Friday rolled around pretty quickly as the first week of school finally came to an end, which I was oh so grateful for. My first week back, being anything but the uneventful week I had hoped for.

Rumours of where I had been still circulated the school, each one more outrageous than the next. The guessing game of where I had been, still entertaining to the small-minded people.

The rumours of mine and Cameron's fling had died down into nothing, pretty quickly. Our supposed summer fling, flaming out, and soon to be forgotten like the name of the last girl he banged.

But while my problems with Cameron were non-existent, other problems seemed to pop up. These in the form of Grace, Devon and lastly, Sean fucking Evans.

Though Sean wasn't much of a problem, having kept his distance, that didn't mean he had entirely forgotten what he'd seen, since I've caught him staring in my direction on many occasions.

A clear indication that our little encounter was still on his mind.

Grace and Devon, on the other hand, I avoided them like the plague. The only problem with that, is that it was tiring, since I spent all day trying to dodge both of them. One being almost impossible since we lived in the same damn house.

With a heavy sigh, I slammed my locker door shut. Resting my forehead against the cool metal, I closed my eyes for a second. This week was exhausting with all the people and problems I had to avoid, it was a wonder I was still standing right now.

Oh how I wish I could just crawl into bed and sleep for a year.

I hadn't talked to Grace since Monday, having dodged that conversation and leaving it for another time.

Having left things on shaky terrain since our argument, followed by unanswered messages and calls. While also avoiding the conversation of what she had walked in on, when she had been trying to find me. I was not in any mood to face that thunderstorm.

With Devon, I found myself doing anything to not be at home, so that I wouldn't have to face him. Still finding myself unable to face what happened that day, which in turn meant that I couldn't admit it to him either.

I found myself waking up each and every night. Shaking in a cold sweat, my breathing heavy and my heart beating in my throat. My nightmares were becoming more vivid with each night, making me relive that dreadful night again and again.

All this shit added up to me being extremely tired and in dire need of sleep. Sleep that I couldn't and wouldn't get, even if I tried because every time I closed my eyes, I relived that damned night.

Dealing with these problems in my own and very unhealthy way, consisting of a few illegal cage fights, and a whole lot of alcohol. All of which didn't add onto the whole feeling good thing, that I was supposed to be going for.

"You look like shit," a voice said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

The voice belonged to someone I had been avoiding this whole week. Someone I wished to avoid for a little longer, yet as fate would have it, that was clearly not going to happen.

"I know," I mumbled.

"What happened to you?" Grace asked with concern.

"Oh nothing, just the old case of sleep deprivation mixed with a slight hangover," I shrugged.

"So you've been drinking again?" she asked, her voice dropping to take on a hard note.

"Pretty much, Grace," I answered snarkily.

I was in no mood for one of her lectures about drinking or not getting enough sleep. I was tired, hungover and highly irritated and just wanted to be left alone.

"Okay. I'm not going to lecture you, but I think you should go home," she said in a soft voice.

"Home is the last place I want to be," I mumbled.

"Well, you need to get some rest," she pushed.

"I'm fine."

"You're anything but fine," Grace retorted.

"I'm fine," I repeated, with a sigh.

"Leah, you're not," she continued to push.

Pushing off my locker so I could stand up straight, I glanced at her. "I'm perfectly fine," I said, turning to face her. "See," I said just as stars started dancing in front of my eyes. A dizzy spell hitting me, as my legs felt like they wanted to give way.

Placing my hand against the lockers to steady myself, I looked up at Grace from under my lashes, with a cheeky smile. Knowing that she had seen me falter.

"Yeah, that's what you call fine," she said in irritation, "Just tell me what's going on Leah," she said, a frown creasing her forehead as she looked at me with concern. Her hazel eyes shining bright with compassion as they stared into mine.

"It's nothing," I answered dismissively.

At my words, Grace crossed her arms and raised a brow at me. The spark in her eyes, telling me that I wasn't going to get out of this easily. As she would keep asking me until I caved and told her.

