Automatic
Chapter 2 - Working Out
AJ's sleep was interrupted when she felt extra weight shifting her mattress.
"Wake up, sleepy heeead..." Kaitlyn sang quietly. She was on her knees, head low and next to AJ's, so the first thing AJ would see when she opened her eyes was Kaitlyn's big, goofy grin.
"Oh my god..." AJ groaned sleepily. "What..."
"Your dad let me in." said Kaitlyn. She bounced the bed a few times, as if it would get AJ excited to get out from under the cozy covers. They worked out together every morning, with severe illness and death being the only acceptable excuses not to.
AJ looked up at her with a flat, tired expression. "You know I worked last night, right?"
"Yup." said Kaitlyn. "You still need to get up though."
AJ tried to turn over and put her pillow over her face, but Kaitlyn laid down over her waist and stopped her. AJ made a childish sound of frustration and covered her face with her arm instead.
"I'm taking a day off." AJ groaned loudly.
"You can't." said Kaitlyn, still perky. "We promised."
"Please?" AJ said mock sweetly, lifting her head and opening her eyes. "Oh my god," she said flatly when she saw how Kaitlyn was laying across her. "Get your butt out of my face."
"What, you don't like my butt?" Kaitlyn asked with feigned innocence, pushing it closer.
AJ laughed and pushed her away. Kaitlyn fought back, pushing even closer. AJ let out a strained squeal, the air in her lungs getting stuck in her nose.
"Made you snort!" Kaitlyn teased, waggling her butt.
"Get off!" AJ shouted with the last of her breath and pushed with the last of her strength.
Kaitlyn let herself fall over, her arm the only part left draped over AJ's legs.
"So graceful." AJ said to the heap near her feet.
"We can go to Starbucks first?" Kaitlyn offered.
"Aw, you spoil me." AJ smiled sarcastically at her best friend. "You're just excited because it's a Randy day."
"Um, ew?" said Kaitlyn, making an exaggerated, I-can't-believe-you-just-said-that face. "Boys have cooties, you know that."
"Grown up cooties are called STD's." AJ reminded her.
"Haha!" Kaitlyn laughed with exaggerated zeal, then abruptly flattened her smile. "So clever."
"Struck a nerve there, didn't I?" AJ smiled and checked her clock, squinting at blurry numbers.
"Come on," Kaitlyn urged, kipping up off the bed and back to her feet. She pulled up the low slung sweatpants higher on her wide hips and pulled the hem of her shirt down over them. "I don't want to be late."
"Okay." AJ sat up and reached for her glasses. "I'm gonna change and brush my teeth. Put my contacts in. Gimme ten minutes?"
There was usually a moment in every sparring session when Dean let his mental vision get all blurry. He'd lose track of his target, he'd lose all awareness of who he was hitting, and his coach would say his name in that sharp tone to bring him back to reality.
"Ambrose!"
Dean stopped and focused his eyes on the guy standing across from him in the ring. It was like coming back from another dimension. He knew he'd been wailing on someone. He felt echoes of relentless fury in his brain, like a friend saying See you later. When his eyes focused, he saw Zack looking back at him with an angry expression, adjusting his head gear back into place. Dean knew that look well. He inspired it in everyone he met.
"You black out again?" Coach Michaels said, harsh and sarcastic as he climbed into the ring. Dean turned from Zack and walked to the corner of the ring while Shawn checked on his potentially injured student.
"Sorry, Coach." Dean mumbled.
"No you're not." Shawn shot back. He walked over to Dean, and Dean looked up into a very disappointed expression. "You damn near took his head off." Shawn began to take off Dean's head gear, rocking his student's head back and forth as he angrily undid the fastenings. "Go home. And don't come back til you're ready to box."
Dean's eyes hardened. "What the hell was I just doing?" he asked coldly.
"Beating on a sparring partner. With no regard for safety, or respect for anything I'm trying to teach you."
"I'm sorry to break it to you, Coach," Dean spoke slowly, a vindictive, mirthless smile spreading on his face. "But hitting each other is kinda the point of this whole endeavor."
"Shut your mouth and get out of here. I'm sick of the attitude, too. Clean up your act or don't show up, understand?"
"Whatever." Dean muttered as his coach unlaced his right glove. Dean took care of the left side himself and threw them both in the corner of the ring before he slid out between the mat and the bottom rope.
