CHAPTER 1

4:00 a.m., New Hampshire

"Good morning, Ava! Are you still asleep?" My phone blared as Mia Parker, my best friend, asked what had to be the most ridiculous question of the day. And it was only 4 a.m.

I groaned, half asleep. "No, Mia. I'm actually laying eggs in my bed. Want to join?" I muttered sarcastically, my annoyance clear.

She laughed, unbothered by my tone. "Did you forget we have practice today?"

I shot up in bed. "Oh, crap! It's today?!"

"Yes, my angel," she teased. "Get your lazy butt up. I'll be outside your house in 20 minutes."

"Okay, okay," I grumbled, hanging up the phone.

I rushed through brushing my teeth, threw on my gym clothes, and laced up my Nike sneakers. Grabbing my protein shake, I hurried out the door to find Mia waiting for me in her sleek white BMW, looking as fresh and peppy as always.

"Hey, Ava! Get in, we're cutting it close!" she called out.

I slid into the passenger seat, still shaking off the last remnants of sleep. "Yeah, yeah, let's go before we're late."

We arrived at RV Boxing Club—named after Richard Vetero, the legendary coach who had trained some of the best athletes in the region. Mia parked her BMW smoothly, and we started with our warm-up routine: 50 laps around the building to get our blood pumping.

Once we finished, we entered the training center, the familiar scent of leather, sweat, and determination filling the air.

"Good morning, Mr. Vetero!" we both shouted in unison, watching our coach fiercely attack the punching bag with flawless precision.

"Bad morning, kids! You're fifteen minutes late!" he barked sarcastically, though a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Sorry, sir, it was Ava's fault. Not mine," Mia blurted out, throwing me under the bus without hesitation.

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "Really, Mia?"

Mr. Vetero waved it off. "It's fine this time, but don't let it happen again." His voice held the firm authority that made us respect and fear him in equal measure.

I shot a triumphant grin at Mia, who rolled her eyes. We dove into an intense, hour-and-a-half session, pushing our bodies to the limit. Every punch, every block, was an outlet for the fire that both Mia and I carried within us.

After training, we parted ways to head home. I spent the rest of the day binge-watching my favorite series and eating more than I probably should have. By the time evening rolled around, I collapsed into bed, exhaustion finally catching up with me.