[sinclairfan]

"Get over it.  It's not like I drew blood."

~This

[emmaduncxn]

FUCKING MASTERPIECE! I CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE!

[emmaduncxn]

HYPED FOR CHAPTER 6!

[teatime]

I love this.

[NoShirtNoShoesNoMercy]

This is a certified hood classic 

Really good story so far. Hope to see more good work!

[Guy Incognito]

So it turns out that when I said chapter 6 was "coming soon", I was LYING. Anyway, please accept the next three chapters as an apology for the wait.


Chapter 6 - Peace and Quiet

Forty minutes later, Amber was trudging through the enormous garden. Ben hadn’t been in the ballroom where she’d last seen him, nor in the sitting room or the dining room. Nervously, she’d approached a group of guests and asked if they’d seen him. They had directed her to the gardens.

She’d been anxious from the moment she’d arrived at the party, but now her nerves were at an all-time high. After the fight with Hazel, they’d both done their best to cover up the evidence of their brawl. They took turns in the shower, brushed the tangles from their hair, and slathered their faces and bodies with an obscene amount of concealer to hide the scratches and bruises. Their underwear had been unsalvageable, so they’d raided the chest of drawers for replacements. Each had found a bra that was roughly the right size—Hazel’s was slightly too large for her, while Amber’s was a size too small—but the panties in the drawer were far too small for their ample backsides.

In the end, they’d given up on knickers altogether, throwing their dresses back on with nothing underneath. Before rejoining the party, they took a moment to look one another up and down. Battle wounds could still be seen faintly beneath the layers of makeup; their hair, while passable, was nowhere near the standard it had been when they’d first arrived; their expensive earrings and shoes were still missing. It wasn’t ideal, but it was the best they could do—they’d just have to hope nobody looked too closely. With a deep sigh, they returned to the party.

Their first stop had been the ballroom to retrieve their heels. They received a few curious glances as they wandered barefoot through the crowds, but no one questioned them. To their surprise, the table where it had all begun was miraculously empty. After surreptitiously reclaiming their footwear, the two women had parted ways to find their respective dates.

Amber tugged at her dress, more uncomfortable than ever. She was painfully aware of her lack of panties, and the fear that the slit in her dress might ride up filled her with dread. Her chest ached—partly from Hazel’s assault, and partly from the too-tight bra she was now wearing. Out of sight of the other guests, she massaged her poor boobs, wondering if she’d have been better off going braless as well as commando.

The garden was vast. Pathways branched off towards various features—vegetable plots, fishponds, and even an extravagant hedge maze at the far end. Amber took the fork that led to a grand summerhouse. The path was lined with flowerbeds, manicured hedges, and ornamental water features. She wondered how many gardeners it took to maintain the place.

As she neared the summerhouse, she spotted a small seating area set up in front of the large bay doors where a handful of guests mingled. One of the guests was Ben, chatting to a young woman. For a split second, Amber’s heart lurched, fearing that the woman was Hazel. But it was obvious she wasn’t—she was a redhead, for starters, and her dress was a navy blue. Clearly, Amber was on edge. She paused to compose herself, then approached the pair.

Ben noticed her and stood up, breaking into a grin. “Amber!” he called, walking over to meet her. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you.”

Amber had spent the last half hour rehearsing her excuse in her head. She gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry! I thought I’d explore upstairs, but I got a bit lost.”

Ben laughed. “No need to be sorry. I thought you might’ve left. Were you with Hazel? Kyle’s been looking for her too.”

Amber’s stomach twisted at the mention of her rival. “Yeah,” she said reluctantly. “We were exploring together. We caught up and lost track of time.”

“Well, at least you found your way back!” Ben chuckled. “I’m glad you ran into an old friend, actually. I was worried you might be nervous about the gala. It’s nice that you’ve got someone here you’re comfortable with.”

“Yeah,” Amber lied. “It’s been nice seeing her again.”

As they walked back towards the tables, the summerhouse lights illuminated their faces. Amber caught Ben frowning slightly as he looked at her. Panic prickled in her chest—had he seen through the thick makeup and noticed signs of the fight? If he asked about her hair or face, she had no idea how she’d explain.

“Hey,” Ben said. Amber’s heart leapt into her throat. “What happened to your earrings?”

“Oh,” she said, relieved. She put her hands to her ears, feigning surprise. “I don’t know! I didn’t take them out. They must’ve fallen off while we were exploring.”

Ben smiled. “No worries—I’ll get you another pair tomorrow.” He lowered his voice conspiratorially. “They looked real sexy on you, babe.”

Amber silently thanked God for her rich, oblivious boyfriend as they sat at the table. Ben introduced his companion as Ruby; Amber thought the woman’s green eyes lingered a beat too long on her face as they shook hands. She worried that a woman’s eyes might notice what Ben had not. But if Ruby saw anything, she said nothing.

“Actually, I think I might head back inside,” Ben said. “I’m getting a little cold.”

Amber’s heart sank. She’d been hoping to stay outside a while longer—she was less likely to run into Hazel here. She knew they’d inevitably cross paths again before the night was over, but she’d hoped for a longer reprieve.

“I’m going to take a walk,” Ruby announced, looking to Amber. “Care to join me?”

Amber could’ve kissed her. “Sure, that sounds great. That alright with you, babe?” she asked Ben.

He shrugged. “Yeah, sounds good. Don’t get cold, alright?”

With that, he turned and strolled back towards the house.

*

Ruby, it turned out, had been to the estate before—she was close with Kyle's father. She led Amber to a secluded garden she’d discovered on a previous visit. “It’s where I go to escape all the ‘man talk’,” Ruby said with a roll of her eyes.

The area was ringed by a loose circle of flowering shrubs and small trees, about fifty feet across. At its centre sat a small pond bordered by stones, with a gurgling water feature in the middle. A trail of stepping stones led across the grass to a wooden bench at the pond’s edge, just wide enough for two people.

It was here that the two women now sat, chatting amiably. Amber found Ruby pleasant company. She’d noticed right away that Amber was uncomfortable at the party—though hopefully not for the real reason—and had gone out of her way to offer a reprieve from the chaos.

Ruby ran a successful business she’d built from scratch. She’d laughed and said, “It’s nice talking to someone who isn’t a snooty misogynist or some vapid trophy wife!”

Eventually, their conversation fell into a comfortable silence. Amber slipped off her heels and closed her eyes, letting the sound of the fountain soothe her. She knew she’d have to head back inside soon—and when she did, she’d almost certainly run into Hazel again. But for now, she let those thoughts drift away.

Footsteps approached.

Amber’s eyes snapped open. Both women turned towards the sound. The figure approaching froze like a deer in the headlights, nine tenths of the way down the stepping stones that led to Amber and Ruby’s bench.

Fuck, Amber thought.

Ruby grinned. “Hazel! Oh my god, it's so nice to see you! How are you enjoying the party?”

Hazel didn’t answer; her eyes were locked on Amber’s, seething with fury.

Ruby seemed oblivious. “Come sit with us! This is such a lovely spot.”

Hazel didn’t respond at first. Amber wondered if she’d even heard, or if she was scrambling for an excuse to turn back and walk the other way.

Instead, Hazel stepped forward.

As she neared the bench, Ruby shuffled away from Amber, leaving a gap between them. Too late, Amber realised she should have made sure Ruby sat between them—though she wasn’t quite sure how she would have orchestrated that.

Hazel paused in front of the bench, then dropped down heavily beside Amber. She felt a jolt as their bare thighs came into contact. For some reason, Amber suddenly became hyper-aware of her lack of underpants. She tugged her dress down in vain.

The bench was far too small. For three friends, it would have been cosy, intimate even. For Amber and Hazel, it was oppressive. One thigh pressed into the wooden armrest, the other into Hazel’s. Amber draped her arm across the back of the bench, trying to keep as much of her body away from her nemesis as possible.

“Oh, Amber, this is Hazel,” said Ruby, seemingly still oblivious to the tension. “Her boyfriend’s family own the place. Hazel, this is Amber—we met like twenty minutes ago! She’s cool though. She actually reminds me a lot of you.”

Amber and Hazel turned to one another. If looks could kill, there’d be two bodies floating in the pond. They nodded a fake greeting, making no acknowledgement of their years of friendship, or their years of animosity.

Ruby resumed chatting, but Amber wasn’t listening. She was painfully aware of the physical contact between her and Hazel. She tried to focus on Ruby’s voice, the fountain’s trickle, the cool night air—but all she could think about was the last time their bodies had been this close, not even an hour ago…

Suddenly, Ruby stood up, breaking Amber’s train of thought. “Well,” she said “the one downside of this spot is that the fountain really makes me want to pee. And since I don’t know Amber well enough to admit I sometimes piss in hedges, I guess I’d better start the long, arduous journey to the nearest bathroom.”

