Change and Secrets

Chapter 10

Shortly before ten that night, she sat on her bike a little away from the hall, where she heard the other teenagers dancing to the music, laughing, fighting, racing, and drinking. 
Rose was supposed to meet Tom at ten near the ring, she had at least ten minutes before she had to go there. 

She took out her phone and texted Tom. 'Are you already there?'
While waiting for his response, she scrolled back, reading through their earlier conversation. They had texted around nine p.m., he just wanted to check on her. 

'Hey, Sweetie.'
'Hey, Shorty.', she had replied and had to smile about that. He was a giant compared to her, nearly everyone was. 
'Sure. Me and short. It's not like I'm almost two heads taller than you.', had been his reply.
'Not my fault you drunk a growth potion.'
'You should've stopped me.'
She had replied with the laughing emoji and texted 'As if that would be possible.'
'How I love to text with you. Can't wait to see you tonight.'
'Can't wait either.' 

Then she got his next text that read: 'I have to tell you something.' Funny thing was that she wrote the exact same thing and sent it as she received his. They have sent each other the same laughing emoji at the same time and their following two texts had been the same again.
'You're such a copycat.'
'Okay, it's getting creepy. We should stop.'
'We know each other too well'., he had written quickly after.

'I usually don't agree with others, but I guess I will with you always. Tom, you're right.'
His next text had taken some time, but she had to laugh her ass off. 
'Thank you. Thank you very much. I have to say that it's a big honor to receive such a price. I have never believed that I could do something great like this one day. I want to thank my family and all my friends. Most importantly, I want to thank my best friend Rose, who made all of this possible. Again, it's such a big honor to receive the Nobel Prize. I thank you all. Thank you so, so much.'

'What you talking about? Nobel Prize?', she had written.
'Wait. I don't get the Nobel Prize?'
'Not that I know.'
'Well. Here I am thinking that I for ONCE in my life won a prize.'
'Herewith I award Tom Black the award for the best friend on this planet.'
'You're so cute.' 
'Can't wait to see you. Have to get ready for the Bads now.'
'Me too and let me quote my mother: "Do your homework right now, young man, or you're grounded.''
'Your mom's seriously great.'
'I know. See you in a bit.'
'See you in a bit.'

She smiled, talking to Tom was always like an escape from the world. He made her feel like she had a normal teenage life and didn't have to worry about anything.
Tom's text came in a minute later. 
'I'm stuck in traffic and my mom stopped me for few minutes, I'll be a little late. Sorry, Sweetie.'
'It's okay. I'm waiting at the ring.', she replied and went inside a few minutes later. 

Rose walked up to the ring, seeing two boys in the ring. The fight had just begun and the guys circled each other. She watched them. They weren't bad, but she could tell that they were newbies. She had fought pretty much the same. In the beginning, she had just watched, made up a strategy, trained a little, and then had her first fight. Her attacks had been weak and she lost her fights, but she became better really quickly.

Boxing had to be in the bloodline 'cause her father and her brothers did it too.
Since her first won fight, she got better and better and stopped losing really quick. Therefore, she climbed up the Bads and Bad Girls list fast.

Lastly, she fought against Tom and won. He was also the only one who knew her strategy. That was because she trusted him that much. 
Gosh, she remembered that day as if it had been yesterday. 
Back then Tom wanted just one thing, Rose had...