Fighting talk // n.h.

5. First Fights

As soon as I got home, I sent Nick a text telling him I had left because I didn't feel well. To be truthful, it wasn't exactly a lie. My head was in fact spinning from drinking too much. I tried my best to make my way up the stairs to get to my room; tripping up over one step at the top. Stripping off my clothes, I crawled into my bed. With hopes of sleeping off the alcohol ready to take Nick home the next day.

The next morning, Nick was rushing around trying to get ready to leave within the next hour. Meanwhile, I stayed lying down, observing him silently. Knowing full well that if I tried to talk my head would split from a brewing hangover.

Nick told me he had come home as soon as he got my text. The minute my head hit my pillow last night, I was fast asleep so I had no idea if that was true or not. But I trusted Nick, I believed what he told me. After dragging myself around the house to get ready, the two of us left the building to get to the train station.

My hangover wasn't too bad meaning I was able to enjoy the last few moments with Nick before he made his way back to his life in Oxford. We sat on a bench at his platform cuddled together; his arm carefully resting around my shoulders. When his train arrived, I kissed him farewell and stayed glued to my spot until the train left my sight. Feeling the usual put-off loneliness pull at me. I took a taxi back home and went straight back to bed, the odd tear escaping onto my pillow.

XXX

Hectic was the only adjective I could think of to describe the commencing week. It was so busy that I had to miss my lectures at Uni. Somehow, I was made to squeeze in five check ups for each boxer ready for their fights and write five reports on the out comes. We had three other fighters in the league bellow Harry and Niall. They were sort of ghosts around the gym. If I'm honest, I struggle to remember their names from time to time. They were always on mute around me anyway.

Lou had been on hand all week, helping me get organised with my reports. There seemed to be nothing wrong with anyone, the only doubt I had was Niall's knee but Lou insisted it was fine. Telling me that it hadn't played up in any training. To his wishes, I didn't include it in my report, putting my faith in Louis' confidence. Hoping to God that this wouldn't backfire.

A tense atmosphere had fallen across the top floor this week. Everyone isolating themselves into their own mind to intensely train for their first match. Rob was helping out more, pushing people when needed. We desperately needed good results this season in order to keep the gym going. Not only that but we needed to rebuild our reputation.

Back in the day, Rob was a national champion. Undefeated for four years I think it was. He started Zeus Fitness after he retired and he had hopefuls applying to join left, right and centre. I did my work experience here in my last year of sixth form. Rob didn't think twice about accepting my offer, saying my grades and work ethic showed I had promise. The fact that my brother knew him helped as well.

At the time, I wanted to be a physiotherapist but I never considered boxing as my field of work. The current physio there trained me up and showed me the ropes over the two weeks I spent at Zeus. Once it was over, I had fallen in love with the job and Rob offered me a permanent place on the team. Still in training of course, my position was to be an assistant physio of some sort. I was taken to the occasional match but I was never allowed to be at ropes helping. Not until I furthered my qualifications.

When I got my A level results, it gave me a huge leverage in my work. I had got two A*s and an A under my belt meaning I was becoming one of the most qualified therapists in the field. However, this didn't settle well with a few people. Especially the chief physio. He ended up leaving during my first year in University and took all our best fighters with him. Apparently, he had been offered better pay at a more proclaimed gym across the country and told the boxers that they should go along with him to further their careers.