The Way Back To You

Chapter 19

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A L E X

My mind is numb, I can't feel my toes, and my hands are cold. Goosebumps rise over my skin and I shiver against the cold emanating from the vents in the locker room. 

A paper is tacked to the wall in front of me, depicting my opponent and myself, locked head to head in battle. I survey my own features in the harsh, cartoonish reality the illustrator drew me in. As I stare at my over-large head and small hands I can't help but think,

Damn. They got my nose wrong. They always do that!

Maybe I should file a complaint. I mean seriously, my nose is not that hooked!

Or is it?

I slip a hand out of my boxing gloves to feel my own face, grimacing against my fingers. Yeah, definitely not that hooked.

I chuckle under my breath at my own stupidity. Maybe it's dumb to be so concerned over the shape of my nose when I'm about to go into battle, as the flyer so eloquently puts it. Coach Lawrence had promised me no more matches for the remainder of this week. I was still resting off my black eye from the last match, which I could have lost had that uppercut not saved me.

However, this is Coach Lawrence we're talking about. This is my Dad. The one who dragged me away from the rest of my family and forced me to be one of his fighters, with the threat that if I quit, I would be forbidden to send them money. Money that they so desperately need...All to satiate him and his stupid wrestling ring gang obsession.

When this all finishes, I'm moving back to Indiana and leaving him behind. Let's see how he fares without his number one fighter...Then he'll know...

A locker crashes next to my ear and I jump. One of my team members pulls out a mouth guard and turns to looks at me, his eyes narrowed.

"What chu doing? Sitting here on your ass like dat? You're in the dug-out."

I snap out of my stupor, grabbing my glove and pulling it on. I'm the fourth to fight. If I don't get up there in time, I forfeit. Dad-I mean-Coach Lawrence would be furious if that ever happened. 

I jump to my feet and tie the strings on my boxers.

"Thanks, Joe. I'm on it."

I reach into my own locker and shove a guard into my mouth, adjusting the grooves over my teeth. As I turn around, my body slams into another and I stumble back in alarm.

Coach Lawrence stands over me. He nods over to Joe, signaling him to leave the locker room.

"I just need a word with Alex here. Alone."

Joe nods and throws a towel over his shoulder. "Gotcha Coach. I'ma waiting in the van."

We wait for a minute or so for Joe to leave, and as the door shuts closed behind him, there is complete silence for a good ten seconds.

"You're in the third tier now, boy."

My muscles tense and I look up at him. He doesn't scare me like he used to. 

My eyes meet his electric-like green ones. The ones that look so different from mine...

I lied. He terrifies me.