We bent over in fits of laughter again, and I hoped our behavior wouldn't get us kicked out. We weren't even drunk
or anything.
“I love you. Julie, you are so funny.”
“Thanks, girl. But if Jet beats him up, I'm taking him home to give him a pity fuck.”
I laughed loudly as the crowd continued to go wild around us. It was a blessing it was so loud in the arena because if people were to hear our conversation, they would probably think we were nuts.
Curtis joined Jet in the cage, and the two fighters positioned themselves in their respective corners and waited for the bell.
With the ring of the bell, Curtis charged at Jet. The movement was so abrupt that it took me aback. I almost fainted when I saw Jet's head fly to the side from the impact of Curtis's punch.
I saw the blood from his eye and my stomach dropped. “Oh, God.”
“It's not a big deal, Natalie. It's not like he's never been punched before. Try to breathe,” Julie said with a giggle.
All I could hear were the sounds of bone cracking against flesh, and it turned my stomach every time. God, why had I agreed to come and watch this? Curtis pummelled Jet with three blows all at once, and all to his face.
I couldn't bear to watch, but Julie shook my shoulder until I looked back at the cage. Thankfully, Jet recovered quickly from his attack and came up with a front kick as Curtis was coming back into him. After that, he followed it with an uppercut and a left hook. Curtis took both hits and stumbled backwards.
Curtis swung again, but Jet blocked it, and they exchanged jabs for a few minutes before the bell rang and they returned to their corners. Jet's coach was applying something to Jet's wounds, and then gave him a drink of water, all the while yelling at him. This fight was just as important to Coach as it was to Jet. He had been training with Jet for so long that it was important to him that Jet be successful. I wished I were up in the corner with all of them, hearing the advice they had for Jet, and cheering him on for the next round. I felt a pang of jealousy when I saw Katie lean in and whisper intensely into Jet's ear. She tapped his shoulder and went back to the corner with the other teammates. I wondered what she had said to him. What words of encouragement had she given him, and would her words be what caused him to win that round? Did she have that kind of effect on Jet? I shook my head and decided to let it go. That was, until Julie opened her big mouth.
“I can't believe that Katie girl is in his corner. That girl has some balls, I'm telling you. Do you think she used to be a guy?”
“Not with that body I don't. Julie she has the kind of body that makes guys want to commit sin.”
Julie started laughing. “Yeah, no doubt. She's probably been ridden pretty hard by the teammates, so don't feel so bad.”
I laughed. “Ugh, stop it, Julie. I was literally just trying to get her out of my head, and you start in like that? Are you crazy?”
“A little.”
“Do you really think she has slept with a bunch of them?”
“Who knows? It's always hard with girls like that. They are really aggressive so she could be skanky or maybe even a lesbian. Maybe she's just sick of men in general.”
“No, she's definitely not a lesbian or else she would be after me and not Jet.”
“Don't worry about her, Natalie, if Jet wanted her he could have had her, but he picked you instead.”
I smiled as I looked back up at Jet. He was nodding his head, looking angrier than ever. The bell went off and they went at each other with kicks flying and punches slamming. It was so brutal that the smile that had been on my face was wiped completely off again. Jet feinted to the side, and Curtis punched, but missed Jet by a landslide, but it left an opening for Jet to slam a right cross right to the side of Curtis's head. When Curtis recovered, it was the perfect opportunity for Jet to come in with an uppercut to the face that connected so hard to Curtis's jaw, he staggered backwards. It took him a moment to recover his footing, but then he was back at it. He swung out his arm, but Jet ducked and came back with a punch to the ribs, gut, and face, all landing perfectly. Jet pulled back again and waited to see what Curtis was going to do next.
Curtis came in and threw another punch, aiming for Jet's face, but Jet blocked the punch, returning with one of his own. He slammed his fist right into Curtis's face, dropping him to his knees. When Curtis got back up he started in toward Jet. when suddenly Jet spun with a high kick and connected with Curtis's head, dropping him again.
Jet was bleeding and although he was doing well, every now and then he allowed Curtis to get a couple of body shots in. He was doing this to get Curtis close, because when Curtis got a shot in, Jet threw in a few of his own, because he was ready for whatever was coming his way. I hated when Jet got injured; I loathed it, in fact, even though it was his job. It was part of all the choices he had made for his own life. I would never suggest that he quit, but I also felt gutted every time he took a hit. I just wanted to run up there, kiss him, and make him feel better. I looked over at his parents, and although his dad was stone-faced, his mother looked exactly the way that I felt.
Curtis stood up and hit Jet in the face, causing his head to swing even though his body stayed firmly planted on the cage floor. Jet swung back and hit Curtis even harder. They got into a clinch, and then shoved off from one another. I knew Jet hated going to the ground and would avoid it at all costs. Jet charged at Curtis, looking like a madman with blood pouring from his head, and he hit Curtis with a series of pow, pow, pow punches. I smiled as pride for Jet washed over me instantly. He truly was in his glory up there and he was one hell of a talented fighter, I hoped his father could recognize that while he sat and watched his son do what he loved.
Curtis started to back off as Jet hit him against the cage. Jet kept him there, throwing some hard knees into his body. Jet was hitting him hard, but Curtis wasn't going down easily.
I realized I had been holding my breath the entire time, and I expelled the air from my lungs. I looked over at Julie, alarmed, and she took my hand in hers and squeezed it.
Jet was a spectacular fighter and watching him move in rhythm was part of the reason I was so crazy about him. This was surely his calling, and I couldn't imagine Jet doing anything else with his life. Hopefully his dad could see that as well, and would lay off of him. Jet used pure gut instinct and smarts when he fought. He plotted his rounds and flew through them. living in the moment.
He was just so focused as he pummelled Curtis, hitting him mercilessly, crushing him in a pool of his own blood. It was shocking just how much blood ended up on the cage floor, and nobody blinked an eye. It was just okay for two men to just destroy each other until the bell rang in a round.
Jet grinned as he looked down at his opponent, who wasn't about to get back up for more. He looked around at the crowd and there was blood dripping from his eyebrow down to his nose. My heart was beating furiously in my chest, and I feared that I would throw up. How embarrassing would that have been for Jet to have a girlfriend who couldn't watch him fight? His corner was going nuts, and the fight was called.