Loving Kinnick

That's What Getting Your Ass Knocked Out Looks Like

"He likes you!"

I couldn't get a grasp on his attitude or the way he made me feel. Chrissy and I didn't arrive at our seats before the lights dimmed. The announcer's voice echoed through the building. We stumbled over people's feet while we rushed for our seats.

The lack of space between the seats is suffocating. Luckily, John reserved a row in front of the ring. Chrissy pulled me into a chair before I could panic at the proximity.

When the other fighter stepped out of the corridor, the crowd clapped, and a few screamed. The arena, however, didn't come to life until white lights flickered through the building and a beat rumbled through the ground.

The white spotlights focused on the eastside entrance. A blanket of smoke covered the corridor like a curtain. Kinnick stepped out, punching the air. The smoke crawling over his skin with every hit. Unlike his opponent, he didn't step out wearing a flashy cover-up but a sleek black robe with his last name written on the back.

Chrissy lost it from beside me. It encouraged me to join in. My screams were drowned out by the rest of the crowd. Kinnick's emotionless face pulled into a smile. The skin around the edges of his lips crinkled with the bigger his grin grew. His head turned towards our directions. He heard our screams of support.

I gave him a double thumbs-up. He mouthed, 'this one's for you,' before gripping the top rope and hurling himself over.

His opponent stepped back as if he intimidated him. Kinnick's grin told me he enjoyed it. I would have given up if it were me he was smiling at me like that. John made it clear, Kinnick has a six-inch reach advantage, and he dominated in height.

Girls cried out his name. I wasn't oblivious to the one who tried hurling her bra at the ring. Chris assured me it was nothing, but I didn't care, he's not mine. I can't say it didn't make me jealous though.

"On the left in gold shorts, standing at five-foot-eight, weighing in at one-hundred and ninety-pounds, Levi 'Golden Boy' Anderson!"

The crowd cheered for him, but not like they did when Kinnick was announced.

"And in the right corner, wearing black shorts, standing at six-foot-four, weighing in at two-hundred and two pounds, the undefeated heavyweight, Kinnick 'the Hawkeye' Carson!"

The fighters touched gloves before the bell rang. I witnessed Kinnick fall into a state of mind where the person in front of him was nothing but a target. The look brewing in his eyes made me wonder if that's why paramedics waited anxiously on the side of the ring.

When Levi landed a jab on Kinnick, people sensed the tension and stood on their feet. Except, the hit didn't affect him and he patted his cheek, wanting Levi to hit him again. I couldn't make out the words falling from his lips but it made his opponent throw a sloppy combination of one-twos.

Levi landed an upper-cut on Kinnick's jaw, making his head snap back.

The crowd went silent, not a person from Levi's team cheered him on. We watched the referee stalk towards Kinnick, but my body shivered with fear when his head fell forward and a wicked grin played on his lips.

I watched the muscles in Levi's shoulders ripple as he threw a punch towards Kinnick. He didn't plan on it being deflected, but it was. My eyes squeezed shut, refusing to see the next events unfold. A cracking sound made my skin crawl.

"Is he breathing?" Someone cried out. "Help him!"

My eyes shot open to see Kinnick standing over Levi's body. The rise and fall of his chest is faint. A stretcher was slid into the ring, along with a few nurses.