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Sixteen years old/10th Grade/April
Today was the first time that my mind was elsewhere since I started training intensely with the TCF trainers—well, my team. Team Dragon. Which still sounded so wild to me. Typically, I was very focused, but now my worries about Patrick were spilling over into my fighting life.
I needed some resolve. In order to keep this dream alive, it required all my attention and concentration. There wasn’t anything I wanted more than to be a TCF fighter… and for Patrick to be safe.
“Ah!” Marty exclaimed and tapped me on the side of my cheek with the focus mitt.
He got me.
Which meant I wasn’t paying attention.
Fuck!
Realizing my mistake, I bent over and stared at the TCF logo on the floor of the mock cage used for training. Sweat dripped from my forehead as I tried to replay the five-minute session. I wasn’t even able to determine where I’d lost focus and control because all of it was a blur.
I stood and looked at the digital clock just outside the cage. When training, we’d go five minutes before resetting. Five minutes signified a TCF round. I only lasted a minute and twelve seconds in this training round.
Marty chuckled as he pulled the mitts off his hands. “Come on, Hollis. Let’s take a break,” he said as he headed out of the cage.
No. I needed to go again and refocus. I needed to fix this.
“Marty, can we go again?”
“Yes. After you have a break.”
I didn’t need a break. I needed to correct this.
“Marty, I’m ready.”
“No, you’re not.”
What? Like hell.
“I am. Can we go again, please?”
“Yes. We will go again, but after you have a break.”
“Marty, I’m good to go. Let’s go.”
Marty sat on the bench and toweled off his head before he grabbed his bottle of water and began to drink from it. I stood firmly on the TCF logo and stared at him. I was ready.
“Marty, I’m ready.”
“Come sit down.”
“My parents are paying good money for training. I don’t want to waste time or money. I’m ready.”
“Hollis, if you don’t get your ass over here, I’m going to come get you.”
Seriously?
I didn’t move until Marty stood up.
Fuck.
I walked over to the bench and sat down. Marty tossed a towel over my shoulder and handed me a bottle of Gatorade.
“Just so there’s no confusion, Hollis, your parents are trusting us to not only train your body safely but your mind too. If ever one of us feels you’re not ready for training, or you need a break, we are obligated to say so. Your mind is your strongest and most capable tool in the cage.”
