Decisions
First and Last Chapter
“Angel! Angel! Wake up.”
I knew that frantic, neurotic voice anywhere. It was Lou Lou she was always at my fights even when I asked her not to she was there. Lou Lou was a frail girl all through school with her innocent blond hair lengthy body and blue eyes. I always was there to defend her.
“Angel! Hurry!”
My vision was blurry and I was blacking out, my opponent made a solid hit with my nose and I was bleeding way to much. But I started to sit up I knew I only had a few more seconds and the ref would let him back to finish me off.
I got up, staggered at first but stood ready to go after I wiped the blood; dripping from my face on the back of my hand. Chris my opponent lunged for my body but I swiftly stepped out of the way.
Hit 1. Elbow to the back right below the right shoulder blade, in pain leaving chest exposed.
Hit 2. Sharp hit to the low left rib cage, feeling his rib pop beneath my knuckles.
Hit 3. An upper cut to the jaw, possibly cracking the joints in the jaw.
Blood dripping from my hands some mine some his, it was over.
I was always the long shot, the under dog no one ever thought I would fallow after my brother, me with my soft brown curls, small but built body and little blue eyes. However, I've never lost a fight.
“I thought you were down that time, I almost shit my pants over there.” Lou Lou said rather proudly it seemed.
“I'm okay, I got to go talk to Buddy about who I'm fighting next.”
Don't let the name fool you he never has and never will be anyone's “buddy” hes strictly business. He's the scary looking guy you want to avoid at parties, or even at the grocery store he's just a big horrific looking man. Which is why you only willingly go in his office if you won him a lot of money in your fight.
“Hey Bud”
“It's Buddy and you know that, what do you want.” He said not even bothering to look up from his mound of papers on his desk.
“I won. Big money in it too, I gave it a real show let 'um hit me in my nose.”
“Try not to drip on my carpet, okay” He said a little nicer but still didn't look at me which was beginning to aggravate me.
“Ya wanna try looking at your fighters after they just won you a crap load of money?!”
“Sorry kid, I got to much work to do”
I walk across the room boiling with hate and furry, he didn't even have the decency to look at me. I slammed my blood encrusted knuckles on his desk.
“Look at me! My name is Angel you know damn well who I am and I don't need to be treated like this. Just tell me who I'm fighting next so I can get ready I don't need this.”
“Angel, your next fight is tomorrow and your fighting Mack DeTanto at 6, don't be late”
I couldn't even move, Mack DeTanto was my best friend since fourth grade. I told him everything I couldn't fight him, I wouldn't fight him. He was the gorgeous best friend that everyone had a crush on, floppy brown hair and bright green eyes all the girls loved to stare into. But I never saw him as anything more than that goofy kid I watched movies with on Saturday nights.
“Do I have a choice to decline the fight” I asked as innocently as possible.
He looks up at me and I feel like he's studying me.
“No, you don't have an option either you show up or you don't ever come back”
My heart dropped into my stomach, we all heard the horror stories about Jacob the guy who walked out on a fight and they found his body in the middle of the train tracks face beatin so badly that no one could tell who he was.
I walked out of Buddy's room without saying another word, and closed the door quietly behind me. Lou Lou was just as bubbly and oblivious as ever, I couldn't tell her about who I was fighting tomorrow she would blow it up out of proportion and make my life harder than it needed to be. My choice wasn't really clear at this point what I should do, but one thing was certain I was most definitely not going to get any sleep tonight.
After school I took the long way to the warehouse, trying to decide if I should even go. Mack was my, well he was my everything it would kill me inside to hurt him like I hurt all the other opponents. He was a straight B student and everyone liked him. On the football team, varsity quarter back for the Wombats. If I let him win Buddy would know I threw the fight and the consequences would be more severe. Pushing through the doors I knew what I was going to do. It was 5:54 when I walked into the arena where I would face Mack, I saw Lou Lou in the stands, waving like I was her daughter about to go on stage to a recital the only thing she was missing was the camera.
And then I saw Mack. Starring at me in total dis belief and horror. He began to shake his head and I looked at him and mouthed “I love you”. He bowed his head, he knew what had to be done. In response he mouthed “I'm sorry”
“Me too” I said aloud as he approached me hands down to his side. We would fight and nothing would ever be the same between us, even if he let me win or if I let him beat me our relationship was never going to be the way he was. We shook hands and I told him
“Don't hold back anything”
The whistle was blown and we each took shots at each other, each one missed. He made contact with my chest below my ribs, not hard enough to really hurt just enough to knock the wind out of me. I stepped back, he did the same. I closed my eyes just for a moment to collect and my legs were out from underneath me instantly. Mack had me in a wrestling style head lock. Mack whispered to me
“You have to win, I don't care what happens to me just win”
So I flipped him off of me totally exposing his chest.
Hit 1. Shot to the top rib on the left side of the cage.
Hit 2. Nose, blood splattered everywhere; all over me.
Hit 3. Knee to his left side buckling him over to his side.
And before the ref could even call it a win I was done and got up off of him and walked right out of the arena and I can still hear the way Lou Lou cried
“How could you..?”
I haven't seen Lou Lou since that day, Mack went to the hospital after a fragment of his cracked rib was puncturing his lung. He died 3months later from infection, my best friend. After the fight with Mack I walked out of that warehouse and never looked back, Mack and I still watch movies on Saturday nights, we heard Lou Lou will be joining us soon.