She winked at them. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it. You two behave while I’m gone!”

With that, she stepped around the bench and disappeared down the path, her footsteps fading into the night, seemingly oblivious to the volatile cocktail she was leaving unattended.

Now there were only two people on the bench, and more than enough space for them to sit without touching. If Hazel just shuffled over, they could pass their time in silence, without even having to acknowledge each other.

Hazel made no move.



Chapter 7 - Waterworks

For almost five minutes, they sat in silence. Neither moved. Neither spoke. Amber was squashed between the arm of the bench on one side and the body of her rival on the other.

Hazel broke the silence first.

“I thought I’d come here to avoid you.”

Amber replied without turning to face her. “Me too. I thought if I avoided the main house, we could have some reprieve from one another.”

“No such luck huh?”

“Guess not.”

More silence followed. Neither woman turned to look at the other, choosing instead to stare straight ahead, eyes locked on the flowing water of the fountain. Despite the lack of eye contact, the only thing on Amber’s mind was Hazel—the gentle pressure of her thighs, the warmth of her body beside hers, the faint sound of her breath. It was as if the rest of the world didn’t exist.

This time, Amber broke the stalemate.

“Why don’t you leave? You could just get up, go back to the house. I’m sure we’ll come face to face again later, but we could at least delay it for a while.”

“Why don’t you leave?” Hazel retorted, “It’s not like you own this spot. If you want to avoid me so badly, why don’t you go somewhere else.”

“I was here first, asshole.”

Hazel scoffed “Oh please! I’ve sat here dozens of times when Kyle invited me over. You’re the one intruding.”

Silence fell once more. Amber considered being the bigger person; she could get up and leave, avoid this conflict entirely. She couldn’t afford another fight like the one earlier. But why should she be the one to move? Hazel presumably wanted to avoid a fight just as much as she did, but the stubborn bitch refused to back down. Even though she had been here first. So she’d stay. If Hazel wasn’t going anywhere, neither was she.

Amber could still feel the arm of the seat biting into her thigh. With Ruby gone, there was plenty of room on the bench for both of them to sit comfortably, but Hazel had not moved. She sat perfectly in the centre of the space, deliberately crushing Amber. She couldn't let that slide.

The mature thing to do would have been to politely asked Hazel to move across. Instead, Amber thrust her hips to the side. Caught off guard, Hazel was shunted across the bench; now, the women were close to the centre of the seat, hip-to-hip. For the first time, Hazel turned, shooting a glare in Amber’s direction. Amber returned the favour, locking eyes with her enemy.

“Stop shoving, asshole!” Hazel spat.

“Keep on your side of the bench then, whore!” Amber shot back.

“Fine! Move over to your side then, and I’ll move onto mine.”

“You first!”

Neither made any indication of obliging. Amber was painfully aware that this petty squabble over a bench that was plenty big enough for both of them was risking spilling over into something else—but she felt unable to stop it.

They broke eye contact and faced forward once more.

Amber felt the muscles in Hazel’s thighs tense as she thrust to the side, trying to shove Amber back across the bench with her hips and butt. Expecting something like this, Amber avoided being shunted too far and returned fire with a thrust of her own, shoving Hazel’s butt across the bench and back towards the other arm of the seat. Soon, the two women were exchanging shoves, taking turns to force one another from side to side. They grunted with each thrust, clenching the back of the bench with their hands for leverage.

This was stupid. It was the exact thing they needed to avoid—the thing their fight in the bedroom had been intended to get out of their system. Still, they grappled, both women too stubborn to back down from a challenge issued by the other.

The tension broke. Irate, Amber shot to her feet and turned to face Hazel, who copied her motion. They stood on the wall surrounding the pond, eyes locked in mutual rage.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Hazel shouted.

Amber scoffed. “My problem? What the fuck is your problem? You can’t sit on a fucking garden bench without being in my personal space?”

They glared at one another, the tension thick. Once again, Amber considered being the bigger person and simply leaving the area—another fight would be disastrous for both of them. Instead, she took a step closer to her nemesis, just as Hazel also stepped forward. They were now all but touching.

“Back off,” Hazel growled. “We can’t do this again.”

“You back off!” Amber retorted. “I was here first.”

Hazel’s heels gave her a couple of inches of height over Amber. Almost instinctively, Amber stood up on her toes in an attempt to match her enemy’s height. The motion brought her forward more than intended, and Amber felt a jolt as her boobs came into contact with Hazel’s.

Clearly, Hazel took the unintended contact as a challenge; she thrust out her chest, pressing into Amber’s with far more force than the original brush. Once again, Amber did not back down and matched the pressure. They stood for a moment, balanced precariously on the rocks surrounding the water, maintaining firm pressure on one another’s chests.

Hazel broke the stalemate. She pulled away, relieving the pressure on Amber’s boobs. For a second, Amber thought Hazel had made the wise choice to end the battle before it got out of hand. Then, Hazel thrust out her chest, colliding hard with Amber’s breasts. The impact forced Amber back on her heels.

Amber growled and stepped back up, pushing her chest out and colliding with Hazel’s again. Expecting the attack, Hazel barely stumbled, only drawing her own chest back to ram it into Amber’s once more.

They continued like this for a while, taking turns ramming their chests into one another’s, a permanent snarl plastered across each of their faces. Eventually, the turn-taking broke down, and they simply started to ram into one another at the same time. The force of both of their breasts colliding at speed was painful, and the smack of body-on-body echoed through the small garden.

Disaster struck without warning. After a particularly powerful collision, both women stumbled backwards from the impact. Barefoot, Amber had decent traction on the slick stones. Not so for Hazel. It was frankly a miracle she’d kept her balance in heels this long, but her luck had run out. The heel of her shoe slipped into a crack between two stones. Suddenly unbalanced, Hazel toppled to one side—the wrong side.

SPLASH

She shrieked as she fell, landing heavily in the pond. Amber instinctively leapt backwards, avoiding the worst of the splash. The water was only a few inches deep; Hazel sat on the muddy floor, propped up on her hands. Her dress was ruined, soaked through with dirty water. The heels that had betrayed her had slipped off and were slowly floating away.

For a moment, neither woman said anything, too shocked to speak.

A scowl darkening her face, Hazel broke the silence. “You BITCH! Look at my dress!”

“What? How the hell was that my fault? You were the one who fell!”

“You kept ramming your pathetic tits into me! You pushed me into the water.”

Amber folded her arms. “Can’t have been that pathetic if they were able to push you over, can they? Maybe you should’ve kept your tits to yourself if you can’t take a little shove!”

“Fuck you, whore! You were the one who started smacking me!”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have come here if you didn’t want a fight! We had this entire garden and you chose to plant your fat ass next to mine!”

As their shouting match reached a crescendo, Hazel seemed to see red. She reached her hand into the water beside her and thrust it out, splashing dirty water in Amber’s direction. This time, Amber wasn’t quick enough to dodge the wave, and she was caught full in the front.

As she stood in horror, gazing down at her now wet dress, Hazel clambered to her feet. The shallow water reached just above her ankles.

“See how you like it, whore!” Hazel said, folding her arms with a self-satisfied smirk.

“OH, YOU BITCH!”

Amber stepped forward, down off the wall and into the pond. She felt the dirty mud squelching between her toes, but she didn’t care. She kicked out, swinging her leg in a wide arc. The resulting splash hit Hazel. Soaked as she already was, it made little practical difference—but it felt damn good.

Snarling, Hazel responded in kind, kicking out and splashing water at Amber. The fight was on. They kicked again and again, spraying each other with the dirty pond water. Before long, Amber’s hair and dress were as wet as Hazel’s. The previously peaceful garden filled with the sounds of splashing water and the indignant grunts of two furious women.

As the water churned, the mud at the bottom loosened, and their feet sank deeper into it. The water was now up to their shins, getting perilously close to the hem of Amber’s dress. Not that it mattered now. Amber deliberately dug her toes into the mud and kicked, sending a muddy missile in Hazel’s direction. The clod of earth struck its target in the chest, leaving a brown spatter.

Hazel looked down in horror at the muddy stain on her dress.

“FUCK YOU!” she screamed, digging her own toes into the mud and launching a hefty amount of it at Amber’s body.

The battle escalated. The two women repeatedly splattered each other with mud, circling as they kicked and launched their missiles. Soon they were both caked in grime; Amber could feel the goo dripping from her hair.

