Your Bodyguard
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Punch. Kick. Dodge. Kick. Roll. Punch.
Jennifer fell into a pattern as she leaped from left to right, avoiding expected punches and blocking ones that she detected only moments before they entered her field of vision. Her legs were working overtime, bending and jumping at a moment's notice to evade her opponent's rapid jabs and sweeps. Perspiration dripped down her forehead, stinging her eyes and drenching her shirt. She didn't even have time to glance at the clock, lest she get hit with the juggernaut of pain her opponent almost certainly had prepared for her. Suddenly, her opponent drew back.
"It's three thirty, Jennifer. Sparring time is over. Go rest, and then come to my office. I have something to discuss with you." She simply stated, walking out of the training room.
"Alright, Coach."
Exhausted from another long day of working out, Jennifer sat down on the white, cushioned floor. She inwardly and bitterly laughed at how ironic it was that she, Jennifer Mosley, once a straight A, goody two shoes student, dropped out of her high school during freshman year. If she hadn't, she would have been a senior, running out of class as soon as the clock rang dismissal. Instead, she was curled up on the ground, panting for breath and as she finished off her third water bottle for the day. Four years of this routine and still, she hadn't been able to best her Coach.
It was expected. Coach was once a legend in the streets of New York, as a dangerous leader of an all girl gang, but that had been years before. She looked up to her; Coach was the one who took her in when she found her life taking a road down to Crapsville after dropping out of school. Coach Dirga was the only reason she hadn't gone completely, irreversibly insane.
Finally gathering enough oxygen in her worn out lungs, she stood and walked out of the training room and into Coach Dirga's office, which was located directly adjacent to the room. Opening the door, she made her way in and took a seat on one of the Coach's spinning chairs, smiling as she swiveled from side to side.
"Jennifer."
She raised her eyes to meet Coach Dirga's, and the grin left her mouth.
"Your sister's condition reached critical this morning. I just received a call from the hospital, and the doctor isn't sure how long she can last without an operation. I already saved about twenty thousand dollars of my own for it, but the operation costs at least fifty thousand."
Jennifer broke the eye contact, her teeth biting her lip in anger and frustration.
"But look, I think I found a way for you to make about forty thousand, up front and immediately."
"What do you mean?"
"Look, there's a very successful business man I knew from college. He needs a body guard for his daughter, and I offered you. You have the skill, the height, the stealth and the strength for it, don't you think?"
"But why would he want a girl to protect his daughter?"
"That's the catch. He doesn't."
"Wait, what?"
Unfazed, Coach Dirga continued to speak.
"He thinks you're a guy. And he thinks you're… well… homosexual."
"What? Why would he want a gay guy to protect his daughter?"
"Well, his last bodyguard kind of tried to rape his daughter."
"Oh. I get it. And no. I'm not going to masquerade as a boy, nor a gay one, to say the least."
"Jennifer, he's willing to pay you enough money for your sister's operation. You've been waiting for a chance to pay for it, weren't you? But if you really don't want to, I'll find a way to make up the money, I guess."
With that said, Jennifer lowered her face in shame. She knew how hard Coach Dirga worked to save up the twenty thousand dollars for her sister's operation. She sold her apartment room and resided in her office, worked overtime at her gym teacher job at the high school, and she gave up her car and opted for the bus to commune to work each day.
"I'm sorry. Don't do that, Coach. You've already done so much for me… More than I deserve, really. I can do this. I mean, I've already got the look down pat, right?"
It was true. Her previously long hair was cut a bit higher than her neck with short, choppy bangs swept to the side across her forehead. She almost always bound her breasts as well, as to prevent them from interfering with her sparring and training. Due to the training, her arms were lean and muscular, but not bulky. Being tall, she towered over many men she would come across in public, and she would, more often than not, be mistaken for a handsome, young man. Still, she was a girl, and she loved being a girl. She didn't think of herself as a boy. It just happened to be that she very closely resembled one.
"I really need that money to save my family. Or what's left of it. Coach Dirga, tell the man I'll accept the job."
"No turning back?"
"No turning back."
Smiling at her Coach, Jennifer stood and began to amble back to training room, but she froze in place and turned to Coach Dirga.
"Wait, what's the name of the guy?"
"The client?"
"Yeah, the client."
"His name is Joseph Crabgrass, founder and owner of many successful, five star hotels around the world."
"Wait… Crabgrass?"
"Oh, you might know his daughter from middle school before my promotion to the High School."
"R-really?"
"Yeah. I coached both of you in volleyball. Suzie Crabgrass. Remember her?"
