Wow, an update if anyone cares, lol. I'd pretty much left this story for dead, but I had half of the next chapter written, so I just decided to finish it. Anyway, that kind of got my interest back into the storyline a bit, but I definitely had some editing to do. I started writing this story about three years ago, and I was appalled at how poorly written it actually was. Long story short, I did a bit of editing and made some minor changes in the previous chapters; the last chapter in particular. I'm not sure if it'll ever get finished, but then, I was sure it would never be updated again and here we are, lol. So, if anyone cares, here's the next chapter. The earlier ones were pretty short, so if and when I add anymore, they'll definitely be longer. Thanks to everyone who reviewed earlier; I really appreciate it. :)
So that was that. Johnny had given Kay the break she needed to get back on her feet, and Sid was more than willing to help. The excessive training was beginning to take its toll, but she knew that it had to be done if she wanted to win.
After that night when Johnny had found her, Kay couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her soul. He was giving her a chance; a chance to redeem herself after what she'd almost done. It didn't seem to matter what anyone else thought anymore. She couldn't change who she was, and to be quite honest, she didn't really want to.
Her mother had come to the gym, begging her to come home. She refused of course, telling her that she would be fine staying right where she was. It was hard. For the first time in so many months, it broke her heart to see the pain in her mother's eyes. Kay could tell that she just wanted everything to go back to the way it was. No more David Hastings or Ivy Crane to get in the way of her happiness with Sam. She just wanted her family back.
She'd arranged for Simone to bring her some clothes, and the necessary items she needed until she was able to get back on her feet again. Living in a tiny, dank dressing room down the hall from Sid's office was no picnic. She would need all the support she could get.
When Friday finally rolled around, Sid found himself torn between pushing Kay to do her best, or taking her across the Canadian border and away from all this drama.
"I'll be okay," she reassured him. "I can do this. I have to do this."
What the hell was wrong with him anyway? Why did he even care so much about this girl? He'd sent countless men into Johnny's ring with no fear whatsoever for their safety. Why did this have to be so different? What made her so damn special?
'Whatever it is,' he told himself, 'I can't just forget about it now. This kid ain't gonna stop for nothin' or nobody. She needs me, and by God I'm gonna be there for her. This is the most important match in her career so far; the determining factor in whether or not she can make it in this business. Tonight, we find out if this kid actually has what it takes.'
The stench of cigarette smoke coated the alley walls as Kay and Sid made their way through them. They came upon a man dressed in black, who kindly opened a tiny green door leading into a run down warehouse on the bad side of town. As she walked down the oil stained ramp, the sound of people cheering and yelling crashed upon her ears. The arena wasn't too far away, and Kay found herself wondering just how Johnny managed to fit everything into what seemed like a tiny, meaningless building.
"This way," directed Sid, and he gestured for Kay to follow. She felt the gaze of men around her falling upon her body, and she pulled her jacket tightly against herself as if for protection. They hooted and howled as the pair made their way into the locker room.
"Ignore them. Those dirty boys just can't help but appreciate a pretty lady," a feminine voice came from behind. Kay turned to see an older, black haired woman in her mid twenties massaging the shoulders of a large, muscular man. "I'm Joanna," she smiled. "Jo for short. This here's my man, Denny. I'd shake your hand, but as you can see, I'm a little busy at the moment."
The man smiled, and Kay felt herself becoming a little less tense. "Kay," she introduced herself.
"What brings you down to a place like this Kay?" her new friend inquired.
"She's with me," Sid interrupted, walking back to stand with his student.
"Don't tell me you're fighting tonight!" Jo exclaimed in shock.
"Of course not! Don't be ridiculous."
"Then why do you need another ringside girl if not for yourself?"
"I am not a ringside girl," stated Kay defensively. "Whatever that is anyway. I'm here to box."
Denny looked up, eyeing the girl in front of him. "You? Boxing?"
"Yeah," she replied. "What's it to you?"
"Kay here is the first woman boxer ever to be allowed into Johnny's ring. I vouched for her myself, and tonight she's gonna go out there and kick some major ass."
"Well I'll be damned. You go girl!" Jo ran over and wrapped her arms tightly around Kay. "I never thought I'd see the day. You must be pretty good if Johnny's willing to let you fight here."
