MAYA

"Will you stop fussing over your outfit, you look good."Violet scolded as she pulled the mirror I was using away from my hand and tossing it in the glove compartment.

"I know."I grunted leaning back in my seat.

I knew I looked good. I had after all spent an hour deciding what to wear. I was just nervous.

"Why are you so worried anyway? It's not like it's a date. It's a boxing match, with sweaty, noisy and loud people."Violet reminded me with a scowl on her face.

"You've been saying that ever since I asked you to come. You could have just said no if you were going to be so miserable."I retorted.

"You're right, I'll just take a u-turn right here and drive us back home."Violet teased.

"Very funny, now eyes on the road please."I requested.

I had no idea why I was making a big deal out of what I was wearing. I never actually cared about how I looked before but for some reason I wanted to look good. Maybe it was because I was going to see a certain red head. But I had never cared before so why was I starting now.

My outfit was good, I wearing an orange cropped sweater, blue ripped jeans and of course my black Doctor
Marten boots. I'd curled my locks and pinned them behind my ear so that they only fell over my face on one side. I looked cute like Violet kept telling me so I decided to accept that and stop worrying.

"Hey Wendy, you good back there? You've been quiet the whole drive?"I asked turning to look at her.

"Yeah just worried about our college applications."She replied looking up at me from her phone.

"You're the smartest person I know and you partake in loads of co-curricular activities. If they don't accept you they will be the fools."I encouraged.

"Thanks May."She replied smiling at me.

"So you are not worried at all?"Violet asked me.

"Coach said if I do well enough in track this coming season, I'll get a scholarship so I just have to make sure I'm the fastest person on that track."I replied with a nervous laugh.

I was worried about college. I didn't have any money to pay for it and even if my aunt and uncle had taken me in, I still didn't feel okay with being a burden to them. I would do my best to win they scholarship by training really hard, being the fastest runner in Ridgehill and keep up with my grades.

"If anyone believes in you it's me so you'll be okay. I on the other hand really need to step up with my grades. I can't rely on cheerleading to get me all the way."Violet added.

Looks like all of us were worried about getting into college. It wouldn't be easy but we would try our best. We were growing up after all and it was time to take control of our destinies.

We arrived at the arena after a two hour drive and apparently we were the last ones to arrive. The parking lot was jam packed so we had to park the car a couple of blocks away and walk to the arena.

"I don't know why but all of a sudden I have this adrenaline rush and I can't wait for the match."Violet cheered excitedly ask we walked.

Wendy and I both looked at her and laughed. We were excited too, after all we were just about to witness a fight, there was definitely loads of adrenaline floating around.

Elijah had texted me and told me that we should wait for him outside instead of using the main entrance which was crowded at the moment as everyone tried to get in time before the match started.

"Do you think the boys are already here?"Violet asked me looking around.

"Probably, they did leave quite early."I replied.

"I still don't get why we all couldn't have driven together."Violet grunted probably missing Wade.

"It was reasonable, there was too many of us to fit into one car."Wendy reminded her even though she already knew the reason.

I was supposed to bring Violet and my uncle but Uncle Ted couldn't make it. He was on a business trip away from home so instead I'd asked Wendy. My aunt and the boys were going to watch the match live from home.

"Is that boyfriend of yours coming anytime soon? It's freezing out here."Violet asked rubbing her arms.

"He's not my boyfriend and I'm not the one who asked you to wear a piece of cloth instead of actual clothes tonight."I retorted.

"Hey, I look awesome."Violent defended and she did but her dress was just too short.

I had no idea why she was wearing something like that to a boxing match anyway but it's not like I could have done anything to stop her. Violet was wearing a woven, short black dress that reached mid thigh paired with a cropped cream jean jacket and white sneakers. She always wore heels but she was our driver and it was too long a distance to drive in heels. Wendy was wearing black jeans, a white cropped tank top, a black leather jacket and white converse. She was dressed much more appropriately that Violet.

Suddenly I felt him and my eyes immediately turned to where he was without having to look around too much. He walked out of a heavily guarded side door and just as I had found him, he immediately found me. He smiled started walking towards us looking deliciously handsome in black jeans and a red hoodie with their family name on it and the logo of their gym. His hair was tied back for once revealing his full face and his green eyes glowing in the dark. In that moment I admitted one thing to myself, I had a crush on my best friend.

Uh oh.

"Hi little elf, glad you could make it."Elijah commented once he got to us.

He pulled me into a side hug and kissed my hair while waving to Violet and Wendy.

"She gets a hug and a kiss while we get a wave?"Wendy asked trying to look offended but failing miserably.

Elijah just held me tighter against him while I stuck my tongue out at her.

"You two are so cute, but can we get out of the cold now."Wendy asked through gritted teeth.

"Of course, sorry. This way ladies."Elijah directed leading us towards the door he had just emerged from.

"Thought you weren't going to make it in time."Elijah whispered to me.

