Knot, Not, Naught

It had all been for naught. Not that she cared. He knew that now.

He’d had a crush on her ever since that first time she’d gotten on the bus. She had a smile that could melt ice cubes. Everyone liked her. He had hoped she liked him too.

Stomach in knots, he’d screwed up his courage and gotten off at her stop so that he could talk to her. But she didn’t notice him as she ran home.

He just stood there, watching the bus receding into the distance, his friends laughing.

Third-grade puppy love is hard.

Fixate, Knot, Blow

He’d known it’d happen in time and now his time had come. He’d been approached and a deal struck with the understanding that this would put some money in his pocket and keep his family safe. The fix was in and he was the fall guy. His trainer tied the final knot, head bowed.

There’d been a time when he’d fixated on reaching the top, of being the champ. This deal would end that run.

He entered the ring knowing that in the fifth round, he’d drop his guard slightly, take the blow, and lose to a lesser man.