Chapter Five

   Raven dropped me off near Terri's apartment and drove off.I walked up the steps to the second floor of the building. I unlocked the door and stepped inside to find Terri and Blaze sitting around.

     "I thought you weren't coming back." Terri joked grinning at me.

     "I changed my mind. Besides I still owe Alex for starting s**t." I replied dropping my bag and joining them on the couch. 

     "Blaze was telling me about earlier. About how Raven slapped her and that you two were going to fight." He sighed. 

     "Yeah. I was about to stomp her face in and laugh about." I replied bitterly. "But then I learned that if I was in her shoes, I'd be the same way." I added.

     "I didn't tell Jace about it. I mean, she was right." Blaze sighed. "And Alex is really out to get you for breaking his nose." She added.

     "Bring it." I mumbled.

     "You two should sit around here tonight and become friends." Terri said jumping up and walking towards the door.

     "Where are you going?" Blaze snapped. 

     "Jace needs me tonight. He's going to a fight." He replied.

     "Where at?" Blaze laughed. 

     "No. Not telling you. You need to be there." He answered coldly walking out the door.

     "Well, damn. Let's give him a good ten minute start and then we'll go find out where this fight is." Blaze purred. 

   I gave her a sour look. Something was telling me that following her was a bad idea. Following in general is bad. 

     "OK. Let's go." She giggled.

     "You know it hasn't been ten minutes." I pointed out.

     "Yep." She answered running out the door. 

    I followed her down the street at my own pace. She skipped ahead like a high little butterfly. When we turned the corner at the end of the street we ran into Alex and a couple other goth boys. 

     "Hey Blaze, who's your friend?" Alex laughed smiling at me.

     "I, um-" She stammered. "What's you name?" She asked me.

     "Anna." I sighed crossing my arms over my chest.

     "I remember you from this morning. I don't forget faces." He replied. "So, what are ya'll up to?" He asked.

     "Trying to find out where Jace is fighting." Blaze answered. 

     "On the other side of the tracks. You know, enemy territory." He sighed. "I was headed that way anyway, if you wanna go." 

   His friends laughed behind him. Blaze giggled and we followed him across the city to a warehouse packed with people. I could barely move inside while trying to keep up with Blaze and Alex, who were leading me to a staircase to a floor above the fight cage. It was loud and stuffy inside the building. Colored lights flashed around us.

     "I bet you've never seen anything like this." Alex said purred in my ear.

   He had ahold of my arm with a tight grip. I looked down at the empty cage hoping someone would see this creature hurrassing me. Suddenly the crowd parted allowing someone to walk though to the cage. The guy pulled off his grey sweat shirt and handed to someone before going inside. He was covered in colorful dragon tattoos. He had long, shaggy blonde and black hair and muscular arms. He was Jace Marshel.

   The other guy entered the cage and someone closed the gate. The other guy wasn't as appealing to the eyes as Jace. The crowd was loud and going wild. The first punch was thrown by the other guy and the fight began. Something grabbed me from behind.

     "What are you doing here? It's not safe for you!" Terri said over the noise.

     "I followed Blaze and Alex. I know, it was a s****y idea." I admitted.

     "No s**t. Watch your back. Don't leave with them.  Wait for me here." He said disapearing into the crowd.             

      "Come on, let's go!" Alex purred taking my hand.

   He pulled me down the stairs and out a different do than which we came. We stood in a wide alley under a street light. Blaze stood against the wall with her arms crossed.        

     "Go stand over there with Blaze." He ordered pushing me towards her. 

   There was laughing down the alley. Two guys came from one end while four waited at the other. One of the two guys stepped up to Alex and handed him something.

   Blaze looked at me worried. "That guy is trouble. We need to get out of here." She whispered.

     "Hey, red, shut your face!" The guy snapped walking away from Alex.

   He grabbed her by the neck and held her against the wall. I looked at Alex who gave me a "don't do anything stupid" look. Her face was bright red.

     "Let her go! She can't breathe!" I roared.

   He let her go and grabbed me. "Well, you are a new face. Where'd you come from?" He purred.

     "Chucky, leave her alone. She doesn't know anything about th streets." Alex begged.

     "Shut up!" The guy snapped. 

   I started to laugh. 

     "What is wrong with you? Why are you laughing?" He hissed tightening his grip around my neck. 

   Blaze suddenly shoved him away, catching him by surprise. He reacted quickly by throwing her down on the pavement and kicked her in the ribs.

     "Stop!" I yelled grabbing a handful of his gressy red hair and banged it against the brick wall. 

    He wiggled out of my grip and punched me in the stomach. The other guy he had with him grabbed me and held me still. I took several more punches to my stomach. I couldn't breathe and tears blurred my veiw. I could see him oozing blood out the the corner of his mouth and nose. The guy let me go and fell to the ground. I could taste blood now. He kicked me a couple more times and walked off. Alex was gone and Blaze was at my side.             

      "Anna, please get up!" She cried. 

   Everything went black.