"I know, we had to stop for gas and food at two different places."I replied.

"You're here and that's all that matters."He replied smiling down at me.

When we got to the door, we had to show our Id's and VIP tickets to the two buff security guards at the gate before they let us in.

"Glad you know people Maya, making that line would not have been fun."Wendy commented as we walked through a dimly lit hallway.

"You know him too and he's right here."I retorted but still agreed with her.

The line outside of people wanting to get in had not looked fun but we still would have waited it out. That's how badly we wanted to watch the match and support Jessica. I was just glad Elijah had come to our rescue before we had to.

"Would you like to meet Jessica or should I take you directly to your seats?"Elijah asked.

"Meet her!"Violet yelled excitedly and we all turned to her.

"What? Don't look at me like that, I just want to meet her."Violet defended herself when we have her odd looks.

"Okay, I'll take you to her."Elijah replied with a laugh.

We took a couple of turns bypassing several doors before Elijah led us into a changing room labeled J. Olsen in big bold letters. He didn't even knock, just walked right in with all of us in tow. Jessica and her dad had been busy talking about something but stopped when we walked in. They both grinned when they say me.

"Little mouse. So glad you could make it."Jessica exclaimed pulling away from her dad to approach us.

"I wasn't going to miss it."I replied hugging her briefly.

"Jess this is my cousin Violet and my friend Wendy."I introduced them.

"It's so nice to meet you ladies. Thank you for coming tonight."Jessica thanked them.

"You are awesome."Violet gushed randomly looking at Jessica like she was meeting a god.

Jessica was pretty awesome but I had no idea Violet had such a huge girl crush on her. It definitely took me by surprise watching her look at Jessica like she did every time she googled pictures of Ryan Reynolds online.

"Would you like a selfie with me?"Jessica asked Violet.

"Yes please."Violet replied excitedly reaching for her phone.

Jessica took the phone from her and took a couple of photos before she handed it to Elijah who took full photos of them. I got pulled into the mix too and after a few minutes Violet had enough photos and videos to post on all her social media accounts.

I made sure to say to hello to Bernard and caught up with him for a few minutes. We couldn't stay long since the match would begin soon and we had to find our seats and leave Jessica to get her head in the game. Elijah led us to our seats which we on the third row from the ring allowing us the perfect view. The boys were already there and we were all on the same row which was very convenient as I didn't want to be seated next to a stranger.

"I'll be back soon."Elijah whispered to me once we were settled down.

"Okay I'll be here."I nodded to him.

He kissed my forehead, gave me one last lingering look before walking back stage. I watched him until he disappeared through the doors we had walked out of.

"You like him."Wendy who was seated next to me whispered in my ear.

"No I do not."I choked out unconvincingly.

"Yes you do and its okay. He is a very fine specimen for a white boy. I'm just afraid for your spine when you give birth to his babies. He's a giant and you are so small, his kids will tear you apart."Wendy added with a shiver.

"How did we get from liking him to giving birth to his babies?"I asked with a cringe.

"Anyone who looks at you two knows yours is more than just friendship. There's also no way you two are ever going to leave each other if you start dating. You are meant to be. It's been proven already because you came back to him after eight years. You don't have to admit it right now but the evidence is already there. It will happen even if you don't believe it. For now, I'll just sit back and wait for it to unfold so I can tell you I told you so."Wendy explained with a winning grin.

As much as I was skeptical about her words, I found myself hoping for her to be right. I had fake dated Elijah since I was eight while we were in different continents so I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to date him for real.

Elijah was great, he was handsome and a real gentleman if you looked past the brooding exterior. He was also very handsome which was obvious with his captivating green eyes, luscious hair and that beautiful sculpted build that would drive any woman crazy. I would be a fool not to have a crush on him or even go as far as liking him like Wendy was suggesting.

The big question was, did he like me too and were we ready to start dating with so much between us unspoken. I had so much to tell him, that could potentially harm our relationship. I didn't know if I should tell him before anything started between us, so everything could be out there and we'd start on a fresh page or wait until our relationship was strong enough to drop such a huge bomb on him. I was scared of losing him that's for sure, especially if he took what I was going to tell him the wrong way. It had the potential to make or break us that's why I was scared of telling him because I had no idea how he would take it.

"It's starting!"Violet shouted excitedly stirring me from my thoughts.

The arena that was jam packed and already rowdy went crazy. It was noisy just like Violet had predicted with everyone excitedly waiting for the fight to begin. The lights were focused on the ring which was better than it being everywhere.

The coordinator started announcing the details of the fight before he got to introducing the fighters. The first one was Jessica's opponent. Her name was Mishka Rabowski, a boxer from Russia. She was just as tall as Jessica and built buffer than our girl. She looked mean and ready to bulldoze through Jessica. She and her team made their way to the ring looking very intimidating.