As they continued to circle, they spiralled closer and closer until they were within arms reach of one another, still kicking and flinging sludge. It wasn’t until a coincidentally timed kick saw their feet collide that the spell finally broke.

They stopped. The garden fell mostly silent, the only sounds their heaving breaths and the dripping of water from their soaked clothes and hair. Each woman studied the other, their own shabby appearance mirrored in their opponent, their anger rising as they took in the sorry state of their appearance. Their dresses were ruined, soaked and muddy. The original colours would be impossible to distinguish. Their hair was wet and wild, dotted with bits of debris. Mud spattered their bare skin and their makeup had run, revealing bruises from their previous battle. The woman before her reminded Amber of some kind of swamp hag—and she knew she couldn’t look much better.

“What the fuck did you do?!” Amber roared, brushing a clump of dripping hair from her face.

“Me?” Hazel scoffed. “You were the one who started kicking mud around!”

“You were the one who started the kicking!”

“Well you were the one who shoved me into the water in the first place!”

“I did not shove you! You fell into that water all by yourself! It’s not my fault you’re a clumsy bitch!”

With each retort, they stepped closer, until their foreheads met. They fell silent for a moment, eyes locked, shooting daggers into one another’s soul.

“What the fuck do we do now?” Amber asked. “Our dresses are ruined. We can’t go back to the house looking like this.”

“I don’t know,” Hazel replied, her voice dangerously low. “I don’t know how much choice we have.”

“So we’re fucked.” Amber sighed.

“Guess so.”

Amber pushed her head into Hazel’s, immediately meeting resistance.

“So we’ve got nothing left to lose.”

Hazel pushed back, hard. “Guess not.”

All hell broke loose.



Chapter 8 - Fireworks

Four hands found hair. They immediately began yanking one another’s heads from side to side, stumbling around in a tight circle, kicking out at one another’s shins. Unlike last time, there was no initial attempt at restraint. Their faces inches apart, Amber lashed out with her teeth, managing to clamp down on Hazel’s nose. Hazel yelped in fury and pain before returning the favour, landing a sharp bite on Amber’s cheek.

They stumbled through the pond, yanking, biting, and kicking. The writhing mass of limbs and hair sent water splashing in all directions. Their dresses rode up, revealing their bare lower bodies to the open air. They careened into the fountain, almost knocking it from its plinth with the force of their brawl. Hazel briefly pinned her enemy against the stone structure, but the momentum of their bodies quickly dragged them away from the centrepiece.

Inevitably, their legs tangled and they fell into the water, immediately forming a tightly locked catball, rolling in the shallows. Their bodies sank into the mud at the bottom as they pushed one another down beneath them. They released each other’s hair and began raining punches, slaps, and scratches down on their faces and upper bodies. Their legs snaked together, thighs constricting, filthy feet slapping and wrestling. Amber gasped as claws dug into her bare ass. She paused her assault, reaching down to grab handfuls of Hazel’s buttocks, squeezing and clawing at the delicate flesh.

Their rolling paused as both women focused on each other’s behinds. Amber remembered from their former friendship how much pride Hazel took in her ass. Not that she was any different. She took great pleasure in damaging something she knew her rival loved, her rage at the abuse of her own prized asset only fueling her attack.

They glared at one another, eyes full of hatred and fury, locked side by side in the shallow pond, water lapping at their filthy faces.

“Fuck you, whore!” Hazel growled. “What the hell am I supposed to tell Kyle when I get back to the party?”

Amber shot her a smirk as she dug her claws into the soft flesh of her enemies ass. “I dunno bitch. At least when Ben finds out what we've been doing, I'll be able to tell him that I beat your ass.”

Her smirk turned into a grimace as Hazel gouged a deep scratch into her buttock. “In your dreams, slut!” Hazel spat, eyes burning with hate through tears of pain.

Hazel released her grip on Amber’s ass, grabbing her shoulders and rolling her onto her back. Caught off guard, Amber was forced down into the mud, straddled by Hazel’s powerful thighs.

Amber struggled, bucking her hips in a vain attempt to throw the other woman off. Her shoulders pinned in the water, she flailed, grasping for anything she could find. One hand latched onto Hazel’s hair, yanking hard. With the other, she clutched at the top of Hazel’s sodden dress and pulled downwards. The soaked fabric tore easily, falling away to expose much of Hazel’s upper body, her breasts barely held at bay by the oversized bra she’d been forced to wear.

Amber clawed, punched, and slapped at the newly exposed flesh, to no avail. No amount of pain could outweigh Hazel’s desire to destroy her most hated opponent. Amber was trapped. She knew it. Hazel knew it.

Realising the futility of resistance, Amber stopped struggling. Hazel took it as victory, a smug grin spreading across her face. Amber imagined what that grin would look like without teeth, but lacked the reach to make her fantasy a reality.

“So much for beating my ass!” Hazel taunted. “Are you going to admit defeat? Or would you rather I shove your ugly face under the water until you stop struggling?”

Amber didn’t know if Hazel was seriously threatening to kill her or if the threat was empty. Her expression certainly suggested she meant every word. Amber imagined Ben weeping over her lifeless body, found face down in the pond. She imagined her parents, her friends at her funeral, lamenting a life taken too soon. She wondered if Hazel would get away with the crime—nobody had seen the fight that took her life, but the state of her attire would be hard to conceal. Would that be evidence enough to put her away for murder?

All these thoughts ran through her head in a split second. She pictured it all—the horror, the grief. And then she pictured Hazel’s face if she conceded.

The choice was obvious.

“I’m waiting,” Hazel crooned, leaning closer, head tilted as if to better hear her surrender.

Amber craned her neck forwards, as if to whisper something in Hazel’s ear. As she did, her hand found the thick sludge beside her.

“Go to hell, cxnt!” she snarled. Before Hazel could react, Amber brought her arm up in a wide arc—

CRACK

The slap hit Hazel hard. The fistful of mud exploded across her face, splattering into her mouth, eyes, and hair. Amber took perverse joy in the shriek of pain and shock that followed.

Seizing the moment, Amber bucked her hips, throwing Hazel to one side. She scrambled up to her knees just as Hazel did the same, spitting and wiping mud from her face. Hazel’s torn dress had all but fallen away, tangled around her waist. Her oversized bra had been compromised—one tit now loose and exposed.

“FUCK YOU!” Hazel screamed, her overconfidence replaced with a rage more intense than ever before. She plunged her hand into the water beside her and came up with a fistful of mud. Amber responded in kind as they closed the distance once more.

Their bodies collided. Both struck out with muddy hands, slamming them into each other’s faces. Instead of pulling back, they pressed their palms in, grinding the filth into mouths, eyes, and nostrils. Their free arms wrapped around each other, drawing them in close even as they forced each other’s heads back, straining their necks.

Their bodies mashed together—breasts compressing, knees interlocking. But the focus remained on their faces. Amber felt muddy fingers pushing into her nostrils and retaliated by shoving filth into Hazel’s mouth. A bitten finger was her reward. Unfazed, she hooked her index finger inside Hazel’s mouth and pulled, stretching her cheek as her own face was clawed in return.

They toppled to one side, landing face to face in the water. Instantly, they resumed their roll, never letting up on the facial torture. They clawed, yanked, slapped, and tore at one another’s faces, occasionally plunging a hand into the water to replenish their mud supply before mashing it into their rival’s eyes and mouth.

Eventually, fatigue began to take its toll. Their many fights were catching up with them. Still, they fought on, stubbornness outweighing exhaustion. Their rolls slowed. What had once been a frantic whirl of shifting dominance was now a sluggish back-and-forth, each woman spending a few seconds on top before being heaved off.

Their attacks dulled. Where hands had once raked with furious intent, now they only weakly slapped and pulled.

The flurry ended with Amber on top, Hazel too exhausted to resist. A good thing, too—Amber wasn’t sure she had the strength to keep her down if she’d tried to escape.

For a while, they simply panted, too winded to move. Amber looked down at her rival’s face. Where it wasn’t obscured by mud, her skin was red with slaps and covered in bruises both new and old. Scratches criss-crossed her face, blood beading from several cuts. Amber doubted she looked much better. A drop of blood collected on the tip of her nose and fell, landing almost perfectly on Hazel’s exposed nipple.

“So,” Amber panted between heavy breaths. “Are you going to admit defeat? Or would you rather I shove your ugly face under the water until you stop struggling?”

She waited, keeping her face well out of reach. She didn’t know if Hazel had the energy for another mud-slap, but she wasn't going to make the same mistake as her opponent. She wondered if Hazel was playing out the same thought process she had earlier. She expected her to come to a similar decision.

