Into The Ring (Phenomenal: 2)

13 ~ I'll Be There

"Oh my gosh! CLASSY!! Look at this!"

Saturday morning, Adam launched onto Clarissa's bed like a Rottweiler doing a belly flop and almost bounced her straight out of it.

"What the hell, Adam?" she snarled, glaring at her phone with blurry vision to see it wasn't even eight.

"You have GOT to see this!" Adam squealed.

"I don't caaaare," she moaned, trying to tug her covers back into place, over her head.

"You sure? Because Damien looks sexy as hell."

Clarissa was still for a moment, then curled the covers back a fraction and peered over them, glaring at him.

Adam held up a sports magazine.

Damien's photo gazed back at them from the front cover, dressed in his full boxing gear, gloved-hands raised for the fight, his sharp eyes like lightning, light and shadows perfectly highlighting all his muscles.

Clarissa sat up. "When did this come out?" she asked, taking the magazine.

"Today, I got it downstairs when I was grabbing milk. The whole complex is going to see it," Adam cackled.

"What the hell are you two hollering about so early in the morning?" came a groan from the doorway and Charlotte appeared, looking annoyed and half asleep as she glared at her boyfriend and best friend swooning over some magazine in bed and making an utter racket in the process.

"Look! Our star is back in action!" Adam said, taking the magazine and turning it so she could see the front cover.

Charlotte frowned at it, coming over and climbing onto the bed, dropping down on the other side of Clarissa and reading the subtitle on the cover.

'RETURN OF THE KING?'

"Ooh someone is looking in top form," she said, grinning as she flicked to the article and perusing the photos of Damien at the gym in training, looking like he'd never lost a fight as the sandbag he hit was photographed in mid-flight, knocked backwards by the force of his fist.

"Yeah but whether he keeps that top form in his next fight is another matter," Adam said.

"Oh don't be so negative," Charlotte chided, "I think this type of focus is best for him. Your mum is handling all the PR stuff for him now, right?"

"Right," Clarissa said as she read the article.

"She'll whip him into shape in no time then," Adam grinned.

"I figured you'd be in here, how does someone get side-tracked buying milk?" Jason snapped, appearing in the doorway, "I need coffee, dude."

"This is more important than coffee," Adam said as Charlotte waved for him to join them.

Jason groaned and kicked off his slippers, squeezing in between the wall and Charlotte and looking over her head at the magazine.

"Oh, we're getting all excited about Hot Shot next door, that explains it," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Hot Shot is a big deal," Adam said defensively.

"I know he is. Hot Shot is also probably lounging in his living room, sipping a hot shot of coffee," Jason said.

"Your milk is on the kitchen counter, Grouch," Adam sneered.

Jason wriggled free and raced into the kitchen. Several minutes later he came back with cups of tea and coffee, handing everyone their allotted drink, slotted himself back into place and was, only then, perfectly contented to ooh and ahh over their local celeb.