Glancing around to see if there were any prying ears in the hallway, I let out a deep sigh before leaning my back and head against my locker and looking her straight in the eye.

"The nightmares are back," I said in a soft voice. Watching as Grace stood there and took my words in. Her eyes widening ever so slightly at my revelation.

Grace knew little about the incident, but what little she did know, consisted of the knowledge about my nightmares. Nightmares we both thought had disappeared a while ago, but clearly not.

Grace opened her mouth to say something, but whatever she was about to say was drowned out by the sound of the bell ringing for the end of lunch. So with a small smile in her direction, I pushed off my locker and headed down the hallway towards my next class.

Choosing to forgo hearing what she had to say, since I knew it wouldn't help me. Not one bit.

* * *      * * *

Screams filled the air all around me, filling the place with its noise like thick fog. Each scream filled with joy, excitement or hunger. Their shouts for me or my opponent, shouts for us to pummel each other, to hit, kick and hurt the other.

These shouts were for us to take the other out, to find the victor. These were shouts of drunk, excited men and women who frequented this demented, yet welcoming place.

I stood bent over with my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath. As the girl stood on her side of the cage, doing the same. Our fight hadn't been going on for long though, but for us it seemed like it had, since we were evenly matched.

I had the speed while she had the strength. My attacks were fast striking attacks that were about getting close to your opponent and then as far away as possible, while hers consisted of getting close to your opponent and taking them down with a grapple.

Neither one of us were giving up, as we kept going at each other. Ending up as we were now, on either side of the cage, out of breath and trying to figure out how to beat the other, without getting hurt any further.

I had been warned about taking on another fight this week, but I hadn't heeded my trainer / agent's warning. And now I was paying for it.

My body was already heavily bruised, and after this beating, I would definitely need to use a wheelchair for the next week. The side of my left leg, had a massive bruise across it from my last fight with some overly eager girl who just couldn't stand still.

Her feet having moved constantly as if she were hyped up on drugs.

"I warned you!" A shout came from behind me.

Turning at their words, I glanced at him for a second with a cocky smile. Finding it funny that my thoughts had just been on the very same thing that he decided to voice.

"And I didn't listen!" I shouted back, glancing over at my opponent to see that she was still standing in the same place.

Good, I didn't need her sneaking up on me and taking me down. That would just be bad for my reputation.

"As always!" he shouted back, before motioning his head in warning.

With a small smile at him, I turned to find my opponent coming at me. My eyes widening slightly at her sudden burst of speed, before ducking under her open arms and slamming my elbow into the soft flesh of her side, running away to the opposite end.

A shout left her lips at my attack, as she spun around and bulldozed after me once more. Her arms wide open, as if she were going to ram right into me. Her choice of attack not only confusing me, but the Ringmaster too, as he didn't know what to scream into the mic.

I dodged her attacks over and over again, as I tried to figure out her game plan. But before I could do so, I found myself caught in her attack. Her arms snaked around my stomach as she lifted me off the floor and started squeezing.

The breath I had, immediately escaped me as she squeezed my body to hers in a bear hug. The pressure of her squeeze sending shots of pain through my heavily bruised ribs.

A cry left my lips as she kept squeezing me, over and over again. Her grip on me, somehow growing tighter with each squeeze she gave. Pain resonating throughout my body, with a short reprieve in between, when she loosened her grip for a second.

White hot blinding pain shot through me, as stars danced across my vision. A tell-tale sign that I was going to pass out from pain. Pass out and lose. And I wasn't about to let that happen.

With no other option, I looked down at the girl, before slamming my head against hers in a headbutt. Her grip loosened ever so slightly at my attack, my head paining at the impact.

With another slam of my head against hers, her grip loosened completely as I dropped to the floor while she stumbled back, holding her forehead.

Pain resonated through my head, the ache worth it, as I could once again breathe. While my body and ribs weren't aching, as they had a moment ago.

