REALLY ✓

27: The Black Truth

"Yo, Ava, what's going on in here?" Max's head popped through the door suddenly. His eyes widened in excitement as soon as he saw me.

"It's alright Max, I got it under control," Ava went to the door quickly, pushing him out, but Max wouldn't bulge.

"Judah, man! Glad to see you're back, it's about damn time!" he smirked and shook his head, "When Ava told me you were quitting and started going to fucking school, I knew she was just bulshitting me,"

"Yeah, no. I had to do that for a while, but I'm back now,"

"For good?"

"For good," I nodded and Max flashed me a victorious smile.

"Is there still a slot open for tonight?" I said again, referring to Max and I's favorite pastime—underground fighting.

"Bro, that slot's always been yours. I knew you were coming back. I never gave it up to anyone else,"

"Thanks," I said and Max and I exchanged a knowing look.

"Max, I need a moment with Judah, please," Ava interjected again.

"Alright. Y'all holler if you need anything," Max paused for a second and he suddenly turned to Ava, "Don't overwork him for now, he's up in thirty minutes," he said before he shut the door closed again.

Rolling her eyes, Ava turned to me and gave me a look—a judging look. I let out a frustrated sigh as I slumped down on the couch. Not long after, Ava followed and sat next to me on the couch.

"Seriously Judah, what's going on with you? You're coming here all of a sudden, acting all crazy. Whatever happened to that little blonde thing you call distraction? I thought things were going great between you two?"

The image of Blondie appeared on my mind again and I groaned aloud. When you were chasing a high you got from drugs, all you had to do was add a little more to your dose and you'd get it. But her? No matter what I did, I couldn't ever reach her, or the feeling that she made me feel.

"This is about her, isn't it?" she scoffed. "You guys are having problems and now you're coming back?"

"Shut up Ava. Just shut the fuck up," I hissed, directed at both Ava and my own damn brain.

It all started with just a kiss. How did it end up like this?

"Dude, I'm all for you coming back and all, but I'd rather see you alive and out there than in here and dead," she rolled her eyes dramatically, but I could tell she was being honest.

"You wanna tell me what's up?" she said again.

I thought of trying to describe how I felt and what made me do the things I did, but no words came to mind.

"I blew it. She was the best thing that could ever happen to someone like me and I blew it," was all that I could say.

"What happened?" she pressed on and sighed.

"I told her to go with him. I told her I didn't care. And so she left me,"

The moment she walked away from me, it was like my lungs had been punctured. I couldn't even breathe, but I didn't wanna let it show. I put on a tough act, even going as far as lying and hurting her.

"So she went with some guy? So what? You can just get her back,"

"No, I can't,"

"Why not?"

"He's the one guy I could never beat,"

Ava gave me a puzzled look. She didn't know what I was saying, obviously. And I didn't wanna explain either.