Chapter 16

Nia’s POV

“What the fuck, Jasmine?” I shouted. My voice was so loud that it literally shook the training hall. “How could you even think of something like that?!” 

Jasmine smirked. She flipped her hair to the back like she was a superstar. “Relax, Nia. You’re so loud. Everyone is watching you.” 

At this point Jasmine had gone too far. Damn too far. I did not even care if the coach walked in now and kicked me out of the training ground. My chest was just boiling with anger and I didn’t like it at all. 

I hadn’t even planned this. I swear, when I came to practice today, I had no plan of talking to Jasmine, not even a word. I just wanted to train, do my thing, go home. But the moment I saw her laughing, smiling, looking like the perfect little princess of the pack while she was out here ruining Selena’s life? I lost it.

But still, I tried. I swear I tried to keep my cool. I avoided her the whole time. Looked the other way. Tied my shoelaces longer than needed just to not look at her face.

Then the coach had to go and ruin it.

“Nia, Jasmine. Pair up.”

I almost cursed out loud. Pair up? With her? Out of everyone here?

But I still nodded my head and got up to do it. Because in the training ground, rules were rules. I just told myself that maybe if I acted like she was not there, it would be just fine. 

But Jasmine was not going to let me breathe. Not even for a second.

“You hit like a child,” she whispered while we locked arms. “No wonder you’re always hiding behind Selena.”

I bit my tongue. I told myself not to answer. If I answered, it would get ugly.

She smirked again. “Oh, look at you. Silent treatment. Cute. You and Selena really do share the same weak DNA.”

My hands twitched. I still said nothing.

Then the coach excused himself. Said he was going to get water. Just a few seconds. Just a short break.

That was all Jasmine needed.

“Maybe you should help Selena learn how to be tough,” she said it in a very loud voice. Like she was making sure that everybody in the training hall heard her very loud and clear. “If she was not so weak, maybe her parents would still be alive.” 

I froze.

That statement rang a heavy bell inside my head. I just knew I could not take it anymore. 

My whole body became tensed. It went hot and cold, at the exact same time. 

She did not just—

“You bitch!” I screamed, my voice breaking. “Selena’s parents’ death has nothing to do with her!”

Jasmine’s smirk turned into a grin. She knew she had me. And I didn’t even care.

“You really want to fight me?” she teased, her eyes flashing with that dangerous wolf shine. “In here? With everyone watching?”

I didn’t think. I just lunged.

The room became very noisy. 

Everyone was shouting and cheering all of a sudden. 

We started fighting. Throwing punches and kicking each other aggressively. Our sneakers were making a lot of squeaky noises on the floor. My heart was beating so loudly in my chest. I was suprised that I was still standing up to this point, because Jasmine was the strongest female in the pack. 

But I knew. I knew that it was my anger that was giving me so much power to fight her. The kind of strength that I did not even know that I had. I swung my hands, I pushed her, I scratched her hands too. I was just doing anything to make her feel the pain that she had put in my chest. 

But Jasmine… Jasmine was a monster.

She caught my wrist mid punch, twisted it so fast I yelped, and shoved me back. I stumbled but didn’t fall. I came at her again, throwing a punch straight at her jaw. She ducked like it was nothing and laughed in my ear.

“Too slow.”

I gritted my teeth and swung again. And again. And again.

But every time, she was just a step ahead.

Around us, her friends on the bench were already recording with their phones. Their flashlights hit my eyes as they mocked me.

“Go, Jasmine!” one of them yelled.

“Finish her already!” another laughed.

“Nia, you’re embarrassing yourself!”

I could barely hear them. My blood was rushing too loud in my ears.

I was fighting for Selena. For my best friend. For the words Jasmine should never have said.

But deep down, I knew.

I wasn’t strong enough.

Jasmine shoved me hard against the wall. My back slammed into it and pain shot through me, but I didn’t stop. I punched again, finally grazing her cheek.

For a second, I felt proud. For a second, I thought I was getting somewhere.

Then she laughed.

“You really thought you had me?”

She came at me with full force. Her fist grazed my shoulder, her knee knocked my stomach, and I staggered back. I tried to regain balance, swung with all my might—

And missed.

My fist cut through the air, nothing but air, and then—

BAM.

I fell and hit the very hard floor. My body crashed against the floor, so hard that I thought my bones were going to crack. But instead of my bones, I felt the pain in my ankle as it twisted in a very brutal way. 

It was like my whole life was now in slow motion. I wanted to fight for Selena so bad, and now I had lost, even to the point of twisting my ankle. 

“Ahhh!” I screamed, clutching my leg.

The whole room froze for half a second. Even Jasmine stood over me, smirking but with that cold satisfaction in her eyes.

And her friends? They didn’t stop filming. If anything, they zoomed in.

And as if Jasmine had not done enough to me yet. 

Sha sat down over my body, and she started punching me over and over again. She punched me on my face several times. 

Nobody tried to stop her. All I could see was the way their flashes were hitting my face as I lay there. The pain was burning in my ankle, and my pride was torn into pieces. 

I raised up my hand to push her off, but I was too weak. 

And I just laid there. 

Maybe this was how I ended.