《Entertain Us》


 Chapter 1 - Something Special

    A room of men in suits aged around 40-55 were sitting around a long black table. The atmosphere was dead; it was like they had all been here before. The silence was loud. Someone had to break it, but no one wanted to. Until,

    "What do we expect this year? The same old?"

    "Yeah, every year is no different from the next. It''s just a cycle repeating itself."

    "This Academy has been open for a long time now, and it does produce results, but not as good as we would think."

    "To be fair, it does always produce one good individual."

    "Pfft, even that, last year was very disappointing. The winner was just above average."

    The room fell into silence again, with all the men looking down, trying to figure out how to keep this conversation alive.

    "I don''t think this year will be that bad," one man said while lifting his head. He then leaned forward, putting both his elbows on the table.

    "If anything, I think it will be quite interesting," he continued. This statement lifted a few heads; all the men still had straight faces, but they were listening. Looking at him with hopeless eyes.

    "Why? Is there a student coming in that''s caught your interest?" Questioned one of them.

    "One? More than one, my friend. The quality of students is looking to be top tier." He said while grinning from ear to ear. All the other men looked at one another, wondering if he knew something they didn''t.

    "Quit trying to excite us. Each year, we hope that it will be entertaining, and it turns out it''s the same as last year," he replied, showing a face that let him know he was not trying to entertain this conversation. The man let out a small laugh, leaned back in his chair, and said

    "Did you know that Edward Burrell''s younger brother is enrolling?"

    That name turned heads around the room, a last name that was very highly regarded. Eyelids raised.

    "Edward Burrell''s younger brother?" a man repeated.

    "He was a great student for the first two years, then he went off track in the last year. He was projected to win; not sure what happened to him."

    "He was a promising student," someone added. The silence that trapped and covered this room was dying down.

    "That''s not all. Mr. Ledge''s son is also enrolling."

    Hearing that name made everyone in the room look towards each other in disbelief. Most men were speechless, some looking at each other with joy. Hope was starting to emerge; was this the start of something extraordinary?

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it."I''m not finished". He said, standing up.

    Now, everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting to be further impressed.

    "We''ve got a couple of models, athletes, and international students. I know this may sound casual, as we have these students every year, but believe me, they are different. From their backgrounds and even some of their upbringings, they do not disappoint. We''ve got children whose parents are celebrities, actors, models and athletes attending. The number of egos that will be present and clashing with each other will be amazing! Gents, it will be like nothing you have ever seen before". He finished.

    As he took his seat, the atmosphere in the room changed. From before, where it was gloomy and grey, suddenly was filled with excitement and eagerness. You wouldn''t imagine this room was full of middle-aged men. Most men in the room were now on the edge of their seats, some standing; they didn''t know what to do with themselves. Smiles covered their faces. After years of experiencing and watching what seemed like a repeating show over and over again with different characters, it was finally looking to be something entertaining.

    The man leaned forward one more time and calmly yet excitedly said

    "Gentlemen, I think this year will be something special".

    A lone boy stood in front of the academy entrance.

    My ID photo came out nice. Probably the best photo that has ever been taken of me. But, this scar man. It ruins my face. Anyways, the entrance looks nice. So this is what an American school looks like. Looks a little too prestigious, I don''t think I fit in. These uniforms are annoying man. I haven''t worn a uniform since secondary school. Why can''t I just wear a tracksuit? Whys everyone tall as well, it''s not fair. I know I''m short, but still. The girls are pretty though. It looks like there''s models everywhere. Maybe I''ll find my wife here.

    Where are these guys? They said we were gonna meet at the entrance.

    Bzt! He took his phone out of his pocket to check the notification.

    "We''re all inside. Where are you?"

    They went inside without me. I was stood here looking like a weirdo for no reason. Everyone kept looking at me. I am kinda late. Heh, this is the start I guess.

    The boy smiled.

    These next three years should be fun.

 Chapter 2 - AK-47

    September 4th, 2023, the sun was shining, a slight breeze made its appearance known, and the birds were singing. This would be a peaceful morning to most people, but for students, there is nothing peaceful about a September morning. For students, it''s nothing but pain, having spent the whole summer having fun and not caring about anything academic; in September, it''s time to return to reality. That would be the case usually. However, these young adults may be feeling excited. Something new, something different to what they are used to.

    Ding! Ding! The clock tower rang. It was 8:00 AM. New faces were entering a new environment, a school many would die to attend, and these ''lucky'' students had the chance. As it was the start of the year, an introductory assembly would happen in the main hall at 8:30 AM. Many students rushed around trying to find their way around, but the main hall took work to miss. The main hall was one of the main attractions of the school; it couldn''t be missed.

    A few second-year students were hanging around the upper floor inside the hall, preying on the new students from the balcony.

    "Poor kids, they have no clue what they''re getting into", Richard said while chewing gum.

    Chloe looked up from her phone. "It''s not that bad, but most of them will have their dreams crushed just finding out how things turn out around here".

    "Yeah, It was like that for us. Exciting. I couldn''t wait to be number one, trying my hardest to play the games and get the most points. Then you find that one person dominates and gives everyone else no chance. What''d you think, Micheal?" Leon asked Micheal, who was resting his head on the balcony.

    A tall boy with hazelnut-coloured eyes, clear skin, and short hair on the sides and back but longer blonde hair that covered his forehead but sat above his eyebrows raised his head a little and sleepily muttered.

    "I don''t know, we have to see".

    "Bro, wake up. It''s not summer anymore", Leon replied, shaking him.

    "Okay, okay. I''m awake," Micheal yawned; he stood up straight and stretched his arms behind his head. He let out a smile that showed his straight teeth.

    "Look at you, you never used to show your teeth last year. Those train tracks in your mouth made you insecure", Richard mocked.

    Micheal tilted his head slightly and looked at Richard. "Why are you hating?" Micheal returned. He then returned his gaze to the oncoming students below. "I''m just excited to see what''s coming. Our year is boring, but maybe these kids can be our source of entertainment".

    Micheal leaned over the wooden balcony again to better see these ''kids'' entering the hall.

    8:15 AM.

    The hall flooded with new students. It was pretty messy, but it was not chaos. People were finding seats, everyone greeting each other and breaking the ice. The second years were watching from above; some were bored, some were stressing about the year ahead, and some were observing. A few minutes passed, and things started to settle down with most students seated. There was still time before the assembly began, so conversations were flowing.

    8:31 AM.

    The room was in a panic. The atmosphere drastically changed. Girls were screaming, boys were standing, and teachers were looking around, trying to calm the situation down. You would have thought that everything would have gone to plan and the assembly would have started on time, but it looked like a scene out of a TV show. To see how we came to this conclusion, we must rewind a few minutes and focus on a particular group of friends.

    "This is mad. How did I end up here?" Malakai said in awe, scoping out the entire hall. Malakai was a short boy with brown skin, faint acne scars, and hazelnut-coloured eyes. His small face was enhanced by his long, black, wavy hair with dark brown tips. His face also showcased a noticeable scar across his nose and a small birthmark under his right eyebrow. He was the joker of the group. Benjamin, who sat to his left, placed his hand on his left shoulder.

    "How did you end up here? How did you get past security at the airport?" Benjamin sarcastically asked. Benjamin was a dark-skinned boy who stood 6 feet tall. Unlike Malakai, he had smooth, clear skin, short hair, and bright yellow eyes. His face had no scars or birthmarks but did have a line in his eyebrow for style. He was the all-rounder of the group; he had a bit of everything.

    Malakai looked at Benjamin with a smile. "Huh? What you trying to say? I''m carrying something illegal. Or that I''m illegal, and I snuck into the country", Malakai mockingly replied.

    William burst out laughing on his right. William was another short boy who was slightly taller than Malakai. He had straight brown hair, which looked unkempt, a chipped tooth, which was on show whenever he showed his teeth and one of his redeeming features, his freckles. He was the weird one of the group, the one who got bullied the most, but he could take a joke.

    "I agree with Ben, I don''t think you belong in this country", William jokingly said.

    Malakai slowly turned to William and then looked back at Benjamin with a confused look, and then turned one more time to look at William.

    "YOU DON''T BELONG ON THE SURFACE; YOU LOOK LIKE A RAT!" Malakai laughed while pointing at Willaim. Benjamin switched alliances and started laughing with Malakai rather than at him.

    Ray, who was next to William, also began to giggle. Ray had black curly hair; his green eyes were one of his stand-out features, alongside his smile, further intensified by his dimples. Jay was the innocent one of the group; he was considered the little brother of the group even though he was taller than Malakai and William. William smiled because he knew it was coming.

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work."I''m sorry, but we can''t all be good-looking like Lucas," William loudly said while looking at Lucus.

    Lucas, who was on his phone, looked up as soon as he heard the mention of his name and saw the four of them looking at him.

    "What? What happened?". Lucas was tall and stood around 6''1. He had clear skin, a symmetrical face, straight white teeth, a nice smile, blue eyes, and flowing blonde hair that perfectly hung slightly in front of his eyes. Both ears were pierced with studs, and a stud in his nose just to be extra. He was the epitome of a pretty boy and the stand-out boy in the group.

    "Seriously, what were you talking about?" Lucas questioned again.

    "Nothing, nothing about you anyways. We were talking about David". Malakai lied

    David popped his head around Lucas''s body and said. "You do realise I was listening the whole time".

    David was the tallest of the group at around 6''3. He had blonde hair, straight like Williams, but shorter. Brown eyes like Malakai''s but darker. David was just your average-looking guy. Physically, nothing stood out for him, unlike the rest. David was the responsible one of the group, like a dad to the group. Whenever there was a problem, everyone would look towards him for help or to sort it out because they could be bothered.

    Malakai looked at David and gave a sarcastic-looking, shocked face. A look that said I know you were listening, and I just wanted to get your attention.

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about. Anyways, when''s this gonna start. We''ve been here for time", Malakai whined, looking at the main stage.

    "We''Ve beEn hERe fOr tIMe", mocked a guy before Malakai. The guy turned around to face Malakai. The guy looked big; he had blonde hair that was slicked back, one of his ears pierced and dark blue eyes.

    "What we got here, someone from the UK. What you looking at bruv?" He said in a British accent to aggravate Malakai. He even added UK slang to take the piss.

    Malakai is from the UK, more specifically, London. Right now, he is far from home and surrounded by Americans, so his UK accent is very noticeable.

    Malakai looked over to his friends and gave a confused but, at the same time, an amused smile. He then faced the guy and asked,

    "Uuhh, who are you?".

    Malakai tried to be polite and gauge what type of guy he was. Depending on what this guy said next would determine how Malakai would control the situation.

    "Dillon. And make sure you remember it because you''re going to be my bitch. Look at you, haha. You look like a kid", he replied, smiling.

    Malakai got his answer. He gave one last look at his friends to indicate and warn them what he was planning on doing; they understood instantly. Malakai now started smiling with his teeth out.

    "You don''t know me dawg". Malakai joked in an American accent, lifting his head slightly up. Dillon''s eyes widened; he was shocked that this kid even responded, let alone take the piss. Dillon shot up from his seat, towering over Malakai.

    "Who do you think you are?" Dillon said aggressively. Malakai, still smiling, looked at the 6-foot wild animal in front of him.

    "Malakai Junior". He proudly announced. "You''re going to hear that a lot, so I doubt you have to remember it".

    This was a shock to Dillon''s system. He didn''t expect anyone to stand up against him like this on the first day, especially someone who looked like a 15-year-old. Malakai was still sitting down; he didn''t feel threatened at all, and it was obvious. This pissed Dillon off even more.

    "Don''t test me." Dillon warned Malakai. "Trust me, you don''t want this".

    Malakai let out a small laugh and looked at his friends. "Who''s this cringy stereotypical American bully?" He looked back at Dillon. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to hurt your feelings this much". Malakai teasingly mocked.

    Malakai pressed one too many buttons with that comment because Dillon grabbed Malakai''s uniform, pulling him up from his seat. This caught the attention of a few people around them, some turning around and looking in their direction. Malakai''s friends watched, all smiling. They found this funny.

    "Look, all your friends are too scared to save you. Your friends are a bunch of pussies. Their homeboy is getting bullied, and they ain''t doing nothin''." Dillon happily said.

    Malakai''s and Dillon''s faces were close to each other. Both looking each other in the eyes. One of them was filled with anger, while the other was calm and unfazed.

    Malakai looked over at his friends, still getting pulled by his collar, and smiled at them.

    "Naa, they know". Malakai confidently said.

    "Know what?" Dillon questioned with a pissed look on his face.

    Malakai, in an American accent, shouted,

    "They know what''s in my bag. I got an AK-47, dawg! Don''t test me, dawg!".

    Malakai was having fun and taking the piss, so he said that in quite a loud voice. A voice that everyone in the hall could hear despite the amount of noise. The room went silent. The students in Dillon''s row slowly turned towards Malakai. The people in front of them also turned to look, and so on. Everyone''s eyes were on Malakai.

    "AK-47??". A girl said worriedly.

    "He''s got a gun?" another girl said, confused.

    "HELP! HIS GOT A GUN!" A girl screamed.

    All of a sudden, everyone started to panic. Girls were screaming, boys were standing, and teachers were looking around, trying to calm the situation down.

 Chapter 3 - Different

    "Mally, what have you done?" Lucas said in awe, looking at the mess around him. Benjamin and William were looking at each other, laughing. Ray was turning his head from left to right, shocked at the whole situation, while David was smiling but had his face in his left palm.

    Malakai scrambled, trying to sort the problem out. He looked over at his friends, clearly showing he knew he fucked up badly. Malakai raised his arms and shouted,

    "I WAS JOKING, I WAS JOKING. I DON''T HAVE A GUN, ITS FINE".

    It was useless as all the other screams drowned it out. At this point, even Dillon knew he couldn''t deal with this scene, so he sat back in his seat, shaking his head. From this interaction with Malakai alone, He knew he was not serious. He didn''t view Malakai as a threat but didn''t remove him from the equation; he certainly was not a main priority. He also didn''t view him as a potential errand boy; he knew this guy was a piece of work and not someone who could be pushed around so easily despite looking like a kid.

    "fuck, what did I do?" Malakai mumbled.

    "CALM DOWN, CALM DOWN!" shouted a voice down the middle of the hall. This voice echoed around the room and tickled everyone''s ears; this got everyone''s attention. A tall blonde woman who looked to be in her early thirties walked down the middle of the hall. Her heels made her entrance more impactful. She instantly knew who the orchestrator of this mess was as she watched this whole thing unfold before her. She locked eyes with Malakai. Malakai, still standing, kept a straight face; to him, this felt like an hour, and he didn''t know where else to look. The lady walked past the rows of students; as she passed each row, the students standing before slowly sat back down, grateful they were not facing any consequences.

    Eventually, she reached Malakai''s row. Malakai was sitting in the middle of the row, so the positioning was already awkward.

    "Come here and bring your bag". The woman ordered and gestured with her fingers.

    Malakai didn''t say a word. He just accepted it. He carefully walked over everyone''s legs, who tried to further embarrass him by sticking them out and trying to trip him, but he avoided them. Standing next to the lady, He was in the middle of the hall.

    He gave her his bag and said, "There''s nothing in my bag, I was joking".

    The lady gave him a cold stare and unzipped his bag. She started rummaging through and found the usual stuff in a student''s bag until she found a pink-coloured drink. She pulled it out.

    "KA fruit punch?"

    At this point, she thought she grasped the situation in her head. She thought Malakai was taking the piss and trying to play on words, as AK and KA are just a switch of letters.

    Malakai''s mouth opened, and his eyes widened. He totally forgot he bought his favourite drink today. At that instance, he saw an opportunity and smiled. Everyone was confused in the room as they''d never seen this drink in their life as it was sold in the UK. Malakai wanted to seize this opportunity and do what he does best, take the piss. He slowly turned to his friends, started rubbing the back of his head and said,

    "Lads, I think I might be dyslexic".

    The people around him, already confused, looked at him, questioning if something was wrong with him. Was this guy crazy?

    "You do not have dyslexia", William quickly said.

    "How''d you know?" Malakai returned.

    "You''re too smart" Lucas butted in.

    "Well, I can identify as dyslexic", Malakai replied.

    "No, you can''t", Benjamin commented.

    "Bro it''s 2023. I can identif-".

    "I''m sorry, miss, he won''t do it again," Malakai was cut short. Before he could finish his sentence, David stood up, who was at the end of the row, and spoke. David looked into the woman''s eyes with a serious look to show he was not encouraging his friend''s actions.

    "I was being serious", Malakai said in a lower tone. David gave Malakai a death stare. Malakai quickly took a salute position and said,

    "Yes sir", he somehow, in this situation, took the piss.

    All this happened while the lady stood with the drink and Malakai''s bag. She was confused, just like everyone else. She thought she handled that well and hit the nail on the head with the boy''s intentions, even though she got it completely wrong.

    "Ahem, okay. Make sure you don''t cause any more trouble in this assembly. This is just a warning", the woman said, struggling to find the right words and trying to articulate herself professionally. Her head was all over the place, as this TV show-like scenario had never happened to her before. She zipped up Malakai''s bag and gave it back to him. "I''ll be taking this drink; make sure I don''t see it again."

    "Nooo, my favourite drink". He whined

    The lady started walking back down the hall while Malakai stood in the middle of the hall. He looked around and saw everyone looking at him like he was an idiot. He smiled and returned to his seat, satisfied.

    On the other side of the room, two guys watched on.

    "What''d you think? Will he be a problem?".

    The other guy kissed his teeth and continued to face forward. "No. He looks like an idiot and acts like one. If anything, this is good. There are idiots all around us. Nothing to worry about."

    A few rows behind them, two girls also watched on.

    "Well, that was something. What an idiot. Does he think that was funny? He looks annoying", the girl rolled her eyes and stopped looking in Malakai''s direction. The other girl continued to stare, lost in thought. "Hellooo? Are you daydreaming". Her friend asked.

    "No, no. I was�� thinking", she replied

    "Waaiit, do you like him?", she teased.

    "No! I was just confused. I''ve never seen anything like that before", she tried to convince her friend. Her friend looked at her, not believing her. "Why are you like this!? You say this about every guy I look at", she complained.

    "I was joking, I''m sorry. I was just teasing you. It''s fun teasing you and seeing you embarrassed", she said while pulling her cheek. Her friend couldn''t help but start smiling, reluctantly accepting her apology, which she''d heard a thousand times before.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.This stunt by Malakai caught the attention of many people across the room, potential friends, foes, rivals, who knows? Was this Malakai''s intention? Well, he got eyes on him, which was his primary goal.

    8:43 AM.

    A tall white man who looked like he was in his mid-forties appeared on the stage. After an eventful morning, the assembly was about to start. Everyone already looked drained; by what? You can try to figure it out, but they were ready for the assembly.

    "Well, that was quite the start. In my eight years of teaching here, I''ve never seen something so chaotic in the introductory assembly. The most we''ve had is someone come late and disrupt my speech", he said while looking at the sea of new students.

    "I''m not disappointed, by the way. If anything, I''m happy I got to see something different for a change, and we''ve got one person to thank".

    He raised his arms and gestured to Malakai. Malakai, being the troll he is, started turning his head left and right, acting like he was looking for someone and wasn''t the one getting pointed at. The man smiled.

    "Anyways, welcome to Astral Academy. We are all glad to have you here and excited to see what you achieve. My name is Mr White, and I am the principal". He then started slowly walking around the stage.

    "I won''t go into too much detail on what you should expect; I''ll save that to your teachers when you reach your classrooms. But I will highlight some important information that you will need to know. So, as you may know, this academy is not like an ordinary school. All of you here will be around the age range of 18-20, so normally, you would either be going to a college or university and working towards a degree". He stopped walking and returned to the centre.

    "However, you saw this opportunity and achieved it by enrolling at this academy. Before I continue, I am proud of all of you here today. Getting through the application phase and being accepted isn''t something someone can brush past. You''ve all done extremely well to get here. Now, all of you here are students, but in reality, you are all competitors. You are all working towards the same thing, and that is to be number one."

    Students were looking at each other, sly glances, side-eyes. For the students, it was impossible not to look at each other.

    "These three years teach you a lot, so even if you don''t turn out at the top, you can go into the real world with new skills and valuable experiences, so you are not left empty-handed. But being here, I know you all applied because you saw the perks of being the winner". He smiled and laughed a little.

    "I know you all saw the hundred thousand dollar cash prize", he said while waving his fingers towards the students. Students started to smile, and their eyes lit up.

    "BUT, it''s not only the money you will be awarded. You will be given a ray of opportunities at big companies that will need your knowledge and skill set, which you would have acquired if you turn out on top".

    The students were sitting up, anticipating what the principal would say next. They were all fired up; some wanted to start right away. Mr White smirked.

    "I can see you all excited now. Well, don''t worry, you have three years. This year is not useless, but try to get used to the school and how things work. Don''t slack off too much. This year is preparation for the next two years, but it is also important as it may be the difference in getting that number one spot", he looked at the students, noticing some of them were losing focus and just wanted to get started.

    "I''m nearly finished, just a few things before I let you go. All of you have been given a phone. This is a specialised phone that is used for this academy. It can do whatever a normal phone can: add contacts to message your classmates or teachers, post pictures on social media, and watch videos. A message has all been sent telling you what class you will be in. There should also be a map on your phone showing you the layout of the academy, so I don''t want any excuses for being late because you were lost. The phone will have everything you need for your studies, like your timetable, notifications for homework, assignments dates and exam dates. In short, this phone will be your best friend if you want to succeed. That''s all from me. Welcome to Astral Academy, and we are all delighted to have you here. Best of luck to all of you."

    Claps roared around the hall. Mr White left the stage, and a pinging sound echoed around the hall. All the students looked at their phones, and it was a notification telling them their class and the time of the lesson. Everyone looked at each other, waiting for someone to make the first move.

    "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR GET TO YOUR CLASS!" Yelled a teacher.

    Many students stood up in an instant, and the rest followed. Everyone started making their way out of the hall via different exits, and you would have thought it would have been messy with the number of students, but everyone left in an orderly fashion.

    "THAT MEANS YOU LOT TOO!" The teacher yelled again, looking towards the upper floor.

    "Well, that''s our signal to go", Leon said in a deadbeat voice. Leon, Chloe and Richard started to leave while Micheal, who looked stuck in the moment, was still leaning on the balcony.

    "Yo, Micheal, let''s go", Richard called out. Micheal stayed there, completely ignoring Richard. "This guy. I''m leaving, I''m not turning up late because of him again". Richard annoyingly said, walking away.

    Chloe kept on looking at Micheal. "You two go ahead, we''ll catch up later". Chloe said. Richard rolled his eyes and quietly went with Leon. Chloe walked towards Micheal and copied his position, leaning on the balcony.

    "Sooo, what''d you think? Think they''ll be good?" Chloe asked.

    Micheal smiled. "Heh, Who knows? Only time can tell", Micheal replied. Micheal stood up and stretched as if he sat in an office chair for several hours. He turned his back to Chloe and started walking away. He then said,

    "Maybe things will be different this year. It might not be so bad after all".

 Chapter 3.5 - Its Too Early For This

    Everyone was leaving the hall, walking towards their classrooms.

    William: I��m tired, should we miss class?

    Malakai: Yeaa I back that.

    Ray: You can��t miss it, it��s the first class. It will be fun; we��re all in the same class.

    Benjamin: Don��t miss this one; you can skip the next one if you want.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.Lucas: Hahahahaha

    William: Alright, fine.

    David: No, you��re not missing any classes.

    Malakai: Who��s gonna stop us

    David: Me

    Lucas: Yeah, I wouldn''t argue. David has been going to the gym. He can probably lift both of you and carry you to class.

    William: Okay, prove it.

    Malakai and William were carried to class by David on his back (David had no say in this).

 Chapter 4 - New Information

    9:13 AM.

    Most students had reached their classrooms and were waiting for their teachers to arrive. Everything was a bit behind schedule due to the incident at the assembly. The students made their seating arrangements, sitting wherever they liked, which would inevitably change when the teacher showed up, but the students were talking with each other, getting to know their classmates for the year. Others were minding their business, keeping to themselves. Everyone in the class looked professional in their uniforms, showing why they deserved to be there. No one was standing out and making much noise; it was almost like a workplace with middle-aged people. The view outside the classroom was tranquil, with greenery and a sight over part of the campus. One boy was watching, daydreaming, staring outside.

    Click!

    The door opened. A tall, dark, bald man entered the class. He walked towards the front desk and looked at the class, which was already silent. He spread his arms and announced.

    "Welcome to class 1-A! I am Mr. Saint, your homeroom teacher".

    The class listened attentively; this was the highest class, and no one wanted to mess around.

    "This will be the start of your three-year journey here", he continued. "I know you got a brief introduction from our principal, and I know you''re all brilliant, so I will just give you the details you want to hear and not beat around the bush. As you know, you will compete to get the ''number 1 spot'', and a point system will do this. The person with the most points at the end of the three years is the winner".

    Some students were listening, while others were already pulling out notebooks and pens and opening to a clean, fresh page ready to note any important information. Was this the standard to be met for a top student here?

    "Sounds simple enough, eh?" He then moved from behind his desk to the front of it. "You can get points in many different ways. One way is exams. You are all young adults, and you feel like you''ve left some subjects behind, like math, English, biology, chemistry, and physics. However, you will be taught all these subjects at this academy just like in high school".

    Faces looked up in disbelief; they couldn''t believe it. They knew they were getting into something unexpected, but this was something else. They thought they would learn about the real world, how to build a big business, be an influential, prestigious person, or even learn to become a politician. Something interesting, not learning Pythagoras theorum again.

    "You will be taught these subjects because you will be tested on them. Your results will determine how many points you get. Don''t worry, some of you look worried, but it''s fine. Exams, homework, and assignments offer a decent number of points, but the ones you must look out for are the challenges. Now, they offer a lot of points. But challenges are not something you can prepare for. The challenges are also random, so you cannot rely on intelligence alone to do well on them. This is why you must do well academically and get a lot of points in your exams", he then started to walk towards the students.

    "Imagine someone from a lower class surpassing your point total because you relied on doing well on the challenges and didn''t take studying seriously."

    This caused students to start stressing even more. More worried faces appeared, the atmosphere turned tense, and the calmness of most of the students disappeared. Fear was being instilled into them. How would the lower classes fare if this was how the supposedly cream of the crop was reacting? Mr Saint noticed this,

    "That''s good. I can see you''re already scared, this is a good sign. It shows me you''re taking this seriously and genuinely want to win", he leaned back on the front of his desk.

    "You will have a timetable telling you when you have each subject. You will also have different teachers for each subject. I am your homeroom teacher, so if you have any problems, you can come to me or email me."

    Some students checked their phones to see if their timetable showed up, but they needed help navigating the specialised phone properly.

    "I can see most of you still need to get used to the phone. I''ll let you figure your way around it in a minute. I have a few more things to explain. Firstly, you are here on the campus, where you will live. You will have dorms, and there will be two people in one dorm. You will get to choose your roommate, and once you have chosen your roommate, you will need to go to the main office to inform them and get your key. If you cannot choose a roommate, you will be randomly paired up with someone. No one can have a dorm for themselves as there is not enough. As you will be living here, you will need to live your daily life here, so eat and take care of yourself. This campus is huge, and I''m sure you have already seen the shopping mall. Whatever you need, you can find it in the mall".

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.Someone raised their hand and asked. "Do we use our own money or the points we earn?"

    "No, you will not use your own money, and no, you do not have to use your points. You will use credits. Credits will be given to you every month in a set amount. Students will be given the same amount, but the credits will increase if they do well academically. Points and credits are two different things. Remember that".

    "Can we buy points with our credits?" Someone questioned.

    Mr Saint smiled. "Great question. No, you cannot buy points, BUT you can use points to get credits. So if your credits are running low and you need to buy something, you can exchange points for more credits."

    What''s the exchange rate?" Someone shouted out.

    "Hehe, I''ll let you find out for yourselves. You can also give other people credits, so if your friend is running low and you want to help them out, you could transfer them some credits. But you can''t transfer points".

    The students were expecting an answer, but they were disappointed.

    "Well, that''s pretty much it for the information you need. I can see you already arranged yourself in the seats you want. You are the top class, so I trust you all and won''t move you. I''ve nothing else to say so you can get to know each other or figure out how to use the phone. If you have any questions, I will be here at the front".

    With that, Mr Saint finished his speech and sat at his desk. The noise slowly crept higher, with the students whispering among themselves.

    "Alexander, what''d you think?" Frank asked, turning to look at Alexander, who was still looking out the window.

    Alexander blinked to snap out of his daydream and turned to Frank. "Just like I''ve been told. Nothing surprised me", he replied. Alexander was a well-groomed white boy who lived the good life and was born into a prosperous family. He had blonde hair slicked to the side and crystal blue eyes. He was the type of person who got everything he ever wanted.

    "Do you think you will be able to get the number one spot?" Frank continued to ask. Frank was a strong-built guy with a buzz cut. He was 6''4 with big muscles and had brown hair. From the outside, it looks like he is Alexander''s bodyguard, but if you were to ask Alexander, he would say that they are friends.

    Alexander scoffed. "Not going to be a challenge. This is nothing like the real world, where people can abuse and cheat the system and live a good life. This is just doing well in studies and reaping the rewards. High scores mean more points and more credits. It shouldn''t be hard to get number one. All the dumber students will fall behind while I expand the gap with every exam. The challenges will be simple too". At the end of his monologue, he looked at his phone to check the time and then glanced out the window again.

    Frank noticed and looked out the window. "It''s a nice view; I''m glad we got to stay in the same seats", he said.

    "Yeah, Something to pass the time during lessons", Alexander replied, appreciating the view.

    "You''re not going to slack off, are you?" Frank asked in a concerned voice.

    Alexander scoffed, "Why would I waste my time listening to someone telling me something I already know?".

    Their conversation picked up the attention of someone close by. A girl with long, silky silver hair, who sat before Alexander, turned around. Her clear white skin glowed, her blue eyes glistened, her silver hair shined, and her long eyelashes captured Alexander''s attention as she turned. It caused Alexander''s attention to shift from the view outside to the view in front of him. She joyfully introduced,

    "Hey!"

 Chapter 5 - Hey There Delilah

    9:47 AM.

    The classes would be dismissed at ten; a certain class had finished their introduction lesson and stayed in the class, getting to know each other. The class was lively, but some students were happier than others.

    "This seating plan sucks", Lucas moaned with his head resting on the desk.

    "Look on the bright side, it could be worse. We could be Ray". David replied. Lucas looked up and turned around to look at Ray. Ray was seated around people he didn''t know. Ray caught Lucas''s eyes and met them; he smiled, clearly showing his discomfort.

    Lucas turned to David, "Yeah, you''re right". He kissed his teeth, "I don''t like being at the front. It''s too close".

    "It could be a good thing", David tried to cheer Lucas up. "We can pay attention to the teacher, and if we slack off, we will be caught".

    "David, I want to slack off. Not always, but sometimes, you know", Lucas replied.

    "Right, yeah. I was just trying to make the best of the situation".

    Lucas sighed. "It''s fine. It''s just that it doesn''t help that they get good seats at the back, they are all together. It''s unfair", he complained.

    "HAHAHAHA"

    Laughter haunted Lucas''s ears, "Bro, you can even hear them from here", Lucas whined.

    The back of the class was the liveliest because the corner of the room now inhabited William, Benjamin and Malakai.

    Malakai was in the back row with William and Benjamin sitting ahead of him. They were all getting looks from everyone in the class because they had been laughing nonstop since their teacher had finished her speech.

    "Hahahaha, I''m dying". Benjamin laughed.

    "Hehehe, look at Ray. He said, ''It was going to be fun, we''re all in the same class''. Look at his seat", Malakai rejoiced.

    "Hahaha, David and Lucas are also having a great time, front-row seats to the show", William mocked. The three continued to laugh, and there was no stopping them. The other three could hear their insults, while David took the joke well and smiled. Lucas''s head was hot, and he put his head on the desk, attempting to ignore the laughter, while Ray awkwardly smiled at the people around him.

    "Let''s calm down, let''s calm down", Malakai tried to contain himself.

    "Okay, okay", William said, slowing down his laughter. The three of them gradually stopped laughing, and each took a deep breath. This was the start of many memories they would gather this year in this classroom.

    "Do all of you always cause a scene wherever you go?"

    A tanned girl with brown hair just above her shoulders and amber-coloured eyes turned towards them. "Do you love attention or something?".

    "If it''s from you, yes", Malakai jokingly flirted. She was caught off guard by that response.

    "Ignore him. He likes to take the piss", Benjamin assured her.

    "Yeah, I ain''t being serious. But naah, we don''t like attention. It''s just fun being around each other", Malakai said.

    "When we''re together, we make a lot of noise, but we don''t mean to be annoying. I think it''s a guy thing just being loud", William added.

    "I wasn''t complaining or asking you condescendingly. I was just curious", she said, waving her hands in front of her to clear up any misunderstanding. "I''m sorry. My face looks serious and unapproachable most of the time, so that''s probably why you got the wrong impression".

    "It''s fine, don''t worry about it; what''s your name?" William asked.

    "Delilah and all of you?"

    "Im William".

    "Benjamin".

    "Malakai".

    They all answered one after another.

    "Cool, I''m happy I''m sitting next to people who want to talk, I guess". Delilah joyfully said. She turned her attention to Malakai, "Malakai, you''re not American, right? You''ve got a different accent", she asked.

    "Yeah, I''m from the UK. London", he answered.

    "Guess his ethnicity, I guarantee you won''t get it", William tested.

    "You get three attempts", Benjamin jumped in.

    Malakai smiled. "Why do you lot do this every time?" He asked.

    "It''s fun to see what people say", Benjamin replied.

    "He looks Indian, but you wouldn''t ask me this if it was India. Sooo imma say Sri Lanka".

    "No".

    "Pakistan?"

    "No".

    "Bangladesh?".

    "No"

    "India?"

    "That''s more than three", Benjamin said.

    Delilah was confused; she looked at Malakai with curiosity.

    "Mauritius, I''m Mauritian". Malakai proudly said.

    "Wow, that''s different. It''s my first time meeting someone from Mauritius. It looks beautiful, from what I''ve seen anyways". Delilah excitedly said.

    "Yeah, it''s nice. I''m surprised you know what Mauritius is, most people don''t", Malakai replied.

    "I''ve seen videos about it", Delilah said. "Have you ever been there?".

    "Yeah, when I was little. Can''t remember much, just got family pictures".

    "Can I see?" Delilah was bombarding Malakai with questions.

    "I don''t have them on my phone. They''re all at home in a folder my mom keeps", Malakai smiled.

    "awe", Delilah disappointedly said.

    "What about you?" Malakai returned the question.

    "I was born here, but my parents are from Brazil", Delilah said, looking proud of her heritage.

    "That''s sick", Malakai replied.

    It looked like Benjamin and William were third-wheeling right now, so Malakai decided to save them.

    "It''s mad that there''s 150 people in our year".

    "30 people in each class. I''m glad we aren''t in 1-E. Imagine being the bottom class", William replied.

    "I mean, we''re not much better, we''re 1-C. I thought I would''ve got class B at least", Benjamin sulked.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation."It''s the first year. We can always move up. I think it''s better being here than a higher class because there would be more pressure to maintain your place", Delilah said, looking at Benjamin.

    "True", the three boys said in synchrony.

    "It looks like we got some interesting people in our class. I''m glad there''s no one like Dillon here", Malakai said.

    "Dillon?" Delilah questioned.

    "Just some idiot", Malakai quickly replied with a smile, reminiscing about what had happened earlier.

    "Oh, that guy that grabbed you in the assembly", Delilah caught on.

    "You saw?"

    "Everyone did".

    "I''m happy she''s in our class. I might shoot my shot", Benjamin wished, looking ahead.

    "Who?" Malakai scanned the room until his eyes locked with a beautiful, short, light-skinned girl with wavy black hair and green eyes. As soon as their eyes locked, the girl quickly broke contact and turned around to look down at her desk.

    Malakai kept looking at her, thinking if she was the one they were talking about. "You talking about her?" he asked, pointing with his eyes.

    "You don''t know her?" Delilah sounded shocked.

    Malakai looked at her with oblivious eyes. "Is she a celebrity or something?"

    "Basically, she''s Havana Rodriguez''s daughter", Delilah replied.

    Malakai turned towards William and Benjamin and gave the same look he gave to Delilah. "And who''s that?".

    William and Benjamin laughed, knowing he wouldn''t know who she was.

    "She''s a famous actor, she''s known to be beautiful", Benjamin said.

    "And she''s got a daughter who is kinda famous. That daughter is that girl over there", William added.

    Malakai was the type who didn''t care about social status; he treated everyone equally. He also didn''t care about celebrities. So, hearing this didn''t impact him in any way or change his opinion of her. It clearly showed on his face he didn''t care.

    "So what''s she done to be famous?" Malakai asked, with an eyebrow raised.

    "She''s pretty like her mom", Delilah answered.

    Malakai looked perplexed.

    "You don''t care, right?" Benjamin asked a question he knew the answer to. Malakai didn''t even answer. He just gave a look that said it all. The two of them started laughing.

    "Oooohh, she''s looking over here again", Delilah reported, with her hand covering her mouth. The boys didn''t look up to make it obvious; they just played it cool.

    "I think she''s looking at you, Mally", Benjamin informed him.

    "Why me? Is it because of what I did earlier?"

    "Probably. That girl has been living in a fairy tale her whole life. Seeing you act like that was maybe something new to her", Delilah said.

    "She probably thinks you don''t deserve to be in this school, Mally", William mocked.

    Malakai grinned. "You know what, I don''t think she''s looking at me. I think she''s looking at the alien in front of me", Malakai snapped back.

    William looked up at Malakai. "I uuh�� uhh". William was lost for words. "I got nothing to say to that."

    Benjamin started laughing; William expected that, but Delilah joined in and started laughing.

    "Mally''s good at coming back from insults. What can I do?" William whined.

    "Don''t come after me", Malakai giggled while the other two kept laughing. Delilah''s addition and contribution added a different dynamic that would only make the class more fun. The corner that started loud was only getting louder.

    "Mariaaa�� Maria!"

    "Huh, yeah?" Maria responded.

    "You''re looking at him again. Are you okay? Has he done something to you?", she questioned.

    "I''m fine, Tanisha. He hasn''t done anything to me, you don''t have to worry", Maria reassured her.

    "Then why do you keep looking at him? I mean, he''s kinda cute. I guess that scar on his nose makes him different. But I wouldn''t think he would be your type", Tanisha tried to piece it together. Tanisha was a dark-skinned girl with brown curly hair styled with two buns on the right and left.

    "No, it''s nothing like that", she replied, looking down at her desk.

    "I''m not convinced. I''ve never seen you look at a boy like you''ve looked at him".

    Maria looked Tanisha in the eyes, trying to do everything she could to tell her it was not like that. "Believe me, I don''t like him. I don''t even know him".

    "Why do you keep looking at him then?"

    "Because�� whenever I look at him, he''s always smiling. Even when he was getting told off in the assembly, he looked like he was having fun", Maria replied.

    "That''s every boy ever. They laugh and don''t take serious situations seriously".

    "Why are you acting like a parent?" Maria said in an annoyed tone.

    Tanisha realised she may have pushed a bit too far. She let out a sigh. "Listen, I''m trying to protect you. You can''t trust a guy because you see him smiling. You don''t know his intentions".

    Maria understood her reasoning and realised she may have acted like a rebellious teen. "Yeah, I understand. I''m not stupid, you know. I won''t let a guy play me. I''m an adult now".

    "Barely", Tanisha joked. Maria pouted at her, but they both started to laugh.

    Meanwhile, in class 1-E. A boy was sitting at the middle desk of the class. Slyly observing his surroundings, using his peripheral vision. He ignored the noise around him and only conversed with himself in his thoughts.

    "I don''t need you. I''ll prove it to you. I don''t need your help. I''ll live how I want to and become number one to show you how capable I am. I''ll do whatever it takes. Don''t underestimate me".

 Chapter 6 - Match Made In Heaven

    Classes were done for the day; the students only had an introductory lesson to meet their homeroom teacher and be told what to expect. It was 11:12 AM, and the campus was packed with first-year students. Some students were looking around the campus, some were socialising and getting to know more people, while others were shopping for essentials. The campus was extravagant; it didn''t look like a campus. It had restaurants, coffee shops, clothes shops, a grocery store and even a designer store. This setup was perfect for the students as it imitates the real world and lets them act like adults. That being said, with this kind of setup and the amount of freedom these students now have access to, it doesn''t mean they''ll be responsible. It could be shown by students splashing their credits on designer and extortionate drinks. To them, the credits were limitless, but they''ll soon realise how long a month is and how much credits are needed to live like an average human in a day. Meanwhile, in a convenience store, two boys were shopping for essentials they would need to live together.

    "You brought a toothbrush with you, right?" Lucas asked, holding a basket full of essentials.

    "Yeah, why? Did you?" Benjamin replied.

    "I did, but I didn''t bring toothpaste. Did you?" Lucas said while looking at the shelves filled with toothpaste.

    "Nope", Benjamin replied with his hands in his pockets, looking around.

    "Damn, we could''ve saved some credits", Lucas picked up two tubes of toothpaste.

    "Hehe, you''re pretty cheap. It''s fine, we''re living together. We can split who pays for what", Benjamin followed Lucas, who put the toothpaste in the basket.

    "I just don''t wanna run out of credits".

    "You''re not. Unless you buy something stupid," Benjamin said.

    "I guess��. What else do we need? We''ve both got our towels, uh", Lucas mumbled to himself.

    "Bro, it''s fine. We haven''t even got our keys yet. First, let''s get our key and our suitcases from the office. Then we can see if we need anything else after we''ve unpacked", Benjamin said.

    "Hmm, okay. That sounds good", Lucas agreed, still looking at the shelves on either side of him.

    "Damn, I imagined David acting like this, but not you", Benjamin joked while they walked to the till.

    "It''s just that I''m organised. I don''t like being messy or all over the place", Lucas replied.

    "I hear it. That''s probably why you didn''t pick Malakai or William as a roommate".

    "Pfft never. I think Malakai would be okay. He seems a little organised, he''s just lazy. William would be an animal", Lucas dreaded the thought of it.

    "The two of them as roommates are a match made in heaven", Benjamin laughed. They both laughed while walking, not paying attention to their surroundings until��

    CLANG! Some metal pots and pans fell to the floor.

    "Oh shit! My bad, dude", Lucas bumped into someone.

    "No problem, I''m okay, don''t worry about it", He said while picking up his items off the ground. He stood back up, looking at Lucas.

    "I''m sorry, I wasn''t looking at where I was going", Lucas apologised, rubbing the back of his head.

    "It''s fine, you don''t have to apologise. I''m not hurt. It''s a pretty small aisle, an accident was bound to happen", he replied. "I''m Ryan, by the way. Who are you two?"

    "I''m Lucas."

    "Benjamin"

    "Nice to meet you two. If I''m not mistaken, are you two friends with that guy that said he had an AK-47?"

    "Yeah", Lucas answered, smiling.

    "Really! I want to meet him, he''s a strange guy", Ryan said enthusiastically.

    "He''s nothing special, he''s just an idiot". Benjamin replied.

    "I still think it will be interesting talking to him". Ryan looked down at his watch. "I need to get going. I''m in Class B, so if you want to talk more, you know where to find me", Ryan said, waving while walking away.

    Benjamin and Lucas watched him go. "What a nice guy", Lucas said.

    "He looked good as well, no homo. I think he might be a model", Benjamin uncertainly said. They both made their way to the till.

    "Yeah, he''s got to be. He has long brown hair, clear skin, and is tall with stylish glasses", Lucas listed Ryan''s appearance.

    "You got some competition", Benjamin mocked.

    "No, I''m not a model. I just look good". Lucas confidently replied.

    "Yeah, yeah, just pay for the stuff dumbass".

    With that, they both left the convenience store with the sun shining in their eyes, causing them to squint.

    "How long did we take?" Benjamin asked, covering his eyes.

    Lucas checked his phone. "Woah like 25 minutes", he replied while his eyes still readjusted.

    "Should we look for the others or just get our key?" Benjamin asked.

    "Let''s get the key, but if we see any of them on the way, we''ll get our keys together with them".

    They both went to the main office, wandering past shops and glancing at the windows. It was a peaceful stroll until, in the distance, they could hear.

    "Why the fuck did you buy that?" A voice shouted in pain.

    "What do you mean! We need it. How are we gonna have fun?".

    They both looked towards that direction and walked closer until they could determine who was arguing. It didn''t take long for them to realise.

    "They haven''t even moved in yet".

    "All four of them are there. Let''s go".

    They both walked towards their friend group.

    "Why are you two already arguing?" Lucas asked. The four of them looked towards Benjamin and Lucas, who were walking towards them.

    "Look what Malakai bought", William pointed at the shopping bag.

    "What?" Benjamin asked, he couldn''t tell what it was.

    Malakai grinned and placed the shopping bag on the floor. He then pulled out a PlayStation 5.

    "We needed it. What are we gonna do when we''re bored? We ain''t gonna be studying all the time", Malakai tried to argue his case.

    William looked over at David like a child looking at their dad to solve their problem.

    "He''s not my roommate", David shrugged his shoulders.

    "It can be a good thing because if any of us want to play some games, we can come to your dorm", Ray said, trying to stop the argument.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it."See, Ray understands. He sees the vision", Malakai happily said, pointing at Ray.

    William gave a disappointed look towards Ray. "No, he is trying to see the positives", William complained. "He''s too nice, he was always going to say that".

    "There are only positives with this. Why are you hurt? I wasted MY credits, not yours", Malakai argued.

    Benjamin, Lucas and David looked at each other, knowing Malakai might have won the argument.

    "Yes, you bought it with YOUR credits. Now you''re not going to use YOUR credits for stuff we need because you bought a PLAYSTATION FIVE! We only have 2500 credits. All of MY credits are now going to be used for essential becuase YOU wasted half of YOURS", William ranted.

    "ONLY 2500?!" Malakai replied.

    "Okay, okay. Let''s calm down. He already got the PlayStation, there''s nothing we can do about it now. How about we get our dorm keys? If we go together, we''ll probably get rooms next to each other", David jumped in before William could reply and escalate the argument.

    William rolled his eyes in defeat while Malakai looked towards the rest of the group and smiled like a younger sibling who got away from being scolded. The six started walking towards the office; Ray and David were carrying no bags as they didn''t buy anything. On the other hand, William had a bag full of ingredients to fill the fridge, and then you had Malakai, who was carrying a big bag with a PlayStation 5 inside.

    "So you two didn''t buy anything?" Benjamin asked David and Ray.

    "We just looked around. We didn''t know what to buy, so we decided to get our key first. Then we saw these two outside and joined them", Ray answered.

    "Yeah, I hope we get rooms next to each other. That would be cool", Lucas said.

    "We should because we are going one after another", Malakai replied.

    "I think Lucas and Ben should get the room in the middle. I don''t want to hear noise from Mally and Will arguing when I''m trying to sleep", David quickly got his say in. Both Benjamin and Lucas turned towards David.

    "No, no, no, I need to sleep", Lucas quickly replied.

    "We''re not going to be noisy", Malakai said.

    "You''re both going to argue a lot", Benjamin told him.

    "No, we''re good friends. We would never argue. Am I right?" Malakai said in a sarcastic tone, smiling and looking towards William.

    "Don''t talk to me", William replied, not even looking at Malakai. Ray giggled.

    The six kept walking straight ahead until they saw two figures standing close together. They kept walking closer as they had to go in that direction. The closer they came, the more awkward it got. The six of them silently speed-walked past the two figures and were looking at everything but them as soon as they got far enough.

    "French kissing at 11:30 in the morning is crazy", Malakai said.

    "In an open place in front of everyone", William added.

    "Making me feel lonely already", Benjamin joked.

    "Should us two recreate that, Ben?" Malakai said while looking at Benjamin.

    "Shut the fuck up. Get out of here, man", Benjamin laughed while the others joined in.

    The two figures French kissing stopped and looked into each other''s gazes. Both started smiling. It was like they were the only two people existing.

    "Babe, I love you", Daniel let out while he caressed her cheek. Olivia pulled him into a hug and squeezed him tight.

    "I love you too," she returned. They stayed in each other''s arms briefly before pulling away.

    "Should we go to our dorm?" Daniel asked while waving the key in his hand.

    Olivia nodded. "I can''t wait, I''m so excited. We get to live together", Olivia squealed while holding Daniel''s hand.

    "Me too. But we need to make sure we study so we can stay in the same class", Daniel mentioned.

    "Don''t worry, we''ll be fine", Olivia reassured him.

    "Our class seems nice. I''m glad we didn''t get that boy from the assembly", Olivia continued.

    "Why? He seems funny. I think he would be a good person to have around", Daniel said.

    Olivia looked up at Daniel. "No, I don''t think he''s funny. What he did was really insensitive. I know people that were in school shootings. It''s not something you can joke about. People have died, Daniel!" Olivia harshly replied.

    Daniel was taken aback; he didn''t expect that reaction.

    "I''m sorry, I wasn''t thinking about it like that. I guess it was my intrusive thoughts speaking", Daniel apologised. "I don''t think we''ll have to see him that much because I think he''s in the class above us", he said, trying to cheer Olivia up.

    "Seriously?! He is in 1-C. Is he smarter than us? I thought he would be in 1-E", Olivia pouted. Olivia was now in a sour mood hearing that.

    Daniel noticed and then suggested, "Forget about him. Are you hungry? We could get something to eat".

    Olivia couldn''t help but smile and said, "Yeah, I want a milkshake".

    Daniel smiled and walked faster, pulling her forward "Okay, let''s go!".

    They both walked towards the mall holding hands, like a scene from a Disney movie. They passed a coffee shop with a plain-looking brown-haired boy sitting alone at a table outside. He watched as they strolled past him. He followed their movement across him with his eyes, keeping his head in the same position. He wasn''t thinking anything negative about them. He was just watching them. When they both passed him, he was back alone in his thoughts.

    "I need to find a roommate", he thought to himself. "I don''t care who it is. I just need someone. Maybe I should''ve tried to talk to someone in my class", his thoughts were piling up. He wasn''t stressing. It was just more things he had to do. He noticed a group of people walking towards him from the corner of his eye; he pulled out his phone and started scrolling not to look weird. He recognised two of the five people, as they were in his class. He didn''t see all his classmates'' faces, but the two he remembered were quite memorable. The group finally reached him.

    "Hey, you were in our class. Want to join us?"

 Chapter 7 - Hello Neighbour

    It was midday, and the campus was still scattered with first-years exploring it. Most students were excited and living in the moment, doing whatever they felt like, while others took it more seriously.

    In a random dorm room, Frank was staring out the window, admiring the view

    "We''ve got a decent room. It has a pretty good view".

    Alexander walked out of his room to join Frank in the main area. The dorm room was small; it wasn''t tiny, but it could have been more luxurious. It had two bedrooms, one bathroom and a main area with a kitchen and a living room. It also had a balcony. It could have been better for two people living together, but it was alright. For most people, anyway.

    "Phew. It would''ve been better if our rooms had our bathrooms", Alexander said while walking towards Frank to look at the view.

    "What''d you expect? I''m sure this is better than a dorm you would get at a normal college", Frank replied.

    "This is better than a normal dorm? There''s barely any space", Alexander complained, looking around, wondering how a typical dorm looked worse than this.

    Frank looked towards Alexander and spread his arms, "Welcome to normality".

    Alexander was not entertained and walked towards the fridge to get the water bottle he had put in there half an hour ago.

    "What do you think of the class? It seems you''re already quite popular among the teachers", Frank asked, taking a seat.

    Alexander took a sip of water. "My brother didn''t do me any favours", he said, slightly squeezing the bottle. "At least the extras didn''t know who I was".

    Frank let out a little sigh. "You can''t call them extras. They might be good people. And besides, I think you''ll gain popularity eventually when word gets around who you are".

    "I don''t care if they are good people. They are irrelevant to me. They''re the definition of extras. They are there to fill in the numbers. I don''t think they''ll contest with me", Alexander continued to sip his water.

    "What about Isabella? She seemed smart. Maybe you two can get along." Frank tried to reason.

    Alexander put down his bottle. "Maybe I can use her if there is a team challenge or something. She was sitting in front of me, it was bound to happen that she would talk to me", Alexander went to finish his water.

    Frank knew Alexander was like this, but he still tried to help him. "Look, three years is a long time. I''m just trying to look out for you. Getting along with people may make this whole experience more fun for you. I know you want to win it, but having some friends won''t stop that", Frank said.

    Alexander went to throw his empty bottle in the trash and then looked at Frank. "If these people don''t benefit me, what''s the point of having them around? Besides, you can keep me company for these three years. That''s more than enough for me."

    "How do I benefit you? Am I your bodyguard?" Frank smiled.

    "Partly, having someone big and intimidating next to me makes me look important. But you are also my friend. You''re the only person who understands me", Alexander walked past Frank to go to his room.

    Frank smirked, "Yup, you are extraordinary. That''s for sure".

    "I can''t believe it, look at this place", William shouted in excitement. Malakai was already setting up the PlayStation.

    "Is this the first time you''ve had your own place?" Malakai asked.

    William, looking around, answered, "Yeah. This place is nice", he said admiring the place. He then went to the fridge to load the groceries he bought.

    Malakai was nearly finished setting up the PlayStation. "You wanna play a game? I''m nearly done".

    "Bro, we need to eat. I haven''t even had breakfast yet", William said.

    "I mean, you bought groceries for a reason. Just make something", Malakai replied while his eyes were glued to the TV.

    "Yeah, I will. Let me find the pots and stuff". William opened every cabinet and drawer only to find them all empty. "Mally, did you bring any pots and pans with you?".

    "No, why would I bring that?" Malakai replied, still looking at the TV.

    "I can''t cook. There''s no pats or pans", William said in a low voice.

    Malakai turned around in shock. "HUH?! There''s a TV, but there''s no pots or pans?"

    "It looks like I have to spend more credits", William mumbled. He gave up and walked towards the couch, defeated. "Let''s just play a game. We''ll ask the others if they want to go to a restaurant or something in an hour", he said, sounding depressed.

    "I thought you were hungry?" Malakai asked while passing the other controller to William.

    "I''m not hungry anymore", William said, half dead.

    Malakai stared at William for 2 seconds, smiled and then shook his head. He picked up his phone and texted in the group chat. "You wanna go out to eat in an hour?" everyone responded quickly, agreeing to go.

    Malakai put his phone down. "You sure you can play bro?" he joked.

    "Just load up the game dude!".

    Tanisha threw herself on the couch. "Girl, I can''t believe we are living together."

    Maria was still unpacking things from her suitcase, so she was pacing in and out of her room, sorting things out.

    "I''m so excited. It''s my first time living alone, away from my family. My mom and dad were always busy, so they were always in and out of the house, but I had my younger siblings around. So being around family was normal", Maria was speaking her thoughts. She stopped in her doorway to catch a breath and thought for a second. "I''ll miss them. Will I be able to cope without them?"

    Tanisha sat up

    "Don''t worry, I''m here. If you ever get in trouble or have a problem, just know I will be there, no matter what."

    Maria then started walking towards Tanisha and sat on the couch next to her. "Yeah, I know. It''s just kind of scary. It feels like I''m a child, and everyone around me is grown. I''m not used to this".

    Tanisha then put her hands around Maria, hugging her. "Trust me, you''ll be fine. No one is going to do anything to you. If you need any help, ask me. I''m sure other people feel the same way you do", Tanisha then pulled out the hug to look at Maria. "Not everyone is confident and happy they''re here. I''m sure they''re also missing their families".

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.That mini-speech gave Maria the reassurance she needed. Words that were cliche and words she could''ve told herself, but being told them by a close friend makes everyday words seem special.

    Maria smiled and hugged Tanisha tightly. "Thank you for everything".

    Tanisha smiled, "I haven''t done anything yet, but I''ll take it."

    They both laughed together. Tanisha then stood up and walked to the kitchen area. "We don''t have any food, right?"

    "Nope, we could get something to eat if you want", Maria suggested.

    "I''m not that hungry, I wanted to look for a little snack. We could go later if you want?"

    "Sure".

    Muffled shouting leaked through their door. They both could hear people talking loudly outside their dorm. It didn''t sound like they were shouting, but they were definitely talking loudly.

    "Who''s outside?" Tanisha rhetorically asked in an annoyed tone. "And why are they being so loud?".

    Tanisha walked towards the door to investigate who was making the noise. She forcefully opened the door and saw three boys standing to her right.

    "Yo"

    "Why are you being so loud?" She asked with a screwface. "We could hear you from inside", she said, standing in the doorway.

    "I told you to be quiet, Will", Ray quietly scolded William. "We''re sorry. We''re just waiting for our friends to get ready", Ray looked towards William and whispered. "Let''s go in your room and wait. We have already disturbed your neighbours".

    William stood firm. "We can wait here. They''ll be done in a minute".

    Tanisha looked at the third boy, and her eyes were glued to him.

    "Yo".

    "You''re the guy that thought he was funny at the assembly", Tanisha said.

    Malakai smirked. "Yep. That''s me", he replied; he turned to his two friends and said, "I kinda regret doing that now".

    "You''re just saying that. You don''t regret it at all", Ray replied. Malakai smiled, knowing Ray saw right through him.

    Malakai turned back to Tanisha. "You''re in our class, right?".

    "Yeah", Tanisha said with attitude.

    Malakai didn''t like how he was being spoken to, but he chose to tolerate it and not take the piss as he could only see it going downhill if he overstepped boundaries. Tanisha was a little shorter than Malakai. Tanisha was 5''5, while Malakai was 5''6, so Tanisha wasn''t intimidated.

    "Well, I''m Malakai Junior, his Ray, and the guy making the noise is William", he said, pointing towards his friends.

    Tanisha still kept a straight face, unimpressed. "My name is Tanisha. Nice to meet you", she said in a bored, uninterested tone.

    Malakai looked towards his friends, showing he didn''t know what to do. He would''ve loved to take the piss, but it was too early for that. Another figure appeared behind Tanisha.

    Maria looked beyond Tanisha. "What''s going on?" she asked, looking at the culprits making the noise.

    ��Yo��, Malakai said looking at Maria.

    Maria looked into Malakai''s eyes and gave a shy smile. "Hi", Maria replied.

    There was silence for a few seconds until,

    "You''re that famous girl everyone likes for some reason. Uuhh, Maria", Malakai said, just about remembering her name.

    "Mally", Ray said like a teacher telling off a student.

    "What?" Malakai looked back at Ray; he quickly realised, "Oh shit, that was kinda rude. My bad".

    "Yeah, you better apologise", Tanisha replied.

    "No, no, it''s fine. I didn''t find it rude", Maria said with a smile; she didn''t want them to argue. "What''s your name?" She asked, looking at Malakai. Ray stepped forward, "I''m Ray. He''s Malakai, and he''s William", Ray looked at Maria with a slight blush, while William couldn''t look without staring too much. Malakai had to switch gazes from Maria to Tanisha, as he always felt her glare whenever he looked at Maria.

    "Nice to meet you all", Maria said.

    Tanisha stood a little ahead of Maria and questioned, "Where are you lot going?" she asked, a little curious.

    "We''re gonna go to a restaurant", Malakai replied.

    "What, none of you can cook?" Tanisha sharply replied.

    "It''s the first day. We still need to buy some stuff for the kitchen", Malakai had a laid-back posture with his hands in his pockets. He could sense Tanisha''s dislike towards him already. "You don''t need to worry about us, neighbour", Malakai added with a smile.