He felt the familiar rage building but he refused to let the coach see it. He could only channel it so much. They'd had the conversation before, about that loss of control. There was no sportsmanship in a straight up murder. That was why coach had zero tolerance for it now. Dean had been warned twice already. It wasn't safe, and it wasn't fair to the other students. They weren't there to be Dean's punching bag. Coach begged Dean to pull back and concentrate, but losing himself in the fight was what Dean did. It was the only escape he had.
His best friends were in the corner of the small gym, doing bag work, now frozen in place while they watched the scene play out.
"Dean!" Roman called after him.
"Come on, man!" Seth chided, both of them having witnessed the spat between teacher and student.
Dean ignored them both, and remained expressionless as he sauntered out of the gym. He left through the back, slamming the metal door against the wall as he went. His vision was narrowed, limited to finding things he could punch, kick, and utterly destroy. He had to vent the rage. He felt like he was going to explode if he didn't hurt something.
The dumpster and garbage cans behind the gym were a perfect target. Dean ran at the dumpster, his right hand forming a tight fist that he drove into the thick metal wall with full force. The dull clang did not do justice to the pain that blossomed in his knuckles. He felt it go up through his arm all the way to his teeth, and it only made him more angry. He punched the dumpster again, and again, and then he kicked it, threw his shoulder against it, as if he were trying to tip the entire thing over. It didn't budge. Dean turned his attention to the plastic garbage cans a few feet away. By the time he was done, he had one in three separate pieces, lid detached and the rest of it close to shattered.
Finally satisfied, Dean stopped and took a deep breath. He crouched in the middle of the alley, holding his head in his shaking hands.
"Shit, shit, shit…" he muttered, over and over again. His knuckles were torn open again, rivulets of blood running down over his taped wrists. He was surrounded by garbage from the bags he'd ripped open while he was busy tearing the containers apart. He felt like he belonged there, that he was part of the landscape of garbage. Pure waste. Unwanted, discarded, rotten waste.
After a few minutes of staring into the pavement with unfocused eyes, Dean realized he was lucky no one had come out after him, either to check on him or yell at him. Coach didn't want to see his face right now, and his friends knew better than to interrupt him when he was pissed. He wished he had the ability to listen to them when they told him to calm down. It was simply unstoppable sometimes.
Dean stood and straightened. The pounding of his heart had slowed back to its normal pace. Both of his hands were throbbing. Dean found a relatively clean sheet of newspaper and wiped the excess blood off his hands and wrists. He imagined briefly that he was the piece of paper, when he crumpled it up and threw it in the open dumpster. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, Dean decided to walk the two miles home. Maybe his dad would have a few beers left in the fridge. Or maybe he'd just sleep this off.
AJ yelled as she spun around and kicked her foot above her shoulder line, catching a padded glove with her heel.
"Close." said Punk. "You gotta work on your aim."
"Sorry." AJ said. She re-situated herself on both feet, looking at the floor and analyzing what she'd done wrong.
"Don't apologize," Punk said with an amused half smile. "Just do it better next time."
AJ cracked a smile and nodded, grateful for his easygoing nature.
"The power is there," Punk explained. "But if you miss a guy's head, he's going to take all that power and use it against you. Here, do it again. I'll show you."
AJ went through the exact same kicking motion, except this time Punk played the part of a mobile target, and he knew exactly what was coming. He dodged her foot and grabbed her ankle with both hands, pulling her in the direction she was already moving. Using her own momentum, Punk pulled her down to the floor. AJ hit the padded blue mat with a grunt.
"Ow." she said wryly.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, that was just my pride talking."
Punk chuckled and held a hand out for AJ to grab.
"That'll be the lesson for today." he said as he pulled her up.
"Beware of teacher?" AJ joked as she brushed herself off.
"Work on your aim." Punk corrected her with a smile. "We've got fifteen minutes left. If you hit it square in the center five times in a row I'll let you practice some takedowns on me."
"Five?" AJ asked, doubtful. Punk slipped the pad over his right hand and smacked the surface with his left.
"Five." he said. "You can do it. Just concentrate. And don't kick me in the face."
AJ smiled and got into position, psyching herself up for some accurate kicks.
I would never kick that face...she thought to herself. She really had to concentrate after that.
Twenty minutes later, AJ helped put away the equipment she'd used, and looked around the gym to see what Kaitlyn was up to. AJ was not surprised by what she saw, only by the length of time that had passed since first seeing Kaitlyn in that same position.
"Is it just me," Punk asked. "Or has Randy been helping her stretch that leg for the last fifteen minutes?"
AJ felt a slight heat in her cheeks, embarrassed on Kaitlyn's behalf. She hoped it didn't show.
