Fighting For More

The Injury

Chapter Eleven

She stood before the mirror, wrapping her hands. Over the past few weeks, she had learned to control her anger, study her opponents, and stop rushing into fights. For the first time, she believed she had a real chance against Kiara Bennett.

However, there was something else occupying her thought.

Since their argument over the photograph, their friendship had slowly begun to recover. They exchanged messages occasionally and teased each other during training, but things weren't completely back to normal.

Sandra missed their conversations, his ridiculous jokes, and the way he could tell when something was bothering her.

Unfortunately, Maya had noticed.

"You're doing it again," Maya said, appearing beside her.

Sandra looked up. "Doing what?"

"Looking at Best."

"I wasn't looking at him."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "You were studying the wall behind him."

Sandra laughed. "Can you please mind your business?"

"My business is making sure my best friend doesn't become emotionally confused before the biggest competition of her life."

"I'm not emotionally confused."

"Then why are you smiling?"

Sandra immediately stopped.

Maya burst out laughing.

"You're impossible," Sandra muttered.

"And you're in trouble."

Sandra shook her head, but she couldn't stop herself from glancing toward Best again.

He was working with Daniel on defensive movements. When he noticed her looking, he gave her a small smile.

She returned it before quickly turning away.

Maya nudged her.

"Interesting."

"Say one more word, and I'll stop being your friend."

"You won't. You need me."

Sandra laughed despite herself.

Then Coach Michael called her name.

"Sandra! Let's get started."

She grabbed her gloves and approached the training area, determined to concentrate.

She had no idea the afternoon would become one of the most difficult moments of her boxing journey.

Coach Michael began with footwork exercises.

"Remember, Sandra, balance comes before speed," he explained. "You can't attack effectively if you lose control of your movement."

"I understand, Coach."

"Good. Show me."

Sandra moved around the training area, practising changes of direction and defensive movements. At first, everything went well.

However, when Coach increased the pace, she began pushing herself harder than necessary.

She wanted to prove she was ready for the championship. She wanted Coach to believe in her improvement and silence anyone who still doubted her abilities.

During a quick change of direction, she landed awkwardly.

Pain shot through her ankle.

She immediately grabbed the ropes beside the ring.

"Sandra?" Coach hurried toward her. "What happened?"

"My ankle. I think I twisted it."

"Sit down. Don't put weight on it."

"I'm fine, Coach. I can continue."

"No."

"But the championship is approaching!"

"And your health is more important than one training session."

Sandra reluctantly sat on the bench.

Coach arranged for her to receive medical attention and instructed her not to return to boxing until she had been assessed and cleared to train.

Maya hurried over.

"How are you feeling?"

"Frustrated."

"That wasn't the question."

"My ankle hurts, Maya."

"Then let Coach help you. Don't make it worse trying to prove you're invincible."

Sandra looked toward the ring.

"What if I can't compete?"

Maya sat beside her.

"Let's find out what's happening first. You don't even know how serious it is yet."

Sandra nodded, but fear had already begun creeping into her thoughts.

She had worked too hard to lose her chance now.

Best noticed the commotion and hurried over.

When he saw Sandra sitting on the bench, his expression changed.

"What happened?"

"I twisted my ankle."

"Have you seen a doctor?"

"Coach is arranging it."

"Good."

He pulled a chair closer and sat beside her.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then he asked, "Does it hurt badly?"

"Enough to ruin my afternoon."

He smiled faintly. "Still trying to make everything sound less serious than it is?"

Sandra glanced at him.

"Still acting like you know everything?"

"Only when I'm right."

She laughed.

The familiar teasing reminded her of their earlier training sessions, when they argued over boxing techniques and challenged each other to improve.

She missed those days.

Then she looked down at her ankle.

"What if I can't compete?" she asked quietly.

Best's expression became serious.

"Let's wait until you know what the doctor says."

"But the championship is so close."

"I know."

"What if all my training becomes meaningless?"

Best leaned forward.

"Sandra, everything you've learned is still yours. An injury doesn't erase your progress."

She shook her head.

"You make it sound easy."

"I'm not saying it's easy. I'm saying you shouldn't decide your future while you're frightened."

His words made her look at him differently.

For weeks, Sandra had believed that being strong meant hiding her fears. She had tried to handle everything alone, convinced that asking for support would make her appear weak.

Yet Best was sitting beside her without expecting her to prove anything.

She hesitated before asking, "Why do you still care?"

He frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"After everything that happened between us. I accused you of hiding something from me. I didn't trust you."

Best looked away briefly.

"Because being upset with someone doesn't mean you automatically stop caring about them."

Sandra felt a lump form in her throat.

"I'm sorry, Best."

He turned toward her.

"I know."

"No, I really am. I allowed those rumours to make me doubt you. You were helping me, and I treated you like you were against me."

"It hurt," he admitted. "I thought you knew me better than that."

"I should have."

She took a breath.

"I can't change what happened, but I don't want to keep making the same mistakes with you."

Best studied her face.

"Then talk to me when something bothers you. Don't assume the worst before you know the truth."

"I promise I'll try."

He smiled.

"And for the record, you're still the most stubborn person I've ever met."

Sandra stared at him.

"That was supposed to be a nice moment!"

"It was. I was being honest."