    "Tch, you think you''re hilarious, don''t you?" Tanisha annoyingly said.

    "Nah, not really", Malakai cheekily replied, looking away from Tanisha.

    Tanisha was agitated by Malakai''s attitude. "Your scar is uglier seeing it up close", she bitterly dissed.

    "Thanks, I appreciate it", Malakai replied, smiling. He thrived in these situations, so he was unfazed by the comment.

    The tension was evident. William, Ray and Maria didn''t know what to say to break this. They wanted to stop them but didn''t know how.

    Click!

    A door opened. David, Benjamin and Lucas came from the room next to Malakai''s and William''s.

    "You lot ready?" Lucas asked, sorting out his shirt.

    "Finally! What took you so long?" Ray said while walking towards them, glad they broke the tension.

    "David and Lu were comparing each other''s perfume", Benjamin answered while checking the time on his phone.

    "Wha? It''s not that deep. You''re not gonna get a girl on the first day", Malakai turned towards them, ignoring Tanisha.

    "Who said anything about girls. I just wanna smell good", David said while walking towards them.

    William started walking towards the elevator. "Alright, let''s go. I''m hungry".

    Everyone looked at each other and then followed William, except Malakai. Malakai turned towards Tanisha and Maria to say bye, but everyone got a notification before he said a word. Everyone simultaneously checked their phones to look at the notification.

    An important assembly will be held at the ''Main Hall'' at 2:00 PM. Every student must attend. Thank you.

 Chapter 7.5 - 30 Minutes Is A Long Time

    Everyone looked up from their phones

    Ray: it''s 1:30 right now. We''ve got 30 minutes.

    William: That''s a long time; let''s get something to eat.

    Benjamin: Bro, it''s a 10-minute walk to the hall. We don''t have time.

    William: I haven''t eaten today.

    Lucas: It isn''t our fault. You should''ve ate something.

    Malakai turned to Tanisha and Maria.

    Malakai: Wanna walk with us.

    Maria: Yeah!

    Tanisha: Maria!

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.Maria: Huh?

    Tanisha mouthed no. She then turned to Malakai.

    Tanisha: All of you go without us. We need to get ready.

    Malakai: You already look ready.

    Tanisha: We need to do our make-up

    Malakai: You don''t look like you need make-up.

    Tanisha: Fine! If you want us to go with you so badly.

    Malakai: I mean, I''m not begging you to come with us. I''m just asking.

    Tanisha: Tsk.

    Tanisha walked back into her dorm and slammed the door.

    David: Mally, you need to stop pissing people off.

 Chapter 8 - I Apologise

    2:08 PM.

    All the students were in the hall for the second time today. Everyone was confused. They didn''t know why they were being called upon. Was this normal? More than half the students were still in their uniforms, while the others wore their own clothing. Conversations were flying around, each student questioning each other on what this assembly could be about. From a Birds Eye view, it was a sea of navy blue from the uniforms and spots of different colours from the students not wearing the uniform. However, one person was sticking out like a sore thumb.

    "I told you, you dressed up too nicely. There''s no point". Benjamin told Lucas.

    Lucas slumped slightly on his chair to decrease his height and attract less attention. "I didn''t know we were going to have another assembly", he said, slowly turning his head around like an owl. "And why is everyone still in their uniforms?"

    "This is what you wanted, no? People looking at you. You''re getting attention from girls", David mocked, resting his hand on Lucas''s shoulder.

    "No. Everyone probably thinks I''m a doucebag. I don''t want this type of attention. They probably think I''m an idiot like Mally".

    Malakai looked over at Lucas. "Who said I got bad attention?" he asked.

    "It doesn''t matter what type of attention you got. Everyone still thinks you''re an idiot". William said to Malakai.

    Malakai looked at William, thinking before he said anything, "Don''t get me started on you", he said, shaking his head.

    Ray was sitting to William''s left, and to the left of Ray was Maria. So Ray was a little nervous as he wasn''t sure if he should talk to her or get involved with his friends. After everyone got the notification for the assembly, Malakai invited Tanisha and Maria to go with them, as it started in 30 minutes, and it seemed like the right thing to do. So, the eight of them went to the assembly together. After a few seconds of deciding, Ray worked up the courage to ask,

    "What do you think the assembly will be about?"

    Maria looked at Ray. "I''m not sure. Maybe they forgot to tell us something in the introduction".

    Ray nervously laughed, "Yeah, maybe".

    Mr White made his appearance and walked onto the stage. The noise levels began to dim as they saw him. Mr White stood at the centre and waited for the room to become completely silent.

    "Good afternoon, everyone!" he announced. "I know this may be weird as this assembly was not scheduled on your timetables, but I need to address a problem that has caused some students to become upset".

    He scanned the students from left to right. "Earlier today in the introductory lecture, a joke was said about an AK-47".

    As soon as Mr white said this, all of Malakai''s friends turned towards him. Malakai''s eyes widened.

    "Mally, you fucked up", Benjamin said in a low voice, who was sitting on his right.

    "This joke caused some students to become distressed and upset as this is a serious matter. These students know people who fell victim to school shootings, and some students have even been in a school shooting". Mr White looked down momentarily and then continued. "Obviously, this is no laughing matter, as it has caused past traumas to come back to some students and bring back a pain I bet no one here wants to feel".

    More eyes started to land on Malakai from the left, right, and behind, and even some students turned around to look at him. Malakai felt all of them. He didn''t meet one eye; he kept looking at Mr White. Biting his tongue so he didn''t smile.

    "Firstly, I need to apologise before anything else. Instead of condemning the action, I called it ''different'', disregarding the gravity of the situation and how detrimental this could be for some students". Mr White tilted his head down and raised his hand. "I apologise, and I''m truly sorry that I did not act as a professional and not react in a way that some of you may have wanted. I hope you can forgive me and accept my apology".

    He lifted his head and paused for a moment.

    "Now I want to call up the student who said this joke, and I want them to apologise to everyone here".

    Everyone seated in Malakai''s row looked at him. Malakai looked down towards his feet and smiled��his defence mechanism, which could cause the wrong impression in this scenario.

    "How is he smiling?" Tanisha mumbled in disgust, seeing Malakai''s side profile. Maria silently watched, trying to make sense of his smile in her head.

    "Malakai Junior! Can you please come to the stage?" Mr White announced, looking towards Malakai. He knew where he was seated.

    Malakai stood up from his seat and walked past his friends, not looking at any of their faces. He was now in the aisle. All eyes were on him for the second time today. This felt familiar to him. Malakai walked up the aisle, looking down, not looking at any faces. His facial expression wasn''t sad or embarrassed; it was just a straight face. That smile he did helped him compose himself. He walked up the steps towards the stage and lifted his head. He looked at Mr White, who looked disappointed. Malakai gave a small smile and a little nod. He then faced the crowd. Everyone was looking at a 5''6 male in a grey tracksuit about to give an apology. Was this really a prestigious academy? He looked at all the faces he was avoiding earlier, looking from right to left. He inhaled one more time, and exhaled.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions."Uhhh. Hi, I''m Malakai Junior", he was trying his hardest not to smile. "Uuhh, first of all, I want to apologise for what I said earlier. I''m realising now that it was insensitive of me to say that. I joke around and laugh all the time, I had no bad intention or intentionally cause a scene for a joke". Malakai was running out of things to say; in his head, he knew he had to waffle, which he is good at. He wasn''t looking at any faces in particular; he was mostly brushing his eyes around the room. Not allowing his eyes to stick to anyone.

    "Uuhh, I''m from the UK. When it comes to jokes, anything goes. Taking the piss is how we make each other laugh, not normal jokes. Obviously, school shootings don''t happen in the UK because of how strict they are with guns. Sooo, to us, school shootings are like a myth, something you would see in a movie. I didn''t realise how serious it was until now".

    "BULLSHIT!" someone shouted.

    Malakai paused for a second and looked to the left, where the shout came from. Now, he knew he had to be sincere; he couldn''t get away with this by making excuses and smiling, hoping people would forgive him.

    "I know it might sound like an excuse, but I''m serious. I''m really sorry. I was ignorant and naive", Malakai looked down. "It''s a toxic trait of mine. I act like a kid most of the time and don''t see the bigger picture sometimes. If what I said really affected and caused you pain, I''m sorry. You can hate me and say whatever you like to me. I don''t mind", Malakai didn''t look up. Mr White watched on and gave a slight smile; he had already started to like Malakai. Students were whispering to each other, some forgiving while others did not believe him. His friends were surprised at how genuine his apology was, but they were smiling. They thought his apology would be half-hearted.

    "I''ve heard I''ve been called an idiot by a few people. If you want to call me an idiot, I have to accept that, and I fully understand", Malakai lifted his head. "I''m sorry, and I hope you all can forgive me".

    The hall was silent.

    CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

    David started clapping, and the rest of his friends quickly joined. Maria began to clap, which led Tanisha to clap; soon after, most students were clapping his apology speech. Mr White took centre stage and stood next to Malakai.

    "Thank you. Before I let you all go. The student president would like to speak with you. Give a round of applause for Johan".

    A boy with square glasses and black hair slicked back entered with a round of applause to accompany him. Behind him was a girl with long black hair and square glasses; she waited on the right side of the stage while Johan walked towards the centre. Malakai was about to walk off the stage, but Mr White put his hand on his shoulder, signalling him to stay.

    Johan was centre stage with Malakai and Mr White standing to his right.

    "Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to Astral Academy. I''m Johan, and I''m the student president. I wasn''t here in the morning to see your introductory lecture, so I don''t know what happened. But from what I have heard, it is not the standard that is expected at Astral Academy".

    Students looked at each other; they expected to hear something positive. Instead, they were getting scolded.

    "At this Academy, a high standard needs to be maintained from day one. If you can''t do that, you cannot succeed here and do not belong here".

    Malakai glanced towards Mr White, who kept looking at Johan. Malakai didn''t expect this type of speech.

    "I know all of you aren''t to blame for what happened. The genius behind me is. From what I''ve heard, you do not belong here", he said without giving Malakai the respect to look at him.

    "And from what I''ve heard from your apology, I don''t think you were entirely sincere. Using the difference in culture to justify your actions. I don''t think you''re going to go very far. To all of you, let him be an example of what you don''t want to be". Johan then turned around to look at Malakai. Malakai looked at him with a look that said who do you think you are? Johan felt his dislike and tension; seeing a face like that unsettled Johan,

    "What''s with that look? You''ve got something to say?".

 Chapter 9 - Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot

    "Naah, I''ve got nothing to say", Malakai said, smiling, turning his head and looking away.

    Johan turned his body to face Malakai, "Your face says otherwise. If you got something to say, spit it out".

    David started shaking his head and kissed his teeth.

    "He fucked up", Benjamin said.

    "Yep", Lucas replied.

    "This is about to get good", William said excitedly, rubbing his hands.

    Ray turned towards his friends, "Should we stop him?"

    Lucas shook his head, "Nope, let him do what he does best".

    David looked towards them, thinking about stopping him, but it seemed he was on a different wavelength than them.

    Maria looked to her left, seeing the boys smiling faces thinking to herself, "What does that mean? What will he do?".

    "Aryt (Alright) then", Malakai started walking towards the Johan with his hands in his pocket. "Why do you think I''m not good enough? You don''t know me", he said, standing before Johan.

    Johan was surprised by how close Malakai got, but he didn''t show it, "I can tell from what I''ve heard and seen. Look at you. You apologised to the whole year group in a grey tracksuit. Do you think anyone will accept an apology from a person dressed like you?" he looked Malakai up and down like he was inferior. "Furthermore, how you''re acting right now is childish. You can''t take hearing bad about yourself, so you resort to confrontation".

    "I''m just asking a question, my friend", Malakai said with a smile that would annoy most people in an argument.

    "Let me ask you a question then. Why did you joke about having an AK-47?" Johan asked, tilting his head up to look down on Malakai, even though he was already taller than him and didn''t need to do that.

    "I was taking the piss, it was just a bit of fun", Malakai answered, raising his shoulder.

    "Fun? You think this is a game?" Johan asked, lowering his eyebrows.

    Malakai looked towards the crowd and then back at Johan,

    "I meaannn, it''s kinda like a game, no?"

    Johan looked at him as if he was crazy.

    "You play in challenges, get points, compete against everyone else, try to become number one", Malakai said, listing them on his fingers. This warranted a few giggles in the crowd.

    "I don''t know what you''ve been told, but it''s nothing like a game. This academy is prestigious for a reason", Johan said in a slow, harsh tone.

    "Are you like this for a reason? Do you have the most points? Are you number one?" Malakai threw a lot of questions at Johan.

    "No, I''m not", Johan replied to all three questions with three words.

    Malakai slowly looked at Mr White and then at the crowd. A big smile appeared on his face.

    "Hehehe", Malakai giggled.

    "Oh boy", Lucas said, knowing what was coming next. William already started to snicker.

    "So you''re student president, and you''re not number one", Malakai said, pointing at Johan. "What is your purpose? What do you even do then?" Malakai laughed.

    Laughs started to appear. Johan heard them and became aggravated.

    "You''re new. You wouldn''t understand. I heard you in class 1-C. An idiot like you wouldn''t be near the top. You can''t talk".

    Malakai knew he was under his skin by Johan''s short sentences. His eloquent speech was no longer present. Malakai lifted his head slightly; he had an idea.

    "Oh, really. Then let''s play for points right now?".

    "What?" Johan said, looking at him like he was crazy.

    "Let''s play for 100 points", Malakai followed up.

    "WHAT?"

    "MALLY!" David stood up shouting. "What are you doing?"

    Malakai turned his attention to David,

    "What?" he asked like he was doing something normal.

    "You can''t do that!" David replied.

    Students in the crowd started to raise eyebrows and whisper amongst themselves. Were they going to see a challenge live on the first day?

    "He''s right, you can''t do that!" Johan said with a screw face.

    "We can''t?" Malakai turned to Mr White. "Can I challenge him for points?" he asked.

    Mr White took a step forward, "It depends on the challenge. If it''s doable and acceptable, then I don''t see why not".

    "See, it''s fine", Malakai said to David.

    David gave up, sat back down and mumbled to himself, "Fucking idiot".

    Malakai turned back towards Johan.

    "100 point challenge. If I win, you give me a hundred points, but if you win, I''ll give you a hundred points. So everything I earn up to a hundred I will give you. Or I can start on minus hundred".

    Johan couldn''t believe it; a first-year was talking to him like they were equals. "That''s stupid. How old are you, 12?" he defensively said.

    "Are you scared? I''m only a first year. I''m new to the academy. I''m an idiot." Malakai mocked him with his own words. "Or is a hundred points a lot. How much have you got?".

    "No, a hundred points isn''t a lot for me. For you, it is." Johan replied, still trying to act superior.

    "If it isn''t a lot, let''s play", Malakai said with open arms. "Or are you scared that a first year will embarrass you?".

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.Johan drew the line; he had enough. He just wanted Malakai to shut up, "Fine. I''ll show you the level, arrogant bastard. What''s the challenge then, genius?".

    Malakai smiled, he baited in Johan. He didn''t think it would be possible, but it worked somehow. "How about rock, paper, scissors? First to three. Simple enough, right?"

    Johan narrowed his eyes. "Are you serious? I thought you were going to pick a good game. Even an idiot can win rock, paper, scissors".

    "That''s why I picked it. I''m an idiot, right?" Malakai said with a smug look. He then turned to Mr White and asked, "Is that good?"

    Mr White nodded. "Yes. Something easy to manage".

    Malakai looked back at Johan. "What you saying?".

    Johan couldn''t back down now; his reputation would be ruined. Running away from a first-year would make him a laughingstock. Many things played in his mind, but he would rather have had a game where he had more control. Rock, paper, scissors��anyone can win. Sure, there is some psychology to it, but it''s different for different people.

    "Okay, Fine", Johan agreed.

    Malakai smiled with his teeth showing. "Aryt! Rock paper scissors shoot that good for you?"

    Johan had a serious look on his face. He despised this kid in front of him "Whatever".

    Mr White watched on. Malakai and Johan were now facing each other. The crowd of students was silent but excited. Malakai started announcing,

    "Rock".

    Both students started moving their hands.

    "Paper".

    Everyone in the crowd had smiling faces.

    "Scissors".

    Even Mr White.

    "Shoot".

    Both students showed rock. Oohs rang around the hall. Malakai didn''t stop smiling, while Johan couldn''t help but frown. The crowd quieted down, ready for the next round.

    "Do you think Mally''s got this?" Lucas asked Benjamin.

    "I don''t know, but I got faith in him for some reason. Look at him, he''s doing that smile again".

    "Okay, we go again."

    Johan didn''t respond; he was focused.

    "Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot".

    Again, oohs rang around the hall because both students showed rock again. Malakai let out a small laugh and looked into Johan''s eyes. Johan was visibly annoyed. That cool, calm, collected persona he carried at the start disappeared.

    "Alright, we keep going. Rock".

    Everyone loved what was happening right now.

    "Paper".

    The atmosphere was different from the first two rounds.

    "Scissors".

    Everyone had the feeling it was going to be a draw.

    "Shoot".

    Malakai held out rock again. Johan held out scissors. Students let out cheers. It was 1-0. Malakai, the most hated person at the start of the assembly, was turning into a hero. It was like he was representing the first-years in a way, causing his year group to cheer for him. People also prefer the underdog, which could be another reason. Johan''s eyes opened and then narrowed quickly.

    "Are you an idiot. Are you going to keep going rock every time?".

    "Yeah", Malakai replied like it was obvious.

    The crowd were pumped up now.

    "Rock".

    "Mally''s got this", Benjamin confidently said.

    "Paper".

    "How''d you know?" Lucas asked.

    "Scissors".

    "Cuz he''s Malakai"

    "Shoot".

    Malakai held out rock again. Johan held out scissors again. The hall erupted, it was 2-0. One more point and a first-year would beat a third-year in a challenge on the first day. Students were suddenly praising him; who would''ve thought someone could be hated then loved so quickly?

    Malakai''s friends were all smiling. Even David couldn''t help but smile, seeing everyone cheer for his friend.

    "I can''t believe it. He''s actually one of a kind", Lucas said, looking at Malakai.

    William and Ray were whistling and cheering while Maria was staring at Malakai, daydreaming. Another smile. A different type of smile from Malakai that caught her attention.

    "If he was this serious all the time, imagine what he could do", Benjamin said to David.

    "He''s still a fucking idiot". David said, smiling, looking at Malakai.

    While all the cheering was going on, Johan was furious; he was looking at his hands. He was one point away from losing a hundred points. Johan had thousands of points, so a hundred points wouldn''t be a massive loss, but it would definitely hurt. Hurt in his race to number one and, more importantly, his pride and reputation.

    Malakai, still smiling, looked towards the crowd and then back at the despairing Johan.

    "Yo, I feel kinda bad. I don''t want you to be embarrassed and ruin your reputation, so let''s make this look close. I''m gonna go paper next", he whispered to Johan.

    Johan looked up; he was speechless. He wanted to rant and let loose against Malakai, but he couldn''t. His mouth wouldn''t let him. Even if he could, what would he say? He can''t say anything. Who is this kid standing in front of him? How is he doing this?

    The cheering started to die down. The next round was going to start. Was this about to be the end?

    "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot".

 Chapter 10 - Playing Chess Or Checkers

    "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot".

    Malakai held out paper. Johan held out rock. 3-0. It was done. The crowd exploded, and screams of ''Oh my god'' were in the air. A first-year beat a third-year in a challenge. Completely destroyed him. No one in the history of this academy has yet managed to get a hundred points on their first day, and this British boy who accidentally painted himself as a villain a few hours before became a somewhat hero for the first years.

    Everyone started clapping. Some were even standing.

    "He did it", William said, clapping.

    "We knew he would though", Benjamin replied.

    "True, but maybe he shouldn''t have done it", Lucas added.

    "He shouldn''t have. Now everyone knows him. The idiot", David said, smiling in his seat and looking at Malakai.

    Ray looked over to David, "Maybe he wanted this. You know, Mally. Sometimes no one can read him".

    William looked at Ray, "I can''t read him most of the time".

    Meanwhile, on the stage, Johan was empty. He didn''t know what happened. All the noise around him was muffled. Did that happen? Johan looked at his hand, which was still in a fist from showing rock.

    Malakai looked at Johan with a disappointed face. "Bro, I told you I was going paper. Why would you go rock?".

    Johan''s face slowly turned up to look at him, "Why would I believe you?" he said sharply.

    Malakai smiled, "I don''t lie."

    Johan lost it. He got closer to Malakai and gripped his hoodie, similar to what Dillon had done earlier.

    "You think this a joke! You think this a game! You''re not ready! You think you''re really smart, don''t you? Get this in your head. YOU''RE AN IDIOT! YOU''RE USELESS!".

    Malakai was so close to Johan''s face, but despite that, Malakai was smiling from ear to ear. He loved it. Getting this type of reaction after pissing someone off,

    "Calm down, it''s only a hundred points. You can get it back, Mr president".

    Johan tightened his grip and brought Malakai even closer. Malakai laughed a little to try to make Johan do something more.

    "ENOUGH!" Mr White shouted. He placed his hand on Johan''s arm, "Let go".

    Johan let out a tut and forcefully let go, pushing Malakai back.

    Mr White looked at Johan, who was already walking away. "This isn''t how a student president should act. You''re not setting a good example".

    Johan ignored him and kept walking away, "Let''s go, Alina".

    Alina, who was on the side watching, followed silently. The two of them left the stage while Malakai watched on.

    Malakai turned to Mr White. "Sooooo, When do I get my points?".

    Mr White didn''t know what to think of this 18-year-old in front of him. Was it luck? Or did he psychologically outplay Johan? Is this kid really in 1-C? He had so many questions that could only be answered through time.

    "Erm, you''ll get the hundred points before the end of the day", he looked at the audience chatting away and then back at Malakai. "I don''t know how you did that, but congratulations. Let me dismiss everyone, and then when everyone''s gone, you can leave as well".

    "You''re not going to keep me behind and lecture me?" Malakai asked.

    "No, you''ve done what you need to do and a bit extra. I don''t need to tell you anything. It would just make more sense if you stayed up on stage instead of walking back to your seat".

    Malakai didn''t understand, but he went along with it. Mr White stepped forward and faced the crowd.

    "OKAY EVERYONE THANK YOU!". The students started to quiet down. "This year''s group doesn''t seem to stop surprising me, I hope it can continue. Anyway, thank you all for coming. I have nothing else to say, so you are free to go". Mr White stood next to Malakai on the stage, watching all the students leave the hall.

    "Looks like he''s gonna stay behind", Lucas said, standing up.

    "I mean, when you beat a third-year in a challenge, I''m sure even the principal would want to talk to you", Benjamin replied.

    After all the students left, the two were on the stage. Malakai stayed silent, unsure of what to say.

    "You can go now as well", Mr White said.

    "Okay? You sure you don''t want to tell me off?" Malakai looked at him.

    "Why would I tell you off?

    "I caused a scene again".

    "It''s fine, I''m sure everyone loved it".

    "Okay? I guess." Malakai awkwardly replied, and he started walking away.

    "Just one more thing", Mr White called out. Malakai turned around. "I''ll keep my eye on you, and I''m sure many other people will too". Mr White turned around and started to leave the stage through the exit on the side. Malakai didn''t say anything; he just listened and acknowledged what he said.

    "Did I really have to do that?" Malakai questioned himself.

    Meanwhile, outside the hall, Alexander, Frank and Isabella were walking together.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation."Do you still think he''s an idiot?" Frank asked Alexander.

    Alexander looked tired. He wasn''t physically tired; he was just tired of hearing Malakai''s name constantly.

    "Yes. He just won a game of rock paper scissors. Nothing special. That third year lost his cool and let him get in his head".

    Isabella leaned forward, "There is some psychological skill involved, and I do think he is good at getting in people''s heads, but it''s a one-in-three chance to win".

    Frank looked ahead, "He''s got balls. I''ll give him that".

    Alexander started walking faster, "I''m happy he''s not in our class. Hearing his name every day would give me a headache". He didn''t acknowledge Malakai''s abilities. All he noticed was how annoying it was to hear his name.

    Malakai left the hall and stepped outside. He found his five friends waiting for him. As soon as he left the door, he was mobbed.

    "100 points already. Share some of that to us", Lucas said, putting his arm around Malakai.

    "I thought you were going to lose, to be honest", William poked at Malakai.

    "Did you plan that Mally?" Benjamin asked while rubbing his head.

    Malakai wriggled his way out of all their grasp, "Let go, man", he laughed while escaping the three of them. "Naah, I didn''t plan anything. I just saw an opportunity innit", Malakai was British, so British slang was part of his vocabulary.

    Ray started to walk next to Malakai, "It''s great you got points, but now everyone knows you".

    "He''s right. You should''ve just apologised, let Johan insult you and be low-key. Now everyone knows you''re a threat". David lectured.

    Malakai was walking slightly ahead of everyone, but he stopped. "That''s a good thing, no?" he questioned, standing in front of the five of them. The rest of them also stopped to look at Malakai. "Now everyone''s focussed on me, you lot can go and get points. They won''t pay attention to you as much as me."

    "So you did this for us?" Benjamin questioned.

    "Kinda. The AK-47 joke was accidental, and the game was spontaneous", Malakai said, thinking back.

    "So you didn''t do it for us," William realised he just did it for his entertainment.

    "I still did it for all of you, innit".

    "Yup, sure you did, buddy", Benjamin replied. The five of them started walking away.

    "You don''t understand I''m playing checkers while everyone else is playing chess", Malakai shouted.

    "It''s the other way round, idiot", David shouted back.

    "Is it actually?" Malakai questioned. He followed behind them. "Same concept. I''m playing a different game".

    "Just shut up, man." Lucas smiled.

    Malakai jumped on Lucas''s back. "Whoa, what you doing?" Lucas said, stumbling.

    "Carry me to a restaurant", Malakai ordered.

    "Walk by yourself", Lucas complained, carrying Malakai.

    "I''m tired. I just earned 100 points", Malakai replied.

    "For yourself", David pointed out.

    "We''re a team, and I''m the leader", Malakai said.

    Everyone started laughing.

    For the students, that concluded a very eventful first day, which the higher-ups watched.

    "Wow, what a showing", One of them said.

    "This is only the first day; I can''t imagine what will come next."

    "He wasn''t lying when he said they were special".

    "Where did he go?" He said, looking around the room.

    "Who knows. Who cares. He''s done his job. Now we can do what we want and relax".

    A few of them started laughing at that comment.

    "What do you think we should do? Should we scrap the regular regime and make it more strict?".

    As soon as he finished, the door opened.

    "No, you won''t change anything", the man behind the recruitments came bursting in.

    "Speak of the devil".

    Some faces dropped slightly as soon as he entered.

    "Why? Did you see what just happened? You were right. They are extraordinary, so I think they''ll be able to handle whatever we give them".

    "It doesn''t matter. No changes will happen. If changes were to happen, it will be later. Now is too early".

    The man kissed his teeth and didn''t bother to respond back.

    "Changes will happen. It might not be now, but later for sure. And you will have no say".

    "I''m not denying change. I''m against change NOW", he said, emphasising it was too soon.

    "Fair enough, as long as you know change is inevitable".

    "You did warn us that these students were different, and it''s our fault we didn''t believe you. But now we''ve seen proof. You can leave and relax. We''ve got it from here". One of them said, gesturing with his hand for the man to go away.

    "I''m not leaving. I helped recruit many of these students. I''m not going to let them turn into guinea pigs that you can experiment and play around with".

    "You talk a lot for a man by himself. You see, you''re outnumbered here".

    The man started leaving the room just seconds after he entered, but before he left, he warned,

    "Actions have consequences. It could be a year from now or later, it will catch up to you eventually".

 Chapter 10.5 - Am I Late, Or Is Everyone Else Early

    The next day. 7:30 AM. Classes start at 8:30 AM.

    Knock! Knock!

    William: Mally wake up. Classes start in an hour.

    7:46 AM.

    Knock! Knock!

    William: YO! Wake up man, you��re gonna be late.

    8:01 AM.

    William went into Malakai��s room.

    William: Mally wake up man.

    Malakai: five minutes

    William: I��m going; I don��t care if you��re late.

    8:18 AM.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.Malakai checked his phone.

    Malakai: SHIT!

    Malakai rushed to get ready.

    8:24 AM.

    Malakai left his dorm at the same time Benjamin left his. They both turned to each other.

    Malakai: What time did you wake up?

    Benjamin: 8:18

    Malakai: hehehe same.

    Benjamin: Should we run

    Malakai: If we��re going to be late anyways, what��s the point?

    Benjamin: Your right.

    Malakai and Benjamin both walked to their class. They turned up 20 minutes late.

 Chapter 11 - Morning

    9:56 AM.

    The first lesson ended, and the students had some time to relax until the next one started. Malakai, Benjamin, William, and Delilah were talking to each other to pass the time.

    "I''m tired", Malakai yawned, covering his mouth.

    "Bro, you overslept and came in late. How are you tired?" William said, shaking Malakai''s desk.

    "Did you stay up late?" Delilah asked.

    "Naah, I just love sleeping", Malakai said, resting his head on the table.

    "I fully understand", Benjamin agreed.

    "I''m surprised no one''s come up to you, Malakai. You''re the only student to have points", Delilah said. "Why did you challenge him?"

    Malakai lifted his head. "It''s too early. I think people will approach me later. And why did I challenge him? cuz... I don''t even know. I felt like it".

    "Really? Is that it?" Delilah said, looking at him, thinking he was joking.

    Malakai stretched, "Well, he was chatting shit to me, to my face. I wasn''t going to punch him or fight him, so I just thought of something I could hurt him with".

    "You know we thought of stopping you", William told Malakai, "But we realised it might''ve been useless".

    "Yeaaahh. Let''s forget bout yesterday. Other people are going to come up to me to ask the same thing. Let''s just look at what everyone else is doing", Malakai replied, looking around.

    "Look at Ray. He''s making friends", Benjamin pointed out.

    Ray was smiling and talking to the girl next to him, and the boy sat in front of him.

    "I feel like a proud dad", Malakai joked.

    Delilah was out of the loop, "Is he a kid or something? Why do you treat him like one?"

    "He''s our little brother", William replied.

    "Not actually, but basically", Benjamin added.

    Delilah looked at Ray. "He does look innocent, like a kid".

    "What''s Lucas and David doing?" Malakai asked, looking towards the front.

    David was reading a book while Lucas had his head on the desk.

    "Bro, whenever I look at this guy, his head is on the desk", Malakai said.

    "This academy got him depressed already", Benjamin giggled.

    An idea popped up in William''s head. "Should we throw something at him?" he suggested.

    "Great idea. What should we throw?" Malakai excitedly asked.

    Everyone looked to their desks to try and find something good to throw, but none of the boys had anything.

    Delilah picked up an eraser on her desk. "We could throw this", she said, holding the eraser.

    Their faces lit up, excited that they found something, but they all had an idea. The three of them looked at each other and smiled, knowing exactly what each of them was thinking.

    "As you came up with the idea, I think you should throw it", Malakai said.

    "Huh", Delilah was surprised to hear that.

    "It is also your eraser. It would be rude if any of us threw it," Benjamin said.

    "I agree. It wouldn''t make sense if we threw it." William nodded.

    "But all of you came up with the idea to throw something at him", Delilah replied, trying to get out of the situation she got herself in.

    "Yeah, and you came up with the idea of throwing YOUR eraser at him." Malakai smiled.

    "I''m not good at throwing", she argued back.

    "If you miss, then we''ll throw something of ours", Benjamin compromised.

    With the majority against her and everyone having an argument against her. It looked like she had no choice but to accept.

    Delilah let out a sigh, "Fine, but if I miss, don''t blame me".

    Delilah slowly stood up, picked up the eraser and took aim. Lucas was sat at the front, so it was pretty far. She looked around the class and saw no one looking at her except the three boys and the people in her row. She closed one eye to get better coordination; once she felt like she got the angles right, she threw it. The throw wasn''t powerful, but it floated in the air. It was a completely different throw from what the three boys would have done; they would have thrown it like an arrow��a straight line towards Lucas''s head, dealing a lot of damage. Delilah''s throw was a curve; it went up lightly and would eventually come down with force.

    THUD!

    The eraser landed right on Lucas''s head. From the height the eraser came down from, it looked like it would hurt a little despite it being an eraser.

    The four of them looked at each other with open mouths and widened eyes in shock. It went perfectly. Delilah quickly sat down and opened a textbook and started looking through it.

    Lucas opened his eyes, lifted his head from his desk, stood up, and turned around��all in silence. He death stared towards their direction. Malakai was looking at the ceiling, Benjamin was looking at his pen, and William was counting to ten on his fingers.

    "Which one of you three threw that?" Lucas calmly asked.

    The three of them looked up at him and shrugged their shoulders. The whole class had stopped their conversations to check out what was happening.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings."I''m serious. Who hit me with the eraser?" Lucas said in a cold tone.

    "What eraser? I didn''t see anything", Malakai cluelessly said.

    "What happened? Did something hit you?" William cluelessly said.

    "We didn''t throw anything we were revising", Benjamin cluelessly said.

    "REVISING!? WHERE?! MALLY WAS LOOKING AT THE CEILING, YOU AT YOUR PEN AND WILL WAS COUNTING HIS FINGERS. THE FUCK YOU MEAN!" Lucas shouted.

    "Excuse me, can you sit down. My lesson hasn''t even started and you''re shouting". Lucas turned around; the chemistry teacher was standing behind him."If you''re going to swear and behave like that, you can get out of my class".

    Lucas slowly sat down. "I''m sorry, sir", he apologised, embarrassed.

    The three boys in the back started giggling, loud enough so Lucas could hear.

    "They got you good", David whispered to Lucas.

    Lucas lowered his head and breathed in. "I don''t care who threw it. I''m punching all three of them".

    12:12 PM.

    It was lunch break for the students. They could do whatever they wanted for an hour, eat at the cafeteria or go to a restaurant at the campus mall. The cafeteria was the more popular option as the restaurants and other food spots were a ten-minute walk or longer from the academy building. As usual, the cafeteria was busy with people, with few places to sit. The cafeteria is usually filled with first-year students because second and third-year students normally eat elsewhere or don''t attend class. The tables were already segregated, with students sitting with people from their classes; it didn''t look like there was any free mixing between classes. No alliances were made yet, but glances were thrown around, dirty looks were exchanged, and uncomfortable stares were present. The atmosphere was toxic. A table of three was placed on the side of the cafeteria, nearly out of sight of everybody, including three students from 1-A.

    "When do you think a challenge will happen? I''m thinking this Friday", Isabella asked, looking at the two boys.

    "That would be a good time. At the end of the first week, it is something like a starter challenge. Warm us into the year", Frank replied, sipping his water.

    Alexander put down his coffee. "There won''t be any challenges this week. There will be a challenge set next week", he said.

    Isabella looked at Alexander. "Really?" she reacted, surprised he sounded so sure. "How do you know?".

    Alexander took a sip of his coffee. "This week is just for us to settle back into studies. They want to make it feel like high school again. Then, next week, they set the challenge at the start of the week. It''s not a challenge; it''s a starter challenge, like you said", he said, looking at Frank.

    "Set? So the challenge won''t happen straight away?" Isabella was trying to get answers to help her prepare as much as possible.

    Alexander just nodded, not giving her much to use.

    "How do you know so much?" Isabella directly asked, trying to get information about Alexander now.

    Alexander finished his coffee and put the cup down. "My brother was a student here a few years ago".

    Isabella got an answer she didn''t expect. "Wow, did he do good?".

    "No, he did terribly", he said coldly.

    Frank gave a look towards Alexander, knowing it was a touchy subject.

    "Oh", Isabella wasn''t too sure what to reply with as Alexander''s tone wasn''t too inviting for an apology out of sympathy.

    "The challenge is soon, so let''s just prepare and try our best", Frank said to kill the silence and awkwardness.

    "Yeah", Isabella replied. Isabella looked around the cafeteria and saw everyone occasionally glancing towards one direction in particular. It was towards Malakai''s table. "How is he in 1-C? Just from yesterday, I feel like he should at least be in 1-B", Isabella said, staring at Malakai.

    Frank looked towards Malakai. "He''s interesting. I don''t know how to feel about him. I like watching him as a bystander, but being involved with him seems a bit too much for me".

    "He''s like a class clown, but he doesn''t seem stupid to be doing all this for no reason. I feel like he''s got an ulterior motive", Isabella said. "What do you think?" she asked Alexander.

    "I don''t care about him. I already forgot his name, and I don''t want to know his name. His type is the worst. All this attention for what?" Alexander said condescendingly. He looked towards Malakai and saw him laughing and smiling with his friends. "He''s just another idiot", he mumbled.

    He kept staring at Malakai. Smiling Malakai. A sight he had always seen whenever he looked at him. Was this guy seriously going to be a problem for him? An attention-seeking idiot? Or is he an idiot?

    On the other side of the cafeteria, a boy started chuckling to himself, observing everyone. Even looking at the three students from 1-A.

    "Ryan, what happened? What''s funny?".

    "Nothing, I think I just found more pieces to the jigsaw?".

 Chapter 11.5 - We All Know Who Did It

    In the cafeteria.

    Lucas: Who threw it?

    Benjamin: Mally

    William: Ben

    Malakai: Willy

    The three looked at each other.

    Lucas: Tell me or imma punch all three of you.

    Malakai: Okay, do you want me to be honest? It was Ray.

    William: Yup

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.Benjamin: We saw him do it.

    Ray: Do what?

    William: See, he''s playing dumb.

    Lucas: Bro, stop playing.

    Malakai: Okay, okay. It was Delilah.

    Lucas: I don''t give a shit anymore, come here.

    Malakai: I aint lying.

    Benjamin: He''s telling the truth.

    Lucas stood up and chased all three of them.

    All three of them got punched.

 Chapter 12 - Celebrity

    A few days have passed, and it was now Friday. The students have been coping well with their studies and adjusting to their timetables and schedules. Other than the first day, no other major incidents have happened. Yet. People kept to themselves and kept to their classmates. No one wanted confrontation from anyone. It was tense and awkward whenever the students were gathered in a closed space with other classes. Nobody wanted to make that leap to make friends with another class; it felt like treachery if they did. How could they trust each other? Everybody was waiting for a challenge and to earn some points. Whenever they loaded up the app to see their points and looked at the leaderboard, the only name that popped up was Malakai Junior on 100 points, while everyone below him was on zero. This annoyed many students, but there was nothing they could do.

    As for Malakai, he was chilling. He didn''t get into any arguments; nobody approached him. He was living like a high school student, having fun, laughing and making jokes. He hadn''t made any new friends yet; he only had his original group and Dellilah. He hadn''t interacted much with his neighbours, Tanisha and Maria, because they hadn''t crossed paths. And Malakai wasn''t the type to knock on their door and be outgoing with them. Anyway, he ignored the looks he received; he shrugged them off and pretended like they were not there. Everything was smooth sailing for him and his friends, but waves were approaching.

    "Lu, what you gonna do later?" Malakai asked, unscrewing his drink bottle cap.

    "I don''t know. Revise probably", Lucas replied, taking a seat.

    "We said we were going to meet in the cafeteria, right?" Ray asked, looking around.

    "Yeah. The three of them are gonna come in a bit", Malakai replied, taking his first sip of his drink.

    "Sometimes you need to slow down when you talk. Your UK slang and accent is hard to understand sometimes", Lucas said, taking his sandwich out of the packaging.

    "I can''t help it. If you understand, you understand. If you don''t, then it''s not my problem", Malakai replied.

    "But it is your problem. We''re your friends. We need to understand you", Lucas said before taking a bite from his sandwich.

    Malakai smiled, putting his bottle down, "We''ve been friends for like 3-4 years. You should understand most of the shit I say by now".

    "I understand, but when you talk quickly, it gets kinda confusing. Sometimes I don''t even think you''re speaking English", Ray said.

    Malakai picked up his drink to finish the little bit he had left, "Hehe, My bad. I''ll try to talk slower".

    Ray checked his phone to see if he got any texts from his friends. He looked up and saw four people approaching them. "That guy is coming towards us", Ray informed his two friends.

    Lucas and Malakai both looked to where Ray was looking. They saw Dillon walking with his hands in his pockets, with three other boys following behind.

    "Damn, he''s already got some minions", Lucas said disappointingly, looking at the guys following him.

    "Sad life to live, being one of his dogs", Malakai replied quietly so Dillon didn''t hear.

    Dillon reached Malakai, standing over him just like when they first met. Malakai stayed in his seat.

    "Yo", Malakai opened the conversation.

    "Wassup. I see you''re not with all your friends. Where are they?" Dillon asked.

    "You do realise we don''t need to babysit each other. We''re not kids", Malakai said, looking up at Dillon.

    "Why are you sitting down? Do you want me to drag you up again?" Dillon said, towering over him.

    "If you touch him, you''ll see what happens", Lucas intervened.

    Malakai slightly turned his head to Lucas, "It''s fine, he won''t do anything". he said, smiling. Malakai stood up. Malakai is five feet and six inches tall, while Dillon is about six feet tall, so Malakai is still looking up at Dillon. "What''d you want?" he asked, lifting his head.

    Dillon raised his hands, "Nothing, I''m just here to say hello with my new friends", he said, pointing at the people behind him.

    Malakai didn''t know if he was serious or planning something. "Okay? Is that it?" Malakai questioned looking at Dillons friends.

    "Yeah, I just wanted to see how you''d react when you saw me again".

    Malakai scoffed and looked at his friends to see if they were seeing the same thing he was. "What? You thought I would be scared of you?"

    Dillon smirked. "I wanted to see if you regret what you did at the assembly", he said.

    "I regret nothing. What did I do? Take the piss out of you a bit? C''mon bro, your ego can''t be that fragile", Malakai smiled.

    "I see. So no apology".

    Lucas was getting annoyed and stood up from his seat. "If you came to us because you outnumber us and you''re trying to intimidate us, you''re not. I don''t know what you''re trying to do, but we don''t care. Piss off", Lucas bursted out.

    "Lu, Calm down", Ray said, trying to de-escalate the situation.

    "Woah woah. We didn''t want to pick a fight. We just came here to say hello", Dillon smiled, trying to act like Malakai and say something he would say.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.Malakai looked at Dillon. "Dillon, I think we got off on the wrong foot. How about we move past what happened and start brand new?" Malakai said in a way that was serious but at the same time sounded like a joke by his tone of voice. Malakai offered his hand out for a handshake. The other people around the cafeteria were watching this face-to-face, and most of them were not surprised that Malakai was one of the faces they recognised.

    Dillon looked at his hand and smacked it away. "Naah. I''m happy with how we started and want to keep it that way".

    Malakai pulled a face and raised his eyebrows, "Whatever you say. Just remember I wanted to start fresh", he said, shrugging his shoulders.

    Dillon started walking away, "Just watch out, don''t get too comfortable", he said. Dillon walked away with his friends following behind. His friends didn''t say a word the whole time.

    Malakai watched until Dillon was out of sight, then turned towards Lucas and Ray. "Weirdos, man. You''re telling me he came here to show us he has an army".

    "What army?" Lucas joked, sitting back down.

    "Ray, if he ever does anything to you, just tell me". Malakai said.

    "And me", Lucas added, pulling out his phone.

    "I don''t think he will do anything to me. You should worry about yourself, Mally", Ray replied, showing concern.

    Malakai took a seat, "He''ll play dirty, he won''t go for me directly".

    Ray looked behind Malakai to see someone else standing behind him. "There''s someone else behind you", Ray told Malakai.

    "Huh?" Malakai stood up and turned around. "Who are you?"

    Lucas looked up from his phone, "Ryan?"

    Malakai looked at Lucas, "You know him?".

    "Yeah, I met him on Monday in a convenience store with Ben",

    Ryan stood a few feet in front of Malakai with two girls standing behind him. "Hi, it''s nice to see you again, Lucas, and it''s nice to meet you, Malakai", Ryan offered his hand.

    Malakai shook his hand cautiously. "Yeah, likewise", he replied, not meaning what he said. Malakai looked beyond Ryan and saw the two girls. A lot of assumptions came into his head. This situation felt too weird to him. "Are those your friends or your fans?" Malakai jokingly asked.

    "Who do you think you''re talking to?" One of them snapped.

    "Melody, it''s fine, he''s only joking", Ryan said, smiling at Melody. "They''re my friends", he said to Malakai.

    Malakai looked Ryan up and down, "A tall, good-looking guy with two girls following him, not even walking beside him. Yeeaaaah I''m not buying it, I can''t lie", Malakai analysed, holding his chin.

    "What''s your problem? Ryan was trying to be nice, and you''re being rude", Melody raised her voice. Melody was a short girl with dark skin, long, curly black hair and glasses.

    Malakai looked at her with uninterested eyes. "My bad, I''m not used to this kinda interaction", Malakai looked back at Ryan. "Aryt (Alright), what do you want?".

    "I just wanted to meet you. I always found you interesting and haven''t had the time to meet you until now", Ryan replied politely.

    Malakai was bored; he expected more. He felt a weird vibe about Ryan. He was being too nice, which instantly set alarm bells off in Malakai''s head. He turned to Lucas and asked, "Am I a celebrity or something? Why does everyone want to meet me?"

    "You know why you idiot. Think before you do shit next time".

    Malakai sighed, "You''re right, you''re right. Well, I''m here innit. Got anything else you wanna say?" he said to Ryan.

    "I wanted to see how you were in person. I thought you would be different. Maybe I caught you at the wrong time", Ryan replied, trying to justify Malakai''s attitude.

    Malakai smiled, "You know exactly what you''re doing, the timing and the people you chose to come with", he said in a voice that could only be heard by Ryan and Lucas. Melody and the other girl were standing behind Ryan, and Ray was sitting on the other side of the circular table, so they couldn''t catch what Malakai said.

    Ryan laughed a little. "Maybe next time, when the situation is different, we can have a more docile conversation".

    "Who said it wasn''t docile?" Malakai asked.

    Ryan smiled at him and didn''t say another word. He started walking away and raised his arm to wave goodbye.

    "Shit, I forgot to ask what class he''s in", Malakai said.

    "He''s in 1-B", Lucas replied.

    "Long day", Malakai said in a tired voice.

    "Mally, you should be nice to people", Ray told Malakai.

    Malakai took a seat for the third time. "I''m nice to people when they are a nice person. He is not nice", Malakai replied.

    "You don''t know that", Ray said.

    Malakai smiled gently, "Just watch out for him". He checked his phone to see the time. "Where are these guys? Lunch is over in five minutes."

    Lucas, who was still standing up, said, "They probably got stuck in a queue. Should we start heading to class?".

    "It''s still early", Malakai complained.

    "Come on Mally. Let''s go", Ray said, picking his bag up and getting ready.

    Malakai looked hopelessly at both of them standing up,

    "Aryt".

 Chapter 12.5 - We Didn鈥檛 Take That Long

    William: Which one should I get?

    Benjamin: I think this one.

    William: Na, that doesn''t look good. Why don''t you get it?

    Benjamin: I don''t want it.

    William: Then why did you tell me to get it

    Benjamin: Cuz you haven''t chosen one yet.

    William: You haven''t either.

    David: Guys, we said we''d meet them about ten minutes ago.

    William: Wait, don''t rush us.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.Benjamin: We need more time.

    David: PICK A DRINK THERES LIKE TEN PEOPLE BEHIND US.

    Crowd: Hurry up, we''ve waited for ten minutes; move out of the way; Order already.

    Cashier: Can you order please, your holding up the line.

    William: Two seconds.

    Benjamin: I''ve almost decided.

    William did not take two seconds and Benjamin did not almost decide. They did not meet up with the rest of the guys and they did not turn up in time for class.

 Chapter 13 - I Know Who You Are

    The first week was over; it was the first day of the weekend. Saturday. The majority of students went out and enjoyed what the campus had to offer. Students could leave the campus if they wanted to, but it was a hassle if they did; they had everything they needed on campus. A place for food, clothes and entertainment, it was all here. Why would they leave? Some students stayed in their dorms, revising the content they covered this week, making sure they stayed caught up. Fine margins could mean finishing number one; students wanted to use their time effectively.

    "You''re going out?" Called a voice from the kitchen.

    "Yeah, I just need some fresh air".

    The boy left the dorm and walked out. He walked through the mall, watching everything going on around him, deep in thought. He arrived at his destination and sat on a chair outside the place. He sat down, leaned back in the chair, and took in the scenery. The day was beautiful. It was warm, nothing like autumn. It was like summer had never left. He heard voices around him and saw large groups with happy faces. Everyone was happy, it seemed. To keep himself occupied, he pulled out his phone and checked for any emails he might''ve missed.

    "What''re you doing outside a coffee shop alone?" a voice called, approaching him. A tall boy with glasses was approaching him.

    He didn''t say anything and just stared at him. The guy was standing in front of him. A welcoming face with an unsettling vibe.

    "I''m Ryan", he said, offering his hand.

    "I''m Adam", he replied, shaking it.

    "You don''t mind if I sit here?" Ryan said, pulling out a chair opposite Adam.

    "I don''t mind".

    Ryan pulled out the chair and sat down. "Why are you here alone?" Ryan asked.

    Adam put his phone in his pocket, "I like sitting here", he replied bluntly.

    Ryan smiled differently this time. "Why are the guys in different classes always treating me differently?" he rhetorically asked himself.

    Adam just kept staring at him.

    "I get it, you''re not stupid", Ryan continued.

    "Why are you here alone? Adam asked.

    Ryan was surprised he was asking a question instead of responding to one.

    "When I saw you talking to Malakai yesterday, you had two girls with you" Adam attacked him directly; he didn''t want any small talk. "Whenever I see you, someone''s following you. Why don''t you have someone following you today?".

    Ryan pushed up his glasses and sat up straight, "It''s because I respect you. More than Malakai. Malakai also had people with him, I''m not going to talk to him alone, am I?" Ryan replied.

    "He''s always got people around him. Surely, you could pull him to one side and talk. He''s not that intimidating", Adam replied with a straight face.

    Ryan scoffed, "No. I don''t respect him that much. He''s not THAT important to be pulled aside." Ryan said, leaning forward. From what he said, it was clear he didn''t like Malakai. "Let me give you a bit of advice. Approaching someone with people with you will make you look important, but approaching someone alone will make you look strong".

    "You didn''t want to look strong in front of him?" Adam asked.

    "I told you I don''t respect him," Ryan replied with a disgusted face, further showing his dislike for Malakai. I had different plans for Malakai, but our conversation didn''t go to plan. I may have miscalculated our first meeting, but even still, the worst possible outcome happened. That miscalculation turned into a blunder. But it''s fine, it may be better this way", Ryan rambled. Adam let him talk; he wanted to hear what Ryan wanted to say about Malakai. "Before approaching him, I had little respect for him. After yesterday, I have no respect for him". Ryan finished his great speech.

    "Why do you respect me? I haven''t done anything", Adam said in his monotone voice.

    Ryan''s expression changed; the type of smile he presented now was different from before. It was unsettling if anyone else saw it. "You haven''t done anything, but I know who you are".

    Adam''s facial expression stayed the same during the entire conversation. He kept staring at Ryan. He couldn''t be bothered to answer his statements anymore; he just wanted to hear what he wanted to say. He wanted Ryan to leave already.

    "You''re Scott Ledge''s son", Ryan continued. "Your father''s a famous entrepreneur, owning many businesses. He could buy this academy if he wanted to. You might as well be a prince because your dad is basically a king".

    Adam kept his composure. He wasn''t going to fall into Ryan''s trap, but Ryan kept on going,

    "A guy that has it all. You could play video games for the rest of your life and live a life people can only dream of. Why are you here?"

    "Are you that worried I''m here?" Adam interjected.

    "Worried?" Ryan laughed. "Of you? All I see is a spoilt brat rebelling against his dad. Trying to prove he doesn''t need him".

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.Adam was annoyed but didn''t show it; he kept the same face. Ryan hit the bullseye; it was more or less the reason why he was here.

    "I know you''re not as stupid as class 1-E. You put yourself there", Ryan kept knocking at the door but saw he was going nowhere. It was like he was insulting a mannequin. Ryan signed and leaned back in his chair. "Okay, I get it. I''m not getting through to you. It''s only the start of the year. You''ll start to crack sooner or later", Ryan looked at the cafe. "You want to get a drink?" he asked. Adam didn''t say anything. "Never mind". Ryan stood up and looked down at Adam. "I know I said I respected you, and it didn''t sound like it in this conversation, but me being real with you shows how much I respect you". Ryan turned around to leave and signed off with,

    "Hope we make a lot of memories".

    Adam unclenched his fist from under the table and thought to himself,

    "I didn''t expect anyone to find out this soon. That guy seems dangerous, but he is in 1-B, so he can''t be perfect. He didn''t get everything about me correct, but the majority of what he said was right. Who is he?"

    Adam just sat in silence for a few moments,

    "I don''t like him", he said to himself, staring into space.

    His thoughts weren''t clear, but they weren''t foggy either. Flash memories of his childhood and phrases his mind held onto. Words he would hear clearly in his mind just thinking about them. Blurred faces popped up in his mind, and large empty rooms with no one in sight. Adam snapped back into reality and looked left and right, ensuring no one saw him. He decided to return to his dorm to talk with his roommate and get to know him better. He had enough of being outside. His walk and alone time were ruined by one interaction and one person.

    "Chris, Do you think being roommates was a mistake?".

    "As of right now, no, but later on, we might get sick of each other", Chris replied. "Christina, where did you put my phone?" he asked, looking under the couch.

    "I didn''t take your phone, I haven''t even seen it", Christina replied, sorting and unpacking her school bag.

    "Never mind, I found it". Chris found his phone to the left of the couch. He took a seat and scrolled through his phone. "Do you think we''re the only twins in our year?".

    Chris was a white boy with crystal blue eyes and blonde hair, and his sister was identical, but she had longer hair.

    "I haven''t seen anyone that looks the same. We might be the only identical twins", Christina replied, finding what she was looking for in her bag.

    "You made a mess for that", Chris said, looking at the floor scattered with papers and books.

    "I''ve been looking for this eyeliner for three days. I thought I lost it," Christina replied, tidying up the mess she made. "Have you made any friends in our class?" she asked, glancing at Chris.

    Chris was still scrolling through his phone. "More or less".

    "More or less? What does that mean?" Christina asked, looking at him

    "I know the people in our class, but I wouldn''t consider them friends yet".

    "Fair enough. What about Ryan? I saw him talking to you", Christina said

    Chris stopped scrolling on his phone, "He''s alright, seems like a nice guy. It''s annoying he''s got girls following him all the time", he said. "I saw him talking to you as well".

    Christina finished tidying up and sorting out her bag. "Yeah, he was asking about you. He said we looked similar and asked if we were twins".

    Chris scoffed. "Isn''t that obvious? Do you think he was flirting with you?" he asked.

    "Doubt it. He''s not my type anyway", Christina replied, walking to the kitchen.

    "He''s not?" Chris was shocked. "Who is then?"

    "Malakai", she said, laughing.

    "Get outta here, don''t play with me", Chris laughed, not taking her seriously.

    "I''m joking. He is cute, just a little bit short." Christina got a drink from the fridge and opened it. Chris was 5''8, and Christina was 5''7. "I think you two would be good friends", she started drinking the juice.

    "Maybe, I have to talk to him properly. I saw Ryan approach him yesterday", Chris said, standing up.

    "He did? When?" Christina asked.

    "During lunch in the cafeteria. He approached him with those two girls that always follow him. From what I saw, I don''t think they got along", Chris replied.

    "Really? Ryan seems nice. Maybe Malakai doesn''t like people from other classes," Christina tried to think of an explanation.

    "Possibly. The only way to find out is to talk to him when I can. If he''s nice to me, then he''s nice, but if he ain''t, then fuck him", Chris said, walking to his room. "I''m going to sleep".

    "Good night".

    Meanwhile, two people were lying in the same bed in the dorm room next to them. One''s head was on another''s chest while their arms were wrapped around their body.

    "I think we should break up".

    "Huh".

 Chapter 14 - Under The Moonlight

    The following week had started, but it was only 1:34 AM. The second week of the academy would officially begin at 8:30. With this timing, you would think that all the students would be asleep, but some people can''t help waking up in the middle of the night.

    Maria''s throat was parched; it needed water. She sat up from her bed, half asleep, fighting her sleep demons.

    "Cough. Cough", her body couldn''t go back to sleep. With that, she was forced out of her bed to get water. She slowly unwrapped the blanket off her and unwillingly stood up. The warmth of her bed was calling her, and Maria''s body was dissipating heat. She didn''t want to leave, but her throat was so dry. It was hard for her to make any noises. She rubbed her eyes and stumbled her way out of her room. She swayed from side to side, not turning on the lights, only using the moonlight shining through the balcony to navigate her way to the kitchen. When she reached the kitchen, she opened the faucet and carefully washed her face and eyes with cold water. She grabbed a glass drying on the side and filled it. She sipped the drink first, letting the cold water heal her throat. She looked up from her glass and looked at the room. It was like she was in a dream. She was entranced by how beautiful the room looked due to the moonlight illuminating it. Caught in the moment, she wandered towards the balcony to see the moon more clearly. When she reached the balcony door, she was amazed by the sight of it. Eagerly wanting more than just visuals, she wanted to feel the cold air and be a part of the atmosphere. She opened the balcony door. It felt like she was in front of a portal between reality and dreamland. She stepped out, and everything hit at once. The cold air kissed her face, the sound of the wind whispered in her ear, the smell of the fresh air, the cold air enhancing the cold taste of water she had moments ago and the visual of the moon in front of her. All her senses got to experience something different the world had to offer. It was a dream-like experience. Was it always like this late at night? Her eyes were focused in front of her, but she noticed something in the corner of her left eye. She instinctively turned her head to the left and saw Malakai leaning on his balcony''s railing. Was this a dream?

    Malakai turned to look at her, surprised someone else was awake

    "Yo".

    Maria, trapped in the moment, just stared at him for a few seconds before replying,

    "Hey".

    Maria took a few steps to the right to get closer to Malakai''s balcony. "Why are you on the balcony?" she asked, staring at him, trapped by his presence.

    "I can''t sleep. What bout you?" Malakai replied, standing up from his leaning position.

    "I went to get some water because my throat was dry. Then I saw the moon and wanted to see it better", Maria was holding her glass of water with both hands. "How long have you been out here?" she asked.

    "Not that long. I was in bed and couldn''t sleep, so I just thought, lemme look at the sky", Malakai said. He shifted his attention to the stars, "It calms me down. It reminds me that the world can be beautiful sometimes".

    Maria joined Malakai in looking at the stars. They both watched the night sky for a few seconds. Maria turned slightly to look at Malakai, who was admiring the sky. He had a look in his eye that was different from all the other times she''d looked at him. She couldn''t figure out what had changed, but it definitely was different. Whenever Maria looked at Malakai, he always had something different about him; it was like she was learning more about him only by looking at him. That interested Maria, and she wanted to know more about Malakai because of those different looks. Maria wanted to keep talking. It was the first time they could properly conversate one on one,

    "You said you were from the UK. Why did you come to America?" she asked, taking the first step.

    Malakai blinked to snap himself out of the moment and then turned to Maria, "To come to this academy. My friends told me to, so I did".

    Maria finished her glass of water and placed the cup on the floor. "Do you mean your friends now? How did you meet them?" she asked.

