Billy's ego knows no bounds

After their conversation, both Billy and Lucy decided to call it a day. Lucy agreed to discuss the specifics of their plan within a week or so. Billy needed this time to flesh out his scheme. He didn't want to leave anything to fate.

Lucy waved goodbye, leaving Billy in the locker room to gather all his belongings.

Once alone, Billy flopped down on the nearest bench and sighed with relief. He noticed his palm trembling and snickered, unable to contain his excitement.

Billy was aware of how perceptive Lucy was. She had been his coach for more than two years and knew him inside out. If it wasn't for his ruse, she wouldn't have agreed to help him in the way he wanted.

Billy, satisfied with his triumph, stood up and stretched his arms. It was quite a productive day.

Billy was about to pick up his gym clothes when someone burst open the door, making the champ jump in his place. His eyes instantly shot to the doorway.

A brunette girl stood there panting, hands resting on her knees. She had a look of desperation on her face. Her cheerleader outfit, soaking with sweat, clung tightly to her body, acting as a second skin.

Billy's eyes widened a little as he recognized her.

"Sally?...what are you..."

"Billy!...", Sally yelped, as if she saw a ghost.

Billy frowned as he thrust his finger into his ear, annoyed by her abrupt cry.

"Lower your voice...damn it!...what the hell are you doing here?...", Billy grumbled while giving her a once-over.

Her glistening, bronze-tanned legs below her short pleated skirt were enough to cause a stir in Billy's loins. He was trying hard not to get caught ogling her legs.

By the time he could complain further, Sally had shut the door behind her and closed the distance between them. She made sure to stifle the noise coming from her steps.

While she strode towards Billy, her index finger was stuck to her lips, begging him to not raise his voice.

She halted awkwardly close to Billy's face and blabbered in a hushed tone.

"We need to hide somewhere right now...I'll explain later...". Her breaths had turned shallow, a sense of fatigue noticeable in her voice.

"But why?"

"Please just...", Sally gazed at Billy pleadingly.

Judging the urgency of the situation, Billy grabbed Sally's hand and dragged her to the only closet in the room.

The locker room had a row of single-tier lockers neatly placed on the right side of the entrance door. The lockers themselves were undeniably ancient, with notable wear and tear. Patches of green paint were spread throughout the now-blackened lockers.

The left side of the entrance, on the other hand, had three shower stalls with blue swing doors, their rusty hinges giving away their age.

In the center was a row of three metal benches, screwed down to the tiled floor beneath. They were gapped in such a way that each was in front of one shower stall. One of them had Billy's clothes strewn all over it.

And just at the rear end of the room was the large cabinet, towards which Billy was tugging Sally. It was primarily for keeping boxing equipment used frequently.

As they reached the closet, Billy turned its knob. The latch bolt made a loud grating sound as it shifted inside the lock body. Sally's face scrunched at the displeasing noise.

Billy opened the closet and started throwing the heavy punching bags out, clearing a space for both of them. Sally felt embarrassed at her inability to help in a meaningful way and thus awkwardly lent a hand by pulling the bags aside. She noticed the closet had no partitioning and hence was the best place to hide. She ignored the few boxing gloves lying down in the cabinet.

Billy hopped inside and spread himself at the back, making further space. Sally, picking up the cue, stepped inside and turned around, her back now facing Billy. Finally, she pulled the doors inside, locking them in.

"So...care to explain?...", Billy broke the awkward silence.

"It's just...we are...I mean...me...and Daisy are pl...playing hide...and seek...", Sally blushed, sputtering incoherently.

Billy couldn't believe what he just heard.

"You made me do all this for a fucking game...", Billy spewed venomously.

"...and that too against that bimbo Daisy..."

Sally bit her lip, cursing herself for getting into this situation.

"Billy... it's just...I...we placed a bet...and..."

"And why did you need me here?", Billy interjected, "...for god's sake I could have kept Daisy away from this room...if I was fucking outside!..."

Sally cringed at her stupidity. Why didn't she think of this?

