Friendship
Keifer's POV
I'm dead.
I'm so dead. Mom is going to get mad at me. Dad will DEFINITELY get mad at me. And here I am, about to face my punishment.
What have I done?!
"This is all the fault of someone here! So brave, looking for a fight!" Percy said loud enough for me to hear.
He could've just said it to my face—we're literally sitting near each other.
"Shut up! This is your fault too!" Aries snapped at him.
I don't get it. Out of all the people involved in that mess earlier, only the four of us were called to the guidance office.
"Why me?!" Percy complained angrily.
"Stupid! If you hadn't punched me and pushed me toward Keifer, I wouldn't even be part of this mess!" Aries yelled.
Now I get it!
So that's why he suddenly crashed into me. It was Percy's fault all along!
"Sorry. I thought you were our skinny classmate," Percy said, scratching the back of his head as an excuse to Aries.
I glanced at Yuri. He was calmly looking at me. If I was annoyed at him earlier, now I felt ashamed.
"Why did you even do that?" he asked me.
"I-I don't know... I just got annoyed by your face. And it was my revenge from the last time we fought."
He looked at me confused. "We fought before?"
"Y-yeah, of course we did!"
He paused to think, trying to remember what I was talking about. What, does he have amnesia or something? It wasn't even that long ago!
"I don't remember," he told me. "...But if it's true, I apologize."
Seriously?
He's apologizing even though he doesn't even remember what happened. But why?
"Stop apologizing already!" Percy barked at him.
"But it is my fault. If we hadn't fought before, maybe none of this would've happened now." He looked at me again. "...Again, I'm sorry, Keifer, for what I've done."
Now I felt even more embarrassed. Maybe I shouldn't have started a fight with him at all.
"S-sorry too. I shouldn't have made a scene and started all that mess," I said.
Yuri smiled at me, so I smiled back.
"Apologize to me too!" Percy ordered me.
I frowned. "Why would I?"
"I got dragged into this mess because of you!"
"You dragged yourself into this! Keifer and Yuri were the only ones who really fought," Aries said.
Percy glared at him, but before he could say anything back, the door to the guidance office opened and the counselor walked in—with someone. What's he doing here?
"K-Kuya..." Aries said nervously.
He looked at all of us. I admit, there was something terrifying in his stare that made my skin crawl.
"Good thing you came. We still can't reach their parents," the counselor said.
"What happened?" Aries' older brother asked.
The guidance counselor looked at me. "Mind to explain?"
I looked away. I didn't have anything to explain to them. How could I even say that I just got really annoyed and started a fight? If Mom finds out, I'm sure she'll be heartbroken.
Suddenly, Percy raised his hand. "Me! Me! I'll explain!"
Yuri and I exchanged looks. What's he going to say?
"Keifer suddenly started a fight and then he and Yuri were punching each other, then I jumped in to help, and I accidentally punched Aries, and then—"
"Mr. Collins! That's enough," the counselor interrupted.
The counselor and Aries' older brother talked for a bit. I wanted to eavesdrop and hear what they were saying, but every time he looked at me, it felt like daggers, so I kept my head down.
Then suddenly, the guidance counselor walked out, leaving the five of us inside. Aries' brother locked the door behind him.
We all gulped nervously.
"K-Kuya A-Angelo," Aries called out, trembling.
So his name is Angelo!
He slowly turned to us and as he stopped, Yuri, Percy, and Aries suddenly lunged toward me.
I thought they were going to attack me—but no. They pushed me toward Angelo.
"W-what… Stop! Don't push me!" I shouted.
"You're the one who should face him! You started this!" Yuri yelled.
What the hell?!
He just apologized to me, and now he's pushing me toward his scary brother?!
"Kuya gets scary when he's mad!" Aries shouted.
So that's why they're pushing me?!
"You can do it! You're brave anyway!" Percy added.
I was just one person—and since the three of them were all pushing me—I lost.
I almost stumbled as they shoved me right in front of Angelo.
From where I stood, I could clearly see the intimidating way he was staring down at me.
W-why am I this scared?
"You… You're Keifer…" he asked slowly.
"Y-yes, sir."
He just gave me a slight nod. I thought he was going to say something, but he stayed silent.
I glanced at Yuri—bad move. Suddenly, Angelo grabbed and flipped me upside down.
He shook me like I was a soda bottle.
"Aaahhhhh…
Stoooopppp!" I screamed.
"You're brave enough to start a fight, huh?! Well?! Speak!" he said angrily.
"OoOkkAaAAyyy Sssiiirrr!!"
He finally stopped shaking me and put me down. That's when I felt it—the aftereffect. I collapsed from dizziness. My stomach felt like it had turned inside out.
I'm too young for this kind of suffering. Why was he doing this to me?
"Who's next?!" I heard Angelo ask.
The three of them—Yuri, Percy, and Aries—bolted for the door, pounding on it.
"I don't want to die yet!"
"Please open the door!"
"I won't do it again!"
They screamed in panic. Is this it?! Is this really our punishment for causing a fight?! I think I'd rather Mom find out than go through this again.
I don't want this!
That's strange. Only Dad's driver came to pick me up. Mom wasn't there. When I got home, it was Keigan who greeted me.
"Where is Mom?" I asked him.
"Mom sick, in bed."
He held my hand and I guided him toward Mom and Dad's room.
"Dad mad again. Keigan hear shout," he said.
Dad got mad again? Did he hurt Mom again? I walked faster, and so did Keigan.
When we got to their room, I knocked, but no one answered. I couldn't wait anymore, so I opened the door.
Keigan was right. She was lying in bed, asleep. I walked over and touched her forehead to check if she had a fever, but I think her temperature was normal.
"Keifer…" Mom whispered. "...How's your school?"
Oh no! I woke her up!
"Sorry… I didn't mean to wake you."
"No, don't apologize. I wasn't really sleeping. I was just resting my eyes," she said with a smile.
"Mom, I had a fight with Yuri."
She slowly opened her eyes and looked at me. "What happened?"
"It was my fault. I just wanted to get back at him… but we're okay now. We said sorry to each other. We're friends now," I explained.
"Please don't do that again," Mom said, sounding disappointed.
"I'm sorry. I promise I won't do that again."
She held my hands and smiled. Something was wrong with Mom. Her eyes didn't look the same when she looked at me.
I noticed her neck. There was a red mark and a wound. She quickly covered it with her hair when she saw me staring.
"Go get changed… Ask the maids to prepare a snack," she told me.
I nodded. "Okay."
She kissed me on the forehead before I left the room. I took Keigan's hand and asked him to come with me. I wanted Mom to rest.
I changed clothes like she asked. Keigan was still following me.
"New guy!" Keigan shouted toward the window.
I looked at what he was pointing at. A new guy? I've never seen him before.
"His name is Dylan. Keigan will play with him," he said and ran off.
"Keigan! Wait!"
He disappeared from my sight. Who was that guy?
He was in uniform like the rest of Dad's men. Did Dad hire someone new? For what reason?
I wasn't comfortable with that guy.