Cry-Baby

Chapter 17

"You just need to stretch it a little more."

"It hurts! Stop." Clyde was pleading as I was trying to put on his shirt. Well, my dad's shirt actually. He had told me he wasn't going to stop fighting because he was good and it made him money blah blah blah. But I remember how it was hurting his mom, although she didn't know he was a fighter, and it was physically hurting him. Plus, he didn't need the money, he apparently had more than enough. And since he said he could leave he will leave.

"No, you have to get ready." This boy was being a baby. How did he expect me to just let him sit the whole day as a vegetable because 'his muscles hurt,' when he was actually a  fighter? I'm pretty sure when he got punched in the face he didn't say 'owwy, it hurts, stop, I want my mommy.' Such a drama queen. I forced his arm up in one swift movement and he took a quick intake of breath.

He looked at me with wide eyes, "F#cking b!tch!"

I rolled my eyes and ignored him. I put the shirt on him, while he was still grunting and finally got it on. "Okay, now let's stand you up." I grabbed his arm to help him up. Prior to helping him get dressed, I had gotten dressed. I was wearing some dress pants with a button-up shirt tucked in and some flats. I felt the need to look proffessional during this.

With much time and difficulty, I got him to stand up. "If you really want to waltz into the club and tell them I'm quitting, can we wait till I can actually move better?" I had let him go, and he was limping around a bit. I wonder who he fought.

"No, we are going now. And you're driving." He was wearing his jeans from yesterday since they weren't too bad, his shirt was black to match mine, and he was wearing his sneakers. He looked prepared for this.

"Really? Why can't you drive?"

"I don't have a license, or permit." He frowned. I lied. I had a permit, but it experied a week ago.

"I don't have a car right now." He tried again.

"We're going in my mom's car."

"If we crash and die, that's your fault. Oh and if we get jumped at the club," He limped over to me at the door, "Well, I just hope you're okay with broken bones." He whispered and walked out. Thanks for that.


After a much longer time than I had intended, we finally made it to one of the main buildings that holds some power. It was really just a warehouse and it screamed do not enter.

We were walking fairly slowly, as Clyde acted like he could walk well, but by doing it slowly. His face still looked pretty screwed up, but that was okay. As we got closer to the door I started to get nervous. What was I doing? Clyde hasn't even asked me to do this. Well, he wasn't really complaining anymore about it. But he could do this himself. But, if that were the case he wouldn't. What if we did get beat up? What would I tell my mom? I hadn't really thought anything through.

"Alex." Clyde said from beside me. I hadn't even realized we were at the door. "Calm down." He opened the door for me to enter.

I took a silent breath and walked in. It wasn't too bad on the inside, just looked abandoned. We went to this really rusty looking elevator and Clyde pushed the down button. It opened up at the same moment, and inside it looked terrible. There were some bloodstains on the dark wallpaper surrounding the inside and it didn't seem to be stable. Plus the light overhead was flickering with a buzzing sound.

"Can we take the stairs?" I asked, not wanting to die in an elevator. I didn't really have a fear for elevators, but this one was pretty exceptional to change that.

"I can hardly walk and you want me to take stairs? No." He went inside and I regretfully followed him. He clicked the basement button and with a small jolt, we were going down.

I said some silent prayers, and held onto the back railing for dear life. So much for becoming calm.

It opened and I nearly ran out. Clyde returned by my side and I had the chance to look around. It was very dark, and it smelled very moldy, and sweaty. The air was very thick and it just reeked in general. I saw a ring in the middle, and there were blood stains everywhere. There weren't many chairs and there were some rooms along the side. I saw even more blood on walls and I started to feel really nauseous.

"Let's go back." I turned to Clyde. I did not belong here, nor would I try to belong here.

"No this is fun." He smirked and continued walking. I noticed some people talking beside one corner, they all had cigarrettes. They looked over at us, silencing their conversation.

"Clyde." One said, a smile appearing on his face.

"Who's the hot piece of @ss you have with you?" Another said, licking his crusty lips. I started to feel even more nervous. I grabbed onto Clyde's hand and went to stand slightly behind him. We were still approaching them and I really wanted to turn around.

"Keep your old pervet eyes in your head before I rip them out. She's with me." Clyde's tone was menacing and scary. Dammit Clyde. Why was he instigating a fight when he was in no shape to do so? He could have said something nicer.

"What happened to your eye?" Another guy asked. There were four of them, to be exact. I really hope the guy we need to talk to wasn't like these guys.

"A cheap shot from Luis. Is Bobby in?" He spoke in an uncaring manner. Like he didn't really like these guys.

"In his room." The same guy answered pointing to the right of them.

We walked passed them and I felt something smack hard against my butt. I looked back shocked staring into the guy who had called me a 'hot piece of @ss.' He smiled and licked his crusty lips again.

Before I could react, Clyde's fist went straight across his face. He fell to the floor and Clyde was on top of him. He started punching him repeatedly in the face. The other guys were just watching, and I was getting scared. Clyde had become a senseless, raging, cold-blooded fighter. The guy was getting worse by the second.