    "Online. We''ve been friends for like two or three years", Malakai said, breaking eye contact. He looked at the sky to act out and reminisce the memory in his head. "It was so random. I was just playing by myself and thought, let me join a public lobby. Next thing you know, I joined a lobby with those five", Malakai looked down, "I didn''t really wanna speak, but I got pressure into talking, so I put my mic on, and yeah, the rest is history. We kept winning as a team, so we decided to become friends. From that day on, all of us kept speaking in the group chat we made", Malakai looked at Maria, who looked like she was invested in the story. "All of us aren''t the same age though".

    "You''re not?" Marai asked.

    "Nah, David, William, and Lucas are nineteen. Me, Benjamin, and Ray are eighteen".

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site."Who''s the youngest?"

    "Heh, Me. My birthday is in July. July 10th".

    "Woah, Mines December 9th".

    "That''s in a few months. Need to remember that date", Malakai said, smiling at her.

    Hearing that made Maria''s heart skip a beat.

    "But yeah, all of them had met and planned to come to this academy. I couldn''t link with them because I was in England, but they told me all about this academy and how much fun it would be. So I thought, why not?" he said.

    "What about your family? Where they not against you coming?"

    Malakai smiled, "Yeaa, at first they were against it, but they saw how much I wanted to go, so they let me", Malakai said slowly. He looked up at the sky again, "I miss them, obviously, but you have to make sacrifices sometimes".

    Maria looked at Malakai''s eyes, which were focused on the sky, and there were stars in Malakai''s eyes with how they reflected onto them in the sky.

    It looked like a movie scene. She could tell Malakai was grateful and blessed to come to this academy and that he loved his parents for allowing him to attend.

    "I''m sure they''re happy for you and miss you too", Maria reassured him.

    "Yeah. What about you? Were your parents against it?" Malakai was asking the questions this time.

    "No. My parents are always happy with me. They support whatever I do", maria replied. "Tanisha told me about this academy, and I looked into it and found it interesting. I asked my mom if I could join, and she was happy that I wanted to do this".

    Malakai showed a gentle smile like one you would give a child. "That''s nice", he said. Then, he leaned over the balcony railing again and turned his head to Maria to ask, "How is your life?"

    "What do you mean?" Maria was confused.

    "I didn''t know until my friends told me, but you''re the daughter of a celebrity. Life must be good, no?" Malakai realised he may have been too direct and rude again. He was a little worried about being too casual, so he has been holding back with his slang and how he spoke. "Oh shit, that might''ve been a bit too personal".

    "No, no, it''s fine. It''s a normal question", Maria said, shaking her head. "My life? I mean, yeah, my life is good. I''m not spoilt or anything. Maybe when I was younger because my mom spoiled me, but when I got older, I stopped asking for things".

    Malakai laughed a little.

    "Why are you laughing?" she asked, confused because she didn''t say anything funny.

    "It''s funny you had to clarify you''re not spoilt. Typical rich kid shit to be spoilt and condescending", he explained.

    "I''m not like that, I promise", Maria pouted.

    "I ain''t saying you are. Don''t worry", Malakai smiled.

    Maria looked at Malakai''s scar across his nose. Something that always stood out was his scar; it made him different and unique. It was the thing most students remembered about him. His scar across his nose.

    "If you don''t mind me asking, how did you get that scar?" Maria cautiously asked.

    Malakai touched his scar, "This? When I was younger, I was running, and I wasn''t paying attention to where I was going because I was looking behind me. Then, when I turned my head to look forward, the corner of the table sliced my face, and I bumped my nose with the corner of the table".

    "Ouch", Maria said, holding her nose and envisioning the scenario.

    "I was crying for hours. Apparently, I don''t remember though", Malakai joked while rubbing his neck.

    Maria giggled. "Of course, you don''t remember that part".

    Maria let out a big yawn as she was still tired. Seeing Malakai gave her a little stamina boost, but that was wearing out. Malakai noticed and yawned as well, even though he wasn''t tired. He saw Maria was still sleepy, so he played it off as he was tired.

    "We''ve been talking for a long time. I think I can sleep now", Malakai said for Maria''s sake.

    Maria looked at Malakai,"No, I don''t want to sleep. Not yet", she thought. Maria did not want the conversation to end, but her eyelids were heavy and wanted to drop. She yawned again. It was no use. It was time for bed.

    "Yeah, let''s talk out here again, but much earlier", Maria smiled.

    "We''ll see. I''m a pretty busy guy", Malakai said sarcastically.

    Maria could drop any second; she had to go back to bed. "Goodnight", Maria giggled while waving.

    "Aryt, bye".

    Maria went back into her dorm and closed the balcony door. She walked like a drunk back to her room while Malakai, who was not sleepy, went back inside and closed the balcony door. He stood inside contemplating playing on the PlayStation, but after a few moments, he gave up on that idea and went to his room. He went to his room, lay on his bed, and covered himself with the blanket. Malakai looked up at the ceiling and was lost in thought for a few minutes. He was thinking about everything but nothing at the same time. He looked at his bedside table and grabbed his phone to check the time. It was a few minutes past two. Malakai put down his phone, turned to his right side, and closed his eyes, waiting to drift asleep.

 Chapter 14.5 - Late Night Struggles

    2:06 AM.

    Malakai: Why can��t I sleep.

    A few minutes go by. Malakai keeps switching sides.

    Malakai: Bro, I can��t sleep.

    10 minutes later.

    Malakai: Is the weather good tomorrow? Lemme check.

    He checks and then puts his phone back down.

    Malakai: Did I set an alarm?

    He picked his phone back up to check if there was an alarm set. He also checked the volume several times.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.Malakai closed his eyes.

    Malakai: How did that one show end again?

    He picked up his phone and went to YouTube to watch a video. He finished watching the video and put his phone down again.

    20 minutes later.

    Malakai was listening to music while staring at the ceiling.

    Malakai: I might be an insomniac.

 Chapter 15 - First Challenge

    The second week had started, and students came in tired for their first lesson with their homeroom teacher. It was 8:27 AM, and Malakai was already at his desk; he was tired but 3 minutes early despite being up till 3 AM. Malakai and William walked in together, so they were already seated; David and Ray also came together and were present, but Lucas and Benjamin were not there yet. More than half the class was there, with some people still waiting to turn up.

    "Wow, you came here before me", Delilah said, walking towards her seat.

    Malakai turned towards her, "I told you I was jetlagged last week. Now I''m fine".

    "You look tired", she said, putting her bag down and taking a seat.

    "I''m always tired", he replied, putting his head on the table.

    Moments later, Maria and Tanisha walked into the class, and most of the students were looking at them. Maria looked up to see if Malakai noticed she walked in, but she saw him in conversation with Delilah. A little disappointed, she looked away and went to her seat; she thought Malakai would look at her and greet her with his eyes after last night''s conversation. Maybe she was being too hopeful. A few seconds later, Benjamin and Lucas walked in.

    "Bro, how did Mally come in before me?" Benjamin whined, walking towards them.

    "I told you I was jetlagged. It''s not my fault you didn''t believe me", Malakai replied, lifting his shoulders.

    Benjamin put his bag beside his table and sat down. "Did you have to wake him up, or did he wake himself?" he asked, pointing at William.

    "He woke up by himself", William replied, drawing in his notebook.

    "Hell nah. You woke him up fo sure", Benjamin said, shaking his head.

    "Why are you disappointed?" William asked, looking at him.

    "He''s the laziest guy here, and he got here before me".

    "It''s not that deep", William laughed.

    "Whatever, man", Benjamin leaned back on his chair, pulled out his phone and started to scroll through.

    Behind them, Malakai and Delilah were still talking. Delilah looked at everyone else in the class and saw Maria covering her mouth, yawning.

    "Someone''s tired", she said.

    "Who?" Malakai asked, looking around.

    "Maria. You think she stayed up late?"

    "Yeah, she did", he replied casually.

    "How do you know?" Maria looked at Malakai with a concerned look, thinking something happened between the two.

    "I was talking to her on the balcony. I couldn''t sleep, so I was just chilling on my balcony, and she came out to her balcony. She said she was thirsty, so she woke up and got some water".

    "What time was it?"

    "It was like half one, I think. I don''t know, I just remember us finish talking at like two".

    "You''ve got a celebrity neighbour, not everyone can say that", Delilah said. "Who''s your other neighbour?"

    "Ben and Lucas", Malakai replied, pointing at them. "Who''s your roommate?" he asked, not knowing.

    "She''s not from this class, she''s in class B", Delilah replied.

    "B? How''d you know her?" Malakai curiously asked.

    "Her name is Akari. We''re not friends. We just know of each other. When I saw she came to this academy, I went to talk to her, and we agreed to be roommates".

    "That''s sick, having a roommate in a different class. You can get gossip from their class", he joked.

    "Maybe, we have to get closer first".

    Suddenly, their homeroom teacher, a tall blonde woman with heels, walked in. Yep, the same teacher who told Malakai off on the first day was his homeroom teacher.

    "Everyone quiet now", she announced. She stood behind her desk, "Well done, you''ve made it to the second week, and I''ve had no problems with you as a class, which I''m happy about. Hope things can be smooth sailing throughout the year", she said, looking around the class. "This week will be the same as last week. Nothing will change. You will do your lessons as usual. However, you will prepare for your first challenge".

    The mention of the word challenge alerted everyone; if some students weren''t listening before, they were listening now.

    "The challenge will occur next week. Today is about telling you what it is. From there, it is all up to you. I won''t be able to help or tell you any more".

    Malakai and Delilah looked at each other.

    "You think it will be difficult?" Delilah whispered.

    Malakai responded by shaking his head.

    The teacher continued, "This challenge is quite simple. I''m only explaining it once, so listen carefully".

    The students sat up, some pulling out notebooks to write stuff down.

    "This challenge is about exams".

    Malakai looked at Delilah and whispered, "I take it back. It might be hard".

    "You will take five exams. One each day next week. Maths, English, Chemistry, Biology and Physics. You will have one hour, and the mark is out of a hundred. It won''t be anything complex, it will mostly be basic and common knowledge if you revise".

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.The students looked at each other as they expected more; they wanted more.

    "However, there''s a catch. You will be randomly paired up with someone in this class and work together. What I mean by that is half of your hundred marks will be down to your partner as they will take half of your exam".

    Confused faces started popping up; the students weren''t following.

    "What do you mean?" Lucas asked.

    "I said you will have one hour to do the exam, correct? Originally, the exam would be two hours, but you will have one hour as you will do half of the exam while your partner does the other. You will be randomly allocated one half of the paper".

    "Are we taking the exam simultaneously as our partner?" David asked whilst raising his hand.

    "Yes, you will be right here in the classroom. So, imagine you have one exam. You have the first half of the exam, and Lucas has the second half of the exam. It will then be marked, and whatever combined mark you get will determine how many points you get".

    "That''s interesting", Benjamin said to William.

    "Yeah, but imagine you get paired up with an idiot", William replied.

    "So, your partner?" Benjamin slipped in.

    "What do you mean?" William asked, not getting the joke.

    "Nothing", Benjamin smiled.

    "So we can get 500 points max?" A student asked.

    "Yes, if you and your partner get a hundred marks on all five tests".

    The students were getting excited. They wanted to find out who they were going to be with.

    "Why can''t we pick who we pair up with?" Lucas asked.

    "That wouldn''t be fair. It has to be done randomly". She then pulled out a box from under her desk. "Everyone''s name is in this box. Each of you will come up here and pick a name. The names are folded up so you can''t cheat". She shook the box, "Who wants to pick a name first?"

    No one volunteered; no one wanted to be first.

    "Okay then, I will pick". She scanned the room until, "My favourite student, come choose who you''re going to be with", she sarcastically said, looking at Malakai.

    Malakai grinned, "I''m your favourite student, Ms Green?" he said in a sarcastic tone, playing along with her.

    "Don''t get your hopes up", she replied quickly.

    Malakai stood up and walked to the front. He reached the front desk with the box on the table before him. He looked at Ms Green and asked, "What happens if I pick myself? Can I do both parts of the exam?" he asked, knowing the answer was no.

    "Malakai. Use your head and quickly pick a name", she replied in a fed-up tone.

    "Sorry Miss", he quickly apologised, putting his hand in the box and mixing around the pieces of paper. He picked out a piece of paper and unfolded it. He looked at the name and smirked. "Maria", he announced. He turned around to look in her direction and saw her smiling happily.

    "Okay, well done. You successfully picked up a piece of paper. Now go back to your seat". Ms Green said to Malakai, belittling him.

    "Miss, you really hurt my feelings, you know that", Malakai said, holding his chest.

    "You look fine to me" " she replied, smiling, liking his joke.

    Malakai smiled and returned to his seat, noticing the sly looks he got from some boys in the class.

    "The material you were taught last week will come up, and the material you will be taught this week may come up. The times of your exams will show up on your timetable later his week", Ms Green informed the students. Ms Green called on another student to choose a name while Malakai took a seat.

    "What are the chances?" Delilah asked.

    "Like one in thirty", Malakai joked.

    "Ha, funny", Delilah replied in a bored tone. "You think this is fate?".

    "Fate? What fate? Me being partners with Maria? Why would it be fate?" Malakai was confused.

    Delilah shook her head, looked forward and mumbled,

    "Clueless".

    In Class 1-A.

    "You weren''t lying about the challenge, Alexander", Frank said.

    Alexander was looking out the window again. "Aren''t you worried that someone else controls half of the points you get?"

    Alexander sighed, "It shouldn''t be that bad. We are in the highest class. The maximum I expect someone to drop is ten marks on each exam. 200 out of 250 should be manageable for everyone here", he said. Alexander turned away from the window to face forward. "Hundred per cent would be ideal".

    Isabella got her piece of paper and returned to her seat. She heard most of the conversation as she kept an ear out. She stood by her desk, looked at Alexander and unfolded her paper showing the name written on it,

    "I think we can get a hundred per cent".

 Chapter 16 - Good Guy Or A Circus Lion

    Tuesday, 2:39 PM.

    Classes had finished for the day, and the hot place right now was the library or any place people could sit down and revise. While most people indulged in their studies, others had other things on their minds.

    "What''re you planning?"

    Ryan was sitting on the couch, staring at the floor.

    "Lorenzo", he called out.

    Lorenzo was a short boy with maroon coloured hair. His eyebrows slanted down, making his resting face look angry; he was Ryan''s roommate.

    "What?" he replied, not looking at him.

    "I think I know what I''m going to do".

    Lorenzo put his food in the microwave and looked at Ryan across the room. "What do you mean?" he asked.

    "I''m going to meet with the main guys from each class", he replied, sitting forward.

    "Meet? How?"

    "I''ll text them all anonymously to meet up, and then we''ll talk", RRyan said, lifting his head. "There are some things I want to discuss with all of them".

    "What happens if they don''t turn up?" Lorenzo asked.

    "They''ll come. If the off chance they don''t, they will miss out".

    Lorenzo took his food out of the microwave and placed it on the kitchen table, "Who''s the main guy from each class?" he asked before taking his first bite.

    "From class A, it''s Alexander. From C, his name is David", Ryan started listing before,

    "David? Is it not Malakai?" Lorenzo said with a mouth full of food, cutting Ryan off.

    Ryan scoffed, "No. David is the genius of that group. Malakai is the circus lion. He''s there to attract attention and mask everyone else".

    Lorenzo raised his eyebrows. "You said a circus lion. A lion is still a lion", he shrugged. "You''re admitting he''s still dangerous. He''s just tamed". Lorenzo replied, moving his food around with his spoon.

    "I''m not denying that, but he''s not top dog. Even in his friend group, he''s not even top three. He''s fourth", Ryan replied, with a sense of annoyance in his tone.

    "So there''s three guys you''re more worried about than him?"

    "Yeah, and I''ve met those two on the first day, and I still need to meet David. I don''t care about the other two", Ryan said, not paying any mind to William and Ray.

    "Why did you talk to Malakai and not David last week?" Lorenzo asked, pulling out his phone.

    "I saw an opportunity and took it. The perfect scenario would have been if he was alone, but he''s never alone. As for David, I wanted to talk with him one-on-one", Ryan clenched his fist at the thought of talking to Malakai alone. "But those guys are rarely alone; it''s like they''re stuck to each other", Ryan frustratedly said.

    "They are friends. What''d you expect?" Lorenzo said, taking his last bite. Lorenzo had a little snack, which is why he finished it quickly.

    "That''s the thing, they''re friends; that''s what makes them strong", Ryan started to grin. "But we''ll see how strong they are over time. Friendships can be very delicate".

    Lorenzo finished his meal. He put his phone in his pocket, stood up and turned to put his plate in the sink.

    "Who''s the other main guys?"

    "Oh yeah. From 1-D, it''s Dillon, that guy that grabbed Malakai on the first day. From E, it''s a guy called Adam".

    Lorenzo was washing his plate. "Adam? Who''s he?"

    "You''ll see. You remind me of him. You''ve got a few similarities", Ryan said, picturing Adam and Lorenzo next to each other.

    "Is that a good thing?" Lorenzo asked, trying to envision Adam.

    "Yeah, I would say so", Ryan answered.

    Lorenzo finished washing up and dried his hands; as he walked out of the kitchen area, he asked, "When''s this meeting?"

    "Friday at like 3, probably".

    "Am I invited?" Lorenzo jokingly replied.

    "If you want to turn up, you can", Ryan openly invited.

    "I''ll see on the day. What will you do now?" he asked, walking towards his room. "Want to study together? We need to get the most points we can", he said in a cheery tone, which was obvious sarcasm.

    Ryan just laughed and replied, "We don''t need to do that shit".

    Lorenzo chuckled and went inside his room while Ryan sat on the couch and started typing on his phone.

    Meanwhile, in a restaurant on campus, David and Delilah were sitting opposite each other eating.

    "The food is good", Delilah said, covering her mouth.

    "Yeah, I didn''t think the food here would be that good", David replied. "Where are we going to go to revise?" he asked, with a clean plate in front of him.

    "We can try the library if it isn''t full", Delilah replied, sipping her drink. "I mean, do you really have to revise? Malakai said having you as a partner is the best person I could''ve got".

    David smiled, knowing that''s something Malakai would say. "I''m not that smart. I still need to revise". He looked at Delilah, "Looks like you''re getting along with Malakai".

    "Yep. He is easy to get along with".

    "What''d you think of him?" David asked, curious about what she thought of him.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation."He''s funny", Delilah immediately replied, but then she thought for a second. Funny instantly came into her mind, so she said it without hesitation, but she deeply thought about what words to use to describe him.

    "What else? Uuuh, I don''t really know. I feel like I need to get to know him more to tell you what I think about him. The only thing that comes into mind is that he''s funny".

    "I always hear you two laughing and joking at the back. It looks like he corrupted you already", David told her.

    "Are we that loud?" Delilah was a bit embarrassed.

    "A little. The people in our row complain sometimes", David replied. David sat at the front of the class.

    "Oh no", Delilah hid her face and cringed a little. She didn''t realise they were annoying the whole class. "What is he like then? You''ve known him for a long time". Delilah said, wanting to quickly move on from her embarrassment.

    David looked up and smiled, his teeth showing; he couldn''t help it.

    "Malakai... He''s a good guy. He''s a really good guy".

    Dalilah was waiting for more, "Just a good guy?".

    David looked at Delilah and couldn''t articulate himself properly. "I know what I''m saying might seem weird, but I don''t know what else to say because I feel like what I''ve said is enough".

    Delilah could see that he genuinely meant what he said.

    "You''ll understand what I mean over time. But let me tell you one thing. Once you give Malakai your hand, he won''t let go. He''ll stick with you and help you no matter what".

    "What happens if I stab him in the back?" Delilah curiously asked. She had no intention of doing so, but she wanted to hear what the answer would be.

    "I''m sure he''ll understand somehow", David replied, looking down at the table.

    "Huh?" Delilah was confused. She thought Malakai would try his best to get revenge or something.

    "He''s a good judge of character, so if he sees you as a friend, he''ll understand. Or try to understand you", David said.

    Delilah finished her drink, "This guy you''re describing to me sounds mature and smart, nothing like Malakai". Delilah thought for a moment. "Actually, I take that back. Malakai is smart", she doublebacked.

    "Yeah, he just acts like an idiot, but he is smart", David said.

    "Why does he act like an idiot? What does he gain from that?" Dlilah asked.

    "You have to ask him", he smiled.

    "So you don''t even know", she said, pointing at him.

    "I think it''s better if he tells you personally".

    Ping!

    David''s phone vibrated on the table; he got a notification. He picked up his phone and saw a text message.

    "Don''t tell me it''s Malakai", Delilah said, giggling.

    "Nah, it''s not. I don''t know who it''s from. It''s a random number", David replied. "I''ll read it later", he said, standing up and putting his phone in his pocket. "Should we go now?".

    "Yeah", Delilah picked up her phone, stood up and followed David out of the restaurant.

    All this happened while five people watched them from afar at a different table.

    "Maria, you look tired. Are you sleeping, okay?" Tanisha asked while cutting some vegetables.

    Maria finished her yawn. "I''m fine. It''s just from all the work and notes I have to take. I''ll get used to it", Maria replied, pouring milk into her tea. Tanisha worryingly looked towards her. "Have you started revising for the challenge?".

    "Yeah", Maria replied confidently, believing Tanisha was thinking she was slacking off.

    "I mean with your partner", Tanisha said with a slightly louder tone on the word partner.

    "Kinda", Maria replied with a quieter tone.

    Tanisha stopped cutting the vegetables and put her knife down. "What do you mean kinda? Does he not want you to get points?" She irritatedly said.

    "No, no, it''s my fault. I''ve been tired, so after classes, I don''t feel like revising more. We''ve organised to revise on Friday because classes finish a little earlier". Maria said, trying to calm Tanisha down. That was one of the reasons, but another reason was because Maria was nervous about asking Malakai to study together.

    Tanisha picked up the knife again and pointed it towards the wall; Malakai''s dorm was behind that.

    "I swear if that boy is the reason you don''t get a lot of points, I will hurt him", Tanisha threatened.

    Maria giggled, knowing she was exaggerating. "What about you? You''ve got his friend. Was it, Ray?"

    "Yeah, he''s really sweet. I wish you could''ve gotten paired up with him. He''s so nice. You two would make a great couple. Both of you are so cute", Tanisha rambled on.

    "If you think he''s cute, why don''t you go for him?" Maria asked, walking towards the couch.

    "He''s not my type. He''s more of your type".

    "My type? How''d you know my type?" Maria questioned, sitting down on the couch with her cup of tea.

    "Trust me, talk to Ray, and you''ll understand. You both look like you should be together".

    "I''m sure I''ll get to talk to him", Maria replied.

    "When you do talk to him, ask him out".

    Maria giggled again. She took a sip from her cup and looked out towards the balcony.

    "Maybe".

 Chapter 17 - What鈥檚 Your Type?

    Malakai rested his head on his table, his eyes closed, but he wasn''t sleeping. Delilah leaned to her left and gently put her hand on Malakai''s head. She started ruffling his hair and said,

    "Malakai, we''re almost there. Just one more hour."

    Malakai didn��t respond.

    Delilah kept messing with his hair, "Your hair is really soft".

    Malakai swatted her hand away and lifted his head, "Aryt (Alright), stop," he said, rubbing his eyes with his left hand. "We''re not almost done? We have one more day left", he tiredly said.

    "You know what I meant. We''re almost done for today".

    Benjamin turned around to see what they were doing, "Woah Mally, the fuck happened to your hair?", he asked, looking surprised.

    "She messed it up", Malakai replied, pointing at Delilah.

    "His hair is really soft. Have you felt it?" Delilah asked happily, with a smile on her face.

    William turned around quickly. "I haven''t. Let me feel it", he said, reaching for Malakai''s hair.

    "No! Piss off", Malakai said, flinching back and raising his hands to defend himself. After evading William, he got his phone and used the front camera to fix his hair.

    "Do you dye your hair?" The ends of your hair are brown?" Delilah asked after observing his hair.

    "Yeah, I dyed the tips of my hair before I came to America. This is the first time I tried it. I''ll probably dye it again when it fades". Melakai replied, putting his phone down after finishing fixing his hair. "What about your hair? You thinking about growing it out?" he questioned back at Delilah.

    Delilah pinched a few strands of hair and started twisting it, "I''m the same as you. I cut it before coming to this academy. My hair was long before, it came up to here", she said, putting a hand next to her shoulder to give them an idea of how long her hair was before.

    "Do you have a picture?" William asked.

    "Yeah, let me show you, " she said, unlocking her phone and scrolling through her photos.

    She found a good photo and showed the three of them.

    "You suit both", Malakai complimented, switching his gaze from the photo to her.

    Delilah looked at the picture herself and asked, "Do you prefer girls with longer or shorter hair?".

    "I don''t mind, I like both". Malakai shrugged.

    "You don''t have a type?"

    "Nah, not really", Malakai replied, shaking his head.

    "He says this every time we ask him", Benjamin told Delilah. "You''ll get the same answer we get".

    "What type of girl would you go for then?" Delilah continued to ask.

    Malakai''s eyes wandered to the ceiling; he tried thinking of an answer that would be satisfactory,

    "I guess someone who can make my heart skip".

    "Is that it?" Delilah confusingly responded.

    She looked at Benjamin and William, who looked like they''d heard that answer before. They expected to hear it. She looked at Malakai patiently, waiting for him to be serious and give a genuine answer, but Malakai''s face showed he wasn''t playing for once. He finished giving his answer and had nothing else to add.

    "Your heart always skips for me though", Benjamin jokingly said.

    "Yeah, man, all the time", Malakai responded sarcastically, nodding his head.

    Delilah giggled a little, "What about William?" she threw out there.

    William turned and looked at Malakai.

    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Malakai said, screwing his face.

    "Answer the question", William responded.

    "Bro, you look like an alien, and your name''s Willy. My heart ain''t doing shit".

    Delilah and Benjamin started laughing.

    William closed his eyes and lifted his head to the sky. He knew it was coming; he let out a deep breath.

    "My name is William or Will. Not Willy", he told him.

    "Willys easier", Malakai replied.

    "Willys two syllables, Wills one. What are you talking about?"

    "I''m not talking logically. I''m talking about me. It helps me sleep at night knowing I can call my best friend Willy", Malakai said, making himself laugh.

    "I hate this guy, man", William said, turning around and leaving the conversation.

    Delilah was still thinking about Malakai''s answer. Was that all it took?

    "Malakai. Were you serious? Surely a lot of girls can make your heart skip a beat", Delilah said, trying to get more of an answer.

    Malakai looked at her and knew he wasn''t escaping the question. "I guess. Don''t get me wrong, I find a lot of girls attractive, but that''s for my eyes and mind. My eyes are visually pleased, and my mind is thinking positively, but my heart isn''t connected with the two. I don''t feel anything special", Malakai said, trying to speak through his thought process.

    "So you''ve never had a crush?" Delilah asked.

    "Probably when I was younger, but I can''t think of any recently", Malakai replied. "I don''t know. I feel like if I were to like someone, I''d feel something different, so I guess I''m just waiting on that feeling", he spoke his mind.

    "Do you know what type of feeling you''re waiting for?" Delilah asked, wanting him to describe it.

    "Nah, but I feel like I would know when I feel it", Malakai said, looking into space and trying to describe it.

    "Fair enough", Delilah still wasn''t entirely convinced but could see Malakai didn''t lie. Everyone has a different perspective on love.

    Benjamin sat up and fixed his posture; he thought of something.

    "I heard when you hear the words I love you, it increases your heart rate".

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.Malakai looked at him, "Do you want us to try it or something?" he asked.

    "Yeah, Mally, you should try it", William said, returning to join the conversation again.

    Malakai looked at Delilah to see what she thought about it.

    "I don''t mind, but don''t fall in love", she jokingly said.

    "I doubt I will", Malakai smiled. "Aryt, you say it first. I''ll see if my heart skips a beat".

    "What? Why me?" Delilah asked, looking at everyone.

    "I agree", Benjamin said.

    "Ladies first", William followed.

    Delilah''s tilted her head, "I''m feeling a bit of deja vu."

    She turned her chair towards Malakai and sat up straight; Malakai didn''t turn his chair; he just looked at Delilah. Benjamin and William secretly pulled out their phones and recorded.

    "Okay. Malakai, I love you",

    After that, she heard silence. Silence? Why did she hear silence? Wasn''t there supposed to be background noise of people talking? She looked to her right and saw most of the class staring at her. Everyone witnessed a confession, but in reality, they didn''t.

    She turned back to Malakai, who was smiling like he always does. He moved his hand to his chest to feel his heart.

    "Nah, I don''t feel anything", he said.

    Delilah was embarrassed, "Aren''t you going to say it back?" she said with a tinge of panic in her voice.

    "Why would I say it back? I don''t love you", Malakai replied, grinning from ear to ear, knowing what he had just done. He knew the whole class was watching and heard the confession.

    "That was the deal!" Delilah complained in a panic.

    "Deal? I don''t remember. I don''t see no contract", Malakai said, trying not to break down and laugh.

    Benjamin and William were already laughing with their phones out.

    "Damn, Mally has already got a girl confessing to him. You need to step up your game, Lu", David said, nudging Lucas''s arm.

    "I''m not a playboy. I don''t know where you got that idea from", Lucas replied, knowing full well it was Malakai who started it.

    "See Maria, I told you that boy is trouble. A girl confessed to him, and he''s laughing in her face", Tanisha said, looking at her nails.

    Maria didn''t respond. She kept looking towards that corner.

    Delilah knew she got played, and the worst possible scenario happened. She had to try and resolve it because those three wouldn''t help. She stood up and announced,

    "I don''t love him. We were testing something out".

    The class looked at her like she was crazy. It didn''t help that her face was blushed, not from conveying her feelings but embarrassment.

    Malakai, William and Benjamin were dying of laughter. Delilah couldn''t do anything more; she signed and dropped to her seat.

    "Why''re you recording?!" she shouted while trying to reach Benjamin''s phone.

    "We needed evidence for the experiment. This is so we can review the results later", Benjamin replied, laughing while dodging Delilah''s attacks. Delilah gave up and sat there defeated.

    "Don''t worry. We''ll get ''em next time", Malakai comforted, putting a hand on her shoulder.

    "Shut up", Delilah said, avoiding Malakai''s gaze and moving his hand away. "I''m never trusting you again", she pouted.

    "C''mon, it ain''t that deep". Malakai said, trying to fix things.

    "Mally, you''ve done enough", Benjamin finished laughing.

    "Ahhh, my stomach hurts", William said, holding his stomach.

    Delilah was pissed but couldn''t help but smile. She hid her smile with her hand, finding the funny side of it all. Even though the three embarrassed her, she was glad they had gotten close enough to play jokes like that.

    Malakai looked at Delilah with his peripherals and acknowledged she wouldn''t talk to him, but he noticed she wasn''t angry. He turned to his left to look out the window.

    "Damn, it''s raining again".

    It was pouring down, but it didn''t look miserable. From the inside, it looked calming and tranquil.

    "Again? It''s the first time it''s rained while you''re here. It''s the first time it''s rained in about three weeks. You''ve only been here for two", William said, picking up on what he said and looking at him like he was confused.

    "Oh shit yeah. In England, it''s always raining, so I guess I''m used to the rain", Malakai''s eyes stayed locked outside; he didn''t look at William once while he responded.

    Delilah sneaked a peek at Malakai while he wasn''t looking. She couldn''t see his eyes, but looking at his body language, something was different about him. A moment ago, he was crazy and laughing his head off, but now he was calm. She wouldn''t call it relaxed but instead call it peaceful. She could somehow feel his energy.

    "Maybe he likes the rain. He did say it rained a lot in England, maybe this reminds him of home", Delilah thought to herself. She suddenly felt eyes on her, so she looked in front of her and noticed in the corner of her eyes that Maria was looking at her. "Great, she''s looking at me again. Or is she looking at me?".

    "Sorry I''m late. Let''s get started quickly", the maths teacher said, rushing into the classroom and hastily putting his books on the desk.

    Everyone became silent and looked at their teacher. Maria stopped looking towards the corner and turned to the teacher. Delilah, one last time, glanced at Malakai without turning her head. Malakai was still looking out the window.

    She quietly sighed, and under her breath, she said,

    "Clueless".

 Chapter 18 - Puffy Red Eyes

    Classes had just finished, and students were leaving their classrooms. It was raining, so students tried to camp inside until the rain let out. The corridors were packed with students walking up and down, while some blocked it by just standing on one side. Dillon and two of his friends, Ash and Jason, were among the few people doing that.

    Ash was a dark-skinned boy who was around five foot nine and had brown muddy coloured eyes. He had dreads that were blonde at the tips.

    Jason was a taller, bigger-built mixed-race guy. He had soft, brown, curly hair and a goatee. You could tell he worked out and took care of his muscles. He could probably take Dillon in a fight if he wanted to, but he chose to be a ''friend'' of his instead.

    "Dillon, what''s the plan?" Ash asked, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pocket.

    "Nothing. Just be normal", Dillon replied, not sure what he was getting at.

    "Nothing?" Ash said with a disgusted look on his face. "We need points, man".

    "It''s the start of the year. I can''t control when challenges are set, you dumbass", Dillon replied, turning his head to the right to look out the window. "We''ll do what we want later when more challenges come".

    "You don''t have a plan, that''s why you''re saying this", Jason said, looking at Dillon.

    "It''s an exam. What do you want me to do? I already did all I could do. Aren''t you grateful?" Dillon replied annoyedly, looking at the raindrops trickling down the window.

    "I''ll be grateful if we get a lot of points", Jason said in a lower tone, unlocking his phone.

    "That''s not up to me then, is it?" Dillon said, turning his head back to his friends and eyeing them. "Listen, we need to be patient. All we can do now is little things. Over time, that will help up", he explained.

    "Like what?" Ash questioned.

    "Bully people and show them what we can do", Dillon replied, like it was a solid plan.

    Jason scoffed. "You''ve already done that to our class. You tried it on Malakai, but that didn''t work".

    "Tsk. Malakai will get what''s coming to him. Let him have all the fun he wants right now. When it gets serious, the pressure will break him. Then, when he''s broken, we kill him".

    "Kill him?" Ash asked, looking at Dillon concerned. He didn''t like Malakai because his friends didn''t like him, but he didn''t want to kill him.

    Dillon looked at him to see if he took what he said literally, "Not literally, you fucking idiot", he answered him anyways.

    Jason put his phone away in his pocket, "You''re playing the long game?".

    "It''s the only thing we can do for now. But trust me, when the opportunity comes, we''ll take it".

    Dillon pulled out his phone and unlocked it; he remembered the message he had gotten. "Oh yeah, Jason, come with me on Friday".

    "Where?"

    "I''ll text you".

    "What about me?" Ash asked, feeling left out.

    Dillon looked at him for a few seconds without saying anything. "You stay in your room and revise. You need it".

    The rain became lighter, and it looked like some students were already outside. Some people were leaving the corridor.

    "Let''s go, it''s too cramp here", Dillon said, walking away, which caused the other two to follow.

    4:51 PM.

    The heavy rain had stopped, and it was only spitting now. The sky was still grey and gloomy. This demotivated some of the students and encouraged them to return to their dorms and sleep, which meant that the library would have fewer visitors today. A couple merrily walked into the library with their bags of books, ready to study.

    "I can''t believe it actually worked", Olivia excitedly said. "I''m glad Dillon did that", she added in a lower tone.

    "Shhhh", Daniel said with a finger on his lips.

    He wrapped his arm around Olivia''s shoulder, brought her closer, and whispered in her ear, "babe, you need to be quiet. You can''t let other people hear you say that".

    "I didn''t say anything", she whispered back.

    "Still, you need to be careful. We could get in trouble," Daniel replied, slyly looking around to see if they were getting looks.

    "Okay, sorry", Olivia said in an upset voice.

    "You don''t need to apologise. I''m just warning you", Daniel replied, bringing her Olivia to him. He looked up to find an empty place to sit. "Let''s go over there. There''s empty seats", he pointed.

    The two disconnected from the side hug and continued to walk side by side.

    "Is there anything you want to study?" Daniel asked to show he was not mad at her.

    Olivia looked at him, and her face slowly lit up,

    "Physics. I can''t deal with physics. It''s so hard- Ow!" she accidentally kicked a chair because she wasn''t looking where she was going.

    She looked at what she kicked and saw a chair with a dark-skinned boy with short hair and waves sitting on it with his head on the desk.

    Stolen story; please report."Oh, sorry. Are you okay?" she asked, looking at the boy.

    The boy didn''t respond.

    "Hello?" Daniel said in a louder tone to get his attention.

    Olivia leaned over a bit, shook the boy gently, and asked again, "Are you okay?"

    The boy lifted his head slightly and sniffed. He looked to his right and saw a girl peering over to look at him.

    Olivia saw a boy with puffy red eyes looking up at her.

    "Oh my god, are you okay?" Olivia said in a worried voice, quickly sitting in the seat next to him.

    She gave a concerned look to Daniel. Daniel didn''t know why she was panicked as he had never seen the boy''s eyes; he was clueless but still took a seat to the boy''s left. After looking at Olivia, he immediately hid his face again and left his face dumped on the table using his arms as cushions. He wanted to be alone, but at the same time, why would he go out of his room if he wanted to be alone?

    Olivia placed her hand on his shoulder, "Hey, if you want us to go, just tell us. But if you need help and want someone to talk to, we are here", Olivia comforted.

    "Yeah, we''ll listen", Daniel said, even though he still didn''t know what was going on.

    The boy lifted his head and rubbed his eyes. Daniel instantly saw the puffy red eyes and understood why Olivia did what she did.

    "I''m sorry, I just got a lot going on right now", the boy said, bringing himself together.

    "That''s fine. We all have our own problems. It''s good to let it out sometimes", Olivia replied, doing her best to support him. "My name is Olivia, by the way, and he''s Daniel, my boyfriend", she quietly said, trying not to draw attention from the other people around them.

    "I''m Eric", he sniffed.

    Daniel got a clean tissue from his coat pocket and handed it to Eric.

    "Thanks", he said, taking the tissue.

    He wiped his eyes and blew his nose. He took a deep breath to calm down. Inhaled slowly, exhaled slowly.

    "My girlfriend broke up with me", he helplessly let out.

    Olivia and Daniel quickly glanced at each other; they didn''t want to say something prematurely. Olivia also slightly regretted introducing themselves as a couple.

    "We were together for two years, and she randomly broke up with me. I don''t know why. I don''t know why", Eric continued in a monotone voice, lacking life.

    "Did it happen yesterday?" Daniel timidly asked, scared to hurt him.

    "Sniff. No. It was on Saturday. We were cuddling in my bed, and she said I think we should break up", he said with his lip quivering.

    Olivia pulled her chair in, "Did you ask why? Did you do something to upset her?" she asked.

    "No, I didn''t do anything. When I asked her why, she said maybe we need to go different ways". Eric clenched his fists; his hands were shaking, stopping himself from punching the table. "I don''t understand. I did everything. I thought she was happy. I was happy. Maybe because I was happy, I didn''t notice she wasn''t happy. What more could I have done? I spent so much time with her", Eric quickly mumbled, putting his hands on his head.

    "It''s okay, dude. There''s nothing wrong with you. You did nothing wrong", Daniel said, putting his arm over his shoulder and bringing him closer to him. He saw Eric was self-destructing, so he intervened before he lost it.

    Eric took another deep breath. A tear slowly crept out of his eye and shot down his face.

    "I haven''t slept properly since then. Every night, I''ve been thinking about her. She made me happy. She was my best friend. It''s like I don''t feel anything, but then it hurts everywhere. I can''t concentrate. Nothing can distract me from her. I hate myself", Eric was rambling now.

    Daniel embraced him before he could say anything negative about himself.

    "Dude, calm down. Everything''s going to be fine. Right now, it may seem hard. I can''t relate to what you''re going through, but I''m sure you''ll overcome it", Daniel said. "Listen, if you need anything, you got us now. We''ll listen and help in any way", he established that they were his friends.

    Olivia was on the verge of tears from hearing the pain in Eric''s voice. Eric broke down again, whimpers crept out, and tears leaked out. He rested his head back on the table, covering his face. Daniel and Olivia could not do anything but put their hands on his back and say words like ''It''s okay'' and ''We''re here for you''.

    Olivia fanned her eyes to stop herself from crying and then said, "How about we get to know each other better? We are friends now".

    Eric didn''t want to cry anymore, but his eyes didn''t listen. Eric didn''t want to think about her anymore, but his mind didn''t listen. Eric didn''t want to feel anymore, but his heart didn''t listen.

    He lifted his head but covered his eyes. He nodded his head to answer Olivia and quietly said, "Give me a second".

    Daniel handed him another tissue to wipe his face. Eric once again took a deep breath to calm himself, looked at them with his puffy red eyes, forced a weak smile and asked,

    "What do you want to know?".

 Chapter 19 - Study Date

    Friday, 2:46 PM.

    Classes finished at midday to give students extra time to prepare for their challenge next week. That is precisely what two students were doing in the library. Well, one of them was.

    "Do you need help with anything?" Malakai asked, looking across the table with his head resting on his palm.

    "I''m okay", Maria smiled back.

    The two were sitting opposite each other, revising. Maria had her books open, flashcards piled up next to her, different coloured pens on the other side and highlighters in front of her, while Malakai had just one book open in front of him. Malakai didn''t come prepared; he turned up with one book for each subject and one pen. Malakai was the last-minute type of person when it came to exams. He thinks memorising the information a day or two before the exam is better as the content will be fresh in your memory. As you can tell, Malakai found studying boring. The two of them had already been there for fifteen minutes and only talked to each other for a little bit. There were two reasons for this, one Maria wanted to get some work done, and two, Maria was nervous. They met outside the library and talked until they found seats; when they sat down, Maria instantly pulled out her equipment and went straight to work. So they basically barely talked.

    Malakai was comfy in his black tracksuit; he was a comfort dresser. Malakai knows how to dress fashionably but would choose to be comfortable than fashionable if given the choice. While he decided on plain, simple, and comfortable, Maria came looking like a model, which she is. Maria had blue jeans tied with a black belt and a long-sleeved black turtleneck tee. She also wore a silver necklace.

    Malakai didn''t look at her outfit properly when they first met; he just remembered it looked nice at first glance. Upon further inspection, he could understand why everybody always turned their head to look at her, had a crush on her and why she was famous, apart from being the daughter of a celebrity. In casual clothes, she was beautiful. Malakai didn''t really notice her in her school uniform as she looked like an ordinary girl to him. But now, looking at her, she is gorgeous.

    Maria noticed Malakai looking at her, "Do you need any flashcards to make notes?" she nervously offered, thinking he wanted something, as his side of the table looked empty.

    "Naaah, I''m fine", he replied shaking his head. Malakai kept looking at Maria as she went back to writing. "You look tired. Do you sleep enough?" he asked, trying to look into her eyes.

    "I''m not tired. I''m usually tired later in the day", Maria replied, writing information down and avoiding eye contact with Malakai.

    "I think talking on the balcony at one in the morning is not good for you", Malakai said, leaning back in his chair and starting a sketch in his book.

    "I like our talks", Maria said, finishing writing her sentence. "My body randomly wants water in the middle of the night, and every time I go to the balcony, you''re there", Maria got her pen and pointed it towards Malakai, "If anything, I think you should go to sleep earlier", she giggled.

    "Then we won''t talk", Malakai replied, smiling, finally getting eye contact.

    "Oh �� uhh, hmmm. Then we should talk more during the day", Maria suggested, crossing her arms and looking away.

    "If you wanna, but I''m not the type to approach people and talk. Unless I really need to or want to talk to that person", Malakai said, spinning his pen with his fingers.

    "So you don''t want to talk to me?" Maria pouted.

    Malakai laughed a little, "I know we''re gonna talk on the balcony".

    Maria couldn''t contain her smile, "Then maybe I won''t stop coming to the balcony".

    Malakai sat up, leaned forward and put his elbows on the table, "Don''t blame me if you''re tired the next day".

    Maria smiled at him. She couldn''t think of a response, so she shyly looked back at her notebook and continued to write up her notes.

    That was the end of that conversation, leaving Malakai with nothing to do. Malakai wasn''t studying. He was only there because he agreed with Maria to prepare for the exams together. He didn''t feel like studying, so he entertained himself by drawing or looking around the library. Malakai rested his head on his palm again and looked around at the other people at random tables.

    "Have you ever thought about how everyone here is living their own life?" Malakai randomly said.

    Maria looked up from her notebook.

    "Like they have their own complex problems, like me. Whenever I walk past someone, I think they are just a stranger I won''t see again. Like I don''t pay much mind to them. But they are actually human beings. Living day by day. They have their own life", Malakai rambled on, just staring into space. He spoke in a tone that was like he was speaking to himself.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.Maria watched Malakai as he said that. Seeing his hazelnut-coloured eyes glisten from her angle, "Isn''t there a word for that feeling?" Maria asked to keep the conversation going.

    "Sonder. I remember my friend telling me about it",  Malakai replied, still looking into space. "It changed how I see things".

    "Who was it?" Maria asked, thinking it was one of his friends who was with him now.

    "You won''t know them. A friend from England."

    "Do you still talk to them?" Maria kept asking questions.

    Malakai paused for a second. "Nah, not really. People move on, I guess".

    Maria watched Malakai, who was deep in thought, and asked, "Are you having any problems? I will listen to your problems", putting her pen down, remembering he said everyone has their own problems like him.

    Malakai put down his arm and looked at Maria, "My life''s good right now. I have no problems", he said, smiling at Maria.

    Hearing that made Maria happy; it made her feel warm inside. Just being with Malakai right now like this made her happy.

    Brrr! Brrrr!

    Malakai''s phone vibrated on the table. He picked it up and saw someone calling him,

    "Ray?"

    He accepted the call and put the phone next to his ear.

    ��Yo you good?�� Malakai asked.

    "Yeah, is David with you?" Ray replied.

    "Nah, why?" Malakai was lost. Why was he asking about David?

    "He went out and left his phone and his bag. I asked everyone else, and they haven''t seen him".

    "Maybe he''s gone to revise with Delilah", Malakai said, trying to think of a solution.

    "I don''t have her number, so I can''t ask her".

    "I''ll text her".

    Maria was looking at Malakai, slightly worried about what was happening. Also, she didn''t want him to leave to sort out the problem. She wanted to stay with him longer.

    "Okay, if you know what happens, just text in the group chat", Ray instructed.

    "Why you acting like a dad to David?" Malakai jokingly asked.

    "It''s because he left his phone; it''s weird he would do that".

    "True, but it''s David. He''s gonna be fine".

    "But still", Ray replied.

    "Bro, don''t worry. I''ll text if I know anything".

    "Okay, fine. See ya", Ray said.

    "Safe". (Safe is slang for bye in the UK)

    Malakai hung up and took his phone away from his ear.

    "Did something happen?" Maria asked, wishing something didn''t.

    "Yeah, David went out without his phone, So no one knows where he is", Malakai replied. He opened his contacts and tapped on Delilah. He sent Delilah a text asking if she''d seen David.

    "Do you have to go?" Maria asked to make sure.

    "Naah, it''s David, he''s going to be fine".

    Hearing that relieved Maria; this moment could last a little longer.

    "We can go look for him when we finish studying", Maria offered.

    "I thought we were going to eat?" Malakai replied, putting his phone back on the table.

    "We can do that as well", she quickly responded excitedly.

    Malakai laughed, "Aryt, let''s finish revising quicker".

    Maria was about to look down at her book when she saw some people walking in the corner of her left eye. Around eight or nine boys walked in, following each other, and one of them was David.

    "He''s here. David''s over there", Maria said, looking over at the entrance.

    Malakai popped up from his seat, "Where?" he said, looking around.

    Maria pointed to the entrance, "Over there".

    Malakai turned around, looked over the edge, and saw David walking in with Ryan and Dillon. He didn''t know the rest of the guys.

    "Why is he with Ryan and Dillon?" he said out loud.

    Malakai picked up his phone and texted in the group chat.

    ''I found David. He''s with me.''

    Malakai watched as they were walking in. Malakai and Maria were on the second floor of the library. Where they were seated, the entrance could be seen as there was a glass wall; it was almost like a balcony. You could look over the edge and see directly below you. So, if people walked in, people on the second floor near the edge could see.

    Meanwhile, the boys who walked in found a large table that looked purposely reserved for this occasion. They all took a seat.

    "What are they doing? Is he having a meeting with them?" Malakai continued to rhetorically ask. He saw them walk together and sit at this round table.

    Malakai stood up and went towards the stairs, "Maria, imma be back", he said, walking away.

    "Malakai! Wait!" she said, standing up and reaching out.

    She looked on helplessly while he continued to walk towards the stairs to the first floor, knowing she couldn''t stop him. She slumped back into her seat, and placed her head on the table in frustration, and mumbled,

    "Why did I tell him?"

 Chapter 20 - Alliance, Enemies Or Rivals

    2:40 PM. Outside the Library.

    Ryan and Lorenzo were standing outside the library entrance, waiting. Lorenzo was on his phone, scrolling as usual, while Ryan looked around and smiled at everyone walking past. Ryan looked to his left and saw two figures walking towards him. It was Alexander and Frank.

    "Hi, I''m glad you came", Ryan greeted with a smile.

    "What''d you want to talk about?" Alexander went straight to the point.

    "A few more people still need to arrive here first".

    "Few more? Who else did you invite?" Alexander questioned with a screw face.

    "They''ll be here shortly, don''t worry", Ryan said with a smile still on his face.

    The next to turn up was Adam; he came alone. He walked past Alexander and looked directly at Ryan.

    "I''m happy you made it".

    Adam didn''t greet him back and kept looking at him.

    "Are we going inside?" Adam asked.

    "We are waiting on two more people",

    As soon as he said that, David was walking towards them, alone.

    "There''s a lot of people here". David mentioned, coming closer.

    "Yeah, I wanted to speak with a person from each class", Ryan said, looking beyond David.

    "I don''t see Malakai with you. You didn''t bring him?" he questioned; deep down, he was happy Malakai wasn''t here.

    "No, was I supposed to?" David questioned with his hands in his pockets.

    "No, no. I just thought you would. You could have brought someone if you wanted".

    David raised an eyebrow, wondering why he specifically said Malakai but remembered Ray telling him that Ryan had approached them during lunch.

    "He''s already got on your nerves?" David said, fishing for a reaction.

    Ryan shook his head,

    "I''ll explain inside".

    "What is this!" A voice shouted from a few feet away. Dillon appeared, with Jason following behind.

    "I thought it was going to be a one-on-one meeting?" Dillon questioned, getting closer.

    Ryan clapped his hands together,

    "Everyone''s here. Why don''t we go inside and start". He said, ignoring Dillon''s question.

    Everyone looked at each other, thinking, were they being set up?

    "You''re not setting us up, are you?" David spoke his mind.

    "Set up? I just wanted to talk to the main characters of each class".

    Hearing the main characters of each class helped connect a few dots, but it didn''t paint the whole picture. Did he want a chat? Does he want to form an alliance? Is he going to war with each class? No one knew his intentions, but the only way to find out was to follow him.

    Ryan started walking into the library,

    "By all means, if you don''t want to join me, then you don''t have to. There''s no one stopping you, but I think it will be good if you hear what I have to say".

    Ryan walked into the library with Lorenzo, who didn''t take his eyes off his phone once. Adam followed without hesitation. Alexander also followed without hesitation, but Frank was a few seconds behind. Dillon kissed his teeth,

    "He better not start something he can''t handle", he said, walking in with Jason behind him. David watched and went in last. The eight of them entered the library, and their presence was made as soon as they entered. Eyes latched on, and whispers killed the silence. Ryan walked with everyone following; they reached a large round table with six seats. This table would usually have some students on it, but weirdly, it was left open. Ryan went round the table and sat with Lorenzo sitting on his right. Adam took the seat on Ryan''s left. Alexander sat next to Adam. Dillon and David took the last two seats, so Frank and Jason had to stand behind their friends, looking like bodyguards. Frank didn''t complain, but Jason,

    "Can''t we bring another seat?"

    "You can try, but you can see there''s no space", Ryan replied.

    Jason knew what Ryan was trying to insinuate, so he folded and chose to stay standing. Ryan looked around the table,

    "Okay, first I want to thank all of you for coming", Ryan said welcomely.

    "Shut up, just say what you wanna say." Dillon shut down the pleasantries.

    Ryan''s eyebrows were raised before, but now they were lowered. He was still smiling, but the glow on his face seemed to have dimmed a little.

    "Okay then", he smiled.

    "Everyone on this table is someone I respect. I see you as the figurehead of your classes".

    Unimpressed looks were a common theme around the table.

    "Ten challenges will happen this year. Ten opportunities to rack up points".

    "How''d you know there''s ten?" David asked.

    "I''ve got my sources," he said sinisterly.

    "If you don''t believe me, you can ask Alexander", Ryan gestured to Alexander.

    Everyone looked towards Alexander.

    "Yes, he''s not wrong. Ten challenges happen every year. Even next year, when we are in year two, there will be ten challenges", Alexander informed them.

    "Is it the same challenges?" Dillon questioned.

    "I don''t know". Alexander answered dishonestly.

    "But you do know", Ryan said.

    Alexander looked at him with the side of his eye and kept a straight face.

    "This first year is supposed to be a starter year for us", Ryan said, starting a speech. Everyone could feel it coming.

    "This year is supposed to make us settle in. It''s the same with the challenges. To ensure no one pulls away, leaving people with no chance in the 2nd year. The challenges this year are heavily team-based, with your class or people in your class. This gives people a somewhat chance if they slacked this year".

    Hearing this news shocked a few people on the table; it was new information for them.

    "Now we get to the good part", Ryan said, leaning forward.

    "I''ve brought all of you here together. We all know we can offer something valuable to each other. So what do you think about working together?".

    "Huh!" Dillon let out.

    "What?" David said confusingly. Adam and Alexander kept the same neutral face they maintained since the start, Ryan noticed.

    "Adam, you''ve been quiet. What''d you think?" Ryan questioned before he could get an earful from Dillon.

    "It makes no sense. You say we''re the main guys in our class, so why do we need to work together? We can get points on our own. Wouldn''t it be better to work with your own class?" Adam gave his opinion.

    "We can dominate. Imagine all of us working together. The leaderboard will be us six", Ryan said, looking around the table.

    "All of us here deserve to be in 1-A. We all know the exams to rank the classes were bullshit. It doesn''t represent what this school is all about. If we help each other in future challenges, imagine the points".

    "How can we work together with the challenge next week?" David questioned.

    "I''m just saying in general." Ryan then looked at Dillon.

    "Look at Dillon for the example; he has already helped his class and himself to try and get more points for this challenge", Ryan said, smiling.

    Everyone looked towards Dillon.

    "How?" David asked in disbelief.

    "He fixed the randomisation of the pairings. It was quite smart, actually. You found out we were being set a challenge on Monday, so before Monday, you asked each person in your class who they wanted to be paired up with."

    While Ryan was explaining, Dillon couldn''t believe it.

    "Then you gave everyone a piece of paper with the person''s name they wanted to pair up with. They had the piece of paper in their left hand, and when they went to pick the name out of the box, they used their right hand. When they revealed the name, they hid their hands from the teacher, closed their right hand with the piece of paper they picked from the box, opened their left hand, and revealed the piece of paper you gave them in the left hand".

    Dillon turned towards Jason,

    "How does he know? Who told him?" He worriedly asked.

    "I don''t know." Jason had no clue. He was stunned Ryan knew that much; he explained it perfectly.

    "Using tricks for an exam. What else did I expect from a lower class?". Alexander mocked condescendingly.

    Dillon didn''t respond; he didn''t even hear it. He was still trying to comprehend how Ryan knew.

    "It''s really clever, to be fair." David gave props to Dillon.

    "See what I mean. If we can gather up and help each other, eventually, when a challenge involves the other classes, we can scratch each other''s backs and get more points", Ryan said.

    "Scratch each other''s backs?"

    Everyone looked up. Malakai was standing behind David��s seat.

    Ryan''s energy dropped, but Dillon''s energy increased. He was happy to see Malakai; Adam had no opinion of him yet, and Alexander didn''t care about him.

    "What''s going on here?" Malakai said with a smile. Ryan''s smile dissolved; he wasn''t frowning but no longer smiling. David turned around,

    "Why are you here?" He questioned, happy to see Malakai.

    "I was studying on the second floor with Maria, then I saw all of you walk in".

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report."Why did you come now? Surely, if you had seen us, you could''ve joined this meeting sooner", David asked.

    "I did. I came downstairs as soon as I saw you, but I got held up by some second-year girls. Asking if it was me that said he had an AK-47", Malakai explained.

    "That joke is never leaving".

    Everyone around the table just watched as David and Malakai had their own conversation.

    "You know Ray called me cuz you left without your phone". Malakai told David.

    "Really? Well, it''s because of this". David said, lifting his hands up.

    "Malakai, can you leave?". Ryan asked politely.

    "But I don''t wanna", he replied in a slightly sassy manner.

    Dillon started laughing,

    "You''re an annoying piece of shit, but you''re funny", Dillon complimented.

    "Thank yo-"Malakai instinctively turned around. He saw a boy with dark skin and afro creeping behind him. The boy was startled that Malakai somehow noticed and turned around; he thought to himself,

    ''How the fuck did he know I was behind him''.

    "Don''t worry about him, Reece, he''s here now. Nothing we can do", Ryan hopelessly said.

    Malakai turned back around,

    "How many minions do you have?" He jokingly asked.

    "Are we finished?" Alexander said, looking like he was about to stand up.

    "No!" Ryan snapped.

    Alexander let out a little smile,

    "That guy really got under your skin, hasn''t he?". Alexander poked at Ryan, noticing his mood change as soon as Malakai turned up.

    "Not even close", Ryan said with a straight face.

    "Anyways, what do you think? Helping each other will give us a head start for the next two years". Ryan laid down the offer bluntly.

    Everyone stayed silent. No one was on board with the idea.

    "I knew this was going to be the outcome", he said with a smile. He let out a sigh,

    "It was worth a shot, so all of us are enemies".

    "We were always enemies", Dillon said like it was common knowledge.

    "This was useless", Alexander complained.

    "You just gathered us here to see each other''s faces, but it''s useless because I don''t care about people in classes lower than me", he continued.

    "That''s not nice", Malakai butted in.

    "Who are you again? Your name has been said a thousand times, and I still can''t remember it". Alexander said in a condescending tone.

    "Malakai Junior. You know you can look at the leaderboard and see my name. Even after next week, you''ll see my name at the top because I''m a hundred points ahead". Malakai tried to aggravate Alexander.

    "Watch yourself", Frank said, stepping forward and entering Malakai''s line of sight.

    "Who are you, his bodyguard?" Malakai asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Ryan stood up,

    "Now, now, let''s not fight. Look, I''ve told you all some valuable information, and I''ve introduced you all to each other", Ryan intervened not to cause a scene.

    "No, you haven''t. I can''t even remember his name. He''s barely spoken", David said, pointing at Adam.

    "Well, you know each other''s faces. Enemies may have been the wrong word before, but you know what? All of us here are rivals. That sounds better", Ryan replied.

    Alexander left his seat,

    "Frank, let''s go", he said while leaving.

    The two of them left first.

    Dillon kissed his teeth,

    "Waste of my damn time", he said while leaving with Jason following, not contributing to the meeting once.

    Now left at the scene were Adam, Ryan, Lorenzo, Malakai, David and Reece.

    Adam didn''t say a word and left without looking at anyone.

    "Damn, that didn''t last long", Malakai said, looking at everyone that was still there.

    Ryan turned to look at Malakai. He had a cold look in his eye. He then gave an eerie smile,

    "The time when everything comes crashing down on you, believe me, I''ll be there. And that will happen because of me".

