1 The Night They First Met

It was a cold, lonely night and the streets were devoid of people who sought shelter from the weather.

I couldn't stand the thought of lying down on a bench so I decided to walk around town looking for nothing. This was not the first time I stayed outside of my house and this probably won't be the last. Tonight, I had no idea where exactly I was going but it didn't matter at all. To me, being outside my house was my freedom.

"... if you don't want to get hurt."

"...keep it down man, you'll wake up the neighbors."

A fight? I thought, looking around the area.

Five meters away from me, I saw a girl with white blonde hair bundled up in a blue and two tall guys that seemed to be looking for trouble.

"Little girl, you shouldn't be wandering around the streets at this time of night." The guy was holding a screwdriver on his hand, looking at the girl with hunger in his eyes.

"It's not a good idea for girls to be out this late, you know?" the other guy remarked, he wasn't holding anything but I can assume that he's ready to pounce on the poor girl.

They were a bunch of thugs. I thought they weren't any of them around this area, but it looks like some of them was walking around the town too. And I guess they're already looking for trouble.

I looked at the scene once more. The girl stared blankly at the ground, ignoring them. Her fists were clenched tight; she looks like a trapped rabbit between two wolves.

I simply looked on. My joints were stiff and unable to move at the trepidation that I could have attracted unwanted attention towards myself. I knew in my mind that I should have done something but I questioned whether my actions could really make a difference.

"Hey kid, you hear me?" the one with the screwdriver asked.

A bit of my consciousness rushed in. I looked around the area behind me; searching for anyone else who could have noticed or were watching, just in case things escalated. But there was no one. Was I really the only one who could do something?

Just then, I heard the girl reply in a stern, foreboding tone. "How about you leave before I beat you both down into the ground where you belong?"

It was a good distance from my spot to hers but I could tell her eyes were glaring at the two men.

Idiot, was she not even scared? These guys didn't look like the type to screw around.

"What's she saying?" the screwdriver guy said mockingly. "This is the first time I've heard a little girl talk back like that. Don't you know your manners, kid?"

"Damn it, just take her already. The others will be happy to know that we've got goods." the second guy yelled impatiently.

This was bad. Something clicked in as I jumped out of my spot and sprinted towards the girl. But before I could even get half-way towards her, she had already subdued the thugs with inhuman speed and a few wide, bone-cracking kicks. In less than a couple of seconds, I could see the man with the screwdriver down for good while his partner started struggling on one knee to get up.

"Damn you!" the second guy pulled out a taser from his pants.

No time to think. I charged straight for his back and tackled him from behind combining myself with the wind. He fell forward and I could tell that his weapon had fallen far from his hand by the sound of a heavy object crunching in the snow. As I held him down to the ground with my hands, I could tell this person was much larger and stronger than me.

His eyes were closed, probably because of the impact so he didn't realize that he was fighting a smaller opponent. But it didn't take him a lot of effort to roll over and somehow push me off before raising his fist and giving me a solid punch. I panicked and whipped my head to the side, his hand missing my face and punching the ground.

I grinned in satisfaction as I heard him scream his lungs out. I couldn't blame him; hitting the floor with such force is enough to break your bones. He was about to stand up but I managed to kick him behind the head. It was a good blow that he immediately fell towards the ground, unconscious.

What is with these guys? I wondered looking at the unconscious body of the guy with the screwdriver. I turned around and saw the girl standing in a defensive pose, looking at me.

"Who are you?" she said. Her voice was soft, nothing like the menacing tone she gave to the thugs earlier.

"My name is John." I replied, putting my hands up. "I'm just a student wandering around town."

It took a few seconds before she let her guard down.

"I'm Maria." Her voice was calm, but full of confidence. "Thanks for helping me."

She looked at me strangely before wandering her eyes to my uniform.

"Are you a student at St. Dominic's Academy?"

"Yeah. A senior."

She smiled. It was a beautiful smile.

Maria walked forward, letting the light of the moon shine on her face.

"I'm transferring there tomorrow! I'm a junior." Her eyes twinkled with excitement.

I laughed, releasing the tension that built up over the past hour. "Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Maria."

"I guess I'll do."

This was our first meeting.