Chapter 3 #3
Faking a jab, she took the bait as I stepped in with a power shot, followed by bursts, so she couldn't recover. I wasn't fighting better, I was fighting smarter. And it wasn't long before I broke her rhythm.
It wasn't clean, but I forced her backwards, building the comeback to be anything but predictable. I had her up against the cage, and while she successfully broke free, she was trying to keep her distance, which I wasn't letting her hold.
Baiting a counter, I slipped and returned with a combination that feigned a level change once she hit the floor.
Landing the take down, I forced myself to move fast, in her attempt to scramble against each strike against her, as the bell went off.
Round three hadn't been the same fight as those first two rounds, I was so in my head to switch direction, but guidance really led the way of that last one.
Whatever fight this had been before, it evolved by that final call for scoring.
Far from art optimistic, I fell to my knees in tears hearing them call it, adding to my three-fight streak.
A fight for me had never been that close.
I either knew I was going to win or was confident that I'd lose.
The crowd wasn't huge, but they went wild, given how hard I'd given it in that final round. I stuck around after the match to get my proof of payment, annoyed that Sal had really stuck around for twenty-five bucks. He’d been no help, he was lucky I paid him at all.
But who I didn’t find?
Josue Mendez.
Did this guy just tag in for one round and just ghost me?
What was it with this guy? First, he says he doesn’t train women, then he’s breathing down my neck, giving me advice.
Only to turn a corner, just for him to be gone again?
He was lucky he was my whole reason for coming here, because I knew exactly where to find him.
I thought that I would’ve already be training there once I convinced him I was the fighter for him, but when he turned me down, I figured there was no point in embarrassing myself. But after tonight, he wouldn’t be able to hide from me. Because tomorrow, I was going to House of Beast.
***
It took some time getting used to Newark’s bus routes, and Philly transportation was definitely cheaper, but somehow, I managed to find Josue’s House of Beast on the outskirts of Newark, located at a warehouse off the Newark riverfront.
Storming inside, I ignored the woman at the front desk, the cat calling that came from the men all sabotaging their workouts just to gawk at me, as I stormed past the main floor, the grappling area, and marched into what looked like the only office space in the building.
Whatever and wherever the phone conversation he was having was irrelevant to me, as I threw my heavy bag onto the space in front of him, it startling him at first, as he yelled, “What the fuck?”
“Why would you come to my fight when you fucking refused to train me?” I exploded.
“First of all, Ma, you're lucky you even sparked my curiosity at all enough to show up in the first place,” he pointed an accusing finger in my direction. “All the fucking help you needed. And you’re welcome by the way.”
“You’re welcome for what? Playing mind games? I would’ve rather lost on my own than have you coach me through a round just to ghost me.”
Josue held up his hands in surrender, “Heard. Next time, I’ll let you fucking lose.”
“So, you helped me win, now what?”
Josue finally stood, expecting his looming presence to intimidate me. It didn’t. “You get that attitude out my face and get the hell out my office—”
“And what if I don’t? Huh? What if I refuse to leave until you agree to train me?”
Josue laughed, and it made me aware of the other presence in the room.
He was a handsome guy, maybe not as intense as Josue given he had no scar, but I could tell by the way he was sitting, he was just as tall as him.
“Would you look at this girl? I’m going to try and speak slower and clearer for you, I do not train women—”
“So why even help? Why even waste your time in the first place?” I demanded to have an answer, and honestly, I wasn’t leaving until I got one.
“Kid, you needed a lot of help—”
“Well, I’d need a lot less help if I had someone like you training me. And if you had been smart, you would’ve taken that stick out your ass and took me up on my offer in the first place,” matching his energy so he’d know just because he spoke louder and meaner, didn’t mean he scared me.
“You wanna know why I turned you down? Because I have the feeling you’re fucking arrogant. And fighters who think they know every damned think act impulsively. I need a fighter who will listen to me—”
“Well, I listened to you last night, and I won. If it’s all fair to you, I’d really like to maintain my streak, so I’m not leaving here until you agree to train me,” I commanded.
“I train beasts, Ma. All I’m looking at is a teddy bear—” Before he could finish his statement, my fist met his face, which seemed to wake him up. But instead of taking me seriously, he just laughed and pointed to his colleague.
“You see the fight in this one?” This time, I didn’t leave him time to laugh and joke before I swung a right hook, his face again my target. To his surprise, it did make him stumble back. He had to know that I wasn’t playing.
“Okay, maybe there’s more than a plush toy in there, but let’s see if you’re half the shit that you think you are,” he said unbuttoning his shirt, as he snapped his fingers, pointing to where he wanted me to meet him.
“I’m only going technical on you because I don’t hit girls, but if you want me as a trainer, you’re gonna have to show me you got more in you than a sucker punch. Héctor, chime in.” As his colleague stood from a comfortable distance, judging for technique.
There was no doubt Josue would be fast. He was taller than me, had greater extension, but none of that would matter if I could get him on the ground.
He taunted me, laughing whenever a move of mine was so predictable, he could sense it, but I kept trying to impress him, when what I should have been doing was what I was good at. Grappling him to the floor.
Since I knew he wasn’t going to hit me, I needed to eliminate his reach before he saw me coming.
I couldn’t use strength, but I could use leverage and positioning to get him to the floor.
Locking Josue’s hips in a body lock, instead of muscling backward, I forced him to the side at an angle that forced him to widen his stance.
Once he did that, hooking my ankle behind his leg seemed easy, or easier given I wouldn’t win in a battle of strength, but I could at least trip him up.
That was where he was at a disadvantage, because his size would make a harder fall, which I surprised even myself when I got him on his back, as he tried to push me back with his hips, but I pushed my weight against his chest, crawling over to trap his arm and neck in a guard.
He tapped, as I released his arm, something that seemed to upset him more that I’d been able to achieve so quick. Running his fingers through his dark strands, I was about to approach him, until he stopped me from entering his space. “You stay right here,” he commanded.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No,” he hesitated. “Because you did something right. And now I have to speak with my colleague because I need someone to talk me out of this.”
“Talk you out of what?” I wondered, confused.
“Talk me out of training you. I’m gonna have a chat in our office and when I come out? You’ll have your answer.”