A Kiss for Maya

Like A House On Fire

We all open the doors and get out of the car at the same time.

I eye the building with confusion; this isn't what I had expected. An illegal gym should look different from this, right?

"C'mon, this way." I turn to Mason and he leads me towards the entrance.

He and Justin have their gym bags slung over their shoulders. Max, who's eyes are glued to his phone, doesn't have a bag.

"This...doesn't..." the words die on my tongue as I marvel at the inside of the building.

We're standing in a modernly  furnished reception area. People walk in and out, holding gym bags and yoga mats, like everything is normal.

"Follow me." There's a smile on Mason's face as he leads us down the corridor.

We walk past the stairs, which, based on the fact that everyone else is climbing them, I assume lead to the gym.

"Isn't the gym that way?" I point in the direction of the stairs.

"Not ours." Max replies. I look up at him and notice his hands are now free of his phone.

We stop by a blue door at the end of the corridor and Mason pushes it open. It's a storeroom with cleaning supplies on one side and a few gym equipments on the other. At one corner of the room, I notice another door. A brown, old looking door.

"Man, it's been ages." Justin says while heading for the second door.

He pushes down the handle and the it swings open. As if magically, I begin to hear people's voices as I approach it.

"This," Mason begins as he helps me down the stairs into the basement-turned-gym, "is our gym."

"Couldn't you just use the one upstairs?"

"Please," Justin rolls his eyes, "with those boring membership people?"

I chuckle and shake my head.

"Max, stay with her. I'll be right back." Mason says before  walking away from us.

"C'mon." Max waves me over to one of the benches surrounding the room.

My eyes move around the room, boys and girls, with a few people that seem to be in their early twenties fill the small space. Max looks out of place in his jeans and v-neck t-shirt.

Looking at all the girls in sports bras and shorts, I also kind of look out of place.

"So, this place is really illegal?"

It doesn't look much like those gyms you see on TV. The ones with graffiti walls that are falling apart. It is actually well maintained with white painted walls and proper lighting.

"No, not really." Max shakes his head. "The place is legal, there are just some things about it that aren't."

"What things?"

"The fights, for example. We hold boxing matches here that aren't above board."

I gulp nervously and my eyes widen.

I am actually an accomplice to all these things. I'm a criminal.

"Why are we here?"

Max gives me a sympathetic smile, the panic evident in my voice.

"Mason needs to train for a fight." He sighs heavily.

"A fight? What fight? Why?"

"To earn a favour." Max leaves it there, as if that helps.