by Lannah Smith
"Shut up," John replied, sending a subtle glance at Leon, who had settled himself on the chair opposite Rohan. "Did you find anything?"
"Here," Rohan gave him his iPad. "That's her."
John sat down next to Skull and looked at the picture on the screen. It was of Sophia Gideon. Blonde hair, tiny in stature. On the picture, she was in a classroom, looking out the window. It was hard to tell what the color of her eyes were or what her face looked like because the picture was blurry.
"Who the fuck took this picture?"
"Ed did." It was Skull who replied. "He's not very good at it."
"You think?" he asked sarcastically.
Skull exhaled and shifted on his seat. "I didn't even get a turn beating Dwayne's ass last night," he mumbled. "So quit bitching about the damn picture."
"I thought you wanted to play the good cop to Leon's bad?" Rohan asked.
"No," he corrected. "I wanted to be the bad cop and kick his ass. Especially since he cost me my exams."
"Fuck you, Skull," Rohan retorted. "I swear I'll beat Jim up myself if you keep on relying on him."
Skull glared at him. "You wouldn't."
"Try me."
Skull decided to change the subject. "Why did you volunteer to stay anyway?" he asked John.
John lifted a brow. "Because we forgot to tell him to shut his fucking mouth?"
Skull snorted. "After what we did, he'd absolutely not squeal. What did you do? Throw money at his face?"
"Nah." John slid his finger across the screen. "I just added a few choice threats."
And made him feel like death.
On the next picture, Sophia was sitting on the steps of the school, reading a book. It wasn't blurry anymore but he still couldn't make out what she looked like. With a defeated sigh, he handed Leon the iPad.
"She seems kind of plain," he remarked.
Skull disagreed. "I think she's cute."
"Well, she looks dumb to me," Rohan said, crossing his arms. "Anyway, she's new. Her family just moved to town last summer. Only child. She's a sophomore like you and Leon. Gets good grades. Not high, just average. Surprising since she's a massive bookworm. Always with a book in her hands every free time. Must be romance novels," he added with a snort.
"She's also a loner," Skull interjected. "Eats alone outside the cafeteria, goes to and from school alone. She walks but takes the bus when it's raining."
As John listened, he leaned back against the cushion of the couch and propped the heels of his boots on the coffee table. His eyes went to Leon, who was still staring at her picture. If Skull thought John looked like hell, then Leon was far worse than him. He didn't look at all well and the longer John watched him, the more concerned he became.
"Anything else?" he muttered, playing with his rings absentmindedly.
Silence.
He swerved his eyes back to them. "That's it?" he asked in surprise.
"I sent the gang out to find anything more about her," Skull told him. "Rohan's pretty much useless right now."
Rohan bared his teeth at him. "It's not my fault she's barely on the net."
"Doesn't she have Facebook?" John said.
"She rarely uses it. You know when her last post was? It was six months ago and it was about Harry Potter. And there's no useful information on her profile, anything to link her to the supplier. Even her inbox is fucking useless because she only talks about books with her friends from her old school. No Twitter, no Instagram, and her email inbox is nothing but subscriptions to Goodreads and Pottermore."
Skull frowned. "Wait. How'd you get into her email?"
"Her password's imfuckingboring123."
"Really?"
Rohan rolled his eyes in exasperation. "No, you idiot. I hacked into her email."
"Don't call me idiot."
"So why her?" Leon finally spoke and everyone turned to look at him. "Why does the supplier want her? According to you, she has no friends, has zero popularity and she's plain."
Skull cleared his throat and gave him a pointed look.
"Fine," Leon sighed. "She's cute."
Skull nodded his approval.
"I think we need to check her out in person," John suggested. "We're drawing a blank here. We can't even find who this supplier is because he was using a disposable phone whenever he contacted Dwayne. So whoever this douchebag is, he's fucking smart and knows well whatever it is he's doing. We need to know what attracted him to Sophia. And to do that, we need someone to get close to her, to be her friend or something."
"Good idea, John." Skull patted his back. "I knew we could count on you."
John blinked. "Wait, what?"
Rohan gave him a salute. "Your sacrifice will be always remembered."
Realization hit and his eyes went to Leon. "Hey, I didn't mean me."
But Leon was already in agreement with the rest. "Didn't you once brag to Skull that you're the Casanova of the group? The harem prince? The most handsome, the sexiest, the hottest—"
"Stop," John interrupted, lifting a hand up. "Or my heart's going to burst. You know I don't do well with compliments."
Both Skull and Rohan rolled their eyes at that.
"It can't be me." John leaned forward, putting his elbows to his knees. "It can't."
