Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Adam pushed the door open for me and the second I stepped foot into the place, yells, cheers and shouts engulfed me.

I tugged at the hoodie’s sleeves and shrunk back into its warmth, trying to seek comfort as adrenaline rushed through me at my familiar surroundings.

I love this place but the fact that I’m not alone as I stroll through the place is bothering me.

There’s a reason why I use a nickname in this place and do not associate with the people inside the building when I meet them anywhere but here.

I stuck to Adam’s side, trying to blend in for once as we walked through the crowd. Adam was having a hard time finding his cousin and I was beyond anxious while Jake, Dom and Monic trailed behind us.

I didn’t like her coming with but she finally wormed her way into a loop hole and got her pass. This place is anything but safe and I wouldn’t forgive myself if anything happens to my baby sister. She’s just a kid and she isn’t supposed to be exposed to these types of dangers.

She can go to jail, get beat up, die and all that shit. She deserves none of it and although I know she’s capable of defending herself but I’m still not comfortable with her being around buff guys that seem like they can break a brick with a flick of their hands.

My train of thoughts was interrupted by a rough calloused hand clasping my wrist and gripping it tight.

Looking back, I saw a stranger, a bulky one at that. I looked around for Adam and the others but it seemed that I lost them halfway through the crowd.

I have got to stop being out of it in random places.

“What do you want?” I snapped at the stranger after a failed attempt in trying to locate a certain brown mob of hair.

In what I’ve observed so far, his steps were slightly off balance, his posture was slumped and he was slurring incoherent words but I was able to make out a few words which I think was supposed to be, “Let’s ditch and have fun, sexy.”

I scrunched my face up in disgust and wrenched my hand away swiftly. I decided that I wanted to quote a TV Show instead of retorting stupidly .

“You repel me,” I whispered it in the stranger’s ear before pushing him lightly backwards, causing him to stumble a bit and fall onto his butt. I pivoted my heels and continued my search for Adam and found him talking with a guy that was somehow familiar and yet has a few features that reminds me of Adam. I guess he found his cousin. Though I still can’t shake the feeling of having met him somewhere, I shrugged it off and approached the two.

When I was a foot away from them, Adam finally saw me and waved me over.

“Hey, I lost you there for a minute.”

Boy, you have no idea.

“Did I miss something?”

Yes, you ass-butt. “Nope, you didn’t miss anything.”

He hummed, looking at me suspiciously but I managed to ignore his stare and he finally decided to introduce me.

“Zac, this is Cassandra. Nerd, this is my cousin, Zachariah.”

I offered a small smile and prayed that the hoodie hid half of my face enough that he won’t recognize me from somewhere and ask me questions.

His brows furrowed and I could’ve sworn my heart skipped a beat. I know him.

Shit.

I know him.

Shit.

My mind finally decided to work and put two and two together, throwing me back to the time I fought here a week ago.

Shit.

He stretched out a hand and I meekly took it before quickly pulling my hand back after a decent amount of time of gripping it and shuffled on my foot, discreetly taking a few steps back and listened to the two talking.

“Yeah dude, it’s a pity you didn’t visit this place earlier. She was amazing, her moves were unpredictable and I bet you 50 bucks you wouldn’t be able to beat her!” Zac seemed to be really animated when he’s telling a story since he was flailing his hands around, trying to create some effect or something.

“Bro, just because she kicked your ass doesn’t mean she’ll be able to kick mine.”

I watched them bicker and wondered if my suspicion was correct and that they were talking about me but I didn’t want to pry and attract any more attention more than what’s necessary by joining into the conversation so I kept my mouth shut and let the question circle my head instead.

I watched on the fight that’s happening then. The fight was between two girls which was rare since there wasn’t much of us in this place. One was a blonde but I could tell that she was experienced by how she seemed to calculate every move. Her strikes were amazingly accurate and she hit every spot that would injure the other female fatally.

The other had jet black hair which was tied in a ponytail. She wasn’t an easy opponent either. She blocked the hits swiftly and stole every opportunity she got to land a few blows on blondie there.

“It’s a tough fight.” I mused silently. The dark haired girl there had blood running from her nose and blondie was bruised pretty badly.

Finally, blondie landed the final blow and her opponent went hurtling to the ground. The bell rang and the crowd went wild like always. My ears rang because of the noises but I didn’t bother cringing.

They both got down after shaking hands and the next people were called. The people signing up here tend to not use their personal names because of the obvious reasons. It’s stupid to give personal information to people who can sneak into your house and kill you in your sleep.

So when someone called “Darth Vader” was called, I thought nothing of it until I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.

I turned to Adam, “Wish me luck!” I heard him shout over the music and he winked. He stepped up to the ‘stage’ and got ready. I stood there, mouth agape, did he...? He did not- he did.

I stood beside the others, watching Adam’s match, my face hooded and my expression guarded.

