ALEXAKIS.I was late to work the next day, having overslept in the cave the previous night. The den was bustling with regulars - at least they were the same faces I'd seen every day since I started coming here. Liam, one of the bartenders, gave me a cursory glance, before going back to cleaning down his space. I sighed as I ambled slowly through the bodies, heading straight for the locker room. Angelo had put up a 'No smoking' right outside the door but that made it the smoking joint for the punks that frequented the fighting den - even though the locker rooms were technically meant for the workers. Only. My hand pressed into the sign as I pushed the door open, stepping into a cloud of smoke from someone's cigarette. I struggled to hold my breath as I stopped further into the room, throwing my bag on a bench beside my locker. One of the other fighters walked up to me, wrapping bandages around his hands. Timothy, although all the guys call him Motty, had been fighting here since he w

CLAIRE.Evie told the whole school that I was addled with some sort of disease and my life had gone worse from then on. I'd been mocked, laughed at, insulted. The only good thing in my life currently was Scott who had been the most supportive boyfriend ever. Infact, he'd started withdrawing from Evie and I could tell that she'd noticed and it angered her because her childish cruelty at home had increased, so much so that I barely ever went to sleep completely, lest she came into my room to do something diabolical. The last time she'd come into my room this week, I'd forgotten to turn the lock, she'd trashed my hidden library. I knew she didn't work alone because Becky was the only one that knew where I had hidden them. I still got angry when I thought about it and I was steaming with anger even before I got to my class. Our English Teacher, Ms. Wells looked up from the book she was reading and I smiled at her, walking past and heading straight for my desk. Just as I stepped past her,

CLAIRE.I pushed into the house, having passed through the backdoors because Becky had some friends over and although she was cruel, she didn't want her friends to see her that way. She wanted to be seen as this nice, caring stepmother who overlooked all the flaws her stepdaughter had. I wasn't in the mood to act nice to Becky or to even see her, and I know she'd try to act worried that I'd been sent from school. Sighing, I gently pulled the door close and walked quietly up to my room. A floorboard creaked and I heard Becky and her friends pause, listening closely -even though Becky definitely knew I was around. She resumed talking after a while, telling them that I must've brought in a stray cat again. As if. Disgusted with her and myself and my entire life, I shut the door to my room and lay on the bed, silently fuming at how unfair today had been. Evie and Becky had no right to play with my schooling and the sad thing is that Father wouldn't blink twice at such an act, he'd simpl

Claire.I was in no mood for small talk. I walked down the street, drowning in my thoughts about what played out a few hours ago. It's been ten years since mum left us and all he could say was, leave the past in the past? The audacity! Did he not love mum? Was it all fake? Is that how love works? Becky must have enjoyed the show; sitting in the corner with that wicked grin of hers. I just needed somewhere I could unwind. My cave seemed befitting. So, here's what happened; I woke up this morning, reminiscing mum's memories, how she always took care of dad and me. We were a lovely family, there was no hate like there is now. I wished I could turn back time just to be under her arms again on the couch as she stroked my forehead or maybe I would have gone with her. That'll save me from all the trouble I was facing. I went down the stairs, hoping that I would be free of some chores as it was a special day for me but I met dad in the living room, laughing and talking with his wife, Becky

Alexakis.In preparation for the fight, we had different press people coming up to do interviews, make videos of me while I worked and the like. I did like the attention but I didn't know if I was the right press anyway. My opponent seemed to have had a cycle of aggressive pasts, always leaving his opponents unconscious all because the referee wasn't strong enough to hold him down. They stopped him from fighting for a while but it seems like he was out again. I wanted to make sure he stays down this time. They called us in for a last interview before the match and this guy kept making deadly faces at me. I ignored it all because it was all going to be settled in the ring."So how do you feel about this match, Alex? Are you pumped about it?" A journalist asked during the interview. Thankfully, Angelo was there and ready to answer my questions. I'm sure he must have told them about my talking problem beforehand."Yes, of course, he's super pumped. As you saw earlier, he's been practis