CHAPTER 5

Alex tried to sneak through to his room but his mum was waiting.

“Where’ve you been?” asked Sharon Jackson.

“Walking home from school,” said Alex.

She looked at her watch. “For an hour and a half?”

“I stopped at the skatebowl.”

“But you don’t have a skateboard.”

“I watch.”

There was a pause. “I heard the game didn’t go so well.”

Alex could see his sister, Sam, in the background, pretending to watch TV. Alex tried to project a laser beam from his eyes and stun her; instead she looked pleased with herself. Sam told their mum everything about his life — like how Sarah said he looked like that bloke from Home and Away, even though he didn’t. Alex couldn’t wait till high school when he would be out of Sam’s gossip range.

“So are you upset?” said Sharon.

“I’m over it,” said Alex.

After downing a couple of slabs of banana cake, Alex got ready for training. He threw some bandages (to wrap up his knuckles), boxing gloves and his mouthguard into the car. He also brought his science book and saw that next week’s test was on anatomy. He asked Chief the anatomical name for the jaw-bone.

“That’s the mandible,” said Chief. “I’ve had mine broken three times.”

Training was tough, like always. Alex spent time on the heavy bag, speedball, jump-rope, and in the ring with Chief. Once when he let his guard down for a second, Chief popped him in the head with the boxing mitt.

“Hands high!” yelled Chief.

A minute later he hit Alex in the gut. “Elbows in!”

Then just as Alex was getting stuffed, “Fifty!” yelled Chief — meaning 50 punches into the mitt, as hard as Alex could hit.

The session ended with stomach exercises. The guys hated them. It’s hard to be happy when your abdominal muscles are on fire. The last exercise of the night was a competition. Everybody lay in a circle and held their straight legs in the air as long as they could. Minutes passed, stomachs shook and boxers quit with a whimper. All except Chief.

“I guess we can’t stay here all night,” he said, his voice — like his stomach — not even straining.

On the way home Chief stopped at the NightOwl, coming out with a couple of milks. They sat in the car, drinking. “You think you’re ready for this fight?” said Chief.

“Yeah,” Alex said. He was only half-listening — Casey’s rad skate tricks had been running through his mind all night.

“You’re not,” said Chief.

Alex snapped out of it.

“Your first fight is one of the toughest things you’ll ever do. And it’s in two weeks. If I don’t think you’re ready, I’m not letting you fight. You gotta work your behind off, show me that you want it.”

Alex looked Chief in the eye. “I want it.”