Twisted Ties

Untitled Episode

Mel drops our orders on the table, which I'm grateful for because I will not be dealing with Stella without sugar and Nate being well Nate.

Stella took a long sip of her milkshake, followed by a giggle and a happy dance. “That's better” I chuckled and waved at Nate as he walked in.

“Kaiiiii!” he goes,

“Naaate” I responded with my fist ready for our handshake.

He settles down, turning to Stella, sticking with her antics to act like she doesn't exist; maybe he'll catch the memo.

“Cochrane, a fine weather it is, innit?” Of course, he didn’t get the memo; she sighed, turning to him in mock surprise, “Didn't see you there, Derek,” she replied, referring him to the teen wolf character he hates when it is done.

“Well, you're as sweet as ever, freckles,” he mutters sarcastically, getting a glare from her. “And you're as quiet as ever, don't call me that”, She retorts w,ith clenched teeth.

“Guys‌, let's not do this today,” I plead, amused. They roll their eyes, giving each other their best playful glares before resuming whatever they are doing. Stella takes a frustrated bite into the doughnut while Nate orders a Fit Pro meal.

I don't even know when I became the mediator in this wannabe rivalry they have going on. Initially, Stella saw Nate as a threat in her relationship with me, which I'm relieved is past tense. Now, I feel they enjoy these theatrics a little too much, and if I’m being sincere,it is comedic to watch them go, until they cross the line.

“How are the kids at the dojo?” I asked Nate, taking a bite of my cheesecake. “They're getting better, the power of consistency…. unlike someone.” he gives me a pointed look.

The dojo is where Nate and I crossed paths for the first time in my sophomore year. We got closer and now he is trying to steal Stella's milkshake, though he's on a diet.

“She hasn’t been coming because she is now a workaholic at twenty-one”, Stella defends me as she swats Nate's hands away from her milkshake.

“There has been an increase in emergency cases. It keeps her busy, and you know this lady over here,” she motioned her head towards me, “Rather lose sleep and meals than not be in that scenario”. I chuckled at that. “Besides, she has a macho man to manage and he for one has been having a lot more contracts than we saw coming,” she says referring to his recent success streak in the recent fights he fought in the underground ring.

I started managing Nate’s fights a year ago, a few months after enrolling in the dojo. He wasn't being subtle about his injuries alongside his lame excuses of “being clumsy” or a child “manhandling him”. They seem to work out though. His parents have no suspicions.

It's never easy to convince Nate to do anything that will put people he cares about in danger that he can’t control, and it confuses me because he's akin to danger.

So me being me, I had to give him a logical explanation and reasons that having me as one would be beneficial; he gets free medical services, and since I have one or two knowledge about contracts and management because of the perfume store, my family ran before we moved. He was so stubborn to see my reasons, forcing me to bring the big gun – blackmail, and here I was, Nate’s manager.

My interest in the underground ring initially surprised Stella and Nate. I told them it was thrilling, and knowing that something else goes on in New York City apart from nightlife, concerts, and NYC at large added the needed spice to my life.

But I had personal reasons and a gut feeling that it wasn’t a coincidence.

“Speaking of fights”, Nate clears his throat. “I think I have a fight scheduled for today dear manager,” he mumbles.

“Nate, you don't have any fights today; your next fight is next week with Bronze”, I scrunch my face in subtle confusion, “yeah, you're right, but…” he trailed off, scratching his head and avoiding eye contact, this motherfucker.

“What did you do?” Stella asks, glaring at him; I'm already doing that, waiting for an explanation. "Jesus Christ," Nate tries to calm us down, "I got a call from the arena management informing me that the fighter couldn't make it and asked if I want to take their spot," he explains.

“And you agreed without letting me know?”, I’m slightly annoyed. He slumps into his seat. “I'm sorry, I just got excited,” he admits.

“Who are you up against?”, I questioned, suspecting his excitement, and from the way he sat upright to answer me with the accompanying beam in his eyes, I suppose I am correct.

“ Wang,” he answers.

“Wang? Like Wang Wang? Like the ‘I’ll smash your head to the floor and rip your skin Wang?’ Stell; seeings on, her eyes widening ,in surprise and concern.

“Worried about me freckles?”, Nate asks smugly. She scoffs, ignoring him.

I roll my eyes mentally.

“She has a point though,” I state. “I know you've always wanted to fight Wang, but that doesn't mean you should rush into this if you aren’t ready”.

“Do you think I'm not ready?” he asks me, knowing fully well he is asking both of us“I've always seen you as ready,Nate, but it's the underground. Things don't always go as planned. No rules.” Stella nods her head agreeing with me “I need to know you’re certain about this”.

“I am ready. I've been practising, Kai”, he says with a determined look. “If I lose, it just means I haven't been doing enough”, he shrugs nonchalantly, earning a glare from Stella. “Yeah, accompanied with some nasty injuries, and maybe this time a brain seizure”, she snaps.

Nate looks at me, his thumbs pointed in her direction. “Why did you have to let her know about all this?” I chuckle, saying nothing while Stella rises from her seat and gives him a smack on his head. “Because she's not a sneaky little asshole,” earning mumbled a string of curses from Nate.

They continued their cursing charade for a while. I watched them in silence, wondering how I was stuck with these two.

“Alright, Chen, we’ll meet you by ten-thirty,” I say using his stage name “We” I directed towards Stella and I “have projects to get 75% done before then”.

He beams “Alright K. See you later, freckles” he ruffles Stella’s hair and this time I know the glare is sincere.

“Remind me why you fight underground with such a cherry character,” I ask, amusement in my tone. “Adrenaline,” he replies as he shrugs, leaving with a smile. That has always been his reply to that question.

I chuckled, shaking my head as Stella scoffed and mumbled “Jerk” as she sipped the last bit of her milkshake, and we finished up to leave.

“Yeah, you don't mean that,” I snort.