Fighting For My Love

Chapter 2

The week drags on so damn slowly. Having Liam in so many of my classes is testing my strength to not full out stare and drool. Finally Friday rolls around and the final class bell rings for the day. Now it's time to go home, make dinner for myself, Hunter, Louis and Layland before the match before we leave to be at the match to warm up before my fight and wander around to watch some of the matches before and after mine.

The nervous energy is starting to kick in as I'm standing at the stove cooking as I bounce around warming my legs up a little. "Dude calm down, you're going to be fine, you're going to do fine," Louis says as he enters the kitchen from the bathroom.

Chuckeling I finsh dinner and I turn off the burners. "Dinner!" I holler just before everyone enters the kitchen to grab a plate and serve themselves food.

Half an hour later the dishes are in the dishwasher. Before we leave for the night, I leave dad a note letting him know that I'm staying the night at Hunter's and Layland is staying the night at Clark's before I grab my gym bag that has my gloves, fighting clothes, pajamas and clean clothes for tomorrow. Climbing into my car Hunter sits in the passenger seat as Layland and Louis sit in the back. Fifteen minutes later were at the gym where the fights are held. Getting in through the back door and past the bouncer we head to the locker room so I can change before Hunter and I head to the weight room for me to warm up as Louis and Layland wander and then find seats where Hunter will join them once my fight starts.

An hour later of warm ups it's time for me to watch a couple of the fights before mine and I sit with everyone including Layland's friends who are with them. Ten minutes before my fight I go in the back where the fighters are supposed to be so they can be announced when it's time for thier fight. Hunter is back there with me calming me down before the match.

The announcer announces my fight against my opponet and I walk out when my name is called with Hunter beside me and I enter the ring. A few minutes later the match starts. We're supposed to have five-five minute rounds. We didn't last three full rounds before I knocked him out in the first two minutes of the third round. Yes, I won but I didn't walk away without my share of cuts on my face. As I was leaving the octogon, I noticed two things, well two people as I was leaving the cage. The first person I saw was Liam which surprsised the hell out of me. I never pegged him as someone who would come to an MMA fight. The second person I saw was my father. Well shit this isn't going to end well. I've never told my father I fought or how I was getting money to put aside for vehicles and college. I just told him I had a job.

Well shit, I think this whole situation is going to blow up in my face. I notice out of the corner of my eye Liam staring intently at me as my father and I have a staring contest as to who will break first. I broke first and started toward my dad with Hunter who was going to clean my cuts tonight instead of Layland.

Dad and I did not say a word to each other as he follows Hunter and I to the locker room. I can feel the tension in the air, it's so thick I believe I can cut it with a knife. Once we were at the locker I use for my clothes, gym bag and first aid supplies I open the door to pull out the first aid box and silently hand it to Hunter who gives me a concerned look. Dad is being too quiet and calm. Hunter riffles through the first aid box looking for the disinfecting wipes, ointment and bandaids, once he find these items he sets the closed box down setting all three items down on the top. Opening the disinfectint wipes he starts off by wiping the few cuts on my face.

Before Hunter can apply the antibodoic ointment, dad takes it from him and positions himself in front of me. I see his face scanning my face for more just than the cuts and the guilt I feel grows even bigger. "Mind telling me a few things?" dad asks as he applys the ointment. I nod slightly before he continues. "How long have you been doing this? Why did you not tell me about this? Why lie to me about this, did you not think I would support you? Lastly what did you do to get Layland to keep his mouth shut?"

Keeping my sigh to myself I answer my dad honestly. "I've been doing this since about three months after we moved here. I didn't tell you because I figured this was a great way to get money to buy myself a car and insurance and the same for Layland when he's old enough so you don't have to stress about it. You work hard and I don't want to add more worry to you with something like this."

Taking a deep breath I look at my dad as I honestly finish telling him. "I know you don't like when I do MMA, I'm sorry I lied to you, I didn't and don't want you to be dissapointed in me. This helps me deal with mom's death. I give Layland ten percent of my winnings from the night regardless if I win or not."

Dad sighs as he looks at me, studing my face to see if I'm being honest or not. He sighs deeply again before continuing. "I'm understand this and especially with a way to deal with your mom's death. I wish you would have just told me, I wouldn't have been mad and I would have come to your matches when I wasn't working. You can still fight, no more lying to me about it though or anything else for that matter." Dad's stare turns even more intense causingn me to shift on my feet. "Let me worry about money though, okay?" I nod and he continues, "You're grounded for two weeks for lying to me instead of a month since I'm damned impressed with how well you did tonight."

I can't help but grin at my dad at that he isn't forbidding me from fighting and my punishment for lying to him for a year is a two week grounding? Hell yeah, best dad ever! "Really? I'll take it, wait, does this mean I can't fight the next two weeks?"

Dad grins at me. "No but I expect you to donate half your winnings the next two weeks to the Christmas for Kids program that the police department will be running here in about two months." I nod in understanding, I can't argue with that, it's for a good cause and it's a mild punishment.

Wandering back out to the table where the rest of our group is waiting, I see Layland's eyes bug out of his head. Clapping him on the shoulders I tell my little brother not to worry that he still gets his cut and I'm the only one with the punishment. He was relived when I told him my punishment and that I'm still allowed to fight. Sitting down I feel eyes on me so I look around the crowded room to see Liam staring at me in surprise. Smirking at him I turn back to the conversation at my table to see Hunter smirking his damn smirk at me, causing me to flip him off.

The rest of the evening I can feel Liam staring at me but he never came over and I didn't wander over to him despite Hunter's oh so subtle hints. By the time the night was done and the fighters collected our winnings it was close to midnight. Stopping beside my car I ask my dad, "Can I still spend the night at Hunter's?" Dad nods and tells me to be home no later than one tomorrow afternoon and I acknowledge him before Hunter, Louis and I leave. Since I don't have to drop off Layland, he's catching a ride with his buddies we take off once I know Layland and his friends and dad were out of the parking lot safely.