"Either that, or profits are down and he just wants to add a little flavour to the menu." Denny grabbed his girlfriend's arm and pulled her into his lap. She playfully punched him on the shoulder.
"Don't listen to him. I'm sure you'll do great. Any idea who you're fighting?"
Kay narrowed her eyes as she tried to recall the name of her opponent. "I'm not sure... Spike something?"
"Spike Savage?" Denny laughed. "Oh man, this is one match I gotta see."
"What's so bad about Spike Savage?" she asked.
"We don't got time to be standing around," Sid finally intervened. "Let's go. You got a match to get ready for." He lead Kay towards the small side dressing room in which she was supposed to get ready.
"What was that all about?" she asked as she dropped her bag on the bench beside her. "Why do I have an uneasy feeling about this Spike guy?"
"Don't worry about it, he's nothing. Just another opponent to beat and nothing more. You need to concentrate on keeping your game up."
As Sid opened the door to leave the room, Kay couldn't help but overhear Denny's mocking laughter continue to echo in the distance.
"Tell me what that was all about," she said to Sid as she finished putting her hair in a pony tail. She had changed into her customary shorts and tank top, and was just about ready to make her way to the ring.
"I told you to forget about it."
She sighed. This wasn't going exactly as she imagined it would. 'Forget about it,' she repeated in her head. 'Forget about it.'
"You almost ready kid?"
"Yup," she gave a half-hearted smile. "Sid?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I'm going to win?"
"Kid, I think that if you truly want to win, then you'll win. Give me your hand."
Kay held out her hand and watched as Sid laced up her gloves. When he was finished, the pair made their way onto the sidelines of the ring, and into the dingy arena filled with what seemed like hundreds of cheering people. The smell of cheap booze and cigarettes hit her instantly, and she quickly shook her head to regain her composure. They had just managed to catch the end of the eighth round, and Kay watched as the ref. counted to ten. The loser had been K.O'd, and was in obvious need of medical attention.
"Where's the doctor?" Kay whispered to Sid.
"There ain't one."
"What? But isn't it mandatory to-"
"Not here it ain't. You're in Johnny's place kid, and when you're here, you follow Johnny's rules. If you don't win, you deserve what you get. That's Johnny's motto. Now come on, it's almost time."
People began tossing beer cans and garbage as the loser had to be dragged back into the dressing room. She watched as the man who had won began to climb out of the ring. Followed by his trainer, he walked slowly past her, eyeing her cautiously before heading into the back.
Sid grabbed her arm, pulling her up into the corner of the ring. Her heart began to pound quickly, and she couldn't help but notice the way everyone was whispering. 'Take it easy,' she tried to calm herself. 'Just pretend like they aren't even there.'
"Get that chick outta the ring!" some guy yelled.
"Yeah!" joined another, "I didn't come here to watch Foxy Boxing! I paid good money to watch a real fight!"
A chorus of agreements surged throughout the building until the announcer finally grabbed the mike and walked into the middle of the ring. "Ladies and gentlemen," he started, "for your enjoyment, Mr. Spencer proudly brings to you, the first ever woman boxer allowed to fight in his elite club of athletes!" The reaction was a mix of both boo's and groans. Who would let some stupid woman box against a man anyway? That wouldn't even be a fair fight!
He continued. "Tonight, in this very arena, Kay The Killer will attempt to subdue the one and only Spiiiiike Saaaaaaavaaaaage!"
Kay tilted her head down towards Sid. "Kay the Killer?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Don't look at me," he chuckled, "It wasn't my idea. If I had to call you anything, it'd be Kay The Kitten."
"Very funny," she smiled, turning back around to face the crowd. She raised her arms in the air, and almost relished the disapproving sound that was aimed in her direction. She figured if she was going to be pinned as the useless bad guy, then she might as well enjoy it.
She waited a few minutes as her opponent was introduced to some loud heavy metal song she'd never heard before. Small beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead, and she wished the fight would just start already. Spike Savage, as he was called, didn't appear to be quite as savage as one might have thought. He was indeed a large man, but not nearly as large as Denny, or the man who had won the previous match. He had short spiky hair, and a handsome face. The tattoo on his left arm, a brightly coloured red dragon, was probably just for show, Kay thought. She studied his movements carefully as the bell rang to signify the beginning of the fight.
"All right kid," shouted Sid, "remember what I told you about movement!"