"Why?" Leon challenged. "Rohan can't do it. She's a year older and although that doesn't usually matter to him, he's not exactly the friendliest."
Rohan grinned and wagged his eyebrows. "I might make her cry."
John gave him a glare.
"And Skull?" Leon went on. "You think she'll be anywhere near him?"
"Why not?" Skull muttered unhappily. "I'm like a teddy bear. I won't hurt her."
"But you'll scare the shit out of her," Rohan gleefully said. "She's maybe around 5'2" in height and you're an impressive what? 6'4"? 6'5"? You think she won't take one look at you and not faint?"
Skull glowered at him and grudgingly acquiesced. "True." Then he gave John a resentful look. "I guess it'll have to be you, John. Leon's right. Girls swarm over you all the time that she won't be a challenge."
John never thought she would be.
But he still didn't like the idea.
He also didn't have a choice.
"Fine," he said with a long sigh. "I'll do it. She might fall in love with me, though," he pointed out. "You know I'm that irresistible."
"Better a broken heart than rape," Leon suddenly clipped.
With a start, John watched Leon knife out of his chair and marched out to the back deck. He glanced at Rohan, who just shrugged, and at Skull, who gestured for him to follow Leon. Clenching his jaw, he rose to his feet and went after Leon.
Leon was lighting a cigarette when he hit the deck. His eyes sliced to him and his expression turned cold. Leon didn't look good. He looked about ready to blow. John clenched his jaw. Saying nothing, he took a cigarette from Leon's pack and lit it.
After a while, he broke the silence to say, "Leon, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Leon mumbled, inhaling deeply from the cigarette and blowing out the smoke.
John wanted to take the cigarette out of his mouth. Shaking his head, he quietly said, "You don't have to do this, you know. If Sophia's not stupid, then she'd probably be alright."
"So you're saying we should just leave her be?" Leon questioned in disbelief, stubbing his cigarette on the ashtray on the railing. "What if she's not going to be alright, John? What if something bad happens to her and we could have helped her avoid it? Do you just want me to turn a fucking eye away?"
John's body went rigid. "That's not what I mean."
"Then what?"
"I don't want you to get hurt!" he answered angrily.
Leon's head jerked back and his eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I'm just afraid that this job, this fucking hobby is going to make you worse," he went on.
"Shut up," Leon hissed.
"You refuse to go to the doctors, refuse to take your medication."
"I said shut u
p."
"She's not her, Leon." John threw out his arm and continued, "Everyone of them. All those girls. All those people. They're not her. I know what you're feeling but you can't keep risking yourself when you don't even want to help yourself."
In a burst of anger, Leon grabbed John's collar and pulled him close until he was in his face. "What do you know about what I'm feeling?" he said through gritted teeth, his voice rough with emotion. "What do you know about losing someone you love? What do you know about losing a mother? You, who have everything you could ever want in life. What do you know about trying to protect someone but still lose them in the end and in the worst fucking way?"
Leon dropped his hand and stepped back, his face filled with pain, so much pain the sight of it almost brought John to his knees.
"You don't know. So don't. Don't fucking assume. I know I'm all kinds of fucked up but I'm trying to live. I'm trying. For her. For Mom. But it's hard, John. It's fucking hard."
John felt his face pale as horror saturated him.
"Leon," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
He got close but Leon stepped back.
"I told you. Over and over again." Leon's face was now a blank mask. "You don't need to be my friend anymore. The best friend you knew is gone. I'll only bring nothing but suffering to you if you stay by my side. So please." The mask cracked, showing a brief flash of guilt. "Please get away from me."
Then he left and went back inside. Frozen, John could only listen as Skull muttered something at Leon before his door opened and closed.
John moved then, throwing the ashtray to the floor where it shattered to pieces.
The fuck he's saying?
Get away? He wants him to get away?
Did he think he was friends with him because he felt sorry for him? Because he pitied him?
Bullshit. Fucking bullshit.
He wasn't going anywhere. He wasn't leaving him.
Not anymore.
John bristled with so much anger he was trembling. Hands clenched, he stared at the broken pieces on the floor, ignoring Skull and Rohan who had come out, asking him what had happened.
I tossed my pen down with a sigh and rubbed the back of my neck wearily. Turning my head, I saw Hannah talking to Sophia again. Well, annoying might be the correct word. She was once again messing with her, snatching her book from her grasp and teasing her. Sophia's face was of exasperation. I wouldn't blame the girl if she sucker punched Hannah one of these days.
"Terry, it's time for lunch."
My eyes slid to Cecil and Mary, who were standing by the door. They were both reluctant to come near me. I didn't fault them. I wasn't the easiest person to be around right now. All morning, I was in a mood because of the news of Haru's impending return and his so-called surprise. Whatever it was, I was certain I wouldn't like it.
