LOGINShare
Sixty-Six
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56I cleared my throat as I approached the table, and they both turned to face me. My face was frozen in confusion, and I was practically swimming in tension.
"So, what's this?" I tried to ask calmly, but the voice that came from my throat was not my own. It was scratchy.
"Julie, do you think I can talk to you in private?" Mark smiled nervously.
I hesitated before nodding slowly and walking back outside to a bench. He sat down a second after I did. We sat there in awkward silence for several minutes as I waited for him to say his peace.
"So?" He let out a throaty laugh as I dragged out the word.
"Okay, what I want to tell you, I'm not sure how you are going to react to it, but I need to throw my hat in the pile." He looked down at his hands and messed with his finger for a minute.
"I really like you, Julie." He didn't look up at me, and my heart stuttered in my chest at his words. "But, I know you still have feelings for Jessie. He hurt y
Related chapters
KNOCKOUT Sixty-Seven
He had been there supporting me this whole time, but I never realized that he was there for everything too. He needed someone, but I always made it about me. I nodded. "I was a terrible girlfriend. I owe you an apology too. I never thought about what you experienced through all of that. I was just focused on what I was experiencing and how it impacted me. I can forgive you, but I don't want to be with you, Jessie." My hands fiddled in my lap, but I looked up to meet his eyes at the end, so he could see how serious I was. "Let me at least make it up to you. We can just be friends for now, and maybe in time, I can prove myself to you. I know you like Mark, but I do still love you. I think I always will. I'd rather have you in my life as my friend than not at all." He got to his feet and pulled me into a huge hug. It wasn't awkward like I thought it would be. It was familiar, and for the first time since he broke my heart, I felt safe around him again. I pulled away aft
KNOCKOUT Sixty-Eight
"So, no matter what, I'm going to have to hurt Jessie?" I stood up, frustrated by the answer, and wandered over to my bed. I was over today. I just wanted to curl up and fall asleep, so I could pretend I didn't have to deal with any of this. I looked up, and Chey was trying not to laugh. "What?" She let out the laugh anyway, and it took her a minute to catch her breath. "This is going to be so much more difficult when school starts Monday, and all the guys meet you." She bit her lip to hold back more laughter, and I know why too. Because my face was stuck in a horrified expression. I just kept picturing how Mark would react if another guy tried to flirt with me. It both excited me to know that he would be possessive over me and made me nervous because I didn't want him hurting anyone and getting expelled. She patted my back. "It's going to be okay." "Is that supposed to help?" She shook her head and then phased out in a dreamy state. "So, who
KNOCKOUT Sixty-Nine
He turned to the security person. "She's always welcome here. She is one of the best fighters I've seen in a long time." I smirked at the new fighters as their jaws dropped. "So, Cobra, who would you like to fight, and what do you want for your entrance song?" I grinned at the two fighters who were still staring at me. When they saw me look over, they ran. I just laughed. "Surprise me." He smiled, and I walked over to Slasher. I kicked him in the butt, and he turned around pissed. I smiled, and he lightened up before throwing his arm on my shoulders. "Took you long enough to get down here." I hit his arm playfully. "Hey, you're the one that sucks at giving directions." He just ruffed up my hair and turned back to the guys. "You all remember Cobra right? Cobra, this is Hash, Flame, Blade, and Twist." I held back laughter at their names. I mean, mine isn't much better but still. "Hey. Um, I'm going to warm up." They all nodded an
KNOCKOUT Seventy
I felt something warm drip from my eyebrow to my cheek. I ignored it and kept driving. As long as I got back to my room before the headmaster found out I was gone, I would be fine. I sped into the parking lot and jumped out of my car. I had my head down as I walked back, putting my jacket on. I zipped it up and looked up only to stop in my tracks. The headmaster was there with his arms crossed and Chey, Deidra, and Mark behind him looking thoroughly scolded. Shit. I put my hands in my pocket, pushing the money in it more so he wouldn't notice. "Where have you been?" He yelled. He reminded me of my dad when I got in trouble at home. "You do realize that not only was curfew was two hours ago, but you're not allowed to leave the grounds at any time without a guardian's permission. I expect to see you in my office tomorrow morning. Get to the nurse, and then get to your dorm!" He yelled and stocked away. I let out a long breath. Mark, Chey, and Deidra ran
KNOCKOUT Seventy-One
As soon as the nurse left for me to ice my side for the next fifteen minutes, Mark let go of my hand and went over to take her chair, moving it back to my side. I watched with fascination as the muscles in his arm coiled beneath his skin as he moved the seat before he sat down and took my hand again. The calloused skin on his hand felt nice against my soft palm. I wondered what it would feel like as he cupped my cheek and pulled me in for a kiss, or as he slid his hand under my shirt on my hip and pulled me against his side as we walked down the hallway to class. "I'm happy around you," I whispered, smiling when I saw the corner of his lips pull up. "One of these days, I'm going to make you so confident in us that you'll never let me go." He leaned forward, his fingers fiddling with the wrap around my ribs. I could see how happy those words made him, but there was also a hard resistance in the way his back straightened, and I knew that the damage his ex-girlf