A punch flew at her face, and she quickly stepped to the side, sneaking in a nice hook against the side of Spike's ribs. He turned around, attempting to get a hit in on her face before she could move. She bent her head back, and watched as Spike's fist hit the air. Extending her arm, she gave him a hard looking uppercut before quickly jumping back and moving away to safety. She raised her gloves in defence, and watched as her opponent tried to shake off the hit he'd just received.
"Atta' girl!" Sid yelled over the growing boo's emanating from the seats.
Kay caught a glimpse of Jo and Denny sitting in the crowd, but focused her attention on the situation at hand. Six more rounds into the fight, and Kay had felt the pain of Spike's fists all throughout the top half of her body. Not to say that she wasn't putting up much of a fight however. In fact, if anyone was feeling the pain in this match, it was definitely not her. Her arm jabbed outward, making contact with Spike's cheek just before the bell rang, signifying the end of the sixth round.
She sank slowly onto a tiny stool in the corner of the ring, allowing Sid to wipe the sweat off of her face.
"You're doin' great kid." She tried to nod her head, but was confused at the sight of some blurry lights in the distance. "Stay with me here Kay," warned Sid. He grabbed her face, forcing her to look him in the eye. "We're almost through this. God only knows how many people didn't even think you'd last this long. You're doing great! Now, he's getting tired, ya hear that? You just gotta keep moving; keep workin' him until he can't take it anymore. Listen to me!" he smacked the side of her face gently. The bell rang.
"Now get in there and make me proud!" he shoved her back into the ring.
'Focus,' she told herself. 'Focus! You didn't work this hard just to lose now, did you?'
Both fighters stood southpaw, ready to finally end this, here and now. Spike's arm attempted to hit her in the jaw, but she had her defences up. His fist hit her glove, and they both backed away, trying to grab the upper hand. Sweat covered Kay's skin as she watched her opponent charge toward her. She felt her head snap back as he delivered an uppercut to the bottom of her chin, quickly followed by a jab to her face.
A whimper escaped her mouth as she felt a large portion of skin above her eyebrow brake open. Fresh, hot blood dripped heavily down her face, and she began to see red, literally. Grabbing hold of the ropes for support, she watched as her opponent basked in the growing praise from the crowd around him. 'You haven't won yet honey' the angry voice inside her head muttered.
Her breath became heavier. Anger boiled throughout her body, and she briskly walked over to where he was standing. Old memories of her mother, Charity, and everyone else who had treated her poorly ran throughout her brain. She felt the adrenaline rush, and realized that this had to end, here and now.
Spike's body swayed from side to side, and he was unable to hide the fact that he was almost out of gas. He didn't seem to care however, as all of his troubles were lying on the ground, unconscious in a pool of blood- or so he thought.. A slight tap on his shoulder pulled him back to reality, and for the first time since he'd knocked Kay down, he suddenly realized that he hadn't heard the bell ring. With a slight gasp, he slowly spun around. His face met the angry fist of his opponent, and he was quickly knocked out, lying face down on the mat below.
A deafening silence overwhelmed the entire arena. Nobody knew what to do or say. Kay stood, catching her breath. She surveyed the faces around her, almost laughing at all the gaping mouths she saw. She felt the ref. walk next to her and grab her arm. As he raised it into the air, the seats suddenly seemed to explode with jumping people and wild cheers. Almost everyone was yelling in excitement, with the exception of those who'd bet on Spike to win, of course.
'Oh my God,' Kay thought to herself, a giant smile spreading across her face. "I won! I actually won!"
"You did it kid!" Sid ran into the ring, scooping Kay up in his small, but deceivingly strong arms. "I knew you could, I knew it! I'm so proud of you!"
Kay laughed, hugging her coach in return. She smiled at Jo and Denny, who were both cheering for her. She did it. She actually did it. This was only the beginning, but it was definitely the beginning of something great.
The next few months seemed to pass by in a blur. Although Kay knew that Johnny had been impressed by her win over Spike, she also knew that she still had a long way to go before he, and every other man that boxed in that arena, would ever respect her completely. Sid made sure to keep his star pupil in shape, increasing her training sessions to almost more length than she could handle. Often times she wondered if there was such a thing as being too in shape.
