I made my way to the fitness room, where the try-outs were gonna take place. As I made my way through the halls, I noticed the pictures once again. Pictures of a glorious Sand Man, smiling for the camera over knocked out bodies. "Boy..." I said to myself.
During the time, I text to my father really quick, letting him know I'm staying.
Yo, Pops, I'm staying after school. Fine with that? -BlueDaBaBlitz
Sure. -CeaseFireCeaser
Thanks! :) -BlueDaBaBlitz
No prob. -CeaseFireCaeser
I smile and continue walking, until getting another buzz.
Wait, what for? Friends? -CeaseFireCaeser
Ugh... What would you say if I was trying out for a sport? -BlueDaBaBlitz
Sport? -CeaseFireCaeser
Oh boy... I get another buzz.
It cost? -CeaseFireCaeser
I stared at a poster for the sport. Woah, this is... actually free. Wow. I can get my face pounded and pound other pretty faces for free? That sounds a little... alarming and bizarre.
Nope. -BlueDaBaBlitz
I then explain that I was signing up for boxing, smiling while I was doing so. Also, trying not to get lost. Could've asked for some instructions... But eventually, my father was okay with it. He brought up his father, after all, he was a boxer. I text him back that I'd be done at 4:30, and he responded saying that he'd pick me up. Sweet.
I finally make it to the fitness center, then realizing the crowd was smaller than I thought, but was surely still pretty big. We just waited there, me being in the back. I whistled a tune, but immediately when I heard the door slam open.
"Dude!" screamed Super Macho Man. He appeared, having gold chains wrapped around his neck. He also wore a neat pair of shades and had a black shirt on with blue shorts. "Alright, kids," he said as he got up to us. "I see we have a pack of wolves wanting to become alpha... Bunch of wanna-be boxers wanting to become the one and only, eh? Well, if you wanna become that guy, you gotta pass, first!" He cracked all his bones, flexing and making such loud cracks. His neck cracks were ridiculous.
"So..." a scrawny kid asked, having such a funny French accent. Sorry, but it honestly was. "What do we do?"
"I'll tell ya what to do..." said a voice, but certainly not Super Macho Man, but instead, a student. "You do whatever the coach tells you to do."
Out from the shadows of the room came Sand Man, looking beastly. He cracked his knuckles. Sand smiled with malice dripping, and looked at the coach. "Well, obviously, dude. I'm the coach." Super said.
"Yeah, I'm just answering the silly question for him." Sand said, hands behind back. "Besides, I'm ready for another title."
"Oh, are ya?" Macho asked, grinning. His gold tooth shining brightly. "Well, we'll see if you can pass." He pointed at a boxing bag attached to a machine that showed numbers. "First off: I can't stand having weak boxers. So, I created a solution." He laughed and stood next to the bag. "Simply punch the bag." He readied his punch from out of nowhere and struck the bag with a vicious punch, releasing a grunt. The machine beeped and showed the numbers '875'. "Get a number higher than 500, and you're still in. Get less, get lost. Like they always say: 'Go big, or go home'."
The French kid walked up, shaking. "Oui, oui..." he said. He readied his punch, and quickly jabbed. And the number lists... '500.01'. Macho slowly nodded. "Lucky." Sand whispered to some other kids, who I soon recognized... were Rocky and Mountain. Well, this was gonna be something...
Some kids passed, some kids lost. I was last, so it was my turn now. Sand passed with a '785', Rocky passed with a '550', and Mountain passed with a '700'. It was only just me left.
"Oh, look who we have here." Sand said, crossing his arms. "Didn't even notice you there. So for some reason, you just immediately join the boxing club?"
Mountain poked Sand's shoulder. "You mean, IF he joins." he said with a chuckle.
"But really, just why? You really feeling lucky? By the looks, it seems like you wanna live in abuse." I rolled my eyes and focused on the bag. "I'm telling ya... I think you're a kid making mistakes."
"Am I?" I immediately snap, then throwing a punch at the bag. With one deadly blow, I managed to raise the bag numbers up to... '600'. Woah.
Sand shrugged. "I suppose you really want this." We then followed Macho Man, who was listening to rock music in his earbuds. Soon after, he took them off.
"Number two!" he yelled. "Here's a little speed challenge." There was nothing around him, just a mat that he stood on. "What I'm going to do next is also simple. Punch."
