The Knockout

by Sajni Patel

  I hit my forehead against his chest. It seemed to love it there. His warm hands wrapped around my waist and for a few minutes, we just stood this way. Then my arms found their way around his back as I told him my story.

  “I like that story.”

  We embraced for another moment before I finally pulled back and saw the turmoil on his face. “What?”

  “Huh?”

  “You look like you have something to say.”

  He shook his head. “Just don’t want this to be over.”

  “It’s not over. We hit pause.” I slipped out of his arms, my body suddenly cold as I crawled back inside.

  Amit braced the edges of the window and leaned in. “Can we hit replay?”

  I crossed my arms. “You’re postponing the inevitable.”

  “Seems like it, huh?”

  Stepping closer made things worse. The presence of him hit all too strongly. At this angle, his mouth aligned with my jaw, and he did not waste time. Gentle lips brushed against my jawline with the ability to move any direction they wanted.

  If he moved to my throat, I was done for.

  If he moved to my ear, I was done for.

  If he moved to my mouth, I was done for.

  I cupped his face, bent down, and muttered against his lips, “You’re asking for trouble.”

  “Don’t think there’s anyone else I’d rather be in trouble with.” His gaze dropped to my mouth. “Don’t do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Bite your lip like that.”

  “Was I?” I hadn’t noticed.

  “You always bite your lip when I say something that gets you flustered. That makes me want to look at your mouth. Which then makes me want to kiss you, and maybe . . .”

  “Maybe what?”

  “See what biting that lip is like.”

  I tilted to kiss him. He didn’t relinquish his white-knuckled hold on the edges of the window, but he leaned in as far as he could. It was safer that way.

  The kiss was soft and perfect. Until he gently bit my lower lip and I moaned.

  Heat and mortification surged through me, lighting my skin on fire. I released him and shuddered. “You should go.”

  He smirked something knowing and wicked and all-consuming. “Okay. But now I know how much you like me, Kareena.”

  I flushed. There was no point in trying to hide what Amit did to me. “You’re just now figuring that out? I thought you were supposed to be a genius.”

  Sixteen

  By the time Thursday lunch came around, I had cooled off. Yeah, I had it like that. It was pretty bad but thank the lord that Amit and I hadn’t seen one another since that smoking-hot Tuesday night. And also, thanks to Coach, my training session all day yesterday had been brutal. I could barely walk right, much less concentrate on Amit and his sexy-as-heck kiss.

  Unfortunately, the principal waited at the entrance to the school and called me into her office. I nervously followed, although she’d greeted me in her usual warm way.

  I sat in the small office, stiff and not knowing what I’d done.

  Principal Sanchez sat on her side of the room in a big leather swivel chair, laced her fingers together on the desk, and smiled.

  “So nice to see you, Kareena,” she started.

  “What’s up Principal Sanchez?”

  “I understand that you joined the online social group for Connally girl’s athletics.”

  I nodded.

  “And as you know, the page is monitored by the coaches.”

  “Yes. Did I say or do something wrong?” I didn’t think I had.

  “No, no, not at all. They did however bring to my attention the amazing opportunity that you have ahead of you. I am so thrilled and proud of you. I had no idea. And it seemed that most people didn’t. I’m now also aware of the roadblock with funds.”

  “Oh. Were some of the suggestions too much?”

  “No. The coaches called me yesterday morning. I chatted with them and some of the teachers. I later sent emails to the entire staff as well as the PTO.”

  “Uh, huh . . .”

  “And we’d be honored if we could raise some funds to help you get to USMTO . . . and quite possibly lead the way to the World Championships and the Olympics.” She squealed out the last word.

  I laughed. A new burst of love and warmth for my school sent tingles all over my skin.

  “We’ll get you there. Why didn’t you come to me before?”

  “I didn’t even think about it, to be honest. And I didn’t want to be a charity case or make my parents feel bad that I went to other people. Some students are in worse situations than me with more important things. Why help me and not them?”

  “We can only help if we know, and how we help is usually kept under wraps for student privacy.”

  “Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.”

  “You’re okay with this being public?”

  Was I? I mean, it was already public in the forum. Half the school knew about it or would know about it soon enough. It was time to own up. I didn’t have anything to hide. I was a female fighter. A pretty freaking good one.

  After a long pause, I exhaled a sharp breath and replied, “I guess so.”

  “I think it’s important to make this a community effort. This would end up bringing a lot of publicity to the school, and it’s a wonderful way of getting people together to help. We do it for all of our sports and arts, so why wouldn’t we do it for a student who has a shot at the Olympics?”

  “Thank you so much,” I replied, but the impact her declaration had didn’t sink in just yet.

  “How is everything else?”

  “It’s fine.”

  She tilted her head with her let’s-be-real look.

  I swallowed and rubbed my arm, lowering my gaze to her desk as I started. “Papa is really sick, Principal Sanchez.”

