Lesson For Lox (Marco's MMA Boys) by S.M. Donaldson

LOX
    L ooking up at my best friends, my roommates, my brothers , twins Huck and Sly Webb, I scowl, growling. “Don’t give me shit, just get these fucking handcuffs off me.” I snatch at the cuffs.
    Of course, Sly is laughing so damn hard he has fucking tears rolling from his eyes. “I’m just trying- to- figure this- shit out,” he says, gasping. “I guess we know without you sharing.”
    Huck shakes his head. “Damn it, man. Marco is going to fucking kill us.” He looks around the room. “She didn’t leave a fucking key or anything? You sure?”
    I feel my face turning red as I yank at the handcuffs. “Do you think if I knew she left a key, I wouldn’t fucking tell you?! You think I enjoy lying here in all my glory handcuffed to a fucking hotel bed? Admitting some bitch got one over on me?”
    Huck puts his hands up as if he’s defending himself from my words. “Dude, I’m just asking. We cannot break shit on this bed or Marco really will kill us.”
    Vance DeMarco has been our mentor since we were young kids. He’s been a friend of my mom’s since they were in high school. They actually dated back then, but after graduation they drifted apart since he went into the Marines. Then Mom hooked up with the shit head known as my sperm donor. Marco came back here and opened up Marco’s Gym around the time the three of us were in middle school. We were just punks, getting into fights at school, giving my mom early grey hair. Mom worried about us so much, their mom never cared, so Mom went to the only person she figured was strong-willed enough to deal with three stubborn ass young teen boys...Marco.
    There’s a loud knock at the door. “Shit,” we all whisper.
    Huck lets out a deep breath. “Damn it.” He walks to the door, slowly opening it up. Marco storms in, “What is taking so damn long in-?” He stops mid-sentence. “What in the ever loving Hell, Loxley?”
    I shake my head. “Sorry, Marco.” I look at Sly. “Can you put a fucking towel over me, please?” I grind out.
    Sly shakes his head, throwing a towel over my junk. “Dude.”
    Marco stands at the foot of the bed, a vein throbbing in his neck and his face turning crimson. “Huck,” he grinds out. “Go down the street to the hardware store or a Lowe’s and buy a damn set of bolt cutters. Cut these fucking cuffs off his dumb ass. Sly, you’re coming with me because your fight is first tonight.” He points to Huck and me. “Don’t fucking waste any damn time getting that shit cut off and get your asses to the damn arena. Don’t tear one damn thing up or I will kick your fucking asses.” He turns around, grabbing Sly’s arm on the way out the door.
    Huck looks at me, almost remorseful. “I’ll be back as quick as I can.” He takes off out the door.
    Fuck, how did I end up like this?
    Oh yeah...

LOX
    T hursday Night...
    Pensacola, Florida
    Checking my pockets for condoms and then myself one more time in the mirror, Huck shoves my arm. “Lox, man, if you look in that damn mirror one more time, I’m gonna run downstairs and buy you some Midol.”
    I hear Sly chuckle. “Are you feeling a little bloated there, Loxie?”
    I flip both of them off. “Shut the fuck up. You can’t rush perfection.” I motion to Sly, “Don’t forget what Marco said. You better not get fucking wasted tonight. You have the first fight tomorrow and Saturday. If you get trashed, he’s going to put our asses on lockdown the next time we leave town for a fight.”
    “Damn, Lox. Did you hide Mom somewhere in your duffle? That sounds a lot like her...well, without the f-bombs,” Huck says, referring to my mom, Elaine. Seeing as how she basically raised them, too, most of the time they call her mom.
    I roll my eyes and start to the door. “No, assholes.” I hate always being the damn responsible one. They act like I’m some damn stick in the mud when the only things I want to do are fight and make Marco proud. They don’t see that this could be a real