Reyna winced as she pressed the ice pack to her face. She hadn't expected Silena to have such a strong kick, and one of those kicks caught her square in the cheekbone and almost knocked her out. It bruised her face pretty badly, and everything ached terribly. Reyna carefully adjusted the ice that was pressed against her knuckles. Her knuckles were pretty swollen, and it hurt to even wiggle her fingers.
Reyna's eyes flickered up towards her friends and teammates. Annabeth's eyes were glued to the television, watching Lavinia and Leila fight. Hazel was giving Frank another pep talk as he finished warming up. Will was watching her closely. Lupa studied Reyna with a steely gaze.
Lupa wanted to speak, but there was nothing to talk about. Reyna had won her fight and mouthed off to Clarisse just a little bit. Clarisse should have been laid flat out on the mat. But Reyna thought she did a good job restraining herself.
Reyna sighed and heard her ringtone alarm from her phone. A frown came to her face, and she lowered the pack of ice she had pressed against her facial bruises. Reyna reached into her jacket and pulled out her phone to answer it.
"Hey," Reyna greeted as she stood. She kept the ice cradled to her hand and left the locker room. "What's going on, Hylla?"
"Just wanted to congratulate you on the fight," Hylla said. Reyna felt her heart flutter for a moment. A proud smile came to her face. "How's the face doing?"
"It's good, just a little bruised. Hurts to talk, though," Reyna admitted. Her smile widened, despite her cheek's protest. She had been talking to her sister almost every day now, and she had started to open up a little more. It was still difficult and awkward, but Reyna felt better about the entire thing. It was a slow process, but there was definitely progress.
"I saw that Clarisse bitch getting under your skin," Hylla began. Reyna started to grind her teeth together. Apparently, Hylla had watched her press conference and seen what Clarisse did. She tried to broach the topic of what Clarisse had said, but Reyna wasn't ready for that conversation just yet. She didn't know if she ever would be.
Reyna wanted to know who her mother was. She wanted to know why the woman had just abandoned her and Hylla. But, at the same time, Reyna didn't think she really wanted to meet the woman. Her anger would get the best of her, for sure. Yelling probably wasn't the best way to greet your long-lost mother. Then again, she didn't think her mother deserved that kindness from her.
"Are you two going to have a rematch?" Hylla asked.
"Probably, yeah," Reyna answered after a few moments. She rubbed her forehead and bit back a sigh. "It's not all up to me. If it was, I would have jumped across the table at the press conference."
Reyna felt the anger boiling back up to the surface, but she took a deep breath to force it back down. When talking to the press, Reyna didn't keep it a secret that she grew up without parents. She even did a couple of charity events for organizations that put kids into foster homes and donated some of her pay from every fight.
While the press knew that Reyna had spent some of her life homeless, Reyna never went into detail about her family situation. She never told them her father died or that her mother just left. Reyna also kept Hylla out of the spotlight. She knew how the press could be vultures when they wanted to be, picking at things that shouldn't be disturbed. That all changed when a stupid dramatic tabloid dug into her past and aired it out for everyone to see.
It had taken Lupa and Octavian holding her back to keep her from driving right to the tabloid's headquarters and having a long "chat" with their editor. The assholes could dig up that her father committed suicide when she was young, and Reyna was grateful that they hadn't unearthed the truth that Hylla told her. They also reported that Reyna's mother had abandoned them, but they were useless in finding out who the woman was.
"I'm glad you didn't," Hylla regarded. Reyna snapped back to reality. Hylla made a noise like she was clearing her throat. It was silent for a few moments until Hylla cleared it again. "So, um. Thanksgiving is coming up soon. I wasn't sure if you had plans."
Oh. That was not something Reyna had thought about. Thanksgiving for the past few years was just automatic. She would spend the day before with Lupa at her own Thanksgiving for the Wolves, and there would be enough leftovers for Nico and Reyna to have the next day for their own small Thanksgiving meal.
"I do," Reyna slowly answered, an influx of shame filled her chest. She spent a few moments awkwardly shifting. "Lupa, my trainer, always has dinner for us the day before Thanksgiving, but her mother just passed away. And, she doesn't want to spend the day alone."
"I get it," Hylla interrupted, and even though she was trying to hide it, she sounded disappointed.
"But," Reyna began, desperate to continue the topic. She shifted again and swallowed painfully. "I don't know if you and Kinzie have plans, but I could talk to Lupa about two more guests. It would be a chance for you two to meet her and some of the team, and you wouldn't have to cook."
The silence that followed nearly killed Reyna, mostly because how much she had opened up. This wasn't just Reyna offering for Hylla to come over and meet her mentor, this was Reyna offering to bring Hylla into the world she had kept separated from her sister. It was the most vulnerable she could be, and she felt her gut twist and contort like she was being punched again.
"She wouldn't mind two more guests?" Hylla asked curiously. Her tone was carefully neutral, quiet even. Reyna's stomach did a flip.
"No. You are my sister after all," Reyna answered factually. She felt her chest tightening and wondered if it was anxiety or her heart deciding to give out just now. Reyna hadn't thought this through. She just threw it out there for Hylla without asking Lupa or even thinking if she really wanted Hylla to meet the others.
