Chapter 154 How It All Started

Fifteen minutes before the lunch break ends, Cosette, the girls, and Maxen finished their meal. On their way to their room, the girls parted with Maxen to the restroom.

Walking through the corridor towards their room, Maxen slowed down. The hallway wasn't empty, but because of the familiar troublemakers, the scene was slightly tamed. Maxen ignored it, heading straight towards their room.

But alas, the long-haired Wyn blocked his way just as he could step inside the room. The latter's hands were shoved inside his pockets, tipping his head to the side.

Maxen fluttered his eyelashes ever so tenderly, glancing over his shoulders. Outside the room were Ja and Emyr. The bald guy wasn't around. When Maxen looked back at Wyn, he noticed the students inside the room looking back at him worriedly.

'Strange…' Maxen thought, recalling this wasn't the first time these three ambushed him so shamelessly. Sometimes, they would even drag him by the back of his collar.

Yet, these kids wouldn't look at him worriedly. In fact, most of them would look away. The very few people who would sneak a look at what was going on had a blend of relief and fear. They were relieved that they weren't these bullies' target, and then the natural fear they carried towards these troublemakers.

But now they looked at him with conflict in their eyes.

Was it because they had gotten to know him? Or was it because they knew Cosette favored Maxen? Whatever their reason was, one thing was for sure. They didn't change. They weren't Maxen's friends. Because if they were his friends, they wouldn't stand idly by, hesitating whether to jump in to help him or wait for the worse. Not that he wished for anyone to rescue him.

"Where is he?" Maxen asked after a moment of silence, setting his sharp eyes back at Wyn.

"The usual place."

Maxen rocked his head in understanding, taking a step back. Still carrying the bag containing their empty lunch box, Maxen sauntered away from the room. Wyn and the other two delinquents sneered as they looked at each other.

There were no words exchanged as the three followed Maxen's trail. Five minutes before the school bell rang, Maxen and the other three troublemakers reached an unused classroom, as the building would be renovated in a few months.

Maxen went past the broken door. As soon as he did, his eyes fell on the bald guy sitting in the front near the board. The chairs — almost everything was broken — were all squeezed into the corners, leaving the middle almost empty, with only a few chairs anyone could sit on.

Stopping in the middle, Maxen fixed his eyes on the delinquent. The latter was boldly smoking a cigarette. His legs were spread wide, arms on his thighs, eyes at Maxen.

"Aren't you lying low after getting out of the juvie?" Maxen inquired coldly, arching a brow as he noticed the three other guys left the room. "What do you want, Remo?"

The bald guy named Remo sneered. "I just want to chat." He pointed at the chair near Maxen, making the smoke of the cigarette in between his fingers sway.

"Take a seat."

"If you have nothing good to say, I'll go." Maxen raised his brows when he heard the sound of the bell, indicating lunch break was over. He turned around nonchalantly and was about to saunter off when Remo spoke.

"What does it feel?" asked Remo. "Having someone to cover up your crime?"

Maxen stopped as his jaw tightened, looking back at him with murderous intent in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You know what exactly what I am talking about, Max." Remo slowly stood up, keeping his cigarette to the side. "That fight… you're the one who stabbed him. I saw you with my own two eyes."

Remo took a long drag and cocked his head back, puffing the smoke ever so slowly. "And yet, this bastard had the gall to put on airs." He pulled his head back and his eyes instantly fell on Maxen.

"What do you think?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. "Don't you think I'm pretty capable? Like a loyal dog who will take a bullet for you."

Maxen stared at him dead in the eye before a dry laugh escaped his mouth. "You want… to be part of that thing?"

"Why not?" Remo shrugged. "You're born lucky. From a nobody to someone who can be somebody."

"Somebody... who will be on the run all his life?"

"Come on, Max. Don't act as if you never considered it."

"Even if I considered it once, why are you doing this?"

"Why am I doing this?" Remo laughed in ridicule, sizing up Maxen to know if he was joking. "I'm simply thinking about my ‌future. I don't like your people nor do they fascinate me; they're all sick in the head. However, it's not that bad. After all, it's not like we both had futures ahead."

"Don't use me as your stepping stone —"

"If you can be used, do you think I'll stay silent until now?" Remo cut him off, taking a step towards Maxen. He bent over, bobbing his face to examine the latter. "I'm not using you. I'm trying to make you someone I can follow. We had a special bond, so that's even more convenient."