She'd heard from Sid that Johnny wanted her back in the ring as a regular, and this news couldn't have come at a better time. Because she had won her first match, Kay soon found herself with a sickeningly large amount of money in her bank account. 'All from that one fight,' she marveled at the thought. Since then she'd only fought two more times; one win and one loss. She grew angry when she realized just how much money she'd lost by not winning her last fight, and she vowed to work harder if it meant keeping her cash flow steady. She needed that money now more than ever, considering the fact that she hadn't had contact with any member of her family since that fateful day back at the gym.
It still hadn't hit her, the severity of what she did that day. Striking her father had changed everything. How could she face him knowing what she did? It was unbearable. She'd confided in Simone about the way she felt, and she, in return, told Kay about everything that was happening back at her house. She informed her of the way in which her absence had put a visible strain on her parents marriage. Grace, apparently, was spending a lot more time with David Hastings than she had been before, and Sam... well, Sam was never really home anymore. He'd been spending a lot of time at the station, Simone told her, obsessed with some case or another.
But none of that mattered. Those weren't her problems to deal with. She had responsibilities, and she'd be damned if she let anything get in the way of her maintaining them. Jo and Denny had become her number one supporters throughout this transition period, and Kay soon found herself renting out a room in their large apartment on the east side of Harmony. It was there that Simone often came to chat, trying to convince her friend to return home for a visit.
"It's not like you have to stay," she persisted. "Just go for an hour or two and let your parents know you're all right."
"Why should I? You're doing a perfectly fine job of it as it is."
Simone shook her head. "Why do you always have to be so stubborn Kay? You know, I'm sure Miguel would like to see you."
"Is that your ace?" Kay laughed. "Is that the card you've been waiting to play since the day you got here? Simone, I don't care about Miguel anymore. He forgot about me a long time ago, and now I've forgotten about him too. Besides, I have another man in my life these days. He may be old and wrinkly, and really, really bossy, but I love him." She smiled as she pictured Sid, and what he might say if he ever heard his student talk about him that way.
"Fine, I won't push you anymore. But would you at least tell me what you do all day? I mean, look at this place! It's so big you'd think it belonged to a Crane. Where are you getting all this money from?"
"Simone, I've told you, I can't talk about it. And no it has nothing to do with drugs. And no, I can honestly say I'm not a hooker. Just trust me all right? I know what I'm doing."
That was the last Kay had heard on the subject of money from Simone, and she was grateful of that fact, to say the least. Long gone were the days of sipping coffee at the Book Cafe, or grabbing a quick meal at the Seascape. Times had changed, and now, whenever she had a spare moment, Kay found herself dining out at restaurants she had never been able to afford before. At least here she was sure not to run into anyone she knew. Granted, she had seen Julian Crane on more than one occasion, but he in turn, had never even recognized her. As long as she kept winning fights, and Simone kept reporting to her parents that she was alive and breathing, then life was definitely good.
"This sucks! Are you trying to ruin my life here kid?" Sid's voice raged over the sound of the cheering crowd. He struggled to help Kay out of the ring. She'd just been counted out, and had lost her second match in a row.
"I'm sorry!" she wheezed. "I'll do better next time, I promise!"
"There ain't gonna beany next time if you can't get your act together! What did you think you were doing out there, prancing around without hardly throwing a punch!"
"It wasn't my fault, I couldn't get close enough to-"
"I don't want to hear excuses!" Sid's voice became strained as he lifted Kay's arm over his shoulder, dragging her into the tunnel that led out of the arena and toward the dressing room. She leaned heavily against the wall as soon as soon as they were off the sidelines of the ring. He quickly unlaced her gloves, and Kay's hand made its way up to her broken lip instinctively. She pulled it away covered in blood.
"That was the sorriest excuse for a fight I ever saw!" the small man's large voice carried over the sound of the crowd. He and Kay stood near the entrance to the arena, out of view from any prying eyes.
"I don't know what to tell you," she said coolly. "I'm sorry."
"Well sorry ain't good enough kid. If you wanna make it here, you've gotta take it up another level! You've gotta-"
"Sid," a husky voice came from the entrance near the stands. "Johnny wants to see you."
A sigh escaped the mouth of the older man as he nodded his head in understanding. "All right. Tell him I'll be there in a min-"
"Now."
