36.

Freya couldn’t believe she’d spent all day worrying about the party. Everything was fine. Dan didn’t mention the book at all. She only brought twenty dollars worth of chips and soda but when she arrived she felt like she was resupplying a fortress after a siege.

She got the feeling no one had really expected her to show up, and they seemed happy she had. For some reason she’d thought there would be like twenty people there, but there weren’t even ten. She already knew everyone except for Brad.

Brad Klein was an intense senior with freckles and curly red hair. He was the palest student at Grayson, it felt like he might burst into flames if struck by a wayward sunbeam. He was funny, but it was a biting wit. When he wasn’t joking his face was cold and serious, like Radomir’s. Brad was a polite host, but not overly friendly to Freya, which she liked. She could tell he needed to warm up to someone before he was nice to them.

Besides Dan and Brad, there were Cameron Kowalski and Tate Green from Krav Maga. Freya was surprised to find Radomir Stich was there, she wondered who he was friends with in this group. He seemed just as surprised to see her, but she couldn’t tell if he was happy about it or not. She noticed he didn’t eat any of the chips she’d brought and drank water instead of soda. The others were not so restrained. Freya had worried a little she was overdoing it, but it looked like the snacks she’d brought wouldn’t even survive prelims.

Brad Klein’s basement was a great spot to watch the fights. There was a big sectional couch that made a U around a hundred inch television. Brad’s father did something with designing sound for concerts in New York, and there was a serious speaker system. She could feel the pulse of the subwoofers through the leather couch.

Everyone seemed a little toned down during the first fight, she wondered if they felt uncomfortable around her. The second fight was terrible, it was a heavyweight bout and both fighters got gassed in the second round. The rest of the fight was just the two fighters hugging it out, the referee even threatened to take points for not engaging. Freya stuck out her tongue and pretended to snore, and that was the signal for everyone to go in. Each of them started trying outdo each other jeering the screen. Cameron Kowalski and Dan Gregulous were the best at it. They started doing exaggerated voices for the lackluster fighters as the men on screen grappled ineffectively.

“Take me now Tsouris! Right here in this octagon!” Cameron mocked.

“No Antonio! No one must know of our forbidden love! Stop this clumsy armbar attempt!”

“Only if you’ll release your rear naked choke on my heart!” Cameron cried back, clutching his chest.

“Kiss me you fool! Don’t let him tear us apart!” Dan clowned, as the referee separated the exhausted men for the third time. They were ridiculous, Freya couldn’t keep from cracking up. Dan caught her eye for a moment and grinned at her. Her cheeks got hot and she turned back to the screen, just as the referee was lifting Tsouris’ arm. Brad Klein groaned they should have both lost and Freya joined the rumble of agreement.

More of the preliminary fights went by, and Freya was glad she’d come. When she asked why a referee was warning a fighter about an elbow, Tate explained the rule against 12 to 6 elbow strikes, which everyone seemed to agree was bullshit. She tried not to ask too many questions. She’d been afraid the action would be too hard to follow but it was pretty easy, even with the boys drowning out the commentators. They all got excited together whenever they saw a technique from class, one of the fights on the main card was an Israeli woman who Vitko had told them to look out for.

Just when Freya was starting to feel really comfortable, a car drove up and three girls joined them. Claire Meadows had driven over with Jennette Lewis the captain of the lacrosse team, and Riley Halstead who was the goalie. Riley had her hair dyed electric blue on one side of her part and hot pink on the other. Claire gave Freya a quick nod when she noticed her. After everyone greeted each other, the room quickly became a roar of chatter with three conversations going on at once. Claire beelined to a spot beside Freya.

“Shove over,” Claire ordered Tate, who was sitting beside Freya. For a second Freya hoped Tate would tell Claire to fuck off. Instead he raised his palms at the group as if to say “are you seeing this?” and scooted over in complete capitulation. A few people chuckled.

