Chapter 11
X leaves
(Chk chk) "What the…" I opened my eyes and slowly looked to my right. Two centimeters from my face was the side of the barrel of a shotgun NOONE ever wants to see. I looked past the barrel, and expected to see Richard, but it was Brittney, and she was human.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed didn't they?" I said sarcastically
"GET…THE FUCK…OUT!" She said through clenched teeth
"What'd I do?" I said while getting to my feet.
"Ever since you've been here you've caused nothing, but trouble. And I don't love you anymore." She said through halfway clenched teeth
After that last sentence my heart hit the floor.
"Well if I'm not welcome, I'm leavin. Just let me get my bag with my clothes in it, and the last thing you'll see of me is my ass walkin out the door." I said shakily while glaring at her.
I walked back to her room and put the bag strap over my shoulder, and walked to the door. I ran through my head quickly to make sure I didn't forget anything. I opened the door, and accidentally on purpose slammed it. I walked up the road with my right hand in my pocket, and my left hand holding the short handle on the bag. I didn't have a shirt on, I started itching.
"If I got fricken fleas, I'm gonna buy a flea collar. It won't bother me none." I said scratching my arm, and back.
I looked in the bag for a shirt. I found one white shirt, a jacket with a saint symbol, and an MP3 player.
"Why am I carrin this if that's all that's in it?" I yelled
I slid the shirt on, and then the jacket then stuck the MP3 player in my pocket. I threw the bag down in the ditch then fixed the jacket's hood to keep my neck warm then zipped it up. "Where am I going to crash at? I can't go back to my parents cuz I scared them. Maybe I can crash at Echo's crib? But how the heck do you get to Georgia? I'll ask for directions."
I walked up to the gas station, and walked in. I walked up to the counter with my thumbs in my pocket and the rest of my hands hanging out.
"Ay, how do you get to Georgia from here?" I asked staring at her necklace
"What do I look like a map?" She said sarcastically
"Look I just want to get to Georgia, away from this Hellhole, so can you help me or not?" I asked with a little more meaning this time.
"Uhh take the highway is all I can say. Maybe even the bus." She said sticking a piece of gum in her mouth.
I reached in my pockets, and pulled out the lining.
"Damnit I'm broke deader than a convict! Uhh!" I growled
I pushed the lining back in and the cashier said, "I think I know a way you can some money."
"I'll do anything for enough money to get a coke and a bus pass." I said scratching my left side
"Uhm there's an underground fighting match at Three o'clock today."
"Okay I'll rip through them and claim my prize, then use the left over money for a flea collar." I said scratching behind my ear and my back
At that note she started laughing.
"I'm not kidding I'm really gonna buy a flea collar, I'm tired of my skin crawlin." I said still scratching all over myself
"Ok it your money."
"Speakin of this topic where is this so called fight you recommended I join." I asked scratching my back and my neck.
"It's behind the big lots, down there beside the highway to Cleveland."
"I know exactly where it is." I said scratching behind my ear, and in the crevice of my spikes.
I walked out the door, and made my way down to big lots. I got there in maybe ten to twenty five minutes. I walked down to the parking lot, and looked around. I saw a guy with a hoodie on with the hood over his head, smoking on a weed. "Fucking junky." I walked up to him, and started coughing from the second hand. I put my shirt over my nose.
"Where do I sign up for the fight at three?" I said through my shirt
"Right here. Just sign down your name." He said holding out a paper.
I looked down it remembering the names then signing my name on there, but I put X instead of Austin. I handed it back to him with the pencil. He looked at it with over dilated eyes.
"Nice name dawg. Come back a few minutes earlier to get ready."
"Ight, later man."
I walked into big lots, and looked around for an hour then walked back out to the back. It was a few minutes before three. I looked around at the people who joined. There were twelve of them. Some were stocky, some muscular, some lean, and some average. The guy I talked to earlier stepped up with the paper, and started whistling.
"Okay, beeotches, let's get this thing started, there is only one rule, no weapons, other than that just get knocking the crap out of each other, till one gives up, or KOs. The first contestants are X, and Blood." He shouted
I stepped forward out of the crowd, and everyone stared at me. Then the dude I'm about to fight stepped forward. He was a little stocky, big muscles, and was wearing a tank top, and cut up jeans.
