The Battle of the Century

The Return

We arrived after seven hours. Everything felt weird. It turns out that everyone came back a day before us.

Dale ran up to us while we were in the back of Uncle John's truck. "It's good you're back. The competition is nearly a month away!"

"Shit." I said. "Let's get to practice."

"Naw." He shook his head. "Go home. Your old man's worried sick."

Wes and I headed home with Uncle John and Great Uncle Lester.

We went to the house and noticed Sharon with her car loaded full of bags and suitcases.

She passed by us on our way to the door.

"I hope you two little shits are happy." She hissed. "I'm not allowed to stay here anymore."

"Good to hear that, venomous aunt of mine." Wes barked.

"You're worthless, Wesley. Just like everyone else here."

"Get outta here, Sharon." Lester growled. "Leaving these boys to fend for themselves, in this place especially, is just wrong."

We went inside where Denise and Fred were waiting with Dad.

"Thank God you're okay." Denise came up to me and hugged me tight.

"I thought you were dead." Fred gave Wes a noogie. "Don't scare us like that ever again."

We sat down at the dining room table. Dad explained to us that Sharon was leaving and Anthony was now emancipated.

That meant Anthony Northrop-Davidson was free to roam. Terror would rain down upon my friends.

The days seemed to go by faster and faster. The Battle of the Century, as I called it, was coming up. It was in April and we were at the end of February now. It had been almost two months since Wes and I returned home. Denise and I had been doing nothing but practicing. But Ronaldson and his goons grew restless.

I was alone one day and I got jumped out of nowhere. Don and Marshall held me down. I reached for my pocket knife but just couldn't find it.

"Looking for this?" Jerry pressed my pocket knife up to my cheek. He cut me from the center of my cheek down to my jaw.

"You little bitch!" I screamed in pain.

I kicked and kicked and ended up hitting Brian a couple of times. Jerry put the knife up to my neck in response. Then Don and Marshall started repeatedly hitting me in the stomach.

"Garriss, Raigners, and Ronaldson!" It was the angry voice of Mr. Davis. "Don't think I don't see you hazing that boy!" Mr. Davis started barging toward the scene of the crime as my attackers took off.

Mr. Davis helped me up and escorted me to the nurse.

"What did they want now?" He asked.

"To hurt me more." I answered. "I have no clue what their problem is."

"I know what it is. I was like you once, Tom."

Soon enough, we were at the nurse's office and Nurse Lynnette was in my face with the peroxide and bandages.

"I told you to be careful the last time, Tommy." She said. "We're gonna have to give you safety gear or something."

The next beating was worse. Jerry, Brian, the Raigners, and even more of their people showed up. They immediately went after Wes. Wes was pinned down and being beaten while I was being held back by Jerry's older brother, Richard. Richard Garriss was nineteen, stood about 6'5, and was rumored to be able to hold a grizzly bear down. Don pulled a billy club out of his car and started beating me with it while I heard Wes screaming for help. I blacked out eventually.