Behind The Hoodie

Chapter 51: Next Level

I park my bike and everything before going inside and changing. I dress in boy's basketball shorts and my same black t-shirt under my school hoodie and quickly grab the other hoodie and wrap my hands.

I head out the door and stick my hands in my pocket as the cold air whips around me. Even through my hoodie, I am cold. I almost wish I wore long sleeves but I know that when I start fighting, wearing long sleeves would be a mistake.

I quickly make my way there and around the back, putting on the other hoodie Mason had got for me and hiding the other one.

"There she is." Mason's voice says from behind me.

I turn to them and walk over with a smile.

"What are you so happy about?" Alan says.

I shrug my shoulders.

"You know who your fighting yet? No one has said a word about it yet." A says.

I shake my head 'no'. It's usually whoever is ahead of me but Liam said something was gonna start changing so I have no clue.

We make our way around the corner and cheering booms as the guy in the middle has to forfeit from two swollen shut eyes. Sad way to go but it's pretty common. I walk over to Liam as him and the other coach talk. The guys go watch the fight while I stand a bit away from them so that I can't eavesdrop.

"Oh, Tori. Come over here." Liam quickly signals to me.

I walk over.

"This is Richard, the other coach. We were talking and he has his own gym for his fighters and the majority of his fighters are on top, so we were wanting to make a trade."

My smile drops. I have known Liam since I was thirteen and started fighting actual people. It was a slow climb to the top but with me knowing the basics of fighting, he taught me everything else I know about street fighting. I can't just be swapped for another fighter, can I?

"River, the number one fighter here plus ten thousand is what he's trading for you," Liam says.

I don't side with cheaters, sorry. I will fight on my own if that's the case, I never signed a contract.

"You will be fighting my top fighter, River,  you win and you stay with Liam, loose and I will get you there," Richard says.

I look between them.

"River!" Richard calls out.

I look over and a dark-skinned bald guy in tattoos walks over.

"River, this is Tori, the one without a single loss."

"Nice to meet you, Tori." He says shaking my hand.

His voice is extremely deep and hollow enough to scare me a bit.

"Not one for words?" He says looking at me, puzzled.

"Tori is mute, she doesn't talk," Liam says.

"Just out of curiosity, how old are you? You seem pretty young to be fighting." He says.

"She hasn't even told me, said she didn't want others to think less of her because of her age," Liam responds.

"I can respect that. Anyone who has the courage to fight me and not look phased has my respect. Pretty sure your the first one to do that," River responds.

I smile at him.

"Liam, I gotta ask, how did you come up with her fighting style, it is quite different from the others," Richard says looking to Liam.