Marlene goes down hard, coughing up a bit of blood as she hits the floor with a sickening thud.
Gabe doesn't hesitate, he grabs her by the hair, yanking her to her knees. Marlene grabs his wrist, but can't do anything. She's somewhere between screaming and hyperventilating, her eyes wide with panic.
"Marlene!" Lynn has her hand on Uriah's shoulder, practically holding the boy back. If she didn't, she has no doubt he'd jump into the ring and beat the shit out of Gabe himself.
"Marlene will be fine." She hisses, trying to keep the concern out of her voice. "Trust me."
Her tone makes his head turn, and he stops fighting her. He's still tense, painfully turning his head back to the ring.
Gabe slams her face into the ground, earning painful cry from the bleeding brunette. She sweeps her leg behind her, catching him off-guard and knocking him down.
She scrambles over to him, flips him over, punches him as hard as she can in the face. Once, twice, three times-
"Marlene!" Lauren calls, and the fighter leans back on her heels. "He's down. You won."
She stands up slowly, her legs shaking, and covers her broken nose with her hand.
"Marlene!" Uriah jumps up onto the ring, grabbing her by the shoulders, worry clouding his features. "Are you alright?"
She grins. "Been better."
Lynn takes her hand, helping her step down from the raised platform.
"I knew you'd win." She pats her friend on the back, grinning with her.
"I need some tissues or something." Marlene hesitates. "And how long is it until dinner?"
Uriah laughs. "Always have that appetite, don't you?"
The brunette blushes. "Shut up Uriah!"
"I didn't think you had enough blood left in your face to blush." Lynn adds.
"You guys are horrible!" She whines, and the two laugh again, leading their friend to the cafeteria.
