_cjma Mafia Story

Chapter 6: Fight Club

If you lose, I get your little girlfriend. 

The crowd went silent. A few people probably even stopped breathing. What would CJ say?  You, along with the billion other students, look to him, waiting for a reply.

"Go ahead, she's not my girlfriend." 

The crowd turn their gaze towards you. You hear a few giggles, and your cheeks begin to heat up. You stare at CJ, with hatred in your eyes. Paolo smiles.

"Well then I don't see the need to fig-"

CJ cuts him off. "And even if she was, you'd never get her, because I'm about to whoop your ass back to the US." 

Paolo's eyes widen in... surprise? excitement? Honestly, who knew with that weirdo. 

"Very well, CJ" he says, as he takes off his suit jacket, unbuttoning the top of his shirt. "let's rumble."

With that, they run towards each other, screaming. From the get-go, it was obvious who was going to win. Paolo was taller, more nimble. He darted across the floor like a bee. His jabs were sharp, concise. CJ was sweating, visibly struggling to keep up with the new kid. Despite what he had said earlier, you couldn't help but root for him. Come on, CJ, you can do it. You had a feeling this fight was for more than just you, even though both boys would probably never admit it. As Paolo's punched rained down on CJ, you couldn't help but feel pity. Your rage faded, replaced by worry.

"Alright, stop it!" you suddenly shout. The boys freeze as everyone else turns to look at you. Good job, Y/N. Now you're the centre of attention. You take a deep breath. "This is childish. I'm not just some prize you can win." You turn to Paolo. "If you wanted to talk to me, you could've just said so. CJ isn't my dad, he doesn't control who I see." 

With that, you walk off, leaving the boys, and the crowd, speechless. All the rage from before comes rushing back. Stupid CJ. Stupid Paolo. STUPID BOYS! You feel like punching a wall. Should you punch a wall? Fuck it. You punch the wall and immediately regret it. Your eyes swell with tears as your hand begins to throb from the pain. 

"So you call us childish for fighting, but then go and punch a wall? Sounds pretty hypocritical."

You look up to see Paolo grinning at you. You roll your eyes.

"I'm not in the mood, Paolo. Just leave me alone." 

He ignores you, walking closer. "Let me see your hand. I doubt you've broken anything, but let me check." 

You reluctantly give him your hand. He gently lifts it up, moving your fingers one by one. For an engineer, he has surprisingly soft hands, you think. Finally, he releases your hand.

"You're fine. Might have a few bruises, but you'll be fine. You're a tough one after all." He stops and chuckles. "You know, if you need a way to let out your anger, I can teach you. I've got a punching bag at home. Could teach you some self-defence while we're at it so you can protect yourself too."

You look at him, slightly confused. Is this his way of flirting? "What makes you think I can't already defend myself?" 

His face turns a bright shade of red. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that! Like, I know you're not weak, I-" he stutters. "I just meant like, if you want more training or stuff, you know, I could teach you."

You stare at him for a while, before bursting into giggles. "I'm kidding, Paolo. I probably couldn't even wrestle a cat if I tried. I'd love training, thanks."

He sighs in relief. "Oh great, cause I thought, you know, you were serious and I was totally making a fool of myself..." he continues to ramble on for a good minute before stopping. "so umm, if you're free tonight, I can pick you up? For the training, I mean, not for like a date or anything. Not that, I wouldn't take you out, but you know."