Chapter 8: Black Spinel Tournament
2 days later
"Girl! Spill it," Jessica and I chorused at Angie.
Angie and Alex had gone on a second date, she'd seemed quite ecstatic when she'd gotten back last night.
Jess and I both dragged her to the living room, taking a seat both sides beside her, grinning ear to ear.
"Well-" Angie began.
"Wait," I cut in.
Both Jess and Angie stared at me, wide eyed, wondering why I could possibly have interrupted such a sacred moment.
I quickly got up, rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a pack of Oreo. Angie groaned, Jessica rolling her eyes.
"Okay, this is becoming an addiction" Jessica shot.
"Excuse me?" I said, feigning hurt. "I'm not addicted, I'm just an Oreo connoisseur."
Both girls stared at me, probably wondering how they put up with me.
"Tell me that's not something an addict would say?" Jess laughed.
"Whatever." I shrugged, slumping back on the couch. "So Angie, are you and Alex like... you know?"
"No I don't and no we aren't," Angie laughed. "We're just seeing how things go... I mean, we did kiss onc-"
"YESSS" I jumped, squealing like a maniac as Jess and I began a celebratory dance. #Anlex official.
Angie had clearly began getting flustered, her lips perking up into an embarrassed smile. "Shut up, that doesn't mean anything," she defended.
"Sure it does." Jessica winked.
"Oh so you're with her?" Angie chuckled. "And am I meant to believe there's nothing going on between you and that boxer from Stanford?"
Jessica, who'd just been the one song the questions, quickly feel quiet. I immediately slid closer to Jess.
"I saw them at the coffee shop yesterday," Angie immediately revealed, already giggling.
Surprise washed over my face as I stated at Jessica who was already a pinkish red. "So that's why you left gym early yesterday?"
"Okay... yes, we did meet up," she confessed. "We just talked though... we're just friends"
"Of course you are," Angie and I chorused sarcastically.
"No really, I'm done dating athletes, especially a boxer," she huffed, her eyes falling on me. "I'm not ready to go through that complication again."
Yeah, we were back on that topic again.
"Jess, I don't th-" I started.
"It's no big deal Maddie. Besides, he's a boxer, he has his whole career ahead of him, definitely doesn't need distraction right now."
That felt more like an excuse than a reason, Jess didn't want to admit it but deep down, I knew she was hurt, she was scared to trust someone, not after Ashton. I fought the part of me that wanted to tell her, I didn't need to drag this on do I backed down.
"Yeah, I heard he signed up for the Black Spinel Tournament this year," Angie said, trying to end the uncomfortable silence.
"Really? So did Ashton," I added.
Angie turned to be, a surprised expression on her face. Jessica following with raised brows.
"And you let him?" Jessica asked.
I shrugged, trying to act like I wasn't scared. "Yup... I didn't see why not."
I saw all the reasons not to, I was scared but I want going to show it, not when Ashton needed my support more than ever.
"In fact, he has a match today, can you turn on the TV?" I added as calmly as possible.
My two friends weren't as relaxed though, they'd already turned to me, worry all over their faces. They stared at each other, then back at me.
Angie finally spoke up. "Maddie, I don't think you understand, there's a reason why a lot of people don't sign up for the Black Spinel Tournament," she said.
I watched as she swallowed a knot in her throat, searching my face.
"The Black Spinel Tournament has one of the highest mortality rate in tournament boxing... a lot of people liken it to underground boxing."
It wasn't until those words escaped Angie that I realised, Ashton could get seriously hurt.
"Please turn on the TV," I begged.