"No," AJ sighed. "It's not just you."
Randy was on top of Kaitlyn, laying the weight of his upper body on her right leg, the foot of which was up over her head.
"Should I say something to him?" Punk offered.
"No, I'm pretty sure she's fine with it..."
Right on cue, Kaitlyn squeezed her eyes shut and moaned in overly sexualized agony.
"Ohhh god, it hurts so good..." she joked.
"There's no better feeling, right?" Randy replied, flashing a pleased smirk at his student.
AJ glanced around at the other people in the room. She knew Kaitlyn didn't care, but still...Punk had already noticed. He couldn't be the only one.
After another minute, Randy slowly straightened and let Kaitlyn's leg down from his shoulder.
"Thanks, Randy." said Kaitlyn, just laying there with a huge smile on her face as he walked away.
"My pleasure." Randy said. The look in his eyes as he glanced over his shoulder at her said a lot more.
AJ walked over slowly, avoiding contact with Kaitlyn's fitness instructor.
"Kaitlyn." AJ whispered, leaning over Kaitlyn's body.
"Hmm?" Kaitlyn replied in a dreamy voice, opening her eyes slowly.
"I threw up in my mouth a little just now."
"Really?" Kaitlyn asked at a normal volume, scrunching up her nose in mock confusion. "Cause I almost came." she said. Randy was far enough away that he couldn't hear anything said in the room, though at this point Kaitlyn was ready to tell him every dirty thought in her head.
AJ closed her eyes and shook her head subtly.
"That's not…just, no..." AJ stammered jokingly.
"Help me up." said Kaitlyn, extending her hand.
"Okay, since Randy couldn't be bothered…"
The gym where Punk and Randy worked was only a few blocks from Kaitlyn's apartment. AJ walked her home, and gave her a tight hug goodbye.
"Thanks for coming out today." said Kaitlyn. "I know you were tired."
"Thanks for forcing me. It felt good."
"You mean Punk felt good."
AJ grinned. "Shut up."
"Aww, cutie." Kaitlyn smiled when AJ rolled her eyes and tried to play it off. "Okay, I'll pick you up for work tonight. Don't fall asleep!"
"I won't."
AJ would walk the rest of the way home. The weather was perfect for a post-workout hike through the neighborhood - cool and damp, the sky clouded over but no rain yet.
Half an hour after the peak of his outburst, Dean wasn't angry anymore. He was numb for a little while, while he walked alone, until the shame and regret began to seep back into his system. Even if he never spoke to his coach again, he'd eventually have to face Seth and Roman. He knew they'd forgive him, no question. But that was beside the point. He trudged home, staring at the sidewalk in front of him with a scowl on his face. Traffic was light in the neighborhood. It was a good way to cool down and be alone in a city full of people.
The leaves were just starting to fall. It added an extra shuffle to the walking sounds. It was so quiet and peaceful that it was easy to hear someone else's sneakers scraping the sidewalk. Dean looked up and saw AJ in a hoodie and sweatpants, walking toward him on the same side of the street a block ahead. She was lost in her own thoughts, head down, eyes on the ground. He almost let her pass without saying anything, but the closer she got, the more irresistable it became.
"Hey." he said while they were passing each other. AJ looked up at the sound of his voice. They both slowed and stopped, smiling at the coincidence of running into each other so soon. How many times must they have passed each other on the street and never noticed?
"Hey!" AJ replied, half smiling as her brow furrowed. "Where'd you come from?"
"The gym?" Dean said. He stuck his elbows out, calling attention to his sports wear without taking his bloody, cut up hands out of his pockets.
"Oh." AJ smiled. "Me too."
Dean's squeezed his fists anxiously, but he didn't let the anxiety show on his face. No need to show that side of him to a nice girl like AJ.
"I thought you wouldn't be caught dead without your Chucks." he said, jutting his chin out toward her feet. Good thing he had other body parts to gesture with.
"I knowww, don't tell anyone." AJ joked, grinning shyly. Dean found himself smiling in spite of everything that had happened that morning. Like a little ray of sunshine peeking out through the clouds, AJ had that effect on him.
"Your secret's safe with me." he said.
AJ's shy smile remained. She shifted her weight and re-situated the strap of her duffel bag on her shoulder. She wanted to keep talking but didn't quite know what to say. They were still in the awkward stage of getting to know each other.
"I got some friends coming over later," Dean said, trying to sound casual. "You should come hang out. You can bring Kaitlyn, or anyone else. We usually end up watching TV. Or sparring."
