The Only Exception

Chapter 6

I stumbled into the depths of the crowded room, and made my way towards the locker room. I knew Leo wouldn’t be able to follow me there, it was for fighters only. Since there was a fight going on, I knew that there probably wouldn’t be anyone there, which was good. Woman especially weren’t allowed to go there. I glanced behind me, and couldn’t see Leo anywhere. Thank god, I thought. I pushed open the doors to the stingy room and made my way inside. I quietly looked around, and once I was satisfied that I was alone, I made my way to the back corner of the room. I slowly sat down, my sweaty back resting against the cool wall. My head was already starting to clear up, so I decided to have another smoke. Pulling the joint out of one pocket of my jeans and a lighter out of the other, I lit the joint and propped it in my mouth, inhaling and exhaling slowly. I sat there for what felt like an eternity, just breathing the toxic fumes in and out and slowly slipping away from reality. I didn’t even notice that there was someone sat next to me until they spoke.

“Care to share?” Dazed, I turned to look at the person now sitting beside me, but couldn’t quite make out their features; my vision was way too hazy. However, their voice told me that they were male. I didn’t even try to speak; instead I just passed the joint on. I was way too out of it to bother caring who it was sitting next to me. We sat quietly, neither of us speaking. I have no how long we had been sitting there, alternating turns to take a smoke. Even after the joint was done, we just sat there, still neither of us uttering a word. Slowly my mind cleared up enough to register the person sitting next to me. He must have only a year or two older than me. His blue eyes were spectacular, so bright and full of life. He had freckles all over his pale face, with shaggy, dirty-blonde hair to top it off. Simply put, he was very much attractive. Not in a hot way, but in a cute, almost dorky way. He looked like the classic boy-next-door. He also looked vaguely familiar, although I had no idea where I had seen him before. Probably just around town or something. So my question was, what is he doing here of all places, joining me in a smoke?

“That’s none of your business.”

I had looked away, but my attention was now back to the boy. I stared at him even more. “What?”

He looked at me like I was stupid. “You asked me what I was doing here, so I said that it was none of your business. My god Annie, have you become deaf or something?”

I looked at him in bewilderment. “What did you just call me? Where did you get that nickname from?” I was frantic, but it wasn’t because he knew my name, most people here did. What was making me frantic was that nickname. Annie. Chase had been the only one to call me that. He knew it bothered me, when I was a little girl growing up in the orphanage, I thought it was so girly and annoying. However, I tolerated it when it was Chase who was saying it. Nobody had called me it before, and no one has called me it since. Everyone called me either Annabelle or Anna, nothing else. So why was this strangely familiar boy calling me Annie? Then it clicked. I stared at him. ”Chase?”

He looked at me with a pained expression, but quickly his face hardened into an unreadable mask. “I just heard someone here call you that; chill. If it bothers you I’ll stop, my goodness. I don’t know who this Chase guy is either, so sorry.” 

“Oh… uh sorry I guess.” I apologized, but I wasn’t convinced that this dude was telling the truth, it was highly unlikely that some random person in the club would call me that, but whatever. “So what is your name then?”

“Just call me Alex.”

Right then my attention was turned to the entrance, where a couple of fighters had come through, drinks in hand. They were laughing, probably about some unknown joke. The biggest guy spoke, taking a swig out of his beer. “She didn’t even show up for the fight tonight.” He gave out a gruff laugh. “She was probably afraid she would lose, afraid I would send her running back home to her mommy.”

Crap, I thought. This must be Jordan. I had completely forgotten that I had a fight with him scheduled for tonight; I had been too high to remember. I had started smoking earlier to calm my nerves about the upcoming fight, but I guess that had backfired. Note to self: don’t smoke before a fight.

The other two men laughed along with him. Then they noticed me, just standing there stupidly. “Wait,” one of them spoke. “Isn’t that her?”

Jordan turned to look at me. “Well well, look who it is.” He took a closer look. “Man you look like crap. Doesn’t matter, you still owe me a fight, and nows as good at a time as any.” He flashed me a malicious grin, slowly advancing towards me.

“Hey man, leave her alone.” A voice said from beside me. I turned to see Alex; I had completely forgotten he was here.

“No offence Alex, but shut up. I don’t need you standing up for me.”

Hurt flashed across Alex’s features, but nevertheless he held up his hands in surrender and took a couple steps back. “Fine, if you don’t need my help, I’ll just leave you guys alone. But don’t say I didn’t try.

As Alex went to leave the room, I turned my attention back to Jordan and his two friends. Jack and Ian my mind told me. I had fought both of them; and won. All three of them were slowly advancing towards me. Focus I told myself. This obviously isn’t going to be a fair fight, and if I’m going to get out of it without being seriously hurt, I need to calm myself and think.

Ian advanced towards me, and took a swing. It was slow and his stance was unbalanced, so I was easily able to side step it. I smiled; this was going to be fun. I took a swift step forward and clipped him the jaw. He stumbled back and hit the lockers, giving me the opportunity to give him a hit in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. I chuckled to myself; he’s not going to be back up for at least a minute or two. Right then I saw Jack coming for me out of the corner. I turned, ready to meet his attack, but a blow to my back made me stumble and fall to the hard concrete. As fast as I could I picked myself back up, using the wall to steady myself.  I turned to face my attackers, only to see all three of them coming towards me. Jordan himself was the closest to me now, and I could tell by his stance that he was about to throw a punch. I was right; that instant, he aimed a jab at my side. I couldn’t sidestep; I would run into either Jack or Ian. I couldn’t back up either; I would probably hit the wall. So with all the power my leg could muster, I aimed for the only logical place.

“HOLY SHIT!” howled Jordan, doubling over, clutching his manhood. “What the hell was that for! Is that how you win all of your fights? By fighting dirty?”

“Oh yeah” I laughed, “Because three on one is definitely a fair fight.”

I hadn’t even noticed Ian coming towards me, but then next thing I know I feel a sudden searing pain across my face, and the slight crack of what I assumed was my nose breaking. I stumbled back, and landed against the lockers once again. I brought my hand up to my face, and felt something sticky and warn. I drew my hand back to see it covered in red.

My head was spinning, and I was struggling to get back on my feet again. I fell onto the floor, and the last thing I witnessed before blacking out was Leo storming into the room.

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Sorry it took so long to upload!! I'm thinking of deleting "Shine". Should I? I don't know. Please comment and let me know. Also I've taken a lot longer to write these last two chapters then I usually do to make sure they were better. Did it work? I need feedback!!!!