Page 23 of Juke
He blinked. “Nah… I’m just—”
“?Just what, besides being fuckin’ lazy?”
“I’m trying Juke!” He snapped.
“Then try fuckin’ harder.” I let him go and tapped his chest. “You in this ring with me, that means you’re here to work… not waste my gah damn time. So, tighten that shit up.”
He nodded, posture stiff and focused. He reset his stance and threw the combo again. This time doing as I instructed.
“That’s more like it.” I praised.
I heard a familiar voice behind me, and when I turned around; I saw Deion walking his dumb ass over to the ring.
“Damn,” Deion laughed. “You out here tryna give kids trauma or train fighters?”
“Both,” I countered, not bothering to look his way.
Deion strolled over, with his eyes on Malik. “He got potential.”
“Yeah. He’ll be decent if he stops acting like this shit a fuckin’ game.”
“Sounds like somebody else I know.” Deion smirked.
“You got jokes?” I glanced his way.
“Always.” He leaned on the ropes. “But real shit… he reminds me of you when you first started. All fight, no boundaries.”
“Difference is,” I grunted. “I ain’t have nobody to show me the right way. I did that shit on my own.”
“Nah, you just had that chip on your shoulder and blood in your eyes,” he said. “Ain’t shit changed.”
“Whatever, nigga.”
He laughed. “So, wassup with you and ol’ girl?”
“Nothing.” I lied.
“Yeah, aight,” he chuckled.
“I ain’t explaining shit to you.”
“I’ain asking you to, but I ain’t blind or slow, nigga.”
“The slow shit is still up for debate.” I joked.
He was right, though. Sophi’s lil’ ass did some shit to me I didn’t care to understand or explain. Deion had his eyes on Malik in the ring. His footwork was decent, but he needed to work on his jabs. He wasn’t gone stick shit with them muthafuckas.
“You gone let lil’ man catch a break, or he gotta die in training?” Deion smirked.
“He’ll thank me later,” I replied. “Right now, I’m beating that lazy shit outta him.”
“Aight, Coach Killa.” Deion laughed. “Let me holla at you though—real shit.”
I looked at him, and his face was different now. He’d turn off the joking demeanor just that fast.
“Aye, take a break.” I turned toward Malik and gave my instructions. He nodded and slid out of the ring, disappearing toward the back where the bags were hung. When I grabbed the towel to wipe the sweat from my face, Deion didn’t waste any time telling me what was on his mind.
“That Rio nigga got out.”