She laughed, and he joined her.

For the first time in days, the tension between them began to disappear.

Their friendship wasn't completely repaired, but they were finally moving forward.

That evening, Sandra returned home after receiving medical attention.

The injury wasn't as serious as she had feared, but she needed rest and proper recovery before returning to boxing.

She sat on her bed, staring at her gloves.

They represented everything she had worked toward: discipline, confidence, and the dream of finally defeating Kiara.

Now, she wondered whether she would get the chance to use everything she had learned.

Her phone vibrated.

Best: How are you feeling?

Sandra: Better, but frustrated.

Best: Are you resting?

Sandra: Yes, Coach Michael.

Best: Very funny. I'm serious, Sandra.

She smiled.

Sandra: I'm following the doctor's advice.

Best: Good. I don't want you making things worse because you're desperate to prove something.

Sandra stared at the screen.

Sandra: What if I don't recover in time?

Best: Then you'll deal with that when you know for sure. Don't give up before you know what's possible.

She read the message twice.

Sandra: Thanks for checking on me.

Best: You don't have to thank me.

Sandra hesitated before typing another message.

Sandra: I missed talking to you like this.

She waited, wondering whether she had said too much.

Eventually, his reply arrived.

Best: I missed it too.

A smile spread across her face.

Sandra: Can we start again? I don't mean pretending nothing happened. I mean rebuilding our friendship.

Best: I'd like that.

Sandra felt a quiet happiness spread through her.

Their friendship still needed work, but at least they were both willing to try.

Another message appeared.

Best: And Sandra?

Sandra: Yes?

Best: You don't have to be strong every second of every day.

She stared at those words.

She had spent so much time trying to prove her strength that she had forgotten she was allowed to feel uncertain.

Sandra: I think I'm still learning that.

Best: Then keep learning. One step at a time.

Sandra placed her phone beside her pillow.

For the first time since the injury, she felt a little less afraid.

The following afternoon, Sandra returned to the gym to watch training.

She followed her recovery instructions and resisted the temptation to test her ankle.

Watching everyone practise was harder than she expected. Kiara was moving confidently around the ring, working with another boxer.

Sandra watched carefully, studying her rival's movements.

"You're watching Kiara again," Best said.

Sandra looked up.

"She's my opponent. I'm allowed to study her."

"Of course. I was checking whether you planned to challenge her from that bench."

Sandra laughed.

"My ankle would appreciate the break."

"Your ankle would appreciate you listening to your doctor."

She gave him a playful glare.

"You're becoming just like Coach."

"Someone has to stop you from making terrible decisions."

He sat beside her, and together they watched the training session.

After a while, Sandra spoke quietly.

"Best, do you honestly think I can beat Kiara?"

He considered his answer.

"I think you've improved a lot. You're more disciplined, and you understand your mistakes better than before."

"That's not an answer."

He smiled.

"Yes, Sandra. I think you have a chance. But you need to recover properly first."

She nodded.

"I don't want to disappoint everyone."

"Who told you that you have to win to make everyone proud?"

Sandra fell silent.

Best continued.

"You've worked hard. That matters. Don't risk your health just to prove something to people who don't understand what you're going through."

She looked at him.

"You always know what to say."

"Not always."

"When was the last time you didn't know what to say?"

He pretended to think.

"When you accused me of being involved in that photograph."

Sandra's smile faded.

"That's fair."

He looked at her.

"But we're trying again, remember?"

She nodded.

"Right."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither looked away.

Sandra felt her heart beating a little faster. There was something comforting about being beside him, something she couldn't quite explain.

She wasn't ready to name her feelings, and she wasn't sure whether Best felt the same way.

But she didn't want to lose what they were rebuilding.

Best stood and offered his hand.

"Come on. I'll walk you to the entrance."

"I can walk by myself."

"I know."

"Then why are you offering?"

He smiled.

"Because I want to."

Sandra accepted his help and rose carefully, avoiding unnecessary strain on her ankle.

As they walked toward the entrance, their shoulders brushed lightly.

Neither moved away immediately.

"Thank you for being here," Sandra said.

Best returned her gaze.

"You don't have to face everything alone."

She smiled.

At the entrance, he stopped.

"Promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't measure your worth by whether you win the championship."

Sandra thought about his words.

"I'll try."

"Good enough for now."

She smiled.

"And you promise me something too."

"What's that?"

"If I start being stubborn again, remind me to listen."

Best laughed.

"That's going to be a full-time job."

"Best!"

"Fine. I promise."

They laughed together.

Sandra watched him return to the gym before heading home.

Her ankle still needed time to recover. The championship remained uncertain, and Kiara was waiting for their next encounter.

But Sandra had learned something important.

Strength wasn't simply about pushing through every difficulty or refusing to accept defeat. Sometimes, strength meant resting when necessary, admitting when you were afraid, and allowing someone to stand beside you.

She wasn't sure what the future held for her and Best.

She only knew she wanted to give their friendship another chance.

Perhaps, when the time was right, she would find the courage to understand what her heart was trying to tell her.

For now, she had to focus on recovering, rebuilding her confidence, and preparing for whatever came next.

The fight wasn't over.

She simply had another challenge to face before stepping into the ring.

To be continued in Chapter Twelve: Don't Give Up.