Not The Same Girl

Chapter 4

The road to The Ring is so familiar to me I could drive it with my eyes closed, it is a 30 minute drive to a warehouse just outside of town. When I pull up the guard Gerry, quickly walks over to another one of the abandoned warehouses on this street, he taps twice on the door, before it opens, allowing me to park Suzi inside. I have been coming here with Mark since I was about 12 years old, so most knew me, only a few people got the inside parking, and since it was quite a dangerous area to just leave a car, if you get a parking, people tend to hang onto it. Once I parked Suzi I hoped off, hanging my helmet on the handlebars, I walk over to give Gerry a hug. "Hey Gerry, how are you?" I smile up at him as he walks with me toward the entrance. "I'm good, sweetie, be safe tonight. I'll see you before you leave." I smile in thanks as he opens the back door for me, which enters through the kitchen.

Mark was one of the first people to join the ring back when it just started, so he knew everyone, which turned into me knowing everyone. I smile in greeting as a few familiar faces are keeping busy in the kitchen, before I step out onto the main floor. The loud shouts of men and women quickly fill my ears and I cant stop the grin that spreads across my face. The outside might look like a piece of shit, but the inside is anything but. In the middle of this huge room is a massive fighting cage, which is currently filled by two huge men beating the shit out of each other. Around the cage, are wooden benches spread out for the spectators I guess you can call them. There are three open bars, one on each side of the room and the last wall is where you can find the kitchen for some grub as most men here like to call it. Off the right of the kitchen against the wall is the staircase leading up to the second floor. The second floor is laid out like a balcony wrapping right around the inside of the building, making it the prime spot to watch the fights that take place. Upstairs there is another bar, and a few waiters who will take your food order. The screams of the people are getting louder which means the end of the fight is close. I smile to myself as I walk up to the guard standing before the staircase and smile up at the biggest man I know. Matthew is an African man who stands at an easy 6'7ft he is built like a brick shit house with a permanent frown stitched across his light caramel skin. "Well, well, well to what do I owe this pleasure tonight sugar?" He asks with a friendly smile stretching across his face, "Haven't seen you in a while now have I?" He asks again with a playful glint in his eyes. "Ah Matty, dear old Matty I am a senior in high school now, studies and all that jazz, I can't possibly be running around looking at big old men trying to fight every night." I say with a straight face, waiting for Matt to break first, first it is just a chuckle before he blows up with that belly laugh, I have come to know. "Sugar, you are something else. Studies my ass I happen to know you were here every night last week." He says raising his eyebrows at me in question. I smile with a shrug. "There were a few fights lined up for me, two fell through but I won the other three." "I heard, congratulations." He says with a big smile which I gladly return. "Off you go now, be safe and scream if you need me." He tells me just before he moves out of the way so I can climb up the stairs.

When I reach the top, I greet a few familiar faces before taking my normal seat next to the railing where I can clearly see the entire fight. As I looked down now, they were dragging the previous loser off by his legs. "Hi Ray." The pretty waitress Jenna says as she places my beer in front of me. "Hey Jenna, how are you?" I ask back with a small smile on my face. She is a few years older than I am, probably twenty-six if I had to guess. She really is pretty, with her blonde hair and green eyes. She's tall as well with a killer body, like most waitresses here are. This place is after all run by a few men. "Good, good, Malika told me she misses you." She said with a small smile. I smile back at her thinking about her 5-year-old little girl with her curly blond hair and hazel eyes that I have babysat a few times over the years. "Tell her I'll stop by as soon as I can." "Sure thing, Ray. Call if you need anything." She smiles one last time before moving to another table.