She didn’t disappoint. Instead of surrendering, Hazel spat at her. A wad of bloody, muddy saliva missed Amber’s face and struck her chest. Futile—but defiant. No concession.

Amber made good on her threat. She placed her hand on Hazel’s cheek and shoved her head sideways, pushing it beneath the shallow water. Hazel kicked and thrashed as air ran low, but Amber shifted her weight, planting her bare buttocks firmly on Hazel’s half-bare chest, pinning her down.

Amber felt a sick thrill as her enemy’s struggles became frantic. The panic. The desperation.

Then something slid beneath her arms—Hazel’s legs. Freed from beneath Amber, they hooked under her armpits, feet locking beneath her chin. With a heave, Hazel toppled her backwards. Amber splashed into the water just as Hazel’s head broke the surface, coughing and gasping.

They lay side by side, head to foot, both panting for air.

“You… whore!…. You… tried to… kill me!” Hazel managed to choke out between gasps.

“Like you… weren’t going to do… the same thing!” Amber wheezed.

“Fuck you… slut!... Let’s see how… you like it!”

Hazel raised her leg and planted her filthy bare foot on Amber’s face, pressing down and forcing her under. Amber writhed, but her body was too weak to break free. She clawed at Hazel’s leg. When that didn’t work, she raised her own foot, slamming it into Hazel’s face and shoving her under in turn.

Hazel thrashed as Amber felt claws raking down her legs in retaliation.

They struggled underwater, locked in mutual destruction. It seemed the victor would be whoever could hold her breath longer. Amber had gone under first, but Hazel’s lungs were already weakened from her earlier dunking. She hoped it was enough to give her the advantage, but couldn’t be sure.

Her chest burned. Her body took over, inhaling a mouthful of foul water as she desperately fought for air. Frantic, she released the pressure on Hazel’s face. As soon as she did, Hazel did the same. They surged upwards, coughing and choking for air.

They stumbled to all fours, retching up filthy water, gasping. Minutes passed before either could speak.

When they finally stood, both swayed unsteadily. They stared across at each other—wet, filthy, bruised, and barely standing.

“You…… cxnt!” Amber choked out.

“You…… whore!” Hazel spat back.

It was all that needed to be said.

They staggered forwards, collapsing into each other, propped up only by the other’s body. Amber rested her arms on Hazel’s shoulders and gripped her hair, yanking down. Hazel mirrored her, one hand yanking Amber’s hair back, the other digging nails into her shoulder.

“Fuck…… you.” Hazel growled, locking eyes with her enemy as her grasp tightened.

“Fuck…… you.” Amber replied, unblinking.

They were spent, down to their last reserves. Still, they chose to use what remained to hurt and insult each other.

Amber wondered what it would take to end this. At this rate, it would be unconsciousness... or death.

“Amber?”

They froze at the sound of the voice, still clutching at each other.

“Hazel?”

Eyes wide with shock now more than rage, they turned slowly—still holding one another—to the source.

Ben and Kyle stood there, mouths agape. Their girlfriends stood locked in each other’s arms, covered in mud and blood, hands still busy trying to tear each other apart.

Amber and Hazel turned to look back at one another, not saying a word, but their thoughts clear.

Oh shit



Chapter 9

Coming soon... for real this time.

[Doc Holliday]

I was so excited to see this! Definitely one of the best stories I have read in a while. Can’t wait for the next chapter!

[sidekick]

I love the obsession and the hatred. What a hot story!

[emmaduncxn]

THIS IS PEAK 10/10 EXCITED FOR MORE!!!

[emmaduncxn]

you are 100% an all time favourite writer of mine now. you are a GOAT, bruh! this is absolute perfection

[B-Anna]

Only getting better and better

[Guy Incognito]

With slightly less of a wait this time, here are the last 3 chapters of the story.



Chapter 9 - Busted


Amber and Ben sat side by side on the bed, neither saying a word. Amber, for her part, was talked out; she’d just spent the last thirty minutes explaining everything that had happened tonight between herself and Hazel—starting from their first encounter at the gala, to their fight under the table; the earring debacle, their clash in the bedroom and its aftermath; finally, their meeting and subsequent fight in the garden, right up to when Ben and Kyle had found them.

She’d laid bare her entire personal history with Hazel—their early friendship, the falling out, and their eventual fight. There wasn’t much point leaving anything out at this stage.

After being found in the pond, both women had sheepishly stumbled over to their respective boyfriend. Upon reaching Ben, Amber’s exhaustion had caught up with her. The adrenaline from the fight had ebbed away, leaving her with nothing but pain and aching bones. She’d collapsed into Ben’s arms and passed out.

Next thing she knew, she was lying on a four-poster bed. At first, she’d wondered if it had all been an insane dream, if this was her own bed she’d woken up in. The pain she felt told her that wasn’t the case. She was naked, her body free from mud and blood; apparently, Ben had carried her all the way back to the house, unconscious, removed her filthy clothes, washed away the grime and laid her on the bed, waiting patiently for her to wake up. She'd felt a pang of guilt, realising how well he’d taken care of her, knowing how much trouble she’d likely caused him.

She’d sat up, body aching, eyes drooping. The room looked strikingly similar to the one she’d fought Hazel in hours ago. Was it hours? It could have been days for all she knew. Ben was sitting on the edge of the bed, not looking her way. He was wearing just his shirt and tie, and Amber realised with renewed guilt that his overcoat must have been caked in mud from carrying her here.

She’d sidled over to the side of the bed, sitting beside him. He’d turned to her, smiling reassuringly, and opened his arm, allowing her to cuddle up to him. It was in his arms that she’d launched into her full exposition of the night’s events.

As she finished and waited for Ben to respond, she realised he hadn’t spoken a word since he’d called her name back at the pond. Unbidden, tears began to well in her eyes.

“Ben, I’m so, so sorry,” she blurted, fighting back sobs. “I know how bad this is for you. I wanted to make a good impression on people, but I just couldn’t stop myself from acting like a child and getting into schoolyard fights. I… I understand if you don’t want to be with me after this.”

Ben turned to look her in the eyes for the first time since she’d woken. He pulled her close, hugging her tight.

“Hey, it’s OK. Don’t cry. I’m not breaking up with you over this, OK? I love you more than my reputation.”

This only made Amber feel guiltier. She’d caused all this stress for him, and his first thought was still to reassure her.

“Honestly, it’s not even that bad,” he continued. “I mean, yes, it’s not great. There are some people who are going to look down on me for having the kind of girlfriend who gets into fights. But honestly, those people would probably look down on me for having a ‘lower-class’ girlfriend anyway, so it’s not that much of a loss.” He smiled. “I’m more worried about what my parents are going to think. It’s going to be an interesting Christmas this year.”

Amber cracked a smile despite herself. “Maybe we should have Christmas with my parents instead,” she joked. “Is it really not that big of a deal? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”

Ben licked his lips. He seemed nervous, but Amber wasn’t entirely sure why.

“Look, the politics of these kinds of things are more about how you spin it than anything else. People who benefit from hurting my reputation are going to make out that my girlfriend is a savage who can’t be controlled. My spin doctors can frame it that my girlfriend is a badass who doesn’t take shit from anybody.” He laid a hand on her leg protectively. “The truth.”

Amber started to cry then, the relief overwhelming her. She still couldn’t be sure how much Ben was just trying to protect her feelings, but she allowed herself to believe him.

Ben swallowed, clearly still nervous about something. “So… when we got to the garden and saw you fighting, you were lying in the pond. You had her head under the water and were holding it there with your foot. She had yours under too.” He swallowed again. “Were you… actually going to do it? You know…?”

Kill her. He obviously couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Amber thought about it, trying to recall what had been going through her mind at the time.

“I honestly don’t know,” she admitted. “In the moment, I just wanted to make her suffer as much as possible. Maybe, if it came down to the last second, I’d have seen sense and stopped. But I really can’t say for sure.”

“Is that going to be an issue?” she asked when he didn't respond immediately. “That your girlfriend maybe almost killed someone?”

“Actually, no. I don’t think it will be. Nobody saw that part of the fight except the two of you, me, and Kyle. And seeing as Hazel seemed to be trying pretty hard to drown you too, I doubt they’ll want to accuse you of anything.” He smirked. “Plus, if they admit that you nearly killed her, it’ll make out that she was losing. They’ll want to make it seem like she was winning. Obviously, you were winning, but they’ll still try to spin it that way. Honestly, I just wanted to know if I was sleeping with a cold-blooded killer or not.”

Amber blushed at the obvious attempt at flattery, but didn’t dissuade him.