  “I know. We’ve kept in contact with your parents.” She sighed and gave me that pity look, the look I hated seeing. She stood and walked around her desk to sit next to me, and gently patted my shoulder. I leaned back. Not because the touch made me uncomfortable, but because any more sympathy and I’d lose it.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” The way she asked, totally sincere and nice, made my lips quiver and my vision blur behind a screen of tears.

  Yeah. Actually. For the first time in a long time, I did want to talk about it. So I told her all about Papa’s advancing renal disease and his constant septicemia bouts, ending with, “Muay Thai keeps me balanced and afloat. It makes me forget everything for a while and helps me to focus on positive energy.”

  It seemed like maybe she wanted to chat longer, but I also had to get to class, and she knew. I’d taken a deep sigh and walked out of her office after the tears evaporated. Maneuvering into a river of students, the tall, open hallways filled with laughter and conversations and yells and rustling paper and bumping backpacks was a surreal way of rerouting my thoughts.

  I was in school. And I was happy to be here. So I put on my “nothing’s got me down” game face.

  Kimmy, breaking through a crowd, locked arms with mine on the way to class. “Quick question!”

  “Shoot.” I smiled faintly. No matter what, it was hard not to smile around Kimmy.

  “You’re okay with us fundraising, right?”

  “Totally. I appreciate any and all help.”

  “So, going public is a must, right?”

  I shrugged. “I can’t keep it hidden, don’t want to.”

  “Awesome!”

  “But what’s going on?”

  “You’ll see at lunch.”

  “Am I going to regret anything?” I side-eyed her suspiciously.

  “No regrets. We’re going to go all out, if you don’t mind some attention.”

  I wasn’
t quite sure how to react as she slipped away and walked into the classroom first.

  Normally, I’d get to calculus early enough to get a seat in the back, preferably behind Kimmy or Tanya, and try not to fall asleep.

  Today? Walking into calculus was like being a pop diva walking into a club. Everyone threw their hands up and hollered, welcoming me as if the party could now get started. Even the teacher offered a high five.

  What even?

  Bizarre, but okay. I didn’t mind this kind of attention and support, if that’s what Kimmy was talking about.

  Apparently, word had spread beyond the female athletes to most of the student body, and of course the teachers were in on this madness too. Was this how it felt to be a star quarterback at UT? Everyone wanted to talk to him when he walked into class, sit beside him, get selfies with him, slather said pics across social?

  Probably.

  The downside? Man, I had to sit near the front because everyone wanted to hear my story. Still, this was hands down the best calculus period ever. In the history of all time.

  Seventeen

  “So, prom’s coming up,” Travis announced as he leaned a hand against the locker next to mine.

  I shoved my books inside the metal box the way I wanted to shove his head inside. How could someone be so irritating so fast? World record fast. I thought he’d gotten the hint that I was not interested in him. Flirting? Sure, whatever, fine. It didn’t bother me too much so long as it was light and respectful, and he didn’t touch me. But a prom invite? No freaking way. Not with his prom stats.

  “Yep,” I muttered.

  “You want to go with me?”

  I made a face. In my head, I imagined it was a concoction of “You for real?”, “What the heck are you smoking, dude?”, and “Nothing would disgust me more.”

  Travis had gone to senior prom since he was a freshman. Yep. He was that good-looking and that smooth. Also that gross, because every prom he’d get that senior girl to rent a hotel room upstairs, get lucky, and then blab about it the next week to all of his buds.

  I slammed my locker, absolutely livid that he’d try to pull that crap on me. “Oh, hell no. Get away from me.”

  “What’s your problem?” he asked, pissed and very loud.

  “You are. Isn’t that obvious? You think I’m like those other girls who took you to prom? What? You gonna get me to front for a hotel room, think that I would get into bed with you, and think that I don’t know you’d spill every lewd detail to the entire school?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’ve noticed me this year. You never realized I stood behind some of those crowds where you told your disgusting tales. I’m actually quite offended that you think I’m that stupid, seeing that I’ve had four years to get to know your tricks. I’m not interested.”

  “Saanvi must be right. You like girls, don’t you?”

  “Just because I’m not buying your trash? Get out of my face.”

  “Or what? You gonna punch me? I heard about your boxing.”

  Irate and having waited far too long for a boy to make all these assumptions that I knew a guy like Travis would make, all sorts of words and emotions sprang to mind. Because one, I’d had a lot of time to think about what I’d say and do in the many, many scenarios that I’d created in my head as an excuse to keep my opinion and my sport to myself. And two, because I was just not in the mood to be Travis’s next conquest.

  I straightened up and stepped forward so that his face was a literal four inches from mine, even if I had to look up at him. “Then you’ve heard how many people I’ve knocked out. And yes, I sure will punch you in your face if you keep harassing me.”

  I wouldn’t ever hit someone outside of the ring or because they made me mad, of course. I wasn’t stupid or short-tempered or violent by any means. I wasn’t even mad enough to lift a finger, but if he wanted to play this game and get his ego handed to him by a girl in the middle of a packed hallway full of kids who now watched our interaction, then so freaking be it.

