"I'll win."
"I'll lose." I pluck one petal.
"I'll win." There goes my second one.
"I'll lose." Bye petal.
"I'll win." Almost done.
"I'll lose."
"I'll win..." Maybe I have Lady Luck with me.
"I'll lose!" SIKE.
I chuck the flower I am holding onto the sidewalk. I think that is my third flower. Yet, every single time I keep getting the same result-I will lose. Perhaps a fourth flower may work?
"What has that poor flower done to you? Love nature. Don't hate." I hear Alex call out behind me.
"I'm not in the mood to talk right now!" I call back.
"What's up?" He slings his arm around me.
"The sky." I kick a rock on the ground.
"Seriously. What is up? Are you alright?" He furrows his eyebrows at me. I hesitate to tell him the truth.
"Me too. The clouds, sky, ozone layer, sun, birds, airplanes, air..." I say dryly. "...is up."
He gives me an unamused expression.
"I bombed my math test." I chuck another flower away.
"Hey! It's just a test. You have plenty of time to bring back your grade. Stop looking so glum." He tries to cheer me up.
"I know." I did fail my test, but it is not the sole reason I am so down. I'm freaking out for the match tonight. "So what are you doing here?"
"Well, I was on my way to hangout with some friends when I spotted you killing flowers in the park." He jokes.
"I am not killing flowers..." I say meekly. "Well, I'm fine! Go hang out with your friends." I weakly push him away.
"I wouldn't be such a great friend if I left you all alone in such a mood." He plops right next to me.
"Yeah. You wouldn't be such a great friend if you suddenly ditched the friends you were planning on meeting with?" I shoot back smugly.
"I can cancel." He takes out his cell to do so. I take it away before he can dial or press anything.
"I'm fine. I swear. Sheesh, you don't need to worry about me. It's just a stupid test." I argue. I really want my alone time, though it would be a treat to hang out with this guy. My eyes trail down his body. I can't help but appreciate his nice biceps...It's better than seeing my trainer's over the top, bulging muscles. (Yes, I secretly hired a trainer unbeknownst to Sunny or my dad.)
I hear Alex chuckling. I must have stared too long.
"Yes?" I flick my eyes up. I put on an innocent face, as if I hadn't been checking him out.
"Admire all you want." He winks.
"Sure." I say rather boldly, surprising both of us.
"Want to move? You are blocking that hot guy right there." I smirk. I pretend to stare at the person behind him. I would have tricked him, if only there was a person there. All I see are trees and more trees.
"Whoa!" I laugh at him as I watch him spin around so quickly he stumbles a bit. He scowls as he realize no one is behind him.
"I guess you are fine if you are laughing at my expense." He coughs and rubs his neck, a little embarrassed.
"Told you." I shrug. "Now, run along. Go find your buddies and be all chummy!"
"Yes sir!" He shoots another wink and salutes. Then, he saunters off to who knows where.
I feel my phone vibrate in my back pocket.
Be there 6:00 PM. Remember the deal. I'm looking forward to the match.
I read the text, growing angry by the second. How could I not remember the text? It was my idea anyways. I almost feel like he is laughing at me. He looks forward to the match? Damn that son of a beach. He is mocking me! He will rue the day that he dares to underestimate me.
Then again, maybe I'm just going insane and misinterpreting everything. Yeah, that sounds reasonable.
Wait. My eyes bulge as I look at the time right now. It is 5:30. Who does he think he is? I'm not his dog; I refuse to come at his beck and call. I let loose some colorful vocabulary. I would have ten minutes to grab my stuff from home. Then, I would have twenty minutes to bike there. It usually took thirty minutes to get to the Ring. That is if I am biking at a constant fast pace.
Damn you, Zach!
----------------------
It takes me nineteen minutes and fourty-nine seconds to get to the Ring. I almost ran over a dog, cat, and maybe three people. Five cars honked at me, and I was almost run over three times. however, I still made it and alive in one piece.
"Took you long enough." A guy, who I assume is one of Zach's henchmen, says gruffly. He looks the part-beefy muscles, buzz cut, tattoos, and the tallness.
"Thanks for the early notice." I say sarcastically. I'm out of breath. So far, nothing is turning out right. I do not want to start a match tired.
The guy chooses to ignore my attitude, pushing me into a random room.
