Chapter 5 Boxing
“Name?” the operator asked. Lincoln gave the operator her name. “Kaia Bennett. K-A-I-A.”
“Hold on, let me check the records,” the voice on the line said.
A minute later, the operator’s voice came back, tripping over itself. “Uh, sir, you’re way off. Kaia hasn’t broken any laws, and she sure as hell didn’t bust out of jail!
“Pull this again, and we’ll hit you with a fine for wasting our time.”
Click. The line went dead.
Lincoln stood there, dumbfounded. Ruth, right next to him, had heard every word crystal clear.
Kaia, cool as ever, started for the stairs. “If that’s it, I’m out.”
Ruth watched her daughter’s solitary figure, a twinge of guilt softening her scowl.
Kaia was her kid, her own flesh and blood. No matter how much she messed up, that bond wasn’t going anywhere.
“Kaia, sweetie, I’m sorry,” Ruth said, her voice softer than usual. “I shouldn’t have jumped down your throat.”
Kaia paused mid-step, a sting hitting her chest. She turned, locking eyes with her mom.
Lincoln let out a heavy sigh. “Look, kiddo, I was just freaked out, thinking you’d gotten into some serious trouble. I screwed up. Sorry.”
Kaia’s brows knit together. “You don’t need to make a big deal out of it.”
The living room went quiet, the air thick with tension. Kaia broke the silence first. “I’m hitting the sack.”
“Hang on,” Ruth called. “What went down that day? Why’d a swarm of cops show up and drag you off?”
“I already told you, Mom. It’s classified. I can’t spill now, but I’ll fill you in when I can.”
Ruth’s patience evaporated, her eyes burning with frustration and disappointment.
She didn’t want to keep butting heads, so she pivoted. “Your teacher called this morning. Said if you keep ditching class, you’re out of that school.”
“I’ll deal with it,” Kaia said with a shrug, like it was no sweat.
She knew she could pull a few strings to smooth things over.
Ruth’s temper flared. “Deal with it? How? You’re not running the place, Kaia! You’re twenty!
“If you hadn’t skipped so much school—or taken that whole year off—you wouldn’t still be stuck in high school.
“Look at Andrea. Same birthday as you, and she’s killing it as a sophomore at Morganburg University. Two years ahead!
“If you keep slacking, you think you’re getting into college? You’ll end up at some rinky-dink school people laugh at!”
Kaia had tried explaining why she took that year off before, but her parents never bought it.
They’d ripped into her, saying she was spinning tall tales. So now? She didn’t bother. Believe what they wanted.
“Don’t stress,” Kaia said, her voice steady. “I’m not gonna be a joke, and I’m not going to some shady college. I’m shooting for Morganburg University.”
Ruth’s jaw hit the floor. “Morganburg University? You’re kidding, right?”
Kaia gave a small, confident nod. “Nope.”
“That’s the best school in the city! Only the cream of the crop gets in. Andrea practically lived in her textbooks to make it, studying 24/7.
“You, with all your absences and two years behind? You really think you’ve got a shot?”
“I’m pretty sure I can nail the city’s top exam score,” Kaia said, not a hint of doubt in her voice.
Ruth nearly choked on her own breath. By the time she pulled herself together, Kaia was already in her room.
Wiped out from two days of hardcore research, Kaia was about to hop in the shower when her phone lit up with a video call from a buddy.
A good-looking guy popped up on the screen, grinning wide.
“Yo, Queen K!” he said. “Big news. King T’s throwing down the gauntlet. Wants to face off with you in a mess match. Winner takes all.”
Kaia’s eyes lit up. “King T? No way, for real?”
“Cross my heart.”
“Count me in.”
“Hell yeah!” Owen Webb was practically vibrating with excitement. “Queen K versus King T? That’s like the World Series of Chess! The whole scene’s gonna lose their minds. I’m so pumped! I’ll tell him you’re down.”
“Sweet,” Kaia said with a nod.
Call done, she took a quick, steaming shower and crawled into bed, ready to crash hard.
*****
At six a.m. sharp, Kaia threw on her workout clothes and headed out the door.
It’d been forever since her last morning session, and today, she was pumped to hit the park for some boxing practice.
When she rolled up, she saw an old guy in a tracksuit throwing punches, surrounded by a bunch of other old-timers cheering like it was a prizefight.
“Way to go, Mr. Crawford! You’re crushing it!”
“That kick? Total knockout!”
The crew was hyping him up, tossing out praise like confetti.
Kaia’s eyes narrowed. She couldn’t hold back. “His punch was weak, and that strike? Totally off.”
She’d spent her childhood training with her master on a mountain, drilling punches daily, so spotting slip-ups was like breathing to her.
Her words turned every head in the crowd. When they clocked her young face, those crinkly old eyes flashed with suspicion.
“Hey, kid, what’s a youngster like you know about boxing?”
“Talking smack when you don’t know jack!”
“Come on, Collin’s been throwing punches for years. You think you’re tougher than him?”
Kaia stayed cool as ice. “I’m just keeping it real. His form was messy.”
That lit a fire under Martin Olsen, the group’s hothead, who worshipped Collin. “Oh, you’re getting bold now, huh? Keep yapping, kid!
“Beat it! Get lost, or I’ll—”
“Easy, man,” Collin cut in, weaving through the crowd with a chill grin.
He stopped in front of Kaia, all friendly-like. “So, kid, sounds like you’ve got some skills. You box?”
“Yep,” Kaia said, giving a quick nod.
Collin eyed her up and down, his sharp old gaze hunting for any sign she was bluffing. He came up empty. “You’re pretty young. When’d you start?”
Kaia thought for a second. “Around three, I guess.”
“Pfft— You hear that? Three? Oh, man, that’s a riot!” Martin was howling, and the others joined in, laughing so hard they nearly toppled over. “I’ve seen some wild stories, but this kid’s spinning a yarn like nobody’s business!”
Kaia stood her ground, not even blinking, her face a blank slate.
Collin scratched his beard, squinting like he was mulling it over. After a pause, he said, “Alright, kid. You say my punch and strike were off. Care to show me how it’s done?”
Kaia checked her watch. School didn’t start till seven-thirty, so she had a minute. “I’ve got class soon, so I’ll do it once. Pay attention.”
Martin scoffed. “Big words for a kid! Acting like she’s the next champ. If she nails this, I’ll shave my head and do a freaking handstand—”
Before he could finish, the next second froze everyone in their tracks, jaws dropping like they’d seen a ghost.
