The Mute Fighter | 3

001

001 - Moving to Jacksonville

Screams, cries and cheers filled my ears as the ringing tinnitus worked through my ears, my blurred vision slowly began to clear up, I felt pain. Everywhere. My bones screamed at me, my head was about to explode. I was losing.

Somehow, during the dizzy haze, I stood up, ending the count down instantly. People cheered louder, their screams and war cries fueled my rage. I snapped back to reality and saw my enemy in front of me, looking as pissed as ever when I had once again stood up. This had been going on for an hour.

We beat each other to shit and sent the other face first into the ground, though the other kept standing up. "Come on!" Daniella screamed at me, blood ran out of her mouth as she hit her chest to fuel my anger.

I didn't let her get to me, I tricked her into thinking I was going after her injured shoulder, but when I charged at her, I changed tactics and kicked her bad knee away from underneath her, she screamed in pain as she crashed into the mat.

I leaned my hands onto my knees as I caught my breath, my organs were screaming at me to stop, to yield. But I couldn't.

"Nick! Come on, you can do it!" His voice made me straighten my back, but as I did, Daniella's body crashed into mine, sending me onto my back on the ground. I grunted out in pain as shocks shivered up and down my spine.

Daniella didn't waste a second, her fist flew into my face on repeat. I heard my jaw crack as she continued, she straddled me as her rage burst out on me.

She didn't stop, I tried to block her hits, but to no use. I was too weak, too tired. I blacked out as blood filled my vision, my eyes closed and I heard him shout for the judges to pull her off of me. But even then, the judges fought to get Daniella off of me.

She was eager, she was determined.

My eyes closed and my mind was put at ease once the darkness engulfed me, welcoming me.

When I woke up, I was in the hospital, in the ICU. I felt like death was breathing into my face. Ready to take me if I allowed him–but I didn't.

I heard voices around me and slowly I recognized my parents, both crying and trying to touch me, to comfort me, but the doctor and the nurses had to clear me first.

I was in hell. I had lost. I was out of the Underground fighting tournaments. I was done.

Three months later..

Moving to Jacksonville had to be the worst thing I had ever been forced to do. There was nothing for me in our old city. West County was over for me.

I was starting over– I hadn't touched a glove for three months. I was done fighting, I had found a liking to martial arts. As part of my rehabilitation when I was discharged from the hospital, I had to work my strength back up.

I had broken my jaw, which had resulted in me losing way too much weight and muscles in those three months. I was slowly rebuilding my muscles with martial arts and the gym and I thrived.

Besides the broken jaw, I had gotten a concussion so bad that the doctors weren't sure if I had developed brain damage or amnesia, which they warned me–could be what I would end up with if I continued boxing. 

Hint; the reason for us moving.

I had also broken two ribs. It was safe to say that Daniella had something to prove that night, not only did she hate me, but her future had depended on it, as well as mine had.

I didn't miss fighting, I really didn't. I knew I wasn't cut out for it, I was done. No matter what he said or tried. I wasn't going back any time soon.

"Honey? Are you okay?" My mother Erin called out, she looked back at me from the passenger seat and I just stared at her.

I didn't want to move, I hated moving. We had moved often because of my older brother, I didn't want to be the reason as well. I didn't want to turn into him.

I sighed and sent my mother a short nod, Frank, my father glanced at me in the rearview mirror. He sent me a sad look and focused on driving.

My mother continued chattering about the car they had bought for me, but it wasn't coming till next month. My brother had gotten it through some of his friends, apparently some racing gang thing, I didn't know and I didn't care.

I just needed to get to school for the rest of the year and then graduate, I was looking forward to it, I wanted to start my life fresh. I was excited for college as it was the only thing left for me to do. I had ruined my other chances.

We arrived at our new house, our newest home. I hated it already, the colors weren't as welcoming as our last home. This house was cement gray, windows and doors were black, it was darker and not home-y at all.

Luckily the moving company had already set everything up in the house before we arrived, so my bed was in my new room and my clothes as well, I didn't want to bother unpacking.

I headed up the stairs and found my room instantly, I grabbed my gym bag and headed back downstairs. "I'm gonna explore the city, find a gym and all that" I told my parents, both smiled at me, but I knew they were worried.

"Okay, be safe. Take the car and call us if you need anything, okay?" My mom said, I nodded my head and let her kiss my temple, before I headed out.

Jacksonville sucked, I told you. But–just around the corner of our street, there was a gym, less than a ten minute walk, it was perfect.

Or, it looked like shit and like it was about to fall apart from the outside, but that's usually how the best gym's look, it's the insides that blow you away.

I parked the Mercedes my parents owned and got out of the car. I headed straight towards the entrance of the gym.

A girl was at the reception, she glanced up at me as I walked in, her jaw dropped a little, as if I was obviously in the wrong place. "Hi, the yoga shit is housed down the road" She said and shot me a toothy smile. "Oh–I actually want to join this gym," I said and laughed a little.

She eyed me and then my bag and hummed. "Really? Alright, let's get you signed up, I see you're all ready to go" She said. I read the simple paper nametag and noted that her name was Francesca.

I gave her my name, my payment method and birthday date and whatever not, then she handed me a card that I would have to use to get into the gym when the staff isn't there, which was at night.

"You're new aren't you?" Francesca asked after showing me the practical things. "Yeah, I moved here–thirty minutes ago" I said as I glanced at my watch.

"Damn, you're devoted, huh? We got lots of those here in Jacksonville, all kinds of gym freaks" Francesca said and flipped her jet black hair over her shoulder.

"Fran! Fix my card, it's not working" A guy suddenly shouted after the girl, startling both of us. A group of four guys walked in, they were about my age, yet they were muscular built.

"Fuck off, North. Pay your fucking bills and your card will magically work again" Francesca shouted back at the guy. He had dirty blonde hair, and a guy next to him laughed, but he had brunette hair, I think they were twins, they looked so much alike that if they didn't have different hair colors, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

"Friend of yours?" I asked her as I tied my shoelaces. "More like frenemy" Francesca muttered under her breath and shot the guy a death glare.