Billy bent forward to whatever extent the space allowed him and came close to her ear. Sally, sensing his breath on her neck, turned stiff, completely forgetting what she was about to say.

"Did my punch rattle your brain so hard?...", Billy whispered.

Sally's heart leaped in her throat. She knew Billy would bring this up, sooner rather than later. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying that she somehow vanished from this closet.

Billy snickered at her lack of response and continued.

"You remember...don't you, Sally?". Billy was enjoying every moment of her silence.

"All those years ago...", Billy carried on, "...you wanted to 'prove' that you could be a boxer...isn't so?..."

Sally gulped audibly.

"And I asked if you could take a hit...", Billy sneered, his face twisted with revulsion.

Sally was squirming in her place. Beads of sweat were running down her forehead and dripping off her lips. She could vividly picture the fateful scene that Billy was retelling.

"...and you arrogantly snapped back at me...with a 'yes'...". A crooked smile was etched on Billy's face.

Sally reflexively shut her eyes again as her mind recollected the humiliating memory. She recalled Billy's fist zooming in on her unguarded face while her body was stiff with fear.

Followed by a blackout.

Billy pressed towards Sally, his bulge stabbing her skirt-clad ass. His head was practically sitting on her shoulder.

"I just loved your knocked-out face...", Billy cooed in her ear, emphasizing the word 'loved' in a drawn-out fashion.

Tears swelled in Sally's eyes while her lips trembled. She had been cursing herself the whole time.

Why did she agree to play this dumb hide-and-seek game?

Why did she enter this fucking locker room, out of all the places to hide?

But deep down...

Deep down she knew the real reason for her tears. She was afraid to confront Billy. The moment she stepped in, she knew something bad was going to happen.

The eagerness to hide from Daisy and win some stupid bet clouded her judgment, which made her enter this room, despite Billy's presence.

All her past nightmares were now manifesting in this dark closet.

She thought Billy would forget her after all this time. He was the school champ after all, busy with his life, while she was a complete nobody.

How naive she was.

If it was any other day, Billy would have genuinely helped Sally. But today was different. He had achieved psychological victory over his coach moments ago and hence, was consumed by his ego. He sincerely believed he could overpower anyone, physically or mentally.

And timid Sally was the perfect low-hanging fruit to give a boost to his arrogance, to fuel his misogyny. He was drunk with hubris.

Suddenly, Sally felt Billy shifting in his place. What was he up to? She flinched as his finger caressed her calf. Sally perceived he was trying to pick something from the bottom of the closet.

She felt his hand brushing against her butt as he pulled himself up. Was this intentional?

"I don't think Daisy is coming anytime soon...so let's play our own game...", Billy smirked, arrogance oozing out of his tone.

Sally's heart fluttered as a feeling of dread loomed over her. What game was he talking about?

"I'll give you a golden chance...to hit me...", Billy stated nonchalantly.

Sally blinked in confusion.

"...and trust me...I'll let you know if I feel a tickle...". Billy sneered at his joke.

"Here...let me help..."

Billy grasped her wrist and **** a worn-off glove, which he had just picked, on her hand. Sally's mouth hung wide open as it slid over her fingers. She felt the soggy fabric of the glove snuggling fit on her palm.

Sally started sweating profusely. This must be one of Billy's pranks. By the looks of it, he was going to knock her out again. Billy was knowingly giving her a false sense of security, and as soon she moves a muscle, he would counter with a punch.

Tears were trekking down Sally's cheeks. Her lips were quivering in fear and trepidation. Billy stood behind her as terror incarnate, casting a shadow of fear over her meek figure.

All of a sudden, Billy grabbed Sally's waist and **** her to turn around. Despite the darkness, Sally could now discern the devilish smile on Billy's face.

She desperately wanted to be far away from him, in her home, in her bedroom, all cozied up...

Billy snapped his fingers right before her eyes, breaking her trance.

"...c'mon Sally...do it...don't make me wait..."

There was nowhere she could run, and was compelled to do what Billy asked her.