    He then walked around the table, avoiding stepping on the side Malakai was on. Lorenzo stood up from his seat, approached Malakai, and offered his hand,

    "Lorenzo", he greeted.

    Malakai shook his hand,

    ��Malakai Junior��.

    Lorenzo gave a smile and walked away with Reece.

    "That kid''s creepy", Malakai said to David.

    "He didn''t say anything the whole time. That was the first time I heard him speak", David replied.

    "So you didn''t want to invite me?" Malakai said, putting a hand on David''s shoulder.

    "He texted me to come to the library at 3:00 PM on Friday. I didn''t know I could bring anyone. But then I saw everyone else turn up with people, so he probably didn''t tell me I could bring someone in case I brought you." David stood up.

    "What did you do to piss him off?" David questioned.

    "Genuinely, I have no clue", Malakai replied.

    David stretched his arms,

    "I''m going back to my dorm. Don''t you need to be somewhere?" David asked, looking at Malakai.

    "Oh shit!" Malakai eyes widened.

    "I''ll text you later", Malakai said, rushing towards Maria upstairs; David watched on, smiling.

    "Shit, I left her without thinking. Is she gonna be pissed?" Malakai thought to himself. Malakai rushed up the stairs and walked to the table where they were studying.

    "What''re you studying? We can help you, you know".

    "It looks like you need help. You look lonely".

    Two second-year boys were swarming Maria.

    "My friend will be here soon; he went to get something", she tried to swerve her way out of the situation politely.

    "He? Well, he''s not here; he left you alone".

    "This guy doesn''t seem like a good friend because I''ve seen you alone for like ten minutes",

    "I wasn''t gone for that long", Malakai said, standing behind the two of them with his hands in his pockets.

    Both of them, startled, quickly turned their heads; they didn''t notice he was there.

    "Huh".

    "Get lost fucking midget."

    "Bro, she doesn''t want any of you, so why don''t you get lost". Malakai said while smiling. One of the guys got pissed and went face-to-face with Malakai.

    "Listen, you fucking kid, respect your elders".

    Malakai smiled in his face.

    "Elders? Are you a second-year? And you''re hitting on a first year? Going for a younger girl. Kinda weird if you ask me. Are you a pedo?" This was Malakai''s speciality, Chatting shit.

    The guy grabbed Malakai''s hoodie. A position Malakai had gotten used to as two people had already grabbed him like that. Malakai''s words brought the reaction they were aiming for. Maria leapt up from her seat,

    "Let go of him", she said in a worried tone.

    Malakai just smiled at her to reassure her he was fine.

    "Why does everyone like grabbing me like this?" He said.

    "I ain''t scared of you; if you''re going to do something, do it", Malakai provoked.

    The guy tightened his grip.

    "There''s no need to fight", another guy said, coming in between the two.

    "Piss off", they said, looking at him.

    "Don''t you think it''s lame picking on a first-year?" Micheal said to the two guys.

    "Fuck off, Man, I''m not trying to hear a lecture from you".

    "I''m not trying to lecture you", Micheal replied.

    The guy let go of Malakai, ignored Micheal,

    "You got lucky this time", he said, looking at Malakai.

    They then proceeded to leave. As Micheal was there, Malakai looked at him, wondering who he was.

    "Malakai, nice to meet you", Micheal said, offering a handshake.

    Malakai reciprocated the handshake,

    "How''d you know who I am?" Malakai questioned.

    "I saw you at the assembly", Micheal replied.

    "My name wasn''t said".

    "I heard your name being said a lot these past few days, and I connected a few dots", Micheal said with a smile.

    "Okay. Who are you?" Malakai asked, wondering if he was a good guy.

    Micheal turned his back and started to leave,

    "I''ll tell you the next time we meet".

    Malakai watched him leave,

    "Why is everyone here so weird ?" Malakai said out loud. He then looked at Maria, who was studying.

    "Maria?" Malakai said, trying to get her attention. He then tilted his head to try to make her notice him. Malakai took his seat,

    "Look, I''m sorry I left; I had to see what was happening", he tried apologising.

    Maria looked up from her notes with a straight face,

    "I won''t leave again, I promise", Malakai said, with that smile he always does.

    Marai''s straight face broke, and she giggled a little,

    "Fine, let''s just keep studying for now. Then we can go get some food".

    "Sounds good." Malakai smiled.

    Malakai opened the book in front of him, but before he looked down at it, he looked at Maria. He didn''t just look. He stared at her. Maria caught him staring,

    "Is something wrong?" She questioned, waiting to be asked something.

    "I was just thinking, it''s nice being with you in a place like this", he replied.

    "What do you mean? The library?" Maria questioned.

    "Never mind, it was nothing." Malakai rested his head on the table, smiling and closed his eyes

 Chapter 20.5 - I Dont Think I Have The Facilities For That

    Malakai and Maria were walking out of the library.

    Malakai stretches.

    Malakai: That was productive.

    Maria: You barely did anything

    Malakai: how��d you know?

    Maria: Because I was watching you.

    Malakai: So that means you weren''t doing anything as well if you watched me the whole time.

    Maria: I can multitask, thank you.

    Malakai: You still annoyed I left you for like 2 minutes?

    Maria: It was not 2 minutes. It was like 15.

    Malakai: you were keeping track of the time?

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.Maria: No!

    Malakai: Alright, my bad, my bad.

    Maria: So where do you want to eat?

    Malakai: I don''t mind.

    Maria: How about there?

    She pointed towards an expensive-looking restaurant.

    Malakai: I don''t think I have the facilities for that.

    Maria: huh

    Malakai: my credits aren''t looking too good.

    Maria: I can pay

    Malakai: Na you can��t do that

    Maria: I don''t mind, honestly.

    Malakai: Na, I don''t think I''ll like the food anyways

    Maria: Let''s go there then.

    She pointed towards a burger place.

    Malakai: Much better.

 Chapter 21 - Exam, Exam, Exam, Exam, Exam

    Monday, 1:07 PM. End of the Math exam.

    Mr. Saint went around the class collecting the papers. Frank looked at Alexander,

    "How''d you find it?" He questioned, starting the conversation.

    "Easy. 50/50", he said confidently.

    Isabella turned around to join in on the conversation.

    "I think I got 50/50 as well, so that should be a hundred points", she happily said.

    "As long as you don''t bring me down too much, it should be fine", Alexander said coldly before turning to the left to look out the window.

    Frank got a bit of second-hand embarrassment from Alexander''s superior talk, and now Isabella felt even more pressure.

    "What about you, Frank?" Isabella asked, keeping the conversation going as it would be awkward if she turned back around.

    "It was easy; I thought it would be harder, to be honest".

    "Who is your partner again?" Isabella asked, flicking her hair away from her face.

    "Luna", he replied.

    "Luna?" She looked around to put the name to a face.

    "She''s the girl next to the door; she has long hair. It covers half her face", Frank described to help her out.

    "She looks tall", Isabella said, looking at Luna.

    "She looks about 5''10", Frank said, giving her an idea of how tall she is.

    "Really? Did you go study together?" She asked with a surprised look on her face.

    "Na, we talked to each other briefly and agreed to do our best". Frank replied.

    "Is that it?" Isabella expected more.

    "Well, yeah. I mean, you and Alexander didn''t study together", Frank said, counteracting her point.

    "But we didn''t need to", she said, glancing at Alexander to see if he was listening.

    " To be fair, this is 1-A. Everyone is smart", Frank said, looking around the class.

    "I guess".

    "Anyways, if the rest of the exams are like this, we should all score high points", Frank said, leaning back in his chair. Alexander was still looking out the window. What was he thinking about? Only he knows.

    Tuesday, 11:12 AM. End of the Biology Exam.

    A few students sat around Ryan''s desk as the exam finished, and the teacher had already left the class.

    "What did you think of the exam?" Melody asked, standing next to Ryan''s chair.

    "It was good. There weren''t any difficult questions, so I should get a high score", Ryan replied.

    "How do you think Lorenzo did?" Michelle questioned, standing in front of Ryan''s desk.

    Ryan''s smiled,

    "He''s smart; he should be fine. I''m happy he''s my partner; I don''t think I could''ve asked for anyone better".

    "Heyy, what about me?" Melody said, putting her hand on top of Ryan''s hand resting on the desk.

    "My bad, my bad", Ryan laughed off, slipping his hand away from hers.

    "Who is your partner?" he questioned Melody.

    Melody rolled her eyes and pulled a face.

    "It''s that emo boy", she replied.

    "Who?" Ryan said with a confused look.

    "I think his name is Eric. I only talked to him once, and he was all depressed", Melody answered.

    "Where does he sit?" Ryan asked, looking past Melody''s body to look for Eric.

    Melody turned around,

    "He sits on the back row", Melody tried looking for him.

    "Where is he?" She questioned.

    "I saw him leave as soon as the teacher left", Michelle said.

    "What a weirdo", she said, turning towards Ryan again.

    "Anyways, wanna hang out later?" Melody asked.

    Before Ryan could answer.

    "MICHELLE! MELODY!" Girls in the doorway called their names and gestured for them to come.

    "Maybe next time it seems like you''re needed", Ryan got saved.

    "But".

    "I''m tired anyway. I''ll probably go back to my door and take a nap", Ryan said, hoping she''d leave.

    "Fine", Melody pouted.

    "But next time, you better hang out; you always decline", she said, walking away.

    Ryan gave a smile instead of a verbal answer.

    "Finally", Ryan thought to himself.

    "No more fangirls?" Lorenzo jokingly teased, walking towards him.

    "There''s one coming towards me?" Ryan wittily came back.

    "Please give me your autograph", Lorenzo said in a dead tone.

    Ryan laughed.

    "What''s the story?" Lorenzo said, taking the seat in front of Ryan.

    "Honestly, I''m bored of this challenge. Starter or not, this is braindead to me", Ryan said with his hand shielding his mouth.

    Lorenzo pulled out his phone,

    "It is the first challenge; can''t go knees deep straight away".

    Ryan shook his head,

    "The next challenge better be good." Ryan looked around the class, which was nearly half empty now.

    "Do you know a guy called Eric? He sits at the back". Ryan enquired.

    "Nope", Lorenzo quickly answered,

    "Am I supposed to know him?".

    "Na, I heard that name today and wanted to know what type of guy he is".

    "Is he interesting?'' Lorenzo asked.

    "I don''t know. I have to find out".

    Wednesday, 2:17 PM. End of the physics exam.

    "Damn, that exam had a few tough questions", Lucas said while stretching his arms.

    "Yeah, that was the hardest exam so far", David replied, putting his stationary back in his pencil case.

    "Woah, even you found it hard", Lucas said, sounding surprised.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report."It wasn''t hard, but it was the hardest so far." David made sure not to sound like an idiot.

    "Didn''t mean to poke at your pride, dude", Lucas said.

    "I need to show my dominance", David replied.

    "On who? I''m the only one here", Lucas laughed.

    "Exactly".

    Lucas stopped laughing and looked at David for a moment.

    "Leave the jokes to Mally and Will", Lucas said, patting David on the shoulder.

    "Damn".

    At the back of the class.

    "I can''t be assed for two more exams", William whined slumped on his chair.

    "Think about it this way: you''re getting something rewarding", Benjamin replied.

    "What do you mean? It''s the same thing; the score we get is the amount of points we get. That''s more pressure, " William said, waving his arms to express his feelings further.

    "The pressure is not all on you; you''ve got a partner", Benjamin reminded him to ease the pressure.

    "That''s scary. I''m not in control of how many points I get".

    "It goes both ways, you idiot", Benjamin said, hoping William would shut up.

    "You''re right! My head hurts", William said, putting his hands on his head.

    "What is he doing?" Delilah asked Malakai.

    "Don''t ask me; no one can understand that creature", Malakai replied, trying to figure it out himself.

    "How many points do you reckon you got so far?" Delilah questioned.

    "The exams were easier than I thought, so 130/150 at least".

    "130!?" Delilah responded, leaning forward.

    "Is that too high?" Malakai asked, thinking he was looking too optimistic right now.

    "No, not at all. I just thought you were going to say 100 because I probably would have said that".

    "100 a bit low, no? That''s basically saying you got a whole exam wrong. There''s no way you''ve lost 50 makes already".

    "Hmm. Maybe I''m being too pessimistic", Delilah replied, thinking back to what she said.

    "You''ll be fine. You''ve got David. He''s probably got 140/150", Malakai said, looking around the class. While he changed his sight of direction, he noticed Maria looking at him. He didn''t know how long she had been looking at him, but he felt bad he hadn''t seen her sooner. He smiled and put a thumbs up to act as a signal to ask how she was feeling. She smiled even more and put a thumbs up to respond.

    "She''s in control of half your points", Delilah said quietly.

    "She''s smart, I don''t mind" he replied.

    "Besides, if she does fuck up, I''m 100 points ahead. So I''m good".

    Thursday, 10:47 PM. End of the English Exam.

    "I should''ve revised, man", Ash said, kicking the wall. Dillon and three of his friends were standing outside the classroom.

    "Why are you crying about it now?" Jason said, not even trying to hide his smile.

    "I feel sorry for your partner", Gabriel said with his hands in his pockets.

    Gabriel was a tall boy with clear, light brown skin and brown curly hair.

    "It''s you", Ash said with both eyebrows frowning.

    "Oh shit", Gabriel said, realising his situation now.

    Jason looked over to Dillon to see what he was doing as he was quiet,

    "You look bored", he said to Dillon.

    "I am. I want a proper challenge, not shitty exams. If every challenge is like this, I''m leaving this place", he replied.

    "Relax, it''s only the third week; we''ve got a long three years ahead of us", Jason said with a smile.

    "Long three years of this shit, then I''m gone".

    "WHY DIDN''T YOU REVISE!?" Gabriel shouted at Ash.

    "I WAS TIRED. I FELL ASLEEP", Ash replied.

    Jason and Dillon looked to see Ash and Gabriel screaming at each other.

    "FOR HOW LONG?"

    "Like 12 hours, it was great to sleep", Ash said, daydreaming about the sleep.

    "FOR FUCK SAKE, WHATS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Gabriel continued to shout.

    "Let''s get out of here, I''m tired of this shit". Dillon said, walking away.

    "You paired them up together", Jason reminded him.

    "I didn''t care who paired up with who. People wanted to be paired with each other, so I made it happen. I don''t give a shit if it was good or bad for them".

    "Quite the leader", Jason snuck in.

    Dillon walked ahead,

    "I''m not leading anyone; I''m controlling them".

    Friday, 12:07 PM. End of the Chemistry Exam.

    "Easy exam again. 50/50 again", Adam thought to himself.

    "You will get your results on Monday morning. That''s it for today. You''re free to leave", the teacher said, finishing their announcement.

    Students rushed out of their seats. They wanted to get out of the classroom and back to their dorms. A long week of exams had come to an end.

    Adam casually got out of his seat.

    "I wonder if my partner did good", Adam thought.

    "I hope the next challenge is solo. Can''t have someone else bring me down".

    As he walked out of the class, talking in his head,

    "Hey Adam, how did you find the exam?" Justin asked.

    "It was fine", he said, walking past. Adam didn''t bother to stay and chat. He answered while going past him.

    "Urrrm, okay", Justin said, not expecting Adam to brush him off like that.

    "Something off with that guy", Marcus said, looking at Adam.

    "Even when we approached him on the first day, he was just sitting alone at that coffee shop", he continued.

    Justin looked in Adam''s direction but was already lost in the sea of students. Justin slightly smiled,

    "He strange, but I''m sure he''ll come around��.

 Chapter 22 - In Da Club

    Friday, 9:27 PM.

    Malakai was sitting on the couch playing on the PlayStation while William was in his room. After a long week of exams, it seemed like everyone was drained. Malakai didn''t feel like doing anything except relax. He thought about taking a nap, but he wasn''t the type to take naps unless he was fighting to stay awake. Malakai had been on the PlayStation since 7:00 PM, so he had been gaming for a long time. William rarely used the PlayStation, not because he didn''t want to but because he was still bitter that Malakai wasted credits on it and he was focusing on his studies. To be fair, Malakai has been paying for all the groceries and essentials, so William had a lot of credits saved. Malakai, on the other hand, had just over 500 left.

    KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

    Malakai removed his headset and looked towards the door, thinking he had heard something.

    KNOCK! KNOCK!

    "Shit", Malakai said to himself. He stood up and walked to the door

    "RELAX, I''M HERE!" He shouted to stop the person from knocking again.

    He opened the door and saw Lucas and Benjamin dressed up nicely.

    "Yo, do you want to come to the club with us?" Lucas asked.

    Malakai was in his night clothes. Once he returned to his dorm, he showered and changed into his pyjamas. That was Malakai''s routine whenever he came back to his dorm after classes. As stated before, he loved comfort, and his pyjamas were his favourite outfit in his dorm.

    "There''s a club?" Malakai questioned. He thought there would be a chance there would be one, but he wasn''t sure.

    "Yeah, it''s on the other side of the mall", Lucas answered.

    Malakai couldn''t be bothered to go outside.

    "Who else is going?" He asked anyway.

    "All of us, we came to ask you two", Benjamin said.

    "Ahhhh", Malakai let out. Malakai was the type to hate missing out on stuff. If his friends were going, he would go no matter what state he was in.

    "Lemme ask Willy; if he ain''t going, I ain''t", Malakai said.

    "Sure".

    "Were you playing on your PlayStation?" Benjamin asked, looking into the dorm.

    "Yeah, you can come in if you want", Malakai invited.

    Malakai walked over to Williams''s room and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, William answered and opened the door.

    "Yo", he said in the doorway.

    "Everyone''s going to the club, you wanna come?"

    "Are you going?" William asked, looking at Malakai''s outfit.

    "If you go, then yeah".

    "Let''s go then", he replied.

    "Fuck sake", Malakai said with a smile on his face.

    "What? You don''t wanna go?" William said, fully opening his door now.

    "Too late, I''m going", he said, walking away. While he was going to his room,

    "Yo, imma be like 15 minutes", Malakai said to Benjamin and Lucas, sitting on the couch holding a controller.

    "Go for it", they replied.

    10:10 PM.

    The six boys walked into the club together, instantly barraged by loud music, flashing lights and people. The group looked stylish, with Lucas and Malakai being the standouts. Malakai mixed and matched designer all over himself, but it worked; the colour coordination was on point. When Malakai tried, he could dress, but Lucas made anything fashionable. He was the guy that could dress the best in the group. The other four dressed great as well, but they were outshined by those two.

    "Are you lot gonna drink?" Lucas excitedly asked, letting the occasion get to him.

    "We''re still underage", David said, letting him know.

    "Oh shit, you have to be 21 here", Malakai remembered, as he was from the UK where the legal age was 18.

    "Are you drinking?" Ray asked Malakai.

    "Naa, I don''t drink", he answered, showing a face that showed what he thought of alcohol.

    "I''m drinking. I don''t care", Lucas said carelessly, already making up his mind.

    "Everyone here is underage, and they''re drinking", Lucas said to support his decision.

    "I''m joining in, too", William joined him.

    "I don''t know, I''ll think about it", Benjamin said, feeling peer pressured to say yes.

    "Will, let''s go forget about them", Lucas said, making his way to the bar.

    "I''ll see you in a bit", William said with a smile on his face following Lucas.

    Now, it was the four of them standing near the entrance.

    "Now, what do we do?" Ray asked, looking around. Not familiar with this environment.

    "Have fun, I guess", Benjamin replied, trying to figure out the answer.

    "Let''s go get a drink, non-alcoholic. Then do our own thing", Malakai suggested.

    "Let''s do that", David agreed.

    The four of them walked to the bar and manoeuvred through groups of people, bumping into them and awkwardly brushing past them. Eventually, they reached an open space near the bar and ordered a few drinks.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences."I don''t recognise anyone. Is anyone here from our year?" Benjamin said, sipping his drink and looking around.

    "Yeah, everyone here looks older than us", David said, observing everyone.

    "I remember Lucas saying he found out about this club because a second-year girl told him about it", Ray said, looking at his friends.

    "Oh yeah, I wonder who started the conversation", Malakai said while paying for a drink.

    Ray was looking into the crowd of people, seeing unfamiliar faces,

    "Wait, Emily''s here".

    "Emily?" Malakai questioned, trying to look for a person he didn''t know.

    "She sits next to me in class. I''m going to go say hi." Ray stood up and took his drink to greet Emily.

    "Damn, Ray has more friends than all of us", Malakai said, smiling.

    "I think you have more friends, Mally", David replied.

    "I dunno about friends", Malakai replied.

    David looked to his left and saw Lucas talking to a pretty girl.

    "Look, someone''s busy." David nodded towards me.

    "oi oi", Malakai said, smiling with his teeth out.

    He put a hand on Benjamin''s shoulder and shook him,

    "Have fun trying to sleep tonight", he joked.

    Benjamin sighed,

    "She''s not coming into my dorm; I''m locking the door if he brings her", Benjamin said.

    "That''s rude; let him have fun", Malakai replied.

    "Any other day, I''ll let it slide, but not today".

    David laughed. Malakai wanted to do something, even though he initially didn''t want to come. He didn''t just want to sit around, so he stood up.

    "Imma just walk around and see what happens".

    "I might do the same after I finish this drink", David replied.

    "Alright, I''m gone." Malakai strolled away with the drink in his hand.

    Malakai walked into the eye of the storm, walking past tipsy individuals. He was getting looks from every direction, every person he passed. Surprisingly, he wasn''t getting stopped. Maybe they were regular glances you give to people walking past. Until he swiftly turned around. He saw a boy standing behind him with his arm reached out.

    The boy had brown skin with straight black hair. Malakai couldn''t see in detail due to the bright lights but could make out the main features. Malakai looked at the boy, wondering what he was going to do.

    "Hey Malakai, I wanted to talk to you", he introduced.

    "Have we met before?" Malakai asked, knowing they''d never met.

    "I''m Ali, I''m in your class", he replied.

    ��1-C?�� Malakai asked to make sure.

    "Yeah, I sit near the front", Ali said nervously.

    "Sorry mate, I don''t know", Malakai said, sipping his drink. Even though he sounded like he took the piss, he didn''t. Sometimes, Malakai''s intrusive thoughts speak out loud.

    "That''s fine. This is the first time we''ve talked, so it''s fine", Ali responded.

    "Why''re you here?" Ali asked to keep the conversation going.

    "I''m here with my friends, but we split up for now. Truly, I didn''t wanna come, but why not? Are you here alone?"

    "Yeah, I was out by myself and saw the club, and I just walked in", Ali said embarrassingly.

    "What about your roommate?" Malakai said, looking at him with a bit of curiosity.

    "They went to bed early. I don''t blame them", Ali said, looking at the floor.

    "Damn, don''t worry. Now we know each other, we''re good", Malakai said, shaking his cup to make Ali look back up.

    "Huh?"

    "If you need anything, just ask me", Malakai told him.

    "Really?" Ali made sure he heard him right.

    "Yeah, if anyone says anything to you or you need anything, just come talk to me", Malakai said.

    "You''re actually a nice guy", Ali said slowly with a bit of shock.

    "I feel like that''s going to be said about me a lot", Malakai replied.

    "I mean, to me, you looked like the one annoying guy in class. Hearing you laugh from the front all the time", Ali said, smiling.

    "Hearing other people have fun in the same room while I''m alone at the front. It kinda hurts", Ali continued to say while smiling, not to make it look like he was bitching.

    "Oh shit, my bad", Malakai started to scratch the back of his head, feeling guilty.

    "I know that feeling as well", Malakai responded, sympathising with him.

    "No, I don''t blame you. You''re having fun; you always look like you''re having fun".

    "That''s me, life''s about having fun. No point being sad", Malakai said, finishing his drink.

    "We''re friends now, so you''re not alone", Malakai reassured Ali.

    "Yeah. Anyways, how did you find the exams?" Ali shifted the conversation.

    "They were goo-." Malakai didn''t finish his sentence as something caught his eyes behind Ali.

    "What''s he doing here?"

 Chapter 23 - Why Do People Like This?

    "Who?" Ali said, looking behind.

    Malakai kept staring at the table the person was at,

    "Yo, I need to go see someone. We''ll talk more later", he said, shaking Ali''s hand while walking past him.

    "Wait", Ali said, desperately trying to make him stay, but it was useless. He was already gone. Malakai sped ahead, slipping through the crowd effortlessly, unlike before. Barely touching anyone, people looked behind themselves, thinking someone had gone past them, but they didn''t see anyone. That''s how swift Malakai was moving in between the crowd. He kept walking until he reached the table with five people sitting on it.

    "Yo, let''s talk some more".

    "So Ray, are you going to drink?" Emily asked.

    Emily sat to Ray''s right in class. Emily had curly ginger hair, pale skin, dark ocean-blue eyes, and circular glasses.

    "I don''t know, I''ve never had a drink before", Ray said, looking into his empty cup.

    Emily noticed his empty cup.

    "Come on, it''s fun", Page said, looking over Emily''s shoulder. Ray turned around,

    "Are you in our class?" Ray asked, trying to remember faces.

    "She''s in Class E. We became friends last week", Emily answered for her.

    Page was slightly taller than Emily; she was brunette and had clear skin.

    "Nice to meet you", Ray greeted with a smile.

    "Nice to meet ya. Shall we go get a drink now?" Page said, leaning on Emily.

    "She''s already had a bit to drink".

    "Is she drunk?" Ray curiously asked.

    "I''m not drunk", Page responded.

    "She''s tipsy, don''t mind her. So, do you want to get a drink?" Emily pushed further.

    "Uhh, I don''t know", Ray said, looking around to avoid eye contact.

    "Let''s go. If you really don''t want to, you can refuse", Emily said, taking Ray''s hand.

    Benjamin and David were still in the same spot, talking to each other. They couldn''t be bothered to stand up and make the effort to socialise with strangers. Talking to each other while looking at everyone else partying was enough for them; they didn''t feel like they were missing out.

    Benjamin looked to his right,

    "Look, Rays with two girls", he nudged David. David turned to see if he was telling the truth.

    "Is he getting a drink?" He said, squinting his eyes to see what was on the table in front of Ray.

    The two of them saw a shot glass being filled in front of Ray.

    "Should we stop him?" Benjamin asked while on the edge of his seat.

    David was in two minds, but his left side spoke,

    "Let''s leave him. He ain''t a kid anymore".

    David looked at Benjamin and saw a slight concern on his face.

    "If it gets out of hand, we''ll step in", David continued to ease Benjamin.

    "If he goes for a second shot, I''m stepping in", Benjamin said.

    "Do you think Mally would have allowed him?" Benjamin questioned.

    "I doubt it", David laughed.

    The shot was in front of Ray. He was hesitant to pick it up, just staring at it. It looked like water; he had expected a fancy colour. He looked at his friends for guidance and saw them in synchrony pick up the glass and swallow the shot in one.

    "Are you gonna drink that?" Page said, pointing at the shot.

    "If you don''t want to do it, you don''t have to." Emily let Ray know one more time.

    Ray wanted to do it, but something was holding him back. Then, a quote shot into his head. ''Life''s about experiences''.

    "Yeah", he replied. He picked up the shot glass and copied the actions of his friends. The drink went down quickly.

    Ray''s face shrivelled up. His eyes closed. His mouth scrunched up.

    COUGH COUGH.

    Ray held his mouth, then his throat.

    "Why does it burn?" He said with a weak, broken voice.

    "It''s like that for everyone for their first time", Emily reassured, putting a hand on Ray''s back.

    "Do you want another one?" Emily asked.

    "No, Thank you", Ray said, shaking his head with an uneasy look.

    "Why do people like this?" He thought to himself.

    Malakai stood in front of a table with five people on it, with two bottles and half-filled glasses between each other.

    "Yo, let''s talk some more".

    Their attention shifted to Malakai.

    "Is that the kid from the assembly?" One of them asked.

    "Nice to see you again; I did say I''ll tell you my name next time we meet", he offered his hand out.

    "I''m Micheal. Here, take a seat, " he said, moving over to make some space.

    With his empty cup in hand, Malakai slowly took the seat next to Micheal.

    "Do you want a drink?" Micheal offered, seeing Malakai''s empty cup.

    "Na, I don''t drink", Malakai said, raising his hand to signal no. He then saw a cola bottle and grabbed it.

    "Why?" The girl across from him questioned.

    Malakai opened the cola bottle and started pouring the drink into his cup.

    "Why would I fuck up my liver? To have fun? I can do that sober", he replied.

    "It makess you feel goood."The girl next to Micheal slurred her words.

    "Yeah, cuz it makes you release more dopamine or something. I don''t know; I never looked at it in that much detail. But you can have fun with that hangover tomorrow", he said, putting a thumbs up and smiling at the girl.

    "Ha ha thankss", she replied, thinking he said something nice.

    "Someone''s rich. Covered in designer", Leon said, eyeing his clothes.

    "I ain''t rich. I earned this shit", Malakai sharply replied back, thinking what he said was a dig at him.

    "Let me introduce everyone", Micheal butted in.

    "Everyone, this is Malakai", he said, presenting Malakai with his arms.

    "The guy that said he had an AK-47 in his bag in the introductory assembly".

    He then looked at Malakai,

    "I''m Micheal; She''s Jasmine. She''s drunk", he said, leaning back to show Malakai, the Filipino-looking girl. All Malakai could see was her straight black hair; he couldn''t make out the finer details as she looked passed out on the chair.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon."He''s Leon", Micheal continued round the table.

    Leon had a noticeable smile and an Afro top.

    "The girl next to him is Chloe, and the girl next to her is Lisa", he finished.

    Malakai looked at the two girls; the girl on the left looked like a typical blonde. She was pretty, but Malakai was unfazed. The girl on the left seemed South Asian; a stand-out feature was her long, shiny black hair.

    Malakai didn''t say anything; he just nodded at each of them when Micheal introduced them.

    "So, what do you want to talk about?" Micheal asked Malakai.

    "You said you''d tell me your name next time we meet. I saw you, so I thought we could talk", he replied.

    "Okay, what do you wanna know?" Micheal said, pouring himself a drink.

    "Who you are?" Malakai said, watching Micheal.

    Micheal put down the bottle.

    "Okay. All of us here are second-year students. Chloe, Leon, and I are in class 2-A. The other two are in class B. We saw you on the first day; I''m pretty sure you noticed the people on the balcony. "

    "Yeah. So what? Are you first?" Malakai questioned.

    Micheal scoffed and took a sip of his drink,

    "Not even close", he replied with a smile.

    "Are any of you two number one?" Malakai directed the question to Leon and Chloe.

    "Nope, and we ain''t close either", Leon answered.

    "What? Actually?" Malakai said in shock.

    "You don''t have to be shocked. It''s like that for the third year as well. There''s always that one person that''s ahead of the pack. No one can catch them", Micheal said, circling his cup.

    "Are you lot dumb, or are they really smart?" Malakai said, not holding back.

    "Neither. She''s not super smart, and we''re not dumb. She''s better than us, I guess, but it''s not unachievable to get to her. If you get what I mean". Micheal tried to explain.

    "It''s not about intelligence only. The challenges can be physical and even involve luck", Chloe added, taking the bait of Malakai''s dumb comment.

    "What''s her name?" Malakai curiously asked, looking around the table.

    "You don''t need to know. I doubt it''s important to you." Micheal downed his drink; the topic of the conversation made him.

    "Aahh. Anyway, enough about me, what about you? How''s your experience been so far?" Micheal switched the conversation and started interrogating Malakai.

    "It''s been good. The first challenge was easy. Did you have the same challenge, or was it different?" Malakai asked, finishing his drink.

    "Yeah, the exam one, right? How many points do you think you got?" Micheal replied.

    "I don''t know. Maybe over 450 if my partner did the same as me." Malakai said, looking inside his empty cup.

    "I don''t care anyways, cuz I already got 100 points".

    "How?" Chloe leant forward.

    "I challenged the student president to a game of rock paper scissors and beat him." Malakai casually replied.

    "What was his name again?" Malakai rhetorically asked, trying to remember himself.

    Everyone on the table was shocked and confused.

    "You challenged Johan. How did that happen?" Leon said, fixing his posture.

    Malakai poured himself another cup of cola.

    "That AK-47 joke hurt a few people, so we had another assembly, and I had to apologise. Johan was there, and he started lecturing everyone and me. I didn''t like how he was talking to me. So I just said as a joke, let''s play for points. The headteacher allowed it, and I beat him 3-0", Malakai quickly summarised.

    Everyone was dumbfounded.

    "I don''t believe you; show us your points!" Lisa said, almost in denial.

    "Why would I lie?" He said, pulling out his phone. He opened the Academy app and went to the leaderboards. He turned his phone around to show everyone.

    1 - MALAKAI JUNIOR (1-C) - 100 POINTS

    While all the names underneath showed 0 points.

    "You''re in class C?" Micheal said with a surprised look.

    "Yeah", Malakai said nonchalantly.

    "Why? Did you expect higher?"

    "Yeah, you beat Johan in a challenge", Micheal replied.

    "I mean, Rock paper scissors don''t require that much skill", Malakai said, sipping his drink.

    "Still", Micheal couldn''t believe it, he was lost for words. Malakai noticed,

    "Why are you looking at me like that? I ain''t that smart", Malakai said, smiling.

    "You know you deserve to be higher", Leon said looking at Malakai.

    ��Naaa 1-C is fine for me. Anyways, what''s the next challenge gonna be? I mean, we''re basically friends now", Malakai said cheekily.

    Chloe and Lisa giggled.

    "You''re a funny guy", Leon said, pointing at him.

    "Yeah, I get that a lot. I don''t know why, though", Malakai replied.

    "The next challenge is going to be different for you. They make small changes every year", Micheal said once again, filling his cup.

    "Small?"

    "Yeah. It''s going to be a card game. What was ours again?" Micheal said, trying to jog his memory.

    "We had to get the closest to 21 with the cards we got", Chloe reminded Micheal.

    "That''s sounds shit". Malakai said disappointedly.

    "Yeah, the first five challenges are boring. But they get interesting near the end", Leon said.

    "Damn".

    "Don''t worry, they might change it for you. It sounds like your year group is interesting, so they may switch it up". Micheal said, gulping his drink.

    "Ooohff," he said, swallowing the alcohol,

    "If you''re in 1-C, I wanna know what other monsters there are, " Micheal said.

    "I don''t know why you''re regarding me so highly; I''m a nobody, trust me", Malakai innocently said.

    "You don''t look like it, with a scar like that", Lisa said, pointing towards his nose.

    "Wheree did you buy tha from", Jasmine said extending her arm trying to touch Malakais scar.

    "The fuck. I thought she was passed out?" Malakai said, flinching back.

    "How did you get it?" Leon questioned, wanting to know.

    "We are friends, after all", he said, imitating Malakai.

    Malakai smiled,

    ��This I got it-��

    BZZT BZZT

    Malakais phone started vibrating on the table. Malakai turned his phone around to see what it was.

    Incoming call DAVID.

    "David?" Malakai said to himself.

    He picked up his phone and answered,

    "Yo".

    "Mally, we need your help"

 Chapter 24 - The Night Is Still Young

    "What happened?" Malakai asked, standing up hastily.

    "Lucas is fighting with someone", David replied in a tone that didn''t sound so worrying.

    "Who?" Malakai said, looking around to see if he could see them.

    "A bouncer".

    "Oh", Malakai''s body relaxed,

    "I''ll be there in a minute", he said in a bored tone. He ended the call and put the phone in his pocket.

    "Did Something happen?" Micheal asked, looking at him.

    "Looks like my night is over. My friend is fighting with a bouncer", Malakai replied, fixing his clothes.

    "What a shame".

    "Is it their first time drinking?" Chloe questioned.

    "Yep", Malakai replied.

    "This was a good talk. We''ll talk more later", Malakai said, shaking Micheal''s hand.

    "Yeah, you better have more stories", Micheal said, squeezing Malakai''s hand while in the handshake. Malakai turned to walk away,

    "We''ll see what happens; maybe you''ll hear about them before I tell you them".

    "Get off me, man", Lucas said, squirming while being held by David.

    "Let''s go home, Lu. You''ve had enough", David said, trying to keep Lucas still.

    "I think it''s time for you to leave", the bouncer in front of them said.

    "No, the night is still young, " Lucas said, lifting his arms and giggling.

    It didn''t take long for Malakai to find them. Walking towards the scene, he saw Benjamin and Ray standing to the side while a bouncer was in front of Lucas and David. Lucas tries to approach the bouncer, but David is holding him back. Malakai walked closer with his hands in his pockets,

    "How''d this happen?" He asked Benjamin. Benjamin saw Malakai approaching them.

    "Basically, Lu got really drunk while he was talking to a girl. Then I think he threw up on the girl cuz he was so drunk. Then he threw up some more", Benjamin explained.

    "So now he''s getting kicked out", Malakai pieced together.

    "That''s the plan, but he doesn''t want to leave", Benjamin finished.

    "Great. Where''s Will?" Malakai said, turning his head.

    "He passed out over there." Benjamin pointed to William lying on the floor next to some chairs.

    "Don''t tell me I have to carry him", Malakai said in a tired voice.

    "Looks like it. Me and David are gonna have to carry Lu. You and Ray can handle Will".

    "Argh", Malakai whined. Malakai looked over at Ray, who was smiling from ear to ear.

    "You look like you had fun" " he said to Ray.

    "Yeah, it''s been fun", he replied happily.

    "I''m not leavin. I''m not fucking leavin", Lucas said aggressively lashing out.

    "We should help out", Benjamin said, stepping forward. Benjamin and Malakai walked towards them.

    "Lu, you idiot, calm down", Malakai said, approaching him.

    "How much did you drink to throw up two times? We''ve only been here for about an hour", Malakai said to Lucas. Malakai lost track of time himself. Lucas stopped lashing out,

    "What can I say I''m a great drinker", Lucas smiled, forgetting the bouncer because of Malakai.

    "Ben, grab him and help David take him outside." He then turned to the bouncer towering over him.

    "I''m sorry bout my friend. We''re leaving now", he apologised.

    "BEN, DON''T TOUCH ME!" Lucas shouted, lashing out again.

    "Sorry, Lu has to be done", Benjamin replied, helping David.

    "Yo Ray, help me grab Will", he said, walking towards his unconscious body.

    "Okay".

    The two of them picked up his body and placed his arm around their shoulders, letting his feet drag across the floor, ruining what looked like a fresh pair of shoes��a price to pay for turning lifeless in a public place. Ben and David had a more challenging time containing this drunk six-foot animal.

    "Lu, we''ve got some more drinks at home", David blatantly lied.

    "Really! Let''s go then. Better than this shit place", Lucas gullibly believed. He stopped resisting and walked towards the exit. Before he left, he turned around and raised his middle finger at the bouncer. Malakai and Ray dragged William past several people, getting judgemental looks everywhere. Something the group had kind of gotten accustomed to due to Malakai, but this time, it was because of different people. Eventually, they made it out of the club.

    The six of them were now walking on campus at 12:02 PM. The campus was empty, with a few students roaming here and there.

    "Lu was right, I can''t lie. The night is still young", Malakai joked, looking up at the sky.

    "It''s past midnight; what do you mean?" David replied.

    "Exactly, we still got like six hours before sunrise", Malakai said, still holding William up. Suddenly, the balance shifted to the right, nearly making Malakai fall. The two of them stumbled a bit.

    "Ray, you good?" Malakai asked, looking at Ray.

    "Yeah. I think I tripped over something. I''m a little dizzy. Maybe it was all the lights and loud music", Ray said, blinking rapidly.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.Benjamin and David glanced at each other, knowing why he might be feeling dizzy.

    "Shit, I can carry him on my back if you want", Malakai offered.

    "No, I''m fine. The fresh air is helping", Ray replied, avoiding eye contact.

    Looking forward, they saw Lucas skipping ahead.

    "Hurry up, we gotta get to the drinks", Lucas said in a higher tone.

    "This is why you don''t drink Ray", Malakai said, looking at Lucas.

    Ray couldn''t look towards Malakai''s direction; he knew it would show on his face that he''d already done the opposite of the advice he had just given him. Luckily, Malakai didn''t look at Ray to see the stress on his face. David and Benjamin kept quiet, walking ahead with their hands in their pockets.

    "LU! YOU''RE AN ALCOHOLIC!" Malakai shouted to Lucas as a joke, who was far ahead.

    "I CAN''T BE AN ALCOHOLIC; I LOOK TOO GOOD", Lucas shouted back.

    That was enough to gain a few laughs from the boys.

    "At least he''s got humour while drunk, " David said, smiling at the joke.

    "Why am I laughing? I live with him; he''s going to be annoying", Benjamin said, looking at his friends.

    "Mally, why don''t you put Will in my dorm, and I sleep in Wills''s room? Put the two drunks in the same dorm", Benjamin tried to compromise.

    Malakai gave a smile,

    "Someone needs to look after them. Two drunks can''t look after each other. I look after Will, you look after Lu".

    "I''ll remember this", Benjamin said, nodding his head.

    "Remember what? They might die if they''re alone", Malakai said, justifying his answer. His louder tone caused William to wake up.

    "Uuuurggggh", William groaned.

    "I feel sick", he croaked, barely opening his eyes.

    "Don''t worry, we''re almost home", Ray said to William.

    "Bro, how much did you drink?" Malakai questioned, looking at him.

    "I don''t know. I jus remember drinkin. An everthin blacked out. Now I''m here. Levitating".

    "You''re getting dragged. You''re not levitating", Malakai told him.

    "Shhh, shhh, I''m concentrating. It takes a lot of focus to do this", William said, closing his eyes.

    "Given me another reason to not touch alcohol". Malakai mumbled to himself.

    In the corridor, they were walking towards their dorms.

    "DRINKS, DRINKS, DRINKS", Lucas chanted while jumping up and down.

    "Shut up, people are sleeping", Benjamin said, chasing Lucas.

    "I''m so happy my roommate isn''t drunk", David said, looking at the mess Benjamin and Malakai had to handle.

    "Ray, it''s calm. I can carry him now", Malakai said.

    "Okay." Ray removed Williams''s arm around his shoulder. Now unsupported on his right side, William put all his weight on his right. Malakai felt himself tilting, so he also removed Williams''s arm, letting William drop to the floor.

    "Look, you made me lose concentration. I was in a flow state", William said, lying on the floor.

    "That''s crazy, bro. Can you stand up now?" Malakai said, unamused at the sight in front of him.

    "I''m floating again", he replied with his eyes shut.

    Further down the hall, Lucas was excitedly jumping up and down, waiting for the drinks which never existed.

    "Be quiet, you''re being too loud", Ray said with a finger over his lips.

    Click! A door opened.

    "Why are you so -"Tanisha stopped herself from finishing her sentence upon seeing the disgrace before her. William on the floor, and Lucas, with dirtied clothes jumping up and down. She looked to Malakai,

    "What''s going on?"

    "We went to the club, and these two got drunk", he quickly summarised.

    "And you, did you drink?" She looked at him up and down.

    "I don''t drink", he replied, shaking his head.

    She looked over at the rest of them and sighed.

    "I swear to god, can''t all of you be normal for once. If you''re loud again, I''ll make you shut up".

    "Where''s Maria?" Ray asked, trying to look into the dorm.

    "She''s asleep. She was exhausted and went to bed at like eight", Tanisha replied.

    "Oh, okay. That''s cool", Ray awkwardly replied.

    Malakai looked at William, still on the floor, and back at Tanisha.

    "Tanisha, I''m sorry, it''s the first time they''ve drank. Don''t blame them", Malakai formally apologised.

    Tanisha was surprised by the apology.

    "Whatever, just don''t be too loud", she replied, closing the door.

    The other three watched on. Lucas managed to stay quiet while that conversation happened.

    "Can we have drinks now?" he quietly pleaded like a child.

    Benjamin silently opened his door and walked in; Lucas paced in. David also went into their dorm to make sure everything would be alright.

    "Ray, can you help me get this idiot inside?" Malakai asked.

    The two of them picked him up. Malakai opened his dorm room door, and they entered carrying William, who thought he had started flying this time. They reached the couch where they dropped him off. Malakai looked at his drunk friend lying on the couch, then mumbled to himself,

    "These lots are never drinking alcohol again".

 Chapter 25 - Top Ten

    September 25th. Monday, 11:53 AM.

    "The results will be posted in a few minutes", Frank said to Alexander while finishing writing his last sentence.

    "Indeed", He responded.

    "Are you nervous?" He questioned, putting down his pen.

    "No. I know I got 50/50 on every test. I don''t expect the same from my partner, but I know I''m not the problem if our score isn''t 500", he said almost robotically.

    Frank moved his eyes towards Isabella to see if she heard. She might have heard, but it looked like she was busy with her own thing.

    "I don''t think you''ll be first on the leaderboards because of that guy who got 100 points already", Frank told Alexander to make sure he knew.

    "I know. If he isn''t at the top of the leaderboard, then we know he truly is an idiot", Alexander replied, looking out the window, the sight that entertained him for almost every lesson.

    "He may have had a bad teammate. You never know." Frank tried to reason with him, making him try to see the other side of the story.

    "Please, anything but a number 1 place would be embarrassing for him".

    Frank knew what Alexander was saying was true, but he wanted Alexander to show a bit of empathy. Usually, Isabella would join in on the conversations, but today, she was too indulged in her notebook. It was clear she was nervous. She wasn''t worried about herself but how she could ruin Alexander''s points. Being partners with Alexander was a gift and a curse. You get a guaranteed 250 points, but on the flip side, can you provide the total 250 points in return? Disappointing and bringing down Alexander would make Isabella feel guilty. Frank noticed and could understand why she was feeling how she was. Knowing Alexander personally, he knows how he is. Alexander''s cold, blunt, harsh and perfect nature. He could look at a person a certain way, which could put immense pressure on you. His gaze would make you question your actions even if what you were doing was right. However, it isn''t on purpose; it''s just how he was raised. Anything that isn''t perfect, he looks down upon. He understands why people do things differently, but he doesn''t truly understand why. His interpretation is that they can''t do it the way he can, so they use other methods; they aren''t capable of completing it perfectly. That''s Alexander. Condescending, blunt and perfect. You can''t blame him for who he is; he is just a product of his environment. Frank has tried to change him little by little, but it''s hopeless. Alexander shuts down everything Frank tries with logical responses. Ever since Frank entered this Academy, he hoped someone could change Alexander, maybe not even one person but a group. But who knows?

    Frank didn''t want Isabella to feel uncomfortable, so he didn''t include her in the conversation. It would have been best if Frank was Alexander''s partner, but what could he do? It was randomised.

    12:00 PM.

    Phones started pinging. It was time��results of the first challenge. The results came via email, showing how many points they got together. But it didn''t show how many points they got individually. Not showing how many points the individual got stopped people from fighting and arguing with each other over who ruined their score. Alexander looked at the email.

    "494 points", He read out.

    "That''s great", Frank congratulated with a smile.

    "Could''ve been better", he said, turning his phone off and going back to look out the window.

    Isabella turned around,

    "I don''t know where I lost six points from. Maybe from English, as the marking can be subjective", Isabella said, hoping Alexander wouldn''t be annoyed.

    "Maybe", He replied, not looking at her.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Frank wanted to intervene and say

    "Maybe Alexander lost one or two points".

    But he knew if he said that, it might be more detrimental and affect Isabella more, as he knew Alexander would give a condescending reply. So he kept quiet.

    "What did you get, Frank?" Isabella asked, shifting the topic.

    "I got 486 points", He answered.

    "That''s good", She replied, smiling.

    "Thanks, not as good as you", he said, trying to motivate her.

    "Let me check the leaderboard", Frank said, tapping the academy app. He scrolled to the leaderboard,

    "Woah, everyone in the top 10 is from 1-A, except Malakai". He said, looking at the leaderboard.

    "That''s expected", Isabella said, finding the leaderboards on her phone.

    "Malakai Junior. 558 points. So he got 458 points, that''s not bad". Frank said, trying to tap on Malakai''s name to see if it did anything.

    "Yeah, he wouldn''t have made it into the top 10, though, without the 100 points", Isabella replied.

    "I barely made it. I''m 9th", Frank laughed.

    Isabella closed the app and placed her phone on the table.

    "It''s only the first challenge; he won''t be there for long", she said, slightly directing it at Alexander to get his attention, but he didn''t take the bait. He was looking out the window; it looked like he was meditating. He''d stopped listening after he heard Malakai''s name. Before hearing it, he had forgotten it, but now he''s heard it again �� he will probably forget it the next day.

    "Are you pissed you''re not in the top 10?" Lorenzo asked Ryan, leaning on his desk.

    "I''m not pissed. I expected this, but I still had a little hope I could make it", Ryan replied, looking at the leaderboards.

    "I? WE both got 481 points", Lorenzo emphasised the we.

    "You know what I mean, but 481 points still wasn''t enough. I guess 1-A isn''t just a title; they''re the real deal", he said, adjusting his glasses.

    "I''m sure the next challenge will be different; WE''LL get them." Lorenzo again emphasised that this was a team effort.

    "Yeah, yeah, I heard you".

    "HAHAHAHA".

    They heard laughter approaching their classrooms. They both looked in the door''s direction to see what was coming.

    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" They heard a voice laughing. Soon, they saw Malakai and his friend walking alongside each other, laughing. Ryan watched while he walked past the doorway.

    "That''s the guy at number one", Lorenzo said as they passed the doorway.

    "He can stay comfy up there, for now".

    In the corridor, the six boys were walking to the cafeteria.

    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN!" Malakai screeched.

    Benjamin and Lucas were laughing.

    "I ain''t letting you spend my credits", William replied.

    "I''m number one. I deserve something." Malakai said, clinging onto William, having an arm around his shoulder.

    "You had to get number one. If you didn''t, you would get bullied", William argued back.

    "By who?" Malakai challenged.

    "Everyone", David jumped in.

    "Mally, I''ll buy you something", Ray offered, looking back at William and Malakai.

    "Ray, he''s gonna get more credits next week. You don''t need to buy him shit", William said, escaping Malakai and walking next to Ray.

    "He deserves something", Ray replied.

    "See, why can''t you all be like Ray?" Malakai questioned.

    As they continued walking, they saw Dillon standing on the side.

    "Yo, Dillon. What''d you get?" Malakai casually asked like they were friends, walking closer to him.

    "Fuck off", Dillon replied, looking up.

    As the group walked past,

    "I was just tryna be nice", Malakai mumbled, walking away with his friends.

    Dillon stood alone in the corridor and looked at his email, which showed 419 points. Seeing Malakai''s name on that leaderboard, he was burning, but he couldn''t do anything about it. Maybe things would change in a couple of weeks.

    Meanwhile, the higher-ups were in the meeting room again. All of them were present except for the ''outsider''. All of them were sitting in their seats, once again bored.

    "The leaderboard is looking close", one of them opened with.

    "Different kettle of fish this year".

    "Two students got 250/250, Full marks. That has never happened before".

    "Yeah, but then you look at who they are and expect they would achieve that".

    "The next challenge will be good", one of them said sarcastically.

    "When is it again?" One of them questioned.

    "In a month or so".

    BANG!

    One of them slammed their fist on the desk.

    "Something needs to change." Everyone''s attention was caught.

    "We can''t have these students doing the norm. This was boring".

    "Well, this had to be the first challenge; there couldn''t be any other challenge", one of them said.

    "That''s fine. But the next challenge will be different, I''ll make sure of that".

    "What are you going to do?"

    "Don''t worry about that. I plan on making some changes".

    "Like what?"

    "Ha. Just wait and see".

    <u>LEADERBOARD</u>

    1) MALAKAI JUNIOR (1-C) - 558 POINTS

    2) ALEXANDER BURRELL (1-A) - 494 POINTS

    3) ISABELLA GRACE (1-A) - 494 POINTS

    4) EVE MASON (1-A) - 489 POINTS

    5) ELIZABETH MOORE (1-A) - 489 POINTS

    6) MARK HARISON (1-A) - 487 POINTS

    7) ASHLEY MADSON (1-A) - 487 POINTS

    8) LUNA WOLFE (1-A) - 486 POINTS

    9) FRANK CARTER (1-A) - 486 POINTS

    10) BRI LOPEZ (1-A) - 485 POINTS

 Chapter 25.5 - End Of Volume Interviews

    What do you think of Malakai?

    David: Idiot

    Lucas: Idiot

    Benjamin: Idiot

    William: Idiot

    Ray: Idiot

    Delilah: He''s great, really funny guy. I don''t know him that well, but so far, he''s a good guy.

    Tanisha: Annoying

    Maria: I don''t talk to him much, only on the balcony some nights. But I think he''s really interesting.

    Ryan: Don''t like him. Next question.

    Dillon: Don''t like him. Next question.

    Adam: I haven''t talked to him, so I don''t have an opinion.

    Alexander: Who?

    What do you think of Alexander?

    Ryan: He''s the guy I''m looking out for the most. He doesn''t look like he cares, but I''ll make him stress sooner or later.

    David: I don''t think I talked to him, but he seems like an okay guy.

    Dillon: I don''t care about him. I bet he doesn''t care about me, so why should I care about him?

    Adam: He seems intelligent and dangerous.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    What do you think of Ryan?

    David: He''s weird, I don''t really like him.

    Alexander: The guy with the glasses? I don''t have anything to say.

    Dillon: A bitch

    Adam: I need to watch out for him; he''s good at keeping his mask on.

    What do you think of Dillon?

    David: Next question

    Ryan: Next question

    Adam: Typical American bully

    Alexander Who?

    What do you think of Adam?

    Ryan: He''s going to try to be under the radar, but I won''t let him.

    David: Who?

    Dillon: Who?

    Alexander: Who?

    So, What do you think of Alexander?

    Malakai: When I saw him at the library, he looked like a spoilt rich kid. Then he talked and sounded like a spoilt rich kid. So, a spoilt Rich kid.

    Ryan?

    Malakai: A snake. I don''t like whenever he''s around, to be honest.

    Maria?

    Malakai: Innocent. Whenever I talk to her I kinda have to be careful with what I say. My humour might make her think I''m sick or something.

    Delilah?

    Malakai: Delilah? That��s my homie right there

    Dillon?

    Malakai: Hahahaha. Next question.

    Adam?

    Malakai: Who?

 Chapter 26 - Getting To Know My Classmates

    Dear Diary, it''s been a while since I''ve written in here. Well, I''ve joined this academy, and I love it so far. I''ve met so many new people and talked to people I''d never thought I''d talked to. I recognise so many people from social media here; it''s crazy. To be honest, I wasn''t sure how things were going to turn out. I thought enrolling here was a mistake, but it might have been the best choice I''ve made in my life. It''s weird it''s like high school but it''s so much better. We''ve only done one challenge so far, and it was exams, but I can''t wait to see the next challenge. In my first challenge, I got 470 points, I didn''t make the top ten, but I didn''t think I would anyways. There are some incredible people here. I still can''t believe I''m here with them. This whole experience has been surreal. No drama has happened yet except for the first day. I do want to see more drama, but I think that''ll come later for sure. For now, I''m happy with everything. The friends I''ve made, what I''ve done and how I''m living. I forgot how good it felt to write out about my life. I''ll definitely write more here; I''m sure I''ll have a lot to write about. Even now, I can''t believe how happy I am when I''m writing.

    Eric was sitting on the couch alone in his dorm, waiting for someone to come through the door. He''d been sitting there for nearly two hours, empty-minded. He didn''t have the energy to do anything else; he didn''t want to do anything else. He did want one thing, though. He wanted one last conversation. One last conversation, not a lecture or a one-sided interrogation, one last genuine conversation.

    Click!

    That noise broke the silence. The door handle turned, and the door swung forward. Eric''s head turned like a hawk. He quickly stood up and proceeded to the door. Holding three different coloured bags, a dark girl with smooth skin and long, shiny, coiled black hair walked through.

    "Sasha, can we talk?" Eric asked, not even looking at her.

    Sasha sighed; she just got through the door,

    "You''ve been doing this every day; I''m tired, Eric", she said, trying to walk past.

    Eric stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

    "Excuse me, you''re in the way", Sasha said with a tint of attitude.

    Eric gave her the silent treatment; he stood firmly before her, still not looking at her face.

    "Eric, please, can you move? I need to put these bags away", Sasha said irritatedly.

    "Please. Let''s have ONE more conversation, just one. The last one. I want to clear some things up, clear things for my mind. After that, I promise I won''t speak to you again", Eric said desperately, still not making eye contact. He then raised his head and looked into her eyes for the first time in a week,

    "Please. Just one more conversation. I need some answers. Then we can be strangers".

    Eric''s eyes looked dead, but he still faintly smiled.

    "Fine, let me put my bags in my room first".

    Knock, knock, knock.

    "Adam?"

    I turned my body around to look at the door.

    "Are you busy right now?" Kyle asked, popping his around the door.

    "Not really, I''m just looking over my notes".

    "Cool, some people are meeting up from our class to hang out. Do you wanna join?" Kyla asked, now standing in the doorway.

    "Yeah, I''ll join; let me change my clothes".

    "Okay, I''ll wait out here", Kyle replied, closing the door.

    I closed my notebook and stood up from my desk.

    "I do need to get to know my classmates better", I thought.

    I quickly put on a black sweater and met Kyle outside. Kyle is my roommate. He''s a regular guy; I don''t have much to say about him. I met him on the first day and asked him to be my roommate. He accepted pretty quickly, so he might''ve been desperate like me. He''s nothing special; well, I''m not either. Kyle is a regular white guy with blonde hair and a long nose. It makes sense both of us are roommates; if you looked at us, you wouldn''t think that much of us. I don''t consider him a friend, but he''s an okay guy. We switch who buys the groceries and essentials each time. He''s someone I can reason with, which is good; I could''ve got someone incompetent or stubborn. So, I guess I picked the good straw. We have yet to get to know each other that well; we have only shared a few details about each other. We''re like office friends, someone you''d see at work because you have to. I wonder if Kyle wants to get closer to me. It''ll probably be a good idea to build a stronger relationship with him; it will help me later on, I''m sure.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Outside on campus.

    "I noticed there''s a lot of people here that don''t attend the academy", Kyle said, looking around at unfamiliar faces roaming the campus.

    "Look, there''s an old couple over there", he whispered to me while pointing at them.

    "Yeah, the campus is open to anyone. They can go to the shops and restaurants, but they can''t go into the academy. That''s why we have IDs".

    "How do they pay for the stuff in the shops?" Kyle asked.

    "With actual money".

    As you can see, Kyle isn''t the sharpest tool in the shed.

    "What does the academy do with the money?" Kyle continued to question.

    "They use the money to help the academy or buy more products for the stores".

    "That makes sense", he said, looking around.

    "Did you think the campus was this big and had all these shops just for us students?"

    "Yeah", he replied, looking at me innocently.

    "I''m surprised he hasn''t questioned why I know so much", I thought. To be fair, it is common sense. It doesn''t take a genius to look around and see people over the age of thirty walking around. Anything can happen on this campus; someone could live in one of the parks and sleep on the benches if they wanted to. This academy does have a good name, I guess; even now, I''m still impressed by the campus. Kyle and I were the first people to arrive at the meeting spot. We''ve been sitting on a bench for about 15 minutes.

    "Did they say when we would meet up?"

    "Yeah, they said let''s meet outside the bakery", Kyle answered.

    "When did they say we should meet up?".

    Kyle looked at me like he had already told me, but he didn''t answer my question.

    "Let me check again." he pulled out his phone to look at the message again.

    "Yeah, they said we should meet outside the bakery. But when did they say we should meet?" He rhetorically asked, trying to find where the time was stated in the message.

    I looked at my roommate, who was typing hastily, then looked up to see a group of people walking towards us.

    "Is that them?" I pointed.

