Red Thorns 💯💯🔊🔊🗣️🗣️‼️‼️

number five

It was Asmodeus.
I watched him as he got called into the ring.

I couldn't believe it. The guy that I had been doing all of this for is my opponent?? Oh my goodness.
I just watched him, walking toward me, smirking.
What the actual heck. 🙁

Once he finally entered the ring, he just stood there in front of me and said,
"Hey, bro."
No way. No way he just said that, looking at me dead in the eyes with that SSTUUPID SMIIRK. I'M GOING TO LOSE. OHHHH MY GOODNESS. I'M GOING TO LOSE IN FRONT OF AN ENTIRE AUDIENCE. I'M NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO LIVE THIS DOWN. HE IS GOING TO BEAT ME UP AND ITS GOING TO BE SO. SO. EMBARRASSING,' I thought too myself.
I'm still standing there. At this point, I'm already sweating from nervousness, unable to utter a word.

The announcer walked into the ring and says this, "I heard that you two are pretty close, huh?"

"Uh.. no. No, not really," I say, my voice cracking.

The moment I say that, Az stops smirking at me and gets all serious.

Just before the match starts, he announcer asks me, "Ok, last chance to quit. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

No. I'm not sure at all.

"Uh huh," I respond.

The little bell you hear that indicates a wrestling match is starting rings. Like the one that goes, 'ding ding ding!!' Whatever. The point is that the wrestling match started, and Az immediately went in to tackle me.
I manage to hold up against his attempt.

(I don't know how to write fight scenes but it was very steamy and very painful [for me], if you must know.)

Long story short, he has me pinned down,

1, 2, 3, and... he's declared the winner..!

"The reigning champ of the Demon Wrestling Federation, Asmodeus, the undefeated, still holds his title! Too bad, so sad, 'Icebreaker'!"

Shut up. ☹️

We get called out the ring and I go backstage to change into my regular clothes. There goes my chance of 'having something in common' with him.

'That was so embarrassing. I just lost MISERABLY in front of an ENTIRE CROWD of people,' I think to myself.

I walk out of the wrestling arena with my bag, a bit saddened. By that time, it's already about 8 pm.

Once I'm out of there, I can see Az walk out the arena and start to catch up to me. Great. He's just gonna rub in the fact that he won, like the perfect guy he is.

"You did great out there, bro! Sorry you didn't make the league. Would you wanna go out for dinner.. as a little reward for trying out, at least?..." he says as he wraps an arm around my shoulder. (Also, YES, we're the same height, just for you to visualize.)

"Sure," I say.

"Glad to hear it. There's this super fancy restaurant nearby I think you'd love."

I fall silent.

He looks at me and asks, "Hey, Kaleb, why'd you ever decide try out for the wrestling league, anyway? I thought you said it wasn't your thing."

"It really isn't. I just... wanted to try something new?" I say, lying through my teeth.

"We're almost there, by the way," he updates.

"Cool... Well, uh, thanks. For everything," I say to him.

"It's no problem," he says to me as we reach the restaurant.

The restaurant is full of people, and it's so elegant. I can hear... smooth jazz?