“I don’t know about cold-blooded! I think both our blood was running pretty hot at the time.”

Ben smirked mischievously. “Well, that’s a shame. I quite like the idea of you choking me out in the bedroom.”

Amber smiled back. She wasn’t sure if he was joking or not. “Well let's head home and we'll see how things go, shall we?”

She stood, ready to leave. “So, how exactly are we gonna smuggle me out of here? I probably shouldn’t just walk out the front door in my birthday suit. Good luck trying to “spin” that!”

Ben stared at his toes. “I… actually wasn’t planning on going home straight away. I’d like to run some damage control before we go. Not trying to guilt you, don’t worry. It would just be a good idea to at least show myself before we slink off, given everything that’s happened.”

Amber smiled. “That's ok, I get it… I think. I can stay up here and you can come get me when you're done?”

Ben shuffled his feet. “Actually, it would be better if you came with me.”

Amber frowned. “Look, babe, I do really want to make this right. But you have to understand—I don’t think Hazel and I are capable of being in the same room without a fight breaking out. If she’s out and about, I need to stay away.”

Ben finally worked up the courage to look her in the eye.

“Actually, it’s the opposite; if she's out and about, you have to be out and about to.”

Amber was confused. Ben’s words tumbled out quickly, as if he feared that if he stopped, he’d never start again.

“Look, I can try and spin your fight in a way that looks good for me… for us. It won’t be easy, but it’s doable. And it’d be easier for me if people think that you got into a fight and won, rather than started one and lost.”

He cut her off as she opened her mouth to argue. “I know you didn’t lose. But if Kyle’s smart, he’ll try to make out that Hazel won. And since nobody was there to see it, nobody can prove otherwise.

A lot of people saw us carrying the two of you back into the house. They saw the state you were both in. If Hazel shows her face at the party and you don’t, people will assume you were worse off.”

Amber folded her arms. The idea that people might think Hazel had beaten her touched a nerve. She knew Hazel thought like her—knew Hazel couldn’t stand the idea of losing to her either, even if it was only in the eyes of others. So it was logical to assume Hazel would definitely show her face downstairs again. And so, not to be outdone, Amber had to do it too.

“OK,” she said. “I understand. I’ll join you at the party. But we’ll have to stay away from those two. And if we do end up near them, I want you between Hazel and me.”

Ben still looked sheepish. Amber wasn’t sure what else he could be nervous about.

“That’s the thing, sweetie. If you show your face downstairs and she doesn’t, that’s the best-case scenario. You look like the victor. If she does show her face…”

“She will.” Amber was sure of it.

Ben nodded. “Then here’s the thing. I’ll try to spin it that you won, and Kyle will try to spin it that she won. What people believe will depend on how you both look and act at the rest of the party—who’s more bruised, who looks more tired, that sort of thing.

The more we can make it seem like you were the victor, the better. The best way to do that would be if people had seen the two of you fighting first-hand. But since nobody was there those other times…”

“You want me to fight her again,” Amber said flatly, realisation dawning. “In public. In front of everyone.”

Ben smiled, embarrassed. “Well… that would be the best-case scenario, yes. So long as you win. Which you obviously will.”

This time, she didn’t find the flattery charming.

“You want me to make a public spectacle of myself. For the sake of your reputation.”

Ben threw his hands up defensively. “Hey, if it's not something you’re comfortable with, you don't have to do it. Like I said, I love you more than my reputation. Besides, so long as you’re seen at the party, I should still be able to spin this in our favour.

It’s just that… if you were to beat her publicly, that would be the best case. I just thought, if you were OK with it… given that you’ve already been caught fighting her…”

Amber cut him off. “That’s really not the same thing. You’re asking me to make a spectacle of myself. To put on a display for an audience of aristocrats. For your reputation. I get that it doesn’t seem like anything different to what we’ve been doing all night, but it really is.” She sighed. “Look, I know I’ve put you in a horrible situation, and I’m really sorry. I want to make it up to you, but what you’re asking me to do… it’s just not something I’m comfortable with.”

“No, I totally get it,” Ben said. “You don’t have to explain. If you don’t want to do this, I won’t make you. I honestly shouldn’t have brought it up.”

A moment of silence passed.

“Are we good?” Ben asked.

Amber thought about it for a moment more. “Yeah, we’re fine. Let’s get back to this party.”


Chapter 10 - Puzzle

The party was quieter than it had been. A glance at a wall clock told her it was past two in the morning. Still, the place felt far too crowded for Amber. Everyone they passed seemed to look at her, breaking into quiet whispers when they thought she was out of earshot. “There goes the girl who got into a fight in the garden,” she imagined them saying. “She got beaten up so badly her boyfriend had to carry her back.”

Her new outfit didn’t help her self-consciousness; there was no question of wearing her old dress, given its condition. Luckily, she had a change of clothes in the car, which Ben had retrieved. Unluckily, it consisted of jeans, a T-shirt, underwear, and a pair of trainers. Under normal circumstances, this would be the kind of clothing she felt most comfortable in. Here, though, she stood out like a sore thumb.

Sore was the right word. Her body throbbed with the wounds of multiple intense fights. Her face was a mess; the bruises and cuts had proven impossible to conceal without making her look like a party clown. After struggling with makeup for a while, she’d given up. If Hazel had managed to cover hers up, Ben had said, guests could infer that her injuries were so much worse than Amber’s that they needed to be hidden to save face. And so, she arrived back at the formal gala proudly sporting a black eye and a T-shirt with a picture of a frog on it.

All this led to a very anxious Amber. After arriving back at the party, she’d managed to hang on to Ben’s arm for about ten minutes as he chatted with various party-goers. They all made a nominal effort not to stare at her as they spoke to her boyfriend, but even Amber could tell they were there to check out the freak. She tried her best to put on a strong face, and she thought she’d done a decent job considering how shit she felt.

Ten minutes was about all she could stomach of people openly staring. She told Ben she was stepping out of the way for a while. He smiled and squeezed her hand, assuring her he wouldn’t be too long. She made her way to the corner of the room, stopping a waiter along the way to grab a glass of wine to calm her nerves.

There she remained. People were still looking at her—she could tell. She wondered if they thought they were being subtle, or if they just didn’t care. She put on what she hoped was an air of aloofness, although she wasn’t 100% sure what that word meant. At the very least, she thought, nobody would try to talk to her over here.

“Amber, hey!”

She turned towards the voice to see Ruby approaching, a look of concern on her face. Amber felt a mix of anxiety at having to continue conversing, but relieved that it was a least a friendly face.

“Are you OK?” Ruby asked, giving her a brief hug. “I saw you and Hazel in the garden. I thought… well, I don’t know what I thought, but it didn’t look good.”

Something clicked in Amber’s mind—a piece falling into a jigsaw she hadn’t even realised was missing pieces. “You brought Ben and Kyle over to where we were.” she said.

“Yeah. I came back from my bathroom break and saw you both in the water. You were kicking water at each other at first, and I didn’t know what I was seeing exactly. Then you just… went for each other! I panicked and ran back to the house to get Ben and Kyle.”

Amber tried not to feel annoyed. Ruby was the one responsible for getting them caught, but she had been trying to help. Weary, she plastered on a smile, hoping she looked more confident than she felt.

“Yeah, sorry you had to see that. I'm fine, just a bit tired and banged up.”

Ruby licked her lips. “What… happened down there? Did she just attack you or something? What’s going on with the two of you?”

Amber smiled. “We used to be friends. Years ago. We had a bit of a falling out. Well—a lot of a falling out, I guess. We ended up having a big fight. Since then, we’ve not been able to stand the sight of each other. It was just a coincidence we were both here tonight.”

Ruby’s eyebrows rose. “Wow, that's crazy! What are the chances of that?”

“I know, right? Actually, that wasn’t the first fight we had tonight. We had a bit of a tussle under the table when we first ran into each other, then a bigger fight in one of the bedrooms. We thought it might get the tension out of our systems, but it kind of went too far. And obviously, it didn’t work.”

Amber wasn’t sure why she was telling Ruby all of this. She didn’t even know the woman very well. Maybe it was because Ruby was the first person she’d met at this place who didn’t seem to be playing a game. Maybe she just wanted a girlfriend to talk to. Either way, she somehow felt comfortable spilling her guts to this virtual stranger.

She continued. “I joined you in the garden when you offered, just to be away from her. I knew what would happen if we were together. Then she showed up anyway. When you left, you didn’t know it, but you were essentially leaving two lit matches in a powder keg. It wasn’t very long after you left that we started going for it. We went pretty hard too. We nearly drowned each other in that fountain.”