    Kyle looked up,

    "Yeah, it is." he stood up and walked towards them.

    I also stood up and analysed what was going on. There were seven people. Four guys and three girls. I recognise about three of the guys, and that''s it. All of them are in my class, I think.

    "Adam, how have you been?" One of them greeted.

    I know him, he''s Justin. Everyone likes this guy because he''s open and friendly. A good spokesperson for the class. He also looks good, which makes girls support him without a second thought.

    "I''m fine".

    Justin came to shake my hand.

    "I heard you got 423 points, the highest in our class", Justin said.

    "Yeah, me and my partner did well".

    "I wonder how much your partner contributed, though?" He said in a lower tone so only I would hear.

    I doubt he knows who I actually am, but he''s caught on that I''m not like everyone in our class. It''s my fault; I should''ve acted more naturally and blended in with the class. The first few days were a blur; I can barely remember them. What can you do? You live, and you learn.

    "We''ll never know. How much did you get?"

    "I got 377 points". Justin replied with a smile.

    I don''t get it. How can someone who is academically inferior be sharp and notice me? Being academically bright doesn''t perfectly correlate with total intelligence, but there is an association. Everyone''s abnormal in this academy. I need to watch out for everyone, not just people in the higher classes.

    "That''s good." I gave a fake compliment.

    "I could do better", he smugly replied.

    "Hey guys, how about we split up and do our own thing, then meet again to have some food together?" Justin suggested to the group.

    Everyone agreed, and the groups formed seamlessly. The three girls were together, Kyle with two of the guys, and I was stuck with Justin and this other guy. I think his name was Marcus. How did this happen? I should''ve stayed at home. I regret coming.

    "Sooo what should we do?" one of the girls asked, skipping ahead and looking around.

    "Let''s go shopping, I need to buy some more clothes".

    "Didn''t you buy some new clothes a week ago?" The girl next to her responded, looking at her outfit.

    "I did, but I saw something really cute the other day and wanted to buy it".

    the girl that was skipping ahead looked back and responded,

    "Okay, let''s go", while she walked backwards.

    "Yeah. Wait, WATCH OUT!" One of the girls warned.

    The little girl fell over after bumping into a guy. The girl quickly stood up on her own to avoid embarrassment.

    "I''m sorry I should''ve loo-" she looked up at the boy she bumped into. Once she saw who he was, she lunged in for a hug and wrapped her arms around him.

    "MALAKAIII!!!!

 Chapter 27 - One Last Conversation

    "Huh", Malakai was confused. A short, tanned girl with long pink hair was hugging him, her arms wrapping around him.

    "Do I know you?" He asked, lifting his hands not to touch her.

    The girl let go of Malakai and looked up at him.

    "Nope", she answered, shaking her head cutely.

    Malakai looked at Ray, who was with him, not knowing what to do. He looked at the other two girls to see if he recognised them.

    "You two can go on ahead. I need to talk to Malakai", she told the two girls.

    "You do?" Malakai looked at her, questioning himself if they had met somewhere before.

    "Yes", She excitedly turned to him.

    The two girls awkwardly left, leaving this girl with Malakai and Ray.

    "I''m Nada, and I''m in class 1-E", she introduced, with a smile on her face.

    Malakai got a proper look at her face; she had long eyelashes, caramel eyes, and a cute hairstyle with a black bow tying up a bun at the back and a pin at the front. He also noticed she had a few piercings on her ear and a butterfly tattoo on her neck.

    "Why''s every girl pretty here?" He thought to himself.

    "Cool. You don''t need to be so formal", Malakai said, still on edge.

    "I thought any other introduction would be rude", Nada replied.

    Malakai was weirded out and glanced at Ray, standing there awkwardly.

    "Anyway, What did you wanna talk about?" He asked cautiously.

    "I want to be your apprentice" " she confidently said.

    "Wha?" Malakai questioned. He turned to Ray and whispered.

    "Is she serious?"

    "I don''t know, she looks serious", he replied, looking at Nada''s facial expression.

    "I''m right here, you know", Nada said, hearing everything.

    Malakai looked at Nada,

    "I''ve got so many questions".

    "Ask away", Nada replied.

    "Why is your hair pink?"

    "I dyed it".

    "How tall are you?"

    "Five foot one".

    "Hehehe, you''re short".

    "You''re short as well".

    "Taller than you".

    "Still short".

    "Why have you got a tattoo on your neck?".

    "I got it when I turned 18".

    "Why a purple butterfly?"

    "Because I like butterflies and my favourite colour is purple".

    "Why didn''t you dye your hair purple then?"

    "Purple didn''t look nice."

    Malakai got sidetracked, he shook his head,

    "Okay, wait, wait, wait. Why''d you wanna be my apprentice?" He asked.

    "Because you''re number one on the leaderboard", she replied like it was obvious.

    "We''ve only done the first challenge. I''m definitely not holding that position". Malakai said, trying to persuade her.

    "But I know you can help me a lot. I''ll do anything you tell me", she said with her hands together pleading.

    Malakai was lost; he looked at Ray to ensure he was hearing correctly. By seeing Ray''s reaction, it looked like he did.

    "Anything? So if I told you to go buy me an energy drink, you would", Malakai said, already holding a drink in his right hand.

    "Mally!" Ray was in shock; he was even asking that.

    "Yeah, what do you want?" She asked with her eyes lit up.

    "Lemonade", he slowly answered, still unsure what was happening.

    "Okay", she started walking away. Malakai quickly looked at Ray in disbelief,

    "Wait! Im joking. Come back", Malakai called out.

    "You sure?" She asked to make sure.

    "Yeah, I already got a drink", he said, showing his drink.

    Nada walked back to Malakai and Ray.

    "You serious?" Malakai said in disbelief, not sure if she was taking the piss or not.

    "Yeah. I know you can help me".

    Malakai cheekily smiled.

    "So you''re my apprentice?" Malakai asked one more time.

    "Yep".

    "If you''re my apprentice, I got one condition", he said, lifting one finger.

    "You can''t be serious, Mally", Ray said in disappointment that he was taking advantage of the situation.

    "Wait, man, it''s gonna be good", Malakai reassured.

    "What is it?" Nada eagerly wanted to know.

    "You have to call me sensei", Malakai said, trying not to laugh.

    "Oh my god, Mally", Ray said.

    "Okay, sensei", Nada replied seriously.

    Malakai started laughing while Ray was face-palming. Malakai composed himself,

    "What do you wanna know?" Malakai asked, kinda abusing his power right now.

    "Have you got any advice?'' she asked without hesitation.

    "Uhhhh. Don''t do drugs", Malakai gave the most basic advice ever.

    Nada whipped out her phone and started typing.

    "What are you doing?" Malakai asked, trying to look at what she was typing.

    "I''m writing your advice in my notes" " she replied, still typing.

    Malakai bursted out laughing,

    "I like you, we''re gonna be good friends".

    Eric and Sasha were sitting on the couch. Eric was on the right, and Sasha was on the left; there was a space in the middle. Empty. Eric had his head down; he still couldn''t meet her eyes, while Sasha had her hand on the couch''s arm with her chin resting in her palm.

    "Is it over?" Eric started the awkward conversation.

    Sasha side-eyed Eric and then looked down at the floor,

    "Yeah", she replied with one word. There was an awkward silence. Sasha didn''t know what else to say.

    "Why?" Eric asked. Sasha briefly closed her eyes,

    "You ask this every time", she answered in a tired voice.

    "And you never answer!" Eric raised his voice, staying in the same position. Sasha jumped a little; it was the first time she''d heard that sort of tone from him.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report."I just want a clear answer", he said, bringing his tone back to a calmer one. Eric didn''t want to raise his voice, but it had to be done if he wanted answers.

    "I don''t love you anymore." Sasha dropped the bomb.

    Eric''s eyes widened. It was like his body shut down for a split second. Everything happened at once. He felt pain in his chest, thoughts filling his head; it felt like he was being dragged down, his body heating up. But the thing is, he already knew this. It was just hearing it from the person he loved was different. He was hearing the words said out loud compared to him imagining her saying it. It killed him. Eric had hope. He hoped she broke up with him for another reason, a better reason. She wanted to take a break or focus on herself. Heck, he thought she was possibly moving to a different country, anything but her losing feelings for him. These were the delusional thoughts that helped him sleep at night, the thoughts that kept that candle still lit. But those five words blew that tiny flame; it didn''t only diminish the flame, it melted the wax. There was nothing left.

    "Why?" Eric continued to question. He was already broken, but he still wanted to know. To clear his conscience. To answer the questions that he had to make up answers for. Sasha turned her head to look at Eric; she saw a statue looking down. She was scared to say the wrong thing, but in this scenario, there can''t be a wrong answer.

    "I- I- I don''t know", she stuttered. She didn''t answer correctly.

    "What do you mean?" Eric replied, almost mumbling. Confused by that answer. How can you not know why you lost feelings? Do feelings just come and go? One day someone can wake up and stop loving someone? These thoughts flooded Eric''s brain.

    "I �� didn''t feel the same as I did at the start. I didn''t feel the same. I don''t know Eric", Sasha tried putting into words. Even repeating herself shows how nervous she was. All this time, she was running away, but now, facing the situation head-on, she doesn''t know how to articulate herself.

    "When did you stop feeling the same?" Eric covered all the questions; he had to know the answer.

    "Around two months ago", Sasha said, looking down.

    "What did I do wrong?" Eric asked, defeated.

    "Nothing, you didn''t do anything wrong".

    "Then why?" Eric slightly raised his voice not in anger but in desperatation. The word why was like a broken recorder in his voice box. That word kept appearing.

    "It wasn''t you, it was me", Sasha replied on the brink of tears.

    "Did you cheat?" Eric asked, finally lifting his head to look at her. He saw her brownish-red eyes coated with water.

    "NO!" Sasha quickly replied.

    "I would never cheat! I promise! You can check my messages if you want", Sasha defended herself, moving closer to Eric.

    "No, there''s no point", Eric said, looking back down.

    "I swear! You can check! Please believe me! I''m not a cheater!" Sasha continued to plead her case. Eric kept strong this whole time; no tears escaped his eyes. Maybe the non-stop crying the previous week made his tear duct dry out. Eric stood up,

    "I got one last question. After this, I won''t talk to you again". Eric paused for a moment.

    "Is there anywhere in your heart that still holds feelings for me?"

    Sasha was stunned by the question,

    "I-I." She couldn''t answer. She didn''t want to say no, even though it was true.

    Eric knew what type of girl Sasha was, so he knew if she kept quiet or didn''t say yes immediately, it meant no. He knew she was a nice, honest girl; she didn''t like to lie. She hated liars. He knew she didn''t cheat; he asked in the heat of the moment beacuse he was desperate. He knew she was too good for him. He knew this whole relationship was too good to be true. He knew this couldn''t last. He knew he couldn''t be this lucky. He knew he couldn''t be this happy. He knew the answers. He knew all along, but he was blinded by love.

    "Okay. Sasha. I just want to say thank you. For everything".

    Eric started walking to his room.

    "Eric, wait!" Sasha was worried Eric was going to do something stupid. She quickly leapt off the couch and got in front of Eric.

    "Eric, calm down!" She said, blocking Eric.

    "Don''t worry. I''m not going to do anything I''m going to regret. I just want to go to sleep. I''m pretty tired", he said with a frail smile.

    Sasha looked into his eyes and was instantly frozen. Shivers running down her spine is an understatement. It was like time stopped.

    His eyes were hollow. No colour. It was like he wasn''t present, almost like a ghost was talking to her. Sasha thought this only happened on TV, but the person in front of her had those eyes, and she was the cause. Sasha couldn''t move; she was shocked in place. Her face was still with a tear moving down her cheek. Eric walked past her, opened his door and went inside. He locked the door and instantly dropped to the floor; he couldn''t even make it to the bed. His body gave up. He was safe now in his room. No one to see him. No one to hurt him. No one to judge him. Only himself. He lay there on his floor. Broken. His eyes were dead, nothing behind them, but one last tear formed and coated his eyes before trickling down his face and dripping to the floor.

    "Our last conversation".

 Chapter 28 - There鈥檚 Been A Change Of Plans

    October 11th. Wednesday, 1:09 PM.

    Two weeks have passed since the students received their results from their first challenge. Everything continued as usual. There were no chances to get more points; it was just studies. The students were given an assignment due in late November and offered a maximum of 50 points. The students also had an exam next week that offered a maximum of 50 points. Other than that, the students weren''t informed about upcoming challenges. To be fair, no student complained because everyone was drained the week after the first challenge. After a week of exams, the majority of students were walking around campus like zombies and acted like zombies in class. Absences were appearing, not a lot, but one or two here and there. Many of them hoped that the future challenges were nothing like the first because if they were, they were sold a dream. Other than academics, no major drama has occurred either. It was like everyone became content with each other and accepted being close to a different class. Energy was running low, but what else would you expect from a school setting? However, we all know one guy with some energy,

    "I''m rich, you know?" Malakai randomly said, staring into space.

    Delilah looked at him, not sure if he meant in credits, actual money or chatting shit. "What do you mean?" She questioned anyway.

    "I got like 3000 credits", he said proudly, looking at her.

    "So do I", Delilah confusingly replied.

    "How?" Malakai asked, with a shocked look on his face.

    "I had 500 credits saved from last month".

    "Oh", he disappointingly realised that the credits carried over.

    "Did you save 500 credits as well?" She asked, thinking Malakai was responsible.

    "I had nothing left. They gave me 3000 credits", he replied.

    "3000? I got 2500, it''s probably because you''re first", Delilah said, figuring it out.

    Malakai put his head on the table, "I thought I was balling".

    "You''re not broke, at least. How did you spend all 2500 credits?" Delilah questioned, resisting the urge to touch Malakai''s hair.

    "On the PlayStation. You should come over and play", Malakai offered, turning his head to the right to look at Delilah with his head still resting on the table.

    "Why? Does no one play with you?" She asked.

    "They do, but everyone''s shit!" Malakai said shit with emphasis.

    "No, you''re just a nerd", William said, turning around after hearing Malakai''s comment.

    Malakai lifted his head, "That''s your excuse every time. Think of a better one", he said with a toothy grin.

    Benjamin turned around to see what they were talking about,

    "Is he a nerd?" Delilah asked Benjamin to get a second opinion.

    "I don''t know", Benjamin replied, shrugging his shoulders.

    "Ben''s too scared to play me; every time I ask him, he thinks of an excuse", Malakai said, pointing at him.

    "Didn''t you say you all played one game together? The game you all met on, do you play that game?" Delilah asked, recalling their meeting story.

    "Na, that game died out like a year ago. We can still play it, but it''s not good", Benjamin answered.

    "Who was the best?" Delilah wanted to know, knowing it would cause an argument. Benjamin and William stayed quiet while Malakai was smiling with his teeth out.

    Delilah noticed, "I''m guessing it was Malakai" it didn''t cause an argument.

    "I don''t know. You have to ask these two", Malakai said, wanting to hear it from their mouths.

    "This guy sweated that game; he played it nonstop", William moaned, sounding bitter.

    "See, they''re still hurt", Malakai teased.

    "Shut up, man", Benjamin said, not wanting to hear Malakai take the piss.

    "Quiet at the back!" Ms Green said, walking into the class. "You four at the back are always talking", she complained, looking at them. Everyone looked towards the four of them.

    "It''s Malakai miss", William said, pointing at Malakai, making it awkward for him.

    "What?" Malakai said in disbelief.

    "You can even ask Delilah miss", Benjamin added, involving Delilah.

    ��Huh��, Malakai looked towards Delilah.

    "No comment", she said, looking down, avoiding Malakai''s eyes.

    "I''m not surprised", Ms Green said, trying not to smile.

    "Miss, I''ve been stabbed in the back. Can I go home?" Malakai said in a voice like he was in pain, putting a hand on his back.

    "No", she bluntly replied.

    "Okay. Wait, miss, why are you here? I swear we have Biology now", Malakai asked.

    Ms Green walked around her desk to stand in front of it.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings."There''s been a change of plans".

    "There''s been a change of plans", Mr Saint announced to his class.

    "The higher-ups have decided that to keep all you students on the ball and sharp, there needs to be more point-based activities and not just academics".

    Alexander''s ears were caught. He stopped looking out the window and moved his focus to Mr Saint; even Frank noticed.

    "Today, there will be something called minigames where you can earn some points".

    The students were switched on now, hearing the words points.

    "How many points?" A student asked, interrupting Mr Saint.

    "I don''t know, we haven''t been told much ourselves. All we''ve been told is that it will be at 1:30".

    "So you don''t know nothing?" Another student questioned.

    "No, the only thing we know is that the minigames will be split into two groups. Class 1-A and 1-B will be together alongside 15 students from 1-C to evenly split the students. And in the other group, there will be 15 students from 1-C and both 1-D and 1-E".

    The students needed to figure out what to think; they''d never been told about minigames.

    "They''ve specifically said minigames and did not call it a challenge, so I''m guessing there won''t be a massive amount of points on the line", Mr Saint informed them.

    "How many points do you think they will offer us?" A girl asked.

    "There will be 75 of you there, so if I had to guess, it would be 75. Maybe 100".

    That was good enough for the students��anything to climb the leaderboard.

    Frank turned to Alexander, "Did you see this coming?" He asked, seeing he was actually listening for once.

    "No. Never heard of minigames", Alexander replied.

    "They must have added it this year", Frank said, scratching his head.

    "Doesn''t matter, another 75 or 100 points for me either way", Alexander said, looking at Frank.

    "He said there will be 15 people from 1-C. Do you think Malakai will be in our group?" Frank asked, hoping he knew who he was talking about.

    "Who?" Alexander seriously questioned.

    "The guy at number one", Frank replied in disbelief he had forgotten already.

    "Oh. I don''t care. I''ll overtake him", he said, waving his hand and facing forward.

    "I''m sure you will", Frank quietly said to himself, smiling.

    "I''ll need to split the class in half. Half of you will go with the two higher classes, and the other half will go with the lower half", Ms Green said.

    "Is it going to be randomly selected?" David asked.

    "No, I will choose".

    "Are you allowed to do that?" Lucas questioned, looking at his teacher.

    "You''re my class, aren''t you?" Ms Green said with her arms out. "If I call your name, stand up. You will go to the workshop with 1-A and B".

    At the back of the class.

    "Where do you want to go?" Delilah asked Malakai, leaning to the left a bit so Malakai could hear her.

    "The lower one", He replied.

    "Really?" Delilah was shocked by his answer. "I thought you would''ve wanted to go to the higher one".

    "Na, that''s long. Everyone there is going to be a try-hard", he said.

    "True. Wait, David and Lucas are standing", Delilah said, looking towards the front. Malakai started laughing, but not too loud. Names were being called out, Malakai noticed Ali and Tanisha also standing.

    "William", Ms Green announced.

    "Wwhhhyyy?" William whined, standing up.

    "Ha ha", Benjamin mocked.

    "Benjamin". Ms Green called.

    "Shit", Benjamin joked too soon.

    Malakai and Delilah were both giggling. Fourteen names had been called; the last was about to be called.

    "Delilah".

    "Noo!" Delilah cried.

    "Yesss!" Malakai celebrated. "Miss, I love you", Malakai happily said.

    Ms Green smiled.

    "That''s not fair, miss. He''s number one already. He''s easily going to get more points", Lucas complained, pointing at Malakai.

    "He''s my student. A student in my class is number one; of course, I will help him". Ms Green justified.

    "Exactly, why you hating Lu. Think of it this way she chose you cuz she thinks you''re intelligent" Malakai said it in a way that even though he was saying something nice, it sounded like he was taking the piss.

    "Shut up, man", Lucas said, shaking his head.

    "He''s not wrong; I do think you can do well against the higher classes", Ms Green said. Malakai looked to see who else was sitting down and saw Ray and Maria sitting down. With that, it was decided.

    David, Lucas, William, Benjamin and Delilah were going to the workshop with 1-A and 1-B.

    Malakai, Ray and Maria were going to the workshop with 1-D and 1-E.

 Chapter 29 - Start Of The Minigames

    1:28 PM.

    Malakai, Ray and Maria were walking to the building where the minigames were being held. On their way, they saw other students from different classes walking as well. The sky was cloudy with a slight cold breeze. Even though September didn''t feel like autumn due to the summer-like weather, it certainly felt like autumn now. October brought that feeling.

    Malakai had his hands in his pockets; whenever he walked, he had his hands in his pockets; even when he stood still, most of the time, Malakai had his hands in his pockets. But this time, he was trying to keep warm,

    "Malakai, are you good?" Ray asked, looking at Malakai, who was slightly shivering.

    "I''m cold", he shakily replied.

    "You don''t like the cold?" Maria asked, walking next to him.

    "I hate it. I hate winter and autumn, " he replied, bringing his body together to warm himself.

    "I like winter; it''s my favourite season", Maria said joyfully, like a little kid.

    "You''re one of those girls", he said, looking at her like she was a little kid.

    "What does that mean?" She curiously asked, interpreting it as a bad thing.

    "Can''t tell you. But you know what, I can let it slide. If you said autumn was your favourite, we can''t be friends", Malakai replied, looking at the grey sky.

    "Why?" Ray laughed, thinking Malakai was being weird again.

    "Autumn is the most useless season. Ahh, you''re not ready for that debate yet", Malakai stopped himself from ranting.

    "It''s not useless", Maria said, smiling, wanting to know his reasoning.

    "Trust me, you''re not ready", Malakai reassured, shaking his head.

    They got closer to the building, and Ray noticed something,

    "A lot of people are looking at us".

    "Not us. They''re looking at Maria", Malakai clarified.

    Maria looked down because she knew it was true. She had been used to the looks as she had been surrounded by them her whole life, but strangely, at this moment, it bothered her.

    "Sorry about that", she apologised, embarrassed.

    "Na, it''s calm. I wanna see a guy ask you out" Malakai smiled and let his intrusive thoughts out.

    "What?" Ray questioned quickly, turning to Malakai, getting second-hand embarrassment when he said that. Maria was also shocked to hear that.

    "I wanna see what their pickup lines would be", Malakai answered, like what he said was normal.

    "They''re not asking you out", Ray said to make sure.

    "Obviously, but imma be watching. Free entertainment".

    Maria giggled while Ray sighed in disappointment. This was the type of shit Ray heard on the regular, and yet every time he heard something new, it didn''t fail to disappoint him.

    The three of them reached the building and walked in. As soon as they entered, they saw the reception, and it was large. In the reception, there were barriers, and to get past the barriers, you had to scan your student ID. This building looked brand new; it was clean and modernised. They all got through the barriers and followed the signs to the hall. They entered the final doors and saw a spacious room with students inside.

    "Wooah!" Ray said, looking around. The hall was massive; there was an open space in the middle, and on the sides, there were foldable seats for people to rest or watch.

    "There''s two of these buildings?" Maria questioned herself, as she knew that the other minigames were happening at the same time.

    "Do you know anyone from these classes?" Ray asked Maria to start a conversation.

    "No, I haven''t met anyone in any other class. I''ve only talked to people in our class," Maria answered, looking at Ray.

    "I hope I can talk to some people now", Maria said, looking at new faces. "What about you?" Maria returned the question.

    "Not really. I''m like you. I''ve only talked to our class", he answered, also looking at the new faces around the hall.

    "What about you, Malakai?" She asked while turning around, but when she turned, she saw Malakai further forward split apart from them. Malakai was looking around to see any familiar faces, but he is short, so it was kinda tricky.

    "MALAKAAIII!!!"

    Malakai heard his voice being called out, and the voice came towards him. As soon as he turned to the voice, Nada hugged him like their first encounter.

    "Yo, you good?" Malakai greeted, reciprocating the hug with one arm.

    "Yeah, I''m fine. What about you?" She answered, breaking from the hug.

    "I''m calm".

    Maria froze in place briefly, watching the whole thing alongside everyone else around them. It was a weird sight for everyone; a cute girl with pink hair ran towards Malakai and hugged him for everyone to see.

    "Umm, w-who is she?" Maria asked, slowly turning her head to Ray, wanting to keep her eyes on Nada and Malakai.

    "Oh. How do I say this? I think they''re friends. Their relationship is complicated", Ray not knowing how to explain their connection without making it sound like bullshit.

    "Complicated?"

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the Academy. The other group had entered their building. They were one of the last few to get in.

    "This feels so awkward", William said, feeling the eyes on him.

    "I get what you mean; I''m feeling mad pressure right now", Lucas replied, looking at the walls, trying not to make eye contact with people.

    "Everyone''s looking at us, that''s why", Benjamin answered with his hands in his pockets and looking at people who were looking at them.

    "Having Malakai would''ve been good here", David admitted. "Maybe what he said about having all the eyes on him was right".

    "You feeling nervous, David?" Benjamin asked, smirking and looking at him.

    "A little bit; it feels like everyone is judging us".

    "I think they are judging us; look at their faces", Delilah said, standing next to David, seeing eyes with frowned eyebrows. She wasn''t wrong; everyone else in the room was above them in terms of class. Dirty looks focused on the four boys; everyone knows they are associated with Malakai.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it."Do you think Malakai is hated by everyone here?" William questioned the group.

    "I don''t think he''s hated. I think everyone wants to beat him in points. They were probably waiting to see him here", Benjamin answered.

    David was 6''4, so he had a good view of the room and could see people clearly. He scanned the room for the people he had met at the meeting a while back, but there were many people in the hall. Until he saw one of them walking towards him.

    "Hello again." It was Ryan, with Lorenzo behind him.

    "You alright?" David greeted back. The group noticed Ryan. David and Lucas knew Ryan was dodgy because of their encounters. Benjamin met him once and thought he was a nice guy, but he''d heard from the others he was different from how he presented himself. William and Delilah had never met him as well but heard the rumours. So when Ryan was nearby, everyone was on edge. Ryan looked at the rest of the group,

    "I see Malakai is not here", he said, looking at each individual.

    "He''s in the other group", David answered, trying to keep eye contact with him.

    "That''s a shame; I wanted to go up against him". Ryan said, smiling and acting casual. "Benjamin, Lucas, it''s been a while. You two doing okay?" Ryan presented great hospitality. Even though he didn''t own the place, he made it seem like they had entered his territory.

    "Yeah, we good", Benjamin answered for both of them. Benjamin had a smile on his face, while Lucas had a straight face.

    "Your William and your Delilah. Nice to meet you both. I''ve heard about you two; you all look great together. You all must be great friends", Ryan said. Ryan knew about them as he wanted to get as much information about Malakai as possible, so he wanted to know who his friends were.

    Delilah smiled awkwardly at him.

    "Nice to meet you too, man", William responded.

    "Anyways, I just wanted to come over and say hi. I guess we''ll see each other during the minigames", Ryan closed the conversation.

    "Yeah, good luck", David said, offering a handshake.

    "Good luck", he replied, shaking his hand.

    He walked off with Lorenzo following. Lorenzo was doing what he always does: shadowing Ryan.

    "He''s not the same guy we met at the convenience store", Benjamin said, looking at Lucas.

    "Yep, I think it''s because we''re friends with Malakai. He is treating us like that". Lucas responded. Even though he wasn''t mistreating them, it just felt like he was.

    "Malakais pissed off a lot of people, hasn''t he," Delilah said, looking at the crowd.

    "Entertainment comes at a cost", David said, watching Ryan walk away. Smiling and talking nicely to everyone else.

    "OKAY QUIET!" a voice shouted.

    Everyone turned to the voice; they saw Mr White standing before them.

    "Good afternoon, everyone. I know this was sprung up on you, but it was also sprung up on me. So this is all a bit crazy to me as well".

    The students whispered amongst each other, and Mr White noticed the environment wasn''t ideal. 75 students are standing in their uniforms close together. He knew he had to start straight away to maintain control.

    "I see that all of you are a bit agitated, so I won''t waste any time. The minigames are split into five rounds, and the winner will get 100 points at the end".

    Students closed their mouths now. Their ears perked up, hearing 100 points. Points were like a trigger word for the students; the mere mention of it could make any of them listen.

    "As you can see around the room, there are teachers and some third-years; they will be helping me manage these games you play and keep things in control".

    "The third-years look clueless", Delilah whispered to Benjamin, who was beside her.

    "They have no clue what''s going on. They probably got an email to show up", Benjamin whispered back.

    "You think they''re getting points for this?" Delilah asked.

    "100%. Points are basically money here. This looks like a job for them", Benjamin said, looking at the third-year students standing around.

    "The minigames will be done in pairs, so you have to find a partner. That means two people will walk away with 100 points today, so choose carefully. I will give you five minutes to choose".

    As soon as he finished, chaos. The noise levels rose drastically. Frank and Alexander were standing next to each other. No words were said. They just looked at each other and stood next to each other. Same with Ryan and Lorenzo. The two prominent duos from 1-A and 1-B.

    Now, the group of five.

    "Don''t worry about me; you four can pair up. I''ll find someone", Delilah said, waving her hands in front of her so they wouldn''t feel bad.

    "Like who?" Benjamin asked, feeling bad.

    "I know some people", she winked while hastily walking away.

    "Well, now what?" William said, looking at his friends.

    "We need to be tactical", David proposed.

    "He''s right; everyone here looks serious. We need to get points", Benjamin said.

    "If that''s the plan, then me and Ben make sense cuz we are balanced all around", Lucas replied.

    "Sounds good to me", David agreed. "You good with that, Will?".

    "Yeah, I didn''t care who I ended up with", William answered with both his hands at the back of his head, looking relaxed.

    The five minutes eventually finished, and everyone had gotten into a pair. As there were 75 people, there was going to be one extra, so one trio was formed. The boys didn''t think about that, but if they did, they would''ve invited Delilah. Either way, it was fine as Delilah paired up with Tanisha.

    "Right now, everyone is paired up. There should be 36 pairs and one trio", Mr White clapped his hands together.

    "Okay, as there are too many of you, 17 pairs will be eliminated in the first round. The top 20 will go through and get 50 points. The first round is", Mr White stopped for a second to build suspense.

    "Red Light Green Light".

 Chapter 30 - That Was Easy

    "She''s my student", Malakai introduced Nada to Maria. Malakai and Nada had already paired up without conferring with Ray and Maria, so Ray and Maria had no choice but to pair up. Maria looked at Nada, not knowing what to think,

    "Student?" She said, trying to figure out what to make of it.

    Malakai went closer to Maria, "She''s my friend, but I call her my student cuz it''s jokes. She''s kinda not alright in the head", Malakai whispered to Maria, covering his mouth.

    "I can hear you", Nada said, letting Malakai know, but Malakai purposely said it loud enough so she could hear.

    "You paired up with Nada without telling us", Ray said with his hands out.

    "I was standing next to her during the announcement, and you two were far away. Plus, it''s better this way; one of us was going to get left out." Malakai replied, giving a fair explanation.

    "Can''t argue with that", Ray accepted.

    "I needed to teach my student something anyway", he said, putting a hand on Nada''s head. "You two would be good together; you''ll make it far", Malakai said, smiling specifically at Ray, having more than one meaning to that. Ray knew what he meant.

    "EVERYONE! GO STAND OVER TO THAT WALL. THE GAME WILL START NOW". A teacher shouted, ushering the students to the starting point.

    "Red light, green light. What is this squid game?" Malakai said, walking to the wall.

    "It''s a kid''s game. It''s universal", Nada replied, walking next to him.

    "Do you think they''ll kill us if we move when they say red light?" Malakai asked, having an excited smile on his face and disregarding Nada''s reply.

    "Mally", Ray said in a tone that didn''t entertain the conversation.

    "My bad", Malakai apologised, hoping for a better response. He may have gotten a few laughs if all the boys were here, but the audience included a celebrity''s daughter and a new person he met not so long ago. So, no laughs were awarded, just an awkward smile from Maria and a disturbed, weird look from Nada. He knew he had to watch his jokes from now on. Before starting, everyone was given a sticker with a number, so every pair had their own number. This stopped confusion and showed who was a pair. All the students were at the start point.

    "Okay, the rules are simple. You move forward when the music plays. When the music stops, you stop moving. If we catch you moving, you AND your partner must return to the beginning. For you to go to the next round, you AND your partner have to cross the finish line on the other side. The first 20 pairs to finish will go through; the remaining pairs will be eliminated. The game will start shortly". The teacher had finished stating the rules and started walking to the side of the hall.

    "We should qualify", Ray said to Maria, standing beside him.

    "Yeah, I''ve always wanted to try something like this. I''m excited", Maria replied, clearly showing she was excited to play.

    "What about you, Ma-lly?" Ray turned to look at Malakai and slowly finished his sentence after seeing what he saw.

    "Huh." Maria was confused about why he prolonged to finish saying Mally, so she turned around. "What is Malakai doing?" She slowly said. She saw Malakai''s face close to Nada''s face.

    A few moments earlier.

    "So we''re a pair", Malakai said with his hands in his pockets next to Nada.

    "Yup", She replied.

    "I think we should have a symbol", he randomly thought, looking at her.

    "Like what?" Nada questioned, looking at him.

    Malakai looked at her face, and his face lit up. "I''ve got an idea. Do you have a marker?" He excitedly asked.

    "Right here", Nada whipped out a marker from inside her blazer.

    "Why do you have a marker?" Malakai was shocked and weirded out.

    "You asked for one, didn''t you?" Nada replied, not understanding his problem.

    "I did, but I didn''t expect you to have one. I thought you would say no; why would I have one? Why the fuck do you have a marker?" Malakai couldn''t comprehend what was going on.

    "What''s the problem? Did I do something wrong?" Malakai''s confusion led to Nada being confused.

    "Forget it. Give me the marker and come here". Malakai said, taking the marker from her. Now Malakai was drawing his scar on his nose on Nada''s nose so they would have matching scars. The scar wasn''t an exact copy, but the idea was clear. Malakai''s left hand was used to hold Nada''s chin up, while his right hand was used to draw the scar. From Ray''s and Maria''s perspectives, it looked like they were doing something else. After Malakai finished, he stood away, and Maria and Ray realised the situation didn''t look like what it seemed.

    "Is this marker permanent?" Malakai asked, looking at the marker.

    "I don''t know", Nada casually replied. Malakai looked at and laughed, he gave her the marker back and looked to his right and saw Dillon and another face he recognised, the guy he saw at the library. He didn''t know his name, though. "He''s massive", Malakai thought to himself. He also noticed another guy he saw at the library, "What was his name again?" Malakai questioned himself.

    "Sensei, what''s the plan?" Nada said, tugging his sleeve.

    Malakai laughed a little, hearing her say that.

    "Ummm. Lemme think... Put your hands in your pockets", He told her.

    "Pockets?" Nada questioned.

    "So they can''t take you out for some bullshit like your hand were moving".

    "Ooohhhh makes sense. How fast should we go?"

    "Fast, but not too fast", Malakai was slightly waffling. He knew what he wanted to do, but he planned what he would do��not knowing if the plan would work for anyone else. "Just follow my lead", he calmly said to Nada.

    "Should we copy you as well?" Ray asked, joining the conversation.

    "If you want. You two should be fine", Malakai reassured.

    Suddenly, music started playing. Malakai didn''t hesitate to move forward. Only a select few moved quickly; many people froze briefly before moving as the music shocked them. Malakai carried out his plan, hands in his pockets moving swiftly. The music stopped.

    "That''s kinda far", Malakai thought, looking ahead, not realising how far the finish line was. He saw around six people in front of him as they sprinted to get to the position they were in. Malakai had no idea where his friends were; he never looked back. Nada wasn''t far behind Malakai, but it would''ve been better if she was closer. Ray and Maria were close to each other; they moved at the same time and the same pace. Ray could''ve gone ahead but stayed beside Maria to give her confidence and not leave her behind. Dillon and Jason were two of the six ahead of Malakai; both of them ran as soon as the music played. Adam was on the same line as Malakai, if not a bit ahead of him. The teachers and third-years were walking around to see if anyone was moving. It didn''t look like anyone was moving, so after inspection, they all made their way back to the side. All the students noticed; they knew the music was coming. They were getting ready. The music played and stopped. The music played for two seconds. Some people tripped, some slipped, and others were in a difficult position. After the bad start, the majority of the students wanted to redeem themselves. They saw others in front of them, it pressured them, and the teacher capitalised on that. Knowing everyone would start running, the teacher basically pressed play and, a second later, paused it again. The best part was it worked. The guy in the first place who took off as soon as the music played couldn''t stop his momentum when the music stopped, and he fell over. He and his partner had to return to the start. People ahead of Nada were also on the floor and in awkward positions. Nada trusted Malakai and executed his plan, and it paid off. Ray and Maria also copied Malakai, and they were still in. Dillon and Jason were now the two leading at the front, while Adam was still on the same line as Malakai. The start line had a small population now due to the people who had to start over. 17 pairs were being eliminated; about nine had to start over. Dillon and Jason looked safe if they didn''t mess up, as did Malakai and Nada. However, Maria and Ray looked a bit shaky as they were with the pack. It looked messy where they were from a bird''s eye view.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.The music played again. For the people ahead of the pack, it was simple. They continued with no struggle, but it was a different story for the people behind them. Pushing, shoving, pulling, tripping, hands were moving all over the place. People were intentionally stopping people from moving. The music stopped. More and more people got sent back; Ray and Maria looked good where they were. Even though they were close to the commotion, they weren''t involved. All they had to do was add more speed to their step, and they moved on to the next round. The music started playing again. Dillon, Jason, Malakai and Adam reached the finish line with ease, along with a few others. For them, it was smooth sailing; they stayed at the same pace the whole time and kept their composure; the headstart they got really helped. Malakai turned around to see where everyone else was. The music stopped. Nada was close; she would make it when the music played again. Ray and Maria looked ahead of a few people, but that wasn''t good enough. They had to run at full speed, as it looked like other people would jet when the music played. Malakai looked at Ray, who was looking at him, and mouthed,

    "Grab her hand and run", he hoped Ray could read his lips. He even pointed at his hand and then Maria to indicate what to do. Was this the right play? Ray thought to himself. He wanted to turn his head to assess the situation, but he couldn''t. He had to trust Malakai. The music played. Ray quickly grabbed Maria''s hand and ran.

    Meanwhile, Nada made it over the finish line. She high-fived Malakai, and now the two of them were together at the finish line as a pair. They had to move to one side to show that they qualified. Maria and Ray ran, closing in on the finish line. It looked like a race. Everyone was running. It would''ve been the perfect time to pause the music, but it didn''t happen. Ray and Maria are a few feet away from the finish line now. Pairs were qualifying; there were three spots left. They ran as fast as they could, with Maria doing her best to keep up and not fall. Everything was happening so fast. Ray''s feet crossed the finish line. The music stopped. The two were over the line, but when the music stopped, were they over the line?

    "Did we make it?" Ray asked, panting and looking around

    A teacher walked over to them, unsure if they did make it. She swayed to disagreeing. As she was about to give them the heartbreak.

    "They made it", a third-year boy intervened to stop them from being eliminated.

    The teacher looked at the boy, who had a confident look on his face, "Okay, you''re the 19th pair to qualify. Can you please stand over there?" the teacher said, pointing to where Malakai and Nada were.

    The music played one last time to allow one more pair to qualify, and the first round finished.

    "Tch, all his friends made it", Dillon bitterly said, watching them. Hoping they didn''t make it. He completed the first round with ease with Jason; they didn''t have a plan. They just did what they did, and it worked. Jason didn''t say anything and observed the group.

    "You barely made it", Malakai said to Ray, putting a hand on his back, who was breathing heavily. Ray was full of adrenaline; he was nearly eliminated.

    "Congratulations", Nada said, hugging a tired Maria.

    "Thank you", she replied, exhausted. She tiredly reciprocated the hug.

    "If this was the first challenge, what''s the next gonna be?" Ray said, catching his breath and standing up straight.

    Malakai looked at him and smiled, "That was easy".

    In the other building.

    Benjamin and Lucas were lying on the floor, out of breath.

    "Is everyone here an athlete? Everyone''s so fast", Lucas panted.

    "If every round is going to be like this, I don''t wanna play", Benjamin replied, staring at the ceiling.

    "Fuck, David and Will still need to qualify", Lucas said, slowly getting on his feet.

    Benjamin slowly joined him and looked ahead, "They can make it. Right?"

 Chapter 31 - That Was Impressive

    Compared to the other building, this one had a much more competitive game. A lot of people were sent back; the music constantly kept turning on and then off, not letting the students have at least a good ten seconds to run. It was stop and start. Tensions were much higher here, not to mention the people competing as well. About half of the spaces were filled up, and Benjamin and Lucas had already reached the finish line.

    The music turned on. Everyone still playing started moving, not quickly, as they were cautious of the music suddenly stopping. A Majority of people were speed walking; no one was taking the chance to run.

    "Look, Delilah and Tanisha are close", Benjamin said, pointing at them. The music continued to play; this was the longest it''s played. People started to pick up the pace; this caused a chain reaction as more people began to run so they wouldn''t get left behind. The music stopped. Delilah and Tanisha crossed the line together. They made it in time. The two went to the side as they qualified to join Benjamin and Lucas.

    "Lets goo, you made it", Benjamin congratulated the two.

    "You two are fast", Lucas said, giving them both a high five. The two of them were breathing heavily; it wasn''t only the exercise that made them lose their breath. It was also due to the high pressure and stress, not to mention the fact they did it in their uniform. Across the finish line, they had a chance to calm down and breathe normally.

    "Yeah, I used to do track and field for my high school", Delilah said, crouching down to relax.

    "And I used to be on my school''s netball team, " Tanisha added, with her hands on her hips.

    "Both of you are athletic, then", Lucas complimented, offering a hand to Delilah.

    "I wouldn''t say that; it''s the first time I''ve done some sort of exercise in a while", Delilah admitted, grabbing his hand. Delilah turned her attention elsewhere, "William and David can make it". She said confidently.

    "I''m sure they can. I''m still nervous, though", Benjamin said, watching on with his hands clenched in his pockets.

    David and William weren''t next to each other. William was closer to the finish line than David because William was quicker than David. William could make it on the next turn, but it was unlikely because the distance between him and the finish line was great. The unpredictability of the music switching off was also a factor. The music started. William bolted. Malakai was the fastest out of the group, and William was a close second. But William had better acceleration than Malakai. He could reach his top speed much quicker than Malakai, which is good for quick starts and very short distances. Good for situations like this. William jetted. Overtaking people left and right. Some people couldn''t believe it, seeing a blur go past them. William reached his max speed rapidly. He dived over the line as soon as he got close to the finish, landing on his stomach with his arms cushioning the dive. The music continued to play for half a second, then stopped. If that were anyone else, they would''ve been sent back to the start, but William''s acceleration and speed were too good. William panted like a dog. Grasping at oxygen. The cost for going 100%.

    "That was impressive", Ryan thought, watching from the side. It wasn''t only Ryan thinking that; everyone who qualified was in awe; even the people still playing widened their eyes. Some even got sent back to the start for tilting their head to glance at William. Everyone watched something incredible.

    "Even Malakai''s friends are talented", Frank said, recognising Williams''s efforts.

    Alexander was impressed, but he didn''t let it show. "He''s got one good skill", Alexander said to himself. William was still on the floor, trying to catch his breath. His friends couldn''t approach him as William still needed to qualify; he had to wait for David to cross the line.

    "Woah, William was pretty cool there", Delilah said in shock, not expecting that from the boy who got teased constantly in class by his friends.

    "That was amazing", Tanisha said with a tone that showed her amazement.

    "He''s not totally useless", Lucas joked.

    Benjamin was proud; he couldn''t stop smiling. Until he remembered David was still out there.

    However, thanks to William, he sent a few people back to the start due to his star performance. The music started playing. David didn''t run but took long strides; his long legs helped him. He marched on to the finish line. The music stopped. He was so close, but he didn''t cross it.

    "He made it", Ryan disappointedly said, turning away so he wouldn''t look.

    Although David hadn''t crossed the line yet, not all teams had qualified; four spots were still left. When the music would turn back on, David would have to take one step to qualify. The music turned on.

    "Everyone qualified", Lucas happily said with everyone together.

    "David, my bad. I made that more stressful than it was. Getting sent back at the very start put us behind", William apologised. When the game first started, William got ahead of himself and ran. But he got tricked by how long the music would be played; he thought it would go on for a while, but it didn''t, and when the music stopped, he couldn''t position himself still and moved, so he and David had to start again.

    "It''s all good, we made it". David replied, putting his arm over William''s shoulder.

    "50 points just like that", Tanisha gleefully smiled. "I hope Maria made it through", she continued, thinking of her friend.

    "She''ll be fine; Ray and Mally are with her", Benjamin reassured her as she looked slightly worried.

    "Imagine if Malakai got eliminated in the first round", Delilah said.

    "If he did, I''m never letting him live that down", William said, hoping it was true now.

    "CONGRATULATIONS!" Mr White shouted to get everyone''s attention. "All of you have made it to the next round. The next round will start in half an hour, so you can take a break for now. Eat something or drink because, for this next game, you will need energy", Mr White warned.

    "If it''s more running, I''m not doing it", Tanisha said in a tired tone.

    "For those of you who have been eliminated, you can either stay here and watch or go back to your dorms. There will be no more classes, so you''re done for the day", Mr White added.

    "Not fair, I wanna go back to my dorm", Tanisha complained.

    "You have the chance to get more points. Why do you want to go back?" Benjamin asked.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings."I was happy until he said we needed energy. I don''t wanna run", Tanisha pouted.

    "It might not be running", Delilah replied, trying to give her confidence.

    "I need water", William said, walking to the cafeteria.

    "We all do", David said, following.

    During the break, in the building''s cafeteria.

    Alexander and Frank were sitting at a table, recuperating.

    "Three pairs qualified from 1-C. That''s quite the shock", Frank said, sipping his drink.

    "It''s shocking. There are fifteen pairs in 1-A alone. I''m sure less than ten qualified. People in 1-A can''t get past the first round, while people in 1-C can," Alexander ranted in a condescending tone.

    "It''s not something academic; even people from 1-E could qualify if they were grouped with us". Frank said, giving his classmates the benefit of the doubt.

    "That''s no excuse. If you''re in 1-A, it doesn''t only mean for your academic ability. It should mean everything: academics, mental and physical. Then you ask why I don''t bother to make friends. Why would I be around people worse than me? They can''t even handle a simple kids'' game," Alexander said casually. Frank couldn''t even argue back. What could he say? Besides, when Alexander got like this, there was no hope of winning an argument. The points he made were valid and made sense to him. For his mentality, he doesn''t need friends, but hearing that made Frank think. If there was someone better than Alexander, would Alexander try to befriend them? Or would he make them his rival? Right now, there was no one, so these questions would stay unanswered, but Frank hoped someone would answer them in the future.

    Ryan and Lorenzo were still in the hall, sitting on the benches to the side. They watched as the teachers were setting up the next game.

    "I can''t believe all of them made it", Ryan said with his arms folded.

    "Is it really that surprising? The game was simple", Lorenzo replied while on his phone.

    "You''re right, but it doesn''t sit right with me", Ryan said, looking at the floor, Trying to figure out this feeling he was feeling.

    "You really wanted Malakai here. Didn''t you?" Lorenzo asked, noticing Ryan''s deflated tone.

    "That would''ve been the dream. But I guess the time isn''t right yet", Ryan said, high off the thought of going against Malakai.

    "If you were to go against him, how do you know you''d win?" Lorenzo questioned.

    "He''s all talk", Ryan answered without thinking about it.

    "Like a keyboard warrior?" Lorenzo said, looking up from his phone.

    "He''s not a keyboard warrior because he talks shit in real life, too. I can''t put it into words, but I know I''ll beat him".

    Students started to return to the hall as the break was almost over. Lorenzo looked up from his phone and saw the group they were talking about come through the doors. "Are you going to go to them again?" He asked.

    "Not this time. Let''s watch what they do instead", Ryan answered, fixing his posture.

    "You can watch; I''ll be on my phone", Lorenzo replied, glued to his phone.

    "How does your phone never run out of battery?"

    The six of them were now in the hall again.

    "I''m still tired", Tanisha moaned, hanging onto Delilah.

    "It looks like it''s more running", Delilah said, looking ahead.

    What they saw in front of them was like red light, a green light, just an ample empty space to run into. But at the finish line, it looked like a mess piled on the floor. They had yet to learn what the game was going to be.

    "There''s a lot of pretty women here", Lucas said, observing and admiring the girls around.

    "Go talk to them", Benjamin said; he''d heard Lucas say that phrase a million times in a lot of different situations.

    "Maybe I will", Lucas said, walking ahead without looking where he was going.

    BUMP!

    "I''m sorry", Lucas apologised, without looking at who he bumped into.

    "What''s wrong with you and bumping into people?" Benjamin said, embarrassed for him.

    "It''s fine, don''t worry", she said, turning around.

    The girl had very long charcoal-coloured hair. Her hair covered half of her face; the boys could only see one eye as her hair covered the other eye. Under the visible eye was a beauty spot; she also had a nose piercing.

    "You''ve got nice hair", Lucas complimented with a slightly deeper voice, looking at her hair.

    "Thank you, you too". She complimented back.

    "Looks like he''s got a girlfriend", Benjamin quietly muttered to himself, watching him flirt before him.

    "Do you think she''s an emo?" William whispered to Benjamin.

    Benjamin looked at William. "Why don''t you ask her?" he said in a louder tone to try to catch the girl''s attention.

    "I''m not asking that", William said, keeping his voice down. Luckily, the girl didn''t hear Benjamin.

    Lucas turned back to Benjamin,

    "You done flirting?" Benjamin jokingly asked.

    "Talking to any female is considered flirting now?" Lucas sarcastically asked back.

    "What''d you talk about?" William questioned, wanting to know.

    "Nothing, we just introduced ourselves. She''s in 1-A, and her name is Luna".

    "Luna? I swear she''s in the top ten", David said, pulling out his phone. David opened the leaderboards and saw Luna Wolfe sitting in 8th.

    "She''s 8th. She''s smart", David told them.

    "Let''s try to eliminate her next round", William confidently said.

    "OKAY ATTENTION!" Mr White shouted to get everyone''s attention. "Is everyone back?" He questioned. He got no response, so he took that as a yes. "Can everyone stand against that wall, please?" he instructed. When everyone was in place, he continued, "This is the second round, and the game will be. Finders Keepers." Mr White didn''t waste any time discussing the rules.

    "The rules are as follows. Your pair will be given a picture of an object you have to find. To get this object, one of you will have to run to the other side of the hall and find the object in that pile of mess over there. There are two replicas of your object", he said, pointing at the mess. "Then, you must return to your partner when you''ve got the object. Once you''ve returned, your partner will run to the other side and find their object. Once they find it, they have to run back to you. Finally, both of you have to run to the finish line together". Mr White finished explaining the rules.

    Groans came from the students. There was more running, and it sounded like a lot of running. Mr White couldn''t help but smirk. He needed to finish off with something to get them fired up,

    "I forgot to mention, the top ten qualify to the next round".

 Chapter 32 - Great Assist

    After the announcement of the number of pairs progressing to the next round.

    "Delilah, I''m sorry, I don''t think we''re qualifying this round", Tanisha said, looking at Delilah.

    "Girl, I understand. I mean, we got 50 points", Delilah replied, putting her hand on Tanisha''s shoulder; it was clear Tanisha wasn''t confident.

    "Why are you talking like you''re already out?". David questioned them.

    "Look at the competition; it''s mostly guys", Tanisha said, pointing around the hall. She wasn''t wrong the majority were guys.

    "It''s not all about speed; you could find your object quicker than everyone else", David replied, trying to motivate them.

    "Let''s just get this over and done with." Tanisha just wanted this to be over; she''d done enough running for today.

    The teachers and third-years gave each pair a piece of paper with a picture of the object they had to get.

    "What object did you get?" William asked, trying to look at the paper in Lucas''s hand.

    "We got a cube. What about you?" He replied, looking at William''s paper.

    "A teddy bear", William happily replied.

    "That''s so easy. You could spot that straight away.", Lucas said, sounding jealous.

    "What did you two get?" Benjamin turned to the girls.

    "A whiteboard". Delilah answered, turning her paper around to show him.

    "That sounds good, I think", Benjamin said, trying to lift their spirits up as they already looked dejected.

    "Will, You run first, we can get a quick start". David strategised.

    "Sounds good to me", William agreed, stretching his arms out.

    "I''m faster, so I''ll go first", Benjamin said to Lucas, copying his friend''s strategy of letting the faster one start.

    "All you, man".

    The game was starting soon.

    "Frank, you go first. Try to find both the cones, and then you direct me to the other one when you return, " Alexander instructed like a manager.

    "I''ll try", Frank replied, getting ready. The object they got was a cone, a small-sized one as big as an ice cream cone. Not the orange ones you see on the side of the road. The pairs of 1-B were also strategising between themselves.

    "Melody, if you see a red toy car, can you throw it in our direction?" Ryan politely asked with a smile on his face.

    "Yeah, sure, and if you see an apple, can you throw it towards us?" Melody asked for the favour back with a slight blush on her face.

    "Of course", Ryan replied, walking back to Lorenzo.

    "You''re not going to help them, are you?" Lorenzo quietly said.

    Ryan scoffed. "It depends on how far ahead we are", he ruthlessly replied.

    "IS EVERYONE READY?" Mr White questioned. All the participants got into position. "Just to make sure. Everyone knows the rules and what item they have to get?" He questioned the group of students. He was answered with a choir of yeses. "OK, if everyone is ready. When I blow my whistle, you can go. Remember, the first ten pairs to cross the finish line will go through to the next round." Mr White finished his speech and walked to the side of the hall, leaving the running space unoccupied. Students had their starting positions, looking at Mr White, who had the whistle between his lips. All of them were ready to set off as soon as they heard that whistle.

    FWEETT!!!

    The whistle echoed around the room, followed by the echoing of 20 students'' shoes stamping on the floor.

    William was leading the race for the first ten seconds, but his max speed wasn''t the fastest in the room. Felipe, a clear athlete with top running form, was leading the race. Compared to William, who had no form, just natural speed, but this game wasn''t only about speed. As William got closer, he noticed that the mess that looked like a mess across the hall was actually a pile of mess. It was so random; random objects were sticking out and lying about. Coloured balls also surrounded the place to confuse further and add volume to the mess. William arrived at the mess and was instantly mind-boggled about what to do. There was so much objects everywhere; he kept looking left and right. The mess was a long line, so their object could be far to the right or far to the left. This game also included luck on how close your object was to your lane, even though there were no designated lanes. It depended on where you stood at the start, so it depended on where you picked essentially.

    "Teddy bear, teddy bear, teddy bear, teddy bear". William was thinking to himself, moving objects with his hands. He kept scrummaging moving objects like bottles, balls, paper, rolls of tissue, and cans; there were so many different objects until his right hand brushed a furry object. His head jolted to the right, and he saw the teddy bear. Without thought, he grabbed it, turned around and ran. He looked before him and saw only one other person running back. William was so focused on himself that he didn''t notice everyone else was struggling. William thought he was taking too long, but he was one of the quickest. Was this challenge that hard?

    On the other hand, Benjamin and Tanisha were looking for their objects. Tanisha was competitive, so she still wanted to qualify despite being knackered. Her eyes scanned what was in front of her, but no whiteboard. However, she did see,

    "Benjamin, a cube!" She shouted, pointing at the cube to the right of her.

    "Thanks!" Benjamin quickly said before swiping it and running back. On his way back, he saw William close to David and a guy running towards Ryan. It looked like Benjamin was on course to qualify. Meanwhile, Frank was running back; as soon as he reached Alexander,

    "Just go straight ahead; I placed the cone on top of everything".

    "Well done", Alexander praised, wasting no time and sprinting; he was quick to set off. Despite his appearance, Alexander was quite athletic; even though he wasn''t the fastest in the room, he could probably finish in the top ten if everyone in here raced.

    Ryan reached the mess and realised he was in a good spot; he looked to his right and saw Alexander arrive, pick up an object immediately, turn around and run back. It was so quick. Ryan was stunned. He had plans to mess with him, but the window didn''t open. He wasn''t given the chance. What felt like 10 minutes in his head, he saw a second in real life. How was he that lucky to find his object straight away? Or was that intentional? Did his teammate put it there for him? Too many questions with no time. He returned to reality and saw the two guys from 1-C to his left. He failed to mess with the guy in 1-A, but he''s got a different opportunity now. He looked down and couldn''t see the toy car, so like a child, he started throwing objects to the left of him��the direction where David and Lucas were.

    "The fuck is he doing?" David thought to himself while objects piled up on the mess he was looking through. He looked at Ryan and saw he wasn''t even looking at him while throwing it, so he was doing it on purpose. Ryan kept multitasking, looking for his toy car while also making a mess on David and Lucas''s side. He wasn''t looking at what he was throwing in their direction. He just used his left hand to scoop many objects to his left. Ryan thought he was doing well until he saw a figure stand up in the corner of his eye. He turned his head to the left and saw David with a teddy bear in his hands.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator."Thanks for the assist", David said, turning to Ryan and giving him a look before he ran off. If things couldn''t get any worse, Lucas also stood up with a cube in his hands,

    "You''re great at throwing", Lucas mocked Ryan, giving him a thumbs up before jogging away, saving his energy for the final sprint. Just before Lucas found his object, Tanisha found hers. Ryan was panicking now. His plan to hinder their chances only helped them qualify. He scrambled at the objects, recklessly moving his hands. His eyes were all over the place; his breathing got heavier, and panic took over. Was he going to get eliminated?

    "MELODY! GET THE TOY CAR FOR ME!" He desperately shouted; he noticed the toy car far to his right, near where Melody was searching.

    Melody didn''t hesitate to go for it; she picked it up and passed it to Ryan.

    "Thank you." He snatched the toy car and darted back. While he ran back, both the pairs from 1-C went past him. He was embarrassed; he GOT embarrassed, and it wasn''t even by Malakai but by his friends. Even though it was his fault and they didn''t do anything, they still embarrassed him.

    "IT''S OVER!" Mr White shouted to conclude the game. "TEN PAIRS HAVE MOVED TO THE NEXT ROUND!" He continued. "You have now earned 60 points".

    "Is it 60 points more?" A student questioned, confused by his wording.

    "No, you get 60 points now. You got 10 points more from qualifying into the 3rd round", Mr White clarified.

    The students were let down; they thought they had gotten 110 points. 50 from the first round and 60 in the second, but they have just earned 60 points in total now.

    "You know what? I''m happy. At least we got 50 points. What''s ten more points?" Tanisha said, sitting on the floor with her heart still beating fast.

    "10 points for running. That''s not worth it", Delilah replied, sitting beside her.

    "I''m sorry, I took too long to find the stupid whiteboard", Tanisha apologised, feeling bad. She felt guilty as it was her fault they got eliminated.

    "Don''t worry about it. I don''t care, really. At least we got some points. Look, we were against people from 1-B and 1-A; getting 50 points against them looks pretty good to me". Delilah responded, smiling not fussed about losing.

    "All of you that have qualified, you can go have another 30-minute break. Those of you eliminated, you can either stay here or go home", Mr White concluded.

    "Are you going to stay here and watch?" Delilah asked Tanisha.

    "I''m going to watch my bestie. See how she''s doing", Tanisha answered excitedly, wanting to see Maria.

    "I might join you. I want to see how Malakai''s doing".

    The four boys walked over.

    "You''re not gonna see us win?" Benjamin said sarcastically, hearing the last bit of their conversation.

    Delilah stood up, "If Tanisha stayed to watch, I would''ve. I don''t want to be alone on the sides watching all of you; it would be kind of lonely".

    "Yeah, I get it", Benjamin replied.

    "We got off easy", Lucas said, putting his arm around Benjamin and leaning on him.

