The Consequence

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

~Then~

   I counted to ten in my head; this couldn't be real could it? I squeezed my eyes shut then re-opened them but the sight was still in front of me.

   I gulped, my Adam's apple had begun to bob up and down. Why did Stanley want me to do this? I barely knew him!

   "Come on Jamie, put the gloves on." I stared at Jay who was sat down, wedged between Rhys and some bloke whose name I didn't know. He didn't look as terrified as me but then he wasn't the one being asked to put some gloves and start some sort of training! I mean, what will Stanley get out of training me to fight?

   I knew I wanted to, deep down I felt like I had to prove myself to these people. Since I stepped foot back inside of Stanley's house all they had been doing was watching me like vultures. I thought they were looking at both me and Jay but that wasn't the case.

   It was going so well earlier, I was telling them jokes about my grandma and school with Jay chirping in with comments of 'it's true' and 'he really did' which boosted my ego, I wasn't going to lie. I felt like I belonged with them and after such a hard week at school it felt good to be welcomed instead of shunned.

  After we ate our pizza though, Stanley changed back into his serious mode which I hadn't seen much of yet. He told me that he had seen the security footage of the fight with Cameron and the proceeded to put it in the VHS (he did have a DVD player but the footage was on a tape) and show everyone how I got beat.

   They agreed that I got a few good punches in and it ended unfairly but then Stanley began to pick at everything I did and seeing everyone agree and then look at me like I was shit fighter was hard. I didn't want to be seen as weak here as well as at school.

   So that is how I discovered that Stanley had his own gym at the back of the house with its own boxing ring and it is also why I am standing in the middle of it, reluctant to pick up the boxing gloves he had just thrown at my feet.

   "Hurry up lad, I haven't got all day." A few people began to laugh behind me so with a huff U bent down and grabbed the red gloves. I placed them on my hands and they were a little big, they barely stayed on so how I was going to start throwing punches with them on I didn't have a clue. Plus, didn't they wear that tape round their hands? Would I need that?

   Stanley had two punching pads on his hands and that was it. He was still in his black suit and he looked as cool as a cucumber. Who was this man? I had never even heard of anyone like him before. He was very intimidating when he wanted to be – which was almost all of the time and yet he was also very generous. Why was that?

   I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts; I was not going to figure him out stood in a boxing ring. Just concentrate on the task at hand.

   "Good boy," he told me. It only made me feel like a dog. "Now, I want you to use your left fist and punch my right pad." He ordered. "Don't be scared to punch as hard as you can."

   I stepped closer to him tentatively and throwing my arm back I aimed it at the pad. His hand barely even moved. I frowned and went to try again but he stopped me. This was going to be humiliating.

   "Right, I bet Rhys over there could punch harder." He deadpanned. "Has anyone ever taught you anything about fighting?"

   I shook my head, "No. I've watched Raging Bull and Fight Club and the like but never been trained at all. My grandma would have a heart attack if she saw me now."