Sinful (WICKED #2) | ✓

49

WHEN SHE WALKED TOWARDS the door, she could already hear the cheers of the audience echoing in the hallway. It felt like it had been ages since she last had fought in a tournament, but with how much she had been playing around it probably was. Not that she minded, she had her fun. Now it was time to have her win. She stepped through the door without any hesitation then, the lights blinding her for a moment as she kept walking, blinking to bring her focus back.

In the middle of the room stood a large fighting ring, four paths leading to it from each side, rows of spectators surrounding it. This was only a match for teenagers, but still, the audience always was full, a major part of them high schoolers themselves. Half of them were from St Joseph, but it was the front row on the right which stood out to her. A group of people were holding up large banners with her name on it, cheering so loudly it practically drowned the other sounds.

"SHE'S BEAUTY, SHE'S GRACE, MARTINEZ IS GOING TO PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE" was the one which immediately caught her attention, mainly thanks to Alex jumping around with it like a crazy person. Will beside him was smiling so brightly it practically lit up the room, four leaf clovers stuck on his banner as he waved at her. As always, Sebastian and her mother were there as well, neither of them ever having missed one of her matches, no matter how busy their schedules got. Her mother didn't fit in at all with her emerald pantsuit and pinned up hair, but her brother was shocking to see too, though with him it was for a wildly different reason. Sebastian Martinez, a notorious boxing champion, was wearing a shirt with a picture of her on it, coupled with neon letters which said "NOT THE WORLD'S SWEETEST SISTER, BUT SHE SURE HAS GOT AN EXCELLENT RIGHT HOOK."

Oh Jesus Christ of Nazareth, she had hoped he had thrown that shirt away after her previous match.

"That's my sister," Sebastian beamed proudly to a random person behind him as he pointed at his shirt and then back at her.

Then she spotted Levi. He had switched his usual clothing for an ironed blouse, placing the bouquet of flowers he had been holding down when he saw her as he waved with his banner. She hadn't heard him shout that often, but his voice was loud and clear now, eyes glittering in adoration. Despite the roar of the audience, the only thing she could focus on was him for a moment, her heart skipping a beat before it quietened down again peacefully.

"Get up here, Martinez," her coach said, gesturing for her to move.

She hadn't seen the man in quite a while, but still, whenever she was in town she didn't miss the chance to train with him. He had made her schedule to get back on track again and it had worked, even if it had let her run early in the morning like a crazy person. Her opponent was already there when she got in the ring, talking to the referee. Michele something, Ella remembered.

"Keep your attention on her at all times," her trainer said," she is a boxer, you know how swift their footwork is."

"It'll be fine," Ella reassured him," I've trained with a boxer for a while now."

"That's right," her trainer recalled," your brother. Truly, he's a menace."

"Yeah, to society," Ella nodded, patting him on the shoulder," wish me luck."

"You don't need it," he replied.

"Eleanora!"

A smile was already on her lips as soon as she locked eyes with the person who had shouted. Levi had jumped across the fence holding the first row back from the ring, not minding the men trying very unsuccesfully to pull him away at all as he continued talking.

"Good luck," he said, reaching out to graze his hand across hers.

She crouched down on the heightened platform the ring was on, arms leaning on the ropes tied to the posts as she looked him in the eye.