Light brown and cream colour, wide rather than tall, with only two extra floors other than the ground floor. This was her school, Orion High. It was the best High School according to her mother, which was why she enrolled in the school. It boasted of a high college acceptance rate, great programs, and extra credits that made sure almost everyone got a chance to apply for college, as long as they had the interest.

The school in itself wasn’t so bad for Roxanne, but she couldn’t say it was the best either. Why? Because Roxanne was a loner to the bone.

The bright sky hovered above Roxanne’s head as she walked into the school compound, distracting her from her earlier reminiscing. There were no teachers to stand by the entrance, unlike in her former school which boasted high disciplinary standards.

She stared across the open field, observing how empty the yard was. Most of the students were already inside the school building, ready for homeroom. If she didn’t want to miss it she had to hurry up.

Once again she picked up her pace as she walked into the school building. Flinging the door wide open without holding back, the sound and sudden momentum of the two sides of the door caused quite the noise, attracting the attention of the students in the hallway.

Their eyes all darted toward Roxanne, something she was trying to avoid. Thankfully, they turned their faces away again, as usual. Roxanne heaved with relief. The last thing she was looking for was attention. She continued walking. Down the path in front of her, passing by many lockers and people who glanced over at her, stared for a while and quickly looked away, walking off without talking to her.

“Perfect,” She whispered to herself.

At this point, she needed some sleep and quiet, so throughout the day she would just keep her head down and try not to draw any attention to herself, though from the way things were going, she didn’t need to try so hard.

“Roxyyyyyy!!!” A voice called for her

As Roxanne heard the voice her heart jumped as she slowly turned behind her to see the person who yelled after her so loudly. There was only one person in all of Orion who called her by that name, her best friend… Rather, her only friend, Betty.

The petite girl ran toward her, waving enthusiastically in Roxanne’s direction as she smiled. Roxanne pretended like she didn’t hear anything and immediately faced forward and continued walking straight for homeroom.

“This girl…” Roxanne muttered to herself.

The girl, Betty, Roxanne’s only friend in Orion, Betty was someone who didn’t care about keeping a low profile. She was loud, energetic and very talkative. For some reason, she picked an interest in Roxanne, of all things and ever since that moment, she always stuck with her like glue, until school did them apart.

“I’ve been looking all over the place for you! You are so late. Anything the matter?” She said, quickly catching up to Roxanne’s heaving heavily, using her two hands to support her body as she bent over to catch her breath.

Roxanne, who was now in front of her locker in order to quickly grab her stuff before homeroom, was more concerned about the bells which would ring at any moment.

Roxanne looked at the short girl as she breathed heavily and couldn’t understand why she kept doing this to herself. Other students kept their eyes fixated on Roxanne, though they acted like they weren’t. This treatment was something she brought on herself, though it was beginning to bother her.

When she first arrived at Orion High School, she instantly became the school belle. Thanks to her beautiful face, clear skin, and well rounded figure, no one could take their eyes off her. As she took the school by storm, sweeping both boys and girls off their feet, she was surrounded by a multitude of company, and they were such brothers.

Since her father just died back then, she was not In the right mood to talk to anyone or form bonds that would eventually break. Even though she received a lot of attention from everyone; Her classmates, students of higher grades… Even teachers. She didn’t respond well to their gestures and slowly, yet certainly… The crowd around her started becoming lesser. She was still very popular, a hot topic among everyone. But now for a different reason.

“She’s so cold”

“Just because she’s a little good looking”

“Proud much? Why does she have to such a jerk about everything”

As a rumour beyond her control, soon the whole school viewed her in a different light, causing them to only view her from afar. She was even ostracised among her classmates and designated as an official loner.

“I brought this on myself” She would tell herself.

However, even with her cold and emotionless nature as well as the rumours flying about her, there remained one person who still continued to pester her and talk to her relentlessly.

“Hey Roxy, what are you doing all alone?”

“Hey Roxy, wanna grab lunch?”

“Hey Roxy, Hey Roxy. Hey Roxy.”

Eventually, Roxanne got so used to her presence that she stopped resisting anymore. They officially became friends, and even though Roxanne still tried to maintain her demeanour of a cool and stoic young lady, she couldn’t shake her extrovert friend off. And so they became the weirdest pair of friends.

