Chapter 1
“Come on Brandi, no one cares if your hair is perfect. We’re going to the gym, not the fucking mall!” My brother, Kline is screaming at me from the doorway of our apartment. He’s such a dick. He goes there to work out, I however actually work there, at Hot Bodies. I’m not one of the gym bunny hangarounds, who pretend they are there to get buns of steel, but instead are there hoping to land a fighter. My dick brother got me a job at the gym where he trains a couple of years ago as a receptionist. I am working towards becoming a personal trainer someday. I fill in sometimes as the instructor for the pole dance class when needed also.
Dickhead bangs the door shut. Our neighbor’s baby starts to cry. The walls here are so damn thin.
The apartment we share is decent and livable. It isn’t the best neighborhood, but no one messes with us, thanks to my brother and his reputation. I was hesitant to move in with him at first, after living with him my whole life, and knowing what a dirty pig he is, but I’ve gotten him trained to make some one woman very happy one day. He knows I’m not his maid. It took my leaving my tampons laying out in the bathroom a few times before he started cleaning up after himself. Now I don’t have to remind him not to leave his wet towels on the bathroom floor. And after he fell in the toilet when he had a bad stomach virus he no longer leaves the seat up.
I’ll never forget being woken in the dead of night to his screaming in horror from landing his bare ass in the toilet water. I giggle aloud to myself thinking about it. Catching my expression in the mirror I look like such a dope.
I give up on perfecting the perfect ponytail and throw my crimson hair up into a messy pile on my head. When other girls do it, their hair looks sexy. When I do it not so much. I appear to be a struggling homebody. Turning off the bathroom light, I yell back,” I’m coming get your protein bar out of your ass.”
Some think growing up in sin city is like a 24/7 party and they are right. My whole life has been nothing but a never ending party. A fantastic shit on Brandi party— on the never ending road to shitville— that has been what my life has been like. Even now, but before we get to the now let's rewind for a minute. Yeah this is one of those stories, so sit back and listen.
My whole life has been one huge clusterfuck. My real dad walked out when my brother and me were still in diapers. Our mother later remarried the fuck-stick—Charlie, who has never been much of a dad, but he has always kept food in our mouths and clothes on our backs. Charlie is a gambling addict who is always making bets he can’t afford to pay out on. He fucks Peter to pay Mary and Paul.
The only man I have ever been able to really depend on has been my brother, Kline.
Kline always ends up taking a fight to cover Charlie’s ass. My brother is a bad ass who can hold his own in the octagon. He’s a cage fighter with quite a reputation in Vegas. They call him TNT because when he gets in the ring, he leaves his opponents looking like they’ve been blasted by dynamite.
His involvement in the fighting circuit lead me down the road I’m on right now. He’s training me and I’ve been documenting my progress on social media, showing the world how I’m going from flab to fit. I actually have built up a decent following on Instagram. Some Magician, Johnny Magic has taken a liking to me and sends me tickets to all of his shows, it kind of weirds me out. It’s been good for Kline too, a few girls have turned up to see him fight and offered to hire him among other things. I try not to think about the other offers they have made him. Some chicks have zero self-respect. It’s sad.
My goal is to feel good about myself, but what I really want is to be a cage girl. Yup, one of those girls. I want to strut my assets in the cage carrying a round card a showing everyone whoever called me fat or chunky monkey in school that I can do it. My childhood wasn’t that great. I was constantly getting picked on due to my size. I developed boobs in third grade, I was an early bloomer. I had my period in fourth grade, way ahead of girls in my class. The bullying didn’t end at the school bell. I’d get shit at home too, from Charlie. He was always being a prick, calling me fat ass and hitting me for eating too much.
Kline started training because of me. When we were in fifth grade he started beating up anyone who called me names, including Charlie. Didn’t matter boy or girl he would punch, kick, attack. Whatever it took to get them to leave me the hell alone. He was my savior. When we got older and it became apparent he could really fight, Charlie got him involved in the underground, taking advantage of Kline and his ability.
After grabbing my bag and locking the door, I go to the car and am confused that Kline isn’t in it with the AC running. He whistles from the end of the block. “We’re walking.”
Ugh! I am already sweating and it’s only 8 AM. The gym isn’t that far from our street, but still it’s hotter than hell. I don’t complain though. I know he wants the best for me. He’s made sure I am losing weight the healthy way. Maintaining and building muscle while shedding inches. Over the past year I’ve dropped 120 pounds. I’m at a healthy weight now. I don’t need to lose any more weight, I just need to keep it off and maintain my curves.
“You ready for your next fight?” I ask when I finally catch up to him.
He shrugs and I know he’s
nervous. He shuts down when he’s anxious. This guy he’s fighting has quite a reputation. My brother has a big fight coming up against ‘The Killer.’ Then after that he fights ‘The Punisher.’ That fight could change everything for my brother. The winner gets a shot at a title fight, against my ex, Royce King. He is the current King of the Cage and underground fighting royalty. His ego has gotten out of control. Royce dumped me when he scored some deal for a power bar. Said his endorsement contract had stipulations. I think they didn’t want him seen with a chubby girl. I was still working off some of my weight when he signed that deal. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me anyway. Him and my brother are both signed with the same company, so I see a lot of Royce.
I remember my conversation with Jay last night before he locked up the gym.
“Stop worrying so much about Kline, he knows what he’s doing.” He nudges my shoulder.
“I get the feeling Charlie will fuck this title shot up for him. You know how he is. Any opportunity to use Kline to make a dollar he puts the squeeze on him.”
“I fucking hate that dude.” He pinches the bridge of his nose as he walks me to my jeep.
“You don’t have to tell me. Hello, you’ve known us a long time Jay.”
“Yeah Bran, I know.” He shakes his head as I open my door.
I turn and give him a quick hug. “Thanks for always having Kline’s back and mine.”