Lay Low

Chapter Thirteen

I had managed to avoid Lyla for most of the day. I felt bad but I didn't want to face more questions from her.

It was a Wednesday and I was due at the gym for a boxing class. When I got there, I realised that I had forgotten my work out clothes in all the rush this morning.

I sought out Andy, who was in the office. I knocked on the door and leant my head in.

"Hey Andy, sorry but I couldn't get my kit this morning. Long story...." I felt flustered after my shitty start to the morning and my day dodging leading questions from Lyla.

He looked up at me.

"Sure. I got a spare kit in my locker. Just give me a minute."

I breathed and relaxed. I should have trusted that Andy wouldn't give me a hard time.

I watched a few people working out in the gym. It was quite quiet before the after work rush.

Andy came out of the office and I followed him to the changing rooms silently.

He opened a locker and pulled out a pair of joggers and a t-shirt.

"Thanks, I will wash and get them back to you for Saturday?"

"Sure, no rush. Funnily enough I have a plethora of sportswear." He grinned. He was always decked out in different gear. Liked to put it through on his tax return as a business expense.

He stretched and sat on the bench.

"So how's things?" he asked casually.

"Same as usual." I replied cautiously. "Has it been busy here?"

"Same as usual" he mimicked.

"Not busy enough that you don't have any work to do now?" I asked.

"I am just waiting for the rest of you runts to come in for your class."

I knew what he was doing. He was checking up on me. I figured he wanted to check I wasn't hiding another serious beating.

I felt his eyes on my back as I took my top off. I only had a couple of bruises from when Tony 'accidentally' pushed me into the wall two days back; they weren't much.

I pulled the t-shirt over my head. I had nothing to hide today.

"You alright then?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"I figured you just got your answer. Unless you watch all the lads get changed, in which case I will have to report you." I smirked at him.

"Ha ha" he replied, chucking a discarded towel at me as he headed back into the gym.

I smiled. When I had turned up here nine months ago, with a bruised face and not much money, he had taken pity on me and given me cheap lessons, thinking I was trying to learn to stand up to bullies. He was always kind to me, and that is probably why I had let my guard down that night and told him everything.

It had been five days since I'd ran away and Tony had punished me; two days since I had unintentionally revealed all to Lyla, when I made my way to Stoke Street Gym after school. It was a dim late afternoon when I pulled open the door. The smell of stale sweat and other undistinguished bodily odours filled my nostrils. The now familiarity pleased me. Andy and I had been training together one on one, once a week. Recently Andy had started a new group of Under 18s that trained on a Wednesday evening. It couldn't have worked out better as it was Tony's football night; Mum and Hannah always went to cheer him on. I secretly suspected that Andy had arranged it for that time so I could come. I t was good for me to be able to spar against people my own age and similar size. I never stood much chance against Andy.