Underdog by Lily Zante

Author:Lily Zante [Zante, Lily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lily Zante

Chapter Seven

ELI

* * *

Weeks pass.

I’m back in my normal routine. Lou hasn't lined up any fights for me, not even a mediocre fight with a just above average fighter.

I focus on my training. Set my sights on the big players, know I have to prove myself to Lou even more. Hope I get lucky, though luck never really helped me before. Prayers, and hugs, and thoughts never worked. I don’t believe in that shit anymore. That stuff got kicked the hell out of me when I was five.

I spar with Jake and Santos, meet Nina sometimes, have sex with Athena.

Despite this all, a sense of unease, dark and heavy, settles in my gut. The restlessness which in the past used to creep up on me when I least expected it, now grips my body in a tight vise.

It's the same type of feeling that used to alert me back at the children's home. When I'd see the janitor walking towards me, I'd fist my hands. It probably made him laugh. Me, a seven-year-old, balling his hands. As if I could have done a thing about it.

I got in touch with those managers who had expressed an interest in me after the Koshkin fight. I wanted to at least hear them out. And I did, but nothing they said convinced me that they could do more for me than Lou is. Which stinks, because I don’t think Lou’s doing much. They made promises, but my gut tells me that they’re just feeding me a line.

Lou lets me down, but better the devil you know. For now, I'll bide my time here. I need to get a fight or two with some of the bigger players first, though at the rate things are going, I might end up fat, bald and old before Lou considers me good enough.

Jake and Santos agree with me. They don't know what the old man is holding out for, but Lou's got a good reputation, so for now, I'll stick with him.

I'm taking a break from going at it with the punchbag early one morning when Jake comes over and announces that Montel Moore has been confirmed for Garrison's next fight.

No surprise there, really.

But still.

I smack my fisted hand into the bench then yelp because it hurts, because I hit hard. Fuck.

Wearily, I get up and head back towards the punchbag. It's easier to vent my anger on this instead, hitting punch after punch after punch. I see Lou come in and head towards his office, and my rage intensifies.

I punch the crap out of the punchbag. I keep going. From the periphery of my vision, I see a few of the regulars stop to watch me.

I keep going. Feel the sweat roll off like a waterfall. Feel my heart go cloppity clop. When I can't bear it any longer, I storm into Lou's office.

He and Ernesto are laughing about something. Both have coffee cups in their hands. They look up at me, almost guiltily it seems, and I become suddenly paranoid.

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