The Boxer (editing)

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

After Ray had calmed me down, he had me stretching and hit me with some jokes to warm me up again. Once again, he pried about Charlie.

"I don't know why you're being so annoying about this, you're overreacting."

Ray chuckled, "I just want you to know that I approve of you having another friend. But if something is going to happen, you better let me know, he can't distract you."

"This is awkward. I don't want a weird boy talk with you." 

"I agree with that, I'll be honest." Ray chuckled and we both smiled. Ray prepped me with stretches, "I don't need you to focus on anything else but the fight. You'll be great, of course you would be."

My heart swelled in my chest at his caring words, "Of course I'll be great, because you trained me." The sensation of someone believe in me was unusual but gave me a warm proud feeling in my gut.

"Go kill 'em." Ray grinned with pride pulling me into a reassuring hug. 

Climbing back into the ring, it was like the world went quiet. The lights over the people were off, leaving only the twinkling lights of their phones to help me see their faces. The bright lights in the ring shone over my opponent and I.

"Fair play, ladies. You know the rules, ten counts and you're done. Watch the hair." The referee reminded, I bared my teeth at him. I had been to male fights he's had to ref, and he never said stuff like that. Every fight of mine he had done, he would drop a slightly sexist comment. He eyed me at my evident aggression, "Green, watch yourself." His ugly brown eyes took me in with that disgusting sexualizing glare. 

Men.

At the sharp ring of the bell, I snapped into focus mode. My opponent squared up which was her first mistake. Rule number one for all you newbs, never square up, always stay at an angle. You have to leave your non-dominant side forward and your dominant foot to the back to keep you at that angle, if you're square, bam. Hit right in the gut. Angela, I think her name was, and I never lost eye contact, even when I faked a jab. Before she could recover from the stumble, I dropped my right shoulder to slam an uppercut at her chin. When my hit landed, the cringeworthy sound of bottom teeth hitting top teeth with an unpleasant force hit my ears. 

Angela, poor thing, made an "ooph" sound but launched a hook at my head but I ducked and used that moment to swiftly strike her ribs with a right hook. After she regained her balance, I received a jab in the face. It didn't hurt that much, so my rebound was to send a three part combo to her torso to weaken. 

We spent the mid part of the fight tossing hits back and forth. I could have ended the fight earlier with the drive from my frustration about my knee but I also needed to take it slow to control myself before my knee got worse. I could feel the tightness in my knee get worse and with my free second I shot a panicked glance to Ray, he quickly caught on and yelled out to me, "End it and you'll be fine! You can do this, Kid." 

I took a deep breath before squatting lower in my stance and walked forward while smashing body shot after body shot to the torso with all the power I could muster, we had two rounds left but if I could end it now I'd be fine. My stamina was hard to beat in the region and after I stopped with the body shots, Angela was too frazzled to regain herself and my right arm lifted to deliver a swift hook to her face. My right hook was not something to be messed with apparently because down she went.

Ten counts, she was down, and I succeeded. I felt bad though, our fight was mismatched. Angela's stats were not the best, her coach didn't have her best interest if they matched her with me. But this was an opportunity to make a new friend.