“Had a rough night. I woke up late this morning” Roxy said.

As she spoke, she used her hands to pack up the book she needed for class.

“Ohh, you couldn’t sleep well? Is that it? Well, I’ve got a brilliant idea. Why don’t you…”

“I’m fine now. Thanks” Roxanne quickly said.

“Ohhh, Hmmn, let me see your face for a sec” Betty said, drawing her face slower to Roxy.

The sudden movement toward Roxanne and their close proximity, caused her to take a step back, feeling Betty was too close.

“Hmmn, well. You don’t seem sick or anything. But, something about you looks different today” She said, using her hand to caress her chin.

“Can't that wait? We’ll be late for class at this rate.” Roxanne said, leaving her locker after packing up what she needed.

She quickly turned her face away from Betty so she wouldn’t see the blue strands of her hair which she had carefully tried to hide, but was still obvious if one paid a much closer look.

“Oh, that’s true…” Betty laughed as they both made their way to the homeroom.

Roxanne picked up the pace and Betty followed behind her, trying her best to catch up.

Homeroom went the same as usual, the only difference was that Roxy barely made it to class on time, nearly costing her perfect record. The teacher came and did his usual routine. When he finished, Roxanne heaved a sigh of relief.

“I made it,” She said to herself.

Classes went on as they always did. However, what stood out in the respective classes were the reminders given to the students by teachers concerning their tests before winter break.

The final bell rang, indicating the end of school for the day. A smile of relief appeared on Roxanne’s face. She had been expecting this. Finally ended as Roxanne sighed leaving the premises.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, causing her abruptly halt her movement to view the caller.

“<Coach>”

A smile appeared on Roxanne’s stern and cold face, using her finger to quickly answer the phone call.

“Are you coming today?” The caller’s voice sounded.

Her smile widened as she heard those words.

“Of course…” She replied.

“I’m on my way”

Her fatigue seemed to fade into the background and the exhaustion from school disappeared after receiving the call from the caller ‘coach’.

She stared fondly at her phone and smiled, remaining motionless for a moment, before finally snapping back to reality. She placed her phone back into her pocket and ran, charging straight ahead to her new destination, and it wasn’t home.

She continued running steadily, not stopping even once, as she turned when she reached an intersection, twisting her body to adjust to the change in momentum and balance as she continued to race. As she rushed past the block, dashing past the few people she came across, she didn’t falter even once. She was used to this already and even without thinking her body moved on reflex. None of her classmates or even members of her school could see her like this. All sweaty and energetic, yet not slowing down. A different version of herself from what she showed in school. No one attending her school knew of this. It was only her mom as well as a few teachers in school who were aware. None from Orion High passed this route, after all, it was the opposite of the residential area they were all from.

Yes, where she was headed was not her house, but… In a way, it could be said to be her second home. She was getting close, just a right turn at the corner and she would arrive. She took the turn, balancing her legs so she wouldn’t lose her footing, and slowed down so she would stop directly in front of the place.

The building wasn’t so fancy, having two floors, the ground one and the first floor above it. The paint used on its exterior was already getting bleached, but that didn’t bother Roxanne. She was never one to judge a book by its cover anyway.

The metal door was closed, with the [Open] sign written boldly on a board attached to it. She stared at the wide board at the top of the building, reading out the words written.

“PASSION OF LIFE GYM” She said, feeling cringe because of the name.

In the three years she had been attending the gym, she still couldn’t get used to the name or say it without cringing. However, she had no choice. To enter the gym, it was an unchanging rule for Regulars to always say the name of the gym before proceeding inside. Fortunately, no one she knew was around to see her say such an embarrassing name.

She huffed slightly, taking deep breaths and calming herself a bit before finally proceeding into the building.

“I’m in…” She said as she entered the building.

If what a person expected when he entered the gym was a bunch of sweaty men, dirty towels, and a bunch of weight sets lying around, then that person couldn’t be more wrong.

The ground floor was filled with nothing but the standard gym equipment and a few people doing their regular exercises. She smiled at the new faces she saw for that day. One man in particular tried so desperately on the treadmill, moving his huge body desperately as he tried to push past his limits.

