HIP #1: The Ten Weekends

Chapter 53

We have been waiting here for an hour now. Maybe his friend won't come anymore. "Where the heck is that friend of yours?" I asked. He looked around and then caught my eyes on him. "Let's just wait," he replied. I wanted to nod or say something in agreement, but they bore me that I couldn't even say a word.

Until a medium-sized white sports car stopped in front of us. I eyed him, but he kept his eyes on the car with a smile. If I could only see his smile forever. The windows dropped as I saw the familiar blonde guy. "Kobie?" I asked. I wonder if it's him...

Kobie is Shane's younger brother. He's presently a 9th grader and we are friends too, but not that close. "Oh! Britney!" He energetically greeted with his white teeth out. "You'll bring her?" He looked at Nate and responded, "yeah," then looked at me.

What now? Do I look terrible? Or is there any other thing which is wrong with me? "Well, are you sure about that?" Oh, the forty percent that he's a stripper is now sixty percent. "Umm, yeah," he frowned, but then opened the front door of the car and hopped in. Great. Didn't even open the door for me again. Did I even expect him to do it? I walked towards the car and opened the door, then sat on the seat.

I wanted to fasten the seatbelt but I trust Kobie. He drove me and Shane to school before and I know he's a good driver. Getting into an accident with him only has a three percent chance. "Seatbelt," Nate reminded me as he looked at me through the mirror. The usual me is the one who fights back and says bad things and also complains about my opinions but right now I'm not in the mood for it so I fastened my seatbelt as he requested.

The long drive was normal. Pretty boring to be honest. No music, awkward silence, and just houses that we drove past. "Here we are," I looked around once the car stopped and found a restaurant beside us. Oh. He's not a stripper. Phew!

"Do you work in there?" After unfastening the seatbelt away from me, I pointed my index finger at the place beside us. "Yeah," so he can cook? Maybe he's a waiter or the manager? No way! Nate as a manager? Definitely not going to happen.

I jumped off the car and followed the two of them even if I looked like a dwarf because they were both too tall. I can't believe that even if I'm older than Kobie, he's taller than me. And he's taller than her sister as well. "Kobie! Nate! And... who's this?" Said the fat man in an apron.

He looked at my head to toe and frowned. "My cousin," he said and Kobie smirked. Well, I guess his sister told her already about it. I trust him, I know that Nate and he are friends but he's a little opposite from my cousin. "Oh... I see, are you sure you're going to let her in?" What the heck is up with everyone in here that they are always asking if Nate's sure in taking me in this place.

I don't see anything wrong. This is just a restaurant. He nodded and the man in a white apron opened the door to the kitchen. I frowned. That's suspicious. We walked past the men who were cooking in some sort of chef clothes and through the heat inside the place. "Where are we going?" I asked when we reached the silver door after we got through some curtains.

"Calm down, we're going to my job..." he winked and smirked after he whispered to me and opened the door.

"It's... it's dark..." I was startled when I heard a crowd screaming and yelling using unknown words. "It is," a staircase was there and so I followed the two of them when they began walking through it. I couldn't help but just try my best not to fall. As we got deeper and deeper inside, the light finally came to my eyes the moment that I saw people cheering.

Huge crowd, long seats, a boxing ring, girl in a short dress walking around with a big sign on her hands. This only means one thing. Boxing? Fighting match? Or some sort of stuff like that.

"What is this place?" I looked at Nate with a frown but the smirk grew more on his face. "Welcome to my moneymaker place..."

I shook my head. "Is this legal?" Was the last thing I wanted to ask when I got in but the first thing that came out of my mouth.

"Of course... not," my eyes widened later when he whispered those words.

So this is illegal? Why am I still here if I know that this isn't legal? "Follow me," I did what he said with Kobie beside me. We sat on one of the long chairs beside the other people. There were fat ones, emo style, and some girls. I felt uncomfortable sitting on the rotten stained metal chair with strangers.

"Kobie..." I called him. Then unexpectedly, Nate walked away. I wanted to ask him something else but then I was confused about why Nate walked away.

"Where did Nate go?"

"He's preparing," I gulped.

"Preparing for what?"

"For a fight,"

"He would be on right now?"

"Yeah, obviously. You didn't know?" I shook my head and looked at the ground then back to him.

"Is it true that this isn't legal?" he nodded. Oh boy. For the first time in forever, I'm involved in something illegal. "Does Nate always fight here?" he nodded again. Nodding type boy. He talks but not like how Shane does. His words seem limited every time we talk. Or is it because the questions I ask him are the ones that should be answered with yes or no. So he nods for yes and shakes his head for no. perhaps.

"What happens when Nate wins?"

"He gets five thousand dollars," five thousand dollars? Is he serious? I mean, that's like my mom's pay in five or four months. "If he loses?"

"Then he gets nothing," fair enough but... fighting where you risk your life for money. Isn't good but I can't stop Nate anymore because I broke his car and in order for me to get my apology accepted by him, I have to let him do what he wants to do.

Author's Note:

Nate is a fighter!!! An illegal fighter y'all! Our male lead is an illegal fighter OMG! Bet you already saw that one coming =)

Nevertheless, I'm not from Paris so I don't know how big five thousand dollars is for the French people hahaha. So I'm sorry if five thousand sounds exaggerated. But this is fiction so...

Love you all so much!

>33333 chain!

See you next time! Mwuah!