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“Woodland Heights,” he explains. “It was West Weymouth, but the residents petitioned the county to change the name. They claimed the name Weymouth brought their property values down.”
“Snobs,” I mutter. The banter abruptly ends, and I curse myself, convinced I might have offended them both. But Bobby gives Gillian a quick look of encouragement. What’s going on?
“Astrid, do you mind if I ask you a question?” Gillian asks.
“Go ahead.” I’m hesitant but curious as we match our pace around the curve.
“Are you fighting tonight?” she asks quietly.
I stop running, and when they stare back at me, Gillian and Bobby start to laugh. “We’ve seen you at that warehouse,” explains Gillian, “but we hang out in the private room. I was wondering if you were fighting again, and the buzz is you’re on tonight. I’m definitely betting on you.”
“Look,” I say, “I can’t talk about it here. But I’m glad that you’ll be there to cheer me on.”
Gillian starts running again, and we follow her down the trail toward the main campus. “The way you told off Pierce Vanderbilt.” She shakes her head then laughs, “I’m betting you always win.”
***
I try to ride my bike, but a black Mercedes with blacked-out windows blocks my path when I leave the front gate. Justin leaps out, grabbing the handlebars on my bike.
“You can’t ride up on that.” He effortlessly picks my bike up and tosses it into the trunk. And I have a fit when he accidentally slams the trunk down on the front wheel. He cuts me off. “People are betting real money. You have to show some class.” He swings the back door open and waits for me to get in.
“And who’s going to show you how to act?” I reply, climbing in. I sit as close as I can to the window, ignoring him as he appraises my outfit.
“I hope you have something else to wear.” He frowns at my baggie black sweats that sag over my knees. “Bryce is expecting plenty of boobies shaking.”
I sigh. “Boobies? What are you, a toddler? It’s October, and I want to keep warm while I’m freezing outside. Don’t worry, I have on something sexy underneath this.”
“I need to see it,” he replies abruptly. Justin does his best Bryce imitation, but not with that long blond hair tumbling off his shoulders. Justin looks like he’s about to strum a guitar, not fight the barbarian hordes shirtless.
I scoff. “You need to wait.”
The car drives up to the front door of the Pit, past a line of people waiting to get in. Nova is hanging out beside Teeny, and he cautiously watches the doors of the car open. She nods in my direction, and I nod back. Nova steps forward, heading straight for me, but Justin steps in between us. He towers over Nova’s petite frame and stares down on her as if she better not dare move. Nova ignores Justin as if he’s nonexistent and moves to step around him. He makes the mistake of grabbing her arm while Teeny watches.
Nova stares at Justin as I crowd him. “That better not be your hand,” she states dryly.
“Don’t approach the talent,” Justin warns her.
Nova laughs as Teeny takes a menacing step forward. Justin packs more muscle than he appears to, but Teeny resembles the moon during a total eclipse. He blocks everything out, and Nova is his serious crush. Nova smirks as she yanks her arm out of Justin’s grasp.
Although she’s almost a foot shorter, she sticks her long rainbow nail into Justin’s face. “You don’t touch me without my permission.”
“She’s my friend,” I intervene before the name-calling starts, “Try to be cool,” I tell Justin, “and I’ll try to have a little class. Deal?”
Justin narrows his eyes on Nova and speaks to her, not me. “Deal.”
He walks off ahead of us but stops in front of the metal door. Justin could open it himself, but he waits for Teeny to do his job. Justin gives Teeny a dirty look that says more than words and then he enters the Pit. Smiling, Nova squeezes Teeny’s shoulder before she enters. She would’ve bragged that she could’ve handled Justin herself, but Nova knows when she’s outmuscled and outplayed. I seriously doubt Justin would’ve done more than kick her out. Things have changed. At this point, the rich kids have more pull at the Pit than anyone in the neighborhood. The place is making too much money, and we’re losing our say in our own hangout.
“The place is packed,” Nova comments on the obvious as we squeeze past the mob waiting for tonight’s fights. “You’re up second on the schedule. You’re the hot ticket, but you’re also the entertainment.”
We head off toward the changing area that’s strictly for fighters only. I hold my head up high and sway my hips as people watch me pass by in my shabby sweats. I get puzzled looks up and down my body as I show off my strength in my walk. But my feet falter when I catch a glimpse of Wyatt without his mask, stationed by the dressing room door. He looks at me but then looks away. That move decides it. I’ll ignore him for the entire night.
“Is Erin here?” I ask, looking around. Everyone shares the same locker room. You see the person you’re about to thrash into a silly pulp later. We’re all here to make money, so the egos stay in check while we prep before the fight. Erin walks in, and we make eye contact. I nod, and she nods back. The girl is a fucking Amazon with cut muscles and long legs. Her breasts are smaller than mine, but the boys like her pale skin and puff ass. She is wearing a sports bra and boy shorts that sit low on her hips. Her hair is pulled back in a thick red ponytail, and she swings it around her head as she punches at the air.
“And what are you wearing?” Nova asks.
“The same.” I pull off my sweats and reveal a black sports bra and matching tight short shorts, but my waistband is higher. I run my finger over my hip, feeling my ink on my hipbone. I do that before each fight for good luck, but tonight I’ll make sure it stays covered.
“Astrid,” Erin stands directly behind me, looking bored. I catch sight of Wyatt, hovering in the door, watching us intently. He’s ready to swoop in if something starts. But I’m perfectly relaxed because this area is the neutral zone.
