FIGHT

ADELINE'S POV

The first two girls she puts against each other fight like their lives depend on it. They are old girls here so they must be used to this rhythm of them hurting each other already. They must be used to fighting for their lives like animals all because of Veronica. They must be used to hurting their fellow females if that means they survive.

They pull at each other's hairs. They slap each other. They punch each other. They slam each other's bodies to the floor until finally one of them surrenders. The fight went on for longer that I expected and I guess that's normal. None of these girls want to lose. They want to be free and have their bodies to themselves for two whole weeks.

"I think I'm going to puke." Della whispers from beside me. She's trembling now as she watches the scene in front of her that Veronica is forcing all of us to watch.

"What am I going to do if she puts me against someone stronger than I am? They're going to beat me bloody and on top of that I'm going to still have a man come to my room twice a month. This is crazy. I can't so this Adeline. I can't." Della starts panicking and I have to hold her hands as tight as I can to keep her from doing something stupid.

"That was lovely." Veronica says laughing with Rock as the first two girls finish fighting; There is absolutely nothing 'lovely' about what I just witnessed. The girl who lost has a bloody nose and she looks ta the other girl with pure hatred in her eyes. This is how the enmity starts. This is how Veronica makes the girls hate each other and keeps them from working together. This is her most powerful and evil master plan and I can see it being very productive.

She starts looking across the room and Della and I push ourselves back, anything to make us less conspicuous. Anything so she doesn't have a reason to pick one of us. I have no interest whatsoever in fighting any of the girls here.

"You two…" Veronica points directly at Della and I. "A little birdy told me you two have gotten quite close." She laughs an evil laugh and my heart pounds in my chest at the menacing look in her eyes.

"You two think you can be best friends huh?" Veronica says pulling at a strand on Della's here. She lifts her face and twists it to the side and puts her mouth directly at Della's ear.

"Here, you have no friends." She whispers. "You only have me." She pushes Della to the side and then points at both of us.

"You two, in the ring, now." She commands. I hesitate. Della hesitates, but one look at Rock and I pull Della by her hand, dragging her to the ring no matter how much she protests.

"Beautiful…" Veronica says laughing. All the other girls watch us eagerly and curiously. If Veronica thinks I'm actually going to beat Della up then she's really mistaken. I wouldn't hurt this girl if my life depended on it.

"Listen to me..." I start whispering to Della who's already in tears in front of me. "I want you to hit me as hard as you can, okay?" I tell her.

She shakes her head from side to side in protest and I give her a disapproving look. "She's not going to let us out of here if we don't fight Della. She's going to hurt us. She's going to hurt you."

"I can't do it. I can't fight you. You'd win." She says, ears falling from her eyes as she starts taking steps back. "I'll just surrender and save us the stress."

"You know you can't surrender unless you've put up a fight. Look. I'm not going to fight back okay? You're just going to hit me really hard, multiple times, and you're going to make it look real."

"But you're my friend and I-" Before she can finish her sentence, I land a slap to her face. I slap her so hard that I know her face must sting. She looks to me with shock in her eyes. I want to get her angry. I want to give her a reason to hurt me back.

"Why would you-" I slap her again, harder this time before she can finish her phrase.

"Fight back Della!" I say strongly "We're not friends you and I. Don't be stupid. Are you really going to rather lose than have your body to yourself for two whole weeks? Are you that stupid that you think you can trust anyone in here." I push her lightly so that she stumbles back.

"Fight back!" I say again. "Think about those men coming into your room two night every week. Think about your screams. Think about how much rest your body will have if you win. Don't you want that? Huh?" I push her again.

"Stop it!" She places her hand on my chest and pushes back at me.

"That's it Della. Fight for it. Don't act like a saint. You know you want to win. You and I know it so quit acting like a child!" She just stands there and stares at me. I decide that she's going to need a lot more motivation if she's actually going to hurt me.

"You know, this is why you got kidnapped in the first place!" Her eyes widen at my statement. "Because you can't listen to simple instructions! Think about how worried and disappointed your mom must be right now. Oh wait, maybe she isn't. Maybe she's glad you're gone. Maybe she's happy that she doesn't have to deal with you being a burden to her anymore! Maybe this should have happened to you! Maybe all your friends and that boy you keep stalking are better off without a freak like you!"

"STOP!" Della shouts as tears fall from her eyes and she hops on me. She lands a punch to my face. It doesn't hurt as much as I'd like but I feel it. I feel it and I know it's going to leave a bruise. She keeps slapping me and screaming about how she hates me. About how she's not a burden.

When I think I've had enough, i surrender and Della snaps back to reality and lets go of me. I hurt all over but I'm glad. Della won and she'll be safe for two weeks. That's the least I could have done for her and I did it. I kept her safe for two weeks. Even though I had to use her trauma against her to give her a push. Even though I had to use her insecurities against her, she won.

"How emotional." Veronica says, with a tilt of her head. "I wonder for how long you can keep playing hero." She shifts her gaze directly at me. "Not for long."

Well, she's wrong. As long as I still have some fight in me. As long as I'm in this place, I will always protect those I can. Always. Della looks towards me apologetically. I give her a look that says I'm sorry. I'm sure she must understand that the only reason I said all what I did is because I was trying to protect her. I just don't want anything to happen to her and I will do everything in my power to ensure it.

Veronica announces Della as winner and puts two other girls against each other. This goes on for as long as it can until Veronica finally dismisses us.

I walk to my room with my body hurting all over. Colton stands at my door and helps me inside. I gesture with my eyes towards the bathroom and Colton follows me without another word. He looks at me curiously and I feel a thousand emotions stabbing me with the look in his eyes.

He looks like he wants to say a million things to me but he knows I won't let him. he looks like he has an apology at the tip of his tongue. He looks like he wants me to forgive him. God knows I cannot.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" He asks me, grabbing a first aid box he brought along with him.

"About how we get your sister away from Veronica. About how we get the hell out of here." I blurt out. His eyes widen in fear but I see hope in them. I see hope and that's all I need. What's left to do now is convince him. Convince him that we can do this.