Truthfully, Reyna did want Hylla to meet the others. She wanted to let Hylla in more, and this seemed like the best way to do it. Reyna placed her hand to her beating heart.
"I have to talk to Kinzie, but I think she would love to," Hylla informed. Reyna felt the tension in her chest unwind, and she relaxed. Her hand lowered. "There will be a lot of food, right?"
"Yeah. There's always leftovers," Reyna swore. "I have to get ready to support Frank for his fight. I'll text you the details after, though. I promise."
"Alright. I love you, Reyna," Hylla said.
"I love you too," Reyna repeated back softly. She waited for Hylla to hang up before pocketing her phone. Reyna turned and found Lupa watching her. It was hard to read the look on her face, but Reyna just smiled. "Do you have two more spots open at Thanksgiving?"
"I do," Lupa answered. "Your sister?"
"And her girlfriend," Reyna added. She slowly lost her smile as Lupa watched her with an intense stare. "Lupa, we don't have anything to talk about."
Reyna tried to walk past Lupa, but a hand grabbed her forearm. Reyna tensed but didn't pull away. Lupa didn't look at her either. The air hung between them with an uncomfortable silence.
"You picked a fight that you knew you could win with your eyes closed. Whether you need a confidence booster or not doesn't matter. What matters is that you allowed yourself to be distracted by Clarisse and allowed your temper to rule you more than once," Lupa seethed disapprovingly.
"I'm failing to understand something, Reyna. Why did you waste your time with Silena? Why didn't you fight someone who would challenge you? Was your confidence that shaken, or were you trying to prove a point? Why not just cut to the chase and fight Clarisse?" Lupa interrogated.
"Clarisse wasn't an option," Reyna muttered.
"You could have made her one," Lupa stated sharply.
"I just needed to test my arm," Reyna dismissed, and she tried to pull away from her mentor. Lupa tightened her grip. "And, she's a technical fighter."
"She's Clarisse's best friend as well," Lupa pointed out. "I also don't understand why you would lecture Frank about going out of his way to prove himself with a fight that he will be challenged by while you hide in a fight that you knew you would win. You're just extending the amount of time until you have to face Clarisse, and I know you want to fight her. Otherwise, you wouldn't let her get in your head. I don't understand your angle."
"I'm scared," Reyna finally snapped, finally breaking free and turning on Lupa. "Is that what you want to hear? I do want to fight Clarisse. I do want to beat her, but I am scared. Clarisse broke my elbow after the fight was over, and what did she get for breaking the rules? A slap on the wrist."
"Of course I want revenge, but what is going to stop Clarisse from breaking my arm again?" Reyna demanded. "What about my leg. Hell, maybe she'll break my spine and end my career. The league would do nothing to stop her!"
"Reyna," Lupa said softly. Reyna swallowed painfully and stared at Lupa. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
"I don't know," Reyna muttered. She looked down in shame. Lupa gently rubbed her shoulder.
"Clarisse will not hurt you like that again. I promise you," Lupa assured her. Reyna slowly looked up to match her eyes. "You know that we always have to sign a fight contract, and we can put an injury stipulation in there. If Clarisse breaks any of your bones, we can have her banned from the league."
"They won't go for it," Reyna countered in disbelief. She rubbed her forehead, the stress of the inevitable getting to her. Lupa chuckled.
"The rematch between you two is wanted by all of the officials. It is the kind of fight that will sell an event by itself," Lupa stated. "If they want the rematch to happen, they will put our demands in the contract. Clarisse may be a bully, but she is not stupid. Her career is more important to her than trying to break another one of your bones."
Reyna felt herself relax slightly. She played with the ice still pressed to her knuckles and spoke, "I trust you, Lupa."
"Octavian and I won't let you down," Lupa promised, gently rubbing Reyna's shoulder again. "We can make an air-tight contract that will protect you the best we can. Clarisse will still cheat as much as she can and try to throw you off your game, but you won't have to worry about her breaking any more bones. Well, with some of your face being an exception."
Reyna winced slightly as Lupa ran a finger across her bruised nose. Lupa smiled slightly, and Reyna showed one of her own in response. Lupa spoke, "Come on. We should support Frank."
"Of course," Reyna said. She followed behind Lupa. "Is it okay if Hylla and Kinzie come to Thanksgiving?"
"I would love to have them," Lupa welcomed. Reyna smiled and felt herself relax completely. It felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest in more ways than one.
"I also know I should have picked a harder fight," Reyna admitted bashfully. "I was just worried. And, I know I'm a hypocrite for how I treated Frank. I just... I don't know."
Lupa hummed and didn't say a word. She stopped and the door opened it. Frank stepped out and looked at them. He gave Lupa a determined nod.
"Kick his ass, Frank. You can do it," Reyna encouraged. Frank smiled at her. Reyna clasped his shoulder and squeezed it tightly. She stepped to the side as Lupa walked away with Frank.
