THE FIGHTER (Origninally called my UFC FIGHTER)

13. Noah

On the day of Ethan's charity event fight, my family and friends had gone out exploring the city until it was cut short due to it starting to rain. We headed back to the hotel and I asked my dad if he'd be willing to give me a ride to the O2 arena where Ethan's fight was taking place he looked at me curiously but he agreed and off we went only to be stuck in traffic for a good half hour.

"Now that we're alone," he had begun and I sighed knowing full well where that conversation was heading, and brazed myself for the question. "You have never been interested in UFC fighting, so why did you want to go see this fight?"

Despite knowing that question was coming, I didn't know how to answer. It took me by surprise. I mean, dad was right about me not being interested in any form of fights so why was I so intent on going to watch Ethan's? I bit my cheek as I pondered the question, before replying with, "I want to see just how good he is." He raised a brow as if not believing my reply but nodded as he began to drive again when traffic lifted.

To say I was disappointed when I arrived at the arena half an hour later would be an understatement. The parking lot was empty and the doors to the building were locked. The poster on the door said that the fight had been at 3 p.m. while the event had started at 9 in the morning. It had already been a quarter to six when we arrived.

"Sorry bud," dad had said as he placed a hand on my shoulder and I sighed shaking my head.

"Not your fault," I had answered as I pulled out my phone to see if I had seen the wrong time and sure enough, I had.

Damn it.

I should've double-checked to make sure instead of coming here on a limb.

"Come on," dad said as he led me back to the car I nodded and turned on my heels to follow after him to the lone car parked in the car lot.

"Perhaps he'll have another fight in the future," he said as he turned the engine on and pulled out of the parking lot, and drove back in the direction of the hotel.

I nodded.

"Perhaps."

I could feel his gaze on me but ignored him as I liked out the window. I had wanted to see him since we weren't going to see each other until we returned to the states the next week. I know it was stupid to feel like that but I couldn't help it and I didn't under-no I knew why but I also knew he didn't feel that way especially after what I had heard the other day when I walked by Mrs. Morris' classroom. Why did I have to catch feelings for him of all people?

And now here we were, standing in the same arena as Ethan's charity fight two days later as fans screamed at the top do their lungs as Little Mix sang and danced on stage. Sam was recording the entire thing and would do a selfie video of all of us having a blast at the concert. I sang along and even got to go son stage with the group and sing with them before the concert ended.

"That was," Sam said as the lights of the arena turned on and the other fans exited.

"Epic?"

"Awesome?"

"Crazy?"

"Incredible?"

The others offered making her laugh as she threw her head back, her curls bouncing and ticking my cheek since we were side by side, "yes, too all of th—" I raised a brow when she cut off and looked up to see what happened and followed her line of sight to see Ethan leaning against the railing that separated the stage from the fans. He was talking to one of the guards and as if sensing our gaze, he looked our way before saying something to the male who nodded. He had his hands in his pockets as he made his way towards us.

"What the hell?" Sam asked, her brows furrowed and hands on her hips. He gave us a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey," he greeted and I bit my cheek.

"Why didn't you text us?" Liam asked with a raised brow and Ethan sighed. I saw that he has a dark purple bruise under his left eye and inwardly wince. That must be painful.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I know I should've messaged you guys but I didn't want any of you to see the fight before the concert or else you would have been worried as fuck which," he stated as he looked at Sam who frowned, "you already are by the looks of it Sam, that's why I didn't contact you. I was also busy training for it so I didn't have any time to message you all."

"You're impossible Ethan," Sam said sighing and he gave her a lopsided smile that had her rolling her eyes, "at least tell us if you won or not."

Ethan rolled his eyes this time as his smile turned into a grin, "I won by KO on the third round."

"That's my boy," Liam grinned as he gave Ethan's shoulder a pat.

"That's awesome," Jay said as our friends nodded in agreement, "sucks we didn't get to see you fight."

"Perhaps in the near future when I decide to get back in the ring," Ethan said though he stared at me as he spoke and I felt my face heat up at his gaze.

"Care to join us for dinner?" I asked and he smiled nodding.

"That'd be great."

****

The following weeks after both Ethan's fight and the Little Mix concert went by in a blink and before I knew it, we were having our finals. Crazy to think that in just a few weeks school will be over and Ethan along with our friends aside from Levi will be graduating. It felt as if Ethan had just started school and now he was weeks from leaving. This school year had gone by in a blink of an eye to say the least.

"What's with the long face?" Jay asked as he sat across from me at the dining table and I shook my head and he raised a brow but didn't get to say anything as Papa and Dad were soon joining us for breakfast.

"Good morning boys," Dad greeted us with a smile as he poured himself and Papa a cup of coffee while Papa fixed them each a plate of breakfast before they joined us at the table.

"Morning, Papa, Dad." We greeted them back.

We ate and talked about the upcoming graduation and how it was going to suck not having all of ny friends in one place.

"Why don't we take them out to celebrate after the graduation ceremony?" Papa suggested as we cleaned up and I nodded with a smile. It would be nice to spend time with them before they each went their separate ways for college.

"Yeah that would be nice," I said and so we made plans to celebrate my friends' graduation before Jay drove me to school since I have a final exam to do before I was officially down with school.

"Text me when you're done so I can come get you," Jay said when he pulled up to the school and I nodded before unbuckling my seatbelt and opening the door, "and Noah?" I looked over at him, "you'll see them again, especially him."

I blinked and was about to ask what he meant but he was always driving away leaving me standing in front of the school with a confused expression on my face before shaking my head sand walking towards the building and to my final exam.