Going back

15|| Fight

AN: here's chapter 15. Enjoy, people.

"James with a turtle..." Iris mused, frowning as a memory tugged on the back of her brain. Her eyes widened and she snapped her fingers enthusiastically. "I know you! You're the DeLesco kid who's betrothed to–"

"Keep your voice down," James hissed, glancing around furtively. "I don't want anyone to know."

"Alright." Iris checked her watch. She let out a frustrated huff of breath at seeing there was more than half the time left.

"How have you been, Iris? It's been a very long time."

"My mother is dead."

"...That sucks to hear. Miss Ellison was a wonderful lady."

"Yeah," Iris chuckled bitterly, "she was."

James studied her with curious green eyes. "Have you... had a chance to fight since that night?"

She hesitated before answering. James might have once been a good friend, but a lot had happened in the last two years that couldn't be discounted. "No. Dad doesn't like me in the ring."

"Yeah." James' eyes lit up with amusement as he leaned back. "I remember when you broke three of your ribs and DeLano found out... wow was he mad. A few terrible people died that day."

"May their souls burn in hell." Iris nodded solemnly and James mimicked the movement.

"You see," James stood and tucked his hands in his pocket with an impish grin, "there's a match- my aunt set it up, so it's totally legal and everything. Why don't you come along? I mean, you clearly don't want to be here."

Iris chewed the inside of her cheek, her right knee bounced up and down in a rhythmic motion as she turned the prospect over. Although Harry did warn that he would put her under house arrest if she ever thought of fighting again, Iris desperately craved a release. She needed it after all that had happened in the last few days.

"Okay," she breathed out, squaring her shoulders. "When's the fight?"

"Thirty minutes. If we want to take the next bus, we'll have to leave now. What do you say?"

Iris glanced at the field and made eye-contact with Oscar. He waved excitedly, and she found herself returning the gesture before she realised what she was doing. With a dark scowl, she drew out her phone and sent a quick text on the group. Going out with a friend. If I'm not back by 8 I've probably stayed over.

Julian was inside for some debate club and Iris believed she could avoid that corridor if she and James took the back route.

"Let's go." Iris slid her phone in her pocket, ignoring how her heart hammered away in her chest like a runaway locomotive. It's just the excitement.

*****

The stench of beer and sweat coupled with the heat of tightly packed bodies clinging to the edge of the makeshift ring washed over Iris. She bit her mouthguard, the sole of her trainers squeaked against the rubber floors, and her clothes- which James's aunt graciously provided- stuck to her body like a second skin.

Her opponent was a girl roughly the same age. She was confident and waved at a gaggle clustered at the edge- but she was clearly new considering she entered under 'The Dark Assassin'.

Iris squared her shoulder, heard the familiar hum in her head as her muscles tensed for the fight. Her eyes flicked over Assassin, noting how low her arms were and the way she seemed to favour her left side more.

Iris quipped an eyebrow and pulled the cloth covering her face over her nose- a precaution suggested by James in case someone recognised her. She slipped into a defensive stance, relaxing into the comfortable security.