"I'm stronger than I used to be," he whispers, weakly clenching and unclenching his fist. "The way things were going, had to learn to protect myself or I'd never make it through high school. So I began my training. It's a program of extreme intensity, and I'm still fighting to my limit every day."

Again, it's true. He wonders how close to the truth he can get without actually breaking the oath he swore. He still looks upset---those are painful memories.