Chapter I
Can you really search for a great perhaps, or that cliché story that lingers in the dark? Do you wait for prince charming or do you go and find him? This isn’t a questionnaire, more like a lame tale of my beginning and end. The beginning doesn’t always mean birth. It can sometimes the start of something new. A new adventure.
I look my mum straight in the eyes and tell her the truth. “You can’t handle it on your own! You need my help!” I shout, my arms flying everywhere. The urge to kick or throw something grew with each passing second. What happened to my freedom?
She rolls her eyes and continues washing the dishes as if she wasn’t going to give in. “You’re too young to understand.” She mutters. Was that all she had to say? I am not too young, I’m eighteen for crying out loud!
“Mum, do you not understand?” I moan, sitting down at the old wooden table. “I finish school in three months. I know I have things coming up, but family is more important to me! Let me get that stupid cleaning job, please?” I beg, it is one job, no matter what she says I’ll need a job sooner or later.
She’s always like this. Complains that we’re running out of money, asks me for help, cries and begs, then the next morning tells me to stay out of it. “You’re right” She said not turning to face me.
I sigh, finally she understands. “Thank you beca-”
“You have University applications to fill in, you need to get that done!” I groan and slam my hand down on the table causing a loud thud to echo through the house. “Go get Sammy and Jodie. Make sure your lazy ass of a brother is up too.” She throws the cloth on the side and walks out to the small back garden.
I roll my eyes and stand up, letting the annoying sound of the chairs screeching bump up my anger a notch. If no one was up and ready I swear down, there was going to be some ass whooping. I walk out of the old cottage kitchen and up the thin stair case.
This house was seriously old. It was a cottage and used to be grandmas before she had a heart attack in the living room. That’s the main reason we don’t ever use the living room, because my little twin sisters’ claimed to have seen grandma on the floor dripping with blood. They couldn’t sleep for nights after that incident. It was Joe’s fault anyway. He was the one who told them how grandma died, and they are only eight for Christ’s sake! They don’t need their older brother telling them horror stories, plus the blood? Is Joe dumb?
Walking up the stairs, I realise how mum hadn’t bothered to decorate grandma’s house. The cream bumpy walls were still the same and pictures that were here before had dust on them. The carpets were thankfully clean though. I reach the twins room and knocked on. There was no answer.
“If you don’t get up I’m not bringing you any candy home tonight...” I say trying to get them to come out. School starts soon and I have to take them. They’re bound to make me late again.
“CANDY!” I hear Sammy shout. No Jodie though. “Jodie, wake up! I want candy! JODIE!” Sammy shouted at Jodie. The door swung open and Sammy stands there in her pyjamas. She should have been ready by now!
“Sammy, why aren’t you changed yet?” I ask, pointing a finger at her.
She crosses her arms over her chest and pouts angrily, “She won’t get up, but I want candy!” She shouts, mainly for Jodie to purposely hear her, but also to obviously deafen me as well.
“Why won’t she wake up Cass?” She asks, her right foot making a thump on the floor as she angrily storms her way to the bathroom. I walk into their room and grab Sammy’s shoes and clothes taking them too her just as Joe walks out of his room, looking like a pile of shit.
“What?”
I shove him out of the way and walk back to the twins’ room. “Make sure she has a wash and gets ready, Jodie’s being a pain in the ass again.”
He snorts and walks to the bathroom and knocks on whilst whispering to me, “She learns from the best.”
“Shut up, Joe. You’re a bad example on them. God give me strength when you have kids of your own.” I tell him, ignoring his pathetic presence and walking to wake Jodie up. I didn’t say anything else to Joe. Sometimes it feels as if I’m the only adult in the family.
Jodie was lying there, under the toy story covers. I sit on the side of Jodie’s bed and stroke her hair. “Come on Jodie, time for school.” She moans and moves away from my touch. “Listen up, you’ve got to go to school.” I say, my voice soft and calm now. They were only eight years old anyway.