God, did she remember her.
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. . .
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I was standing in the front lobby of Mr. Crabgrass' grandiose condominium, waiting for him to come down with his daughter. I was wearing a gray suit that Mr. Crabgrass had sent me, along with a red tie that threatened to cut off my air supply. Although I probably looked calm and collected on the outside, inside, I was dying from trepidation. What if Suzie recognized me, despite not seeing me for four whole years since I dropped out of school? She'd probably be pissed. We became really close friends the last year of middle school, and I didn't tell her I was dropping out. Blame couldn't really fall on me, though. I didn't expect to have to leave school; I didn't tell anyone about my sudden departure, and seeing one of my old friends frightened me. Taking a glance at a nearby mirror, I assured myself that I looked different, like a young, matured man, and not that pre-teen, athletic girl I was years before. My hair was dyed black and gelled, and my breasts were bound and covered with a black wife beater underneath my suit.
Running my hands through my hair once more, I turned towards the elevator until a light 'ding' caught my attention. The beige doors finally slid open and a stout, bald man stepped out with two burly men in suits by his side. Mr. Crabgrass. To his side was the very girl I dreaded seeing, Suzie Crabgrass. Her attention was diverted, and her eyes were focused only on the iPod that rested in her palms.
Mr. Crabgrass smiled and made his way over to me as soon as he noticed me.
"Ah! You must be Jonathan! Kim told me much about you."
Note to self; Coach Dirga's first name is Kim. And my 'name' is Jonathan. Shouldn't forget that… right.
"Hello, Mr. Crabgrass."
Slightly lowering my voice, I shook his hand in mine.
"This is my daughter, Suzie. You'll keep her safe, I presume?" He pulled his reluctant daughter forward, who was wearing blue jeans and a red shirt in complete contrast. Her brown, slightly curling hair cascaded down her back, and she gave me a half smile.
"Hey, Jonathan." She softly called out to me, "I'm Suzy Crabgrass."
Everything was going good so far, until she smiled at me.
Oh God, I missed her smile; I missed all my friends' smiles.
"Good, I see you are getting to know each other. I trust that you'll keep my daughter away from harm, no? Okay, now get ready, and eat something. First day of school is tomorrow, and you will attend it with my daughter. Who knows what underhanded, dirty tricks my opponents will use to get to my riches? Well, scurry along, then. The money has already been paid to Kim, so no need to worry about that, yes?"
"Yes sir." I hoped my voice wasn't shaking as much as I was. Geez.
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. . .
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Sitting across from Suzie at IHOP, I nervously held the menu. Maybe she'd recognize me now. Sure, my worrying was redundant and unnecessary, but I really needed the money and her discovering I was really a girl could really throw everything out of order.
"Hey, mister?" She asked, pulling me out of my frenetic thoughts.
"Yes, Miss Crabgrass?" I replied with as much manliness as I could exert, which wasn't much to begin with.
"Actually, can I call you Jonathan? Or Jon? We're kind of the same age, I think. You can call me Suzie."
"Okay. Alright. Hi, Suzie." Good, she really didn't know who I was. Strangely, I was slightly upset by this, but I shook my head from any other thought than to keep my facade going.
"You know, you sound like a cute, little boy, but you're so… tough looking." Suzie giggled, causing me to blush, "It's adorable."
"T-thanks?"
"Are you really a gay guy?" she asked, suddenly serious.
"Y-yes. I am. No one, uh, knows except you and your dad." I hastily replied, hoping my stuttering went undetected.
"Okay, great. I won't say a word. My previous body guard, Joe, was a creep. Thank God my older brother came back from college for summer break, since he was the one who beat Joe up and practically saved my sorry ass. Literally."
"I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry? You didn't send Joe to rape me or anything." Suzie raised one eyebrow at me, "Anyways, I wasn't about to give in to him. I'm not even into men."
Shock.
Boy crazy and straight Suzie Crabgrass from Polk Middle School somehow made a one hundred eighty degree turn in just four years? Was I gone for even longer than I supposed?
"What?"
"Well, you're homosexual, so you ought to accept me. I'm gay, and you're the first person to know." Her voice was lowered as she whispered to me her not-so-private-anymore secret, "I don't personally care if people know, but my mom and dad will probably blow everything out of proportion, so don't tell anyone."
"I didn't plan on it." I unsteadily answered, leaning back while she called over a waitress to take our orders.
