The lacrosse game was in full swing when they released the sheep, making chaos erupt from every angle. We didn't stick around to relish in our misbehavior. In fact we got on our toes and ran like the wind. The element of danger was exciting, blood rushed around my body and adrenaline pumped through my veins.

We sat on the kerbside as Noah typed into his phone. "Are you checking for updates on Emily?" I asked. He glanced at me and then returned his gaze back to the screen.

"I'm sorry." He admitted shyly. "They think this is my uncles number so I text to check she hasn't changed her mind about sleeping there." He slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"What's next?" I asked, eager to keep this party going. Noah inhaled sharply.

"Normally we would hang out at the boxing ring, drinking but I haven't been there since the accident and I'm not friends with any of them anymore, it would be weird."

I stood up, swiping my hands over my bum to get rid of the imaginary dirt clinging to my jeans. His eyes followed me suspiciously.

"Let's go." I suggested, holding my hand out and willing him to take it with the power of my eye contact.

"It's alright for you Mia, you're friends with them." His eyes remained glued to my hand but he made no efforts to take it.

"You're not scared, are you Noah?" I teased. He frowned deeply and pursed his lips. After a few moments he took hold of my hand and climbed to his feet.

"For the record, I'm terrified." He said as we walked towards the underground boxing ring.

As we walked down the concrete steps Noah squeezed my hand tighter and I gave him a reassuring smile. The boxing ring was sketchy, somewhere the old me would never hang out. The walls were filled with graffiti art, drawings and words that I didn't understand and the people looked scary but bad ass. Benches in rows enclosed a platformed boxing ring and people just shared beer here like germs didn't exist. After all it's not like there would be a global outbreak of some deadly virus.

"Stay close, okay?" I laughed at his words and I wasn't sure if he was worrying about me or himself.

"Noah Scott!" A big guy stumbled over to us, he was heavily tattooed and had a bulls ring hanging out of his nose. "What do we owe this pleasure? It's been a minute." Noah shrugged but didn't say anything. The guy flicked his eyes down my body and then an appreciative smile crossed his lips. "Who's your friend?" He asked. Noah stood in front of me protectively.

"I'm Mia." I informed him confidently. Noah stood his ground, ordering him to back down with the powerful effect of his eyes.

"Relax Noah, everyone knows not to mess with your girl." The guy laughed.

"I'm not—" I started to say but Noah's eyes darted to me and he raised one eyebrow, telling me to shut up. The guy grabbed two cups from the side table and passed one to each of us.

"Mia!" I heard Joel's voice call from behind me. He was walking in with Abigail and a few others from the East Side prank. "Wow you really are walking down memory lane tonight aren't you." He muttered, glancing in Noah's direction. Noah rolled his eyes and drunk his beer.

"What do you say Noah? Going to treat us all to a fight, you're still reigning champion." The big guy pressed. Noah shook his head, knocking back more beer.

"I'll fight him." Joel butted in. We all looked at Joel with surprise and the big guy laughed into his cup.

"Friendly?" He asked once he stopped laughing.

"No." Joel replied, staring Noah down aggressively.

"There's a lot of history there boys. Things could get nasty." The big guy slapped Noah on his back but Noah didn't flinch, he remained his stare hooked onto Joel's. Neither one of them backing down.

"Oh things will get nasty." Joel said.

"Half an hour. Get drinking, I'll spread the word and get people placing bets. This is gonna be epic." The whole group dispersed around us, Joel backed away keeping his eyes on Noah at all times. Noah just drank more.

"Let's go." I told Noah, placing my empty cup back down on the table. Noah turned to me, picking up another beer and swallowing it down.

"Mia you wanted to come here, I'm not leaving now. Joel just offered me a fight and I'm not backing down. So drink up." He passed me a cup and I held it without actually drinking.

"Noah he's your best friend." I tried to steer him away from this ridiculous idea. Joel was across the room, pumping up his muscles with push ups and other exercises. Noah just stayed completely calm, drinking more and more alcohol from the cups.