"Okay this is a simple advance match, whoever wins fights again, you lose you don't fight, but you can watch. If you're down for ten seconds you're out, if you whip out a weapon automatic disqualification. Okay, tap fists."
I tapped his fists. His hands were hard as a brick wall.
"Okay when I step back and whistle start duking it out."
He stepped back, and whistled loudly. I put my hands up level to my chest. I started studying him, looking for a weakness. He threw a quick punch to my face. I caught it, and punched him in the stomach. He let out all his breath, and threw an uppercut. I stepped to the side, and hit him in the back of the head. He fell forward, but caught himself. He turned around, and threw a kick to my stomach. I stepped back a little bit, and caught it. I threw his foot down, and kicked him in the kidney with the blade of my foot. He grunted, and clenched his kidney. He got up, and threw a punch to my chest. I stepped to my side and tripped him. He fell to the ground with a grunt.
I stuck my hands in my pocket, and said "Is that all you got?!"
He got up red faced, and started rapid punching at my stomach. I stood there and let him hit me. I looked at him smiling with my hands in my pocket. He finally got tired and stopped, while panting his head off.
I pulled my hands out of my pockets and popped them while saying "My turn."
I reared back with my right hand, and punched him as hard as I could in the chest. He went flying back tumbling in circles into a dumpster, leaving a dent. He groaned then passed out. I shoved my hands back in my pockets, and looked at the dude with the paper.
He stepped forward and said "Winner, from Knock Out. Now who wants to go next?"
Everyone stepped back, except one person who was still looking at the guy knocked out on the dumpster.
"Do you want to fight this guy?"
He looked at the guy beside me who asked the question then back at the guy on the dumpster then back at us. I stood there glaring at him. He stepped back, shaking his head and hands no.
"Chicken shit!" I said
"It looks like we have a champion! Here one thousand dollars, go have fun." He said placing the money in my hand.
Everyone left after he handed the money to me. I placed it into my pocket, and scratched my neck. I walked back to the gas station I went to before the fight. The cashier I talked to earlier was still there.
"Damn did you get your ass kicked that fast?!" She said leaning on the counter.
I pulled the money out, and waved it back and forth. Her eyes got huge.
"I want a coke and a bus pass to Georgia." I said laying ten dollars on the counter.
I walked to the back and pulled out a coke then walked up to the counter. I stopped halfway there because I saw a grey hat with Sonic the Hedgehog on it. I grabbed the hat then walked to the counter. She rang up the coke and the hat.
"Anything else?" She said putting the items in a bag.
I scratched behind my ear, and said "You sell flea collars?"
"Yeah there in the back." She said pointing to them.
I walked back there and grabbed one. I walked back up to the counter, and stuck the collar on it. She rang it up, and stuck it in the bag. She handed me back the change. I shoved the change in my pocket then pulled the collar out, and strapped it around my neck then stuck the hat on backwards then pulled the coke out, and crammed the bus pass in my pocket then threw the bag in the garbage. I unscrewed the cap off, and walked out taking a big gulp. I walked up to the highway, and found a bus stop, on the other side of the bridge. I walked over there, and sat down. I pulled the MP3 player out of my pocket, and started searching through it. Eminem, Enrique, Akon, Maroon 5, and Avril Lavigne were on it. I selected Eminem, and three albums showed up. Curtain Call, Relapse, Relapse Refill. I selected Relapse then selected Crack a Bottle. I listened to it for a few minutes, and the bus showed up. The doors opened up, and I stepped on. I handed the bus driver the pass.
"Gah if you're going to Georgia you're gonna be on here for a while." He said slipping the pass into a box
"I don't care just don't expect me to be awake when we get there." I said sitting down in the front seat.
I looked around and I was the only one on the bus. I relaxed against the window, and stuck my feet on the seat.
"So what ya goin to Georgia for?"
"I don't have anywhere else to go."
"Why, what happened?"
"My girlfriend kicked me out; my parents are scared of me, so I got my buddy Echo to go to."
"And he lives in Georgia?"
"Yup, a little bit away from the border and the canyon."
"Okay I'll drop you off near the area, but you'll have to find his house."
"Ight." I said yawning.
I fell asleep, to the gentle vibration of the bus, with my arms crossed, and my head resting against the window.
"Ay man, here's your stop."
I rose up, rubbing my neck, and wiping the sweat out from under the flea collar. I got up on my feet, and stretched, while yawning. I opened my eyes and it was nighttime. I looked at the bus driver.
