With(out) you ( english)

Chapter 4

" I can't wait to kick that guy's ass. I've been thinking. I punch him in the face and fuck his beauty or one in the middle of his legs and fuck up his shit?"

The day had gone by so fast that I was already suddenly in Adam's car on my way to the ring. Tyler hadn't gotten out of my head since the dorm scene. I couldn't stay focused in class and hardly spoke to anyone.

"What do you think, Kath?" Adam asks me looking at me with his eyebrows frowning." What's going on? You're so thoughtful."

"Nothing, I'm just tired." I'm really bad at lying, so I just turn my head to the car window.

The rest of the way happened in silence from both of them, just with the presence of the music of Arctic Monkeys, my best friend's favorite band.

When we got to the basement where the fight was going to take place, it was already full of people. The bets were already being made, starting to see money passing from hand to hand. Most of the people present were already drunk. Some boys of my age were tired of taking selfies, they started to provoke fights and others messed with the girls.

Further down the basement I saw Tyler, he was dressed with black shorts and no shirt. His chest was full of tattoos, but there was one that called attention. A rose with the petals falling. I'd like to know why.

I also realized that around him there were no girls, in contrast to what had happened to Adam, who as soon as he arrived was immediately invaded. He looked serious and thoughtful, and when he looks up he sees me. We looked at each other for a few seconds, but he turned his eyes away. Something wasn't right.

"Richard, I'm going to Tyler, I'll be right back."

He grabs my arm. "Are you going to Tyler? What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing, I only have one thing to say to him."

I move on and go to Tyler. But I see he's all entertained talking to a girl. I am paralyzed to see that the girl kisses him and I start running towards Richard, but I am stopped by Adam who grabs me.

"Kath, don't you give me good luck?"

I look at my best friend. "Finish him off, Adam. And as for that conversation in the car, I'd hit him up as well as down if I were you.

"That's just how I like to listen to my best friend. See you later." Gives me a kiss on the cheek and goes to the ring.

I look around to find Richard. When I see him I notice that he's crying.

"What happened?" I ask worried.

"Nothing much, just a couple more boys joking because I'm you know what..." Say that with such sadness that it hurts.

Richard was bullied when he was younger, in Santa Monica, so he changed state two years ago. Since then he hasn't been told anything... until today.

"Don't listen to what they say. They would give anything for having a friend like you."

I hug him very strong until the referee warned of the beginning of the fight.

Adam and Tyler are face to face and eyes in the eyes. They both look like murderers and as soon as the referee leaves the ring Adam advances fast to Tyler. He hits him with a punch in the ribs, but then immediately gets one in the face.

I worry when I see Adam's nose bleeding, but he doesn't care.

The third round begins. The tiebreaker time.

Adam is on top of Tyler, beats him with all the strength they have, until Tyler lifts him off him and throws him to the floor. The positions change, now Tyler is on top. Suddenly a group of boys get in front of me. I try to visualize the fight, but it's impossible, so I'm infiltrating until I get to the front. Adam was still being punched. After a while he stayed on the floor, indicating his loss. The crowd starts screaming, the pushing to get to the winner starts and the money passes again from hand to hand. Tyler was the winner... which means that...

When I focus my attention on him I see that he is coming at me. He bends down and puts his head between the ropes that delimit the ring to stay with his face almost glued to mine."Looks like somebody's going out with me tomorrow, Katherine. " It murmurs in my ear, so low that I can hardly hear because of the screams, but they still come to shiver all over my body. He kisses my cheek and gets up to leave. On his way to the room where Adam had already entered, Tyler looks at me for a few seconds and then blinks at me with a big smile. I don't know that boy, but seeing him with that smile makes me smile even more.

...

"Come on, Adam, it's just a fight. The next one you win."

"You say that because you don't understand anything, Kath. It was an important fight, now the campus are all his."

"All of him?"

"Yeah, but forget it, you wouldn't understand."

"Wouldn't I? Do you forget that now I have to go out with him because of your bet? Bet that you didn't even ask for my opinion?"

"Do you really want to discuss it now, Kath?"

I look at him, his arms are full of scratches and his eyes are all black.

"What if I do? It's the truth, Adam, you bet me without asking me anything. How do you think I feel?"

"How do you feel? Girl is just a date, you don't go to bed with him if you don't want to. Now do me a favor and shut up a bit, ok?"

I've never seen Adam like this before. Cold, without love in his eyes, only with the desire to win and violence. He had never told me to shut up. And it won't be now either.

"How? Are you telling me to shut up now? What do you think, Adam? What are you telling me?"

2Maybe, since none of your parents had a hand in you."

I pull the handbrake.

"Are you stupid? Look if I was going at high velocity, do you want to kill us or what the fuck?!"

"Guys, take it easy." For a moment I forgot that Richard was also in the car and when I notice I get even more angry with Adam for talking about my past in front of him. I trust him, but it's still too early to tell him what's still tormenting me.

"You have no right to talk about my parents. YOU DON'T!"

It's the first time I've discussed seriously with him, but it's not my fault, it's his.

Take off your belt and turn to me. Look at me with an angry face and a strong hand on the steering wheel. "Get out."

I must have heard wrong. "What?"

"You heard me. Get out."

He is talking seriously, I know him well enough to know that yes, but I still remain in my place.

"I'M SERIOUS KATHERINE, GET OUT OF MY CAR! NOW!"

I don't know how we even got to the point where he put me out of the car halfway to campus. I pull my stuff out of the back seat to get out.

"Adam, you can't leave it here in the middle of the road. Are you crazy? How does she get to the residence? On foot?2

"I don't care, but you're always comfortable going with her."

Richard is getting ready to leave, but I'll stop him.

"Stay. If I need you, I'll call you and you'll pick me up, okay? Now please stay."

"But Kath... " Notice that I'm serious, so give it up. "Ok... but if you need anything, call me right away, ok?"

I wave at him and got out of the car. As soon as I close the door, Adam takes off.

I look around, I know the way to the residence, and it'll probably take two hours to get there, so I start walking. The streets are dark and the cars passing by are getting shorter and shorter, which indicates that it's quite late. When I pick up my phone I confirm that it's two in the morning. How was he able to leave me halfway there at two in the morning? I don't know him anymore...