Freya wondered why he hadn’t stood up for himself, she was enjoying chatting with him. While the others were mostly just clowning, Tate had a good eye for the technical aspects of the fights. He called out a lot of dirty moves fighters were getting away with before the announcers did, and he was good at predicting how the judges scored each round.

“We’re cousins, I get to give him shit,” Claire explained, noticing Freya’s look. “Did you get in trouble the other day?”

“No, he never said anything. Total softie,” Freya said, remembering Claire had used that term. She got an “I told you so” smile in return. Claire had a very intense focus when she was talking to someone, like she was shutting out everything else.

“What happened?” Tate asked.

“Nothing, hush,” Claire shot back, looking annoyed.

“I had to duck into a bathroom to escape Mr. Farrelli before he could talk me to death,” Freya explained, tilting her head around Claire to talk to Tate. She didn’t like the way Claire was walling him off.

“Oh my GOD, I had him last year he never shuts up,” Riley shot in from the other couch. Suddenly everyone there was echoing in agreement.

Another fight started up on the television and everyone turned back to it. Claire had never seen MMA before, she wasn’t shy about asking questions. Tate mostly filled her in, and Freya was struck by how differently he spoke. He treated Claire like she was a complete idiot for not knowing, and she teased him right back. A few times the others broke out laughing at them. It made her wonder if this was the real Tate and he’d just been nice to Freya because he felt sorry for her.

All the chips had been wiped out, Jennette was poking at a bag that was just salt and pretzel dust.

“Does anyone want to order pizza or something?” she asked.

“Pizza would be incredible. I’m hungry,” Freya answered.

“How is that even possible?” Dan asked. “You ate like an entire cow this morning!”

“Did you just call her a cow?” Claire spun towards Dan.

“I didn’t say that!” Dan protested.

People were turning away from the fight on the TV to watch the one brewing on the sofa. “She ate the biggest steak I’ve ever seen at the diner this morning, that’s all.”

“Oh? So she can’t eat what she wants?”

“I didn’t say that! I was impressed, actually.”

“Eating breakfast is impressive to you?”

“Jesus Claire, lighten up…” Dan trailed, shaking his head, but she kept glaring at him. “…by about thirty pounds!” he finished, mugging at her with an open-mouthed grin.

“Ohhhh shit!” Cameron cried, and Dan had already flipped over the back of the couch to escape, Claire was on her feet and running after him.

“OUTSIDE!” Brad Klein shouted.

Dan darted around the sectional and wrenched the back door open, dashing up the steps and into the yard. Claire was hurtling after him, she nearly had him as he paused at the door, but as soon as he was out in the open she had no hope of ever catching him. It didn’t keep her from trying. Freya and the others could see the two sets of legs running past the windows ringing the basement as the two circled the house. Dan kept slowing down to a trot and letting her almost catch up before he took off again.

“Maybe you could catch me if you weren’t so fat!” they heard him call back through the basement door, and she howled back at him so mad she couldn’t even make words and puffed after him.

“If she ran like that at practice we’d win more games,” Jennette observed, and Riley started cackling. Freya noticed Jennette’s eyes go to Radomir to see if he was laughing, but of course he wasn’t. She winced in sympathy.

“Can you get her to shut up before the neighbors call the police?” Brad Klein asked Jenette. They heard the howl rounding the house again, Claire ran past the open door, her face was almost completely red.

“Sounds like they might call animal control instead,” Tate quipped, and Cameron and Riley roared with laughter, until Dan ran down the steps to join them. He wasn’t even winded, but he looked uneasy.

“She just jumped in her car!” he said. For a moment everyone was looking out the window, afraid she was about to ram the house. But instead they heard her engine roaring, and then it faded away.

“Wait did she just fucking drive off?” Jennette asked, standing on her toes to try and see out the window. “She was our ride. Why do you have to be such an asshole Dan?”

“She started that! She’s been mad at me for like two months, I don’t even know why.”

Freya was about to blurt something out but she was glad she didn’t.

“Maybe she will come back?” Radomir offered.

