Brad

"Who is she?" Mack asked. I didn't answer his question but my gaze was on her.

Her beautiful eyes which is now filled with anger snapped towards me before she walked out of the restaurant.

I know her from my childhood. I was a broken boy and seeing her glowing face and smile always made me feel at peace. She used to look at me with her oval shaped baby eyes with so much curiousity.

I used stay in their house and spend my time because that is the only place where I was treated as their own kid.

I never dared to talk to her even though I wanted to. I was scared that I would lose Vincent's friendship.

I would never forget Vincent's help in my life. I was a homeless boy who was found on the street.

He saw me near the playground where they used to play cricket. He brought me to his home, gave me food and his clothes to wear.

I stayed in their house for four years before I moved to my own small apartment.

He didn't agree though but finally, he agreed because he knows I like to live alone.

I used to sneak glances at her when she is busy doing something or do her homework on the kitchen island. She used to talk with Celeb and Axel but whenever she saw me she ran away to her room.

I don't know why she was so scared of me. With Celeb and Axel she used to laugh a lot, make jokes on them and steal food from their plates but when I'm present she sits quietly or goes away.

I don't want her to run away or feel uncomfortable so I used to stay outside or in the gym training.

I didn't see her in all these years. There were times where I thought of seeing her but I couldn't because we both belong to two different worlds.

There wasn't a day where I forgot about her. I remember her everyday but as the days passed I became busy with my life and tried to forget about her. When I saw her on that night my eyes slightly widen looking at her cute face. She took me by surprise, I easily recognised her even though many years passed.

Ava belongs to a very good and happy family. I don't want to risk her life, I don't want her to see how dark and broken my life is.

I don't want her to enter in my darkness. I don't want her to see the beast inside me.

She is very cute in her pink summer dress. She got Hailey's golden brown hair.

She has this innocence vibe around her that makes me feel better. As things changed so much I never visited them.

Seeing her again after all these years made me realise how matured college-going girl she is.

She isn't the girl anymore who used to fight with her brother for extra cake or food.

I couldn't provide her with a better life, I don't know when I'm going to make my career. I'm struggling to survive this journey called life. I know somewhere in my mind I'm fighting to make a better career so that I may at least get a chance to take Ava on a date.

I don't have anyone, I don't know my own parents. I'm just a kid from the slum.

I worked in our local gym for my living. I saw how people are trained and soon Conor the person who owns the gym trained me.

He is a great guy, he taught me mixed martial arts. He is my guru in everything. I took my anger out in the boxing ring. He isn't an old man, he is the same age as me but four years elder to me.

I started going to underground fightings. Slowly with time, I became a part of it. That adrenaline rush I get in my veins when I'm in the boxing circle is something else.

When the opponent punches me it fuels my anger. I take out all my pent-up anger on them. The anger of being a no-one, the anger of being alone in this cold world, the anger of not having a family, the anger of not knowing my own parents, the anger that my own parents abounded me. Everything broke me up.

I struggle not to cry when I saw my friends who have happy families. It hurts the most when I see their mom and dad being there for them when I don't have anyone.

I'm not being an asshole here, I'm telling how I feel and felt. That heartbreak you feel when you realise that there is no-one in this world who would worry about you. It doesn't even matter if I die tonight after all I'm a no-one.

•

"Are you going to fight him down?" Conner asked. I turned my head towards him gave him a quick nod before standing up.

"Don't take much time, his breathing is labour. He is nervous," Conner said.

I didn't speak but observed my opponent. He looked nervous and his eyes are flickering. He doesn't have proper steady on his feet.

If you don't have proper mind and knowledge about the opponent's move in the ring you couldn't do anything.

You need to think smart before you take action in the boxing ring. Act smart with a heard jab or hook.

Use the technique and the fight is yours. I wasn't surprised by the people cheering for me. I'm habituated to it, it doesn't surprise me anymore.

If you are a good fighter and know how to fight you are their favourite. Then someone fights way better than you then that someone becomes their favourite.

It is how everything is you don't know when you are someone's favourite or not. It changes in a single snap of your finger. You don't have to keep hopes on the people who cheer for you today because tomorrow they may not. Hopes makes you week when you don't find it the next day.

It's better not to swoop away by the cheering of people. Concentrate on your fight and your mission of the day. Surprise yourself day by day and you see yourself in a better place someday.

*

"Relax your muscles, they are tense," Conner said touching my back muscles. My lower lip got a cut, my jaw pains a little.

"I think I need to take a day break to relax," I say holding the ice pack close to my jaw where it hurts.

"Hmm, help the juniors. They make me shout all the time. They are very lazy and I can't deal with them right now," Conner said going over to his locker.

"You are leaving?" I ask.

"Hmm, got some work to do," he threw the gym keys to me.

"By the way Mack told me that you were awestruck seeing a girl? Is that true man?" Conner asks amusedly.

I roll my eyes and don't tell him anything. I lean back on the bench closing my eyes.

"Okay... Okay... Don't tell me anything. Just look after those asswipes for me. They are lazy shits," Conner says leaving the private room with his bag.