Gonna Fly Now

Chapter Fifty-Nine - The Final Countdown

It was November, two months into the new school year and Bonnie was starting a new one. That always made it harder as the new kid. Everyone had made their friends and the classes had started, the teachers had gotten to know the students. Then a new one popped up and it was like starting over again.

Bonnie held onto Letty's hand tight while they walked inside the school. A female teacher met them in the hallway.

- Hello, you must be Bonnie. I'm Miss Hastings.

She held out her hand and Bonnie shook it without saying a word.

- Stay here, okay? I'm just gonna talk to Miss Hastings.

Bonnie reductively left go of Letty's hand as she and Miss Hastings walked out of hearing-range of Bonnie.

- She's a little nervous. She's afraid of what the other kids are gonna do. The last school, they weren't very nice to her.

- Well, we have no tolerance of bullying. We're gonna take good care of her.

- No offense but that's what the teacher at the other school said too.

- We're gonna do a better job than them. She'll be safe here, I promise.

Letty nodded. She went back to Bonnie and she crouched down in front of her.

- Look, today's gonna be great. Okay? And dad's gonna pick you up later.

- I don't wanna...

Bonnie held onto Letty's jacket.

- If you do this and you be good, we'll do something fun later. Anything you want.

She could basically feel Bonnie's anxiety.

- It's gonna be okay, I promise.

The bell rang. Miss Hastings were waiting outside the class room, she was going to walk with Bonnie inside.

- You gotta go.

Letty stood and Bonnie slowly made her way to her new teacher. She looked behind at Letty who smiled and nodded to her. Miss Hastings put her hands on Bonnie's back as they walked inside the class room. Letty leaned back against the wall and let out a breath. Thank God, she didn't cry. That would have killed her and she would have run back out with her.

≈

Letty sat at the table with Freddie, in front of them was her promoter. He got the first calls about upcoming fights and whether she wanted to fight them or not.

- Again, Montgomery is pushing for a rematch.

- And she's proved she ain't a real fighter. Freddie said.

Letty looked down. She wanted to meet that bitch, she wanted to rip her apart.

- Well, we got a Nina Kravets. Ukrainian. She's up for a fight. They're just waiting for my call.

He turned his computer and showed Nina's last fight. Judging from the short video, both Letty and Freddie saw her potential but also as an easy one. Maybe it would be a good fight to start ease back into it after Letty's almost downfall.

- Yeah, she looks good. Let's do it. Letty said.

- So... no Montgomery? Promoter, Dan asked.

- You heard her. Freddie said.

Jack sighed and picked up his phone. He wanted a big fight, he wanted her to take on Donna again to make a huge deal about it all. Everyone loved a rematch.

- It's in two weeks. Better train hard. Dan said.

Two weeks of hardcore training was nothing new. She knew people would think it was short notice, like a panic fight. Like she had to prove herself that she still could fight after the tabloids tried to claim otherwise. As if they had any idea what they were talking about.