AMELIA

It's the D-Day, the Monday fight night, and Cameron's debut fight. He looks so excited and restless like there's a current inside of him zapping him. I, on the other hand, am happy for him but I must say, scared; this is the first time I will see him fight, legally, clearly.

I stand by Cam's side in the locker room as he readies himself for the fight. I watch as he outfits himself in black compression shorts, accentuating his muscular physique. He meticulously wraps his hands and dons for the first time a white shirt over his torso, slipping into lightweight shoes.
While I sit on the bench, observing him warming up, I can discern the focus in his eyes, ascertaining he is ready to step into the arena and confront whatever challenges lay ahead. But despite his claims of not being nervous when I asked him, I can tell by the way he repeatedly rubs his covered palms against his knees as the time draws nearer, that he is feeling the pressure. So, I hold him for some time on the bench and we have a funny conversation, wishing it was Jake and him that will be in the octagon so he can break the jerk's nose for me.

When it is time, the music starts playing, coming from the hallways and drowning the commentary and noises from outside our door. In my guess, Rodriguez is already there waiting for Cam. The crew comes in for Cam and he gets ready into his long trousers, fight gloves, and a white hoodie.

"You set?" I ask him and he nods.

I will be watching the fight with my friends, so I hug him and we kiss before I leave him with his crew to get ready for his appearance.

Isaac, Yolanda, Malia, and all of Cam's friends are seated in my row. Malia hugs me when I join them. The arena is just like the one I've seen on TV, packed with crowds. It's beautiful.

This is so real.

It's remarkable how much the locals enjoy this type of event. Despite Cam's opponent, Rodriguez, being a professional with a large following of over a million on his IG, it's heartwarming to see students from our school rally behind Cam as well.

My eyes find the man Cam will fight, for as I guessed, he has already walked into the octagon. His body is not that of a normal man. He's 32 years old, with great experience. My nerves are all over the place.

"Rodriguez has a reputation for finishing his opponents early. With an impressive record of knockout victories, he's proven time and again that he's a force to be reckoned with in the octagon. Tonight, he faces Cameron, but he's confident in his abilities and ready to put on a show for the fans," the commentator says.

"What do you think, Layton?" I look over to the boys.

"The dude is big," Layton remarks and reaches, squeezing my hand for assurance. "Cameron is a force. He will be fine."

"Yeah," Garrett says and the arena lights dim, signaling the imminent arrival of Cameron. The pulsating beat of his entrance music fills the air, adding to the electrifying atmosphere. Suddenly, a spotlight illuminates the entrance ramp, and Cameron emerges, his focused gaze fixed ahead at the cameras aimed at him as he strides purposefully toward the Octagon. We all jump, roaring his name. It is crazy, it is amazing. I've never been more proud of anything in my life. The crowd's excitement mounts and chants echo throughout the arena, like he is already famous. It is all the kids who bought tickets as the fraternities and sororities from school had campaigned for weeks.

Alongside Cam, there's his crew, and when he reaches the octagon, he takes off his clothes, standing only in shorts and hand gloves, he takes a sip of water from a bottle handed to him, his shoulders rising and falling, and he puts on his mouthguard, listening to his cornermen as he gets medically checked by a man in front of him.

"Entering the Octagon now, we have Cameron, a rising star. At just 20 years old, standing at an impressive 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing in at 170 lbs with a reach of 76 inches, he's making his debut appearance tonight. With a record of 0 wins and 0 losses so far, all eyes are on Cameron as he steps into the spotlight for his very first fight. We are expected to see his lightning-fast strikes and unyielding aggression," says the commentator.

Cam's jaw sharpens, his predatory glare darting at Rodriguez, it's right on every jumbotron in the arena. He keeps nodding at whatever his crew is saying in his ear before he steps into the Octagon.

"The moment of truth," Isaac jokes, holding my hand, as I watch in anticipation, my heart pounding in my chest. Cam touches the gloves with Rodriguez and they both step back to their corners until the referee signals for the start.

"And here we go, folks! Round one is underway!" the commentary exclaims.

As the fight begins, the hair on my body raises, but Cam's quickness and agility stand out immediately. He smoothly dodges Rodriguez's initial strikes with ease, moving around his opponent effortlessly.

I hold my breath as Cam moves in, circling Rodriguez, looking for an opening. With sudden speed, he launches a series of strikes, landing each one accurately. Rodriguez struggles to keep up, unable to defend himself against Cam's relentless attacks. Not once does he land a blow on Cam. It's unbelievable.

"OH MY GOD!" I muttered in shock as the crowd chanted. I have no more disagreement but to trust that he is really good.

Every time, Cam avoids Rodriguez's counterattacks effortlessly, moving with precision without breaking a sweat, it is like he isn't fighting a professional, a man who has a record of knocking out skilled fighters.

With a quick distraction, he tricks Rodriguez into leaving himself open. In a flash, Cam strikes, his punch to the head hitting hard. The impact is brutal, sending Rodriguez stumbling backward. Cam doesn't let up, he continues to land additional blows to Rodriguez's bleeding face. Then he propels forward, feet kicking with explosive force.

I gasped.

Rodriguez's head snaps back, his body momentarily suspended before crashing down.

"Rodriguez is out cold." "That was a knockout punch if I've ever seen one," the commentary yells enthusiastically.

For a brief moment, there is silence as the crowd collectively holds its breath, stunned by the ferocity of the knockout. Then, chaos erupts as cheers break out. The arena turns into dim blue.

"Indeed, a flawless performance from Cam tonight. He's certainly made a statement with that knockout win," Another commentator says.

Every move Cam makes as he gasps in shock syncs with the music in the speakers. It is hypnotic, and I am stuck in a trance where the loud arena feels utterly calm-a total silence.

Everything he does in the octagon seems to be in slow motion, which doesn't actually make sense. He lifts his arms in triumph and begins to pace around. A wide smile lights up his handsome face, and he spins back with open arms, pointing over to me, and blowing me an air kiss. I am struck by bliss and pride until he is surrounded by the crowd of his crew and his figure disappears, and I begin to notice the deafening roaring that is the cheers celebrating him again.

"No way he did that in two minutes." Isaac has frozen, with his hands over his mouth in astonishment and admiration.

Malia excitedly hugs my awestruck figure as the commentary continues along with the vibrating music, honoring the end of the fight.

"And would you believe it, folks? Cameron did it all in less than one round! What a debut performance!"

"Incredible! Cameron has shown us tonight why he's a force to be reckoned with in this division. That knockout was simply breathtaking."

"Absolutely, his speed, his technique, it's all top-notch. Cameron is definitely one to watch."

Cam has his shirt back on in the octagon, and Rodriguez is up on his feet too, both standing next to the referee, who's holding their hands, and Cam's is lifted.

"No doubt about it. This is just the beginning for Cameron, and if tonight is any indication, he's destined for greatness in this sport," the commentary concludes.

All the while, my chest rises and falls, even though I'm not the one who knocked someone out.