KNOCKOUT Seventy-Two
Chey, Deidra, and I spent the entire Sunday, just hanging out and watching movies all day. I learned that Deidra was funny, sarcastic, and crazy loyal. They shared a very interesting story of how she beat up a guy for making fun of the way Chey dressed. Overall, she seemed like a good friend to have, and I was happy that she was my other roommate. We avoided all talk of Mark and Jessie for the entire day, and I was very grateful for that. We all went to bed early that night, so we could get up on time for school, much to our displeasure. I let my hand fall on top of my phone, my fingers tapping at it blindly to turn it off. After a minute, I cracked one eye open and slid the alarm to snooze. I rolled back over and closed my eyes once again. Apparently, Chey and Deidra had other plans. The second I fell back asleep they started to jump on my bed and legs. I groaned and opened my eyes reluctantly. Chey got off and turned on some music. She took a minute
KNOCKOUT Seventy-Three
Once again, I was feeling thankful that my situation was as good as I got. It could have been significantly worse. As we finished eating, I watched as Mark came into the room. His eyes fell on me immediately. He held his usual confidence, and people moved out of his way as he strode toward us. If I didn't know him, I wouldn't have noticed the small twitch in his wrist that informed me he was nervous. I nodded my head toward the empty seat next to me, and he sat down but kept his hands to himself. I had hoped that he would have heard me on Saturday. I needed him to know that he could trust me and that I wanted to be with him, but it appeared that he was still guarded. Chey broke the tension by asking to go over my schedule. I placed the piece of paper on the table, narrowly missing the small splash of orange juice on the surface. My schedule: 1st hour - English (by myself) 2nd hour - Math (with Deidra and Mark) 3rd hour - World
KNOCKOUT Seventy-Four
Marx's P.O.V. I sat down in the chair across from the headmaster where he sat at his desk. The headmaster just glared at me with hatred. I held back a chuckle of amusement. Julie had walked out of the class before us but never made it to the office. It seemed that she was over today as much as I was. About an hour and a half later, Shane walked in with Jake. I mean Officer Simons and Officer Mathews. It's not who I asked for, but they were still friends who joined the force a couple years ago. What the Hell took them so long? Shane was walking with someone small following behind them with her head cast toward the ground. I looked down at them, and I felt my anger flair when I saw how close he was to her. "You got arrested already? You were gone for an hour!" I shouted in frustration. My hand went up to the top of my head, where my fingers laced themselves in my hair. "I didn't get arrested, but from what I hear, you might be!" She screamed bac
Latest chapter
KNOCKOUT Epilogue
"Bye, Julie!" The ten-year-old screamed with laughter as she ran into her bedroom, slamming it behind her to prevent her older brother from getting to her with his can of silly string. A smile stretched across my face at the sight of my family celebrating Bri's birthday. It had been a relaxing day enjoying the barbeque and pool party with all of her friends and family. Ryan and Terry had been present, and while we were civil for the sake of Bri, we tended to avoid each other at these types of events. Ryan held a grudge against me for being such a troublemaker and reflecting negatively on their family name. Meanwhile, I held a grudge against them for trying to put me back into the foster system to find a new family after I was released from the hospital. I knew it would happen eventually, but that didn't make it hurt any less. They never made it that far. I had been able to petition for my independence and emancipation as I was only a few months from turning 18. Luckily for me, this
KNOCKOUT Ninety-Nine
I woke up as the door slammed open, and the lights came on, peaking in from the edges of my blindfold. I would have tilted my head back and looked over to see who walked in from under the fabric, but I still couldn't move."Please! Why are you doing this? Why can't you just kill me? Don't do this please! Don't do this to her!" Mark's voice would have been calming if it wasn't full of panic and fear.The sound of someone approaching was followed by the blindfold being ripped off my face. I could see three men pulling Mark into the room from the corner of my eye. I wanted to tell him I would be okay, but couldn't. He had to know that I was stronger than anything they threw at me."She had nothing to do with it! If you're going to kill me, just kill me! She wasn't even there! Please, I'm begging you! Don't touch her!" He was slammed down into a chair that another man dragged in behind them, and was quickly tied down to it.A hand wrapped around my ankle, but
KNOCKOUT Ninety-Eight
Julie's P.O.V.I took a deep breath to relax as I felt the SUV pull to a stop after at least half an hour of driving. I heard doors opening, and I tensed back up. Someone grabbed my legs while another pair of hands reached for my arms.I squirmed and struggled. They had pulled me halfway out of the car, and I started screaming. A cloth was shoved into my mouth, but I kept hitting and fighting with all I had. I felt a sharp pain in my leg. Not even thirty seconds later, my leg went numb, followed by my other leg, abdomen, and everything else as it worked its way up my body until I couldn't move or speak, but somehow felt everything.I collapsed onto the ground with a thump. My limp legs were lifted up off the ground, and I could feel my back and hands scrapping against the hot concrete as they pulled me to our destination. I heard the door open, and I was dragged once again.My back held a searing pain, and if I could, I would have screame
