're the only one not getting it right if you want to be honest, my inner self told me. I huffed and went on punching the bag.

After 20 minutes of nodding from Uncle John. He gave us 30 minutes break. By now, I was a soaking mess, while Jeanine hadn't really broken a sweat yet. She just had trickles of sweat on her arms.

30 minutes seemed to take forever. Uncle John stood up and motioned me towards him. When I got to him, he said the most ridiculous thing ever "Hit me" .

I frowned " What?".

"You heard me, hit me, are you going to just stand like a dummy or what?" he said.

His last statement got me angry and I hit him, or almost did. He moved so fast and got me by my wrists.

"You hit like a girl" he taunted me. "AGAIN" he shouted "Use the techniques you used with the sand bag, kick me or whatever, don't just stand like a weirdo" .

If Uncle John is trying to push my buttons, he's doing very well. Jeanine was watching by the sides. After 10 mins of punching like I had arms of noodles like Uncle John called it, he called Jeanine up. And she performed brilliantly, she tried punching him but he held her hand and she kicked him immediately, pushing him some distance from her. Uncle John got closer to her and just pounced on her and held her captive, it was so fast, I didn't know how he did it.

"You're getting sloppy Jeanine " he said, letting her go. He faced me "Whereas, you're just terrible, come here".

I scuttled towards his side, a little bit terrified, I don't want to have a coughing fit like Jeanine who is still coughing by the way.

"Keep that down" he shouted at Jeanine.

Walking around me, Uncle John started listing my qualities.

"You're timid, you're weak, you're lackadaisical, you're too slow, you're human, all round you're just bait. I am going to change all that and make you stronger".

I frowned, who is the man to tell me what I am and what not, Uncle or not, this man is really getting on my nerves.

"What do you want from me?" I asked.

He ignored me and told me to fight him. We sparred for like 30 mins and I was already getting tired by this time. I motioned to stop because I was already having stomach aches.

"What are you doing, did I say it was okay for you to stop?" He asked, his voice getting an octave higher.

This guy is crazy, I was panting by this time. I felt a rough pull on my hand.

"Get up" he snapped.

"I can't do it" I wheeze out.

"This isn't up for discussion, get up" he pulled me up but I just slid right down again, by this time, tears were already coming out from my eyes.

"See what I'm saying, you're too weak" he said looking at me in disappointment.

"What is wrong with you?" Jeanine looked at me like I had grown 2 heads. I was really tired of the man, he's always too tough on me. He faced me with disbelieving eyes.

"What did you just say Bambi" he asked, taunting me. I just couldn't take it anymore, maybe it was because I didn't have good rest before we started another workout today or because he had been stressing and goading me since morning, it just burst out.

"I'm sick and tired of this Uncle John, what are you trying to prove here, that I can't fight or what?" I said.

"I don't think I need to prove what you're already proving" he said back.

I shook my head "I really don't get what you're trying here but I'm done" I said, making a move to go out.

I almost got to the door and Uncle John spoke up "So that's how you give up right? Something doesn't go your way and then you whine and cry and runaway?".

I turned back facing him, "What do you want from me", I said tearfully.

And from nowhere, Uncle John blew a fuse.

"WHAT DO I WANT FROM YOU? I JUST WANT YOU TO STAND UP FOR YOURSELF. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IF YOU GET IN TROUBLE? " I shook my head in disbelief, what kind of trouble can I get into that would make me have to fight.

"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IF YOU GET KIDNAPPED AND NO ONE KNOWS WHERE YOU ARE?" What?

"OR WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN YOUR PARENTS KILLERS COME BACK FOR YOU?" What the heck! Jeanine gasped and silence took its toll in the space of 5 mins or so it seemed to me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked Uncle John, instead of answering my question, he walked out and slammed the door.

I faced Jeanine whose eyes were already teary "What is he talking about?" I said with tears in my eyes.