I knew that frantic, neurotic voice anywhere. It was Lou Lou she was always at my fights even when I asked her not to she was there. Lou Lou was a frail girl all through school with her innocent blond hair lengthy body and blue eyes. I always was there to defend her.
“Angel! Hurry!”
My vision was blurry and I was blacking out, my opponent made a solid hit with my nose and I was bleeding way to much. But I started to sit up I knew I only had a few more seconds and the ref would let him back to finish me off.
I got up, staggered at first but stood ready to go after I wiped the blood; dripping from my face on the back of my hand. Chris my opponent lunged for my body but I swiftly stepped out of the way.
Hit 1. Elbow to the back right below the right shoulder blade, in pain leaving chest exposed.
Hit 2. Sharp hit to the low left rib cage, feeling his rib pop beneath my knuckles.
Hit 3. An upper cut to the jaw, possibly cracking the joints in the jaw.
Blood dripping from my hands some mine some his, it was over.
I was always the long shot, the under dog no one ever thought I would fallow after my brother, me with my soft brown curls, small but built body and little blue eyes. However, I've never lost a fight.
“I thought you were down that time, I almost shit my pants over there.” Lou Lou said rather proudly it seemed.
“I'm okay, I got to go talk to Buddy about who I'm fighting next.”
Don't let the name fool you he never has and never will be anyone's “buddy” hes strictly business. He's the scary looking guy you want to avoid at parties, or even at the grocery store he's just a big horrific looking man. Which is why you only willingly go in his office if you won him a lot of money in your fight.
“Hey Bud”
“It's Buddy and you know that, what do you want.” He said not even bothering to look up from his mound of papers on his desk.
“I won. Big money in it too, I gave it a real show let 'um hit me in my nose.”
“Try not to drip on my carpet, okay” He said a little nicer but still didn't look at me which was beginning to aggravate me.
“Ya wanna try looking at your fighters after they just won you a crap load of money?!”
“Sorry kid, I got to much work to do”
I walk across the room boiling with hate and furry, he didn't even have the decency to look at me. I slammed my blood encrusted knuckles on his desk.
“Look at me! My name is Angel you know damn well who I am and I don't need to be treated like this. Just tell me who I'm fighting next so I can get ready I don't need this.”
“Angel, your next fight is tomorrow and your fighting Mack DeTanto at 6, don't be late”
I couldn't even move, Mack DeTanto was my best friend since fourth grade. I told him everything I couldn't fight him, I wouldn't fight him. He was the gorgeous best friend that everyone had a crush on, floppy brown hair and bright green eyes all the girls loved to stare into. But I never saw him as anything more than that goofy kid I watched movies with on Saturday nights.
“Do I have a choice to decline the fight” I asked as innocently as possible.
He looks up at me and I feel like he's studying me.
“No, you don't have an option either you show up or you don't ever come back”
My heart dropped into my stomach, we all heard the horror stories about Jacob the guy who walked out on a fight and they found his body in the middle of the train tracks face beatin so badly that no one could tell who he was.
I walked out of Buddy's room without saying another word, and closed the door quietly behind me. Lou Lou was just as bubbly and oblivious as ever, I couldn't tell her about who I was fighting tomorrow she would blow it up out of proportion and make my life harder than it needed to be. My choice wasn't really clear at this point what I should do, but one thing was certain I was most definitely not going to get any sleep tonight.
After school I took the long way to the warehouse, trying to decide if I should even go. Mack was my, well he was my everything it would kill me inside to hurt him like I hurt all the other opponents. He was a straight B student and everyone liked him. On the football team, varsity quarter back for the Wombats. If I let him win Buddy would know I threw the fight and the consequences would be more severe. Pushing through the doors I knew what I was going to do. It was 5:54 when I walked into the arena where I would face Mack, I saw Lou Lou in the stands, waving like I was her daughter about to go on stage to a recital the only thing she was missing was the camera.
And then I saw Mack. Starring at me in total dis belief and horror. He began to shake his head and I looked at him and mouthed “I love you”. He bowed his head, he knew what had to be done. In response he mouthed “I'm sorry”
“Me too” I said aloud as he approached me hands down to his side. We would fight and nothing would ever be the same between us, even if he let me win or if I let him beat me our relationship was never going to be the way he was. We shook hands and I told him
“Don't hold back anything”
The whistle was blown and we each took shots at each other, each one missed. He made contact with my chest below my ribs, not hard enough to really hurt just enough to knock the wind out of me. I stepped back, he did the same. I closed my eyes just for a moment to collect and my legs were out from underneath me instantly. Mack had me in a wrestling style head lock. Mack whispered to me
“You have to win, I don't care what happens to me just win”
So I flipped him off of me totally exposing his chest.
Hit 1. Shot to the top rib on the left side of the cage.
Hit 2. Nose, blood splattered everywhere; all over me.
Hit 3. Knee to his left side buckling him over to his side.
And before the ref could even call it a win I was done and got up off of him and walked right out of the arena and I can still hear the way Lou Lou cried
“How could you..?”
I haven't seen Lou Lou since that day, Mack went to the hospital after a fragment of his cracked rib was puncturing his lung. He died 3months later from infection, my best friend. After the fight with Mack I walked out of that warehouse and never looked back, Mack and I still watch movies on Saturday nights, we heard Lou Lou will be joining us soon.