Fight Like a Girl

m o u t h g e a r

❝ To become a champion, fight one more round.❞

– James Corbett        

        Even with the minor setbacks, I begin to anticipate the reality of the upcoming fight more and more. I can do this.

I’ve forgotten about Karen, Everett’s been leaving me alone, Coach has been less bull-shitty, and Dad’s been more supportive than ever. Things are looking up, knock on wood.

Then again, it’s only Thursday. I still have a day or so to mess things up.

I expect Thursday to be much worse than it actually is.

Everett is not seen on my morning run. I could say I missed him nagging me, but that would be a lie. I didn’t miss the slimy douche one bit.

After my run, I receive a message from one of my blog readers.

So, Lane, I check your blog everyday for updates. And let me just say - your writing is phenomenal. Your ideas are grand, I’m a feminist myself, and everything you say is true. I did not realize, until a few weeks ago, that you were merely seventeen.

I hear you have an important boxing match approaching! I bid you great luck with that. I’ll be cheering you along the entire way, as well as all of your other fans, which you may or may not know about.

Your story is interesting. I would like to know more about your past. Perhaps post a story on it?

Sincerely,

Anonymous

It’s just nice to know that there are actually people out there listening, you know? People who can read my thoughts, examine them as if they were someone else’s, instead of mine.

I decide to maybe post a bit on my past later on. No use hiding it from them.

Dad’s made Thursday Pancakes, a tradition we’ve had since I was little. Apparently, it had played out a little something like this.

I arrived at the kitchen table to receive my typical Lucky Charms. But I smelled something different… something warm, rich, flavorful…

Could it be?

“Dad, are you making pancakes?”

“Why, yes I am, little Lane!” I giggled. He placed a pancake on my plate.

“On Thursday?”

“Well, who said we can’t have pancakes every Thursday!”

And so, I held him to that promise.

I scarf down my pancake, and head to school, nearly forgetting about any previous stress.

I have tests in three of my classes, which is okay, since I like tests. I finish them fairly quickly, which means I have the rest of the period to work and listen to music. We have the weight-lifting unit in gym, which is relatively easy for me.

Dad picks me up after work to take me to practice.

“How was the day? Anything exciting?”

“The day has been well!”

“Oh?” He questions, as if good days rarely come in these parts.

“Just a good day.”

Coach is at the gym before I am, for once. And I’m on time.

He warms me up, a few sit-ups, punches at the bag, and we hit the ring.

I knock him out pretty easily. And it’s not like he’s not trying, I’m just on top of it today. He even tells me I’m doing well, for once, which is incredibly rare.

“Wow, you’re giving me praise?”

“I hate to, you know that, Davis, but I gotta give it to you. You fought damn well.”

These are the days I love. Days when I get to spend time with everything on my list. Days when I don’t have to worry about anything interfering with them.

But it’s also days like these that make not-so-great times seem horrible. Maybe a time when I can’t box, a time when I’m not in the mood to post, perhaps Dad isn’t feeling well.

Because Friday and Saturday hit me harder than I ever would’ve imagined.

**wow a brief AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hello guys! Haven't heard from you all in a quite a while!

So I just want to say, none of these chapters are edited at all. Everything you see is purely me, writing and then copy pasting it. Hehe. After this is finished (February 28th!) I'm going to go back through, probably delete the Author's Notes, and edit it. I'm going to get banners and trailers and all that shmazzzz.

SOO I kinda need something from you guys: praise. There's obviously a reason why you've read up to chapter 10 (holy shite I've written 10 chapters dang), so add it into the comments section. You can make it goofy- "Feminism + Boxing = Happy reader" idk somethin cool, if you do, you'll be FEATURED wowowoah in the info section, AND have an eventual chapter dedicated to you!!! Yay! Thanks guys!

-Fletcher 

ps I'm working on ideas for March's month challenge. Here's a preview:

"Wanna do nothing but listen to Belle and Sebastian on repeat for the next 24 hours?"

"Sure."