“But school’s boring, plus Hunter’s gone on holiday until tomorrow so there’s no need to go to school.” Smiling, she wraps her arms around my neck, hugging me tight.
“You mean your boyfriend?” I stick my tongue out at her as she lets me loose, she looks at me with that beautiful smile stretched across her face as she giggled. “No, silly! He’s like my big big brother, but we’re the same age.” Kissing me on the cheek, she jumps away from me and starts to find her clothes to get herself ready for school.
It was around eight at night and the sun was just about setting as I walk down the streets of my hometown. “You’re going to get hurt,” Dick said to me, his voice hard and rough.
“Whatever, what’s her weak point again?” I ask, pulling my hood up over my head to shelter me from the cold winds.
Rolling his eyes, he said, “Her name is Rona Miller. She’s been fighting for the past three years, longer than you” he snorts, “and her only weak point that’s been found is that she has a very weak knee.”
I stopped walking and look at him, “Are you kidding? Her knee is her only weak point?” Oh great, another fight to lose, this will be completely awesome.
“She is a good fighter though!” He defends her, actually defends this chick.
I scowl at him, “Don’t stick up for my opponent you moron! So all I have to do is get her off balance?” He nods and I smile. Great, this should be easy.
We turn into the alley and I look around at the crowd trying to spot her and when I finally did, well it definitely wasn’t a pretty face her mother gave her. Who’s the father, Shrek? She has black hair scraped up into a messy pony tail. Her face thick with grease and spots. The blue and purple bruise on her eye looks painful. She looks like a freaking monster!
People were already starting to crowd into a circle to see who was going to be fighting today.
When you’re not the best fighter in the world you don’t exactly want to be stuck in an alley with someone better than you. I saw the crowd of people betting on us, there were mostly females here who came with a guy to protect them. It was pitch black and the street smelt so bad. I had a feeling that I was going to get my face slammed onto that dirt tonight, but hopefully not.
I practice my punches on my manager and he just rolled his eyes and looked at me, “You’re going down you know.” He says.
I roll my eyes back at him, “Thanks for the support, Dickson!” I said missing his hand and landing a painful punch into his stomach. He doubles over in pain and looks at me with mean eyes. He may come off as a hard guy, but he’s a soft guy at heart, and clearly his stomach.
With dark grey eyes, and gel black hair, he scowls at me,“Never call me Dickson again!” He growls through his teeth as he pushes me into the circle of people. My eyes skim over the people, looking at them all. Some are muscular and tall, some are sluts and whores but there was one person that didn’t fit into either of them categories.
I felt his eyes on me, not like the way other people were looking at me though. I turn around and there I saw a guy about one or two years older than me.
He was looking at me with a frown and eyes deep with concern. You’re not supposed to be concerned you ass hole! This guy makes me want to kick his ass instead of some other chicks.
He caught me staring and I swear he looks familiar, but trust me, I wouldn’t forget a face like that. I mean he’s good looking and all but that’s not what I should be focused on right now! I turn around, still feeling his eyes burning holes into the back of my head.
Slowly Rona walks towards me, “Get ready worm!”
I scoff and made a ‘tut’, ‘tut’ sound, “You talk to your mother with that breath?” Not only a good line, but an honest one.
That gains a couple of laughs from the crowd and Ronna growls at me like a vicious meat-eating dog on steroids. Hey, I should be a comedian instead. She swings a punch at me but I block it and step to the side. She tries again but with a left hook. Blocking that punch I raise my hand into a fist and swung a punch at her face, making her stumble back a few steps. “You are so dead,” She threatens me. Ha. Okay.
Some people start to cheer for us. Some calling out my name but the majority of people were still calling out her name which was making me bubble with anger. I scowl at her, closing the distance before I grabbed the collar of her hoodie and drag her disgusting face down to mine.