"Again?" said an Irish accent. "Laddie, we pretty much did-"
"Well," Super interrupted. "Have you punched multiple times the last course?"
The Irish kid with green hair and pale white skin stood silent. "N-"
"Exactly." Macho said. "What we're doing is a punch speed test. I'll be watching how many times you can punch in a minute. They can be weak, they can be powerful, but the arms must extend fully. So, I'll be watching you all." He grabbed a pocket timer. "The passing grade is 70 punches. Do less, even 69," A faint chuckle was heard. "Then sadly, I'm gonna have to exclude you."
The French kid- "Glass Last." called Macho. Okay... Glass Last walked up, and did the following right after Macho clicked the timer. He gave it all he got. Whiffs were heard from the punching. And quickly, Macho shouted, "TIME!" Glass froze in place, sweat pouring down his forehead from either hard work, worry, or probably both. "Glass... You pass."
"Oui!" he cheered.
"Seventy punches. Lucky guy." he said with a smile. "Determination, dude! NEXT!"
One after the other, we had passing grades and then failing grades, though not as much as last time. Sand punched eighty-five times, Mountain threw seventy, and Rocky was in the middle of his test. After Rocky was done, being able to throw ninety punches in a minute, he laid down, checking his arms.
"Up next, last but not least... Blue Blitz!" Macho called, wearing some spiffy shades. I walk up and ready myself. "Ready..." I narrowed my eyes. "Set..."
"Hey, Blitz." whispered Mountain from behind.
"Wha-"
"GO!!!" I immediately realized I was being put off-track, and I lost about two precious seconds, and I throw all that I could. Though it was exhausting, it was so... energetic. It felt kind of cool, like I was Ken going ATATATATATA! Damn, it felt good! Too bad it ended too quick. "Time!"
I step back, rolling my shoulders. "Blue, you simply got a well-put eighty-five!"
I widen my eyes. Well, damn! I soon advance with the others, and eventually walk up to one last test, which is once again vacant. "Well, well, well, I didn't think I'd still see you all." Macho said. "But before you can start thinking that you're a boxer and will be participating in the annual Crystal Prep Ring King Tournament," That's what it's called? "You need some light feet, right?"
"Oh no..." said Glass, giving off a look of horror.
"Oh yes!" Macho said, grinning once more, showing his shiny gold tooth. "Run! Simply put!" He pointed at the wall. "Three times, run to the wall and back, and that'll be it. You have to tap the wall and come back so it can be considered being at the wall, and the passing time is thirty seconds. Nothing more." It was kind of a big room... but I think I can do it. Maybe.
And guess who was first? "Oui!" said Glass, feeling lucky.
"Watch as he'll get thirty seconds." Sand whispered to Mountain.
Glass ran to the wall and back, breathing heavily. Geez, if this guy makes it, I'm honestly gonna feel bad for him, no offense. And after the third time, Super's watch was stopped, and he checked it. "Hmm... thirty seconds. Exactly."
"Told ya." Sand whispered back to Mountain.
"Man, you're always correct." Mountain admitted.
"Cause I always am." I rolled my eyes. Really looked forward to having a fight with him, eventually. I mean, surely he proved to look tough, just by looking at him, his large muscles, how he is barely sweating, and how crazy he looked, but if I try really-
"Blitz!" Super called out.
"Huh?" I questioned, then noticing how I was next. How was I- Nevermind. Might as well get through it. I ready up, waiting for his call. I actually give a glance at Sand, who was crossing his arms and giving a crap-eating grin of victory or something.
"Ready..." Super said, raising up his timer. "Set..." Come on, Ma- "GO!!!"
I immediately bolt off, and touched the wall really quick. I rush back, then noticing the trio again. Giving me a random smirk. I rush over to Macho, then back to the wall, and then back to Macho once more. "Come on." I said to myself, pushing myself to the limit.
Rocky coughed, but it was clearly a cough to hide his words. "Loser." he said through his 'cough'. I ignored it, and make contact with the wall with my hand, then straight back to Macho. With one giant leap, I make it back and Macho stops the timer.
"Twenty-five seconds!" he yelled. "You're in the game, kid!" I smiled and put my hands in the air. Well... now it's time to sit... and wait.
And only survive the next hour. Whatever he had in store, I only hoped I was ready for. Cause he stated after I was done, "But don't worry, that's just the beginning."
Ayayay....