Page 44 of I Was Always Yours (RCA: Royal Crown Academy)

“That’s exactly why you have to do it, babe.” Nera says, nudging my shoulder with hers. “Plus, you’re not nearly as shy as you’ve convinced yourself you are. You let a stranger pierce your nip on a random Tuesday this summer, you can do this.”

Bellamy goes to the fridge and grabs another seltzer. “It’s your birthday, Six. If you can’t do crazy things today, when can you do them?” She hands me the can. “Now, throw this one back. You’re doing this and liquid courage will help.”

I hesitate as my hand wraps around the can. I don’t take it right away and she doesn’t release it.

My heart races just thinking about putting myself on center stage like that.Lights, eyes, and people’s judgements on me, it makes my skin crawl just thinking about it.

But as much as there’s fear, there’s also excitement. My mum always tells me that it doesn’t ‘embarrass you if you don’t let it’, so I’m trying to embrace that.

Bellamy leans over so we’re almost eye to eye.

“You’ve got this.”

I make an unsure noise in my throat but push through and bite the bullet, taking the can from her and cracking it open. “Ok, fine.”

The girls scream and jump to their feet, grabbing me and making me join them. I’m out of breath when I drop back down into the chair minutes later.

“What do I wear?”

Nera looks down at her phone. “They’re going to leave the uniform for you in the women’s locker room.”

“Theuniform?”

“Like you said, I wouldn’t expect it to be much. Whatever they give you might also be able to double as a Kleenex.” Thayer adds in dryly.

I look up at her from my slouched position on the couch.

“Do you want me to cancel?”

“No, she doesn’t.” Bellamy says, throwing an elbow in Thayer’s direction. “What about makeup?”

“You have to do a smokey eye,” Nera says, her tone brooking no argument.

“I can’t believe I’m going to miss this,” Bellamy says with a pout, “Take pictures for me!”

“Yeah, how’s life under the dictatorship going?” Nera asks.

Bellamy blushes in response. “It’s good. And then sometimes it’s terrible.”

“Have you slept together yet?” Thayer asks.

“No!” Bellamy answers quickly. “We’ve done everything but though.”

“Jealous.” I say with a sigh.

“Don’t be,” she replies with a grin, “After tonight, they’ll be lining out the door for you.”

***

The abandoned chocolate factory delivers on everything I thought an underground fight location would be.

Creepy, dark, and chilling, it’s almosttoocliché.

As far as I know, the location of the fight changes every time to keep the entire operation under the radar, so this is my first time coming here.

Thayer, Nera, and I walk in using an unmarked door in an empty parking lot. We make our way through a deserted kitchen that clearly hasn’t been used in years and continue into a main cafeteria-like area.

The floor is gross, sticky from all the alcohol that’s been spilled on it. There’s a makeshift bar in the corner and a used boxing ring in the center of the large room with hundreds of people milling around it, watching the fight. There’s barely any light except six perfectly placed professional grade standing lamps aimed at the ring to illuminate it.

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