But there was something else that made me feel uneasy all over. Deep down, in the pit of my stomach, there was a leaden weight which refused to go away. Something was making me feel edgy, like I was about to be tipped over into a world where everything was unfamiliar and dangerous.
Unbidden, a pair of green eyes came to mind and I shook my head furiously to rid of them.
Nonsense. This uneasiness was probably about Haru.
Expelling another gusty sigh, I stood up and glanced at Hannah's direction.
"Hannah, we're going to the cafeteria," I called out to her. "Are you coming?"
Hannah turned her head and grinned at me. "Yeah, I'm coming."
She said something to Sophia which made the latter scowl. I almost cracked a smile. It was obvious she wasn't happy with Hannah's attention.
"You should leave Sophia alone," I told Hannah when she was by my side. "She doesn't seem to like you."
She glanced back and laughed. "Oh, she likes me alright. She's just pretending not to."
I raised my brow at her as we followed our friends to the cafeteria. We continued our conversation as we got on the line to get our food.
"Why?" I asked. "I thought you wanted to be her friend. Doesn't she realize that?"
"It's because I keep picking on her. She's so cute when her face is scrunched up in anger, I couldn't help myself."
I shook my head at her. "I think you're bullying her."
She frowned as she handed me a tray. "I'm not. I'm just trying to make her like me."
"Well, I don't think you're doing a good job. I think she doesn't want you around."
"She's just playing hard to get," she giggled. Then she sobered and said cautiously, "So, I was thinking of inviting her to have lunch with us soon."
My hand stilled over the selections of yoghurt. Hannah was looking at me with such an earnest expression that I was bothered more by it then her sudden declaration.
"Why?" I asked.
She shrugged. "Because she seems so lonely."
"Will she even accept your invitation? She doesn't like you, remember?"
"She does, okay?" she answered in exasperation. "Look, I need your approval. I ran this idea with Mary and Cecil yesterday but they didn't like it because they're afraid of Ashley whatsherface. Sophia doesn't even know she's being isolated because of that gym incident."
I finished paying for my food and waited for her to do the same before we carried our trays over to our table. She was pouting, the way she always did whenever she wanted to get her way. I thought about it for a moment. I didn't know anything about Sophia or her background but I guess it wouldn't hurt to have her in our group. She seemed nice even though she was timid.
I'd deal with my family later if I have to. My parents had taught me when I was a child about the prudence of maintaining an appearance to preserve our status of prominence and to mainly associate myself with children of other wealthy families. Being the ever dutiful daughter, I had followed this dictate.
But for Hannah, who'd been my only genuine friend, who wasn't brittle or fake like everyone else of my acquaintances, I'd let Sophia in, whether her background was lofty or not. And besides, if she proved detrimental, I could always oust her before my parents knew.
Nodding at Hannah, I said, "Okay. You can invite her."
She beamed. "Really?"
"Yes." We reached our table near the cafeteria sliding doors and took our seats. "You can invite her tomorrow if you like."
She wrapped her arms around me and squealed in excitement, making Cecil and Mary wonder what we were talking about. I was about to tell her to get off me when a commotion outside got my attention. People were hurrying inside the cafeteria, pushing each other in their haste to get in, their faces anxious and afraid.
"What's going on?" Hannah asked them.
"He's here," a senior told us before running away, "Leon's here."
I watched Mary and Cecil exchange looks of panic before they ran to the opposite side of the cafeteria. Hannah, being her nosy self, stayed in place, her neck craning to look outside.
A wave of fear washed over me when I spotted John. He was standing under the shade of a tree, looking over at the cafeteria.
My throat began to choke me.
What was he doing here?
His eyes met mine and even in the distance, I saw them narrow.
For you.
Despite trying to get my mind off them, those words, those damn words continued to chime in my mind ever since I got the message. His message. There was no doubt it was from him. There was no doubt he was behind Dwayne William's fate. There was no doubt he knew something... troublesome about him.
But the question was... why?
Why did he send me that text message?
"Oh, no," I heard Hannah whisper.
Hesitantly, I turned my head towards her and saw her looking somewhere else.
"Sophia." She pointed and my eyes followed the direction of her finger. "Sophia's in trouble."
Confused, I watched Sophia for a moment before my gaze caught the figure drawing near her. My eyes widened when I recognized who it was.
Leon Gage
.
Chapter 9
10 years ago, John and Leon at age 6
John and Leon didn't become the best of friends their fathers expected them to be at first. In fact, they hardly talked to each other since their initial meeting.
