fearless

Chapter 11: Fighting Fear

"I'm fucked." I cry as I look at the board. I see Steven cracking his knuckles in the corner of the room, and all I can think of is my face slamming against the platform, his foot against my ribs, kicking me again and again.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road, we have to be finished by eleven o'clock. Ashton and Hunter, get in the ring." Zeke says as he scribbles a few things down on his clipboard.

They both look at each other and scream, then begin making promises to each other that their friendship won't change after this fight. Soon, I wish Ashton good luck before he steps in the ring, mainly because he comforted me when I had the breakdown in the Dining Hall.

"Go." Zeke says, and they both step back and forth around the ring for a second. I look up and see Ashton go for a punch straight to Hunter's neck. He makes it, then twists his arm behind his back and knocks him to the ground. Hunter kicks Ashton's legs, trying to knock him down, but misses.

Hunter screams when Ashton kicks his side, and soon, his eyes meet mine. Hunter's eyes are pleading as he gets kicked again and again.

In a second, Zeke looks up from his clipboard and calls it off, then circles Ashton's name. Hunter gets up and coughs a couple of times, wiping the blood from his nose, then gets back in the line, on the opposite side of me.

I tune out the fights until it's my turn. I look up at the board and see that Olivia won her fight, and Jordan won his, which makes me sad.

"Maddie and Steven, in the ring." Zeke says almost under his breath as he scribbles away on the clipboard. I get my hands in defensive position as Steven approaches the ring. He smirks. "Go." Zeke says, and I sigh.

He comes running straight for me, and I run out of his way, then trip him as he runs past me. He falls on his face, and I smirk. I move to the opposite side of the platform when he stands, and cower down. "You'll be fucking sorry." He says as he sends a punch to my shoulder.

I grit my teeth as I punch him in the neck like Ashton did to Hunter, then grab his wrists and kick him in the stomach. He doubles over and I push him to the ground.

He looks up at me with soft eyes, then kicks my side, right where my bruise is. We lock eyes as he does it, and I fall to the ground with an exasperated yell.

He pushes himself to stand, and I try to, but he pushes me back onto the ground, then punchers my face. I feel the bruises burn, and what I think is blood comes out of my nose.

I finally just curl up at the edge of the platform and then jump up and send some form of an uppercut to his chin, but it also hits his nose. "Fuck!" He yells, and I kick his leg out from underneath him, causing him to fall on his back.

I send all of my power into one kick as I kick him as hard as I can in the side. "How does it feel now?" I ask him as I do it once more, then turn around when he yells out for me to Stop.

"Maddie wins." Zeke says, and circles my name. I smile when I look at the board.

I feel something deep in my heart, and I don't really know what it is, but I have some weird feeling that it's pride, and I like it.

Maybe I can make it here.

>>

I look down at my hands as I sit in the waiting room to take my final test. Think like a Dauntless, Zeke's words repeat over and over again in my mind.