She shook her head slightly. Having such energy was fine by her, but she was familiar like him. They burn their energy on the first day, and they would never enter a gym until after some time. Some would give up entirely.

“He's only giving it his all now because something must have happened to him? Did he get insulted due to his weight or something?” She asked herself.

Well it was none of her business. She turned away and walked toward the Receptionist, who looked her way and gave her a smile since she recognized her.

“Is the coach around?” Roxanne asked the woman.

“Yeah. He’s upstairs, doing the usual.” She answered.

“Thanks Mary.” She said, quickly making her way to the stairs and climbed them in a jiffy.

She entered the room on the first floor where she was guaranteed to meet her coach, her personal fitness trainer… Her mentor.

Her eyes went around the room as she entered. Unlike the one downstairs, this place was only exclusive to Regulars such as herself. A place not for the usual gym exercises and routines. No, this was different.

The entire room was empty, with only soft cushions on the floor as rugs. Fewer people were in the room compared to the ground floor, and they all seemed to be busy with their businesses. Some moved in acrobatic fashions, some did his regular pushup, only this time with a heavy weight attached to his neck and another on his back. Then there was this one who seemed to be meditating, staying transfixed in a single position, refusing to move an inch from where he stood… Upside down.

“Oh, you’re here Roxanne. Did you say the name before entering?” A voice came from behind her.

She smiled as she heard his voice, one she would recognize anywhere. It was her coach. She turned back and saw him with a towel around his neck, with some gear he carried on his hand, and a wide smile plastered on his face.

“Hey coach. Yeah, I did. Really wish you’d stop making me do that.” She said with a soft laugh as she shook her head.

“Never! Not until you realise the profoundness and beauty of it” He said with a wide grin.

“So… Never then?” She replied dryly, raising one of her eyebrows.

“Yep. Never” He smiled.

Her coach was a man in his early forties. He had sand brown hair and a spectacular muscular build. He looked surprisingly youthful compared to his actual age. An exercise gourmet, but not one so needlessly and overly obsessive with it. Though Roxanne had to admit, sometimes his passion was a little over the top.

Roxanne remembered when she first arrived at the gym. She had just recently moved into town and felt bored just staying home after school. With nothing to do, and a lot to think about, she needed something to distract her from the thoughts which weighed her down.

After school one day, she decided to pass a different route home, trying to waste as much of her time as possible. She went through unfamiliar streets and somehow ended up at the ‘PASSION OF LIFE GYM’.

Roxanne could still remember how she initially found the name absurd and walked past it, but then came back and stared hard at the name, before finally deciding to give it a try.

Something most people didn’t know about Roxanne was that she wasn’t just your average high school girl, who was interested in boys and makeup. Ever since she was young, she had a never ending passion for one particular thing… Sports!

Growing up, her father trained her in various kinds of sports and was in charge of her exercise and daily routine. Even from childhood, she possessed freakish stamina and strength which seemed to even amaze her parents. She trained everyday and honed her skills thanks to her father.

However, when he died four years ago, she stopped training and doing exercise altogether. The effects didn’t really show on her body since she still had a healthy lifestyle, but the more time passed, the more she itched for the stimulation that only sports give.

Nearly a year after her father died, she came across the gym she currently used. Her initial goal when she saw the gym was just to go in and just do a few rounds, but… She ended up doing more than that.

Roxanne would have just finished her set and gone home for the day, not even nearing the place again, but she ended up being a regular instead. And it was all thanks to the man standing in front of her.

“You arrived earlier than expected, I’m not done setting up yet” He said to her.

“What can I say? I guess I got a bit excited” She smiled widely.

Coach was a man she highly respected and loved, as close to a father to her as anyone can get. After observing her do some sets in the gym, he approached her and talked with her.

Of course, she was cautious around him initially, but some time after they started talking, she really felt a strong connection with him. Perhaps in a way, he reminded her of her father, who used to personally train her before he passed away. She left the gym that day with a smile on her face.

The next day, before she knew what was going on, she found herself there again, and the day after that, then the one after that day… Until she became a regular.

“Go get changed first” Coach said to her.

“After that you’ll be helping me set these up, then we can start” He told her, referring to some tools he kept on the ground and more of them at the corner by the wall.