    "Yeah, both you and David ran back when I was running back", Tanisha said, getting up from the floor.

    "Ryan threw our objects to us", Lucas said, smiling.

    "On purpose?" Delilah asked, thinking Ryan helped them.

    "I don''t think so. I think he was trying to sabotage us" Lucas was unsure when he answered.

    "Let''s go get a drink again", David said, walking past them, basically holding William up. The group followed; Lucas and Benjamin went to the cafeteria, and Delilah and Tanisha went to the other building where the other mini-games were being played.

    "Ryan, I didn''t qualify because of you", Melody pouted, standing before Ryan.

    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I''ll make it up to you, I Promise", Ryan said while hugging Melody to convince her. Melody tightly hugged back.

    "You said you promise, you better not break it", Melody replied, believing him.

    "You helped me a lot. Of course, I won''t break it", He said, breaking the hug with a big smile on her face.

    "Fine, I''m going back to my dorm. Text me when you''re finished," she said, walking away with her friends. Ryan waved her goodbye, and when she was out of sight, he turned around and sighed.

    "What happened? Was finding the car that hard?" Lorenzo asked, noticing Ryan''s sour mood.

    "I wasn''t focussing on finding the car, I was focused on fucking everyone else up. But I helped them by accident", Ryan explained in an annoyed tone.

    "We still qualified; you miscalculated and chose the wrong plan. At least you can learn from it", Lorenzo tried to cheer Ryan up. "Besides, it''s better now there are fewer people. It will be sweeter when you eliminate them by your own hands", Lorenzo said, walking away to get his phone that was put on the side before the game.

    Ryan clenched his fist, "Still fucking annoying".

    Frank and Alexander were sitting on the benches on the side and chose not to go to the cafeteria this time.

    "Looks like the pairs from 1-C qualified again. Even Isabella and Luna got eliminated last round", Frank said, looking at everyone still in the hall.

    "Who cares? They''ll get eliminated sooner or later", Alexander replied, not caring about anyone else but himself. Alexander and Frank got first place in this round; even though it didn''t mean anything to come first, it still showed that they were levels above everyone else. A select number of people noticed their performance, the third-years and Mr White in particular. So, given that Alexander did have a reason not to care about anyone else but himself because, as it looked, no one was close to him.

    Ten minutes before, in the other building.

    "This game sounds easy", Nada said, jumping up and down. "What object do we have to find?" Nada questioned, trying to see the paper in Malakai''s hand

    "A cube; what did you two get?" He asked, looking to his left.

    "A teddy bear", Ryan replied, showing his paper.

    "You got it easy", Malakai whined like a kid.

    "What''s the plan this time?" Nada asked.

    Malakai didn''t have one, but he waffled and made one up, "I''ll go first cuz I''m fast, and I''ll get us a head start; I''ll try to find both of the cubes, then you go after." Malakai knew it wasn''t much of a plan, but

    "That sounds amazing", Nada replied, smiling.

    Malakai bit his tongue to stop himself from laughing; he then put his hand on Nada''s head, "Just do your best".

    "IS EVERYONE READY?" the teacher shouted from the side. Everyone instantly got ready and took their positions.

    The teacher had the whistle in his hands, "READY! SET!"

    FWEEETT!!!

 Chapter 33 - What A Finish

    The round started, and everyone sprinted towards the mess. The foot race was competitive, with Malakai leading the race and a few others following behind. Eventually, Malakai reached the mess and analysed what was in front of him. He couldn''t see a cube in sight. He started moving objects, not throwing them, just moving them out of his way. He looked to his right and saw various random objects that looked promising, so he moved to the right to try and find them but had no luck. Now, he started using more force to move the objects to get through more objects quickly. Ray found a teddy bear and got up to return. Malakai noticed and got an indication that he had to pick up the pace; he started throwing objects to his right; he felt something with the outside of his left hand and picked it up. It wasn''t the cube. He threw the object to the left.

    "Hahahaha".

    Malakai turned to the laughter and saw Dillon holding a cone. Dillon made eye contact with Malakai, smiling in his face, elated to see him struggling. Dillon got up, violently pushing Malakai''s head down with his left hand as he stood up. Before Malakai could turn to look at Dillon, he had already started running. Was Malakai about to be eliminated in the second round?

    Ray returned to the start and saw Malakai still on the floor, looking for his object.

    "What''s taking him so long?" Ray thought to himself, watching his friend, who looked so lost. It was the complete opposite of how he acts. This was the first time he''d seen Malakai struggle with something.

    Nada watched anxiously; she had hope, but seeing people run back made her doubt Malakai. Was he struggling to find the cube? Surely, this was a part of the plan.

    "I can''t do shit", Malakai thought. He wasn''t even looking properly at this point; he let his hands wander in the mess. A last-ditch effort to salvage something. As his hands grazed against various objects, he felt a poke on the back of his right hand. He turned his hands and grabbed the object. He had the object in his hand. It was the cube. As he pulled the cube up, he noticed a cube reveal itself under a whiteboard. He picked up that cube with his left hand while his right hand eventually pulled out the cube from under the mess. Malakai had found both cubes in one go; he instantaneously returned to his lane and put one of the cubes on top of the mess, so Nada had no work to do. As soon as he placed it down, he ran. Maria had just reached the mess before Malakai took off. Malakai speeded past people running past him, changing gears. He arrived at the start back to Nada and told her,

    "Nada, run".

    Nada heard what he said and did what he told her. When she saw Malakai return to the lane instead of running back from where he was, she thought he might have done something to help her. Nada had little legs, but she was quick, so Malakai wasn''t worried about her speed. He was worried about how much time he wasted. If they lost, it was on him. He watched on as he saw Maria run back. He also noticed Dillon''s partner run back and saw multiple people running back. He tried to calculate the numbers but couldn''t; he had to keep an eye on Nada. So much was happening around him. Malakai was nowhere near tired; he was confident until he thought of Nada''s stamina. She was running right now; then she had to run back and then run again to the finish line. She might gas out; no, she will gas out. Malakai saw more and more people running to the finish line with their partners. He looked straight ahead and saw Nada running back with the cube in her hand. It seemed like it was a quick collection for Nada, which was good. However, as she was running back, it looked like she was slowing down. She blew all her pace and stamina in the first run to the mess. Nada was halfway through, and her pace dropped by half; it was clearly noticeable that she was slowing down. Malakai knew they couldn''t qualify if she had to run again; Malakai readied himself and stretched his back,

    "NADA! JUMP ON MY BACK!" He shouted to Nada. Nada looked ahead to see Malakai squatting down, getting ready to give her a piggyback. Nada, out of nowhere, got a boost and pushed her limits to reach Malakai. She understood what was going to happen, knowing that gave her confidence to run until she dropped. When she reached Malakai, no words were said; it was just one fluid motion to get Nada on Malakai''s back. Both of them had their cubes in hand. Malakai held Nada''s legs, and Nada wrapped her arms around Malakai''s neck to ensure she didn''t fall.

    "What are they doing?" Maria watched from afar at the finish line; it wasn''t clear what they were doing. Ray looked up and was speechless.

    "Bae, we should''ve done that," Olivia said to Daniel, both standing at the finish line. Everyone looked at them, confused about what was happening.

    "Hold on tight", Malakai said to Nada.

    Nada buried her face between Malakai''s right shoulder and neck and tightened her grip. Malakai sprinted��he wasn''t as fast as he was alone, but he was still rapid compared to some people. He looked ahead and saw people in front of him; he wasn''t sure if he would make it. He had no time to concentrate on others; he just had to go. He reached a new gear and leaned forward, getting closer and closer and closer to the finish line.

    "THE GAME IS OVER. TEN PAIRS HAVE CROSSED THE LINE!" The teacher shouted.

    Malakai looked around and saw everyone looking at them, "Did we make it?" He questioned, out of breath.

    "Just about, only one person from the pair behind you crossed the line. If both of them crossed the line, you would''ve been eliminated", the teacher told them.

    "YESSSS! WEE DID ITT!" Nada celebrated by hugging Malakai, who was still on his back.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Malakai crouched to let Nada off his back; Nada got down and hugged Malakai properly. Malakai didn''t say anything; he couldn''t say anything. He was too tired. What just happened? The two stayed in the hug for ten seconds before breaking it. It was a tired hug; they were basically leaning on each other. Ray and Maria came over to the two and congratulated them,

    "You nearly got eliminated", Ray said, smiling, relieved Malakai got through.

    "Me, eliminated? Never��, Malakai responded, still breathing heavily.

    "That was close, I was worried for you", Maria told Malakai.

    "It was all part of the plan", Malakai said, putting a finger to the side of his head before taking a seat on the floor to catch his breath.

    Nada started ruffling his head as she could reach now. "I was wondering why you were taking so long, but you were finding the other cube to make it easier for me. I expect nothing less from my sensei".

    Malakai kept his head down and smiled to himself so nobody could see. He knew he got left off the hook. He got insanely lucky he found both. Even if he had found one fairly quickly, Nada would have taken a long time to find the other cube. The position of the objects were unlucky, but Malakai got lucky finding them. He more or less gave up but somehow managed to save himself.

    Dillon and Jason watched on as Malakai and his friends celebrated.

    "Fuck sake, how did he qualify?" Dillon said out loud, visibly pissed.

    "You can''t deny he is good", Jason replied with his arms crossed.

    "Next round, he''s gone for sure".

    The break had finished, and the boys returned to the hall.

    "What''d you think the game will be?" Lucas asked David, walking next to him.

    "I have no idea, but if it''s more running, I''ll be happy to get eliminated", David replied. The four boys were the last to enter the hall.

    "IS EVERYONE HERE?" Mr White called out, wasting no time. "Before I announce the game, I will split you into two teams".

    Everyone looked at each other.

    "Stand together", David told his friends, standing close to Benjamin and Lucas.

    "Why?" Benjamin questioned.

    "Trust me." with those words, the four boys stood close together.

    Mr White came over to them, "What''s the pairing?" he asked.

    "Us two", Benjamin and Lucas said, stepping forward.

    "Okay, you two go stand over there, and you two stand over there." Mr White split the boys up, sending them in different directions.

    "We''re on different teams now", Benjamin complained, not understanding David''s plan.

    "Believe me, it''s better this way because whatever team wins, at least two of us will go through. It''s better than all of us getting eliminated", David explained.

    "Or all of us qualify together. Did that cross your mind?" Lucas asked, not in favour of his plan.

    "It did. But then I remembered what we were competing against," David replied. It''s for the best, believe me." David felt like he had done the right thing. As they parted ways, they saw people coming their way.

    Lucas looked at the faces coming towards them and then looked across. "Bro, their team is stacked" " he said in shock.

    "Who would''ve thought the main guys from our classes were on one team?" Ryan said, looking at his team.

    "You got what you wanted; we''re working together", David replied in a lower tone than usual.

    "Ha, for now", Ryan coldly replied.

    William looked at Alexander and Frank; he wasn''t too keen on starting a conversation with them, so he turned to the four remaining people in his team. "Hey, who are y''all?" He asked enthusiastically, wanting to make friends.

    "Mark, I''m in 1-A", he introduced. Mark had light brown hair slicked to the side and dark brown eyes. He looked friendly, and he also looked normal. William thought that people in 1-A would be different and look different. By different, he thought they would look rich, extravagant, or kinda scary, but Mark looked like a regular guy.

    "Kennedy, I''m also in 1-A." Kennedy had wavy ginger hair and glasses; the two boys were welcoming. However, the two girls weren''t so friendly; they brushed Williams''s question and had their own conversation.

    "They''re in our class as well. The girl with the short black hair is Bri, and the other girl is Sydney." Mark introduced them to William.

    "Thanks", William said, smiling at him. "We got a good team", William said to keep the conversation going.

    "Yeah, it looks strong," Mark replied, looking at his teammates. What you did in the first round was incredible, by the way. I have to shake your hand for that," Mark said, turning to William and offering his hand.

    "Thanks, man, I didn''t expect to be complimented this much", William embarrassedly said, shaking his hand.

    "Looks like we''ll qualify", Frank quietly said to Alexander.

    "We were always going to qualify regardless of who was on our team", Alexander said, staring at the opposite team.

    Meanwhile, on the other side, the other team members introduced themselves and talked with each other. Lucas and Benjamin stood next to each other,

    "We''re fucked��, Benjamin said, looking at the other team.

    "Yep".

    "OKAY IS EVERYONE READY?" Mr White shouted. "The next game is", he paused.

    "Dodgeball".

    TEAM 1

    ALEXANDER BURRELL - 1-A

    FRANK CARTER - 1-A

    MARK HARISON - 1-A

    KENNEDY SMITH - 1-A

    BRI LOPEZ - 1-A

    SYDNEY HAYES - 1-A

    RYAN LEE - 1-B

    LORENZO DEMARCO - 1-B

    DAVID SMITH - 1-C

    WILLIAM JACKSON - 1-C

    TEAM 2

    EVE MASON - 1-A

    ELIZABETH MOORE - 1-A

    FELIPE GONZALEZ - 1-A

    HANSEN BERG - 1-A

    CHRISTIAN MARS - 1-A

    GIOVANNI COSTA - 1-A

    CHRIS HOPE - 1-B

    REECE WEST - 1-B

    BENJAMIN SCOTT - 1-C

    LUCAS CAMPBELL - 1-C

 Chapter 34 - My Girlfriends Better Than Yours

    The next round was about to start. After washing her face, Maria came out of the restroom; she wasn''t wearing any makeup, so it was fine. Like everyone else, she hoped there was no more running. She walked back into the hall, opened the doors, and looked around to see if she could see Ray and Malakai. She saw Malakai with Nada further down, but Ray had yet to turn up. The doors behind her suddenly opened. She thought it would be Ray, but when she turned around, she smiled instantly.

    "Heeyyy!" Tanisha greeted, hugging her.

    "Hii, why are you here?" Maria asked in the hug, happy to see her friend.

    "Me and Delilah got eliminated, so we came to check if you were still in", Tanisha said, leaving the hug. Maria looked around Tanisha and saw Delilah standing there.

    "Hey, I''m Delilah" " she said, waving, as this was the first time they''d talked with each other. Maria went closer and hugged Delilah, "Hii, I''m Maria. I know who you are; Malakai told me about you", Maria said to her, still in the hug.

    "He did? what did he say?" Delilah asked curiously.

    Maria thought back, trying to remember the conversations from the balcony. "He said you''re really nice, and it''s fun annoying you", Maria said, smiling, remembering his words.

    Delilah giggled, "I''m glad he says nice things about me behind my back".

    "Is he your partner?" Tanisha questioned, with a concerned look, hoping he wasn''t.

    "No, Ray is. But I don''t know where he is now", Maria said, scanning the hall again.

    ��Who''s Malakai with then?�� Delilah asked.

    Maria moved aside and pointed.

    "So what you wanna do is hop and point your right foot outwards. Then you hop again and point your left foot outwards".

    "Like this?"

    "What are you doing?".

    "I''m doing what you told me".

    "No, that''s wrong. It''s like this".

    "Who is that?" Tanisha asked, squinting to look at the pink-haired girl.

    "Her name is Nada; she''s Malakai''s partner", Maria replied.

    "Okay, what are they doing?" Tanisha continued to question, trying to figure it out.

    "I''m not too sure," Maria answered, confused, looking at what they were doing.

    "I know", Delilah said smiling. "Malakai''s teaching her his dance".

    "A dance?" Maria said, continuing to look towards their direction.

    "Yeah, he taught me it." Delilah started to do the dance. The dance was simple: just a hop, pointing your left foot outwards, then a hop again, pointing your right foot out this time. This was all done while also moving forward. "It looks pretty cool when everyone does it together, and you all move together. Me, Malakai and Benjamin did it and recorded it. I can show you."

    "What about the other boy?" Tanisha asked, not knowing Williams''s name despite seeing him half an hour ago.

    "William? He''s got no rhythm. No matter how many times we tell him he can''t do it", Delilah replied, pulling out her phone to try and find the video.

    "AAYYYYYEEEE!!"

    "Sounds like she did it." Delilah looked up, knowing what was happening. Malakai and Nada were dancing together in synchrony. Maria watched on like a child stuck inside while their friends were playing outside.

    "Hey Tanisha!" A voice called out behind them.

    "Oh my God. Hey Ray, how have you been?" Tanisha waved to Ray.

    "I''ve been good; why are you here?" He asked, joining their circle.

    "We got eliminated, so I came to watch Maria. I heard you''re her partner. You better help her win", Tanisha pressured him while nudging him.

    "I''ll try", Ray replied, feeling more pressure now.

    "OKAY, I''LL ANNOUNCE THE NEXT GAME NOW!" The teacher shouted.

    "It sounds like we have to go," Ray said, looking at the students walking to the teacher.

    "Okay, we''ll be watching. Good luck, make sure you win", Tanisha said, walking to the side where the spectators could watch.

    "We''ll try", Maria responded, smiling while waving at them.

    Everyone gathered around the teacher to hear him more clearly.

    "Everyone is here. Well done, you''ve made it to the third round. The game for this round is dodgeball". Everyone was excited and relieved it wasn''t running. "You''ll be split into two teams; I will give you five minutes to split yourself into two teams." The teacher walked away to let the students handle it themselves.

    "Should we pick Malakai?" Jason asked, looking at Dillon.

    "No! We''re eliminating him this round," Dillon was quick to answer. It was clear what he wanted.

    "Think about it. We can use him this round, then eliminate him next round", Jason suggested. It was a logical thing to do and something to consider, but.

    "No! I''m not teaming up with him. Should we team up with him this round and move on to the next? He''ll get more points because of us. It''s better to eliminate him now. Make sure he doesn''t get any more points." Dillon wasn''t trying to hear it; both sides had a fair point for their argument, but whatever Dillon said would be final in the end.

    "What about that guy? He was at that meeting", Jason said, secretly pointing at Adam. " If he was at the meeting, that means he must be good", Jason said, eyeing Adam.

    "I don''t trust him. Look, we have a strong team. We can handle it." Dillon shut down Jason''s ideas and took control. "DANIEL, ASH. COME HERE!"

    "It looks like the teams are already decided," Nada said, looking at the group forming across from her.

    "It''s calm. I didn''t wanna be on his team anyways", Malakai replied, looking at Dillon calling people over to him. "Tell me who''s who". Malakai asked Nada, as the rest of the pairs were in 1-E. Surprisingly, there were no pairs from 1-C left. The only people from 1-C who were still in the games were Malakai, Maria, and Ray.

    Nada looked around, "I''m not sure who that boy is, but the boy next to him is Kyle. That boy with the black hair is Justin, and his friend is Marcus. The girl with the glasses is Monica, and the girl next to her is Rachel".

    "Who''s the standouts?" Malakai questioned, looking at them.

    "Probably Justin and Monica. Those two are the smartest in class, and everyone likes them", Nada answered.

    "Aryt (Alright)", Malakai knew that wasn''t the case. He looked at Adam and thought to himself, "Who is he? No one knows who he is; not even someone from his class knows him. But Ryan knew him."

    "It looks like there are two teams, so we''ll start immediately". The teacher said, walking back towards the students. "Can everyone line up in their teams in their half?" the teacher instructed.

    Everyone in their teams stood in the line facing the other team in the middle of the court.

    TEAM 1

    DILLON SOMER 1-D

    JASON DECKER 1-D

    DANIEL LYNER 1-D

    OLIVIA HILLS 1-D

    ASH DAVIS 1-D

    GABRIEL JEDA 1-D

    LEDLEY RITE 1-D

    WILSON TURNER 1-D

    MIKE MICHEALS 1-D

    JEFFEREY WAYNE 1-D

    TEAM 2

    MALAKAI JUNIOR 1-C

    NADA AMRANI 1-E

    RAY BROWN 1-C

    MARIA RODRIGUEZ 1-C

    ADAM LEDGE 1-E

    KYLE JEFFERSON 1-E

    JUSTIN TYME 1-E

    MARCUS HEARD 1-E

    MONICA ARMER 1-E

    RACHEL DAINE 1-E

    The teacher explained the rules while everyone stood in front of each other. Malakai looked in front of him and saw a boy and a girl holding hands.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement."Are you two couple?" He quietly asked, pointing at them.

    The two of them nodded. Malakai leaned to his right, covered his mouth, and whispered to Nada. "We need to eliminate them".

    "Why?" She questioned, looking at him

    "They''re a happy couple. Why do they get to be happy together when I''m single and alone?" Malakai answered.

    "I see. That makes total sense", Nada quietly replied.

    The teacher was still explaining while Malakai had his own conversation. Malakai faced the couple again, smiled and said in a tone that was not loud enough for the teacher to hear but loud enough so the couple could hear,

    "My girlfriends better than yours".

    This statement turns heads around them, Maria being one of them who was directly to his left. Who was he talking about? Girlfriend?

    "She''s your girlfriend?" Daniel asked, pointing at Nada.

    "Na, I''ve always wanted to say that." Malakai was taking the piss.

    "So she''s your friend?" Olivia questioned.

    "Na, she''s my student", Malakai replied.

    Olivia and Daniel looked at him like a weirdo, which he is. It wasn''t just them looking at him; the majority of the people around him were looking at him like that. The teacher finally finished explaining and ordered the students to go to the end of their area.

    "When I blow the whistle, you can run to the centre and get the balls".

    Three balls were being used in the game. The two teams were standing at the end of their areas.

    "What should we do?" Nada asked Malakai, expecting to hear an extravagant plan.

    "Just chill. We don''t have to run for the balls", he told Nada. He looked at Ray and Maria and told them, "Don''t go for the balls; wait at the back".

    "Okay", they all trusted Malakai.

    FWEEET!!!

    The whistle blew, and everyone on Dillon''s side ran towards the centre to get the balls. On the other side, no one ran; some did at the start and saw some of their teammates hang back, so they copied. Now, all three balls were in the hands of the opposition. If the ball hit them anywhere on their body, they were out, but if they caught it, the person who threw the ball was out. Dillon was one of the people who had a ball, and he immediately looked for Malakai. Malakai stood with his hands in his pockets, but he was far. That didn''t stop him. Dillon hurled the ball towards Malakai''s direction.

    "What an idiot", Malakai said, amused at Dillon''s decision. It didn''t take much for Malakai to dodge; the ball missed him. "That''s one", Malakai said, going to get the ball. While he went to retrieve the ball, another ball came flying towards him. He easily dodged that one, too. "That''s two". Malakai constantly checked his shoulders before getting the ball, so he noticed someone winding up a shot while walking to get the ball Dillon threw at him. Now Malakai''s side had two balls. Malakai grabbed one of them and threw it towards Adam. Nothing was said; he just trusted Adam to do something. Adam bounced the ball on the floor a few times like a basketball and walked closer to the centre. He looked up and saw Olivia. Adam telegraphed a shot to make it look like he was aiming at Olivia. Olivia started to move frantically, like a deer in headlights. He threw the ball at such pace and with such a curve. At the last second, he curved his wrist before he released the ball.

    "OUT!" The teacher announced.

    Adam eliminated Ledley, who had the last ball in his hands. He thought he was safe, so he stood still. But the shot hit him on his right arm.

    "LETSS GO!" His 1-E classmates celebrated but didn''t let their guard down, as the other side now had two balls. The game continued, and Malakai kept hold of the ball he got at the start. At the same time, Jason and Ash each had a ball in hand. They both threw their ball simultaneously, and they were pretty strong guys, so their throws had a lot of power and pace to them.

    "OUT!"

    Kyle and Rachel got eliminated without even doing anything to impact the game. On the bright side, their team had all three balls now. Ray picked one up and Justin the other.

    "Ray! Justin!" Malakai called out. The two of them walked towards Malakai. "Yo, don''t hit the girl. We keep her in until the end", Malakai instructed Justin.

    "Okay", Justin nodded, walking away.

    "Ray, aim and throw your ball at the girl", Malakai said.

    "But you said", Ray replied, confused as Malakai contradicted himself.

    "Trust me, throw it at her and aim low so she can''t catch it".

    "Sure, it looks like you got a plan", Ray said, walking forward; Malakai followed him.

    Ray had the ball in his hand and cocked his arm back to throw the ball; he was making it obvious he was aiming at Olivia. Ray let it fly, fast and low. It bounced before it reached her, but someone caught it before it hit her. Daniel stepped in to protect her.

    "OUT!"

    Daniel was out. Even though Daniel caught the ball, Ray wasn''t out as the ball bounced before he caught it. If someone caught a ball but it bounced before it got to them, it didn''t mean anything. So why was Daniel out? Daniel couldn''t protect himself from Malakai''s shot. When Daniel stepped in to protect Olivia, Malakai threw his ball at Daniel, as Daniel caught one ball, there was no way he could defend himself.

    "Malakai''s sly", Tanisha said, spectating from the side.

    "Wouldn''t expect anything less", Delilah said, leaning forward, enjoying the game.

    "Is he always this calculated? He doesn''t look like he is or act like it for that matter", Tanisha questioned, as she didn''t really know Malakai. She could only judge from what she saw and heard, and what she heard from the classroom wasn''t promising. All she heard from him was laughter and stupid jokes.

    "Not really. He acts childish most of the time, but I think in certain situations, he knows when to act serious".

    Ray turned around to look at Malakai.

    "I''m a genius, bro." Malakai grinned. He looked to his left, where Justin was, and saw no ball in his hands; his gaze travelled across to the other side, and he saw three different people holding a ball: Dillon, Jason, and Ash.

    "Shit". Malakai stepped back and stood beside Maria, who was on his left. "Stay close to me", he quietly said to Maria. Maria shuffled closer to Malakai. It was looking dangerous; Dillon, Jason, and Ash had a ball in hand, which meant anyone was a target.

    "Aim for Malakai", Dillon ordered.

    The three all fired their shots, Ash the first to throw. He completely messed up his throw; the ball slipped from his hand and went high before coming down slowly. It ended up being caught by Nada, so he was out.

    Jason''s and Dillon''s throws were on target for Malakai. Jason''s shot arrived first, trajecting towards the right side of Malakai; Malakai shifted to the left. Dillon''s shot was directly on Malakai, but as he shifted to the left due to Jason''s shot, he was behind Maria, so now that shot would hit Maria. Malakai hugged Maria from behind, grabbing her waist with both arms, bringing her closer to him and swiftly moved to the right with her. It barely missed them.

    "Close call", Malakai said, still having Maria in his arms.

    Maria''s heart was beating heavily. Was it because of the shock? How quickly everything happened? Or because Malakai was holding her? Malakai unwrapped his arms from her waist and peered over to see her face.

    "You good?" He asked, with a concerned look on his face.

    "Y-Yeah", Maria replied, starstruck, looking up to meet his eyes.

    "That''s good."

    Malakai gave a smile she hadn''t seen before. A new face she unlocked for herself. Her stomach was infested with butterflies; her legs felt weak; her heart was skipping; her body felt hot; her hands were shaking; her fingers were tingling; her mouth was opened in awe; her ears were ringing with Malakai''s voice; her mind was clear; her eyes only saw Malakai everything else was just a white background.

    She was in love with Malakai.

 Chapter 35 - The Boy With A Scar Across His Nose

    It started as curiosity. Seeing a boy with a scar across his nose smiling ear to ear while being told off in front of the whole year on the first day. Why did he make that joke? Why does he have that scar? Why was he smiling? That curiosity turned to interest after seeing him beat a third year in a challenge on the same day. Why did he challenge a third-year? Why was he so calm? Why was he smiling the whole time? That interest kept growing and growing, seeing that boy with a scar across his nose smiling, laughing and having fun at every glance she took. What kind of person was he? Why did he interest me so much? Why can''t I stop looking at his smile? She didn''t feel attracted to him, but she was interested. He wasn''t good-looking, but he wasn''t ugly. He was a 5 or 6/10, maybe a 7 when he smiled. His British accent was strange, his behaviour was strange, he was strange. But that intrigued Maria. Eventually, she got to talk to the boy with the scar across his nose on her balcony. These talks became routine; they talked about each other, learned about each other, and laughed with each other. Now, when she spoke to him, she felt her heart beating faster, she caught herself smiling more, she saw everything brighter. She felt happier. The interest turned into infatuation. She realised she had a crush on him. Later, they got paired up for a challenge, and she got to study with the boy with a scar across his nose. She was nervous the whole time; she didn''t need to study so hard. She could''ve spent the entire time at the library talking with him, but she couldn''t initiate a conversation, so she stared and wrote notes that she didn''t need to write the whole time. Thoughts clouded her memory; she was happy it was just the two of them; sitting with him like this was enough. But life doesn''t go as planned, as he left for a few minutes and left her alone, which made her vulnerable. Two older boys tried to talk to her, but she held her own, and in perfect timing, the boy with a scar across his nose came to save her. Everything he did looked so effortless. Every interaction, every altercation, every argument, every problem, he smiled. He always looked calm, even when getting grabbed, shouted at, insulted, and stared at. The only response he would give was that smile. That only increased her affection.

    Time moved on; she was in the same group as the boy with the scar across his nose, but they didn''t get paired up. He paired up with a shorter girl with pink hair. Why doesn''t life go as planned? Watching the girl having fun with the boy with a scar across his nose, completing the mini-games, the girl even hugged him like they''d been friends for years. Seeing the girl get the attention she wanted. It hurt her to see her get hugged, patted on the head, heck, even get a piggyback from the boy with a scar across his nose. But one question stayed in her head. Why was he smiling?

    Now we are here. She was in the arms of the boy with a scar across his nose. That infatuation turned into love. It didn''t make sense. She''d seen boys who looked better than him; those boys even gave her special treatment without her asking. Those boy could probably treat her better than he could. So why did she fall in love with him? How can she fall in love with someone in just over a month? Do people fall in love this quickly? Is this the right way to fall in love? She didn''t know the answers but was sure of one thing. She loved the person she was looking at right now.

    The boy with a scar across his nose.

    "Get the ball over there", Malakai said to a dazed Maria.

    "O-oh, okay", she snapped out of it and went to retrieve the ball.

    "Why was he holding Maria like that?" Tanisha said, sounding like an overprotective parent.

    Delilah giggled, "He had to; he saved her from being hit".

    "He didn''t have to hug her like that. He couldn''t just pull her with one hand, not hugging her from behind," Tanisha continued.

    Delilah kept on giggling, knowing that whatever she said, Tanisha would have a comeback. Delilah thought to herself that what Malakai did was unnecessary; he didn''t have to hug her like that to protect her. But Malakai did a lot of unnecessary things; maybe this was one of those things. Nothing to think too deeply about.

    Now, all three balls were on Malakai''s side. So far, three people have been eliminated from Dillon''s team and two from Malakai''s. They could increase that gap if they eliminated someone now.

    "Nada, keep hold of that ball. Don��t throw it��, Malakai told Nada.

    "Aye, aye, captain".

    Malakai walked over to Maria, "Throw it at anyone except the girl", he told her.

    "Are you sure?" Maria said, doubting her ability.

    "Yeah, go for it, but as soon as you throw it, run back", he instructed her.

    Maria got closer to the centre and threw her ball. The throw was tame and missed everyone.

    "Why is everything she does so elegant?" Malakai thought to himself. Maria ran back and stood beside Him. "We''ll get ''em next time," Malakai said, turning away from her not to show his smile and stop himself from laughing.

    "OUT!"

    Malakai looked straight ahead and saw a guy walking off. Wilson got eliminated. He looked at Nada and saw no ball in her hand.

    "Did you do that?" He questioned her.

    "Yeah, he wasn''t concentrating, so I threw it at him", Nada replied. "Did I mess up?" She asked as she did the opposite of what he told her.

    "Na, it''s calm. You did good", he complimented. "She''s cold. She''s eliminated two people. I''ve only eliminated one", Malakai thought.

    "OUT!"

    Marcus got eliminated. The game continued at a fast pace; people were getting eliminated left and right. Malakai kept watch and saw a familiar sight appear before him: Dillon with a ball in his hands. Malakai had one as well; he wasn''t sure what he was going to do with it, so he just held onto it. Dillon catapulted at Malakai once again. And he missed once again. Dillon''s desperation to get Malakai out was hurting their team''s chances. Now Malakai, Ray and Adam had a ball in hand. They all looked at each other and advanced forward, throwing their balls simultaneously.

    "OUT!"

    Jefferey, Mike, and Gabriel all got eliminated. Adam, Malakai, and Ray were on target with their shots; they all eliminated one person.

    The crowd that was present roared. Three people got eliminated at the same time. It was now 7v3. Malakai''s team had a major advantage. Dillon picked up a ball, and instead of throwing it as soon as he picked it up, he got closer to the centre. He took aim at the same person as usual and let it go.

    "OUT!"

    Ray got eliminated. Ray let his guard down. Maybe Dillon planned this from the start. Target Malakai constantly, and eventually, it will be expected, leaving others to drop their guard.

    "Dammit", Ray said, disappointed in himself.

    "It''s fine, don''t worry about it", Malakai told him as Ray walked off.

    Jason had one ball, and Dillon forced Olivia to give him the other ball. They were still at a disadvantage, but if they got someone out now, it would be a 5v3, which looked doable. They both threw their balls.

    "OUT!"

    Monica got eliminated. They both aimed at her, and she couldn''t do much to avoid it. It was now 5v3, but all three balls were on their side. Justin, Adam and Nada picked up a ball. Nada kept hold of her ball and kept it close to her chest, showing she wasn''t going to throw it.

    On the other hand, Adam and Justin were wasting no time and edged forward. Justin, this whole match, observed everyone else, seeing what worked and what to do. He didn''t have many opportunities to impact the game; the one time he did throw a ball, it went horrendously bad. After that attempt, he stood in the background and absorbed what he could. Watching how his teammates eliminated people. He followed Adam and attempted to jump on his wavelength. They both let it fly.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation."OUT!"

    Adam got eliminated.

    Justin looked at Adam in disbelief. "Adam.."

    "OUT!"

    Justin got eliminated.

    Let''s rewind to before Adam and Justin threw their balls. Dillon was on the right, and Jason was on the left. Justin was to Adam''s left and was watching Adam closely. It looked like Adam was going for Dillon, so Justin also decided to go for Dillon. When they threw the ball, Adam changed the direction of his shot to Jason, but Justin threw it towards Dillon. Justin''s ball collided with the underside of Adam''s ball, causing Adam''s ball to balloon up in the air, leading to an easy catch for Dillon. Adam got eliminated because his ball was caught. Justin couldn''t believe it, so his focus switched to Adam, already walking off. Dillon noticed this, threw the ball he caught and eliminated Justin. Now it''s a 3v3.

    "This doesn''t look good. How did they throw away their lead like that", Tanisha said anxiously, watching, squeezing her hands together.

    "Let''s see how Malakai clutches this," Delilah said, smiling and leaning forward, knowing she was about to be entertained.

    "Sensei, what do we do?" Nada said in a panic, looking at Malakai.

    "Tranquilo. Tranquilo", Malakai said to calm Maria and Nada down. He said calm in Spanish to make the situation not seem that bad and to show he was calm enough to make jokes. Malakai kept his eyes on Jason as he still had a ball in his hands.

    "This guy is dangerous, more dangerous than Dillon", Malakai analysed in his head. It didn''t look like he would throw his ball; he kept bouncing it up and down like a basketball.

    "Maria, follow me", Malakai said, walking towards the ball that eliminated Justin. Maria followed Malakai, staying close to him. "I don''t know if I can protect you if that guy throws it at you. Are you alright with that?" Malakai asked quietly.

    "Yeah, that''s fine. Don''t worry about me. Do what you have to do to win," Maria responded, feeling bad that Malakai felt he had to protect her.

    "I''m just letting you know cuz his throws are powerful. It''ll hurt if it hits you".

    "It''s fine. I won''t let my guard down", Maria replied.

    "Aryt (Alright)," said Malakai, holding a ball in his hand. He started jogging to the centre, looked at Olivia, loaded a shot, and let it go. Olivia lifted her hands to protect herself.

    "OUT!"

    Despite lifting her hands up, she didn''t catch it, so the ball just hit her hands. Malakai kept her in as he thought Olivia might be useful for him, but it looked like Dillon planned to freeze her out of the game. So Malakai eliminated her. It was now a 3v2, with Dillon and Jason holding a ball. Who were they going to aim at? Malakai and Maria were sticking close together, so the only option was,

    "Go for the pink girl", Dillon ordered.

    Jason didn''t reply; he just followed Dillon''s orders. They both shot, and Jason''s shot missed, but Dillon''s shot landed straight for Nada. Nada still had a ball in her hands, so seeing that shot coming towards her, she quickly acted and blocked the ball with the ball she had kept hold of the whole time. She looked at that teacher, "That''s fine, you''re still in".

    They were in a good position now; they had all three balls.

    Malakai passed Maria a ball. "Aim at Dillon and throw it low at his legs," He told her.

    "Now?" Maria asked.

    ��Na, na wait abit��, Malakai replied.

    Malakai left one ball on the floor and walked towards Nada.

    "We should be good now," Dillon confidently said. He continued, "He looks lost. He doesn''t know what to do." He watched every move Malakai made.

    "We should aim for Maria next", Jason suggested. "It''s either she gets eliminated, or Malakai will get eliminated protecting her", Jason said, solidifying his suggestion.

    "Yeah, but I don''t think Malakai will protect her this time. He wants to win, she won''t help him do that", Dillon replied. "What is he doing?" Dillon said, looking at Malakai. Malakai turned his back to him; it looked like he was talking to Nada. "Is he playing?" Dillon questioned.

    Out of nowhere, he noticed a ball flying towards his legs; he quickly sidestepped and saw Maria standing there, backing away.

    "OUT!"

    Dillon got eliminated. Dillon got hit in the face, and it was Malakai who did it.

    A minute before this.

    "Nada!" Malakai called out, now standing in front of her with his back turned to the opposition. "Pass me the ball," he asked her. Nada secretly passed him the ball. "Where is Dillon right now? What side is he from me?" he questioned.

    "He''s to your right", she answered.

    "Aryt (alright). Listen to me. When Maria throws her ball, tell me, or when she''s about to throw it. When she does say ''now''," Malakai told her in a serious tone.

    Nada didn''t question what his plan was, and she agreed. Nada kept watch of Maria until,

    "Now!"

    Thanks to Nada''s direction, Malakai swivelled around, and his eyes instantly locked on Dillon like a missile. He fired his weapon and hit the target. The shot hit Dillon square in the face; it stung his face and hurt his nose. His eyes watered a bit from the impact. He held his face with his right hand and looked at Malakai through his fingers. It was taking everything to stop himself from rushing to Malakai, returning the favour and punching him in the face. But all Malakai did was play the game; it would look bad on his part if he charged at Malakai. He got outplayed. Dillon accepted defeat and walked off. All his hopes to progress to the next round rested on Jason. Malakai stepped back.

    "Any plans?" Nada asked, watching Jason.

    "Not right now. Just dodge for your life." That was the only thing he could advise. Jason picked up both balls and unleashed a throw with his right. The throw was directed at Maria, travelling towards her head. Maria ducked down; the shot was a bit high. Jason''s next shot flew by, not close to anyone. It was clear he was feeling the pressure; the throw with his right lacked accuracy and only had pace and power. You could see that his left hand wasn''t his strong hand, but using his left hand showed he was running out of ideas. All three balls are on the Malakai side.

    Malakai called his teammates over and gave them a ball each.

    "What''s it gonna be this time?" Jason thought to himself. Deep down, he was worried; he didn''t know what to expect. He didn''t see Dillon getting eliminated like that. The only way he thought Dillon would get eliminated was if his ball got caught, not by getting hit in the face and being caught off guard. In Jason''s mind, Malakai was the MVP of the game. Honestly, Jason had hope of winning when Adam got eliminated. Adam''s elimination gave Jason hope; it didn''t look like Adam could be eliminated. Every throw Adam made eliminated someone; He considered Adam more of a threat than Malakai. But surprisingly, Adam got eliminated; his elimination was a massive boost for them and gave them a lifeline. Even though Jason was outnumbered, he still thought he could pull it off. He saw the three of them approach the centre; Jason bent his knees in preparation to move quickly. The trio simultaneously threw their balls, but they all missed. Jason dodged them without any real issue; he picked up two balls and walked back. He saw the three of them standing in the middle of their side, not far from each other but not too close. It was clear it was every person for themselves now. It looked like Malakai ran out of aces. Jason confidently stepped up with a ball, pulled back his arm, and let it go.

    "OUT!"

    Malakai was on the floor with a ball in his hands. Jason got eliminated.

    The boy with a scar across his nose pulled it off once again.

    In the other building.

    One man stood on one side of the court, while eight people stood on the other. The boy lifted his hands,

    "I surrender".

 Chapter 36 - My MVP

    "I surrender," Benjamin said with his hands in the air. Ryan, Alexander, and Frank were in front of him, all holding a ball, not to mention the five people behind them. It was an 8v1; Benjamin had no chance of winning, so he surrendered. He walked closer to the centre with his hands in the air. "Hit me".

    Ryan threw his ball with an underhand so as not to hurt Benjamin unnecessarily.

    "OUT!"

    Benjamin was eliminated. With that, the round was over, and William and David made it to the next round. At the same time, their friends Lucas and Benjamin were eliminated.

    "David made the right call. If all of us went up against that, yeah, I don''t know," Lucas started shaking his head, thinking about it.

    "At least half of us got through; I wonder if Mally and Ray are still playing".

    Malakai lay on his back, spread out like a starfish staring at the ceiling. He heard cheering all around him. Maria crouched down and blocked Malakai''s line of vision with her face.

    "You did it", she said, giving a big smile.

    "Yeah, we made it", he replied, smiling back.

    All his teammates came around him to congratulate and celebrate with him. Ray smiled, helped him up, and brought him into a hug.

    "I don''t know how you always do it", Ray said to him.

    "I don''t know either, " he said, still in the hug.

    Malakai''s plan to win was risky, and the plan depended on him. If he failed, they would''ve lost. Before he gave Maria and Nada a ball, he told them to stand in line with each other after they had thrown their ball. Stand in line with each other and a few feet away, but not too far. This formation gave Jason three options: Malakai in the middle, Maria on his right and Nada on his left. Malakai planned for them to stand still and see who he threw his ball at. Depending on who he threw his ball at, Malakai would dive in front of that person and attempt to catch the ball.

    As you can see, the plan relied on Malakai. Could he catch the ball? Could he react in time? Can he dive fast enough? All these questions made the plan unreliable, but it was the only way to eliminate Jason. When Jason had the ball in his hands, he noticed their positioning but didn''t pay enough attention; he didn''t notice they were in line. Jason''s thought process was that Malakai would protect Maria, so he threw his ball at Nada. Just before Jason threw his ball, Malakai took a step forward; he noticed the ball''s trajectory, dove like a goalkeeper, and caught the ball before it could hit Nada. His plan worked.

    Delilah and Tanisha clapped their hands as they watched their friends celebrate.

    "I have to admit, he''s pretty good", Tanisha admitted, not wanting to.

    "He sure is something", Delilah replied. "Why don''t you like him?" Delilah giggled, wanting to know her answer.

    "I don''t dislike him; I just don''t like him being around Maria. I''m sure we could be good friends, but I don''t like him being too close to Maria", Tanisha explained, looking at Malakai.

    "He''s not one of those guy", Delilah pointed out, as she knew Malakai better and thought Tanisha had the wrong impression about him.

    "No, it''s not that; I''m sure he''s not the type of guy to use Maria for her looks. When I say I''m worried, I mean by his behaviour and how he acts. Cool, he can do what he can do, and that works for him, but I don''t like the idea of him influencing Maria. Then Maria doing something he would do", Tanisha spoke her mind. "I feel like Maria needs someone more mature around her. She''s a delicate person, and Malakai looks reckless and childish. I don''t want her doing something Malakai would do and get into trouble because of it", Tanisha continued.

    "Malakai doesn''t start conversations with her, or does he?" Delilah questioned.

    "No, he doesn''t. But he does stuff that puts him in the limelight, and that makes Maria curious because she hasn''t seen someone like him before. Also, the two being put together for challenges doesn''t help", Tanisha answered.

    Delilah gave a light smile. "I get you. Well, from what I know of Malakai, I don''t think he cares about romance. So you don''t have to worry about them going into a relationship", Delilah joked.

    "I hope not; I''d have to watch her 24/7", Tanisha replied. Delilah started to laugh. "Why are you laughing? I''m being serious".

    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry", Delilah said, covering her mouth. Tanisha found the funny side as well, so she smiled, too.

    Dillon and Jason were standing next to each other. Silence. Dillon had so much to say, but he couldn''t say anything. How could he when he got hit in the face? Jason was also embarrassed; he got caught out. He was frustrated he didn''t notice their positioning; he also got desperate towards the end, which worsened his throws. Jason found a newborn respect for Malakai. He didn''t look towards him with anger but a little admiration. Was he really a 1-C student?

    "THANK YOU!" The teacher got everyone''s attention. "FIVE PAIRS HAVE GOT 70 POINTS AND ARE MOVING TO THE NEXT ROUND. THE NEXT ROUND WILL START RIGHT NOW".

    The students needed more time to be ready. They had just finished celebrating and were already preparing for a break.

    "Don''t worry, this round is simple", the teacher reassured after seeing some stressed faces. "Can all of you gather here?" he gestured the students towards him. "This next round is simple. Three pairs will go through to the next round. The game is easy; I will give your pair a beanbag. You have one chance to throw it and get it closest to that line over there", he said, pointing at the line about 50 feet away. "If you go over the line, that is a disqualification, so don''t overthrow it". The teacher gave each pair one bean bag. "One last thing: the pair to get it closest to the line gets a free pass to the final".

    The students looked at each other.

    "How does that work?" Justin questioned.

    "Get past this round and find out", the teacher replied.

    Malakai had the beanbag in his hands, "Nada, here", he tossed the beanbag to her. "You throw it".

    "What do you mean?" Nada thought he was playing around like usual.

    "You''re throwing the beanbag", Malakai repeated.

    "Why? If you throw it, we can get to the final. I''m not good at throwing," Nada, wide-eyed, tried to persuade him.

    "Malakai, are you sure?" Ray intervened, wanting Malakai to reach the final.

    "Yeah, well, I mean, I''ve got no choice", Malakai replied, looking at him.

    "Why?" Ray looked at him, confused.

    "My right arm hurts. I fucked it up when I landed on it", Malakai said, holding his right arm.

    "How badly does it hurt? Do you need to get it checked?" Maria worriedly asked, stepping closer to him.

    "Na, na. I''m calm; it''ll probably stop hurting in a bit. But right now, I don''t think I can throw", He replied, calming Maria down.

    "But I want to reach the final. I don''t think I can do it", Nada doubted herself; hearing Malakai saying he injured himself made her panic.

    "Listen. I trust you", Malakai said. "For me, you were MVP in the last round. If I didn''t trust you, I would''ve thrown the beanbag myself with my arm hurting, but I know you can do it." Malakai motivated Nada to prove he believed in her, and it worked. Hearing that uplifted Nada, not to what she was before, because she still doubted her ability. However, she believed in herself now.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident."Who''s going to go first?" The teacher said, walking towards them.

    "Don''t go", Malakai whispered to Nada, putting a hand on her shoulder.

    Nada held back; she would''ve volunteered if Malakai hadn''t stepped in.

    "I''ll go." Justin stepped up. He stood behind the line and looked forward; the line was about 50 feet away. He had to get it close but make sure it didn''t go past it. Justin took a deep breath and threw the beanbag. He tossed with an overhand; the beanbag slid as it touched the floor. It didn''t go past the line, so he was not disqualified, but the beanbag was about 6 feet away from the line. There was room for the others to fit in; he and his partner weren''t safe, but they still had a chance. Malakai kept his hand on Nada''s shoulder to hold her back from going forward, but it didn''t matter as Monica moved first. She took her position and replicated Justin''s throw; the only difference was she added more power. The beanbag travelled and travelled and landed past the line. They were disqualified. This meant that Malakai and Nada were through if Nada threw her beanbag past Justin''s. Nada looked at Malakai.

    "Alright, listen, forget about getting the free pass to the final. Just get it past that beanbag". Malakai told her.

    "How should I throw it?" She nervously asked for some last piece of advice.

    "Underhand. Don''t do an overhand throw. It''s too risky, but don''t aim up when you underhand. Treat it like bowling, but add more power", Malakai advised her.

    "Okay", Nada replied with her hands shaking, clearly nervous.

    Malakai put his hand on her head. "Look, just do your best innit. If you don''t do it, it''s calm. I don''t care. It is what it is. I don''t really care about winning that much", Malakai said, smiling at her to cool her nerves.

    "Those two look good together", Delilah said, watching the moment from the side.

    "Is she his type?" Tanisha asked.

    "I don''t know, maybe".

    Maria watched how Malakai interacted with Nada, which made her feel weird. She was jealous but didn''t want to believe it. Being jealous was disgusting for her; she hated how she felt right now. She felt left out; she wanted to be the one who got that motivational speech, the one that got patted on the head, the one he could put all his trust into, but it wasn''t meant to be. For now, at least.

    Nada moved towards the line while Ray stood next to Malakai. "You could''ve thrown the beanbag yourself," Ray said, knowing his friend.

    "I''m actually hurt", he said, holding his right arm, sounding a lot less convincing now. "But you''re right. I could''ve, but I wanted to see her throw it. My arm does hurt, though", Malakai reiterated that he wasn''t faking his injury.

    "I knew one dive wouldn''t stop you from throwing a beanbag", Ray quietly said to him. Malakai looked down and silently laughed to himself.

    Nada was behind the line; she looked at the position of Justin''s beanbag and visualised what she would do. She held the beanbag with her right hand and bent both her knees slightly. She swung her arm and let go. The beanbag was moving across the air, and it looked good. She followed Malakai''s advice and slightly bowled it. The beanbag slid across the surface and stopped. It didn''t go past the line, so they were not disqualified, but did it go past Justin''s? Nada''s eyes lit up. She turned around, went straight to Malakai, and hugged him. The beanbag was ahead of Justin''s; whatever happened in the next two throws didn''t matter because they were through to the final.

    "I told you", Malakai said to her, hugging her with one hand. Nada was speechless; she was so happy. She couldn''t put it into words.

    "I''m so happy right now," she said with tears nearly in her eyes. People may look at it like it was just a beanbag throw, but it meant a lot for Nada.

    "Bro, you''re my student; you were obviously gonna do it", Malakai said jokingly with a smile. Nada couldn''t help but laugh. While all that was happening, Adam threw his beanbag; Malakai didn''t even notice Adam went for his attempt.

    "Woahs" from the crowd showed that the throw was good; no throw so far had gotten that reaction, but this one did. The beanbag was so close to the line that the throw was almost perfect. It looked like they were going to the final with a free pass.

    "Go on, Ray, see you in the next round", Malakai said to Ray, who was stepping up. Ray didn''t reply; he felt nervous and didn''t want to mess up. He took a deep breath to calm himself and looked ahead. He took a page off Nada''s book and copied her technique but modified it slightly and aimed higher. Ray believed in his ability and didn''t want to rely on the beanbag sliding across the floor. Ray let go, and the beanbag flew and landed; it didn''t skid across the floor. Everything happened so quickly. The beanbag landed on top of Adam''s and rolled over; the beanbag was slightly on the line. This throw got louder cheers than Adam''s; that''s how good it was. The teacher had to go closer to see where it landed. He reached the scene and announced,

    "THIS TEAM WILL GO TO THE FINAL! THE BEANBAG IS ON THE LINE AND NOT OVER IT, SO THEY ARE NOT DISQUALIFIED!"

    "YESSSS!!!" Tanisha cheered while hugging Delilah. Delilah embraced back, celebrating that victory with Tanisha like their duo was going to the final.

    "This final is going to be good", Delilah said, breaking out of the hug and already determining the final would be Malakai and Nada vs Ray and Maria.

    "Damn, I really thought we were going to go to the final", Kyle disappointingly said.

    "It''s fine; we can still make it to the final", Adam replied with the same straight face he always has.

    "They got fortunate", Adam thought to himself. He looked towards Malakai. "Guess I''m going head to head against him. I hope luck doesn''t help him. I want to face him fairly. 1v1.�� Adam monologued in his head.

    Ray and Maria were all smiles and celebrated, giving each other a shy hug and a high five. Malakai also joined the celebrations, hugging Ray. Maria saw Malakai hug Ray; she thought it was standard for them as they were friends. Now, she saw Malakai approaching her, so she lifted her hand for a high-five. Instead, Maria got a hug. She was caught off guard, surprised this was happening, but she wasn''t complaining at all. She was happier about the hug than qualifying for the final. Maria held Malakai tight as this was their first hug. After seeing Nada hug Malakai countless times, she finally got one and didn''t feel like letting go. She didn''t want to let go, but good things do have to come to an end. Maria felt Malakai pulling away so she let go to not look too weird. She looked up at Malakai and gave him a smile she had always seen on his face. A smile she felt like she wasn''t capable of until now,

    "See you in the final".

    "Y-yeah," Malakai replied, surprised by the look on her face. Maria''s smile was genuine, pure happiness. Not to say her other smiles were disingenuous, but it looked like a smile people only wore a few times in life at precious moments. Malakai didn''t expect it��someone this beautiful was in front of him. Malakai smiled back,

    "See you in the final".

    Maria and Ray were in the final. Malakai and Nada vs Adam and Kyle in the next round to see who joins them.

 Chapter 37 - He Does Not Belong Here

    The remaining contestants were given a 15-minute break until the next round started. Malakai, Ray and Maria went to Delilah and Tanisha on the side.

    "Yo, you good?" Malakai asked, giving Delilah a fist bump.

    "Yeah, I''m good. That dodgeball match was amazing", Delilah replied.

    "I know, it was mad", Malakai said, smiling ear to ear.

    "OH MY GOD! YOU''RE IN THE FINAL!" Tanisha cheered, hugging Maria.

    Maria hugged back, "I didn''t do anything. It was all Ray", Maria said.

    "Nooo. You did a lot. I was watching you the whole time", Tanisha replied happily, glad to see her friend again. Nada returned with a bottle of water in her hands, which was deserved.

    "Hi, are you Malakai''s friends?" Nada asked, approaching them.

    "Yeah, my name is Delilah. Your name is Nada, right?".

    "Yeah. I''m in class 1-E", Nada introduced herself.

    "How did you two become friends?". Delilah questioned, as this was the first time she''d talked with Nada.

    "I''m his apprentice", Nada casually replied, looking innocent.

    "What?" Delilah thought she was hearing things.

    "He''s my sensei", she continued to say like it was normal.

    Delilah looked at Malakai, who was trying not to laugh. He was smiling and biting his lip. Seeing that made Delilah burst into laughter.

    "Delilah, I think you should be my apprentice as well", Malakai said, laughing between his words.

    "No, thank you. I think I would waste your time", Delilah replied, covering her mouth and laughing.

    Malakai took a seat next to Delilah. "So what? You got eliminated in the second round?" Malakai asked her, leaning back in the seat.

    "Yeah. I mean, I don''t mind we got 50 points at least", Delilah said, looking like she didn''t care much.

    "It was my fault; I took too long to find our object, " Tanisha said, taking the blame.

    "Malakai did the same thing", Ray joined in.

    "Really?" They both said, turning to Malakai.

    "Yeah, I took too long. I had to give Nada a piggyback so we would make it", he said, pointing at Nada.

    "It was hilarious", Ray laughed, thinking back to the moment.

    "I wish I could''ve seen that", Delilah said, looking at Nada, who was slightly embarrassed.

    "I gotta admit, in the dodgeball match. You were kinda cool." Tanisha didn''t want to admit it, but he was the reason her friend got through the round, so some praise was needed.

    "Oh my god, are your hands okay?" Delilah asked, looking at Malakai''s hands. Thinking they would be hurt or injured.

    Malakai showed them his hands, which were still red from the match. "They''re fine, but during the game, they were stinging."

    As he showed his hands, Tanisha noticed they looked worn out, with little scars and jagged nails.

    "What''s wrong with your nails?" she asked, pointing to the nails and not the scars, with a disgusted look on her face.

    "Oh shit", Malakai pulled his hand away and looked at his nails. "Didn''t want you to see that", he embarrassingly said.

    "Do you bite your nails?" Maria asked, looking at him.

    Malakai looked at all the girls, and he thought he gave them all the ick, "Yeah, it''s a bad habit I got", he said, looking at his nails. "Everyone''s got bad habits, though", he said, trying to ease some of the pressure off him.

    "It''s fine; I used to bite my nails", Delilah said, relating to him.

    "Used to? You stopped?" Malakai looked at her, wanting to know how she stopped.

    "I stopped like a year ago. It''s just something you have to commit to".

    "Commit to what?" A voice said from behind them. They all turned around to see David, Benjamin, William and Lucas standing there.

    "Yooo! Why''re you man here?" Malakai said, standing up and hugging them. Delilah and Tanisha were also surprised to see them.

    "We got eliminated", David bluntly said.

    "Hahahaha. You lot are shit", Malakai laughed.

    All his friends couldn''t hold back a smile; they knew the reaction they would get.

    "What, you lot couldn''t throw a bean bag properly?" Malakai continued to laugh and take the piss.

    "Bro, we had people in 1-B and 1-A in our group; look at who you have?" Lucas took Malakai''s bait and bit hard. "Why are you here? Did you get eliminated?" Lucas questioned, hoping the answer was yes, triggered by Malakai''s reaction.

    "Na, me and my apprentice are waiting for the next round", he said, putting an arm around Nada.

    "Your what?" Benjamin asked to see if he was hearing correctly.

    "Nada, tell ''em".

    "I''m his apprentice", she said in her same cheery tone. After hearing that, the four of them had the same reaction as everyone else. While all the commotion was going on, David broke free from it and went to Delilah and Tanisha.

    "What happened in your building?" Tanisha asked, looking at him.

    "In the dodgeball match, we got split up. Me and Will were on the team with Ryan and a bunch of students from 1-A, and Lu and Ben were on the other team", David answered.

    "Why did you go on different teams?" Delilah questioned.

    "The teams got chosen for us," David slowly answered, thinking the question was stupid. Tanisha and Delilah looked at each other with open mouths. "What''s with those faces?" David asked, looking at their reactions.

    "In here, they chose who to team with", Delilah explained.

    David didn''t complain. He accepted it, "It''s different classes, can''t complain about it now".

    "How did the match go?" Tanisha asked.

    "Our team destroyed theirs. I didn''t even do anything. Me and Will threw the ball once, and we both didn''t hit anyone", David replied

    "Totally different from this game", Tanisha said with widened eyes.

    "What happened here?" David questioned.

    "It''s a long story; we''ll explain later", Delilah said, waving her hand. "How was the bean bag throw?" Delilah continued.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    David shook his head, "I don''t even know how to describe it; everyone''s throws were so close together. Mine was a bit behind everyone else''s, so we got eliminated. Everyone over there was too good". David looked at Malakai and Ray, who were still talking with the group. "I''m happy they''ve made it, though", he said, smiling.

    "It''s been crazy, we need to tell you about it". Delilah told him.

    "Who''s in the final?" David asked, looking around.

    "Ray and Maria", Tanisha answered.

    "So, who''s Mally versing?" David asked, kind of expecting Ray to be in the final.

    "I don''t know. I think two boys from 1-E", Tanisha tried to answer.

    "Two boys from 1-E", David mumbled. "Mally!" David called out. Malakai heard his name and looked at David. "Who are you versing in the next round?" David asked him

    "I don''t know his name��that guy from the meeting. You know who I''m on about", Malakai replied.

    "He''s the real deal. Maybe he wasn''t at that meeting for no reason", David thought. David took a seat. "This next round is about to be good", he said, rubbing his hands together.