Jessica was announced next and she came out too followed by her dad, Elijah and a couple of other guys. The crowd went wild, shouting she chanting her name excitedly. My eyes should have been on Jessica but I found myself looking at Elijah. The lights were too bright and he couldn't see me clearly but when he looked through the crowd, I could have sworn that his eyes met mine and winked at me. I was definitely headed for Eli town and I quite liked the drive up there. Sure it was filled with uncertainties but so was every other journey and I liked what was waiting for me when I arrived. Elijah.

The Olsen team made it to the ring, hyped Jessica and the crowd before they all left except for Bernard and our fighter.

Elijah made his way to us and took the seat next to me draping his hand over my seat.

"Excited?"Elijah asked whispering very close to my ear since the crowd was too noisy.

His lips brushed over my ear lobe and that sensation travelled all the way to my spine making me arch my back involuntary. Where were all the feelings coming from all of a sudden? I was behaving like a horny teenager which I was but it was all very unexpected.

"Yes."I replied back turning to look at him.

Our faces were only an inch apart and even though there was madness going on all around us, it's a if it was only just us.

"You look beautiful today."Elijah complimented randomly making me smile.

"Thank you."I choked out not knowing what the appropriate behavior was.

I knew I was supposed to compliment him back but I couldn't make my mouth form those words. Elijah was making me feel very nervous and tingly which I had no idea how do deal with.

Thankfully I was saved by the ringing of a bell meaning the match had began. We had missed the whole into part looking into each others eyes.

"Later."Elijah whispered his voice filled with so much promise all I could do was swallow hard and nod.

Elijah grinned at me, kissed my forehead before turning his gaze towards the ring. It took me a minute to compose myself before focusing all my attention to the ring and what had brought me to the arena in the first place, Jessica. Yes Jessica not Elijah and his smoldering green eyes.

I didn't know much about boxing, especially all the terminologies used but the fight was tense, long, too long and painful. Both fighters were great, with awesome technique and they both wanted to win so they fought tooth and nail for it. There was a lot of blood, definitely a couple of broken ribs and lots of close calls.

"Is it always this tense?"I asked Elijah as they started the sixth round.

"Yes but it always depends on the opponent."He replied his eyes trained on his sister.

He didn't look worried even though Jessica already had a black eye and a busted lip. He believed in her and that was amazing.

Mishka didn't look too good either but there was no knowing who was going to win for sure since they both looked terrible. The round ended with both of them getting worse for the wear.

"Last round."Elijah declared under his breath.

"There's a limited number of rounds?"I asked him because we were getting onto the seventh round.

"Yes twelve but Jess is tired and frustrated. This is her last round. She either wins or gives it up."He explained without missing a beat.

He really did know his sister well if he could tell that all the way from our seats.

The bell rang again and they got back in stage. They danced around each other for a while, fists up ready to strike or defend. Mishka was the first one to strike which apparently was her mistake. Jessica dodged the punch to the face and got her directly in the ribs where she was already injured. Mishka tried to shake it off but it was clear that she felt it. Jessica didn't waste anytime letting her compose herself as she was already on her, pinning her to the ropes and raining blow after painful blow to her face. Mishka dropped to the ground and was unable to get up. The referee did the count down to ten and when she was unable to get up, he announced Jessica as the winner.

"Yes!"Elijah yelled excitedly jumping up from his seat with the rest of Jessica's fans.

She had actually won.

"She won."Elijah declared pulling me into his arms and twirling me around excitedly.

Elijah set me down slowly and kissed my forehead.

"I've got to go but I'd like to drive you home, can you wait for me please?"He requested leaning down to look into my eyes.

"Okay."I agreed with a smile.

"Here are my car keys so you don't have to wait outside in the cold. I'll be with you soon."He assured me.

"I'll be waiting. Please tell Jessica congratulations for me."I asked him.

"I will."He replied kissing my forehead one last time.

He said goodbye to everyone before skipping off to find his sister. My friends and I decided to wait for the arena to fill out instead of scrambling for the door and risking getting hurt.

Violent and Wendy didn't even protest when I told them Elijah would be driving me home. They just gave me knowing looks and helped me find his car. It felt weird being in his car without him but I didn't feel safe waiting outside with all the creeps lurking around.

Elijah took about half an hour to find me which I didn't mind because I had the company of my own thoughts.

"Sorry I took so long. Would you like to get something to eat before I take you home?"Elijah asked when he joined me in the car.

"Yes please."I replied politely.

"Great."He smiled backing out of the parking lot and driving away from the arena.

The night had been great even if I didn't enjoy the violence so much but I was happy to be ending the day with Elijah. Now I just had to figure out what my feelings for him truly were so I could keep them in check or do something about them. I just hoped that Elijah felt the same way too, I didn't want to be stuck in a friendship where I had feelings for a guy who only saw me as a friend. Sure I wouldn't stop being friends with him but it would be extremely painful trying to get over him.

Best of luck to me and my feelings then. I definitely hoped it would work out for the best, for the sake of my heart and my relationship with Elijah.