Keep fighting

chapter 4

I step through the ropes and rolls my shoulders to release the tension. My hood is already up, blocking most of my face as I stick to the shadows of the arena. I head to my respectable corner and wait for my opponent who just stepped through the rope to do the same. He is a shorter guy and like the rest is already living in the spotlight. He jumps to the center of the stage and starts doing jumping jacks and pushups to get the crowd more pumped with every movement. After his show he moves over into his corner and takes off his shirt further flaunting his muscles and finally noticing my presence.

"What is this a fucking joke?!" he bellowed at his manager. I take this opportunity to step further into the arena and take down my hood. he starts shaking with laughter at this and yells to no one in particular, "And a girl no less, wow guys this is really nice of you to get me a whore but you didn't have to go through with all this trouble to make her look like a fighter. Wow you even got the wraps on her knuckles to look pretty good too."

I don't respond and only look over to the timer on the wall showing we have 14 minutes left to fight and as the time keeps counting down I spring at my opponent. I caught him by surprise but his reflexes were still very good causing him to spring his fist at my back attempting to knock me onto my stomach.

I duck his fist and move to his back in one movement using my small body to my advantage to his bigger size. He spins to face me again but he is too slow and I wrap one foot around his ankle and launch the rest of my body at his back, slamming my knee into the back of his leg, dropping us both to the ground.

I get up and immediately go to attack again but he takes up a defensive motion while picking himself off the ground while defending himself. As he stands I can see the discomfort my previous blow had caused him, he keeps the injured leg behind him in an attempt to shield it from my repeated hits.

I formulate a plan in my head as he begins to fight back, throwing punch after punch at my face and torso but leaving his legs unguarded in the dire attempt to find a weakness in me. He throws a left jab but swinging up at the last second colliding his fist with my shoulder. I duck and parry the next few blows and catch one of his wrists when he threw a wildcard punch that was unguarded. I twist his arm around my back causing us to be back to back, but leaving my dominate leg right next to his injured one.

I raised my foot and slammed it into the side of his weakened knee. He falls with a thud and a loud scream of pure unbridled pain and agony. The crowds' screams and cheers fall into a steady rhythm in the back of my mind and men with a stretcher rush onto stage to take him out for medical care.

I go back to the locker room to change back into my other clothing, leaving the crowd and my manager in the dust. I change quickly and exit the stairs with Scott yelling for me in the background. He finally catches up to me and grabs my shoulder making my wince in pain at the one blow the guy did land.

"You did great out there kid, what's the big rush?"

"Nothing I have a family at home that I need to get back to." I said looking down at my feet as I shuffle in place.

"Ash, you and I both know they aint much of a family. This arena is more of a family to you then your parents." He gave me a pointed look.

"Don't you ever fucking say jack shit about them" I snarled back at him jabbing my finger into his chest. He put his hands up in a mock surrender with a sadistic smile on his face. I realized what he was attempting to do, get me beyond furious by bringing my family into it. Him getting me angry is like his form of entertainment.

I began to walk away toward my bike. I'm still too young to drive and I don't have a car to drive other than my parents. He yells after me, "Oh come on you know I was just pulling your leg. You forgot your pay too."

I stalked back and grabbed the wad of cash from his hand, "And your next fight is next Thursday night at 8." I got on my bike and began to pedal off the long distance home, I waited till I was a safe distance for Scott before yelling, "Hey Scott? You can forget about that fight. I quit." I continued to petal home with a smirk on my face as I hear his outrage and yelling at me that, "You can't do this to me, after all I've done for you, you should be thanking me!"

I ignore his words, already expecting the many phone calls from him by the time I get home.