“She won’t,” Tate said, and Jennette and Riley were both nodding in agreement.

“I can cover her share of the pay per view,” Dan offered.

“I got it, don’t worry,” Brad said, sighing at him. Dan returned an apologetic look.

“That old Gregulous charm,” Cameron teased. “Seriously though, are we getting pizza?”

“I’ll text her I’m sorry, ok?” Dan offered, ignoring Cameron.

“God don’t. You’ll only make things worse. Just give us a ride home later,” Jennette said.

“You live all the way in Fairmont!” Dan complained.

“Next time think before you open your big dumb mouth,” Jennette said.

“Can your car even make it to Fairmont?” Brad Klein asked with a grin.

“I bet he doesn’t have enough gas to get to the end of the block,” Riley chimed in.

“See, this is why I don’t like hanging out with Lacrosse girls, they gang up on you,” Dan said, rolling his eyes at Riley.

“They can gang up on me any time they want,” Cameron offered.

“Ewwww,” both Riley and Jennette said in unison, and Cameron stood up and swept into a deep theatrical bow.

Freya was just sitting there watching it all happen. How did they do it? Everyone seemed to know everyone, they were all so witty. It seemed effortless to them. Except for Radomir and he didn’t have to be funny, he was a genius. But what was she? Freya felt completely superfluous. Worse than that, if she wasn’t here the drama never would have happened. She wondered if she should just go, her hand thrust into her pocket and closed on the Starball.

“Seriously I totally wasn’t calling you a cow, I’m sorry,” Dan said, seeming a little crestfallen. He was doing that thing where someone does something rude and then they overcompensate being too nice to everyone else. She got the idea that this wasn’t the first time Claire had made a scene like this. Probably not the first time Dan had gone too far teasing someone either.

“It’s not a big deal. I don’t know why she was being a bitch on my behalf,” Freya said. “I’ve been running every night, I get really hungry in the morning.”

“Whaaaat?! When did you start running? Are you going to try out for track in the spring? We have a really good crew for cross country this fall.” Words were tumbling out of Dan’s mouth. He had the same sudden gleam of interest that Radomir did when people brought up dance.

“No, I’m just uh. Vitko told to try it. I have insomnia, he said to just keep running until I got tired.”

“Does that work?”

“So far, yeah. He’s pretty smart.”

“I don’t know what he’s doing here, he’s way too good for this town. He could have a whole giant school in New York.”

“I bet he’s spying on Hiidenkirnu for Israel,” Cameron said.

“No dummy his wife works there,” Tate rolled his eyes.

“I bet she’s spying on Hiidenkirnu for Israel,” Cameron amended.

“Nobody is spying for Israel. Except Brad,” Tate said.

“Oh fuck off,” Brad groaned. “I don’t even like it there. My dad is trying to get me to go for Birthright this summer, I want to go back to New Zealand instead.”

“What’s it like there?” Jennette asked.

“It’s so awesome! There are two main islands, the north is full of people and the south is super rugged and beautiful—“ Brad began.

“Pizzapizzapizzapizzzapizza…” Cameron kept repeating it until everyone could no longer ignore him. They gathered cash for pizza, Freya wanted to kick in but they wouldn’t let her because she’d brought stuff.

The prelims ended and they swapped over to pay per view for the main event. The conversation turned into Brad and Jennette talking about New Zealand across Radomir, while Dan and Cameron were trying their hardest to recruit Freya onto the track team. She couldn’t understand why people cared who ran faster than who, but at least they were excited about it. They were both really funny, she wondered why Dan wasn’t in drama this year, but she couldn’t really ask since she wasn’t either.

Finally the fights for the pay per view started, everyone’s excitement ratcheted up. The first fight was the #3 and #5 men’s lightweight contenders. The #2 guy was injured, and whoever won this would get a shot at the title.