Ruby’s eyes were wide as saucers. “Holy shit! I obviously knew something was going on, but I didn’t realise… under the table, you said?”

“Yeah. It’s… kind of embarrassing. We were sitting opposite each other and had a bit of a foot fight. When Ben and Kyle left, we ended up going under the table and having a little rolling match.” She smirked. “Actually, it’s pretty funny. We got our earrings tangled together. We had to head upstairs all tangled up to free ourselves.”

Ruby laughed. “Yeah, I imagine it wasn't so funny for you at the time!”

“God, no! I was shitting myself. We almost got caught a couple of times."

“I’ll bet! And then you nearly drowned each other? Jesus, that’s intense. I’m just glad you’re OK. I’m actually thinking of heading off soon—I just wanted to check on you. Honestly, I didn’t expect to see you again tonight given the state you were in.”

Amber felt a surge of pride knowing she’d impressed this woman. “Yeah. I appreciate it, Ruby. Take care.”

They exchanged a quick hug before Ruby turned and headed for the door. Amber was pleased that, despite how bad the night had been, she’d at least met one person who seemed nice. After all, it wasn’t Ruby’s fault she had caused so much grief. She actually seemed completely oblivious to the harm she’d caused. Unusually oblivious, given how smart she seemed.

Something nagged at the back of Amber’s mind. She felt like there was something she was forgetting. The hole in the jigsaw had been filled, but some of the pieces didn’t seem to fit right. She knew now who had told on her—but something still wasn't adding up.

She mulled in her corner for a while, before her nagging feeling won out over her anxiety. She strode out confidently back into the party.

She was looking for Ben, but instead stumbled upon Kyle. Panic struck briefly, but a quick glance told her Hazel was nowhere to be seen. Still, it probably wasn’t wise to talk to him. She approached and tapped him on the back.

He looked surprised to see her, and he seemed to struggle to make eye contact. She wasn’t sure if it was the state of her face or the brawl with his girlfriend that made him suddenly shy.

“Amber, I… how are you?” he stammered. Clearly, this wasn’t a conversation he’d been expecting.

Amber ploughed on regardless, ignoring the question. “Kyle, when you found me and Hazel out in the garden, how long had passed since the last time you saw her?”

Kyle looked even more confused. “I dunno… forty minutes maybe? No, more like an hour. It was about forty minutes when someone told us you’d been seen… in the pond together.”

Amber ran a few numbers in her head. A piece of the jigsaw fell into place. She nodded thanks and turned to leave, then paused. Something he had said had seemed odd.

“When someone told you we were fighting? Who?”

Poor Kyle looked even more confused. “I… don’t know her name. Just someone who’d heard a rumour from someone else. Ben and I didn’t know whether to believe it, but we had to check it out. Amber, what’s this about?”

Amber ignored his question, the nagging in her head louder than ever. “So it wasn’t Ruby who told you?”

“Ruby? No, it wasn’t her. Why would it have been Ruby? Amber?”

But Amber was already leaving, running out of the door; she needed answers, and the source of them was fleeing the scene.

She caught her in the foyer, taking her coat from a doorman.

“Ruby!” Amber called. “Can I speak to you for a moment?”

Ruby tilted her head. “Well, I am pretty tired. I was hoping to get to bed before three.”

“It'll only take a minute.”

Ruby shrugged. “Alright then.”

Amber waited until the staff member was out of earshot. “I just want to make sense of something. Kyle said about forty minutes passed between Hazel heading to the garden and you telling him we were fighting. Let’s say it took Hazel ten minutes to get to the garden. She’d have needed to move fast, but let’s be charitable. That still leaves thirty minutes between Hazel arriving and you getting back to the house.

You left us soon after Hazel arrived. You went back to the house, found a bathroom, came back, saw us fighting, then headed back to the house to tell Kyle and Ben.” She folded her arms. “You must’ve been going quick to make that walk three times in thirty minutes. You’d probably have to run to do it in ten. And that’s ignoring the time spent in the bathroom.”

Ruby smiled, throwing up her hands in mock surrender. “Hah! Alright, you caught me. I said I was going back to the house, but I just went round the corner to piss in a bush. You got me dead to rights.”

Amber nodded. “OK. So you pissed, came back, saw us fighting, then ran back to the house to tell Ben and Kyle?”

Ruby nodded. “Yeah, that’s pretty much it. I ran pretty fast—I didn’t know if you guys were OK. I was afraid to stop you myself, so I ran back to get help from Ben or Kyle.”

Amber wasn’t convinced. “Sounds like you were pretty urgent to get our boyfriends. Except you didn’t, did you? Kyle says someone else told him. He didn’t even know you were the original source. So it sounds like you told someone, who told someone else, and it eventually passed down to Kyle and Ben.”

Ruby looked worried. “Amber, are you accusing me of something?”

Amber took a threatening step closer to the seemingly nervous woman. “I’m not sure. Maybe there’s a good explanation. I’m still waiting for you to give it. Because right now, it seems a lot like you deliberately set Hazel and me up to fight, waited nearby until it started, then ran back to the house to gossip.”

Ruby didn’t respond right away. Would she try to deny it? Was there a logical explanation for the discrepancies Amber had noticed?

Eventually, Ruby’s face broke into a smile. “Alright, fine. You got me. Guess you’re not as clueless as you seemed.”

Amber was shocked. “So… it's true! You set us up!”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “Well, I didn’t set you up, exactly. I just gave you enough rope to hang yourselves—and you did. What was it you said? I left two lit matches in a powder keg?”

Amber felt a fury building—one she usually reserved for Hazel. “What I don’t get is, how did you know we’d end up fighting?”

Ruby laughed cruelly. “Oh, please! I took one look at you and knew something was up! Your hair was a mess, your makeup was shit and clearly covering marks, and there was something up with your underwear. Ben couldn’t see it with a man’s eyes, but it was crystal fucking clear to me.

I didn’t know exactly what was going on, but I knew it was something. An affair, maybe. So I asked you to walk with me. I thought if I buddied up to you, you might fuck up and let something slip. Or maybe trust me enough to confide in me. When Hazel showed up, it was obvious you were both uncomfortable. I had no idea why, so I thought I’d let you two think you were alone and see what happened. I honestly couldn’t have imagined what happened next!”

“And then you saw us fight and came back here to gossip!” Amber finished, her voice dangerously low. “But why?”

Ruby laughed again—this time with genuine mirth. “Come on, are you really that naïve? For dirt on Ben and Kyle! This is how you get ahead in our kinds of circles. You have to be underhanded. Undermine your enemies. Especially as a woman! You think I got where I am by being honest and kind? You think the men would’ve let me? I saw you were weak, and I exploited that. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way this world works.

Like I said, I didn’t make a fool of you—you did. I just capitalised. And then you came to me afterwards and told me everything! You even gave me stuff I didn’t know. You nearly drowned each other? That’s a juicy tidbit! Honestly, how fucking stupid can—”

She didn’t get to finish. Amber had her by the front of her dress, slamming her against the wall. Ruby gasped in surprise.

Amber leaned in until their noses met. “You used me as a pawn. Fuck you. I should kick your fucking ass right here and now.”

By now, Ruby had regained some composure. “You could. Honestly, that’d be great for me. Then you’re not just the girl who got into one fight at a gala—you’re the one who attacked two people. One of whom was completely defenceless. Even the best spin doctor couldn’t make that look good for you and Ben. Hazel wins too. If you attack two people, it makes you look like the crazy one. She’ll come off as an innocent victim, fighting back against a raging bully.”

Amber growled in frustration. She knew Ruby was manipulating her, but that didn’t make any of it less true. Ruby had embarrassed her—and Hazel. And if she tried to take revenge, she’d somehow end up worse off. But how could she let it end like this? With Ben’s reputation in tatters thanks to this bitch, and no way to fight back without making it worse?

She came to a decision.

She let Ruby go, her knuckles white from clenching. “You should leave. If you’re still here when I’m done, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself from beating the shit out of you. And this time, I won’t hold back from fucking ending you. Ben and I would be fucked—but you wouldn’t be around to enjoy it.”

She turned to leave, then paused. “This isn’t over,” she added, before walking back into the party.

A voice called out from behind her. “Done doing what? Where are you going?”

Amber didn't look back.

“To finish what I started.”


Chapter 11 - Spin

It didn’t take Amber long to spot her quarry, now that she was actively hunting. Over by the buffet table, wearing a fresh dress after the old one had been destroyed.