"He hasn't been my best friend in a long time Mia." He took another drink. "You're my best friend." He smiled shyly at me and an eruption of flutters exploded within.

"Ladies and Gents this is the moment you've waited for." Noah smirked at me and then tipped the last remains of his cup to the back of his throat. "Noah Scott the reigning champion has returned to the ring after a year of being away, but will he still have the talent to defeat Joel Jenson? There's a lot of unresolved issues between these two as we're all well aware. Tonight the gloves are off and the rules are gone. This aint no friendly match!" The crowd cheered and I caught a glimpse of the showdown Noah and Joel were having with their eyes.

"Noah." Someone threw him a pair of silky shorts and almost immediately, right in front of everyone he slipped his jeans off and stepped into the shorts, then he pulled his hoodie and t.shirt off, handed me his clothes and made his way into the ring.

The two guys circled one another with their fists ready for whoever strikes first. I felt like my heart was beating on the outside of my chest, hating this whole ordeal. Noah had too much pride and fear to apologize. Joel had too much anger to see that there were many layers to Noah's story.

"I would hate for you to lose to someone disgusting like me." Joel spat out. Noah's eyes narrowed.

"I won't." Noah said calmly.

Joel launched his body forward and Noah dodged the first few punches. The crowd volume picked up and Noah threw some counter punches, some of them got Joel. I closed my eyes unable to watch, now only listening to the brutal sounds of fists flying into flesh.

Neither one of them were fighting for the championship title. The boxing ring was cruel, two foes fighting to hurt one another in the worst way imaginable, physically and emotionally. Both Joel and Noah transformed a year of pain and suffering into this one moment of pure viciousness.

"How could you turn your back like that on me?" Joel asked, stunning the crowd into silence. I opened my eyes... both guys looked worse for wear. Swollen, bruised, bleeding and out of breath. "We were friends all of our lives and you just drop me." He spat out blood, lowering his fists. "I knew you were hurting but the Noah I knew wouldn't care who I chose to date."

The fighting continued beating the torment from one another's bones, the suffering looked immense and the audience didn't know how to react. Some cheered, some booed, some stunned into silence and others just throwing out the odd gasp here and there. Neither one surrendering, just clenching their blood-thirst.

Noah dragged Joel down to the floor and straddled him, throwing punches at his face but somehow Joel managed to spin them so he was on top.

"Why did you do that? Is that really what you think of me?" He shouted between punches.

Noah turned so Joel was now on the bottom and this time it was Noah's turn to throw the punches.

"Stop asking that! I told you how I feel." Joel pushed Noah off him and climbed to his feet.

"Stop lying to me! Tell me you didn't mean it." Joel shouted, splutters of blood flying everywhere from the harsh impact of his words. "Tell me" He shouted again, colliding his knuckles with Noah's stomach. "Tell me!" His screams got louder. "Tell—"

"I didn't fucking mean it!" Noah shouted back, pushing Joel away. Joel stumbled backwards into the ropes and the crowd fell into a complete silence. Noah wiped the blood away from his face with his arm and they both just stood looking at one another.

"Then why?" Joel dropped his fists and took steps towards Noah, Noah also dropped his fists.

"I had reasons which I can't explain and I know that's not good enough but it's the best I got right now. Fuck! You think I cared who you were with? I knew long before you even told me."

"You did?" Joel took paces towards Noah, closing the gap between them.

"You had a shirtless poster of Ryan Reynolds above your bed." Noah spat out blood and before anyone could react Joel threw himself into him, wrapping his arms around him tightly.

"But you will explain everything one day?" Joel leaned back from the hug to look Noah in the eyes.

"I hope to." Noah whispered, now wrapping his own hands around Joel. Joel shook his head.

"That's all I needed to hear, all this time... it's all you've needed to say." The room erupted in cheers and the guys looked around as if realizing they were not alone.

"Did I just come out to a room full of thugs?" Joel laughed.