This fight was nothing like the ones before. The two men launched themselves at each other from the first moment, darting in and out, weaving and dodging. There were more punches thrown in the first thirty seconds than there had been in the entire heavyweight fight. It was almost difficult to follow the action or tell who was winning, the punches seemed to have no impact.

Freya glanced around the room and saw everyone’s eyes darting at the screen, the television gleaming in their eyes. Radomir was practically transfixed, his jaw dropped as everyone began to roar with excitement. When she looked back to the screen, the fight was over! In the replay she watched the #3 fighter feint a kick and then when the other fighter raised his leg to check it he leapt up and cracked him with a flying knee, knocking him out cold. Doctors were swarming into the ring as #3’s team rushed in cheering. The victor climbed onto the wall of the octagonal cage and raised his fist to the crowd as sweat rained off of him.

“His footwork is so much better than the other fighter. Everything he does comes from his legs,” Radomir said, looking slightly awed.

“He was a kickboxer before he came to MMA,” Tate said. “This is gonna be a good card. First round flying knee knockout!”

The second fight was even better, it was a women’s strawweight fight with Flavia Milavetz, the Israeli fighter Vitko had told them to watch. She was fighting former champion Rita Blazek. This fight had much less striking, Milavetz was primarily a grappler, she threw a few kicks to keep Blazek guessing but she was mostly looking for a way in. All of her takedown attempts in the first round were stuffed, and Blazek made her pay for all of them. Just before the closing bell she caught Milavetz with a left hook that opened up a big cut on her cheekbone.

Midway through the second round she was bleeding so much they called in the doctor. The doctor scrutinized Milavetez for only a few moments before announcing the fight could go on, and between the rounds they were slathering gobs of vaseline on the cut. The fight continued into the third round and Tate was certain she’d lost the first two rounds but told them Blazek needed to watch out, because anything could happen in the third. Blazek was looking tired, Milavetz had wobbled her with an elbow to the temple after a failed takedown attempt.

Almost immediately after the start of the round Milavetz caught an ill-timed kick and drove Blazek back across the cage, as she hopped on one foot trying to stay upright. Finally she collapsed and Milavetz seized her moment, locking her up and getting her back.

There was a moment where the camera was focused on both of their faces, as blood dripped off Milavetz’s face onto the back of Blazek’s head. Blazek had both of her hands trying to wrench free from the arm snaking around her neck, but she didn’t have the strength to stop it. With horrid fascination they all watched Milavetz crank down on her neck, her eyes aflame with fury as Blazek’s were rolling with desperation.

“She should tap. She should tap!” Tate said, his voice cracking with excitement. The referee rushed in to separate them but Blazek was unconscious. For a moment Milavetz was looming over her, her hands clenched into claws, looking like she wanted to finish what she’d started. But then the spell broke, she looked around seeming almost surprised at the lights and noise surrounding her. The referee was moving her back towards her corner. The doctor was in the cage again, and a hush fell over the crowd. Milavetz fell to her knees as they waited to see if Blazek would come around.

“She almost looks like another person,” Dan breathed. There was none of the jubilation from the first fight in Milavetz’s expression. Pale blue eyes peered out from under a mask of blood. Finally Blazek came around, but it was a while before she could get up, and she couldn’t walk out of the cage without assistance.

“Why did they let it go on that long?” Jennette asked, she sounded a little shaken.

“The ref was right there, it wasn’t his fault. Blazek should have tapped,” Tate said. “They’re never the same after they get knocked out like that.”

They all stared at the screen, the camera kept focusing on Milavetz’ haunted expression. The announcers were talking about the fight in a subdued, almost somber tone.

Freya looked around the room, fascinated by how people were taking it. Tate’s face was tight with sadness, he had been rooting for Blazek. Dan and Cameron both looked a bit shaken, for once they weren’t joking. Jennette and Riley both had queasy expressions. Only Radomir seemed fully awake, he watched the screen with wide-open eyes, electrified by the brush with death. He caught her eye for a moment and glanced away, looking a little like he’d been caught.

Thirty years of darkness.