“Aye aye. Let’s do this!” She said, removing her sweater as she walked toward the changing room.

Roxanne took a short shower and then changed into her gym outfit, clothes she always kept in the gym since it was a bother bringing it in every day.

After she was done, she went back to the training room, where her coach was still setting up the stage. She smiled, shaking her head slightly.

Even at over forty, Donald still preferred doing things like these himself. She was fine with him doing some heavy lifting, but at this rate, he would just tire himself out before he did anything meaningful with her.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. This much is nothing. I can do this, train you, and still have energy to spare.

She smirked at these words.

“Sure you can” She stepped forward to assist him with what he was doing.

“I’m serious. In my prime, I could do this all day all by myself. Truly a beast!” He grinned widely.

“Sure” Roxanne smiled as she rolled her eyes slightly.

She wasn’t sure about his prime, but the current him couldn’t keep up with her, especially when she was this excited. He had to take breaks in between, alternate with another person, and also instruct her while he took his break. She had so much energy that it could be classified as a superpower at this point.

[Moments Later]

“Looks like it’s all set up. Let’s do a little round before going into full-on training.” Coach Donald said, entering into the ring.

Now, Roxanne knew the basics of many sports and she was trained since childhood in various types. However… The one she knew best, and had the greatest passion for, the one she usually practised with her gym coach every day for the past three years… Was Boxing!

The gym's ground floor was an everyday workout centre, but only the Regulars knew the true nature of the ‘PASSION OF LIFE’ Gym. Separated into many rooms on the top floor, it was a place where Boxing was everything.

Boxing, Roxanne’s favourite sport, and the one she was the best at. Since the game demanded brute force, tact, and endurance more than anything else, she was practically built for it. Her coach as a former pro Boxer, at least according to him, was skilled enough to make it to national level his prime. For someone in a countryside like Oregon, that was an impressive feat.

Roxanne didn’t want to go into Pro Boxing. She just wanted to keep playing, keep fighting… Just like her father. As a Pro Boxer, she would attract too much attention, something she avoided desperately. She didn’t want to stand out. She just wanted to fight strong opponents and keep getting better until she reached her limits which, by the looks of it, was still very far off.

Roxanne entered the boxing ring as well, picking up her headgear and gloves as she put them on.

“Hope you’re not too tired old man” She said with a teasing look.

“Old man? I’ll show you!” Coach Donald said with his youthful smile.

One thing that got Donald fired up more than anything else, was when he was called ‘old’.

One of the other members of the Boxing club volunteered to be the referee of the match. As they both steadied themselves at their position, the both of them smiled.

“First Round. Begin!” The referee declared.

Immediately, Roxanne left her position and launched her fist with a straight right hook aimed at Donald’s nose. Donald quickly tilted his head, while taking a step back, dodging the first attack as the wind brushed across his face.

Roxanne dashed back and started bouncing, raising her fists to guard both sides, while her eyes remained transfixed on her target.

As an unspoken rule, neither of them talked when they were in a match. They both preferred the silence that enveloped them, making only their breathing and the taps of their feet heard.

Donald used his eyes to scan through Roxanne’s stance, a perfect gait, and posture, one with zero openings as usual. He had thought due to her excitement, she would slip up but it seemed he was wrong.

The straight punch startled him a little, but such a basic move was not enough to land a hit on him, especially when it wasn’t in succession or followed by another move. He had to admit though, her speed was impressive, and that power… It was dangerous as well.

As he was still analysing her, Roxanne took the initiative once again and rushed to his right flank, giving him a right hook. Fortunately, he was able to block her hit, though he took another step back due to the shock. In quick succession, she gave another hook and then a left thrust to break his guard. However, Donald was sturdier than that, as he maintained his position after the initial hit she gave, holding his ground.

As Roxanne withdrew her left fist after throwing it in a thrust, Donald quickly took a step forward and threw his first jab at Roxanne’s face. Too focused on offence, she didn’t see it coming until it was right in front of her.

Her quick reflexes kicked in just in time, using her right hand to block the hit, though barely.

“Oh? Not bad” The thought to himself.

