they’re out of earshot so they can’t hear me give Colt an anatomy lesson. “Oh, and I need Logan to drive me and MJ for moral support.”
His brows knit together.
“Please?”
He nods once, unsure if he’s being taken advantage of or if I truly have something wrong with my lady parts, but unable to pry any further.
I escape out the door, linking arms with Logan and MJ as we jog down the hall.
Chapter 23
Logan creeps up behind me and MJ in the hall on Friday night.
“Fight club tonight,” he whispers between us.
“Sweet.” MJ grins.
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll see,” Logan says, swishing my hair over my shoulder as he saunters away.
“Let’s go get ready.” MJ pulls me by the hand toward the stairs.
I don’t know what fight club is, or why it requires a push up bra and extra eyeliner, but I dutifully follow MJ’s lead. She’s no longer satisfied with me sitting on her bed watching while she does her make-up, instead, and after that first time I let her, we’ve graduated to her insisting on doing me up each time too. Even though I complain throughout the process, I find that I actually like the effect.
In between swipes of lip gloss, MJ explains, “The second year guys go down to the local Karate school and round up a bunch of guys. They bring them back here and basically throw down.”
She pulls back, studying her work before she runs her fingers through my hair, and spritzes me with hairspray.
“There are always cute boys here on fight club nights. Fun times await, my friend.”
“So what exactly is fight club?” I press my lips together, rubbing in the sticky lip gloss.
MJ changes into a tighter pair of jeans and I look away as her bare behind flashes me. “Did you ever hear of an old movie called Fight Club?”
I shake my head.
“In the movie these guys create a social club for fist fighting. Same concept. It’s practically a Wilbrook tradition now. They’ve been doing it for years.”
“So what they just beat the crap out of each other for fun?”
“Pretty much.”
I shudder involuntarily. “Do girls ever…participate?”
“I’ve only seen it once. They mud wrestled in white T-shirts after the guys hosed down the floor, turning the whole place into a giant mud pit.”
“Let me guess. Bria’s idea?”
“You’re catching on, Beckett.”
She puts her arm around my shoulders and we head down to dinner.
Once darkness falls, MJ and I follow the stream of people outside. I don’t know where we’re headed, but the excitement of fight club has invaded the atmosphere, turning everyone into giddy hooligans. We venture behind the school, heading across the wide expanse of grass to the barn in the distance.
“Won’t we get in trouble for having an event like this on school grounds?”
MJ pulls out a smoke, balancing it between her blood red lips. “We’re not on school grounds.”
“What do you mean?”
“The school sold this chunk of land and these out buildings a few years ago.” She steps under a broken down wire fence, holding it up for me to cross under.
“So we’re trespassing?”
“If you want to get technical about it.”
“Gee, that makes me feel so much better.”
“Just shut up and come on.” She pulls me by the sleeve behind her.
We reach a giant barn that looks like it’s on the verge of collapsing. The wood is rotting in more places than not and the moonlight streams in through the many nooks and crannies of the unstable structure.
Against my better judgment I follow MJ inside, crouching under a boarded up doorway.
The barn is one big open space, the ceiling crisscrossed with rough beams. A string of bare light bulbs hangs from the center of the ceiling. It’s more crowded inside the barn than I thought it’d be. And warmer too. People huddle together in groups talking. Both classes are here, along with about a dozen other faces I don’t recognize.
There are a few guys sparring in the corner to warm up. I spot Dane and Drake, the buff identical twins in my grade. They are both shirtless, taking jabs at each other. The atmosphere around us is sexy and dangerous, and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Once inside, I instantly lose MJ. She’s no doubt off to scope out the crowd. I’m sure she’ll resurface soon with a run-down of the karate hotties.
I spot Colt in the center of the fighting ring that’s been set up in the middle of the barn. He’s talking to a group of guys I don’t recognize. They must be from the karate school. He catches my eye and excuses himself from the group, heading my way.
Colt walks up, shirtless, wearing dark jeans, looking like sex on a stick.
“Mr. Palmer.”
He rolls his eyes.
“So what are you doing out here?” He leans against the wall next to me. “This doesn’t seem like your scene.”
I continue watching the crowd in front of us, which takes a massive amount of concentration with him so close, and did I mention shirtless? “How do you know what my scene is?”
He nods. “Fair.”
I’m torn between blowing him off completely and apologizing for skipping class. My manners win out. “Sorry about missing class.”
“It’s cool. Just don’t make a habit of it.” He takes a swig of his beer. “Otherwise I’ll have to start acting like an actual teacher and that’ll just piss me off.”
“Taylor!” MJ shouts. “There you are.” She walks over to Colt and I like I was the one that deserted her.
“You gotta hit this.” She holds out a silver flask.
“What’s in it?” I can’t believe everyone is blatantly drinking in front of Colt. But then again, I remember that he’s underage too and has a bottle of beer dangling from his hand. I sniff the flask. “It smells like puke.”
She grabs it and wipes the opening with the hem of her shirt. “Oh, that’s just because Sara puked and then took a swig.”
“I’ll pass.”
She shrugs. “Suit yourself.”
Colt laughs softly under his breath, watching MJ stalk away. “Everything turn out okay with your…female issues?” he asks once she’s gone.
“Oh, that. Yeah, it…turned out to be nothing. I guess I’m just overly cautious.”
He nods, smiling. “Nothing wrong with that. I appreciate a lady who takes care of things.” His eyes linger on me, giving me the urge to push my knees together. But I stand my ground. “Seriously, though,” he continues,