    "CAN THE FINAL THREE PAIRS COME HERE PLEASE!" The teacher shouted.

    Malakai stood up, ��Aryt let��s go��.

    "Make sure you don''t get eliminated", William pressured, shaking Malakai''s shoulders.

    "We''ll be watching. If you embarrass yourself, you better hide". Benjamin warned him, patting his back.

    "I''m not like you, man. I''m built different", Malakai responded walking away, excited for the next round.

    "Good luck", Tanisha and Delilah said to Maria and Ray as they walked away.

    "Ray, make sure you beat him", Lucas said to Ray as he walked past.

    "I''ll see what I can do", Ray smiled as he replied.

    The six students were around the teacher now. "Good, all of you are here. You two are in the final, so you will watch this round", he said, pointing at Maria and Ray. "The four of you will verse each other this round. The game you will play is You Shall Not Pass".

    "Is that the actual name?" Malakai questioned, thinking the name was stupid.

    "We tried; this was the best we could think of. Anyway, this is how the game will work. Before the match, you will decide who you will go up against. There have to be individual matchups. Then you and your pair will stand in your half. The aim is to get the other side without being touched by the opposition before you cross the line".

    "Is that it?" Kyle asked, thinking the game was easy. "Can''t we just run past them?" He continued.

    "Yes, but if they touch you before your whole body crosses the line, you''re out. Then they can run to the other side because you''ve been eliminated".

    "Does that mean they win if one person reaches the other side?" Malakai questioned.

    "No, both pairs have to reach the other side. If one pair crosses the other side, a 30-second timer will be set to quicken up the game and force people to try and cross over. I know this game may sound simple, but it is tricky". The teacher explained the game to the students, who looked like they understood.

    The area the students were playing in was big, so there was a lot of space to run. There was also a line dividing the area into two sides.

    <u>RULES</u>

    1)Each pair will choose who they have to stop crossing to the other side before the match.

    2)Each person has to try to cross to the other side without being touched by their opponent.

    3)If a part of their body is on the other side but gets touched by the opponent, they are out.

    4)As they are out, their opponent has no one defending them, so they can cross over.

    5)The person''s entire body must pass their defender; their opponent cannot turn around and touch them once they pass them. A person cannot touch the opposition if they are in their own area.

    6)Once one person has crossed over, a 30-second timer is set to speed up the game and force others to make a move.

    7)Both pairs must cross to the other side to win the game. If the 30-second timer is set and no one else has successfully crossed, the one person who crosses over wins the game for their team.

    8)The students can go anywhere inside their own area.

    "Hopefully, you understand. Can you choose who you will be defending?". The teacher said.

    "Him", Malakai said, pointing at Adam without any hesitation.

    Adam stared at him with the straight face he had on show 24/7.

    "Do you have any problems with that?" The teacher asked Adam.

    "No", He replied, shaking his head.

    "Okay, that means you two will be defending each other". Nada and Kyle had to stop each other from crossing. "We''ll start right now, so can you pick a side".

    The two pairs separated and stood at the back of their area. At the same time, Ray and Maria stood to the side to watch.

    "What game are they playing?" Delilah asked, trying to figure it out.

    "I don''t know, we have to wait and see", David answered.

    "What''s the plan?" Nada curiously asked.

    This time, Malakai had a plan, sort of. "You stay on the defensive; make sure he doesn''t cross over. Let me cross over first; when I do, then you cross over", he replied.

    "Do you think I can defend him for that long?" Nada asked, questioning her ability again.

    "Yeah, the guy you''re up against doesn''t look athletic, and you''re agile, so you can follow his movements. If he tries to cross over, you can easily eliminate him; that will be the best outcome." Malakai said, breaking down his analysis.

    "Okay, I''ll do my best", Nada replied, taking in the advice.

    Malakai smiled to himself, "Two steppin'', two weapons, everything will be fine. It''s aryt," he quietly said.

    "Did you say something?" Nada asked, not hearing him.

    "Nothing", Malakai replied. "Don''t worry, we got this", he said, putting his fist out.

    "Yeah", she replied fist bumping him.

    "IS EVERYONE READY?!"

    The four students took their stance.

    FWWEEET!!

    The four students ran to the line in the middle, separating the two areas. When they reached the line, they stopped, each standing in front of the other, blocking their path.

    "Aryt, let me find an opening", Malakai thought. He looked ahead and saw Adam following his eyes. This was the first time he''d seen Adam properly. A bland-looking boy with brown hair and brown eyes. He looked average height at about 5''10, maybe 5''11. It was written for this guy to be somewhat of a main character. From the side, it looked like Malakai and Adam were staring at each other. Malakai looked around Adam, but,

    "Everything looks blocked off", he thought. There was no way Malakai could run past Adam without being touched.

    Malakai wanted to try something, so he started walking to the right. Adam followed him. He walked behind Nada. Adam walked behind Kyle. Now, Nada and Kyle were to their left as opposed to their right.

    Malakai figured out, "He''s following me. Let''s try something." He feinted to go right and then sprinted left back to where he was before. Adam followed.

    "The fuck? He could''ve run to our side. This guy just wants to defend me. How am I going to get past him?"

    "He''s probably figured out I just want to defend him. I did have an opening to go, but I need to make sure me and Kyle both cross", Adam thought.

    This was the first time Adam had seen Malakai properly. A Short 5''6 boy with a scar across his nose, wavy black hair with brown tips, followed by hazel nut-coloured eyes. With his unique appearance, it was written for this guy to be somewhat of a main character.

    Adam was thinking about more than just defence. He was also looking for an opening, but like Malakai, he couldn''t find much.

    "He''s quick, so running past him is not an option. The same goes for him; I can just about match his pace so he can''t run past me. If Kyle can find a way through his opponent, I can get past Malakai in 30 seconds. For now, I need to make sure he doesn''t get through". Adam was thinking steps ahead, analysing everything and thinking of problems and solutions.

    "Let me try something".

    Adam feinted to his right. Malakai watched it.

    Adam feinted to the right again. Malakai didn''t fall for it.

    "He can''t be fooled with feints. He does come from the UK. In Soccer, they use a skill called a body feint. It''s one of the most used skills, so I''m sure he''s got that skill hammered in his brain. He probably knows how to defend it and all sorts".

    Adam looked over at Kyle and saw him struggling to find an opening; he looked at Nada, who looked comfortable.

    "How is struggling to get past her?"

    Malaki noticed Adam''s gaze shift to something other than him. He feinted to the right, which caused Adam to lean to his left a little. Malakai then shifted all his body weight to the left, causing Adam to do the same. But it was feint. Malakai pushed himself to the right, catching Adam by surprise. It wasn''t that big of a surprise, though. Malakai''s right shoulder crossed to the other side, and Adam swung his left arm to try and touch it. Malakai retreated back. He had to; if he got touched, he would have been eliminated.

    "Fuck! I nearly got him", Malakai thought.

    Meanwhile, in the crowd.

    David understood the game from watching and explained it to the rest.

    "That''s difficult", Benjamin said, watching the game.

    "It looks like Mally is having a hard time", Lucas said, observing his friend.

    "I''ve watched his dodgeball match, and I saw him pull through there, so I know he''ll pull through this time", Delilah confidently said, believing in Malakai.

    "Are you sure?" He looks different from the dodgeball game", Tanisha said.

    "Huh".

    "I don''t know how to describe it; in the dodgeball game, He had this look on his face that showed he looked in control, but that look is gone. It looks like the other guy is controlling him", Tanisha replied, seeing Malakai struggle.

    "He''s still smiling though", Delilah said. Malakai did have a small smile on his face.

    "No, Tanisha''s right. I''ve always backed Malakai, but the guy he''s versing is not some ordinary guy", David said nervously, watching.

    "You lot are crazy. It''s Mally", Willaim interrupted, sitting down with his feet on the chair in front of him. "Think about it: when he wins this, will you be surprised?" William questioned the group, having no doubt Malakai would win.

    "To be honest, I would. I was less nervous when he was facing that third year", David answered, fidgeting with his hands.

    "Hearing your opinions has made me nervous", Benjamin said, leaning forward. "Shit, you''re right. Now that you''ve said it, I am more nervous now than when he faced the third year", he continued.

    "Don''t say that", Delilah said, also getting nervous.

    "Y''all are crazy", William smiled, shaking his head at his stressed friends.

    "Please, Malakai, make it through", Maria thought, watching on from the side of the court.

    The crowd was getting louder; they wanted to see something. All they were seeing were two people standing in front of each other. Malakai tried a few more feints, but nothing came of them.

    "I can''t do anything," Malakai thought.

    "Why won''t he do anything?" Adam thought.

    "What should I do?" Malakai thought.

    "What should I do?" Adam thought.

    "Can I qualify?" Malakai thought.

    "When will I qualify?" Adam thought.

    The two looked each other in the eyes. Two different people, two different appearances, two different classes, two different backgrounds, two different personalities, with the same thought but two different meanings.

    They both thought,

    "He does not belong here".

 Chapter 38 - Euphoria

    "COME ON MALLY!" Ray cheered from the side. Malakai looked to the left and saw Ray and Maria chanting for him. He looked ahead and saw Adam with the same straight face looking at him. He looked to his right and saw Nada, who looked like she was doing fine. Once again, it looked like he was letting the team down, just like in Finders Keepers.

    "Think, think, think," Malakai thought, his eyes darting around. It looked like he had no options.

    "How are you in 1-E?" he mumbled. Adam heard him mumble something but didn''t hear what was said. In Adam''s eyes, Malakai looked down and out, completely lost. But Adam knew Malakai wouldn''t back down; something in his eyes showed he had something up his sleeve. After the dodgeball match, Adam knew he was going to try something, but to him, it was futile. Whatever he did, Adam would defend it.

    "What should I do?" Malakai thought; he glanced at Nada one more time and

    "Fuck it", he said out loud.

    Malakai started walking backwards. He was moving back to the starting point. He was moving further away from the line so Adam could cross over, but Adam would still need to get past Malakai to beat him. Once Malakai reached the starting point, he took a deep breath and stared down at Adam.

    "What''s he doing? Does he think he can get past me with speed? Momentum won''t help him", Adam thought.

    Out of nowhere, Malakai was sprinting towards him, picking up pace. Malakai got closer and closer, charging at Adam. Once he was close enough, he feinted to his right. Adam didn''t flinch; it was too obvious. Malakai then changed direction to his left. This tricked Adam a little as the pace he was going on made it look like he was definitely going towards Adam''s right, but it was a feint. Malakai then ran towards Nada.Adam fell for the bait, not entirely, but just enough to give Malakai at least a split-second headstart.

    Malakai sprinting at Nada, he called out, "Nada!"

    Nada turned her head to the voice and saw Malakai running to her; she also saw Adam chasing him on the other side. Nada froze. She didn''t understand what was happening. She didn''t get any instructions, so she stood still. Malakai reached Nada and wrapped his arms around her stomach, picking her up. He pivoted on his left foot, turning 180 degrees while crossing over the line to the other side. Malakai and Nada were mainly on the other side. Adam and Kyle had to touch them to eliminate them. Adam and Kyle reached out to touch their opponent. Adam''s stretched-out arm touched Nada''s stomach, while Kyle''s hand touched Malakai''s back. They both touched someone but not the person they were defending. As Malakai picked up Nada and held her while they turned around, Nada faced Adam, and Malakai''s back faced Kyle. Adam was close to touching Malakai''s hands, which were wrapped around Nada''s stomach, but he aimed too high and missed. Malakai and Nada successfully crossed to the other side without getting touched by their opponent. Malakai kept running with Nada in his arms, getting past Adam and Kyle. Adrenaline took over, and he kept going. He slowed down and let go of Nada, putting her down so she could walk on her own. Malakai continued to jog and eventually stopped; he slightly stretched out his arms in celebration, closed his eyes and lifted his head towards the sky. Euphoria. This feeling he had gave him flashbacks of when he was back in the UK, and he scored a last-minute winner in a football match; every time he proved someone wrong, every time he won a race, every time he won something, this feeling he had you could only feel it after special occasions. Euphoria. He felt like he won the whole thing. Malakai opened his eyes and came back to reality after seeing the ceiling. He turned around and saw Nada smiling at him. As soon as he fully turned, she pounced on him.

    "YESSSS! YOU DID IT AGAIN!" She said in excitement while holding onto him.

    "It was part of the plan", Malakai played it off.

    "How the fuck did I pull that off?" He thought. Just like in Finders Keepers, Malakai thought he had lost. It looked like there was no way through Adam. In truth, the reason why they won was Nada. If that was anyone else, could Malakai pick them up like he did to Nada? Not to mention the fact that Nada had Kyle under control the whole time. Despite it looking like Malakai did everything, he knew Nada was the main reason they were in the final. He pulled out the hug and put a hand on her head, ruffling her hair; he smiled at her and said,

    "You''re cold, you know that?"

    "WHAT DID I TELL YOU? IT''S MALLY. HE IS HIM!" William shouted, jumping up and down, happy to see his friend go through.

    David was speechless; he didn''t know what to say. What just happened?

    "I don''t know how he does it every time, but he always does", Benjamin said, smiling ear to ear.

    "I don''t think we should doubt him ever again", Lucas said, looking at the group, shaking his head, and smiling.

    "I have to admit again, he is kinda incredible, isn''t he?" Tanisha said, clapping at his performance.

    "Yeah, it seems like every opportunity like this, he does something new that wows me", Delilah replied, also clapping.

    "Even me and I''ve been his friend for three years��that idiot," David said, finally putting some words together. They weren''t exaggerating either; the people around them reacted similarly to them, and they were even Malakai''s friends. What Malakai pulled off looked cool, and their reactions were understandable.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    "We lost," Adam thought as he watched Malakai and Nada celebrate together. Did he beat me?" He then looked at Kyle, who was upset that they had been eliminated. "No, he didn''t. One-on-one, he didn''t beat me. He beat me because he trusted his teammate. Did I even trust Kyle? No, I expected him to cross the line at some point, but he didn''t," he thought, returning his gaze to Malakai. "It''s fine. I got to see Malakai up close and gauge his ability. He''s good, but nothing I should worry about. As long as he is alone, he''s nothing special. I can handle him easily". Adam walked off towards the teacher. "Can I leave?" He asked the teacher.

    "Yeah, you''re free to leave", the teacher replied. "Congratulations to these two for coming third; they will both get 80 points", the teacher announced. With that, Adam left without seeing anymore; Kyle saw him leaving and went to follow. Adam got let down by his teammate, or did he get outplayed by Malakai?

    "You made it!" Ray said, handshaking Malakai and bringing him into a hug.

    "I told you I would. Did you doubt me?" Malakai joked.

    "Yeah, the guy you were versing looked good", Ray honestly replied.

    "He was, I''m not gonna lie", Malakai said, looking around to find him, but he had already left.

    "Congratulations," Maria said half-heartedly. She was happy Malakai made it, but seeing how he made it��holding Nada close and even in the celebrations. She couldn''t help but think, why couldn''t it be her? But at the same time, could Malakai do what he did with Nada if it was her? Maria couldn''t sort her feelings out, but there was no time for that, as,

    "CAN THE LAST TWO PAIRS STEP FORWARD. THE FINAL WILL START NOW!"

    The crowd got hyped up after hearing that announcement. No time was wasted; they were getting straight to the final.

    The four of them walked towards the teacher. "You both know the rules?" the teacher asked. All of them nodded. "Okay, who is defending who?"

    "I''m defending him", Malakai said, smiling and pointing at Ray.

    "Of course you are", Ray replied, mirroring Malakai''s smile.

    "Okay, that''s settled. Can you and your pair go to your own sides, please?"

    "Good luck", Malakai said, offering his hand.

    "Good luck. Make sure you give it your all", Ray replied, squeezing Malakai''s hand and shaking it firmly.

    "Who do you think is going to win?" Delilah asked the group, looking at the finalists taking their positions.

    "Ray", all the boys said in synchrony.

    "Really? "Delilah couldn''t believe it. "What about you?" Delilah asked Tanisha.

    "Obviously, I''m going to say my girl Maria," Tanisha answered with conviction, believing 100 per cent in Maria and Ray.

    Delilah thought Malakai would walk this, but now she wondered if Ray was that good. Or did they all say Ray because they wanted him to win? Was she the crazy one?

    "What are we going to do?" Maria questioned Ray, thinking there was no hope.

    "I''m not too sure. Do you think you can get past Nada?" He asked, looking at her.

    "I think I can", she doubtfully answered. Honestly, she didn''t think she could but lied to give Ray hope.

    "Me too. I think I can get past Mally," Ray replied. They both looked at each other and giggled, seeing each other''s faces clearly showing they were lying to one another.

    "Let''s just do our best and see what happens", Maria smiled.

    "Yeah".

    "IS EVERYONE READY?!" The teacher shouted.

    Everyone readied themselves.

    FFWEETTT!!!

    They all ran to the centre where they would meet each other. Ray was in front of Malakai, and Nada was in front of Maria.

    "This is harder than it looks", Ray thought, looking at Malakai and trying to figure out where to go. He kept shifting left and right, but Malakai was there to stop it and block wherever he went. It didn''t help that Malakai was more agile and nimble than him.

    "What''s wrong, Ray? Can''t get past me?" Malakai teased, smiling in his face and trying to make eye contact with him.

    "Shut up", Ray replied, trying to concentrate.

    "This is the first time we''ve versed each other in something in real life." Malakai kept talking, trying to distract Ray, but Ray didn''t talk back. Malakai was good at trash-talking, so he was trying to piss Ray off.

    Randomly, Malakai feinted to the right, which caught Ray off guard. He may have gotten through if Malakai hadn''t feinted and committed to going. That''s how low Ray''s guard was,

    "Woah, I forgot I have to defend him as well", Ray thought. Ray''s eyes were all over Malakai''s body, looking at every slight movement.

    "Why is this guy good at everything?" Ray thought. He looked at Malakai''s face, saw his usual smile, and finally met his eyes.

    "Ray chat to me. How''s life?" Malakai joked, trying to get him to talk. "I''m your friend, talk to me-"

    "MALAKAI!" A voice shouted. Malakai quickly looked to his right and saw Maria running on his side; she got past Nada.

    "Huh?"

    Suddenly, Ray looked like he was running to Malakai''s right. Malakai saw it from the corner of his eye and went for it, but Ray faked him out. Ray changed direction and ran to Malakai''s left. Malakai swung out an arm to reach him but missed. Ray ran past him. Ray and Maria won. They were on the other side; they looked at each other, they couldn''t believe it. They both ran to one another and embraced. The crowd cheered loudly; no one in the crowd expected that. Someone other than Malakai won.

    "Ha. Damn".

 Chapter 39 - A Win Is A Win

    "Mally, let him win", Lucas said, clapping his hands and looking at Ray celebrating.

    "Yep, it was obvious", Benjamin replied.

    "Wait, all of you knew he was going to do that?" Delilah questioned, turning to him, beginning to think this was planned.

    "Kinda, if he didn''t let Ray win, that would''ve been surprising", William told her.

    "Why would he do that? He could''ve gotten more points. Someone might close the gap now", Tanisha disappointingly said after hearing Malakai didn''t try. Even though her friend won, it felt less like a win after hearing her opponent let her win. It didn''t sit right with her.

    "Think of it this way. Imagine you''re in Mally''s position. Would you let Maria win?" David asked her.

    "Of course I would", Tanisha answered, slowly realising she answered her own question.

    "I should''ve known, to be fair", Delilah said, looking at her friends on the court.

    "Mally''s selfless; he would do anything for his friends".

    Malakai and Nada were talking with each other.

    "You let us win, didn''t you?" Ray asked, walking towards them.

    "Na, you won fair and square", Malakai replied, putting his hands up like a cop told him to.

    "Liar, how could you beat the other guy and not me?" Ray kept piling on the questions, knowing what his friend was like.

    "Cuz you''re better than him. Besides, Maria got past Nada; the most we could''ve got was a draw", Malakai said with a smile.

    "You told Nada to let Maria go past her", Ray said, not believing he won fairly.

    "Bro, you won; why are you complaining?"

    Before the match started.

    "The final. What''s the plan?" Nada excitedly asked with her hands clasped together.

    "We let them win", Malakai casually replied.

    "Huh? Why?" Nada questioned, shocked by the reply.

    "For the greater good".

    "Greater good of what?" Nada was confused.

    "Of the universe", Malakai exaggeratedly said.

    Nada didn''t get it, but "Okay", she agreed.

    "Unless you don''t wanna do that. Do you wanna win?" Malakai asked to make sure. He was only thinking about his friend and not how Nada felt.

    "I don''t mind. You''re doing this for your friends, I understand", Nada replied. "You did say you wanted to have fun, and I''ve had a lot of fun today", Nada smiled. "It''s kinda cool knowing we could''ve won if we wanted to".

    "Yeah", Malakai happily replied, relieved by her response.

    "How are we going to let them win?" Nada asked, happy to go along with it.

    "You good at acting?" Malakai questioned.

    "I think I''m good enough".

    The teacher came towards the students. "Congratulations, you got first place. You''ve won 100 points," he congratulated Ray and Maria. He then turned to the crowd that stayed to watch. "CAN I GET A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE WINNERS PLEASE!" He shouted. The crowd began to clap and whistle. Would Malakai and Nada get this reaction? I guess we''ll never know. "THANK YOU ALL FOR TODAY! I KNOW IT WAS DIFFERENT BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING PART. YOU ARE ALL FREE TO GO HOME!" The teacher announced before walking off.

    "Let''s go to the others", Malakai suggested. Everyone agreed and started walking towards them. Malakai and Nada were walking behind Maria and Ray, who were discussing the win. Malakai put his right hand on Nada''s head and quietly said, "Remind me to give you an Oscar later".

    When they reached their friends, they were greeted with smiles and laughter.

    "Mally, you let them win!" William loudly said so everyone could hear, even the bystanders.

    "Why''s everyone saying that? I didn''t", he replied, smiling, not making himself look innocent.

    "You did well against that guy, though." Benjamin praised him for the semi-final.

    "Did you think you were gonna lose?" David asked.

    "Naa, I had it covered", Malakai confidently replied.

    Lucas put him in a headlock, "Be honest".

    "Aryt, aryt. It looked a bit shaky, but I clutched it. It was all part of the plan", Malakai let out while in the headlock.

    "Who do you think won in the other building?" Delilah threw the question out there.

    "Alexander, most likely", David answered, stroking his chin.

    "Who cares? Let''s go get something to eat", Malakai said, still in Lucas''s headlock, trying to break free.

    "Yeah, let''s go out to eat, all of us", William excitedly said after hearing the idea.

    "Really?" Nada questioned, wondering if she was invited.

    "Yeah, if you wanna come?" Benjamin said, welcoming Nada.

    "Yes, I''d love to", Nada accepted.

    "Delilah?" Benjamin asked, checking if she was coming.

    "Yeah, after all of that, I need something to eat," she replied, happy to be involved because she was starving.

    "What about you two?" David asked the two girls, who were having their own conversation.

    "Us two what?" Tanisha didn''t hear what they asked as they were talking to each other and not listening to each other.

    "Do you want to eat with us?" David repeated the question. Tanisha was unsure,

    "Yeah, we''ll come", Maria eagerly replied, speaking for them both.

    Tanisha looked at Maria, smiled and sighed, "Yeah, we''ll come". If her friend wanted to go, then she didn''t mind going. The truth was that Tanisha was hungry, but she wanted to go with Maria alone to eat somewhere. However, this offer came first, and Maria accepted it. Overall, Tanisha was happy; she felt like she had made a few friends here, and it looked like they were going to bond further. They all agreed to eat, so the ten left the building, searching for a place to eat.

    On the other side of campus outside of the other building.

    "Are you pissed?" Lorenzo asked, scrolling through his phone.

    "I''m not too sure", Ryan answered, looking up at the sky. The two were walking together back to their dorm.

    "Third place isn''t that bad. I''m happy with 85 points", Lorenzo said, showing he wasn''t that fussed about not reaching the final.

    "First place would have been nice, but they are from 1-A, I suppose", Ryan said, keeping his gaze up at the sky.

    "You should stop underestimating them; they are legit in a higher class than us", Lorenzo replied, trying to bring up to reality.

    "I''m not underestimating; I''m just confident in myself", Ryan said, looking at Lorenzo, who was, as usual, staring at his phone.

    "Do you think Malakai got first place?" Lorenzo questioned to make the conversation interesting.

    "I don''t care, he probably did. I''ll ask a girl from class D or E later." Ryan got annoyed thinking about the possibility of Malakai finishing higher than him.

    "You got connections everywhere. D, E, second years, even some third years", Lorenzo said, listing the options.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere."I got none from A or C. I can probably persuade a girl from C, but I don''t see anyone from A telling me something." As soon as Ryan stopped talking, he got a notification on his phone; it was a message. "Malakai came second; his friend came first", he read out the text.

    "He definitely let his friend win", Lorenzo''s first reaction to hearing that.

    "So useless", Ryan frustratingly said, thinking about Adam and Dillon.

    "I thought everyone at that meeting was good?" Lorenzo asked.

    "I don''t care about Dillon; he''s a big guy who scares people. But Adam was supposed to be good. No, he is good; how the hell did he lose?" Ryan rhetorically asked, putting his phone back in his pocket.

    "Maybe Malakai is that guy," Lorenzo said, knowing Ryan would not take kindly to that statement.

    Ryan was annoyed but didn''t show it, "Patience is a virtue. His time will come".

    Alexander and Frank were also walking out of the building.

    "100 points just like that", Frank said, cracking his fingers

    "If the opportunity for points comes this often, it won''t take me long to pull ahead of everyone", Alexander replied, sounding bored.

    "What did you think of Mark and Kennedy? They were pretty good in the final", Frank asked to get a conversation going.

    "I found no trouble getting past the person who was defending me. You didn''t cross the line, but it worked," Alexander said condescendingly out of habit. He didn''t mean it in a bad way; he said it how it was.

    "I''m a big guy. I had to defend the guy", Frank replied, defending himself. The final was over quickly; Alexander crossed to the other side as soon as he ran to the centre. He went behind Frank so he was out of sight of Mark, who was defending him, and changed direction to mislead Mark. Mark couldn''t keep up with Alexander, so Alexander ran past him. As he crossed over, the 30-second timer was set. Frank didn''t try getting past Kennedy. He focussed on defence, and it worked. They won as Alexander was the only one to cross.

    "Do you want to get something to eat?" Frank asked.

    "Sure".

    Frank didn''t bother mentioning Malakai and closing the gap between him. He knew what Alexander would say and refrained from mentioning his name. They would eventually see the point gap at 6:00 PM.

    "What are we ordering?" William asked the group.

    "I''m not your dad, bro. Order yourself", Malakai replied.

    "I''m asking everyone!" William snapped back.

    "Everyone''s gonna want something different", Malakai argued back, smiling, knowing what he was doing. The ten of them were at a restaurant and found a place where they could all sit together��five people in one row and five across them in another row. The row went like this: David, Malakai, William, Benjamin and Lucas. Delilah, Maria, Tanisha, Nada and Ray were in the other row.

    "Do they always argue like a bunch of kids?" Tanisha asked Benjamin, giving them a look as she was sitting in front of William.

    "Yeah, them two always argue, but Malakai does it to take the piss and William gets pissed every time. It''s funny to watch", Benjamin replied, showing it was normal.

    "I don''t get pissed", William said, turning to them.

    "It''s a skill issue", Malakai said, trying to piss William off.

    "Shut up, that makes no sense." It worked. Everyone focused on the menu and looked at what to order.

    David lifted the menu in front of him, "Mally", he said, nudging him.

    "Yo".

    "Lemme ask you something", he quietly said, looking at his menu.

    "Aryt," Malakai replied, leaning towards David to look at the menu he was holding, making it look like they were discussing what to order.

    "Can you trust that girl?" David asked.

    "Nada?" Malakai replied, still looking at the menu.

    "Yeah, you randomly became close with her, " he said, glancing at her. Nada was talking to Ray, and she was all the way on the other side, so she couldn''t hear what they were talking about.

    "We ain''t that close," Malakai said, leaning back in his seat. He looked at David. "Talk quietly," Malakai continued.

    David put his menu flat on the table to avoid looking suspicious. "I find it weird how you two randomly became friends", David said, looking at him.

    "It''s fine, she''s harmless", Malakai replied, reassuring him.

    "I''m just saying she might be using you. Worse, she could stab you in the back later on", David warned him, as he didn''t know Nada well.

    Malakai smiled, "Na, it''s nothing like that. I can''t lie; I think it''s the other way round. I used her in the mini-games".

    "I don''t mean now; I mean later on." David continued to caution him.

    "You''re worrying too much. I got it under control. She won''t stab me in the back, and if she does, it will probably be with a butter knife", Malakai told him, making a joke out of the situation.

    David smirked at that comment, "Whatever you say", he shrugged.

    Everyone ordered, and instead of waiting until they finished eating, the waiter gave them the bill before the food came.

    "All of that will cost 458 credits", the waiter told them. Looks went around the whole table,

    "Who''s paying?" Malakai asked. Everyone looked at him. "Why''s everyone looking at me��. I ain''t paying!" He refused, sitting up.

    "Put your hand up if you think Malakai should pay", Lucas said, putting his hand up. Everyone had their hand up except Nada; Maria had her hand half-heartedly.

    "Why? What did I do?" Malakai asked in desperation for answers.

    "You let Ray win", Benjamin told him.

    "What?! That makes no sense", Malakai was confused.

    "You didn''t try; if you tried, it would have been a different story", David explained, putting a hand on his shoulder.

    "Bro, a win is a win", Malakai admitted to letting Ray win. He looked around the table, and no one supported him, so he gave up and shook his head. "Aryt, how much was it again?" He politely asked the waiter.

    "458 credits".

    "The fuck are you lot ordering", Malakai whined, looking at everyone with a dumbfounded look on his face.

    "You told me you were rich", Delilah said, using his own words against him. Malakai looked at her, betrayed. He couldn''t even respond because he did say that. He pulled out his phone and sighed.

    "I can pay for half if you want", Maria offered.

    "Na, it''s calm", Malakai replied, waving his hand. He then scanned his phone to pay for the bill; as soon as he heard the ping noise to notify that he''d paid, he felt a pain in his chest. He took damage with his credits. He then looked at Nada, who was hiding behind her menu.

    "Why didn''t you offer to pay half?" he complained, pointing at Nada.

    "No one said my name, plus I was doing what you told me. If you told me let''s win, I would''ve done it", Nada replied.

    Malakai shook his head and said, "I''m disappointed".

    "I''m sorrryy", Nada tried apologising.

    Malakai turned his head to the left, placed his head on his palm, looked out the window, smiled and quietly said to himself,

    "What a day".

 Chapter 40 - This Is Only The Starter

    "That was great", one of them said, grinning from ear to ear.

    "That went better than expected", another one added.

    We were back in that room full of higher-ups.

    "Put some points on the line, and these students will do anything", one of them chuckled.

    "I''ve got to admit, the mini-games in building A were boring, but in building B, it was certainly entertaining".

    "It was all because of that boy. What was his name again? He was the boy that challenged Johan on the first day".

    "Let me see", one of them looked down at his papers showing a list of students. "Here, Malakai Junior".

    "He was brilliant. We need to move him up a class, he''s too good for 1-C".

    "You''re not going to do that!"

    Half of the men rolled their eyes as soon as he spoke up. To give you more context, there are seven higher-ups. Six of them have stayed in the same position for quite some time now; however, one of them has only been in this position for three years. So he was the odd one out and the one that was disliked by the rest of them. He wasn''t like the rest of them, so he was often alienated from the group. Unlike the others, he was heavily involved in recruitment this year, bringing in many different students and attracting big shots. He was in charge of looking at the applications, and he even did most of the interviews, a job a higher shouldn''t be doing. Therefore, even though he didn''t personally know these students, he still felt responsible for them. Seeing the others enjoy making them run around to entertain them didn''t rub him the right way. Treating this like it was a circus. Yes, they were competing for a huge cash prize and other rewards, but it is still early, yet they are already changing things and planning on changing more. However, he was outnumbered. Despite being the reason why they were smiling, he wasn''t given the plaudits he would''ve thought he would have gotten before the year started. Did he do all this for their praise? Or did he want to see a change in this academy himself? The three years he had been here, it was different at first, but the next two years were underwhelming and felt similar. Thinking about that, he could see where the other higher-ups were getting at, but it didn''t change the fact that these were still students. They couldn''t go overboard.

    "You''re not changing students and transferring them to different classes", he clarified.

    "Okay, fine", the one who brought up the idea quickly gave up.

    "I''ve got to ask. Where did you find Malakai? He''s from the UK, yes? And why did you decide to put him in 1-C?" One of them asked, giving him a cold stare.

    "There''s nothing interesting about it. His application was good, and he did well through the interview stage. Why he is in 1-C is all down to him. I didn''t place him there; it was all down to the tests beforehand," he answered in a passive-aggressive tone.

    "He didn''t do well in those tests?"

    "He did well enough to be in 1-C", he replied.

    The tests decided what class the students would be in. The tests were all about knowledge, so they were an IQ test, a written test, and a psychological test to see how the student thinks. The combination of the results would determine their class. So, being in a higher class doesn''t necessarily give you an advantage in challenges, but it is a different story for exams and assignments. Therefore, the students in higher classes are more likely to gain higher points through exams and assignments than those in lower classes. However, for challenges, this could be flipped the other way around.

    "He didn''t win, but I''m sure if he wanted to, he could''ve".

    "He needs to learn that friends won''t help you win here". They decided to stop listening to him and isolate him from the conversation.

    "Mr Ledge''s son also reached the semi-finals".

    "When I first heard his son was coming to this academy, I expected better than a 1-E student".

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    One of them smiled and said, "As this was a success, I think the next challenge should be changed". The odd one out didn''t say anything. He just looked at him with a straight face. "Do you have a problem with that?" he asked him.

    "Whatever I say, you will do it anyway. What''s the point of getting my opinion?" he replied.

    "No, no. If you''re still sour about the mini-games, we''re all sorry for not telling you. But this time, I''m letting you know".

    "Do whatever you want," he said, rising from his chair and making his way toward the door. "But, if there is a problem, I''m not helping you fix it", he said before leaving.

    All the men watched him leave and were glad he had left.

    "Ignore him; what changes are you planning?" One of them curiously asked.

    "It''s going to be good. I just need a bit of time because this challenge will require a lot of preparation".

    6:18 PM

    Micheal and Leon were relaxing in their dorm, playing on their PlayStation. For them, it was a typical Wednesday.

    Ping!

    Micheal picked up his phone with his right hand while still holding the controller with his left. He wasn''t paying attention to the game anymore.

    "What?" Micheal''s reaction after reading the text he got was that

    "What''s up?" Leon asked, looking at him surprised Micheal, of all people, reacted like that.

    "Apparently, the first-years had something called mini-games, and they got points from it", Micheal told him.

    "What? Who told you?" Leon questioned, also not paying attention to the game anymore.

    "A guy I know in the year above us. He was told to supervise, and he got given points for helping out", Micheal replied.

    "Mini-games? What did they do?" Leon kept questioning, finding it hard to believe.

    Micheal kept reading the messages he was getting. "He''s telling me they played games like Red Light, Green Light, and dodgeball. Everyone was in pairs, and the pair that came out on top got 100 points." Micheal summarised the text to Leon.

    Leon thought about it for a moment. "First years, huh?" he thought. "Did Malakai win?" Leon was intrigued to know.

    "Good question. I''ll ask him." Micheal wasn''t thinking about Malakai until Leon mentioned him. Micheal sent a text and asked if a boy with a scar across his nose won. "I didn''t see anyone with a scar on their nose. He was probably in the other building. The mini-games were split into two groups; he must have been in the other group", Micheal read out.

    "I guess we have to find out later," Leon said, picking up his controller again and resuming his game. Micheal zoned out for a second. "Why are these first-years getting special treatment?" Leon complained out loud.

    Leon''s comment brought Micheal back, "Maybe they''re switching things up this year", he replied. "Or maybe because these students are special", Micheal mumbled so Leon couldn''t hear.

    "What did you say?" Leon asked, not hearing the last bit as he focused on the game.

    "Nothing. I was just thinking I should''ve got Malakai''s number when we talked to him," Micheal said, looking through his contacts and ensuring he didn''t have Malakai''s number.

    "You could get his phone number through email", Leon suggested.

    "That''s lame, getting his number through emailing him. He''ll think I''m a weirdo", Micheal laughed.

    "You got a point. Do you want to be his friend?" Leon asked. Even though they talked with him at the club and Malakai said they were friends, they haven''t really considered him friends yet.

    Micheal thought for a second, "I guess. I just want to see what happens to him".

    "What do you mean?"

    "He challenged a third-year and won, and he isn''t even in class A. Surely you''re interested in where he''s going to place?" Micheal replied.

    "Kinda, but not really. We''ve got our own shit to worry about", Leon said, understanding his point but at the same time not caring.

    Micheal leaned back on the couch after hearing his opinion, "I cba for that", he said.

    "Bro, you''re the only one who can catch her. Why are you acting like you''re out of the race? It''s only the start of the year", Leon tried to motivate. Micheal kissed his teeth; he didn''t want a lecture. "You said it yourself to Malakai. It''s not unachievable to get to her", Leon continued.

    "That was the drink talking; you know alcohol gives people unrealistic confidence", Micheal argued back, cutting him off from saying more.

    "You weren''t drunk when you were talking to him; you looked fine to me", Leon pointed out while concentrating on his game.

    Micheal rested his head on the couch and looked at the ceiling, "After what happened at the end of last year, I''m not sure anymore".

    "Who cares? That was last year; she might slip up this year and do horribly on some of the challenges." Leon replied, believing in Michael.

    "I don''t think so", Micheal said, staring into space.

    Leon paused his game and looked at Micheal, "You know what? I''ll get Malakai''s number so he can talk some shit to you", Leon said. Micheal scoffed. "Or even better, I''ll call your girlfriend to come lecture you", Leon continued.

    "Who''s my girlfriend?" Micheal questioned.

    "Chloe".

    "Nope! I''m good. You''ve motivated me enough", Micheal laughed. He rested his head back on the couch and continued to look at the ceiling, trapped in his thoughts.

    "What''s going to happen to us this year?"

    <u>LEADERBOARD</u>

    1) MALAKAI JUNIOR (1-C) - 648 POINTS

    2) ALEXANDER BURRELL (1-A) - 594 POINTS

    3) FRANK CARTER (1-A) - 586 POINTS

    4) MARK HARISON (1-A) - 577 POINTS

    5) KENNEDY SMITH (1-A) - 573 POINTS

    6) RYAN LEE (1-B) - 561 POINTS

    7) LORENZO DEMARCO (1-B) - 561 POINTS

    8) BRI LOPEZ (1-A) - 555 POINTS

    9) SYDNEY HAYES (1-A) - 551 POINTS

    10) EVE MASON (1-A) - 549 POINTS

 Chapter 41 - Racismo No?

    October 13th. Friday, 2:14 PM.

    Class 1-C had gym class. Despite not having exams for this subject, the academy still puts gym classes on the student''s timetable to keep them active and healthy. Also, it would benefit them for the challenges. The boys and girls were split into their areas doing their own activities, so they were still in the gymnasium just on different sides. The boys played basketball while the girls played indoor soccer (football). In 1-C, there were 16 boys and 14 girls, so there were more boys. The girls had already started, while the boys had yet to start because some people were taking their time getting ready. The boys stood in a line waiting to be picked by one of the two captains standing before them.

    Malakai looked to his right, across the gymnasium, "Why do they get to play football?" he complained, looking at the girls'' play with jealousy.

    "Foot-ball", William repeated in an English accent to mock Malakai.

    "Yeah, that''s what it''s called", Malakai replied, not taking offence.

    "No, it''s not. It''s called soccer", William said, annoyed Malakai didn''t react to his attempt to piss him off.

    "Soccer", Malakai repeated in a goofy American accent to mock William. "Tell me, what do you do with the ball? You kick it. What do you kick the ball with? Your foot", Malakai said, explaining to William like he was a child.

    "We already have a sport called football", William replied, avoiding what Malakai told him.

    "Yeah, and they barely kick it." Malakai smiled, knowing he got him.

    "Shut up, no one calls it foot-"

    "William!"

    William turned to where he heard his voice being called from. "Yeah?" He cluelessly responded.

    "You''re on our team", Benjamin told him, disrupting their argument.

    "Ha," William said to Malakai while walking to his team.

    Malakai looked to his left and saw only one guy standing in line with him. "How am I one of the last guys picked?!" He rhetorically asked.

    "Leroy", the other captain called out.

    Malakai looked around in disbelief. He was the last guy that was picked. He turned to the coach,

    "Coach! Racismo, no?" Malakai said in a Spanish accent, taking the piss.

    "Malakai, I don''t think race has anything to do with it. I think it''s more your height", the coach responded.

    "Woah. Coach, that was a bit too far", Malakai said, trying to play the victim but still taking the piss.

    "Just go to your team", he replied, tired of Malakai''s jokes.

    "Sorry sir".

    On the girl''s side, Tanisha and Delilah were sitting on the side, leaning against the wall, watching their classmates play. They both told their teacher they were tired, and their teacher allowed them to rest and sit out. It was warranted as the two did run and give their best; the mini-games seemed to motivate them even more. Or it showed them how unfit they were.

    "Maria''s pretty good. Did she play a lot of sports at school?" Delilah asked, spectating the game.

    "She did", Tanisha replied, proudly watching her friend. "She played a lot of different sports: soccer, netball, volleyball, even tennis. She''s very competitive, you know", Tanisha told her.

    "Really?" Delilah was surprised by that, as it didn''t look like she was the competitive type.

    "Yeah, when she was younger, she always wanted to win. When she lost, she used to cry, and I always had to cheer her up", Tanisha reminisced.

    Delilah chuckled, "I feel that''s every girl when they are young".

    Tanisha scoffed, "Nope, she was like that till she was 15".

    "Is she still competitive now?" Delilah asked, looking at Maria who had the ball at her feet.

    "A little. Not as much as before, but even right now, you can still see that she wants to win", Tanisha replied. "She''s incredible. Everyone may look at her like she''s the daughter of a celebrity, but sometimes she does stuff that is like, wow, how did she do that?"

    Delilah kept watching the game, seeing Maria dribbling with the ball, "How did you two become friends?" Delilah curiously asked.

    Tanisha smiled after hearing that question. "I''ve been her friend since fourth grade. She sat next to me in most classes, so we talked a lot and became friends", she answered.

    "That''s a long time. Was she popular?" Delilah asked the obvious question.

    "Course she was. Everyone loved her, but you know how school is. Everyone wants to be around the popular kids", Tanisha replied, looking down at her trainers.

    "Did she have a lot of friends?" Delilah continued to ask.

    "She had about five real friends, including me. All of us kept her safe from everyone else", Tanisha answered.

    "Do you still talk to them?"

    "Yeah, we text each other in our group chat. We all wanted to come to this academy together, but only me and Maria got in", Tanisha said, slowing down her tone near the end of her sentence.

    "You still talk to them, at least; that''s good," Delilah said, showing the bright side of things. Tanisha smiled at the comment. Where are they now?" Delilah asked.

    "They''re all back in California doing their own thing", Tanisha replied.

    "California. That''s a long way from here", Delilah said. There was silence for a few seconds; it wasn''t an awkward silence. The two of them just watched the game for a few seconds.

    "Did Maria get asked out a lot?" Delilah asked a question most people would want to know to kill the silence.

    "All the time", Tanisha said, shaking her head. "She rejected all of them, but it''s her fault she got so many boys after her".

    "Why?" Delilah questioned.

    "She''s too nice. It''s just how she is; she''s a good person. So, the boys got the wrong idea," Tanisha explained. It doesn''t help that she''s a model," Tanisha bitterly added.

    "Has she been asked out by anyone here?" Delilah asked.

    "In this academy? Not that I know of", Tanisha replied. The two fell into silence again and kept watching the game for a few seconds before,

    "What about your friends? Do you still talk to them?" Tanisha flipped it on her.

    Delilah looked up, "Not really; I didn''t have many friends. The few I had weren''t close or anything, but I still consider them good friends. We all went and did our own thing", Delilah shyly answered, trying to avoid eye contact.

    "It''s better now, at least; you''ve made a lot of friends here", Tanisha said, cheering Delilah up.

    "Yeah, I surprised myself", Delilah replied, smiling, thinking about how far she''s come.

    The two looked up and saw their classmates crowding around the teacher,

    "Guess they''re finished", Tanisha said.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website."Yep, time to go," Delilah replied, standing up. The two went to join their classmates and listen to their teacher''s summary of the lesson. The teacher finished and dismissed the students; the girls were walking out of the gymnasium, but they passed the boys'' area on the way. Delilah, Tanisha, and Maria glanced over at their game and saw Malakai standing still.

    "Why is he standing still? Isn''t he supposed to be running around?" Tanisha said, seeing Malakai with his hands in his pockets.

    "Malakai, Whatcha doing?" Delilah called out.

    Malakai turned to the sound of his voice and saw Delilah, "Just hanging around", he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

    "Are you winning or losing?" Delilah asked.

    "I don''t know. I think we''re losing", Malakai answered, not knowing the score. Maria giggled at his cluelessness.

    "Why aren''t you running around?" Delilah questioned.

    "Noones passing me the ball", Malakai whined like a kid.

    "Maybe we found something he''s not good at", Tanisha quietly said to her friends.

    "Malakai, you''re not good at sports, are you?" Delilah presumed, watching his performance.

    "Huh!" Malakai was in disbelief she thought that. "Are you doubting me?" he asked.

    "I can see you''re not doing anything", Delilah told him how it is.

    "Aryt. If I make my next shot, you have to buy me suttin (something)", Malakais slang slipped out as he was excited by the bet he''s made.

    Delilah didn''t get a chance to agree, as Malakai had already,

    "RAY, PASS HERE!" Called for the ball.

    Ray was behind Malakai to his right; Ray threw the ball. Malakai advanced forward, dribbling the ball. No one came to pressure or tackle him, so Malakai kept going into the free space. Malakai had passed the centre circle. With the basketball in his hands, he looked up and saw he had the opportunity to shoot. Malakai held the ball with both hands, dropped it and volleyed it. Instead of shooting with his hands like a normal person, Malakai kicked a basketball as a shot. You could tell his favourite sport was football. The ball went straight for the hoop; it dove in the air. The basketball smacked against the backboard and went into the hoop with ease, not touching the rim. Malakai walked straight to Delilah and positioned right in front of her. He then proceeded to raise both hands, showcasing his middle fingers. With a smile on his face, he was holding two middle fingers to Delilah, proving her wrong.

    "I didn''t agree to it", Delilah said, shaking her head and hands while smiling.

    "I don''t care; after that, you have to", Malakai laughed, excited by the shot he made.

    "Delilah, I know I should take your side, but after what he did, I think it''s only fair", Tanisha voiced her opinion.

    "Noo, you''re supposed to help me." Delilah looked over at Maria for help. Maria shyly looked away; she wasn''t going to help.

    "Malakai! It doesn''t count!" David shouted from across the court.

    "Huh, why?" Malakai asked in confusion, turning towards him.

    The coach walked closer to Malakai, "You can''t kick a basketball. It''s against the rules; you can only use your hands", the coach informed him.

    ''Ha ha", Delilah mocked him.

    Malakai sighed,

    "Racismo no".

    4:13 PM.

    Adam was walking back to his dorm. Classes finished later than usual. Adam was walking alone; most of the time, this was the case. He would leave the class as soon as the lesson ended; occasionally, he would be stopped by some of his classmates, like Justin and Kyle, and then he was forced to accompany them. As he walked down the path, he noticed someone sitting on the bench further down; he couldn''t make out who it was. Without hesitation, Adam continued walking, looking ahead, not directly at the person on the bench, but it was still in sight. Stepping closer, he soon saw who it was. It was like a wave had hit Adam, travelling from his head to his feet. A wave of ''I can''t be bothered to talk to this guy''.

    "Adam, can we talk for a second?" the guy said, getting up from the bench and stepping before him.

    "Sure, what do you want, Ryan?" Adam replied, looking at him.

    Ryan''s facial expression was dead, not sinister or uneasy, just dead. "How''d you lose to Malakai?" Ryan learned that Adam didn''t like small talk, so he asked what he wanted to ask.

    "Me and my partner lost to Malakai and his partner. I didn''t individually lose to Malakai", Adam answered his question. Adam knew this conversation was bound to happen; he just didn''t know when. It''s better to get it over and done with now.

    "From what I heard, you were Malakai''s opponent and allowed him to cross to your side. So I believe YOU lost to Malakai", Ryan bluntly replied, emphasising the ''you'' making it known he felt like Adam lost.

    "If you watched the match, you would understand. I lost because my partner wasn''t on my wavelength. Malakai made the most of his partner." The two kept going back and forth, like in-laws arguing with each other passive-aggressively.

    "Didn''t I warn you this year that a lot of the challenges will be team-based and depend on your class? It''s your fault you put yourself in 1-E!" Ryan raised his voice.

    Adam looked away, "Don''t say stuff you don''t know", he quietly said.

    "What was that?" Ryan didn''t hear him.

    "Why do YOU care so much that Malakai beat me?" Adam asked. "Because I don''t care," Adam told the truth; when it happened, it was a bit of a shock, but after quickly analysing, he came to terms with it and accepted that he couldn''t do much.

    "I. Don''t. Like. Him. Every time I open the leaderboards, he''s number one. I see his name there, then I remember his stupid face," Ryan reiterated, describing his dislike for Malakai.

    "That''s not why you came to talk to me. It''s fine, you can tell me how it is. Don''t use your dislike for Malakai to mask your reason. Even you know Malakai will eventually fall." Adam wasn''t buying Ryan''s reply, he knew Ryan wanted to say more. Ryan stayed silent; he didn''t know what to say. "You expected more from me. Well, it''s fine; I don''t care if you''re disappointed. I''m not one of your chess pieces, test subjects or a piece of your puzzle", Adam said, walking past Ryan. Ryan kept the same face throughout his speech, but Adam stopped walking. With his back facing Ryan, he ended with, "It''s the other way around; you''re the one getting played".

    Ryan hastily turned around, aggregated by the comment, but only saw Adam walking away. Ryan grit his teeth, thinking momentarily that what Adam said might be true. Ryan stood there, the cold air breezing past him, and leaves rolled across his feet. After hearing what he had just been told, he didn''t notice these factors around him; he only thought of one thing,

    "We''ll see".

 Chapter 42 - One Of The Higher Ups

    October 20th. Friday, 11:55 AM.

    The week flew by. The students had an exam on Tuesdays and were getting the results at 6 PM today. This exam was out of 50, and whatever score out of 50 they got would equate to how many points they would get. The exam had various questions from all five subjects they studied; therefore, it was tricky. By now, even the students recognised the increase in difficulty on the academic side, but they were also about to acknowledge the other side. Today was Friday, so usually, they would have a schedule packed with lessons, but that wasn''t the case. The students received an email yesterday informing them that all their lessons were cancelled and were told they only had to attend a mandatory assembly held at midday.

    That''s where we are now��the main hall was jam-packed with every first-year student in their uniforms. Obviously, the students sat with their friends and near people they were familiar with.

    "Why are you yawning?" Benjamin asked Malakai, who was covering his yawning face.

    "You''re asking someone why they are yawning? I''m tired. Why else would I yawn?" Malakai replied like Benjamin was an idiot.

    "You know some people yawn after saying yawn or seeing someone else yawn", Lucas interjected.

    "No one asked", Malakai joked. Lucas got shut down. He didn''t bother arguing back because you would most likely lose if you got into an argument with Malakai. UK banter, Malakai''s friends still had to get used to it.

    "You woke up about half an hour ago. What time did you go to sleep?" Benjamin asked, looking at Malakai''s tired eyes. Malakai always had eyes that looked tired if you looked carefully, but today, they were obvious.

    "I don''t know. I didn''t check the time; the last time I checked, it was like 2:30 or something", Malakai said, thinking back.

    "Why do you go to sleep so late? Just go to bed earlier", Lucas told him.

    "Bro, I try, but I end up lying in bed just rolling left to right," Malakai replied, looking to his right at Lucas.

    "He''s always tired, forget him", William added.

    "Who invited you?" Malakai asked William. William was sitting next to Lucas, so he had to lean forward to get involved in the conversation.

    "Me. I invited myself", William came back.

    "That''s kinda sad cuz you''re not wanted", Malakai replied, smirking, trying to start an argument.

    "Please, don''t argue", Lucas pleaded, sitting in between the two. He wanted to avoid hearing them diss each other the whole time after stopping himself from starting one with Malakai.

    "Do you think it''s another challenge?" Ray asked David.

    "Yeah, I think so. Unless Malakai''s done something stupid again. I don''t see a reason for them to call an assembly".

    "Do you think they''re going to announce a challenge?" Lorenzo asked Ryan, who looked calm.

    "No. A second-year girl told me the next challenge is all about cards, and it happens at the end of October", Ryan replied slyly, looking around the hall.

    "And you believe her?" Lorenzo said, sounding sceptical.

    "It wasn''t only her that said that a few others did as well", Ryan replied.

    "How many second years did you sleep with?" Lorenzo sarcastically asked.

    "Why are you assuming I slept with them?" Ryan answered Lorenzo with a question.

    "I saw different pairs of shoes outside your room. I doubt you''re bringing girls over to have a study session", Lorenzo brutally answered.

    "Do you have a problem with it?" Ryan questioned, as it sounded like Lorenzo had a problem.

    "Na, man. Do what you gotta do", Lorenzo said in a voice showing he didn''t care.

    Ryan kept looking around the hall at the other students. "I''m pretty sure this assembly is about the mini-games, or they''re going to make an announcement about exams", Ryan predicted.

    "Ok, that''s cool, bro", Lorenzo replied, uninterested.

    Ryan glared at Lorenzo. "Get off your phone, man; it looks like someone''s coming on stage," Ryan told Lorenzo. Throughout the whole conversation, Lorenzo scrolled through his phone and didn''t look at Ryan once.

    "Fine," Lorenzo said, turning off his phone and putting it in his pocket. Ryan wasn''t lying as a figure walked on the stage towards the mic at the centre.

    Now standing in front of the students was a short, round older man. He had grey hair on both sides of his head and the back, but the top lacked hair. He wasn''t very old��he looked about 50��but you could tell he was closer to 60 than 50. The man was clean-shaven in a navy blue suit with smart brown shoes��an unfamiliar face to all the students.

    "Good afternoon, everyone!" He said in the mic. After that greeting, all the scraps of noise were cleaned up, and now there was dead silence. "This is the first time you''ve seen me, so let me introduce myself", he continued. He looked left to right with a proud look on his face.

    "My name is Mr Miller, and I''m one of the higher-ups in this Academy".

    After mentioning his position, the students gave each other a few looks, and a few whispers appeared.

    "Please, can I get your attention?" Mr Miller said, killing the whispers before it grew into something louder. "Thank you. As I said, I''m a higher-up, so I oversee most things in this Academy and am involved in the many important decisions involved".

    "Do you think he knows who you are?" Benjamin whispered to Malakai.

    "I doubt it. I''m only a first-year; I don''t think he cares", Malakai replied, slouched back in his seat.

    "I''ve got to say I''m very impressed by the standard this year. I''ve seen your results for the first challenge and the mini-games. There are some great students", Mr Miller praised them.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it."What were you saying?" Benjamin said to Malakai like he proved him wrong.

    "I still doubt he knows who I am, though", Malakai replied. "He''s probably only seen my name. He said he''s a higher-up; why would he waste his time watching us?" Malakai said, thinking what Mr Miller was saying was all fake. Sweet talk to flatter everyone.

    "Anyways, I''m the one who organised this assembly. This is because I''m here to announce that next week the second challenge will take place".

    After this announcement, different groups of students had different emotions. Some were surprised, some were happy or excited, and the majority of the students were still tired. Even after the mini-games, the leaderboard didn''t change much, but now, with another challenge, students gained some confidence to break into the top ten.

    "I won''t tell you what the challenge is; you will find out soon. But I will tell you some important information. There will be no lessons next week; the challenge takes place all week. All of you will be sent an email telling you what day your challenge will occur." Mr Miller looked around the hall, excited about what was to come. "I see some of you are confused. Don''t worry. All of you will be doing the same challenge. We just had to split you throughout the week to make it work. I know some of you are expecting a challenge involving cards, but let me inform you now that won''t be the case".

    Ryan kissed his teeth. All the information he gathered was for no reason. It seemed like things were different this year; he should''ve known after the random introduction of mini-games. His initial plan was out the window, and there was no way to make a new one as the next challenge was unknown. Getting number one doesn''t look that easy now.

    "For this challenge, you will be in groups of five; you will find out who is in your group on the day of your challenge. In the email you receive, you will be given the day of your challenge and a number between one and six. The number represents what group you are in."

    "Do you think we''ll be in the same group?" Frank asked Alexander.

    "The chances are slim, so my guess would be no", Alexander replied quietly.

    "That is all the information I''m giving you", Mr Miller said. Just before he walked off, he said, "Oh, I almost forgot: the challenge will be livestreamed. So you can watch your friends compete in their challenge. The livestream will be available on the academy app; then you can connect it to the TV in your dorm".

    Something that has never been done before, livestreaming a challenge. The first time the academy was trying was on these new first years.

    Mr Miller clapped his hands together. "That''s all from me; you will receive the email at 3 PM. Thank you all; you may leave," he abruptly concluded.

    Confusion. The students looked at one another. Was that it? They''ve been called to an assembly for that little information. Yeah, it was a big announcement, but it was only about 5-10 minutes. This could''ve been done by video. The students had mixed emotions; they were annoyed at the inconvenience of the whole situation as they could''ve stayed in bed, but they had no lessons because of this assembly. Anywho, what could they do now, it was finished. They could return to their dorm and go back to bed if they wanted to.

    "Is that it?" Malakai said disappointedly. "I woke up for that", he continued.

    "You can go back to bed, it''s fine", Lucas told him, showing him the positives.

    "No, I don''t take naps. If I go to bed now, my sleep schedule would be fucked��, Malakai replied.

    "It already is fucked��, Benjamin said, standing up.

    "Touch��", Malakai replied. "I still ain''t going to bed, though", Malakai said, getting ready to leave the hall.

    Frank and Alexander were walking to a shop to get some ingredients.

    "Did your brother ever tell you about the higher-ups?" Frank asked, knowing talking about Alexander''s brother was a touchy subject.

    Alexander kept quiet for a few seconds before answering, "Not really. I remember him saying the higher-ups didn''t show their face much. They only ever showed themselves when they wanted to", he replied.

    "So you didn''t know Mr Miller?" Frank asked.

    "No", Alexander simply replied.

    That sharp reply didn''t stop Frank from asking, "Does your brother give you advice?" Frank wanted to keep the conversation alive.

    "Why would I want advice from him?" Alexander replied in disgust. "He tries to, but I don''t listen to him".

    "You should at least hear him out", Frank said, choosing his words carefully.

    "No. He didn''t win. He didn''t even get into the top 30. The only thing he got from this academy was a certificate," Alexander ranted. "My family don''t even talk to him." Frank stayed silent, feeling he would interrupt him if he said anything. Alexander also went quiet; it looked like he was thinking about something.

    "Just a certificate", Alexander quietly said. "But despite that ... Tch", Alexander shook his head.

    "Disgrace".

    "Nevermind; we''re here", Frank said, feeling it was a good time to end that conversation.

    6:10 PM

    "Damn, it''s getting close".