Not only her raw power and stamina were extraordinary, her speed was also something else entirely. Her reflexes and reaction speed far exceeded any other Regular in his gym, which made it all the more difficult for him to land a proper hit on her, even though he was clearly more experienced than she was.

“Let’s just keep this up. Her only openings are when she attacks. When she throws a wide thrust, I’ll make a comeback” Donald reasoned.

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. Raising his guard up to remain on the defensive until his opportune time, his eyes solely focused on Roxanne as he patiently searched for openings.

Even after throwing several of her attacks, Roxanne showed no sign of slowing down. She kept using her right fist for jabs and her left for hooks. Donald diligently dodged the ones he could, while blocking the rest. But…

“Crap, my limits are beginning to catch up to me… Dammit” Donald winced as he barely managed to dodge a volley from her right.

He took a few steps back in retreat, unable to hit so many hits all at once in direct succession. He huffed as sweat dripped from his chin and his muscles ached from keeping his hands up for so long while receiving so many attacks at once.

Roxanne dashed forward, not letting him catch his breath as she quickly raised her fist, and with a powerful thrust, launched it at Donald’s face.

“Shit!” He thought.

He quickly raised his guard, but even with that, he wasn’t quick enough for a complete block. Most of the impact was sent to his body as he recoiled due to the shock. He remained stunned for a moment, giving Roxanne the opportunity to launch another full powered blow.

This time, the hit landed on Donald’s face, sending him crashing to the ground. In a powerful thud, his body landed on the staged platform.

“Donald down. Roxanne takes the first round.” The referee declared.

Roxanne smiled as she took deep breaths to calm herself. Perspiration covered her entire skin as she smiled, looking at Donald who winced due to the hit she landed.

“Sorry coach” She said, stretching her hands toward him.

He grabbed it and smiled as she pulled him up, grunting a bit.

“Nah, don’t be. I lost fair and square” He said, groaning a little while rubbing his jaw, the place most affected by the impact of her hit.

“That you did, heh.” She grinned from ear to ear.

“Will you stop that? The match isn’t decided yet, you know? We’ll see how you fare during the second round.” He said, bending to take the water he kept just outside the stage.

“Ooh, someone is a site loser” She smirked.

“Tch” He let out in a mock annoyed fashion.

They both laughed as they took a short break in anticipation for the second round. As Roxanne gulped down her water, Donald stared at her.

“Such monstrous strength… Unbelievable. She’s even more powerful than the last time.” He thought within himself.

Roxanne’s great prowess was amazing, coupled with her growth speed which was beyond normal, to call the combination insane would be an understatement.

Donald, as the owner and manager of the entire gym supervised many of his Regulars. However, Roxanne was the only one he personally practised with. Out of all the other coaches, he was the only one who handled her training. Why was that the case?

Sure, he and Roxanne were very close, almost like family. However, the reason he was the only one who coached her and engaged in combat training with her was because… He was the only one with the ability to keep up with Roxanne.

She far outclassed everyone else in the gym, all the regulars knew her and some had even fought with her. None of them came out unscathed. She won against them every single time. He was the only one who managed to win against her, but from the match he had with her today… It was evident that she would soon surpass him by far. Or maybe that was the case already.

In any case, he was still her coach. As such, he had to always have something to teach her, and that meant he couldn’t lose to her… Not yet.

As he drank some more of his water, he closed his tired eyes. Next time for sure… He would win.

Roxanne laid on her bed as she smiled. A slight bruise was on her cheek as she slightly rubbed it.

“Looks like I’m still no match for Coach” She said to herself.

He managed to win, turning the tides against her at the last minute. A truly impressive man deserving of Roxanne’s respect.

After the match, they had regular training and did a few sets before she went home for the day, nothing out of the ordinary. She freshened up, ate, read for a while and chatted with her friend, Betty. Before she knew it so much time had passed.

She looked out her window, it was dark out already. She didn’t have to go anywhere for her escapades this night, so she appreciated the view of the night sky from her bed. The full moon glowed majestically as it seemed to draw her attention to its strange glow.

“I wonder…” She smiled, cutting her thoughts short before she even began.

As she closed her eyes, she felt all the exhaustion of the day suddenly begin to get lifted off of her as she felt a warm embrace permeate throughout her body. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep, unaware of the events that happened in the dead of night.