Of course Kyle had been able to source a new dress; this was his place. This one was light blue and longer than her previous one, reaching down to her feet; all the better to hide the bruises. Its long sleeves covered bruised arms, her hair compensating for the low cut back. Clearly, a lot of thought had gone into making sure she was as covered as possible. Amber felt a renewed self-consciousness at her own attire. She shrugged off her doubts and headed in the direction of the buffet table.

On the way, she grabbed two wine glasses from a passing waiter. She made to walk away, but changed her mind, downing one before replacing it with a third. She made her way over to the buffet table with two glasses in hand.

When she sidled up next to Hazel, it took a second for the other woman to notice as she selected food to add to her plate. When she looked up, she performed an almost comical double take. Amber nearly laughed.

Hazel’s shock was soon replaced by anger and bewilderment. “Are you fucking crazy?” she hissed, careful not to let other guests hear. “Why the fuck would you want to be anywhere near me?”

Amber didn’t answer. Instead, she held out one of the glasses. Hazel raised an eyebrow, surprised by the olive branch. After a pause, she took the glass, taking a sip.

“Thanks,” she muttered, still clearly confused.

Amber nodded. She noticed that Hazel had tried to conceal her wounds, unlike her. The makeup on her face was thick, and it hadn’t managed to fully cover the damage. Amber felt a slight satisfaction at the swollen lip that makeup couldn’t conceal.

Amber wondered what her conversation with Kyle had been like. How similar had it been to hers with Ben? Had he also promised to spin the narrative in their favour? Had he also suggested one last fight in public to determine a victor in the eyes of the crowd? Had Hazel also refused?

Amber thought all of this, but said, “Did you figure out we were being played?”

Hazel’s confused expression told her the answer. Amber went on to explain everything she’d figured out, and everything Ruby had told her. As she spoke, Hazel’s expression fluctuated between surprise and anger, just as her own had minutes ago.

“That bitch!” Hazel exclaimed as soon as she was finished. “I hope you gave her what she had coming to her!”

“I couldn’t,” Amber replied, still smarting at Ruby's clean escape. “It wouldn’t have been a good look for me to attack someone else tonight. But I won’t forget this. She’ll get what she deserves.”

“Good. I hope you teach that bitch a lesson she won’t forget.”

Amber couldn’t help but smile at the irony. For a moment, it felt like the two of them might make up, united by a common enemy. They were talking to one another like they hadn’t come close to killing each other only hours before, like they were friends again. It was a shame it wouldn’t last.

“So, what do we do now then?” Hazel asked.

“Ruby got away with fucking mine and Ben’s reputation. The damage is already done, but we can try to make it easier for him to spin in our favour.”

“Alright, and how do we do that?”

Amber casually glanced at the room around her. A few people had looked their way when they started talking; the two women who’d had a fight were chatting—how could people resist watching to see what happened next? By now, though, most had lost interest; they were just chatting politely—it didn’t seem like anything interesting was on the cards.

“I do this.” Amber threw her drink in Hazel’s face. She was caught off guard, shock plastered across her now damp features. The makeup carefully applied to cover wounds started to run. Amber glanced around once more, noting that a couple of people nearby had turned to look their way, attention caught by her attack. Perfect.

Now just take the bait, Amber thought. Hazel didn't disappoint.

“What the fuck! You BITCH!” she yelled. Amber felt a sting in her eyes as she was drenched in Hazel’s own wine, directly from the glass Amber had given her. As she wiped the wine away, she could see other partygoers turning to look in their direction. Exactly as she’d hoped.

“What the hell did you do that for?!” Hazel screamed, indignant. Amber almost felt sorry for her, seeing her confusion. Almost.

“Because you tried to fucking kill me earlier, bitch!” she yelled. No point trying to hide that fact now—Ruby would make sure everyone knew. Better to own it, Amber imagined.

“Fuck you! Like you weren’t trying to do the exact same thing!”

Amber scoffed. “I wasn’t trying to do anything. I could’ve killed you if I wanted—I just chose to let you live.”

It was Hazel’s turn to scoff. “As if! You weren’t holding back shit and you still couldn’t beat me!”

By now, most of the room was listening to their loud argument. Amber lowered her voice so only Hazel could hear what she said next.

“Like how Kyle wasn’t holding back when he and I took a trip to the bedroom just now? When he learned how thoroughly I beat your ass, he couldn’t wait to get choked by me too.”

CRACK

The slap took her across the face. The room went pindrop silent, anyone who wasn’t already watching the altercation now directing their attention to the quarreling pair. The sting in her face felt like victory.

But she hadn’t won yet.

CRACK

Amber’s counter took Hazel across the face. She reeled, a snarl on her lips, before winding back for another hard blow.

CRACK

CRACK

They began trading slaps, initially taking turns to wind up and unload hard strikes on one another. Hazel’s face began to turn red where her makeup had run, although Amber imagined hers was just as bad, if not worse.

Quickly, the turn-taking fell apart. The two women slapped at one another with wild abandon, firing rapid blows first at faces, then without a target in particular as the rage took hold. Hands struck faces, shoulders and tits as they wheeled their arms.

It occurred to Amber how strange it was that nobody stopped them; this was supposed to be a high-class affair, and yet Amber had seen more concern over fighting in a nightclub bathroom. Still, she was happy nobody was stepping in; this had to end conclusively for her plan to work.

Before long, Amber felt hands tugging on her hair. She obliged, grasping handfuls of Hazel’s own. They began to yank at each other’s heads, stumbling in tight circles, legs tangling.

Hazel managed to pin her with her back to the buffet table, bending her over backwards, continuing to yank at hair. Pinned, Amber managed to get her foot between the two of them, pushing Hazel back with a hard kick with her trainered feet. Hands refused to release hair as the two flew apart, and a sharp pain and a loud ripping sound confirmed that both women would be leaving with less hair than they came in with.

Now with some distance between them—Hazel standing with clumps of hair clutched in her fists, Amber with her butt planted on the table—they took a second to regroup.

Only a second, though.

Hazel launched forwards, tackling Amber onto the table. They ended up lying on it, Hazel straddling Amber. Wary of a pin, Amber twisted her hips, sending Hazel tumbling to one side. The two immediately began to roll across the long table, colliding with various dishes and sending food crashing to the floor below.

Hands found hair once again, legs tangling as they rolled back and forth. The crowd, the food on the table—all forgotten as their focus was taken up entirely by destroying each other.

All of a sudden, Amber found herself wrestling on air. They had turned as they fought and toppled off the edge of the table. Amber landed first, hitting the wooden floor on her back. Hazel ended up on top, her fall cushioned by the body of her opponent. She took advantage, grasping Amber’s elbows, pinning them down. Amber struggled, but found herself completely pinned.

She started to panic; this was not how she’d expected things to go. Hazel had learned from previous mistakes, making sure Amber’s hands weren’t free to slap, and keeping her head well away regardless.

“Yield,” She growled.

Amber did not, but unless she found a way out of this predicament, she wouldn’t have much choice. She looked around frantically. She saw people standing nearby, caught Ben’s eye. His eyes were wide with fear and surprise. She wondered if he’d step in to save her. He’d better not.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp slap to the face. The crowd gasped as the blow struck.

“Yield!” Hazel yelled, more forceful this time.

Her head turned to one side, Amber caught sight of something that might save her. With limited mobility, she just managed to reach far enough to grab the edge of the tablecloth, askew thanks to the intense brawl but still mostly on the table.

Another slap took her on the other side of the face. This time, Hazel allowed herself to lean in slightly.

“Yield,” she said, quietly enough that the crowd might not hear. This was a demand meant for Amber, not the audience.

Amber's reply was a smirk. “Never!”

She tugged at the tablecloth, dragging the contents of the table off and sending them clattering down on top of the ladies on the floor. It wasn’t until after she’d pulled that Amber imagined them being skewered by a rain of knives—not that that would have changed her decision much.

Luckily, no knives fell. Instead, an array of foodstuffs scattered across the battlefield. Some kind of cake struck Hazel on the back of the head, exploding and knocking her down. Amber had a second to revel in her new freedom before a plate of turkey legs landed on her, coating her in grease.

She brought her arms up, shielding her head from the worst of the cascade. She felt wet things splatter on and around her, winced as something heavy struck her thigh. The sound of plates shattering was deafening.

When the chaos subsided, she opened her eyes, scrambled up into a kneeling position and surveyed the scene. All around her was carnage—broken plates and scattered food coating the floor. Pools of wine, gravy, custard, and other substances were slowly spreading, merging into strange patterns. The crowd had formed a circle around the two women. Those at the front were unlucky enough to be in the splash zone, with various foods staining the hems of dresses and the cuffs of trousers. Nobody seemed to care; all eyes were on the two combatants.