Reyna stepped back into the locker room and walked towards the small cooler that Will had left. She exchanged ice packs and used a small towel to wrap the ice pack around her hand. Reyna rested her injured hand in her jacket pocket and looked at the others.
"Who won?" Reyna asked Annabeth. The champion was staring at the television and looked to be lost in thought. Reyna doubted that either of them could beat Annabeth, but it would be nice to know who was in the line in front of Reyna.
"Leila did," Annabeth answered. Reyna nodded. She suspected that Leila would have won. Lavinia had only been fighting for about two years, and Leila doubled that. "Is she a good fighter?"
"She's pretty good, but I don't think that she will beat you as long as you stay focused," Reyna told her truthfully. Annabeth nodded and turned off the television. The two of them walked towards the door where Hazel was already waiting.
Their walk out to the arena was a quiet one. Hazel seemed to be lost in thought, and Annabeth had to be focused on planning for the new contender to her title. Reyna kept her gaze ahead. The three made it out to the cage, and Reyna kept her gaze on Frank.
Frank had a tensed stance. He wasn't relaxed like he should have been, and he clenched his fists tightly. Across from him stood Kahale. In contrast, Kahale was standing level and looked relaxed. There was a small smirk on his face.
"He's kind of hot," Reyna muttered under her breath. An elbow gently nudged her side, and upon seeing the reprimanding look that Annabeth gave her, Reyna blushed. "What?"
"He's fighting Frank," Annabeth whispered.
"Half the fun of watching these fights is getting to see the competition shirtless," Reyna stated, but there was a smirk on her face. Annabeth rolled her eyes. "It was my favorite thing about watching your fights."
Reyna froze and tried to figure out what she had just said. Why had she just said that? Annabeth stared at her, and an instant blush came to her face. Reyna swallowed painfully and looked back to the fight. It would be great for the ground to just swallow her up.
The fight started, and Reyna was grateful for the distraction. She watched Frank and Kahale approach each other. They touched gloves, and Frank went to step away. Kahale punched him in the face for his efforts.
"Keep your guard up!" Hazel called. Reyna glanced to her side and saw that Lupa had her arms crossed but had her right arm raised enough to rub her chin. There was concern in her eyes.
"Come on, Frank!" Annabeth called. "Don't let him throw you off."
Frank bobbed out of the way of another punch and shot his fist forward. Kahale blocked the punch with his arm and returned it with a brutal body blow. Frank almost doubled over as it connected, and Kahale continued his assault.
"Damn it," Reyna cursed. She looked down at the ground, and thirty seconds later, she heard the sound of Frank crashing to the mat. Hazel hit the cage in disappointment and looked down in defeat. Annabeth was staring at Frank's collapsed form with a sad look.
Lupa and Will rushed into the cage. Reyna watched Kahale celebrate with his team, and she couldn't help but feel disappointed for Frank. He had taken on a fight he wasn't ready for but had been so ready to prove himself. And, he just ran into someone who had the deadliest punches in the league.
The second that Frank was hit and hesitated, he was finished. Reyna didn't know what Frank could have done differently. Expect Kahale to just swing like a mad man right after a show of sportsmanship? Back away after the first punch instead of going for his own?
Reyna watched Lupa and Will kneel by Frank. He had been knocked out, and while Reyna had never experienced it, she knew it could be terrifying. She had heard from many fighters that being in the middle of a fight one moment and then on your back the next was one of the most disorienting things ever.
It took a minute for Frank to sit up, but Reyna didn't think he had a concussion. It just looked like Will was being careful with him. Will carefully cleaned the blood from Frank's nose, and he helped him stand. If there was one good thing about Frank being knocked out, it was the fact that he didn't have to stand around to watch the referee raise Kahale's hand. He could just leave.
With the help of Lupa and Will, Frank made it out of the cage. It didn't look like he was disoriented, just disappointed. Hazel hugged Frank gently, "It was a great try, Frank. You'll get it next time."
"It was a great effort, Frank," Annabeth assured. Frank pulled away from Hazel's hug and shrugged.
Reyna clasped Frank on the shoulder. She spoke quietly, "You did your best, Frank. We're all proud of you."
"It looks like you were right," Frank muttered, and he pushed right past Reyna to walk to the back. Reyna frowned as she watched him go. Hazel and Annabeth slowly followed after Frank, and Will slipped past them to catch up to the defeated fighter.
"And that is why we never tell a fighter they can't do it," Lupa commented. Reyna slowly looked at her and began to feel terrible. Did Frank walk into the fight thinking that he couldn't win because Reyna repeatedly told him that he couldn't? And while she had been telling him she believed in him after her apology, had the damage already been done? "We must always nurture confidence and never destroy it."
"What do I do?" Reyna asked. She looked at Lupa. "How do I make it up to Frank?"
"You just have to support Frank. That's it," Lupa said flatly. She turned and started to walk after the team. Reyna looked back at the cage and let out an angry breath at herself. She knew that doubt could be a silent killer, and if Frank was doubting himself the entire time, he wasn't completely focused on the fight. Reyna looked down and followed after her team. She was going to make it up to Frank. One way or another.