He was surprisingly good. In 15 seconds flat, Adam managed to land his opponent on his ass and busted his lip and since I wasn’t like any other girl, I actually paid attention to what was happening instead of ogling his sculpted body which, by the way, sported clearly defined abs and an obvious V line. Holy hell, the guy had a fine piece of ass. *awkward cough* right, not checking him out. Nope, not at all.

I focused back on his moves and the bell rang after a minute, signaling his victory while he stepped down from the stage after flashing the crowd his pearly white grin and flexing his arms, showing off his biceps before making his way towards us.

He slung his arm around my shoulder after throwing on a V-neck, knowing that I watched the entire thing. “So, what do you think about my fighting skills?” He asked smugly.

I pretended to be unimpressed and shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve seen better,”

I heard a scoff and a snort following. I smirked inwardly, knowing my statement took a chunk out of his ego.

I turned my attention back at the guys and saw a pair of eyes staring at me behind my group of friends. I instantly knew it was the drunken creep that grabbed me by my wrist but now, he doesn’t seem drunk. It was as if he didn’t drink a drop of alcohol to begin with. His eyes seem to pierce right through me and he was standing up straight, not staggering and his body posture was perfectly upright. The problem is that it’s only been half an hour. No one could’ve been that sober in just half an hour even if they vomited their guts out, they would’ve at the very least looked like they were about to hurl a second time. I felt goose bumps rose up my arms as I rushed all of them out of the building and into their vehicles, especially Monic.

“Jake, drive. Drive fast and drive far, take Monic to somewhere safe and make sure you get her there in one piece or so God help me, I will cut your balls off and shove it up your ass, got it?”

He looked confused but obliged as he rushed both of them in the car and buckled in.

“Case? What’s going on? What about you?” She asked frantically.

“I’ll be fine, Mo. I’ll call you later but if you don’t hear from me by the next 24 hours, stay with Jake and stay safe, stay under the radar. Remember the drill, sis. I love you.” I kissed her forehead, sticking my head in from the car window that they brought with them here. If there was something going down tonight, there would be no way in hell that my little cousin was going to witness it.

She nodded back and whispered an ‘I love you too and be safe’ before Jake took off and left me with Dominic, Adam and Zac. I faced them and both of them had the same identical confused looks.

“Case, what’s going on?” Dom asked cautiously and approached me slowly as if I’m a bomb that’s about to blow up.

“Dom, stay with Monic and make sure she’s safe. Tail their car.” I ordered him.

He shook his head no and took another step towards me. “I’m not leaving you, Case.”

I glanced back at Adam, pleading him to leave and not interfere in case anything happens but he stood his ground and shook his head stubbornly.

I heard a door shut with a loud bang and my whole body jolt with surprise. I whipped my head towards the sound but I turned too soon and the hoodie fell off my head, unveiling my half hidden face.

I heard an incoherent sound coming from my right and I was sure it was Zac and I almost groaned out of frustration but I tried holding it in, it wasn’t the time for it.

“Y-you’re her!” Zac exclaimed in disbelief.

No shit, sherlock.

I scolded my mind. Not the time bro. We have a possible serial killer in front of us right now so keep your head out of the sass pool.

I sized the guy up and down to calculate the danger he might inflict. He was big and his eyes seem to be sharp and experienced which just increased my anxiety to a whole new level. God, why couldn’t you give me a sexist and cocky opponent that underestimates girls so that I can easily knock him out and go home to my tub of ice cream?

“Well if it isn’t the famous Pixie. What? Aren’t you supposed to be the town’s best street fighter? Come fight me, little one.” He taunted and beckoned me to come closer.

Like hell I will, you pedophilic bitch.

I narrowed my eyes at him, “What do you want?” I spat. “It’s simple really. I just want you to fight me.”

My eyes narrowed into slits and my brows furrowed. It’s too easy. Something was off about this and anyone can smell the fishiness evident in this so called shit.

“Again, what do you want?” I asked slowly but this time, it was nothing like my usual quiet and uncaring voice. The dangerous tone underneath my voice kept everyone quiet.

I could literally feel Adam’s eyes burning into the back of my head and I could feel the tension in the air surrounding him.

I forced myself to not look back and focus on the threat. I’ll deal with him later.

When the man stayed silent, standing there with an amused smirk instead and didn’t seem to be answering my question anytime soon, I growled in annoyance and finally snapped.

“Fine, you want a fight? Let’s get you a fight.” I straightened up and lifted my arms in a crisscross way and gripped the bottom of Adam’s grey hoodie. I peeled it off my body and threw it backwards, knowing Adam will catch it.

I rolled up my sleeves and tied the bottom of my shirt into a knot, my nerd façade was dropped and all nerdy characteristics were flushed from my being.

It was like being stripped of a suit that I had been wearing my whole life and now that I’m showing the world who I really am, it was like I’m taking of an armor and leaving me bare, nothing to protect me from the knives of the universe.

I couldn’t do anything with my pants so I let them be and tied my hair into a high ponytail.

When I was done preparing myself, I lifted my gaze to face my opponent and stretched out my hand and beckoned him with my index and middle finger.

Game on, bitch.