When the Smoke is in your eyes - (Vinnie Hacker)

Chapter 3

"The audience is growing impatient," Michael informed, The man from the bathroom waved him off and turned back to me. His eyes were hooked on me and only me.

"See how much they need me," He whispered to me cockily. There's a certain way to deal with arrogant people and that's to be unimpressed. Don't be rude, cold or hostile. Be indifferent. Their ego thrives on attention - positive or negative. Give them neither.

"Cool," I responded back barely acknowledging his existence. I took out my phone and started pressing random buttons making it look like I was busy.

"Did you even hear me?" He asked confused.

"I better get inside. You see The fights about to start," I said waving a goodbye and running out the door. The man followed behind me fast. We walked through the arena (if you could even call it that) and stopped at the ring. The ring consisted of a square raised platform with a post at each corner. Four ropes were also attached to the posts for protection.

"This is where we have to leave each other," he informed me with a smug grin on his face.

"Heartbreaking," I responded back sarcastically. I turned around after that and made my way to Amelia who was anxiously waiting for the boxing match to begin.

"Your rooting for me, right" He called out from the ring. I told myself then to continue giving him zero attention, maybe then after awhile he'd try his advances at somebody else.

"You're one of the boxers? What a shocking revelation," I yelled back snidely without turning around. I could hear him let out a small laugh to himself.

"There's something about you, I don't know what but definitely something," He hollered out from the ring to me. I noticed then the eyes that were starting to land on me from the rest of the people there. The people were all different but collectively not people i'd hang out with. Some were frightening and seemed like the type to stay away from. They're were others that looked more approachable but still intimidating.

"A sickness? If so that's probably from you," I snapped taking a seat by Amelia. Before he could respond, one of the men around the ring pulled him aside. He looked as if he was getting a harsh talk for something. The man from the bathroom looked very annoyed and irritated by being dragged aside but didn't seem to argue with the man dressed in red and black.

"We've never had rules before," The man mumbled under his breath before putting a mouth guard in his mouth. The protection they wore was extremely minimal which would make sense because this wasn't exactly a real boxing match. They both did have the normal boxing gloves on but only one of them wore a belly guard and it wasn't bathroom boy.

"Brad was supposed to meet me in line," Amelia muttered tapping her shoes nervously.

"He has to show up at some point just relax," I spoke up trying to ease her anxiousness.

"He's been late a lot lately," She murmured back quietly. She was right about that Brad never could be anywhere on time and was extremely unreliable. I've been wanting to tell her to break things off with him but I don't know how she'll respond. It's not exactly a kind and uplifting thing to say to your friend about her boyfriend.

"Maybe he's planning a surprise party or something," I stated back smiling. I could see a grin starting to form on her face.

"Maybe," She answered simply leaning back in her chair trying to get comfortable.

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "What's going on between you and that guy," She asked. I whipped my head back to her fast with a confused look. There's definitely nothing going on between bathroom guy and I. There couldn't possibly be anything going on.