Divided

:Chapter Twelve:

*****

Breakfast goes by a lot faster after that. Not as awkward. Well, until Derrick walks in. Almost his whole face is swollen and bruised. He has cuts down his throat and his eyes are vivid red. Yet, despite all that, he still has a vicious smile spread across his face. My eyes are wide as I turn my head to look at Nick, who wears a proud, almost amused smile as he watches Derrick struggle to eat. "I heard you guys got into a fight but this..." I say quieter then I mean to.

Nick looks at me with a new sort of fire behind his eyes. "I got a few hits in."

Everyone walks to training in silence. Fighting day. It seems like nothing after this matters even though I'm sure it does. I get to the yard first, and stop before I enter. Nick runs into me forcing me forward before he freezes behind me. There is a huge metal arena about 100 feet around in the middle of the field, all our training stuff is moved to the corners. I walk slowly to the outside of the arena and stop. I feel along the glass separating there and here. This can't be good. I can see myself slamming someone's head into that wall. When everyone is here, Matthew and Bruce walk into the yard from another entrance across the fence. I catch Matthews's eye and put on an awkward smile. He nods as I turn my focus onto Bruce. His steps are quick and calculated in a sickening rhythm that almost scares me. Like he could break me with the touch of his pinkie.

"As I'm sure you have figured out, if you didn't already know, today is fight day. Between today and tomorrow you will have one chance to fight everyone on the opposing team. Today you well each have five fights, and tomorrow another five. Total scores well be given out two days after the last fight. We have a list of fights that's going to appear on the wall in front of you in a second here, but first I'm going to explain the rules." He says folding his arms.

"Only the two people who are fighting are allowed inside the rink. No bringing in outside weapons. No leaving the rink until I call the fight off. The fight ends when one person has been pinned on the floor for ten seconds straight." He finishes, pointing his finger towards the wall. The glass lights up in blue and white as soon his hand hovers over it, revealing a chart. 

Hanna - Thomas

Shawn – Ash

Gavin – Kelly

Marvin - Nick

Derrick – Liberty

I purse my lips and smile. I'm going to kill Derrick. My chance has come. Bruce waves his hand at the wall up and down, scrolling through the list. I count fifty total, five each. I'm up against Derrick, Theo, Shawn and two people I haven't met before. I'm not excited about fighting Shawn, but at least Nick is in my group so I won't have to fight him.

"First up is Hanna and Thomas. I'd advise the rest of you to watch and pick up some tips from the winners." Hanna walks from the other side into the rink. She is small, but powerful. I can see it in the way she carries herself that she plans on winning, mercy is not in her vocabulary. Her long dirty blonde hair is pulled messily into a ponytail and her arms are out in front of her preparing to fight, even though Thomas is not even in the rink yet. He steps wearily up to the door hesitating before stepping inside. He's not big, only slightly taller than her, but he looks terrified. She walks around him with her fists up  to protect her face. It's almost like a dance. A dance of destruction. I watch her in awe as she runs up and sweep kicks under his feet, knocking him off balance and onto the ground. He struggles to get back up but she has her foot pressed against his neck. I watch him struggle until Bruce calls the fight.