"Clyde! Come on!" I grabbed him and started to lift him off of him. He stopped and got up. His eyes had become nearly black and I wasn't sure how to react. I was scared and wanted to go home.

He silently followed me in the direction of, apparently, Bobby's room. I guess adrenaline had taken over and he wasn't feeling pain anymore. A big part of me wanted to break down and start crying, but I knew this was not the place.

He opened the door without knocking, and Bobby was sitting down in a big chair, counting money.

"Clyde!" He greeted setting his money in a drawer of his desk. "Come sit." He gestured at the three chairs that were in front of his desk. We sat down, and I looked over at Clyde who still didn't look too happy. "What do you need?" He looked at him, probably a bit confused judgind by Clyde's angry face.

Seeing how this was indeed an actual business type thing, I don't think my mom would like to hear that I was in such a place. My dad would probably pay to have me home schooled, while grounding me forever. Not to mention how I would get my @ss beat.

"She wants to talk to you." He looked at me, his frown not really fading.

"And who are you, gorgeous?" He said politely, giving me a smile. 

"I'm," I paused. Should I really give him my name? "I'm Clyde's manager." I lied. I was still nervous, but that lie felt right. I was all dressed up too. Maybe I could play the part of an in charge manager, even though this place was scary, dangerous, bloody, dirty, uninviting, and.. Stop Alex. Don't make yourself nervous again.

"Manager?" He chuckled, and I saw Clyde was smiling too. "I've never seen you before."

"I don't like to be in places like this. The people lack mannerisms and its dirty and smelly." I stuck my head up, really getting into my part. "I stay out of these places, but I handle's Clyde business from the outside."

"But, your only 13. How can you be a manager?" His polite tone wasn't as fully there, but I suppose he was just trying to figure out what was going on."

"Um, not 13. But you see, it's not too easy to just find many adults who want to manage such a thing. Not only that, ones who are smart." The lies were just flowing out and it made me happy how fast I could think on my feet. "Although I am not an adult, which you shouldn't mind since you have underaged people in this establishment, I am close to Clyde and am smart enough to manage him." I looked at Clyde who was smiling in astonishment at me.

"Okay." I looked back at Bobby, who didn't seem to know what to say. "So why are you here?"

"You see Bobby," I used his name to show my knowledge, "Although I cannot reveal what this something is," Because there wasn't something, "Something has come up for Clyde. And this something prevents him from also fighting. Now I don't mean to disrespect you or make a fool out of this business that you have here, but I must regretfully inform you that he will not be able to fight here or in any of the other places he's been fighting in anymore." A whole wave of relief washed over me after I finally said what I came here to say.

"Clyde is one of my better fighters, I can't..."

"Bobby." Clyde spoke up finally. "I'm sorry. But this something," He looked over at me when he said that, "is important, and I'm going to need you to understand and take me off your list." His tone was firm and in charge. His businesslike composure was really cool on him.

"Clyde, we're gonna miss you. And I guess I can't force you stay, but you can come back whenever you want." Bobby said and stood up. I followed and shook his hand, followed by Clyde.

"Thank you for your understanding." I said and held the door open for Clyde. We walked out and made our way to the elevator. We passed by the guys that were talking on the way. The one Clyde beat up was holding a rag to his face.

Clyde held my hand and led me through. They got quiet once again, but this time no one spoke up. We made it in the elevator and he was still holding my hand. I was going to tell him that he could let go but I realized I didn't want him to. I grabbed his hand back and stayed like that.

He finally let go when we were in the car and he started it up. "So, you're not in pain anymore I see." I said smiling.

He smiled and looked at me. I poked his dimple. "Not anymore, thankfully." He swat my hand away.

"Well, it will later. Just so you know."

"Oh. Thanks for that." He frowned now. I just laughed. "Oh, and your whole story back there was pretty bad@ss." He smiled at me again and I smiled back.

We got to my house and I went around to his side of the car. He tossed me the keys.

"So, thanks I guess. Manager." He teased and I rolled my eyes.

I pulled him into a hug breathing in his scent. "Your welcome." He hugged me back. I pulled back, still hugging him to look at him. I had a cheesy smile on my face and he was smirking. We looked deeply into each others eyes, well I only saw mostly one since the other was bruised, and I saw an emotion there that I hadn't ever seen reflected off of his green eyes. He leaned in, and my heart started beating faster. He moved back in the next second and released me.

"I'm going home." He almost whispered and in the next second turned around and left. He waved his hand back without turning and was gone, leaving me standing there. I went into my house and plopped down on the sofa. I had felt the effects of adrenaline too.

I couldn't believe what I just did today. It was too much to think about. How that pervert even touched me, and how Clyde could have seriously hurt him. How I lied to Bobby and got Clyde out of a fight club.

How when I was hugging Clyde, part of me wanted him to lean in more.