Sid paused, narrowing his eyes in annoyance. He rubbed his temples slowly before turning his attention back to Kay. He pointed to the end of the tunnel. "Go down to the locker room and clean yourself up. I'll be back in awhile." With that, he turned around and obediently followed the man up through the stands towards Johnny's main office. Though she had never been in it personally, it was easily viewed through large glass windows above one section of the stands.
Kay let out a groan as soon as Sid had left. She turned her face against the wall and fought to hide the tears that were beginning to spill down her cheeks. How could she ever think she was good enough to make it in Johnny's ring? She knew she was getting Sid in some serious hot water by losing these last two matches, and she couldn't help but wonder if there was something she could have done to change the outcomes. Was Sid right? Was she really just prancing around out there, not even throwing any punches?
Hot tears fell from her eyes as overwhelming exhaustion seemed to swoop down upon her. This was all too much. It was too much work. 'I just want... I just want go to home.'
"You look like you could use a shoulder to cry on," a smooth voice came from behind her. Kay quickly spun around to face the man leaning casually against the opposite wall. "Ugh, or maybe the name of a good plastic surgeon? I know a few that might be able to fix that monstrous lip on your face if you're interested. They do very good work, I can assure you."
A bitter laugh escaped her as she hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged. "Concerned about a fellow human being?"
"I'm sure," she replied sarcastically. "That is what you're known for after all, spending all that money of yours on poor needy children, right?"
A slight smile made its way across his face as he surveyed the beaten and bruised girl before him. "Indeed. Anyway, I was just curious- how does one go about getting an illegal, not to mention filthy, job as an unprofessional boxer of all things?"
"Hard work. Talent. What do you really want? I don't have time to waste chatting up a storm with a complete stranger."
"Well now, I'm hardly a complete stranger am I? You know who I am."
"The whole damn world knows who you are. I just meant-"
"Yes, I know what you meant," he waved her off. "I've come to see you because I have a proposal that I hope will capture your attention."
A pause. "I'm listening."
"I want you to go on a date with me."
"What? You have got to be kidding," she shook her head, forcing herself to move in the direction of the locker room.
"Just one date," he called after her. "That's all I'm asking!"
"Dream on."
"I'll make up for the loss you've suffered tonight!" She froze. Make up the loss? What did he mean? "Ah, so I see I've captured your attention after all. Come back here and face me when I'm talking to you."
It took all her willpower not to keep walking. Against her better judgment, Kay made her way back to the entrance of the arena. People could be heard cheering loudly as the start of another fight began. "What do you want from me?" she asked.
"I thought I'd already told you that. I want to take you on a date. My treat of course."
"And what did you mean when you said you'd make up my losses from tonight?"
"Listen Kay, I've seen you fight. I've seen you take down men twice your size, and to be honest, it makes you look really hot," he smirked.
"I'm flattered," she replied, her tone flat and icy. "I wouldn't have thought someone like you would even set foot in a place like this."
"Well, there's a lot you don't know about me, now isn't there? This isn't the only place I've seen you, you know. I've watched you. Yes, I've watched you a number of times, and don't squirm like that, it doesn't suit you."
"You've watched me? How? When?"
"Please, I didn't mean like that. I've seen you around, that's all. Chardenoux, Chez Geraud, the Country Club. At first I was surprised, I admit, to see you in such expensive places."
"Cut to the chase will you?"
"All right, if that's what you want. Just come on one date with me; that's all I'm asking. I'll pay for it."
"I can afford my own meals you know."
"Oh, can you now?" he raised an eyebrow at her. "After tonight, I'd be surprised if you could afford a burger from Mc-whatever it's called. Spend an evening with me, however, and you won't leave empty handed."
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
"Well, I certainly hope so, because I really don't want to have to spell it out for you. I've heard from certain sources that you've got a pretty capable head on your shoulders."
"You're going to pay me to go on dates with you? Are you serious?"
"Not dates, just date. As in the singular sense. One has to do the research on a product before they invest in it you know."
Kay rolled her eyes. "How romantic."
"I take it that's a yes then?"
She hesitated only briefly before her thirst for money got the better of her. "Do I even have a choice? Fox Crane gets what Fox Crane wants it seems."
"Yeah, that's basically the gist of it," he smiled. He watched contently as she turned away from him and started to make her way down the tunnel. "I'll send a car to pick you up around eight! On Saturday! We don't want you to be seen in public with that lip, now do we?"