With the round of 16 over, the teams headed back to their hotels for evening meals. The five boys sat down with AJ and Johnathan at a round table. The seven boys threw around jokes and conversation.

At some point Rin spoke up, “Those girls from yesterday wanna go out again, who’s up for it?”

“No thanks.” Kuna mumbled, taking another forkful of food.

“I don’t know Rin. I’ve only just got over my hangover.” Damian said wearily.

“Come on Damy!” AJ said throwing his arm over Damian’s shoulders. “You can count me and Johnny in too. We were talking earlier about clubs we wanted to go to.”

“Yeah... I guess I can join for one night.” Johnathan said.

The table turned to Jude and Jack who were wolfing down their food. They finished at the same time. “That’s plate 4.” Jude said proudly.

“That’s my fourth one.” Jack replied.

Both men got off the table and reappeared almost instantly with another full plate. And began eating again. The others had a chuckle to themselves. AJ spoke first, “S’pose this is why they’re still in the competition and we’re out, aye?”

Without looking up from his food Jack replied “Losers.” Then he promptly guzzled down his drink of cola. Immediately making his stomach bloat with the food he had piled in the air, forcing him to stop before Jude finished his plate. Jack leant back, his limp body like a towel on a clothes line.

“Guess I wanted the victory more than you.,” Jude smirked before standing up.

“I only lost because of my drink screwing me over.” Jack said.

“Anyways, I’m getting pudding. You want anything Jack?”

“Yeah get me some of that chocolate cake.” He said waving a his hand weakly.

When he got back with their plates, the conversation continued from before. “You lads wanna come out tonight?” Damian posed.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

“Nah. Gotta get my sleep for my fight.” Jude said slurping a piece of jelly off his spoon. Before putting his face to the plate and sucking a cube straight off the plate into his mouth. The rest seemed shocked but Jack continued as if nothing had happened.

“Sorry boys, I’m real tired. And my stomach kills.” He said shovelling a piece of his chocolate cake into his face.

“Come on. Just an hour. Don’t waste the chance of being in a new place and not clubbing because of the fight.” Rin said. He stared at them.

The next thing they knew Jack and Jude were handing their I.D.s to a bouncer and heading to the bar. Rin handed Jude a shot, Jack wasn’t a drinker so he just a cola.

Jude sipped it down. The awful taste of concentrated alcohol filled his mouth, was it bitter, sour, sweet? It was impossible to tell, though it did burn.

Then, his head was on his pillow. A 9 o’clock alarm blared, light poured into the dimly lit room from a pair of slightly ajar curtains.

He felt himself crushed, the wall was on his right and he was against it. He felt a iron grip wrapped around him. Like the world’s heaviest koala, it clung to his side. He felt the smoothness of the arms and silky hair on his bare skin. Looking down slightly told him all he needed to know.

Olive skin. Silver hair. The chance of another woman looking like that was low.

“Can you turn that off please?” came Nerissa’s voice.

After peeling himself out of the tightly gripped spooning he had received Jude got ready for the day. He walked Nerissa back to her room, so she could change and shower. They stopped just outside her door.

“How are feeling about yesterday?” Jude asked leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets.

“I don’t want to speak about it.” Nerissa grabbed her arm and evaded meeting his eyes.

“I’m always here if you need someone.”

“I know.” Nerissa said with a meek smile. She closed the door gently behind her and once she did she put her back against the door and slid down until she was sat on the floor.

Jude arrived in the lobby to see a similar sight to the previous morning. Except Rin, Kuna, Damian, AJ, and Johnathan were all gathered in their mutual pain. Jude generally felt fine, whenever he had left the previous night had clearly been sensible. And he hadn’t drunk enough to give himself a hangover or a caffeine comedown.

And upon Jack’s arrival the two began the same routine they had the previous morning. This time annoying an additional two. Though, they had bonded enough that AJ and Jonathan were now in the boys’ group chat.

As they walked through the two. Jack turned to Jude, the ones leading as they could walk properly, “You got a plan for the girl I gotta fight later?”

“Yeah. With your powers it’s a pretty simple plan...” Jude relayed the plan to Jack who just burst out laughing.

“That it?”

“Yeah” Jude said with a big grin plastered on his face. The two boys shared a laugh as the others looked at the two energetic boys with contempt.