Dean's half smile at the last suggestion made AJ grin.
"Well," she said, mulling it over. "We're both working tonight, but not 'til ten. We could stop by before then?"
"Yeah, just whenever you're free." Dean agreed, hope rising. "I'll be there the rest of the day. Most of the time people show up around three or four. We'll have pizza, music, bad movies." Dean made a face like he was describing a fancy night out on the town. "Very exciting."
AJ giggled. "Cool...where do you live?"
Dean gave her the address, and more importantly his number in case she couldn't find the house. AJ stored the information in her phone, feeling Dean watching her as she typed.
"You better come." Dean said. "You've got my hopes up now."
AJ smiled and kept her eyes on her phone. "As long as Kaitlyn will bring me over..."
"That's right, no wheels. Parents won't let you borrow?"
AJ shook her head and glanced up at him. "Once in a while. But we only have one car right now, and my dad works a lot."
Dean nodded. AJ got nervous looking into his eyes for too long, and fiddled with her phone to kill some time.
"If Kaitlyn can't come, I'll send a limo for you." Dean offered.
AJ giggled again at the image.
"I'm serious! I'll make my dad come get you. We've got a town car just sitting in the garage."
"Don't do that, we'll be there."
Dean smiled. "You promise?"
AJ rolled her eyes upward and moaned with hesitation.
"Oh come on," Dean urged. "You gotta promise."
"I can't promise." AJ said stubbornly.
"Why not?"
Dean looked directly into AJ's eyes and held her gaze. What had been a shy glance was now a flirtatious stare.
"I don't want to disappoint you." she said gently.
Dean shrugged. "Then don't."
AJ lost the staring contest when she looked down at her feet. She was afraid she was blushing. She kicked at a rock on the sidewalk and looked back up at him.
"Okay." she said.
Dean smiled down at her. He'd almost forgotten about the bloody fists he was hiding in his pockets. He squeezed them again, and his shoulder muscles tensed as a nervous habit.
"We'll be in the basement. Just come right in, door'll be unlocked."
AJ nodded. "Should we bring anything?"
Dean shook his head. "Just your smile."
Hearing him say it caused AJ to display a big bright one just for him. Damn, it really was like sunshine. Like there were no clouds in the sky and it wasn't about to pour rain on the whole city.
Thunder rolled in the distance. As avid walkers, they both knew when it was a good idea to head indoors.
"I should go." AJ murmured, growing shy again.
"Me too." said Dean. "Got a long way to go."
"You should run," said AJ. "It's gonna rain any minute."
"I don't mind. I could use a shower."
AJ cracked up and tilted her head. "Yeah, me too."
Dean smiled. "I'll see you later." he said, shuffling around her as they went in opposite directions.
She couldn't be sure, since she didn't want to get caught peeking, but she felt like he was watching as she walked away.
Once she was a few blocks up, she took her phone out of her bag and texted Kaitlyn about their new plans. Kaitlyn called her back immediately, demanding to know what was up.
"Party? Boys? What the heck is going on here, are you making friends without me?"
"Do you remember Dean, Seth and Roman?" AJ asked, ignoring Kaitlyn's joke freak out.
"...From school?"
"Yeah, they were a year ahead of us."
"Didn't they, like, run away and join the circus?"
AJ snorted. "No. They dropped out before senior year. Anywayyy, they gave me a ride home last night. It was raining really hard and they just saw me randomly, I guess."
"You got in a car with three strange guys and neglected to tell me this the whole time we were together this morning?"
"They're not strange. They -"
"I just remember them being sort of weird."
"They're not! They were really nice."
"Is that the party we're going to, then?"
"Yes…please?"
"What time?"
"Around five? He said four or five but we don't want to be early…"
"Right. Just a house party, right?"
"It sounded really casual."
"Okay…" Kaitlyn said slowly, already mulling over what she could wear. "And you promise they're not total weirdos?"
"You're acting like we aren't total weirdos ourselves."
"Oh, good point."
"Come over at four-thirty and help me pick out an outfit."
"Which one of them flirted with you, huh? I'm so curious now."
"Come over at four-thirty and I'll tell you everything!"
"Okay! God! Stop yelling at me!" Kaitlyn joked.
"…It was Dean." AJ admitted.
"OooOOooh!" Kaitlyn exclaimed, pausing before she added: "…Which one is Dean?"
"I'm hanging up." AJ announced. She could hear Kaitlyn shouting not to hang up on her as she took the phone away from her ear, and AJ laughed as she hit the end button.