“You should think twice before you speak.” As soon as I finish speaking, I punch her with my opposite hand in her face but still kept a hold of her collar making her head snap back to me. Checking that I was clean for any more punches coming my way, I let go of her collar and grab a fist full of her jacket before kneeing her in the gut and kicking her in her knee cap. I swear I hear a crack before she screams and falls to the floor in pain.
I’m so sorry. I say in my head, not as if she could hear me though. I could see people putting money in Dick’s hand but all I wanted to do was go up to Rona and help her. If I tried the slightest to help her people would think it was a fake show and want their money back. I couldn’t let that happen. I need this money.
I walk up to Dick with a fake smile plastered upon my face. He was talking to someone with their back to me so I push him out of the way and say, “Can I have my money now?” All I want to do is get out of here with the money.
Someone clears their throat behind me and I looked over my shoulder and did a double take. It’s the hot ass hole. Oh dear god, he is extremely good looking. My cheeks were slightly red so I turned back around to my coach, or manager as he likes it.
“Cass, this is James. James, this is Cassidy.”
“So?” I asked still not turning around.
Dick looks at me with worry, “He’s going to be your new manager and coach.” He says, backing away with a tight smile on his face. I raise my eyebrow and squint. You what now? “I’ve trained you to what you are, a winner. Now it’s James’ chance to make you stronger, better.”
I shake my head and turn around to him. Poking his chest he smiles down at me, “And who do you think you are?”
“I’m James, I thought we’ve established this already.” I roll my eyes, hitting away his out stretched hand. “Alright then. Dick, you can go now if you want. Get an early night.” He says patting him on the shoulder.
He looks at me with a warning stare, “Don’t fuck this up Munroe.” He turns to James, “Night kiddo.” I raise my eyebrow, why does he get the loving?
Dicks far gone and James just looks at me, “After you.”
I walk on, he follows. “Which way you heading, James?” I ask him, turning left and he follows me down the streets.
“Whichever way you’re heading, Cassidy.”
I continue walking, the streets lit with stars and families up late at night, watching some sick TV show with a dumb co-host. It almost felt as if he wasn’t there, standing by my side. “You following me home then?”
He nods and laughs, “Is that a problem?”
Looking at him from the side I shake my head, no, not at all. I bite my lip and sneak a peek at him, I laugh at my stupidity. Jesus, get a grip girl! This guy was about to be my new fighting coach and I am all googly eyed over him.
“So you live in the quiet area of town?” He asks.
I nod once again. I couldn’t concentrate on small talk when the cold was biting at my arms. I must’ve left my hoodie behind. Great. I rub my arms and James pulls his jumper over his head and hands it too me. I pull it over my own head and I surround myself in his scent.
Jesus, what happened to getting a grip?
Warmth surrounds me, I almost feel guilty for leaving him without a jumper, but damn he wore a fitted t-shirt that clung to him perfectly. I sound like a damn teenage girl right now, I should probably stop.
“I live in the shitty part of town. You know. No money, small family. One parent. It’s tough.” I say with a shrug as if it doesn’t matter but it’s all that matters to me.
I gulp and turn a corner to see my small home in the middle of big houses full of snobs who spend all their cash on drugs. “Yours the small one?”
“Yeah, it was my grandma’s house before she passed.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
I shake my head and smile at him. “Don’t be, we hardly knew her. She just felt sorry for us so put us in her will.” I stop talking and cross the road to my house. The door opens and Jodie stands there with Joe’s hand in hers.
Over the settled quietness my sister shouts, waking up the whole street. “Cassy! Joe look! She’s here!” She tugs on his hand and tries to drag him out of the house but he manages to pick her up and walk deeper into the house.
“So I better leave now then.”
I smile and pull his jumper over my head again, “Thanks for walking me home.”
“No problem, Cassidy.”
Making my way up the front path he begins to walk away, back the way we came. I watch him walk away and my stomach stirs. James. No doubt he’ll be on my mind all night.