"There is your clothes. Change. Then, come out in five minutes." He glares down at me. Then, he leaves abruptly.
I look at my clothes, or what little there is of it. I lift the flimsy pieces of clothing and look at them with disgust. I will not wear a sparkly neon pink sports bra and booty shorts into the Ring. I am pretty sure the audience will love the look. Those nasty, shady dudes in the crowd will howl and whistle.
Well, screw them.
I decide to wear my own black sports bra, one that covers and supports my cleavage. I search for my training shorts in my bag. They are tight and fitting, but at least they don't let my butt hang out.
I quickly put on my equipment. The only thing I actually wear is the black robe that they gave me.
"I can totally do this." I try to give myself a pep talk. "It's just a normal match. I will win this. I will do this..."
I walk to the Ring quickly.
"What the flipping heck?" I gasp as I notice quite a big turnout in the audience. This is supposed to be a small, private match!
"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY PEOPLE?" I march up to Zach.
"Nice to see you too." Zach smiles calmly.
"Explain yourself." I force myself to swallow my anger.
"What is there to explain? We have a good turnout. They are excited to see this match." He says. I feel like he is leaving something out. "Plus, you only said to make sure your dear Jason does not find out about this. You never said that this would be a private match." I want to wipe that smug look off his face.
I have nothing to say. I only turn around and enter the Ring. The crowd suddenly goes silent. I can feel their eyes burning into me, judging and assessing. I put on an emotionless mask, hoping to look cold and collected.
"In this corner, we have the challenger Emmalyn Carter!" A voice announces. I was the challenger? The silence remains.
The crowd goes up in an uproar as a figure approaches the Ring. Then, the person enters.
"AND HERE SHE IS! THE INFAMOUS JAW CRUSHER! BONE SHAKER! WE HAVE BLOODY MARY!" The announcer's voice shakes the building. The audience goes wild.
The figure in a velvet red robe flips off her hood. I think my opponent is a her. I can only tell because she is wearing a sports bra to cover her chest. She has a buzz cut and a masculine look. To be honest, she looks like a man at first glance. The bulging muscle and ripped abdominals makes me a bit nervous. I do not feel any better when I remember her name: Bloody Mary. I hope she does not live to her name. I gulp as her beady, soulless eyes stare right through me. She gives me a chilling grin as her eyes rake through my body, making me uncomfortable and exposed. Still, i keep up my indifferent facade. I don't want her to feel even more confident than she already is by showing her my scared self.
"It has been a while since Bloody Mary has fought here. It is even a surprise she accepted this match. I mean, come on! Who dares to challenge our Queen?" I can almost hear the unspoken comment-I am the fool who "challenged" the Queen. This totally makes me feel better. Not. "It is always a joy to see Bloody Mary fight. What a sight!"
"Okay, I'll save the theatrics this time. Bloody Mary looks thirsty for some blood!" The announcer yells after there are a bunch of complaints. I only cringe in disgust. This is way over the top. Zach knows how to put on quite a show.
At the ref's signal, Bloody Mary and I shake hands. And let me tell you, my bones feels as if they were on the verge of breaking from her grip. She has man hands; they are twice the size of mine.
Yeah, I'm about to piss my pants in fear and nervousness. I fiddle with my boxing gloves absentmindedly, checking and rechecking the straps.
No, I'm not going to. I am planning on keeping a brave front. I will not quake in fear.
Hopefully.
The rowdy audience is not helping my concentration. "Breath in, breath out." I whisper quietly. I close my eyes and block out sounds to calm myself. "I'm going to win this. Believe in yourself." The sounds around me slowly die out. I block everything away. It is only my opponent and the match. I repeat this over and over: opponent, match, opponent, match.
I open my eyes, calmed and ready. The jeering and shouting from the audience seems to come from another dimension. I feel at peace.
Bloody Mary seems to sneer knowingly at me, as if she sees the terrified part of me.
I give her a cold grin, making her look confused from my sudden change of emotion.
If Zach wants a show, I will give him a show.
RINNNNGGGGGG!
The bell signifies the start of the match.
---------------------------
A/N
How is it?(: any suggestions or ideas or anything you want to share??
SHE IS STARTING HER FIRST MATCH OMG :3
Let's hope she doesn't get hospitalized....:(
Vote :)
Comment:D
Critique!