  “You gonna hit back?” I asked, my eyebrows high and mighty. “You want to try to hit a girl or get your butt knocked out by one?”

  He shook his head and awkwardly laughed. “Pretty sure you’re into girls anyway.”

  A whoosh of air hit the back of my neck. Amit had his forearm casually leaned against the locker behind me, rattling my brains with a whole new level of what the hell. Because seriously, the boy made the air itself change from annoying Travis-infested to floaty-hearts infected.

  “I’m pretty sure whoever she’s into isn’t your business,” Amit said in a level tone.

  “So the nerd has balls, huh?” Travis shot back.

  “Pretty sure they’re bigger than yours.”

  I giggled. Ew. That was so gross but strangely kind of hilarious.

  “You can try to hit me, too, if you want.”

  “Maybe I will,” Travis snapped.

  “Just remember who you are and who you’re hitting.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I may get hit and laughed at, but you’ll get expelled and then won’t graduate, making you like the oldest high school senior in Texas history.”

  “Damn . . .” one of the guys across the hall muttered. Yep, about two dozen students watched us.

  There was no secret about Travis’s age. Dude was old. He had flunked a grade in elementary school for being way behind and held back in seventh grade for behavior. By the time he hit eighth grade, finally, he actually excelled in something: basketball. So the view of the school system shifted in his favor because he had great potential to go somewhere and also because they were just tired of him still being here.

  Basketball skills aside, one more misdemeanor from Travis and even the school board couldn’t help him.

  “You just have to ask yourself if I’m worth it,” Amit added. “You know, if you want to be twenty and still in high school.”

  “You can’t hide forever.”

  “Who’s hiding? I’m right here.”

  “Hiding behind the boxer.” He sneered, looking around to get a few chuckles.

  Amit surprised both of us by stepping beside me and, somehow, discreetly moving me behind him. How did this even happen?

  “It’s called Muay Thai. And now she’s behind me.”

  “Sounds like you want to get hit,” Travis snarled.

  “Sounds like I’m baiting you.”

  Travis scoffed. “Whatever. I’m graduating this year and you will not be the reason I’m stuck in this place.” He stomped away in the wake of immature ridicule. My, my, how the fates of high school could suddenly change.

  Amit turned to me and grinned but faltered when he saw that I was not amused. “What?”

  “You think I’m a damsel and needed you to step in?” I scowled.

  “Well a damsel is a young, unmarried woman by definition.”

  “You know what I mean. A damsel in distress who needs a guy to save her.”

  “I actually tripped trying to walk past you and played it off like I meant to lean against the locker.”

  My lips betrayed me and twitched.

  “You can handle your own. But does that mean you’d be offended if someone stood up beside you? Although technically, I was behind you.”

  I cracked a smile. “I’m kidding. I know why you did what you did.”

  “Seriously. I tripped.”

  “He did actually trip. I saw the whole thing,” Lily said as she strode across the hallway to join us. “It was a very smooth play-off, if you ask me.”

  “Mhmm . . .” I muttered.

  “Are you coming to lunch with me today?” she asked me.

  “No fast food.”

  “I’m eating in the cafeteria today cuz I miss you.”

  “Caf
eteria food is also bad plus gross.”

  “But you brought your own lunch and we can eat together.” She pouted. “Unless you’re tutoring?”

  “Ah, no. We can skip today,” Amit insisted.

  “Are you sure? You got theorems down?” I felt like we’d been stuck on the same thing forever.

  “Yep.” A shadow of something crossed his features, just as it had Tuesday night. He had something on his mind.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “What?” he asked, distracted.

  “You look like something’s on your mind.”

  “Same old, you know the deal.”

  I watched him for another second as he shrugged. “All right. Well, do you want to join us?”

  He looked at Lily for approval and she hooked arms with his. “Be our date, Amit!”

  “You’re so weird,” I told her, but went along for the ride as she practically skipped down the hallway with him.

  He glanced over his shoulder at me and mouthed, “I don’t know what’s happening.” Then cocked his chin toward her.

  I giggled and walked a few paces behind them as he escorted Lily into the cafeteria.

  Rayna was the first person I saw, lingering at the end of a table and talking with another student. She glanced at us and offered a closed-lip smile.

  “You should talk to her,” Amit said.

  “Closure, then be done with it,” Lily added.

  They went ahead to a depressing line of cafeteria food while I wandered toward Rayna. She stepped back from the student as I asked, “Can we talk?”

  “We should chat,” she said at the same time and then smiled. Her dimples deepened in her cheeks. We used to joke that she could fill them with water to store for later they were so deep.

  “What’s up?” I asked instead.

  “This whole thing got out of hand, right?” She played with her fingernails like a kid who had gotten caught, the way she had made me feel for so long.

  “Let’s sit?”

  She nodded and followed me to a corner table where I snagged three seats. Rayna sat beside me. My heart no longer hurt as much when I saw her, but there was always an ember of hope on the outskirts of this burnt friendship.