Page 92 of Silent Damage

But I can’t stop. The buzz has kicked in, and I’m fucking euphoric and ready to hear my fist crack against his face.

The sound of the crowd morphs into a long stretch of white noise, and my pounding heart sends vibrations throughout my body.

The ref enters, raises his arm, and the bell rings.

This is my space now.

My opponent lunges forward and connects with my face, sending me stumbling back.

This is my move.

Make it seem like I’m shell-shocked—like I wasn’t expecting the hit and now I’m rattled.

He grins and jets forward, but I leap, my right knee rising and connecting with his nose.

Crunch.

The white noise disappears, and the roar of the crowd consumes me.

Nobody was expecting that.

Especially not this poor fucker, whose blood gushes from his nose like a stream.

He stumbles about, not protecting his torso as he tries to catch his bearings, so I swoop in and connect a right hook to his ribs, feeling the crack against my fist.

He falls to his knees, his hands landing on his injured ribs, so I hit him with a left hook to the head, and he hits the ground.

The bell rings—he’s out fucking cold.

Poor fucker.

The dude only got one swing in, and I let it happen.

I pump my fists in the air, basking in the glory, until I remember there’s another match.

And I’m about to face off with the biggest man I’ve ever seen.

I rush to the bench and chug a bottle of water, but my eyes trail to big-fuck, and I catch him smiling sadistically at me.

“Ready to die?” he asks.

I grip the plastic bottle and reply, “Ready to get embarrassed?”

“Oh, he’s a shit-talker—love rearranging the face of a little fuck with an attitude.”

“You talk a big game considering the fight hasn’t even started.”

“This fight shouldn’t even happen,” he says. “You’ll be a stain on the floor by the time I’m through with you—they should call it off now and show some fucking mercy to a kid who's about to be a vegetable.”

I toss the bottle onto the ground and point. “Look, asshole, if you don’t shut—”

Someone grabs my arm and turns me to face them.

Gabe.

My breath hitches. His pale face looks even whiter than usual.

“Huh? I thought you left.”