"And this is great, because you can pretend to be my boyfriend in school. That way, you can stick by me and do that whole 'protect' thing my dad wants you to do, and any suspicions of me being gay will be gone. And the best part of this is that guys won't ask me out since they'll think I'm taken and they'd probably be intimidated by you!" Her grin was contagious, I think, since I was mirroring hers on my own face, "And sorry to burst your bubble, but there are no good looking boys at the High school, so you're stuck pretending to be my guy, okay?"
"Uh, uhm. Let's eat. The pancakes are here."
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. . .
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My new school schedule was handed to me on Monday morning as soon as I stepped foot inside Mr. Crabgrass' condominium. I had all the same periods as Suzie. Perfect. Sighing, I got up and pulled on some clothes that Mr. Crabgrass' personal designer provided. Before long, I had on dark, ripped, denim jeans and a slightly tight, black shirt on with a design of a white dove adorning the front, as well as a black and purple sleeveless hoodie. The shirt's sleeves came down to my elbow, covering most of my arm, and the hoodie remained unzipped. The designer stepped back to observe my look before grunting in disapproval of my hair.
"It is terrible! Terrible! I shall fix!"
He practically emptied a whole tube of hair gel into his palms before styling my hair. He was so not being environmentally conscious. Or did that only apply to the over use of hair spray instead of hair gel? Handing me a mirror, he complimented himself. My bangs were still choppy, covering my forehead yet swept slightly to the side. My hair itself was gelled somewhat upwards together, and raised to the side. I never knew my hair could look so amazing.
"It's awesome!"
"I am the great designer, William Rivera Lopez. Obviously it is magnificent."
From his pocket, he took out a strange looking object and brought it to my face. What was he trying to do? I stayed still as he brought it to my left eyebrow and pressed a button on the object, and at once, it…
"Ah! What the hell!"
I leapt off the chair, holding my stinging forehead with one hand and pushing the object away with the other.
"I have given you an eyebrow piercing. I think it looks fabulous, and I know fabulous. You already have pierced ears. Eyebrow piercing does not hurt, you whining baby."
Glancing at my reflection once more, I noticed the barbell piercing that ran through my left eyebrow and turned to William hesitantly.
"It won't get infected?"
"Huh. I don't know. Probably not. If it does, it is not my problem."
What a snob.
He left the room and I pulled on my black converse, unaware of my surroundings until I heard Suzie's voice.
"Wow. You look really good. If I were straight, I'd pounce on you right now. Actually, maybe I will, just for the hell of it." She joked.
What happened to the innocent Suzie Crabgrass? Oh well.
"Hmm... Nice. Bad boy style. I approve this look. You are definitely 'Suzie's boyfriend' worthy, although you're missing something for this whole look to all come together."
She put on a chain link that hung down from the front of my jeans to the back.
"There we go. Man, you're tall. It's so annoying."
"Thanks for ruining my self confidence."
"I was joking, Jonathan. You're so sensitive. How gay of you. You're not freakishly tall, so it's alright. Anyways, being tall is a good thing. Taller men are totally my type, except for the fact that… you know, I'm not interested in them. Yeah, well anyways, we'd better get going."
Suzie was wearing skinny jeans and a stunning, green shirt. Her converses showed how small her feet looked, and despite her petite structure compared to other girls her age, she had really developed. At the right places. I began to notice more about her beauty, although reasons as to why escape me. Actually, forget I ever said that. And disregard what I said right before that.
Suddenly, her arm hooked mine and she pulled me forward and out the front door.
"Let's get to school, boyfriend." She laughed, exaggerating the 'boyfriend.'
"I'm your bodyguard."
"You're my boyfriend."
Holding my hand, we headed to the parking lot where the ABT Audi AS5 that Mr. Crabgrass provided me awaited. I was worried and quite freaked out about seeing my old friends that I disappeared from four years previous to this day, and I wasn't fond on having to interact with everyone again, except this time, as a boy.
Suzie must have realized my deep rooted fear as I started the engine of the car, because she held my right hand in hers and gave me an encouraging pat on the back.
"Don't worry about it, Jon. I trust you, and that's all you really need, right?"
And then she threw me a grin.
Too bad all that did was make my already fast beating heart run on overdrive.
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AN: I was stuck in naming this between 'Godspeed' and 'Your Bodyguard.' But I decided on Your Bodyguard. I'm so original, right? Ha. The label of 'Godspeed' will show up at least once, I hope, because I really like that title. To anyone who reads my other works, I apologize for not updating for almost a year. I had much to do and my new job does not allow me much leeway. Anyways, feedback and reviews are appreciated, and I will try to update as soon as possible. I was trying to go for a cheerful and lighthearted piece of writing, you know?