Hate is the New Love
There is a machine within my body
“Oh it’s you.” I sneered. I stared at him. He looked so warm with his winter jacket on. I contemplated weather I should beat him up and steal his jacket or not. In the end, I decided against it.
“Why do you keep following me? It’s kind of creepy and stalkerish” I said.
“I don’t follow you. Our paths just keep crossing…all the time.” he replied
“Uh huh, you just keep thinking that. In the meantime, I going to go now.” I said and pushed past him. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
“Where are you going?” he asked sternly eyeing my backpack.
“No where of your concern” I said wrenching my arm away from his grip. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d rather not see your face!”
With that I turned to leave again
“Please don’t tell me you are going to go fight.” I heard him call
“I’m not.” I lied and continued on my walk. At the arena, I entered my name.
“Hey Joe.” I said. Joe was the guy who collected all the betting money. He never fought, only handled all the financial things.
“Hey kiddo, Here to fight again?” He asked.
“Yup, sign me up!” I replied. He wrote my name down as I walked away. I walked around and looked at everyone. Some were new faces and others I have fought before. When my time came up, I got into my ring and looked at my opponent. He was a boy about my age or older. He had a medium build and billions of tattoos. I advanced on him slowly, eyeing every movement.
“Autumn, stop it!” Someone called from the audience. I looked over to see Justin’s scared face. What the hell? Why was he here? Did he follow me? My opponent took this time to swing his arm at my face. I fell to the floor with a thud.
“Justin, go away!” I yelled. Then, another wave of pain came in when the guy kicked me in the stomach.
“Autumn!” Justin screamed again. He tried to get into the ring but people dragged him back.
“Don’t try lover boy!” Someone said to him. I jumped back on to my feet and wiped the blood off my lip. My opponent was smirking. He probably thought that I was going to be an easy win. My blood boiled. This guy was getting on my nerves. He came at me again and I dodged it with ease. The guy looked back with a confused look and then charged again. This time, I grabbed his leg and flipped his leg. He fell face first and landed with a thud. Then, I continuously kicked him at the side until he begged for me to stop. I sighed and got out of the ring knowing I had won. I grabbed the water bottle out of my back pack and sat down.
“Why do you fight?” Someone asked. I looked over to see Justin standing there.
“We all earn our livings differently Justin. You sing for yours and I fight.” I replied.
“I’ll give you all the money you need but just please stop fighting.” His eyes were pleading.
“No Justin. I don’t know you-“
“Then get to know me.” He said cutting me off.
“I don’t like you Justin. What do you not get? I can’t accept your money! I want to earn it myself.”
“You can’t do it yourself!” He said. Anger rage through me. Why would he think I couldn’t take care of myself?
“I can Justin. I was going well before you showed up! But really, think about it! If you give me money, it will only last for so long. What will happen when you leave? You can’t stay with me forever!” I said
“Want to get married?” He asked.
“Justin, this isn’t the time for jokes.” I screamed.
“Sorry!” He said.
I sighed “I think you should leave now. Wait…why did you follow me in the first place?”
“I needed to know you were safe.” he replied
“Yea well, I am so leave.”
“No autumn.” He said “I’m not leaving you!”
“Why not, why do you care so much Justin? You met me today!”
He walked towards me with determination burning in his hazel eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but the quickly closed it and backed up.
“I-I can’t tell you, okay? I just can’t tell you the truth.” He said. He looked lost and rejected. I was about to reply when a voice came over the intercom.
“Autumn Diamante Avery, to the ring in 2 minutes.”
I got up and looked at Justin “go home.” with that, I went to the ring.
I won the next 2 fights and I felt overjoyed. I walked over to Joe to get my Money.
“Hey kiddo, I saw you up there. You were awesome!’
“Thanks Joe!”
“You’re really lucky Autumn, someone was sure you were going to lose. He bet 5000 dollars.” He said handing me and bulging envelope and a cheque. Without looking at the name, I knew it was Justin. I sighed. There was no point in getting mad. He clearly didn’t understand how much I did not want his money. I stuffed the cheque into my pocket, packed up my stuff and walked home.
