Chapter Text
I saw her for the first time today.
Maybe not the first, first, time. But the first I actually saw her. The dirt on her face. The scrapes on her arms. There was a fire in her eyes I’d never seen in anyone else’s but my own.
Maybe in the damned nerd’s, too. But who cares.
I saw her for the first time today as she barrelled toward me. She was giving me a run for my money and I couldn’t let up so easily. But then she stopped. She stopped and she looked at me in a way I wish I could see forever.
She looked at me with determination. She looked at me with a thirst for victory. No, not a thirst. A need. A necessity . She was the one who would be my equal. There was no going easy. This was all or nothing. With all eyes on us, with TV and media on us, with all of the country watching this festival, this spar, we would go all out.
I saw her for the first time today.
And I challenged her back.
And we rushed toward each other.
And she fell.
And everyone was silent.
No.
No.
No .
Get up.
Get up , I screamed, I’m not done fighting!
Get up!
My palms ignited and popped. But it was over. It was over before I really knew what happened. And I won. But this wasn’t victory. This was surrender.
Get up, Roundface.
This can’t be the end.
I saw as she struggled to push forward. She crawled on the ground, never giving up. I saw as her body gave in to exhaustion and she lapsed into unconsciousness. This wasn’t a victory. This wasn’t fair. None of this was fair!
Get the fuck up!
But it was over. It was announced I was the winner.
I saw her for the first time today.
But she didn’t see me.