"Hah...! Did the people in the juvie beat you until you lost the screws in your head?" Maxen tapped his temple mildly. "Can you hear yourself?"

Remo snorted. "Have you not changed your mind yet?" he cocked his head to the side. "Was it because of that chick? What is her name again? Co — Cozy?"

"You can keep my dick in your mouth, but leave her name out of it." This time, Maxen grabbed Remo's collar and ground his teeth, riled up upon the mention of Cosette's name. "Remo, I don't know what those people told you, but I don't have any reason to be a part of their sick world."

Maxen's grip tightened, moving his face closer to Remo. "Also, don't even think of touching Cosette. If you do, I might actually kill someone. I'm not joking Rem."

Maxen glared at Remo for an entire minute before pushing him away. He let out a sharp breath before turning around to walk away.

"You talk as if you want to protect her when, in fact, you're putting her in great trouble yourself."

pAn,D a-n0ve1,c-o-m Maxen once again stopped, looking back at Remo. The latter was taking out a stick of cigarette from the packet of cigarettes which he put in between his lips. Before lighting up the end of the cigarette, Remo cast Maxen a nonchalant look.

"What? Did you think you're free just because you refused their offer?" Remo sneered, cocking his head to the side. "They're always around. Why did you think this school accepted this juvenile kid again?"

He lighted up the cigarette, covering it with his other hand. Once the end was light up, Remo breathed out the smoke while keeping the stick of cigarette in between his teeth.

"This counts as a debt too, isn't it? There are many things you have and will thank me for. First, for taking the fall for that bastard's death, and second, for giving you this information." Remo took out the cigarette from his lips, holding it to the side, eyes fixed on Maxen. "They didn't want me to tell you they're still lurking around and watching you, but well… you'll be my boss in the future. As I said, I'm trying to put make an excellent record early by having bad records on the outside world."

"All they said is to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't turn up dead one of these days," he added in a knowing tone. "I don't need to do anything to hurt you. They will come for you. The only question is when? But you know what they are capable of. They always get what they want… by hook or by crook."

Maxen's body trembled in anger, balling his hands into a tight fist. His eyes glinted with murderous intent, grinding his teeth. However, he held it in.

Without saying a word, he turned on his heel and sauntered off. This time, he didn't stop even when Remo added, "by the way, your friend… that pretty boy, is quite promising…"

Maxen didn't listen to anything anymore as Remo just started laughing without finishing his sentence. As Maxen stormed away, his eyes were blazing with anger while his jaw tightened. Every step felt heavy, echoing in his ears, and as such, his memory drifted to a memory Maxen buried deep in his mind.

[ Over one year ago... ]

Horror dominated Maxen's face. His brain was in shut mode, eyes wide open. He slowly gazed down, only to see his trembling hands covered with nothing but blood. Too much blood.

Clang…

He flinched, breath hitching when the knife that was originally in his hand landed on the damped concrete ground.

"What did I do…?" his lips quivered, moving his shaking eyes towards the guy lying near him. The latter was catching up to his breathing, reaching his hands out for help. However, the people around them were too busy fighting under the pouring rain.

"Oy!!" Suddenly, Remo's voice erupted from behind him, grabbing the back of Maxen's collar to pull him up. Seeing that Maxen was mortified at the blood in his hands, Remo ground his teeth.

"Oy, Remo… he's bleeding — he's dying. I — I —"

SLAP!

Maxen's eyes went even wider when a hand landed on his face. Even before he could look back at Remo, all he heard was Remo's shouts.

"Get the fuck out of here, you fucking psycho!" Remo ground his teeth, tugging Maxen's collar to get him back to his senses. "If you get caught here, you and I will be fucking dead."

Remo ground his teeth, staring into Maxen's eyes with his fiery eyes. When he let Maxen go, he pushed him away. Only then did Maxen realize the approaching siren and the blue and red lights coming to the shrine where the two gangs were fighting.

"Go!" Remo's voice was akin to loud thunder echoing in Maxen's ears, and without thinking twice, Maxen allowed fear to overtake him. He fled the scene without looking back, only to hear the horrible news of someone's death in a gang fight the next day and the arrest of several delinquents.