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74: He’s gone
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2021-11-25 07:33:00We win the first round.
The screams from the crowd almost destroy my eardrums as they cheer us on. My heart pounds against my rib cage, Coach waves his hands in front of my face and I slowly snap out of my trance.
Sweat stings my eyes, my chest rises and falls in tempo with my breathing. I accept the towel Coach offers me to wipe my face as best as I can under the mask. Ben flashes me a grin. We both fought but he doesn’t look half as disoriented as I do. Not fair. He gives my shoulder a firm squeeze when the referee returns to the middle of the ring.
“If you win this round, then it’s over,” Coach screams over the noise. “Can you do that?”
I drag in a shaky breath. Everything fades to the background, it’s only Coach and Ben that matters. I nod. If we win this round, we will qualify for the next match. If we don’t, I can’t say for sure that my body can last another fight with the
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