lips. ‘Come on.’
‘Have you seen the muscles on these guys? And these outfits, man, they must be gay.’
In the third round, Viper got Wolf pinned for a count. He sprang up, beating his chest in victory. Wolf took it badly and broke a chair over Viper’s head on the way out. Everyone roared.
V was up next on the card. Billy went to get beers before she appeared.
Cal threw Martha a concerned look. ‘You OK about tomorrow?’
‘I’m fine.’
‘Should you be drinking?’
‘I said I’m fine.’
Cal looked at her. ‘You’re taking the day off, right? You’re not going into work afterwards.’
Martha didn’t answer.
‘That’s nuts.’
‘It won’t be a problem. Last time I felt fine after a couple of hours.’
‘If you just tell them, I’m sure they’ll understand.’
Martha sat upright. ‘I’m not telling anyone at the office about this. You know what people think when you say ECT.’
Cal looked away. ‘Well, there might be a problem about that.’
Martha’s eyes widened. She grabbed Cal’s jaw and turned his face to hers. ‘You didn’t.’
‘It was an accident. I thought Billy already knew.’
Martha slapped his chin away. ‘Fuck’s sake, Cal.’
‘Sorry.’
Billy returned with the beers. He was smiling. But Martha knew he knew. So, what, he felt sorry for her? Thought she was crazy? Fuck that.
She took her beer and faced the ring.
The voiceover guy began again, whipping up the crowd for the second bout.
V came out to ‘American Idiot’ by Green Day. Nice touch. She was grimacing and laughing as she walked to the ring, then she did a few backflips once she got on the canvas and ended with a gymnast’s pose. Wow.
Buttercup came out to ‘Enter Sandman’, punching the air and snarling. She was so much bigger than V.
Once the bout got going, it was just as dumbly impressive as the last one. Lots of theatrics, playing up to the crowd, gooning at the front rows. Martha found herself screaming for V to get out of a choke hold.
V slipped the hold but she was tiring, hands on knees, chest heaving. Several rounds with this dumptruck had taken it out of her. A few more slams into the canvas and up against the turnbuckles and she was bumped down into a shoulder pin and counted out.
V and Buttercup were immediately up, embracing and waving to the crowd, both soaking it in. No animosity after the bell this time, all friendly girls together.
‘V,’ Martha shouted over the crowd. ‘Hey.’
V caught her eye and waved. She had a broad grin on her face, despite getting beat. Her eyes glowed with something real amongst all the fakery, and Martha found that simple pleasure infectious. For a moment she didn’t think about ECT, her dad’s suicide, Gordon in a coma, Billy’s damaged brain, her own synapses and neurons misfiring, and just soaked in the applause, imagining it was for her.
27
The walls of the Royal Dick were covered in bleached animal bones and medical instruments, the pub having been converted from the old veterinary school along with Summerhall next door. Martha sat with Billy and Cal, swigging her Erdinger and imagining animal ghosts haunting the room.
V appeared wearing a ZZ Top cut-off, short leather skirt and knee-high boots. Cheers all round. Martha surprised herself by jumping up and hugging her. She felt V’s firm muscles in her squeezed embrace.
‘That was amazing,’ she said.
‘Thanks, Flukester.’
Martha introduced V to Cal and went to get the beers in. Billy came to help with the drinks.
‘I can manage four pints myself,’ Martha said.
‘I’m sure you can,’ Billy said.
When they returned to the table, Billy got a buzz in his pocket.
‘What a stud your brother is,’ V said, nodding at Cal.
‘He’s gay,’ Martha said.
‘Well, duh,’ V said. She rubbed Cal’s arm, making him laugh. ‘Any guy this buffed is bound to be. Nice eye candy, though.’
Billy was looking at his phone. ‘Oh shit, Gordon is dead.’
Martha touched the
‘Have you seen the muscles on these guys? And these outfits, man, they must be gay.’
In the third round, Viper got Wolf pinned for a count. He sprang up, beating his chest in victory. Wolf took it badly and broke a chair over Viper’s head on the way out. Everyone roared.
V was up next on the card. Billy went to get beers before she appeared.
Cal threw Martha a concerned look. ‘You OK about tomorrow?’
‘I’m fine.’
‘Should you be drinking?’
‘I said I’m fine.’
Cal looked at her. ‘You’re taking the day off, right? You’re not going into work afterwards.’
Martha didn’t answer.
‘That’s nuts.’
‘It won’t be a problem. Last time I felt fine after a couple of hours.’
‘If you just tell them, I’m sure they’ll understand.’
Martha sat upright. ‘I’m not telling anyone at the office about this. You know what people think when you say ECT.’
Cal looked away. ‘Well, there might be a problem about that.’
Martha’s eyes widened. She grabbed Cal’s jaw and turned his face to hers. ‘You didn’t.’
‘It was an accident. I thought Billy already knew.’
Martha slapped his chin away. ‘Fuck’s sake, Cal.’
‘Sorry.’
Billy returned with the beers. He was smiling. But Martha knew he knew. So, what, he felt sorry for her? Thought she was crazy? Fuck that.
She took her beer and faced the ring.
The voiceover guy began again, whipping up the crowd for the second bout.
V came out to ‘American Idiot’ by Green Day. Nice touch. She was grimacing and laughing as she walked to the ring, then she did a few backflips once she got on the canvas and ended with a gymnast’s pose. Wow.
Buttercup came out to ‘Enter Sandman’, punching the air and snarling. She was so much bigger than V.
Once the bout got going, it was just as dumbly impressive as the last one. Lots of theatrics, playing up to the crowd, gooning at the front rows. Martha found herself screaming for V to get out of a choke hold.
V slipped the hold but she was tiring, hands on knees, chest heaving. Several rounds with this dumptruck had taken it out of her. A few more slams into the canvas and up against the turnbuckles and she was bumped down into a shoulder pin and counted out.
V and Buttercup were immediately up, embracing and waving to the crowd, both soaking it in. No animosity after the bell this time, all friendly girls together.
‘V,’ Martha shouted over the crowd. ‘Hey.’
V caught her eye and waved. She had a broad grin on her face, despite getting beat. Her eyes glowed with something real amongst all the fakery, and Martha found that simple pleasure infectious. For a moment she didn’t think about ECT, her dad’s suicide, Gordon in a coma, Billy’s damaged brain, her own synapses and neurons misfiring, and just soaked in the applause, imagining it was for her.
27
The walls of the Royal Dick were covered in bleached animal bones and medical instruments, the pub having been converted from the old veterinary school along with Summerhall next door. Martha sat with Billy and Cal, swigging her Erdinger and imagining animal ghosts haunting the room.
V appeared wearing a ZZ Top cut-off, short leather skirt and knee-high boots. Cheers all round. Martha surprised herself by jumping up and hugging her. She felt V’s firm muscles in her squeezed embrace.
‘That was amazing,’ she said.
‘Thanks, Flukester.’
Martha introduced V to Cal and went to get the beers in. Billy came to help with the drinks.
‘I can manage four pints myself,’ Martha said.
‘I’m sure you can,’ Billy said.
When they returned to the table, Billy got a buzz in his pocket.
‘What a stud your brother is,’ V said, nodding at Cal.
‘He’s gay,’ Martha said.
‘Well, duh,’ V said. She rubbed Cal’s arm, making him laugh. ‘Any guy this buffed is bound to be. Nice eye candy, though.’
Billy was looking at his phone. ‘Oh shit, Gordon is dead.’
Martha touched the
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