Cuts and Bruises (ON HOLD)

Chapter Five: Underdog

Somehow by the middle of the fight a crowd started to gather. I guess people liked watching Blaze fight. I recognized some people from school. I wondered how many other people knew about this place. There must not be that many. Ive never seen it advertised or heard about people coming. Then again, Ive never been around people like Blaze. 

It is true though, what he said. They were about the same strength. That must be terrible for Cole. Blaze was like David and Cole was Goliath. You wouldn't think Blaze could beat him but he was really close. 

Blaze finally landed a hard punch on Cole's left cheek and he went down. Blaze held his gloves up, smiling. It was the happiest Ive ever seen him. Most of the crowd cheered with me. I guess most people were rooting for him. He was the underdog for once in his life. He held his hand down to help up Cole, who was laughing. They hugged with one arm and jumped out of the ring. Blaze ran over to me, sweating still. 

"I told you Id beat him!" He said happily. He hugged me tight. We stood like that for a second, my arms trapped by my sides and his around me. Then, he picked me up, twirling and laughing. He finally fell down on one of the mats. I fell down on top of him and quickly rolled off, still laughing. I noticed most people had already left so I lie beside him for a little while. We were both on our backs. I didn't think we'd ever stop laughing. I'm not even quite sure what was funny, but whatever it was, it was hilarious. 

Blaze finally sat up on one arm. He looked at me, still chuckling a bit. "You wanna go to my house?" He asked. I smiled, nodding my head instantly. I didn't want to go home. "Great." He got up and pulled me up with him. He pulled me up hard and knocked us both off balance so I fell into him again. Cole was still here and steadied us before we fell. I smiled and told him thank you.  

We walked back to Blaze's car, hand in hand. I don't why he did that so much. I liked it nevertheless. Id never enjoyed holding hands or hugging or anything that involved touching but somehow it was different with Blaze. He just made me feel right. When I first met him and thought he was just a typical jock I was shy. But now... Its different. I know that hes different. He made me different. 

He opened the passenger door, letting me in like he did every time. "I have two arms you know? I can open my own door." I gave him a little smile to let him know I was joking. "Maybe. Girls..."  

"Hey, what about us?" 

"If I don't open your door, Im rude and not a gentleman. If I do open your door, I'm rude because of feminist reasons. I just cant win with you." 

We both laugh as he turns in the radio again. "I love your music taste," I say. "Thanks. Ill pick a good song for you." He smiles back at me and I smile back.  

A real smile. I cant remember the last time I genuinely smiled without forcing myself. Ive been smiling a lot lately around Blaze. He gave me this weird feeling of belonging. We were so different. Id never felt this... connected though. I don't know how I feel. I don't like him. Hes a jock, he could never like me. He goes to parties and I could never set foot in one with more than four people. He has tons of friends and I have four. Everybody knows him and nobody knows me. Hes had tons of pretty girlfriends and I can barely get a boyfriend I actually like. How does he make me feel like this? 

"Ok, here you go." He turns the music up and I stop thinking and listen. It sounds like You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift at first but I knew he wouldn't listen to that music. A few seconds in the beat changes and it turns to screamo. I recognize it right away and smile. Its the Punk Goes Pop cover by For All Those Sleeping. "I love this song!" I say, tapping my feet along to the beat. "I figured you would." He smiled and held his hand out. I took it unconsciously. This had somehow become a regular thing, us holding hands. 

I sang along to For All Those Sleeping. Blaze sang too, not enough to be heard much. We both had the same favorite part. You could tell because both our voices got louder as we sang.

"You say you're fine, I know you better than that 

Hey whatcha' doing with a dick like that? 

He wears Tom's, and I wear sneakers 

Hes banging your friend underneath the bleachers."

We both laughed as that part ended and Blaze pulled into his driveway. No other cars were here so I figured his parents weren't home. "Would your parents be okay with me here while they aren't?" He smiled and laughed softly. "My parents probably wouldn't care if I brought a prostitute here while they were downstairs." I laughed but suddenly realized something. 

I had no idea how Blaze felt about anything. I never mentioned how he felt about my cuts. I never asked how his home life was. I never asked how he was period. How could I have been so insensitive? I always cared about how people felt and wanted to talk about them instead of myself. Why was Blaze different? I think it was because he cared so much about me. 

"So Blaze, since there are finally no interruptions, how about we talk about you for once?" I said, feeling guilty. "Well, what would you like to know?" He asks, taking my hand and leading me inside and upstairs. "Anything. Everything. How's your life, how do you feel," I stuttered and started again, "how do you feel... about... me?" 

We were standing outside his door. He turned around, suddenly hugging me. He took out his keys seconds later when he let me go and unlocked his door. We sat down on his bed. I sat down Indian style and he stretched his legs out with his feet on either side of my hips.  

"Well for your first question, and Im only telling you this because I trust you, my life kind of sucks. You know the bruises I have all over?" I nodded.  

"Well not all of them are from fights... my dad gets drunk a lot and beats me. I don't care anymore. It doesn't hurt. Im too used to it." I look down, not wanting to see his eyes sad. Id thought about that before but I never really thought it was true. He takes my chin in his first two fingers, pulling it up so I have to look at him. "Chin up, beautiful. Its not your fault." I nod slightly. I didn't want to cry but I felt the sting of rising tears. I blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. 

"And you... I think you're asking how I feel about your cuts. I don't like them. I don't like seeing a great girl like you suffer. I don't like knowing you feel the only way to let out your pain is to harm yourself. I go to the gym. I fight." I knew this would happen. He'd find out I cut and hate me. "But I don't hate you," he said. My head shot up. "You don't?" I asked. "Never! I... I actually, kind of, um, really, l-like you. A lot." I smile, the biggest smile I ever had in the past three years. "Oh wow. I like you a lot too."

He smiles, almost a smirk.

"Alex Fain, will you be my girlfriend?"