KNOCKOUT Ninety-Seven
As I made my way to the door of the classroom, my eyes eerily glanced to the parking lot on my right. This building was the closest to it, so I was worried. I picked up my speed a little bit when I heard footsteps quickly following behind me at a faster pace than my own.The logical side of my brain was telling me that someone was just late for class, but the panicked part of my brain told me to run. The footsteps grew louder as the person got closer, and I turned my walk into a brisk jog, my backpack bouncing as I did so. The door to my classroom was only four doors away, and it was open. I just had to make it a little further before breaking down and having my panic attack.The squealing of tires caught my attention and sent the hairs on the back of my neck standing straight off of my body. My breathing came out in small pants as I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins.A large black SUV came into view and slammed on its breaks not more than 50 ya
KNOCKOUT Ninety-Six
I backed up towards the door. Unfortunately for me, we didn't keep the cleanest room, and I tripped over a pile of clothes landing right on my butt. When I looked up, Mark was smiling at me, the humor of me falling taking away from the seriousness of the situation…for him at least."Mark? W-what . . . what the fuck is going on?" I stammered as my throat closed up. He stood with the gun still in his hand and walked toward me. I started to shake. He stopped a few feet in front of me and looked down at me with his other hand outstretched in my direction, palm up.When I didn't take it, he narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Julie, I'm not going to hurt you. I would never, ever hurt you." He said as he crouched down next to me. "Why would you think that I would?" He sounded honestly hurt."You just pulled out a fucking g…" He placed his hand over my mouth."Julie, no one can know. Please, just let me explain. Plus, this gun isn't mine. This gun is
KNOCKOUT Ninety-Five
His Adam's apple bobbed harshly, and I met his stare as he scanned my face over as if judging how serious I was. Then, he nodded his head to the side and turned to resume walking. I moved with him, knowing that he needed a minute to collect himself. We made our way back to our dorm slowly, but he stopped me before we reached the front doors."I know what you mean. It was so hard…everything we went through, but we did it together. I don't think I'm ready to let you go yet, but I know I have to. I can't keep holding onto you and what we used to have, because that's gone now." He nudged the tip of his shoes against mine, and I looked down just as he pulled his foot back. "You do seem happy with him. I don't want to be in the way of that.""I really am." My voice was soft, as I didn't want anyone to overhear us.Jessie cleared his throat, and I fiddled with the hem of my shirt between my thumb and forefinger. He gave me a sad smile and let out a chuckle while
KNOCKOUT Ninety-Four
I flipped through the television, rather violently, much to Deidra's annoyance. After several minutes, she got to her feet, announcing that she was going to go visit her boyfriend (who I had yet to meet), and left me alone with my thoughts.Why would he stand me up?Was this payback for me not forgiving him sooner, or was it because of how poorly the conversation went last night?That petty, son of a bit…The sound of knocking broke me from my thoughts, and I turned off the baking show I had landed on.I got up slowly and walked over to the door. I swung it open."Hello?" I looked up, and I saw Jessie in a clean white t-shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans."Are you ready?" He asked with a big grin.I kept a straight face."I'm sorry I'm late. The headmaster called me into his office. I tried to get out sooner, but he just kept babbling." I smiled at him and nodded."It's okay. I'm ready. Let me just grab
KNOCKOUT Ninety-Three
I wanted to pull Mark to the side of the hallway and tell him everything involving Jessie from yesterday to today, but with the crowd around us trying to get to class, it didn't seem like the right time.Maybe, I should wait and tell him after I cleared the air with Jessie this evening and everything was settled. If he knew about my meeting with Jessie beforehand, I figured it would make him stressed and frustrated wondering what we were doing, and if I was being faithful, even though we weren't technically together. As far as I was concerned, Mark was mine whether we placed a title on it or not. If another woman tried to make a move on him, she would have to deal with me.The entire second period, I was flooded with guilt that I hadn't talked to Mark yet, that I couldn't even enjoy the feeling of his hand on my thigh throughout the class.I pretty much ran to World History for third period so I could talk to Chey and Deidra and not have to worry about Mark over
KNOCKOUT Ninety-Two
I burst through the door to my first hour at the last second with my backpack slung carelessly over my shoulder and my half-finished coffee in my hand."Nice of you to join us, Ms. Sanders." The teacher said with sarcasm.I just sent her an apologetic smile, and she nodded as I sat down in my seat."We're going to be studying the magical work of Romeo and Juliet for the quarter." The males groaned, but I had a huge grin on my face. I was still a nerd at heart. Plus, my old school had already covered this curriculum months ago."Two households, both alike in dignity,In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.From forth the fatal loins of these two foesA pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;Whose misadventured piteous overthrowsDo with their death bury their parents' strife.The fearful passage of their death-