Both women were now on their knees. Hazel knelt across the circle from Amber, icing and cake flecked in her hair, her brand-new dress stained and greasy. Her makeup had gone, replaced by a face full of cream that she wiped away. Her heels were lost somewhere along the table. Amber's own body had not fared much better—her shirt and jeans drenched in something brown and sticky.

A moment passed. This lull in the combat would have been an excellent time for someone to break it up. Nobody tried. Amber glanced around the room. She spied both Ben and Kyle, stood apart, watching with awe. Neither moved. Good.

The pause also offered a perfect opportunity to de-escalate. Either woman could have walked away. Amber never would, of course. One look into Hazel’s eyes confirmed she felt the same.

They pounced.

Rearing up on their knees, their bodies collided hard, sending droplets of food flying. Both grunted as bruised breasts and stomachs smacked together. Arms wrapped around backs, Amber raked her claws across Hazel’s bare upper back. Obstructed by Amber’s shirt, Hazel grabbed the fabric and tore, exposing skin to claw at.

They squeezed hard, rocking from side to side. Eventually, as always, they toppled, rolling through puddles and scattered food. Amber winced as she rolled over shards of crockery, glass embedding in her bare arms and the skin beneath her torn shirt.

Recalling the pond, both women grabbed at whatever food they found and mashed it into each other’s faces and torsos. Amber tasted chocolate cake, gravy, beer—and a few other things she couldn’t place—as Hazel rammed handfuls of floor food into her mouth. The taste was better than pond water, but not much more pleasant jammed in her eyes and nose.

They rolled beneath the table, getting caught in the cloth and sending more food crashing down on them. This time, the fight didn’t pause. They battled on as food, plates, and cutlery rained down.

Eventually, the pace slowed—three all-out battles in one night were catching up to them. Their rolls became less frantic, until they stopped altogether. This time, it was Amber who straddled Hazel.

Keeping in mind previous experience, she checked for any way that Hazel could escape. No tablecloths within range, no obvious food to grab. She pinned Hazel's arms with her own, keeping her from slapping, and tangled their legs.

“Yield!” she spat.

When Hazel predictably refused, Amber struck her with a hard slap.

“Yield!”

Another slap. The pinned woman writhed feebly, no escape. Amber wondered if she would ever give in. Had the positions been reversed, she didn't think she'd have thrown in the towel.

She released one of Hazel's hands. The exhausted woman made no attempt to utilize it. With one hand free, she pressed it lightly to Hazel’s throat.

“Yield, or I choke you out!” Amber demanded.

She never found out if Hazel would have.

Arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Startled, Amber panicked, illogically thinking Hazel had somehow escaped, and swiped at whoever had grabbed her. Kyle effortlessly batted her hand away.

“That’s enough,” he said, firmly but with a hint of sombreness. “This has gone too far.”

A few minutes later, as she and Ben left the room, his arm protectively around her shoulders, she caught the eye of a woman standing by the door. Ruby, observing from a distance.

The show over, she turned to leave, but not before smiling faintly and shooting Amber a nod. Amber couldn’t be sure, but she thought she knew what it meant.

Well played.


Epilogue

Amber sat in the passenger seat of Ben’s car. He was driving, having turned away their chauffeur at her request—she’d asked for privacy, and Ben had known better than to argue. He hadn’t complained about the state of the passenger seat, either; they had left the house without any detour, so Amber was still covered in the debris from her fight with Hazel. Her previously white T-shirt was stained a rainbow of colours. She wondered if she should keep it as a memento—assuming the smell of food could somehow be removed.

They’d been driving for ten minutes now, and not a word had been said. Amber was getting used to awkward silences by this point.

“Thanks,” Ben said at last, breaking the quiet. She didn’t have to ask what for.

“I didn’t do it for you,” she answered plainly. “I found out it was that girl, Ruby, who orchestrated the whole thing to discredit you. I didn’t like being used as a pawn in someone else’s game.”

Ben nodded. “Yeah. OK.” After a pause, he added, “But, y’know, it did make things a lot easier for me. Even if you were just doing it for yourself. So my thanks kind of still stands.”

Another brief silence followed. This time, Amber broke it.

“So, it’s good then? Even if Kyle broke things up before I could properly win?”

Ben nodded. “Yeah. That was pretty much the best-case scenario. Kyle stepping in to break it up was basically him throwing in the towel on her behalf. The message it sent was, ‘I don’t believe in my girlfriend to win this.’ That’s what people will think, anyway.”

Amber didn’t reply right away, revelling in the satisfaction. Kyle hadn’t believed Hazel could beat her. She wondered what kind of conversation those two were having now. She assumed Hazel would be furious at his lack of faith. The thought of them sleeping tonight in separate rooms brought her immense joy.

“Why didn’t you step in?” she asked suddenly. “When Hazel had me pinned—it looked like she was about to win. You could have stopped her.”

Ben smiled. “Isn’t it obvious? I knew you were going to win. I had faith in you.”

Amber smiled back. “Yeah, I knew that was the answer. Just wanted to hear you say it.”

She reached across, placing a hand on his crotch. She grinned to find him already erect.

“Looks like somebody was enjoying watching the fight,” she quipped, beginning to stroke.

Ben grinned. “Yeah, you two were pretty hot, going at it like that, covered in all that food.”

Amber abruptly paused mid-stroke, raising an eyebrow at him.

“I mean, you were hotter, obviously!” Ben blurted quickly. “And you were only wearing jeans and a T-shirt, so that’s really saying something.”

She smiled at his obvious panic. Good boy, she thought, returning to the job at hand.

[emmaduncxn]

BRO YOU ARE FUCKING GOATED!!! THAT'S A FUCKING MASTERPIECE FROM START TO FINISH, AND IT'S ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE AND MEMORABLE STORYELLING I'VE EXPERIENCED WHEN IT COMES TO STORIES WITHIN THIS FETISH! MOST ESPECIALLY CHAPTER 10, HOLY FUCK, THAT WAS CHEF'S KISS UNEXPECTED AND SUPERB, AND IT'S SUCH A BRILLIANT WAY TO BUILD FURTHER HYPE FOR MORE OF WHAT'S TO COME NEXT WHICH IS THE EPIC FINALE AS IF THE PREVIOUS FIGHTS WEREN'T ALREADY FUCKING EPIC ENOUGH!!!

okay enough all caps, holy shit! I've never been an ass kisser and I hate ass kissers, so know that I meant all of that genuinely! you are in my top 10 all time favourite writers -- maybe even top 5. you're a goddamn legend in my books, Guy! incognito person recognise incognito person, too!

I'm excited for more stories by you! keep cooking!

[Edududu]

I'm replying here for the first time, just because I've been following this story for a while now, and after finishing it, it might've become one of my favortie stories on this site.

Not only was the setting appealing and the fights very well written, but the creativity on display here was astounding. Balancing multiple different types of confrontation, while escalating the fights in a natural way, incorporating other characters into the plot and providing a satisfying conclusion with just enough room to return to the setting in the future? Truly astonishing.

To finish, I just wanted to add that I'll be waiting with bated breath for whatever you publish next, be it a sequel to one of your previous stories or a brand new thing. You're a top tier writer!

[sinclairfan]

BRO YOU ARE FUCKING GOATED!!! THAT'S A FUCKING MASTERPIECE FROM START TO FINISH, AND IT'S ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE AND MEMORABLE STORYELLING I'VE EXPERIENCED WHEN IT COMES TO STORIES WITHIN THIS FETISH! MOST ESPECIALLY CHAPTER 10, HOLY FUCK, THAT WAS CHEF'S KISS UNEXPECTED AND SUPERB, AND IT'S SUCH A BRILLIANT WAY TO BUILD FURTHER HYPE FOR MORE OF WHAT'S TO COME NEXT WHICH IS THE EPIC FINALE AS IF THE PREVIOUS FIGHTS WEREN'T ALREADY FUCKING EPIC ENOUGH!!!

okay enough all caps, holy shit! I've never been an ass kisser and I hate ass kissers, so know that I meant all of that genuinely! you are in my top 10 all time favourite writers -- maybe even top 5. you're a goddamn legend in my books, Guy! incognito person recognise incognito person, too!

I'm excited for more stories by you! keep cooking!

Things I liked about Chapter 10:

<> Ruby perfectly encapsulates the type of woman who tries to agitate two other women into a conflict.

<> The conversation explores how two women in a fight only discover later how the post-fight dynamics between them will play out.  Sometimes it succeeds in blowing off steam, and they resume going back to a normal relationship.  But other times there's still unresolved tensions.

<> Very unusual for a woman the be able to process a fight she's just lost so quickly afterwards.