Chapter 27: Christmas to New Year
"Wake up, champions! It’s Christmas!"
Kevin’s voice exploded through the dormitory at 6 AM. Seventeen boys groaned and pulled thin blankets over their heads. Christmas morning at Marcus Garvey - the one day Grey let them sleep past five-thirty.
Javier sat up slowly, testing his body. His ribs felt normal when he breathed deep. His shoulders rolled smooth, no sharp pain from where Devon had tagged him.
[PHYSICAL RECOVERY: 100% COMPLETE]
[READY FOR INTENSIVE TRAINING]
Tommy was already on his feet, poking at the faded bruise around his eye. "Look, it’s almost gone."
"Same here." Javier stretched his arms wide. His muscles felt hungry for work. "I could hit the heavy bag right now."
"Not today you won’t," Grey appeared in the doorway wearing something nobody had seen before - a genuine smile. "Christmas breakfast in ten minutes. Mrs. Rodriguez actually bought good food this year."
The common room had transformed overnight. Cheap tinsel draped from ceiling fixtures. Paper snowflakes, obviously cut by the younger kids, covered every window. Someone had wrapped Christmas lights around the old television that served the whole house.
A small plastic tree sat in the corner, surrounded by wrapped packages in neat rows. Church donations, community gifts, random charity boxes. Every resident got exactly one present, no matter how odd or useless.
Javier picked up the box with his name written in marker. The wrapping paper was thin enough to see through. Inside, something soft.
He peeled the tape carefully. Boxing gloves emerged from the tissue paper - not the expensive kind, but new enough to still smell like fresh leather.