Three days of training with Thane is killing me. He insists on making the most of every waking minute of the day, with morning sessions in the gym on one machine after another, followed by twelve-kilometre runs before we even break for lunch. The afternoons are taken up with teaching me how to fight in every style known to man, from ancient grappling to modern-day cage fighting. I didn’t know there were so many ways to choke a person. It sucks because the only time I get to think about the girl with the violet eyes is in my dreams. But with school back in on Monday, I’m hoping that when I do see them again, they’ll be as amazing as I remember. Maybe it’s time to stop burying my head in the back row. But then I wonder if Thane’s quest means I won’t be going. After dragging myself into the shower, the hot spray loosens my aching muscles and I head down to the gym, where Thane is waiting on the mats, ready to start my warm-ups. By now I know the routine and climb straight on the mini-trampoline for a light jog.
