The Ultimate Truth by Kevin Brooks Read Free Book Online Page B

light-brown skin, that
strangely intriguing face – and I just couldn’t stop glancing over at her. I knew that I
wanted
to talk to her, but I also knew that I didn’t. It was a really weird
feeling. Good and bad at the same time. Very confusing.
    In the end, I told myself not to be so stupid, and I just went over and introduced myself.
    ‘Hi, I’m Travis Delaney,’ I said. ‘Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about Bashir Kamal?’
    She didn’t reply. Didn’t even look at me. She just carried on thumping away at the punchbag –
thump
,
thump
,
thump
.
    ‘Excuse me,’ I said, raising my voice a little.
    She skipped to her right and started hitting the bag even harder –
thump
,
thump
,
THUMP –
still totally ignoring me. It was
really
annoying. I knew I
shouldn’t let it get to me, and I tried telling myself that it simply wasn’t worth getting annoyed about. It was up to her if she wanted to act like a spoiled little kid. But for some
reason I didn’t seem to want to listen to myself. Instead, I just stood there for a while, watching her batter the punchbag, and then I said quite calmly, ‘You need to work on your
uppercut.’
    That got a reaction.
    ‘You
what
?’ she snapped, stopping suddenly and glaring at me.
    ‘Your left uppercut,’ I said. ‘You need to dip your shoulder a bit more.’
    ‘Yeah?’ she sneered.
    ‘Your elbow needs to be nearer your hip.’
    ‘You think I don’t know how to throw an uppercut?’
    I shrugged. ‘I’m only trying to help.’
    ‘
I’m only trying to help
,’ she said, mocking me.
    I didn’t rise to her bait, I just stared at her.
    She said, ‘What do you know about boxing anyway?’
    ‘I’ve been boxing since I was a kid.’
    ‘Not here, you haven’t.’
    ‘I go to BBA,’ I told her.
    She grinned. ‘Barton Boxing Academy?’
    ‘Yeah.’
    ‘Got a rich mummy and daddy, have you?’
    I didn’t say anything. I
couldn’t
say anything. I was too angry to speak. I just gritted my teeth and stared coldly at her. I think she realised she’d said something she
shouldn’t have – I could see the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes – and although she didn’t take it back or anything, she at least had the decency to change the
subject.
    ‘Look,’ she said, ‘I don’t need your help, OK? I know what I’m doing.’
    ‘I didn’t say you didn’t.’
    ‘Just because I’m a girl—’
    ‘What’s that got to do with anything?’
    She hesitated for a moment, slightly taken aback. ‘I can fight.’
    ‘I know you can.’
    ‘Don’t patronise me.’
    ‘I’m not—’
    ‘I could kick
your
ass.’
    I didn’t mean to laugh, it just came out – a quick snort of laughter. I wasn’t laughing at her, I was laughing at the absurdity of the situation. But, of course, she
didn’t take it like that. She took it as an insult. And I could tell from the way she was looking at me that I was about to pay for it. She was looking at me in the same way she looked at the
punchbag.
    ‘Hey, listen,’ I said, holding up my hands, ‘I didn’t mean—’
    ‘You reckon you could take me?’
    I shook my head. ‘I was just—’
    ‘Well, why don’t we find out, eh?’ She glanced over her shoulder at the nearest boxing ring, saw that it was empty, then turned back to me. ‘What size gloves do you
wear?’
    ‘I’m not going to fight you.’
    ‘Why not?’ she sneered. ‘Scared of getting beaten up by a girl?’
    ‘No. I just . . .’
    ‘You just what?’
    I sighed. ‘This is ridiculous.’
    ‘Come on, tough guy,’ she said with a mocking smile. ‘Let’s see what you’ve got. Show me how it
should
be done.’
    I was aware that people were watching us now. The gym had gone quiet, and a dozen or so faces were turned our way, looking on with amused curiosity.
    ‘I’ll tell you what,’ the girl said. ‘You get in the ring with me, and if I
don’t
put you on the floor, I’ll answer your questions. How’s
that?’
    I looked at her,