I had slight spotting in my vision for a second or two, before it cleared up and I could once again see clearly. The crowd went wild, jumping and cheering us on while the Ringmaster screamed into the mic.

We stood across from each other, in a slight daze but still able to fight. Still able to hurt the other and do more damage, adding on to what we've already done.

I stood there for a second or two before running at her. Dodging out of the way at the last second, I sent a backward kick into her back. Watching as she stumbled forward a bit, before I ran at her again.

I slammed my foot into the back of her knee, watching her drop to the floor. With that I took my chance to end this fight, as I slammed my foot into the side of her face. The top of my foot sending out a jolt of pain as it connected.

She dropped to the floor a second later as her eyes rolled back into her head. A clear sign that she was unconscious and that I had won.

Screams from the spectators died on their lips, as they stared on in shock, before it suddenly picked up again, louder than it had before.

"And Another Win For Mercer. What a Match!" the Ringmaster screamed into his microphone, moving towards the cage door to open it up.

Once the cage was open, the Ringmaster raced in and to my side. Raising my arm above my head, he screamed into the mike. "Mercer Is On a Roll!" While my opponent's coach and agent rushed into the cage and to their side, to help them out.

Shay appeared next to me, the moment my feet touched the floor outside the cage. His arm snaking around my shoulders, as he pulled me close to his body. Making our way to the back of the Warehouse, through the screaming crowd.

"You're going to have a massive bruise on your forehead after that move," he said with a chuckle. His lips close to my ear, so that I could hear him over the roaring crowd.

"Let's get ice on it so that doesn't happen," I answered back.

Together we pushed through the crowd and finally into one of the walkways that leads to the back. Shay and I slipped into the walkway without a problem, as we headed towards the training rooms.

Shay was a fighter that trained at WMG - West Mount Gym, another place I frequented. I knew little about the guy, other than the fact that he used to fight in the Warehouse, but due to some unknown reasons, he didn't anymore.

Now he trains people at WMG, and is mine and my best friend's go to man, when it comes to all things Warehouse.

Shay had become something of an agent for us, working with the people who organised the fights. He found out if we were interested in a fight and if we were, he would tell us when, where and what time it would happen. And for each fight that we won, both us and Shay would get a cut of the winnings.

The system working greatly in our favour.

Sure, some people would call it blood money, or call it dirty. But it was money nonetheless.

"Here you go," Shay said, as he broke through my reverie, and handed me an icepack.

"Thanks," I said, taking it and placing it on my forehead.

"Third fight this week," he said in a soft voice as he sat down next to me.

"Yup," I answered, popping the 'p'.

Shay stared at me with concern shining in his brown eyes. He was a tall burly man with big muscles. With short brown hair, brown eyes and a crooked nose from far too many breaks, he was intimidating.

Breaking eye contact with him, I looked to the floor. The room filled with the distant screams from the crowd gathered inside, their shouts still audible all the way in the back.

"You okay?" He asked, his voice soft, as it broke the silence between us.

"I'm fine."

Glancing over at him, I found him staring back at me sceptically. He had been watching over me for the past few years, and I knew he could tell something was bothering me. We sat there in silence as he waited for my answer, but when he saw that I wasn't about to say a word, he nodded.

We spent the next half an hour, icing my forehead while listening to the sounds of the Warehouse. Most of it being the screams from the hyped men and women who were watching and betting on the fights.

Once we were sure it wouldn't bruise too badly, I got changed and packed my stuff into my duffel bag. Making sure I had everything, Shay and I decided to watch the rest of the fights that were scheduled for the night, with the intent on gaining some information on different fighting styles, while also looking out for people that I might face in the future.

So with my hood covering my head, and with Shay beside me, we walked out to brave the roaring crowd of the Warehouse.

* * *     * * *

So I hoped you enjoyed that chapter which gave you an insight into the workings of the Warehouse as well as into the dark side of Leah's life.

A little insight into another one of her coping mechanisms that isnt exactly healthy.

Please leave your comments and likes here... I really do appreciate them...

- Orlaith