dude. You might run with Landry, but he’s not in charge here.”
The leather jacket punk looks to Holden for confirmation. Landry nods and jerks his head to the ring. His friend picks at random and kicks one of the fighters back into the crowd. Before he’s done, I’m stepping in, mouth pulled in a jagged, wild curve.
I square up with the guy who entered after Student Council was KO’d. He’s bigger than me, bulkier, but he’s tired. He swings and I dodge, smirk stretching wider. A flash of worry crosses my opponent’s face. He backs off a couple of steps, trying to lure me in. I don’t take the obvious bait, instead waiting for him to come at me again. When he does, I pop him in the chin.
A fist comes against my forearm as I block his blow, but I make a mistake in my stance, giving a clean opening for the guy to punch my face. Shit, I don’t even care if I bruise. Maybe I’ll get real lucky and it’ll last long enough to make me look extra good next to Mom for her stupid fucking campaign benefit.
I spit into the dirt and swipe my hand beneath my nose to catch the trickle of blood. It comes away bright red, smeared across my knuckles. A minor blood vessel injury, nothing serious. When I chuckle, the guy backs off again, glancing at Landry.
No one wants to fight crazy. It’s different than angry. Unpredictable. Dangerous.
Come the fuck at me, bro.
I lift a hand and wave him back for more. “Come on, I won’t bite.”
“No biting,” Landry’s surly friend barks.
A sharp laugh punches from my gut. I gesture to Landry’s friend, appealing to my opponent. “See, no biting. It’s in the rules. Let’s fucking go, big guy. Time to dance.”
The match starts back up and I go hard, unleashing everything I’ve got until I can see the fear creeping into my opponent’s wide eyes. We go long enough that every one of his punches result from desperation as the crowd screams and cheers. Their shouts are drowned out by the pounding pulse in my ears.
Sweet oblivion comes when I use my fists to channel the anger out. I’m the kind of fucked up monster that takes enjoyment in making the guy I’m fighting think I might actually kill him with my bare hands. It’s not his fault I’m like this, I don’t even see his face when I throw a punch. Every time I do, I’m right back to that afternoon I caught Mom and Damien and lost it.
My next hit clocks the guy across his red, swollen cheek and he goes down in a slump. Everyone erupts in a deafening ruckus of screams, celebrating another win. Landry stands off to my left at the edge of the clearing, hands propped on his hips. He’s probably pissed I didn’t mention wanting in on tonight, only blackmailed him into a cut of the winnings. If he’d known, he would have made a bigger killing.
I stand over my opponent, panting. He’s out cold. Damn, I wanted that to go longer. I glance up, scanning the crowd for the next challenger.
It takes almost the entire two minute allowance, but as the crowd grows restless, hungry for more brutality, someone else enters the clearing.
My mouth curves wickedly and I square up for the next round.
Six
Thea
Sweat beads along my temples and makes the baby hairs falling from my messy bun curl against my skin, sticking to the back of my neck as I walk Constantine through the neighborhood. Something Beautiful by Tori Kelly plays in my earbuds as we amble along in the uncomfortable afternoon heat, the soulful girl power song helping me forget any self-consciousness for my outfit. It’s too hot out to cover up, so I’m in high waist yoga leggings and a billowy boatneck crop top over a sports bra.
Luckily, the neighborhood is pretty quiet this time of day. It’s shortly after school let out, and too early for people to be home from work, so no one will see me like this. It’s just me, my chunky rottweiler, and the sprawling manicured lawns bordered by natural landscaping rather than fence lines to avoid interrupting the effect of money at work. I swipe my arm over my forehead and emit a tiny groan. Maybe I’ll whip up homemade ice cream when we get back. Pumpkin ice cream sounds so good right now.
Constantine doesn’t mind the heat, happily keeping pace at my side