“Why do you keep following me? It’s kind of creepy and stalkerish” I said.
“I don’t follow you. Our paths just keep crossing…all the time.” he replied
“Uh huh, you just keep thinking that. In the meantime, I going to go now.” I said and pushed past him. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
“Where are you going?” he asked sternly eyeing my backpack.
“No where of your concern” I said wrenching my arm away from his grip. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d rather not see your face!”
With that I turned to leave again
“Please don’t tell me you are going to go fight.” I heard him call
“I’m not.” I lied and continued on my walk. At the arena, I entered my name.
“Hey Joe.” I said. Joe was the guy who collected all the betting money. He never fought, only handled all the financial things.
“Hey kiddo, Here to fight again?” He asked.
“Yup, sign me up!” I replied. He wrote my name down as I walked away. I walked around and looked at everyone. Some were new faces and others I have fought before. When my time came up, I got into my ring and looked at my opponent. He was a boy about my age or older. He had a medium build and billions of tattoos. I advanced on him slowly, eyeing every movement.
“Autumn, stop it!” Someone called from the audience. I looked over to see Justin’s scared face. What the hell? Why was he here? Did he follow me? My opponent took this time to swing his arm at my face. I fell to the floor with a thud.
“Justin, go away!” I yelled. Then, another wave of pain came in when the guy kicked me in the stomach.
“Autumn!” Justin screamed again. He tried to get into the ring but people dragged him back.
“Don’t try lover boy!” Someone said to him. I jumped back on to my feet and wiped the blood off my lip. My opponent was smirking. He probably thought that I was going to be an easy win. My blood boiled. This guy was getting on my nerves. He came at me again and I dodged it with ease. The guy looked back with a confused look and then charged again. This time, I grabbed his leg and flipped his leg. He fell face first and landed with a thud. Then, I continuously kicked him at the side until he begged for me to stop. I sighed and got out of the ring knowing I had won. I grabbed the water bottle out of my back pack and sat down.
“Why do you fight?” Someone asked. I looked over to see Justin standing there.
“We all earn our livings differently Justin. You sing for yours and I fight.” I replied.
“I’ll give you all the money you need but just please stop fighting.” His eyes were pleading.
“No Justin. I don’t know you-“
“Then get to know me.” He said cutting me off.
“I don’t like you Justin. What do you not get? I can’t accept your money! I want to earn it myself.”
“You can’t do it yourself!” He said. Anger rage through me. Why would he think I couldn’t take care of myself?
“I can Justin. I was going well before you showed up! But really, think about it! If you give me money, it will only last for so long. What will happen when you leave? You can’t stay with me forever!” I said
“Want to get married?” He asked.
“Justin, this isn’t the time for jokes.” I screamed.
“Sorry!” He said.
I sighed “I think you should leave now. Wait…why did you follow me in the first place?”
“I needed to know you were safe.” he replied
“Yea well, I am so leave.”
“No autumn.” He said “I’m not leaving you!”
“Why not, why do you care so much Justin? You met me today!”
He walked towards me with determination burning in his hazel eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but the quickly closed it and backed up.
“I-I can’t tell you, okay? I just can’t tell you the truth.” He said. He looked lost and rejected. I was about to reply when a voice came over the intercom.
“Autumn Diamante Avery, to the ring in 2 minutes.”
I got up and looked at Justin “go home.” with that, I went to the ring.
I won the next 2 fights and I felt overjoyed. I walked over to Joe to get my Money.
“Hey kiddo, I saw you up there. You were awesome!’
“Thanks Joe!”
“You’re really lucky Autumn, someone was sure you were going to lose. He bet 5000 dollars.” He said handing me and bulging envelope and a cheque. Without looking at the name, I knew it was Justin. I sighed. There was no point in getting mad. He clearly didn’t understand how much I did not want his money. I stuffed the cheque into my pocket, packed up my stuff and walked home.