Whitmore Prep

Chapter 12

            "No." Delilah grabs my good shoulder. "She can't fight him."

            "She's obviously injured." Quinn adds.

            "Plus he's scary good and she's new." Adrian looks around before turning invisible again.

            "I don't care." Coach King groans, and then lifts his whistle to his lips, giving it a loud blow. Every Honors student turns to us, all conversation dies.

            "Don't worry, coach." Calum steps up, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll go easy on the newbie."

            "Don't bother." I step past the other students and face him.

            The other students move to the middle of the room, circling around the mat that we stand on. A hand grabs my shoulder, shocking me. I spin to see Parker behind me, starring at Calum.

            "You don't feel pain when your adrenaline's pumping." He whispers without taking his eyes off of the other boy, "But that doesn't mean you aren't getting hurt." I nod quickly before turning to Calum. Blood rushes in my ears and the room goes silent except for the shrill whistle signifying the start of the fight.

            Calum leaps forward, his meaty fingers curled into claws. I jump to the left, narrowly missing him. He drops to the ground, swinging his leg to knock mine out from under me. It works, and I fall hard on my back.  He's over me in an instance, grabbing a fistful of my shirt before pulling back and punching me in the stomach.

            All the air leaves me in an instance and stars dance around the edge of my vision. I swing my leg up and get a lucky shot. Unfortunately, he does not feel pain too, so he does not instantly surrender like another boy would. He punches me in the stomach again and I gasp to get air.

            "Stop! This isn't wrestling!" I hear someone behind me shout. Calum doesn't relent, nor does Coach stop him. Instead, Calum moves to where he is straddling me, a creepy look in his eyes. I refuse to say anything; I just meet his stare and match it with my own.

"I thought you didn't hit girls." I growl, mustering all I have left in me.

"All's fair in love and war." He grunts back.

            He swings, and I catch his hand with my good one. Thank God he's left handed. I shove his hand back and he's thrown off balance. I spin onto my stomach, tucking my injured arm beneath me. I push myself onto all four, or, all three, knocking Calum off of me. I stand, not waiting before I kick him in the stomach. I feel satisfaction from hearing his breath taken from him.

            I kick him again, and again, and again, before Calum grabs my foot and knocks me off balance again. I fall on top of him, and suddenly we're spinning. I feel the sticky mat disappear and replaced with the cold cement. Calum grabs my ponytail and slams my head against the floor. I ignore the dark that threatens to take me and grab the back of his head with my injured hand. I swing as hard as the arm will go, hitting Calum's face into the cement. Blood burst from his nose, hitting us both. I gasp, taken aback.

            "The bitch broke my nose!" Calum gurgles through the blood. Hands wrap around my waist, pulling me to my feet. The darkness blurs everything and I stumble into the arms that hold me.

            "You sent a car after me!" My speech slurs as consciousness leaves me, "That concrete is hard..." I grab onto the person next to me as I start to fall. I keep falling, though I feel their hands hold me tight. I fall into a deep darkness that overtakes and overpowers everything until it is all that there is.