"Okay thanks, man."
I stumbled out of the bus, and headed for the payphone. I tried to remember Echo's number. I punched in the numbers, and stuck the phone to my ear.
"Yo." Echo said in the phone
"Ay man, can you come to the gas station at Winston Boulevard, it's the BP K?"
"Okay man I'll be there shortly."
"Thanks man."
I hung up the phone, and walked over to the BP. I sat on the bench, and waited for Echo, and his piece of shit junker to get here. I sat there waiting for thirty minutes, but it felt like an hour. He finally pulled up, and revved his engine.
I got in the car, and shut the door. I didn't bother buckling up.
"It's about fucking time you got here." I said flicking on the radio.
"I was busy with something." He said turning the radio down.
"Busy with what?" I asked looking at him.
"Noneya." He said smiling.
"I bet I know." I said smiling.
"What is it then?" He said looking at me pulling out.
"I'll wait till we get to your house for proof." I said rolling the window down.
He peeled out, and started flying down the road. He slammed the brakes, and turned right down a dirt road. We were at his house in five minutes down that road going one hundred and thirty miles an hour. He stopped in front of his house, by slamming the brakes. As soon as it stopped I opened the door, and it fell off in my hand. I threw the door across the yard.
I turned to Echo, and said "This thing is more of a piece a shit than my uncle buys all the time."
"It gets me back and forth, so it's okay." He said shrugging.
I walked onto the porch, and Echo stepped ahead of me, and unlocked the door. I walked in smelling something.
"Riley I'm back." Echo shouted
A creature similar to Echo but blonder and shorter stepped out of the kitchen with a pan of something charcoal black.
"God everyday you get better at cooking just look how black it is. I think you beat your record for how burnt your food is." Echo said clapping at the end.
"At least I'll get off my lazy ass and cook, that's more than you do." She said throwing the burnt food in the trash.
"Would you like some ice with for that burn?" I said smiling.
"By the way who's the chick?" I asked
"It's Riley dumbass." Echo said
"Well I was right about what you were busy with." I said with my arms crossed.
Riley blushed, and Echo asked "What happened then?"
"You and Riley were gettin on." I said smiling.
Riley got red faced and stepped into the kitchen then Echo said, "At least I did get laid, when did you?"
I opened my mouth to say something and paused… "Lucky bastard." I muttered under my breath.
I sat down on the couch, and the legs broke. I put my feet on the couch and laid down saying "Echo I think everything you own is in mint condition."
"Well I got the couch off the curb so whatya expect." He said sitting down on the recliner.
Riley walked in, and sat down in Echo's lap then he let the recliner out. I was slowly drifting off to sleep on the couch. I fell asleep a few minutes later. I woke up a while later because I heard something. I followed the sound up the stairs, and to a door. I stuck my ear to the door. I heard a bed creaking, and something that sound like moaning. I wasn't sure, so I listened harder. It was moaning. I sound like Riley, MOANING! My eyes got huge, and I crept back down the stairs stepping lightly. I laid back down on the couch, and fell asleep again.
I woke up to a loud moan this time. I rose up, eyes possibly bloodshot, heavy from tiredness. I found the pillows on the couch over in the corner. I got them then laid back down on the couch, with two pillows over my ears. I fell back asleep.
"Austin, wake up Riley fixed some pancakes." Echo said
"You mean you really gave Riley the time to do that." I said sitting up.
"Whadya mean?"
"Let's just say I hope that bacon and creamed coffee you had last night to this morning was good, cuz it kept me up all fricken night." I said rubbing my eyes.
"Oh that's what you meant…yeah." He said scratching the back of his neck.
"So what made you come visit?" He asked
"Brittney kicked me out, and I had nowhere else to go." I said standing up.
"Oh, you'll find someone else. There's a lot of people out there." He said
"I know, sjust that she just said get lost, no reason why either, but she doesn't know what she losing." I said.
"Yeah sure whatever you think." Echo said walking into the kitchen.
"HEEEYYY, screw you." I said walking into the kitchen and sitting down.
I crammed the pancakes down my throat, and inhaled the orange juice then I walked back in the living room, and sat down on the couch. I turned on the TV. One channel and it's the fricken news. I turned it off, and laid down. I started thinking about what to do, and fell asleep a few minutes later.
The end of chapter 11