    LEADERBOARD

    1) MALAKAI JUNIOR (1-C) - 683 POINTS

    2) ALEXANDER BURRELL (1-A) - 644 POINTS

    3) FRANK CARTER (1-A) - 631 POINTS

    4) MARK HARISON (1-A) - 625 POINTS

    5) KENNEDY SMITH (1-A) - 620 POINTS

    6) RYAN LEE (1-B) - 603 POINTS

    7) BRI LOPEZ (1-A) - 601 POINTS

    8) LORENZO DEMARCO (1-B) - 600 POINTS

    9) SYDNEY HAYES (1-A) - 599 POINTS

    10) EVE MASON (1-A) - 595 POINTS

 Chapter 43 - Team 4

    BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

    "Fuck sake", Malakai tiredly said, half asleep.

    October 23rd. Monday, 8:45 AM.

    With his eyes partially opened, Malakai looked towards his phone and turned off the alarm. He glanced at the time and saw 8:45 AM. It was not a time he wanted to wake up, but he had to, as his challenge date was today. Unluckily or luckily, he was the only person he knew who had their challenge today. All of his friends had their challenge later in the week. On the bright side, Malakai could get it over and done with. With that thought in mind, he motivated himself to get out of bed,

    "Aryt, let''s go", he said, unwrapping himself and sluggishly stepping out of bed. The email Malakai got sent told him the day of his challenge, his team number, the location and the time he had to be there. The location was none other than the main hall, and the time they had to be there was 10:00 AM.

    Malakai got ready on his lonesome as William was still asleep. Stepping out of his room and towards the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth.

    9:35 AM.

    Malakai had a small breakfast and was getting ready to go until,

    "Hey", William said, opening his door and rubbing his eyes.

    "Yo", Malakai greeted back, putting his shoes on.

    "You going?" William asked, looking at Malakai''s outfit.

    "Yeah".

    "Good luck. I''ll be watching", William said, putting his fist out.

    "Thanks", Malakai replied, fist bumping him��a short and tired conversation.

    Malakai stepped out and put his earphones in. Malakai loved listening to music. He also loved walking while listening to music, but lately, he hasn''t had the chance to do it as much as he is with his friends most of the time. If you saw Malakai alone, you would most likely see him wearing earphones. This was perfect, a fifteen-minute walk listening to music in his comfy tracksuit. There was no dress code for this challenge; they were allowed to wear anything they wanted. So Malakai wore his favourite plain, grey hoodie and matching joggers. Comfort. This was one of the first times Malakai had been alone outside, and it almost didn''t feel real to him. It was like he was still dreaming. Despite being autumn, the weather was warm, and there was no breeze. There were no clouds in the sky, and the sun was shining. A Beautiful day for a walk. It was the first time Malakai had taken in the campus and the academy. It was a lonely walk, accompanied by music, which acted as a soundtrack for his thoughts. Malakai liked it, though; he could look around and think while appreciating the nature around him. There were barely any other students around; the few that were, he didn''t recognise. Malakai knew he had to savour this, as this would probably be one of the last times this could happen. One because he was rarely alone, and another because he wouldn''t wake up this early just for a walk. It was a great experience, but Malakai preferred sleeping.

    Malakai reached the hall with one minute to spare. He walked in to see a lot of students, teachers, and Mr Miller. He looked around to see if he noticed anyone and recognised faces from his class, but he didn''t know them.

    "Should we start?" Mr Miller asked as soon as he saw Malakai walk in, presuming he was the last student to arrive.

    "Yeah, a good amount of students are here", Mr White replied, standing beside him.

    Mr Miller stepped forward towards the students, "Good morning, everyone!" he introduced. "I can see you''re all ready for this challenge", he said, smiling, taking the piss as everyone looked tired. His joke didn''t get any laughs, only awkward looks. "I know the email said the challenge was at 10, but to tell you the truth, the challenge is not taking place here."

    Sleepy eyes woke up.

    "Before I tell you more, can you please organise yourself into your teams? If your email said number one, can you stand here?" Mr Miller then directed where each group should stand. Malakai got the number four, so he went to where four was directed. Where he stood, there were three girls he didn''t know.

    "Where''s our fifth member?" One of the girls asked.

    "Here", a deep voice replied, approaching them.

    Malakai turned around and got a surprise, "It''s you", he said, pointing at him. He saw a tall, built, mixed-race guy with brown curly hair, noticeable green eyes and a goatee.

    "Looks like we''re on a team, Malakai", Jason said, smiling. He towered over Malakai and looked down at him, trying to intimidate him.

    "No hard feelings, right?" Malakai replied, reciprocating his smile, not intimidated at all.

    "Yeah, that''s in the past. You played the game", Jason replied. "I can''t be mad at that".

    "What''s your name?" Malakai asked, offering his hand.

    "Jason", he gripped Malakai''s hand firmly and shook it.

    ��Malakai Junior��, Malakai replied.

    "Think everyone knows your name", Jason said, leaving the handshake.

    All the girls behind Malakai listened to their conversation, so they heard their introductions.

    Malakai turned towards them, "What''s your name?"

    "I''m Nina, and I''m from class 1-E." Nina was a blonde girl with short hair reaching above her shoulders and straight bangs, long eyelashes, and dark blue eyes. She was wearing a fluffy pink oversized hoodie with black joggers and trainers. She was the same height as Malakai, 5''6.

    "I''m Luna; I''m from class 1-A", a tall girl with long, flowing charcoal-coloured hair covering half her face replied. She was taller than Malakai, about 5''10. She had a white crystal nose piercing and a beauty spot under her left eye. She had her nails done and wore a lilac T-shirt with ripped jeans and trainers.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation."Your hair is sick. Are you an emo?" Malakai, after saying that, immediately put his hand over his mouth. "Oh shit, why did I say that?" He said.

    Jason snickered behind him while Luna giggled in front of him,

    "Thank you. No, I''m not an emo", she replied, smiling to show she wasn''t offended.

    "My bad, my bad. I chat shit most of the time", Malakai told her, letting her know he didn''t mean to offend her.

    "I can tell, don''t worry", she replied, reassuring him. It looked like Malakai was already known to be a joker.

    "I''m Akari; I''m from class 1-B," a short East Asian girl with short light brown hair and light brown eyes happily replied in front of him. She wore a short-sleeved designer shirt, blue shorts, and long socks, which were scrunched at the bottom.

    "Akari? I''ve heard that before." Malakai tried to remember where he heard that name. "Wait, are you Delilah''s roommate?" He remembered looking at her like a lightbulb switched on in his head.

    "Yeah, I am. How''d you know?" Akari curiously asked.

    "Delilah said she had a roommate from class B and said your name", Malakai replied.

    "So you are good friends", Akari said, noticing his positive tone when speaking about Delilah.

    "Yeah, yeah. She''s calm", he replied. Then it looked like another light bulb switched on his Malakai''s head. "Wait. We''re all from different classes", he noticed.

    "Oh yeah, you''re right", Nina said, also realising.

    "That''s kinda sick", Malakai said, looking around the different groups. All the groups had a person from a different class��groups of 5 with a person from 1-A, B, C, D and E.

    "Can you line up in your groups, please?" Mr Miller announced to the students. The students in their groups took shape in a line. Malakai stood second in the line behind Akari. He looked to his right and saw a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes; he looked to his left and saw a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. Identical. He looked to his right again and then to his left. He kept switching sides to see if he was seeing things right. The two people he was looking at noticed Malakai looking at them like they were zoo animals. They both looked at Malakai,

    "Are you two twins?" Malakai excitedly asked the two of them.

    "Y-yeah", Chris answered, unsure if Malakai genuinely couldn''t tell.

    "Isn''t it obvious?" Christina asked Malakai like he was an idiot and looked at him with a weirded-out expression.

    "It is, but I was making sure. You might have been doppelg?ngers", Malakai replied, smiling.

    "Is it your first time seeing twins?" Christina asked, thinking it was because of his excited reaction.

    "Na na", he replied, shaking his head. "My younger brother and sister are twins", Malakai continued.

    "You have younger siblings?" Luna sounded surprised.

    Malakai turned around, "Why is that surprising?" He asked, distracted by her reaction.

    "No, it''s just that, based on your behaviour, I thought you would be the youngest in your family," Luna replied, using different words instead of childish.

    "I don''t know if you violated me or not", Malakai replied, unsure if he got indirectly dissed and called childish.

    "Okay, thank you!" Mr Miller said, clapping his hands, disrupting the conversations. Malakai and Luna stopped talking. "Now you''re all in your groups, I will explain. The challenge today is something we''ve never done before. A lot of preparation has gone into this. The challenge will take place around 12:00 PM. This is because the location where the challenge will take place is a two-hour drive away".

    Faces dropped. A two-hour journey. They didn''t know this; they would''ve prepared better if they did. Most people bought their phones and headphones, no snacks or other forms of entertainment. A two-hour drive with people they didn''t know too well.

    "I''m sorry this was sprung upon you now. Maybe we should''ve mentioned it in the email", Mr Miller said, noticing the range of disappointed to annoyed faces. "But I''m sure the journey won''t be that bad", Mr Miller tried to motivate and cheer them up, but it didn''t work.

    "How many points can we get?" a student impatiently asked.

    Mr Miller smiled, "I''ll tell you all about the challenge and how many points you can get when we''ve reached the location".

    Eyes rolled. They were already sick of him. The students had to keep guessing the challenge and the number of points during the journey.

    "The bus is waiting outside, so I think now is a good time to start our journey", Mr Miller said, walking away.

    "A bus?" Malakai said.

    "Yeah, how else do you think we''ll get there?" Jason replied.

    "You mean a coach", Malakai said, confused about the American differences.

    Jason walked past Malakai and said, "You''re in America right now, so it''s a bus".

    Malakai stood still for a moment; he didn''t like the passive-aggressive tone Jason used,

    "Well, this is going to be a fun journey".

    William was still in bed. Even though he woke up to see off Malakai, he returned to lying in bed. William was an early riser, the polar opposite of Malakai. Malakai was a night person, while William was a morning person. However, given the chance to sleep in and rest, William took the opportunity. Usually, if William had a chance like this, he wouldn''t take it and would choose to do something productive and start his day off, but this academy has exhausted him. William looked at the time and saw it was nearly 10:00. He opened the academy app and located where the live stream would be; he clicked on the first-year tab and saw the second challenge livestream. He clicked on it and saw,

    "Livestream starts in two hours?"

 Chapter 44 - Younger Siblings

    On the bus travelling to the location of the challenge

    Malakai was sitting next to Akari, and Akari was seated next to the window. To their right were Luna and Nina, and behind Malakai and Akira were Chris and Christina. Jason chose to sit at the back of the bus, away from everyone. Despite the introductions to the group, Jason didn''t sit with them. It looked like he wasn''t fond of the idea of getting closer to people from different classes.

    "You said your younger siblings were twins. What''s their names?" Akari asked, looking at Malakai, who had his phone out.

    Malakai put his phone down and smiled, "Malik and Mia".

    "Your family loved the letter M", Chris commented from behind them, who was listening to their conversation.

    "Do you still talk to them?" Akari asked, looking at Malakai''s smiling face, which showed he missed them.

    "Yeah, obviously," Malakai replied, nodding his head. Then, he climbed his chair to look behind him. "Now, as my twins ain''t here, how about you two become my younger siblings?" Malakai said, looking at Chris and Christina.

    "What?" Christina didn''t understand and looked at him, confused.

    "My siblings are back in England. So why don''t you be like my younger siblings here?" Malakai explained with his usual grin.

    "Are you older than us?" Christina asked with uncertainty in her tone as he still looked like he was 16 even though he was 18.

    "Age is just a number", Malakai replied, trying not to laugh. After that phrase, he got a few looks from around him.

    "Why do you want us to be your younger siblings?" Chris asked, confused at his motives.

    "I don''t know. It sounds cute in my head that you two can be younger siblings cuz your twins and my younger siblings are twins", Malakai answered. "It''s kinda poetic", Malakai was waffling.

    Christina saw a sparkle in his eyes, which showed that he was serious and enjoying the idea. "And if we decline?" Christina questioned, looking sceptical.

    "Imma still call you both my younger siblings", Malakai laughed.

    Chris couldn''t help but laugh at the stupid idea; he saw the funny side of it. "I don''t mind", Chris happily replied. Christina was surprised Chris had warmed up to Malakai that easily. She also didn''t mind this weird proposal if Chris was cool with it.

    "You don''t have any ulterior motives, do you?" Christina asked for reassurance as she only saw what Malakai was about from an outside perspective. He was number one on the leaderboards, so surely he was clever and had tricks up his sleeves.

    "Naa, we''re friends now. If you got my back, I got yours", Malakai replied casually, showing he trusted them. The two didn''t expect him to interact like this with them. Friends? They had only just met.

    "I thought you would be arrogant and annoying, "Chris honestly said, looking at Malakai''s calm body language.

    "I''m annoying, but it''s a good annoying", Malakai replied. "Arrogant, naa. I can''t be arsed for that". Malakai realised something: Akari, Chris and Christina were all in class 1-B. "I got a question for all of you", he said. The three looked at him. "Are you friends with Ryan?" He questioned.

    "I wouldn''t say friends", Akari replied.

    "Not really", Christina replied.

    "Nope", Chris replied.

    "Why?" Akari asked, turning her body around to make herself more comfortable.

    "I don''t like him", Malakai spoke his mind. "If you want my advice, I say I don''t trust him," Malakai said.

    "Has he done anything to you?" Christina asked, knowing Malakai was talking seriously now. She couldn''t pinpoint what it was, but it looked like he wasn''t playing around anymore.

    "Naa, not yet. It''s just that feeling I get around him", Malakai replied with a facial expression showing his discomfort.

    "He looks like a nice guy; he was nice to me." Akari shared her thoughts on Ryan.

    "I don''t know. Maybe it''s just me, but I wouldn''t get too friendly with him", Malakai replied, thinking he may be warning them for no reason. Maybe he was being too paranoid.

    "What should we do then?" Chris asked, as Ryan was a significant figure in their class.

    "Use him as much as he uses you", Malakai advised.

    "How do we know when he''s using us?" Christina said., thinking Malakai was onto something.

    "That''s a great question, cuz I don''t know", Malakai giggled. "I mean, I''m just a guy from a lower class; you don''t have to take my word for it. I''m an idiot", he continued.

    "You said we''re friends now, so I trust you", Chris replied, giving him a confident look.

    "Aryt, lil bro", Malakai said before sitting back normally in his chair. He then turned to look at Luna, who was on his right. She was on her phone, but Malakai wanted to talk to her, so,

    "Luna", he called out. Even though Luna was on her phone, she still listened to their conversation. She was too shy to get involved and pulled out her phone to not look weird. Nina was sitting beside her but was asleep, so Luna had nothing to do except go on her phone. She heard her name being called out and looked at Malakai,

    "Yeah?"

    "How''s your class? Is 1-A fun, or is everyone serious?" Malakai asked as he was genuinely curious.

    "It''s pretty serious; no one in our class is a class clown or does stuff that draws attention", Luna answered, thinking about her classmates. "What about your class? Are you the class clown?" Luna giggled while moving hair away from her left eye.

    "Na na. I don''t think I''m the class clown. But our classes are fun; I''ve got my group of four at the back of the class. We take this piss most of the time", Malakai replied.

    "Delilah has shown me so many videos of all of you", Akari joined the conversation.

    "The videos are too good; I don''t know how she always gets the good angles", Malakai said, smiling, remembering the moments.

    "Can I see them?" Luna cautiously asked, wanting to see how other classes differed.

    "Yeah, lemme show you".

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    William opened the door. "Hey", William greeted.

    "Hi", Delilah replied, standing in front of him with a short sleeve shirt and jeans.

    "Come in", William said, fully opening the door and letting Delilah in.

    "Is everyone here?" She asked, taking off her shoes.

    "Yeah, everyone''s on the sofa".

    It was 11:57 PM. Everyone gathered in Malakai''s and William''s dorm to watch the livestream. William remembered Delilah saying that her roommate had the challenge on the same day as Malakai, so he had the idea to throw a watch party for the livestream. He invited Delilah and asked the rest of his friends to join. So now William, Delilah, Ray, Benjamin, Lucas and David were all in one room having a watch party. Delilah walked into the main area and greeted everyone. As she hung around William and Benjamin a lot, she was familiar with them. She was David''s partner for the first challenge, so she knew him too, but she only interacted with Ray and Lucas a few times, and the times they did talk, it was short.

    "Do you wanna see Malakai''s room?" William asked Delilah, trying to make it interesting for her.

    Delilah wasn''t sure how to answer. "Are we allowed? Surely it''s private," she responded.

    "It''s fine; he won''t mind," William replied as if Malakai had nothing to hide.

    "You know what? Imma take something from his wardrobe", Lucas said, standing up from the coach, showing it wasn''t that deep.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon."I''ll go if you''re sure he doesn''t mind", Delilah replied, still unsure of the idea.

    "Believe me, he won''t care", William reassured. Lucas, William and Delilah made their way to Malakai''s room.

    "Am I going to find something disturbing?" Delilah asked as she cautiously walked into the room. She looked around. "It looks like a normal room," she said, expecting to have seen something more. The room, if anything, was boring, with no posters on the wall and no LED lights. At least it was clean; no clothes or rubbish were lying around.

    "I thought I would give you a tour of our dorm," William explained why he wanted to show Malakai''s room; he worded it terribly.

    "All the dorms look the same, dumbass", Lucas said while scrolling through Malakai''s wardrobe.

    "Woah, Malakai''s got a lot of nice clothes", Delilah said, looking at the different colours and brands displayed in the wardrobe.

    "Yep, and he always wears a tracksuit. I don''t know why; I always tell him to dress better, but he''s lazy," Lucas replied, picking a nice-looking beanie. "Okay, let''s go; it''s not good going into people''s rooms," Lucas said after retrieving what he wanted. Delilah laughed at the irony; as she walked out, she noticed envelopes on his desk.

    "Malakai writes letters?" she said out loud.

    "Yeah, he said he writes letters and sends them to his family back in England", William replied, looking at Malakai''s desk. The desk had blank pieces of paper and envelopes with a singular pen to the side. It looked like he was about to start writing a letter but didn''t get around to it.

    "Doesn''t he call or text them?" Delilah asked.

    "He does, but he said his younger siblings prefer letters because it''s more personal, and he can send them souvenirs as well", William said, walking towards the door.

    "Aww, that''s cute", Delilah said, walking out of the room. As she walked out, she could hear a thud coming from the next room and remembered, "Oh yeah, didn''t you say Maria and Tanisha were your neighbours?" Delilah asked to make sure she remembered correctly.

    "Yeah, they are", William answered.

    "Should we invite them?" Delilah excitedly asked, thinking about how much more livelier the party would be.

    "If you want, I don''t mind", William replied. "You don''t mind Maria and Tanisha joining!" William said in a louder tone to the guys. He was answered by ''Naa'' and ''I don''t mind''. Delilah smiled and skipped to the door. She left their dorm, knocked on their door, and patiently waited. The door opened,

    "Hey, Delilah".

    "Hii Maria", Delilah waved happily.

    "Do you want to come in?" Maria welcomed her in; surprised Delilah was there.

    "Actually, all of us are watching the livestream next door. We thought it would be a good idea as Malakai and my roommate are doing the challenge today. Watching it together would be fun", Delilah excitedly explained.

    "Yeah, I''d love to", Maria replied, thrilled by the idea.

    "Is Tanisha here?" Delilah asked.

    "Yeah, she''s in her room; I''ll get her now." Maria went to fetch Tanisha and tell her about the idea. She gestured for Delilah to come into the dorm and knocked on Tanisha''s door.

    "You can come in", a voice called from inside. The door opened, and Tanisha expected to see Maria but instead saw, "Delilah? Why are you here?"

    "Hi, We''re having a watch party next door. I remembered you were next door, so I thought I would ask you if you wanted to join," Delilah replied, glancing around the room.

    "That sounds fun; let me put on a hoodie first", she said, getting up from her bed.

    "Were you going to watch the livestream?" Delilah asked, looking at clothes lying around the room.

    "To be honest with you, I forgot about it.", Tanisha replied, checking her face in the mirror.

    "I was going to watch it; I was about to call you Tan", Maria said, standing behind Delilah.

    Tanisha put on a hoodie she found lying around, "Okay, let''s go", She said.

    "Maria, are you ready?" Delilah asked before they left. Delilah looked at Maria. Maria wore casual home clothes but didn''t look messy or sloppy. She was still pretty. Delilah asked to make sure she wanted to dress in something better-looking.

    "Yeah, I''m fine".

    The three girls returned to the dorm where they were going to watch the livestream.

    "You came", Benjamin said, looking from the sofa.

    "Did you think I wasn''t going to come?" Tanisha replied, walking in.

    "Naa, I thought you wouldn''t. I thought if you were going to, it''s because of Maria", Benjamin said.

    "She wanted to come", Delilah told them.

    "Have you got snacks?" Tanisha asked, scanning the dorm.

    "Yup, take anything you want from the kitchen." William let them have anything they wanted from the kitchen. The girls looked towards the kitchen, and the kitchen table had snacks on it. Delilah walked to a kitchen closet, opened it, and saw more snacks like chocolate and sweets.

    "Are all the snacks Malakai''s?" Delilah asked, presuming it was.

    "Na, it''s William''s. He''s got a sweet tooth", Lucas answered.

    "Why are you telling them?" William nudged Lucas''s arm in embarrassment.

    "You''ve got beanbags as well", Maria happily said, gracefully falling onto one.

    "You can tell who bought what in this dorm; all the essential stuff is William, and all the useless stuff is Malakai", David said, opening a drink.

    "The beanbags are nice; I like them", Ray replied, lying on the other one. The TV then presented a three-minute countdown.

    "It''s going to start soon", William noticed. Delilah and Tanisha finished picking their snacks and gathered back to the watch area. Tanisha joined Maria on the beanbags while Delilah sat on the arm of the coach.

    "Are you comfortable? I''ll sit on the floor, and you can go on the couch", David offered.

    "I''m fine, don''t worry", Delilah reassured him she was okay.

    "Who wants to make a bet that Malakai will come first?" Lucas excitedly said, looking around.

    "We don''t know the challenge yet", Benjamin replied.

    "It doesn''t matter. He''s going to come first", William confidently said, trusting his friend.

    "Put credits on it", Lucas pressured him.

    "Fine, 100 credits if he comes first." William reached out to shake hands. Lucas hesitated and looked at everyone else.

    "Aren''t you going to agree?" Tanisha asked, intrigued by this bet.

    "But I think he''s going to come first", Lucas replied, thinking he had made a mistake.

    "I don''t think he''s going to come first", Tanisha confidently said.

    "Okay, let''s shake on it", William replied, turning to Tanisha.

    "Okay", they both shook hands. Lucas also joined the bet; everyone excitedly hyped up the moment with mini cheers.

    "Malakai, you better win".

    The bus reached the location, and all the students stepped out. When they looked around at their surrounding, it was weird.

    "This is mad", Malakai said, looking around. The students saw a figure in the distance and were instructed to walk towards them. As they got closer, they got more pieces to the puzzle, but a lot was still missing. What they had was ample open space, with no buildings in sight, six black five-seater cars, and a long road. Mr Miller was standing in front of them, with other teachers and cameramen standing behind him for the livestream. Mr Miller held out his arms,

    "Welcome to challenge two".

 Chapter 45 - Ill Drive

    "Welcome to challenge two", Mr Miller announced in front of the 30 students. All the students walked closer to him as he said that. "Can all of you stand in line with your teams?" he ordered. The students did as they were told and organised themselves in their groups. "The livestream will start in a minute; I will explain the rules once it starts. Let me remind you this will be live; whatever you do or say cannot be taken back", Mr Miller warned them.

    "You hear that, Malakai?" Luna teased, looking back at him.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t say anything", Malakai replied, looking away and looking away and shrugging his shoulders. He was definitely going to do something stupid.

    "Look, it''s starting", William alerted the others, causing everyone to look at the TV. The livestream started showing Mr Miller; it then panned to the students in their teams.

    "Malakai''s with Akari", Delilah noticed they were on a team from the jump.

    "He''s with that girl I talked to at the minigames as well", Lucas also noticed Luna''s long hair.

    "His team looks interesting; he''s got that guy that''s with Dillon all the time", David added, looking at Malakai''s team. He recognised Jason but didn''t know his name.

    "Do you guys recognise anyone else?" Benjamin asked, looking at the other teams. Everyone tried to look for people, but,

    "It looks like he got lucky; I don''t notice anyone", David replied, trying to see if he saw anyone he knew.

    "He''s the only noticeable one there", Lucas said, sipping a drink.

    The camera then focused more on the teams, getting closer to the students and showing their faces.

    "Why are they treating this like the Olympics?" William giggled at how the camera moved across each team, showing each student. The camera moved to team 4 and went down the line, eventually coming close to Malakai. Malakai looked directly at the camera and,

    "Why does he also put his middle finger up when he sees a camera?" Tanisha questioned, as she''d seen Malakai do it a few times. Whenever someone recorded Malakai, his natural instinct was to put his middle finger up.

    "I don''t know, he just always does it", Ray replied, smiling, seeing his friend on camera. When the camera reached Malakai, he looked directly into the lens, smiled, and raised his middle finger.

    "That''s Mally for you. Can''t change him", Benjamin smiled. Everyone was happy to see Malakai on the TV.

    The camera focused back on Mr Miller as he started his speech.

    "Welcome to challenge two!" He announced for the second time. "This year, we are changing, evolving, and increasing our standards. You recently partook in the minigames which were introduced this year, and now you will participate in a challenge introduced for your year group".

    "Oooooohhh", Malakai quietly ad-libbed, only so his group could hear. The only reaction he got was a smirk from Nina, but he didn''t know that as she was behind him.

    "As you can see, there are six cars behind me. This challenge will involve driving, so one person on your team must be the driver. Let me explain the challenge", Mr Miller said. "This challenge is to open the safe and retrieve whatever is inside at the final location. Each team will have a car. In the car, there will be a map that shows three different locations. They are marked A, B, and C. Here''s the twist: you need to go to locations B and C and get whatever is there to open the safe at the end; you don''t have to go to location A. However, going to location A will massively help with the challenge at location B. So it is up to you whether you decide to skip it." Mr Miller took a second to catch his breath.

    "That sounds fun", Ray said to the group.

    "I know, right? It''s much better than the first challenge," William replied, putting a sweet in his mouth. The camera panned to the students again.

    Lucas started laughing, "What''s Mally doing?" He shifted everyone''s attention to find Malakai on the screen.

    "Is he braiding her hair?" Delilah tried to make out what he was doing. The camera eventually got closer to Malakai''s team as it went down to each team again.

    "He is", Benjamin laughed.

    "That kid", David said, shaking his head.

    "Why does it look good?" Tanisha asked as the camera caught an angle that showed the back of Luna''s hair.

    "Maybe he has a weird hobby no one knows about", Ray replied, amused at what he was seeing.

    "I might ask him to braid my hair", Delilah said, touching her hair.

    "I don''t think your hair is long enough", Benjamin commented, causing everyone to laugh except Maria, who watched silently. She was in a daze, watching the screen.

    Malakai was braiding Luna''s hair, but not entirely. As Luna''s hair was long and had a lot of volume, Malakai got a small part and started messing around with it while listening to the challenge explanation. Surprisingly, Luna hadn''t noticed.

    "As I said before, one person will be the driver. What I mean by this is they cannot get out of the car at any location; they have to stay in the car. They are only allowed out at the final location; otherwise, they cannot exit the vehicle", Mr Miller explained.

    "What are the challenges at the different locations?" a student shouted.

    "You have to find out yourself. All I''m telling you is the bare minimum," Mr Miller replied. This was fair enough, but it added to the students'' curiosity.

    "The points", Mr Miller started. "First place will get 1000 points".

    "A THOUSAND!" William exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seat.

    "This is serious", Benjamin said, leaning forward.

    Did the students hear right? A thousand points? This wasn''t a small challenge. This is nothing like the minigames. This was what the students wanted. More points.

    "Second place gets 800 points, third place gets 600 points, fourth place gets 400, fifth place gets 200 and last place gets 0 points".

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.Eyes opened��a range of 1000 to 0 points. The gap between students will be massive after this challenge. In this challenge, the winners win, and the losers lose. This was ten times bigger than the minigames.

    "Before we start, can you decide who will be the drivers in your team?" Mr Miller told them.

    Not wasting any time, the students went into discussion. Luna turned around and noticed Malakai''s hands near her hair. "What were you doing?" She asked, suspicious he did something.

    "Nothing, I didn''t do anything," he replied, putting his hands up, looking guilty. As she turned to look at Malakai, the back of her hair faced Akari. Akari saw what he had done and giggled.

    "You did do something", Luna said, noticing Akari''s giggle.

    Jason told her, "He only braided it a little". He didn''t want to waste any time.

    "He did a good job", Nina commented; she watched Malakai braid her hair the whole time as she was the only person behind Malakai.

    "Forget that. Who''s going to be the driver?" Jason hastily asked, stopping the conversation.

    "Me, I''ll be the driver", Malakai volunteered without hesitation.

    Everyone looked at Malakai.

    "Are you sure?" Luna asked with a concerned expression.

    "Yeah, it''s fine", Malakai replied, with his hands in his pockets.

    "I don''t think you should be the driver", Jason said with certainty.

    "Huh?"

    "It''ll be better if you helped with the challenges at the different locations", Jason explained.

    "It''s fine, you lot got it", Malakai replied, waving his right hand, believing in his teammates.

    "I can drive if you want", Nina said, raising her hand. She knew she was in the lowest class, so she thought that everyone else thought she would be useless.

    "Can everyone here drive?" Luna questioned to make sure that everyone was an option.

    "I can''t", Akari timidly raised her hand.

    "Bro, it''s fine. I''ll drive", Malakai repeated louder to show how much he wanted to drive.

    "Didn''t you hear what he said? The driver can''t leave the car. Don''t you think you''d be more useful for the challenges", Jason was trying his best to persuade Malakai but,

    "Broski. Why you stressing? I''ll help us with my driving. Everyone used to call me Lewis Hamilton", Malakai replied with a smile.

    "Oh boy", Luna laughed a little after that comment, covering her mouth.

    "If Malakai thinks that''s the best option, I think we should go with it", Akari said before Jason could reply. Jason knew Malakai''s ability, so he thought he was wasted on being the driver. The look on his face made that known.

    "Don''t worry, it''s part of the plan", Malakai confidently said, seeing Jason visibly stressed.

    "Okay, can all of you go to your designated cars!" Mr Miller announced. The cars were lined up next to each other, with numbers on the back to indicate which car belonged to which team. There were also numbers on the front. The road was like an airstrip, fitting all six vehicles next to each other and setting it up almost like a race. The students stood behind their cars and waited for further instructions.

    "Before you get into your cars, we''ve ensured everyone has someone on their team with a driving license. So, someone without a license shouldn''t be driving", Mr Miller said. "Another caution is if someone crashes or a crash happens, the challenge will be stopped until we''ve ensured everyone is okay". Mr Miller made sure he covered all bases. "Okay, you can get into your cars".

    The students got into their cars. Malakai entered the driver''s seat while Jason, without conferring, went to the passenger side, leaving the three girls to sit in the back of the car.

    Malakai turned the car on. "This cars nice", he said, holding the wheel and looking around the car. "It''s automatic", Malakai noticed there were only two pedals.

    "What''s wrong with automatic?'' Nina asked from the seat behind Malakai.

    "Nothing, but manual is more fun", Malakai replied. Malakai then beeped the horn for no reason.

    "Are you sure you can drive? It looks like this is your first time in a car", Jason worriedly said, looking at Malakai, who looked like an excited kid in a candy shop.

    "Bro, it''s fine. I know how to drive. I''m a sick driver", Malakai replied. "I have to admit, though, it''s been a while since I''ve been in a car", Malakai said, adjusting the front mirror.

    "What?!" Jason said in a panic.

    Malakai laughed, "Broski, chill. I''m joking. You ain''t gonna die". Malakai looked in the mirror and saw Luna holding something; he turned around. "What''s that?"

    "It''s a map; it shows where all the locations are. It was in one of the back pockets", Luna replied, analysing the map.

    "You good at directions?'' Malakai asked.

    "I guess. The map doesn''t look too hard to read. We should be fine". Luna replied, feeling confident.

    "Are we going to location A?" Akari questioned the team.

    "Yeah, if it helps us with location B. We might as well", Malakai answered as he was the driver.

    "What happens if it''s a waste of time?" Jason asked.

    "It is what it is", Malakai shrugged like it was something light.

    "For someone at the top, you''re not really stressing to be number one". Luna said, looking at Malakai''s calm body language.

    "I''m just here to have fun. It''s only the second challenge. Why stress?" Malakai replied, stretching his arms. Hearing that made the three girls relax, knowing how calm he was, but Jason wanted to win, so he didn''t like this laid-back approach. If this was anyone else, he would''ve said something, but it was Malakai. He knew what he was capable of. Or did he? That is what held him back from giving Malakai an earful and giving him a hard time.

    Mr Miller had a megaphone in hand, "IT LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE IS READY! I WILL START A COUNTDOWN! WHEN YOU HEAR THE AIRHORN YOU CAN GO. IF ANYONE GOES BEFORE THE AIRHORN, YOU WILL HAVE TO STOP AND WAIT FOR FIVE MINUTES! DON''T GO TOO EARLY!" Mr Miller announced.

    "CMON MALAKAI!" Willaim shouted.

    "Imagine all of us on a team with this challenge", Ray said.

    "That wouldn''t work; there''s six of us", David replied.

    "We can kick Will out", Benjamin grinned.

    "Shut up, man", William smirked, used to the mean comments. Everyone laughed at the joke, so it wasn''t serious. Everyone was pumped up as it was about to start.

    "TEN! NINE! EIGHT!" Mr Miller started counting down.

    "Is everyone ready?" Malakai asked his team.

    "Yeah!" "Yup!" "Let''s go" "Make us win, Malakai",

    "ONE!"

    BBEEEEEPPPPP!!!!!

    Malakai did his usual smile,

    "Hang on tight".

 Chapter 46 - Step On The Gas Until It鈥檚 Dangerous

    "Hang on tight".

    The horn blew to start the challenge.

    Malakai put his foot down on the accelerator, not forcefully, but he did put a lot in it. The car picked up speed, passing 20 mph, then 30 mph, then 40 mph, creeping to 50 mph. The road was a long, straight road; there was no bend in sight.

    70 mph.

    "Malakai, slow down!" Jason worriedly said, glancing at him. The other cars next to him were also doing a similar speed or a bit slower; the distance between the cars was making Jason feel uneasy. One slight movement of the wheel could mean a crash. Malakai kept putting his foot down; 70 mph slowly became 90 mph.

    "MALAKAI!" Luna called out, gripping the map with her right hand and Malakai''s seat with her left. Luna was sitting in the middle, so she didn''t have a door to hold on to.

    100 mph.

    "THAT''S IT! DON''T GO FASTER!" Jason shouted at him, holding onto the car door with his right hand. Their team was edging forward due to their high speed, but Malakai looked in the front mirror and the mirror on his side and saw other cars close. Malakai was smiling; this was fun for him. All the noise around him seemed muffled; he was having too much fun. When Malakai said he hadn''t driven a car in ages, he told the truth. This was the first time he had driven in a while, and he had the chance to go fast. Of course, he was going to take it. There was no speed limit.

    100 mph eventually became 140 mph.

    "MALAKAI! DON''T GO OVER 140!" Jason screamed.

    "MALAKAI! SLOW DOWN!" Nina screamed.

    "MALAKAI! THERE IS A RIGHT TURN COMING SOON!" Luna screamed.

    "MALAKAI! PLEASE SLOW DOWN!" Akari screamed.

    "Hehehehe", Malakai laughed at everyone''s distress. Malakai checked his mirrors and saw there was a decent distance between him and the others, but he didn''t take his foot off the gas. He wanted a bigger difference. The speed continued to increase. Screams filled the car; Jason was clinging to the door, and so were Nina and Akari. Akari even closed her eyes; this was too much for her; if she opened them, tears would flood out. She was terrified. Luna had to use the seats in front of her to keep her balance, but she also had to read the map. Malakai smiled the whole time; it was like a game to him. Seeing everyone panic and the stress on their faces made it even funnier for Malakai. The screams were annoying, but it was hilarious nonetheless; it added to the atmosphere.

    "Look, no hands", Malakai said, taking both hands off the wheel.

    "PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE FUCKING WHEEL!!!" Jason shouted at him, thinking he was going to die.

    "AAAAAHHHHHH!" More screams filled the car after they saw their driver''s hands in the air instead of on the wheel.

    "HAHAHAHA!" Malakai put his hands on the wheel and laughed at the situation. He looked forward and saw the straight road coming to an end; a turn was coming, as Luna told him. He moved to the right-hand side of the road. Malakai lifted his foot off the accelerator and let the car slow down on its own. The speed slowly eased to around 50 mph; Malakai then gently put his foot on the brake to slow the car down further as the right turn was fast approaching.

    "DON''T DO ANYTHING STUPID!" Jason shouted, still angry at him.

    The car began to travel at a normal speed, "Calm down, man, it''s fine", Malakai reassured him while giggling.

    "Mally''s crazy", Ray said in awe. The livestream captured the driving via drone, giving the audience a bird''s eye view. The camera angle changed to different teams, but most of the time, it was on Malakai''s team as they were first.

    "If we ever go on a road trip, he''s not driving the car", Benjamin said,

    getting chills down his spine thinking about Malakai driving.

    "For sure", William agreed.

    "I feel sorry for his teammates," Tanisha said, chewing a sweet and leaning back on the beanbag.

    "Is this the first time he''s driven a car?" Delilah asked.

    "I don''t think so. He looked in control of the car. If he had never driven a car before, he probably would''ve lost control as soon as he hit high speeds," David replied. His friends had only heard Malakai could drive, but they didn''t know he could, as they had never been in a car with him.

    "I wonder what face he''s making right now?"

    The car was approaching the bend at about 25 mph. The bend wasn''t sharp, but it wasn''t a bend that could be easily turned with a car going 25 mph. Malakai steered the wheel to the right with one hand, causing the vehicle to swing to the right due to the speed. The movement caused the passengers in the car to bundle to the left, leading to Nina getting squished by Luna despite Luna having a seatbelt on. Jason held his door handle with both hands so he stayed secure. The road was straight again, but now there were visible side roads ahead. The road also narrowed; it looked like it had two lanes.

    "Luna, where we going?" Malakai casually asked, looking in the front mirror to look at Luna.

    "Oh umm", Luna, distracted by Malakai''s driving, looked down at the map to figure out the directions.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Nina warned Malakai, "Be careful you don''t miss a turn." She was worried he might speed up again and miss the turn.

    "I''m not going fast", Malakai replied.

    "The road we have to take is the third left", Luna told him.

    "Aryt".

    "Woah, why''re you speeding up?!!" Jason asked, looking at Malakai, who was grinning ear to ear.

    "Cuz the turn is up there, you wanna get first, no?" Malakai said.

    50 mph.

    "Stay at 50!" Jason said, worried at Malakai''s driving.

    "For a big guy, you''re kinda a pussy��, Malakai replied, looking at Jason with judgemental eyes. Malakai couldn''t help but laugh.

    "Malakai, look at the road, please!!" Akari frighteningly told him.

    Malakai checked his mirrors and saw a few cars in the distance. "Nina, some cars are closing in. What should we do?" Malakai asked like he was the narrator of a kid''s program. He was hoping Nina was on the same wavelength.

    "Go faster!" she was.

    "YEAHHH!!" he put his foot down to accelerate more causing his passengers to get pushed back into their seats.

    "Malakai, you just passed the second left turn. The next one is the one we have to take!" Luna reminded him like a teacher.

    "Yeah, yeah, I know".

    "Slow down then!" Jason ordered him.

    "When I see the turn, I will", Malakai replied. He kept going at 60 mph until he saw the exit in the distance. Like the previous turn, he raised his foot off the gas and left the car to slow down until he took control and gently pressed the brakes. This left turn was sharper than the last, and the road they entered was narrower. Malakai noticed this but still approached the turn at 25 mph. When the turn came, he quickly steered the wheel with both hands so they would make the turn. Like the other turn, every passenger in the car moved with it; unlike last time, Jason was still tightly held to the door and was safe; the seatbelt also helped. The girls in the back all fell to the right, with Akari squished to the door. Malakai straightened the wheel and continued with the road.

    "Malakai, take this right!" Luna quickly said.

    Malakai was caught off guard. Instead of instantly turning, he slowed down a bit to get more control and then turned. He wasn''t going fast as he just entered the road, so his passengers were lucky.

    "Turn like that every time", Jason said to him. Malakai didn''t bother to respond. He was concentrating on the road. The road they entered was narrow; it looked like a one-way road. Malakai looked further ahead and saw an intersection.

    "Which way?" he asked.

    "We''re close; it''s a left turn, and then it''s the right at the end of the road", Luna replied, looking at the map. Malakai had his fun, but the roads were looking more serious and more complex to manoeuvre in. The callouts and replies were like a professional team. He calmed his teammates, drove normally, and turned at the intersection normally.

    "It''s a right turn at the end of this road, right?" Malakai asked for confirmation.

    "Yeah", Luna replied.

    120 mph.

    "AHHHHHH!!" Akari cried.

    "SLOW DOWN!!!" Jason screamed.

    ��MALAKAI!!��, Luna yelled.

    "HAHAHA!!" Nina laughed.

    "Hehehe", Malakai giggled.

    The road was a long one; it didn''t look like it would end for a long time. What else was Malakai going to do? Drive normally? Naaa

    Malakai checked his mirrors and saw no one. He smiled, knowing he did a good job; they''d gotten a good lead because of his driving. The end of the road was approaching, and Malakai noticed. By now, Malakai had blocked all the noise in the car and just did what he had to do. He didn''t care what they said; he knew he had everything under control. The speed dropped until, eventually, they took the right turn. They turned into a wider road and immediately noticed on the left-hand side, further up ahead, there were rectangles.

    "Is this location A?" Malakai asked, looking at the objects in the distance.

    "Yeah, it is", Luna checked the map once more. Malakai kept driving and positioned to the left-hand side of the road. As they got closer, they realised those rectangles were tents. Malakai dropped his speed to about 15 mph.

    "Look, they have numbers on them", Nina noticed, looking out the window. The tents had numbers to represent which team went to which tent.

    "Good, Malakai parked next to our tent", Jason said, pointing at the tent with the number four on it. Malakai got closer and parked the car.

    "Let''s go", Jason said to the girls. "Stay in the car", Jason told Malakai.

    "I know, I know", Malakai replied, not liking how Jason talked to him like a child.

    The girls got out of the car. "My head is spinning''", Luna said, holding her head. The constant screaming was probably the reason. Akari stumbled out of the car. "Are you okay?" Luna asked, putting a hand on Akari''s shoulder to balance her.

    "Yeah, I just need a moment. Some fresh air will help me", Akari replied with a hand over her stomach. It was clear the journey was most stressful for her. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

    "Come on, guys", Nina said, appearing fine and walking behind Jason, who was entering the tent. At the start, Nina was scared, but over time, she enjoyed Malakai''s fast driving. It gave her a buzz.

    Jason walked into the tent and saw a person dressed in a black suit with a mask standing in front of a table with five envelopes on it. The mask was simple; it was all white with black circles as the eyes, that''s it. The rest of the group joined him in the tent and saw the same thing. The tent was surprisingly big; from the outside, you would think it would be stuffy and cramped inside.

    "What do we do?" Jason asked the man in the mask. The man stood up straight with his hands behind his back. Everyone tried to look past the man to see what was on the table properly. They saw the envelopes, but they also saw that they were numbered.

    "Is everyone ready?" the masked man questioned. Everyone agreed. "Answer these five riddles; the number of riddles you get right will determine what envelope you get. You have one attempt to answer correctly", he explained slowly. "Does everyone understand?" he asked. Everyone agreed once again. So, this was the challenge at location A. A bunch of riddles. The masked man got straight to the point and explained it without taking a break. Talk about professionalism.

    "What can you catch but not throw?"

    "A cold", Luna quickly answered. A relatively easy one to start with.

    "Correct. What has a neck but no head?"

    "A bottle", Luna again answered for the team. She wasn''t in class 1-A for nothing.

    "Correct. What''s in front of you, but you cannot see?"

    "The future", Luna was carrying the team right now. As soon as the riddles were asked, she immediately answered. This was good; she was quick.

    "Correct. I cannot talk, but I always reply when spoken to. What am I?"

    A few seconds went by, and there was no answer until,

    "An echo", Akari answered; she beat Luna to the answer.

    "Correct, last one. What begins with an e and only has one letter?"

    Everyone went quiet. There were no immediate answers this time; everyone had to think. Jason and Nina had no clue. Luna put her hand to her chin, her eyes fixed on the floor, trying to wrap her brain around it. Her eyes wandered up towards the table, and her eyes widened,

    "An envelope?" Luna nervously answered.

    "Correct".

    ''YESSS!" The team celebrated. Luna luckily used her brain and quickly thought about it. Was that riddle purposely used because envelopes were on the table? Who knows? Who cares? They got all the riddles correct. Luna carried the team hard, answering 4/5 riddles. Being a student in class 1-A was no joke. The masked man turned around, picked up the envelope with the number 5 on it, and handed it over to them. Jason took the envelope from the man.

    "Don''t open this envelope until you reach your car. What''s inside may not make sense when you first look at it, but it will make sense when you reach the next location", the masked man told them. With that, the team had their prize and quickly exited the tent to go to location B.

 Chapter 47 - Jason & Akari

    Malakai was sitting in the car on his phone; that was all he could do. He tried to pull up the livestream but couldn''t as he had no connection. So his phone was useless. He couldn''t do anything except play offline games without an internet connection. Malakai looked out the window and saw a guy with a cameraman standing facing towards the cars that had arrived. It looked like he was getting shots of the cars coming to location A. Malakai rolled his window down to see him more clearly; the cameraman noticed and started walking towards Malakai. Malakai hung one arm out the window. While the cameraman was walking towards him, Malakai asked,

    "Why aren''t you filming inside?"

    "We can''t film the challenges at the different locations", he replied.

    "So you''re only filming the cars?" Malakai said, looking into the camera lens.

    "Yeah, it would be unfair if we broadcasted the challenges", he answered.

    "Them lot are basically watching F1 then", Malakai said, pointing into the camera. "A shit version".

    "You''re live right now", the cameraman told him before he said more.

    "I know" Malakai smiled at the camera.

    "I don''t like how he''s smiling at us", Lucas said, knowing Malakai was going to say a lot of stupid shit.

    "Guys, get ready for an interview of a lifetime", David said, preparing himself for what was to come.

    "How are you finding the challenge so far?" The cameraman asked.

    "It''s good, apart from my teammates screaming the whole time", Malakai replied. "Oh yeah. Jason''s a pussy, the guy on my team, he''s a big guy with big muscles, but he''s a pussy. Kept telling me to slow down", Malakai continued, smiling ear to ear.

    "How fast were you going? It looked like you were going very fast. You got to this location first", The cameraman continued to ask.

    "I don''t know. I wasn''t looking at the speed. I remember one time, everyone was screaming at once. I quickly looked at the speed, and it was a hundred and something", Malakai said, quickly glancing away from the camera when he mentioned the speed.

    Benjamin laughed, "He definitely knew what speed he was going the entire time".

    "But yeah. Ladies, if you want Jason, remember, the guy is a pussy; he can''t handle high speeds. At one point, I think he was about to cry; he was holding his door so hard, screaming ''please slow down'' and ''I don''t want to die''", Malakai said towards the camera, adding a few lies towards the end.

    Dillon, lying in his bed, smiled at that comment; he wished he had seen that.

    "What else you wanna ask me?" Malakai said to the cameraman, liking how the interview was going.

    "Oh uhh", Malakai''s approach caught the cameraman off guard. "Do you have a crush on anyone?" He asked the first thing that came to mind.

    "Yeah you", Malakai replied, pointing at the cameraman.

    "Be serious", the cameraman knew he was joking around.

    Malakai smirked, "I don''t know". He thought for a second. "Oh, I know. Ms Green. She kinda bad", Malakai replied, smiling.

    The boys were laughing,

    "This guy is never serious", William laughed.

    "You know what? I might believe him", Delilah said, grinning.

    "He might be telling the truth. How Ms Green replies to him is different from everyone else", Tanisha replied, supporting Delilah''s point.

    "Stop. My friend is not going to be a victim of a student-teacher relationship", Lucas said, not wanting to imagine it and stopping the conversation from progressing.

    "Mally would probably like that though", Ray replied. The boys started laughing again because it was probably true. Maria went along with the crowd and smiled and laughed, but deep down, she wanted to hear her name out of his mouth. She knew there was no way it would''ve happened, but somewhere in her heart, she hoped he''d say it. Maybe one day.

    "Got any final words to your friends?" The cameraman asked.

    "I love all my friends. Except William. Fuck you, William. I know you''re watching", Malakai smiled with his middle finger to the camera.

    "Why always me?" William said, smiling, knowing it was a joke.

    "Anyone else you wanna call out that you don''t like?"

    "I like everyone", Malakai replied, then remembered. "Actually. Ryan", he called out. He paused for a moment.

    "Heeeeyyyyyy", Malakai said in a weird voice and waved while saying it.

    Ryan watched with a stone-cold face. Hoping Malakai crashed the car and severely get injured in the process. He hated him.

    Malakai looked past the camera and saw his teammates leaving the tent. "They''re finished already?" He said, surprised they didn''t take longer. ��YO RAPUNZEL GET IN THE FRONT. JASON GET IN THE BACK!" He shouted towards them.

    "WHY!?" Jason shouted back, jogging with an envelope in his hand.

    "SHE NEEDS TO TELL ME THE DIRECTIONS!" Malakai replied, pointing at Luna.

    "Is one of them called Rapunzel?" The cameraman asked, believing him.

    "Naa. She''s got long hair, so I call her Rapunzel", Malakai replied. Luna reached the car and got inside. "Look at my passenger princess, she''s pretty innit. She might be an emo, though", Malakai said to the camera, presenting Luna by leaning back in his seat.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "Shut up, Malakai" Luna smiled, putting on her seatbelt, happy that Malakai was talking to her like a friend. Everyone got in the car.

    "Malakai drive!" Jason hastily ordered him.

    "I''m doing an interview", he replied, pointing at the camera.

    "Malakai, go!" Nina pressured Malakai by shaking his shoulders from the seat behind him.

    "Aryt aryt", Malakai accepted. He looked at the camera one last time, raised his middle finger, smiled, and stepped on the gas, zooming forward.

    "Lu, Mally might have stolen your girl", William said, tapping Lucas''s shoulder.

    "Bro, she isn''t my girl; I talked to her once," Lucas defended himself.

    "Will, remember when you said you wanted to ask her if she was an emo? It looks like Mally probably asked her," Benjamin said, recalling the minigames when they first saw Luna.

    "Mally says anything", William replied.

    "Rapunzal''s a cool nickname", Delilah said, snacking away.

    "Does he call you by a nickname?" David asked her.

    Delilah thought for a moment. "No, he doesn''t", she answered; Malakai had always called her by her name. Maria, does he have a nickname for you?" Delilah asked, looking at her, thinking it was something Malakai would do��giving the daughter of a well-known celebrity a nickname like they were close.

    Maria shook her head. "He just calls me by my name," she answered. Hearing that now, she wanted a nickname. Thinking about it, she could count on her hands the number of times she had heard Malakai say her name. It made her a little sad. They did talk a bit, but that was mostly on the balcony. He didn''t really need to say her name if she was right next to him. Being called out by him would be nice, she thought.

    "He doesn''t call me by a nickname", Ray said.

    "That''s because you don''t need one. Ray is easy enough to say", William replied.

    "What about me then? He still calls me David", he joined in.

    "All of us call you David. You don''t have a nickname", Lucas laughed, which caused everyone else to laugh at David. Instead of William, David was getting bullied for a change.

    "What''d you get?" Malakai asked, looking in the mirror and seeing an envelope in Jason''s hands. Jason opened the letter and looked at it before showing it. "What''s that?" Malakai couldn''t make out the image shown on the paper.

    "It''s a picture showing location B. It''s a bunch of houses, but three of them are highlighted red; the rest are blacked out", Jason described the image.

    "What''s it for then?" Malakai kept rolling with the questions.

    "We don''t know; the person inside said it will make sense when we arrive at the next location", Luna replied, looking at her map.

    "Aryt, tell me what happened inside the tent".

    The group then told Malakai what happened, the masked individual and the five riddles they had to answer. All this was done while Luna gave directions; Malakai followed them and stressed his team with his driving.

    "Take this left!" Luna quickly said.

    Malakai nonchalantly turned the steering wheel with one hand. When they arrived at the next location, they saw a billboard announcing the next challenge.

    ''Find a red key in one of the houses".

    Malakai looked ahead and saw a road ahead with houses on either side; there was also a road going right. He slowed down and looked right; he saw more houses. Malakai stopped the car.

    "What does the envelope show again?" Malakai asked.

    "A lot of houses", Jason replied, not giving enough detail.

    "Tch, Show me man", Malakai turned around and held out his hand. Jason handed over the piece of paper. Malakai looked at it properly and tried to figure it out. He saw the houses that were highlighted red were on the second road.

    "It''s not this road", Luna said, pointing ahead.

    "Yeah, it''s the next one", Malakai replied, finishing her sentence.

    In the distance, they could hear another car approaching,

    "Let''s go", Malakai started driving, not recklessly like before but still with haste. Malakai turned right and took the next left. They pulled up to a street with three houses on either side. The houses didn''t look big, but they weren''t tiny. It looked like a house a middle-class family would have. He looked down at the envelope again and saw the three houses that were highlighted red were on the left side.

    "The key is in one of those houses", Malakai told them, pointing toward the houses on the left.

    "Is it really?" Nina asked, unsure of Malakai''s answer.

    "You didn''t read it wrong, did you?" Jason doubted Malakai.

    "I''m not an idiot", Malakai replied, offended by their doubts.

    "I checked, he''s right", Luna said, opening her door. Everyone except Malakai followed.

    "We should split up", Akari suggested, walking around the car.

    "I''ll take the house on the end", Luna said, walking away to the house on the right.

    "I''ll take this house", Nina said, pointing in front of her. The house she took was the one in the middle.

    "Guess I''ll take this house", Akari said; she then noticed Jason slightly out of place, not knowing what to do or who to go with. "Jason, you can help search upstairs while I search downstairs", Akari told him.

    "Okay", Jason agreed, and they both entered the house on the left.

    "I feel like they''re gonna take long. Should I sleep?" Malakai asked himself, looking at his teammates disappearing into their houses. "Fuck it" Malakai put his hood up, tilted his head down and closed his eyes.

    15 minutes passed. No one had found the key yet. Luna and Nina had to search the whole house, so for them, it was longer, but,

    "Have you found it yet?!" Jason shouted to Akari from the top of the staircase.

    "No!" She replied loud enough for him to hear. Jason walked down the stairs to help search downstairs. All the houses had the same layout. Downstairs had three rooms, including the kitchen and three rooms upstairs. However, despite the limited rooms, there were many objects and props in them to disguise and throw them off. It could take them a long time before they found it, and this was with the help of the reward they got in location A. Imagine if they decided to skip location A; they would''ve had to search every house until they found the key. The clue narrowed it down to three houses. Jason walked into the living room without saying anything and saw Akari digging her hands into the sofa.

    "Nothing here", Akari said out loud. She turned around, "AHH!" She gasped. "You scared me", she said, with her hand over her chest; she didn''t notice Jason entering the room.

    "Sorry, should I help you?" Jason asked, looking around the messy room.

    "Have you finished searching upstairs?" Akari replied.

    "Yeah", Jason lied. He did check, but he could''ve been more thorough. The reason he wasn''t was because he had a gut feeling the key was downstairs. "Have you checked under the couch?" Jason asked.

    "I''ve put my hand under it", Akari replied."But I couldn''t reach the back".

    Jason walked over to the couch, "Let me lift it for you". Jason went to one side of the sofa, lifting it high enough for Akari to see underneath.

    "Thank you", Akari said before she knelt down to get a better view.

    "Is it there?" Jason asked.

    Akari tilted her head and even brushed her hand to see if she could feel it, "No, it''s not here", she answered. She moved her head from under the couch, and Jason gently put the coach down.

    "I thought this would be easy", Jason said, looking around the room.

    "Me too", Akari replied. She looked around the room again. The room was a mess; Akari had flipped it upside down to find this key. She noticed that there were still some items at the top of the bookshelf that still needed to be checked. The bookshelf was cleared out; the lower shelves had nothing on them, but the higher one had a few things on it. She went over to it and went on her tiptoes to try and reach it. Akari was 5''2, so she needed help to reach the top. She grabbed hold of one of the shelves to try and climb it. As she tried to climb it, the bookshelf wobbled. Akari had no support; both her hands and feet were on the bookshelf. Big problem. Holding on to the bookshelf without the support of the floor caused an imbalance of weight. Despite Akari''s petite and light frame, her weight was still too much for the bookshelf to handle. The bookshelf began to fall towards her while she was still holding onto it. She was going to get crushed.

    "WATCH OUT!" Jason shouted.

    CRASH!!!

    Akari opened her eyes. She wasn''t on the floor. The bookshelf wasn''t on top of her. She was still clinging to the bookshelf. She didn''t get crushed. She looked up and saw Jason pushing the bookshelf up with one hand and the other hand on her back to support her. Upon noticing, Akari put both her feet on the floor.

    "I''m so sorry", Akari apologised. She frantically looked Jason up and down to see if he was hurt.

    "It''s fine, don''t worry about it", Jason replied, putting the bookshelf back in its original position. Akari stared at Jason while he did; this was the first time she had properly taken a look at him. She noticed how strong he was; he protected her. She also saw his green eyes glistening. Or was it her imagination?

    "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Jason asked, looking at her for any injuries. Akari was silent for a moment as she stared at Jason too hard. She quickly noticed and got flustered.

    "I- I''m fine" Akari quickly turned around to hide her blushed face. She could feel her body heating up. She looked down at the floor and started fidgeting with her fingers. She didn''t know where to look; she didn''t want to turn around. She was too embarrassed. Her gaze stayed fixed on the floor, looking at the scattered objects. The floor was more of a mess due to the objects falling from the top of the bookshelf. One was a plant pot, which was now shattered; it had soil covering the carpet. A brown mess with something red sticking out. Wait, something red?

    "The key!".

 Chapter 48 - Brake

    "The key!" Akari shouted in excitement. Jason looked to where Akari was looking and saw the key surrounded by soil.

    "The key was in the plant pot?" Jason rhetorically asked, pissed off at the weird location. "We would never have found that", he continued, frustrated.

    "Let''s go tell the others!" Akari said, picking up the key. The two of them quickly left the house and went outside; they noticed that Malakai had turned the car around to make their exit quicker.

    "You go tell Luna", Akari told Jason. Jason followed her orders and went to the house at the end of the road. Akari continued to Nina''s house and opened the door. "NINA WE GOT THE KEY!" she shouted as loud as she could. Akari heard footsteps scurrying upstairs and eventually saw Nina at the top of the stairs.

    "You found it?" Nina questioned, looking towards the door.

    "Yep", Akari replied, holding up the red key. Nina rushed down the stairs, jumped the last two steps, and followed Akari out of the house. They were accompanied by Luna and Jason, who also left the house. They all rushed to their car and opened the doors to get in.

    "Malakai, wake up!" Luna said in a slightly loud tone, getting into her seat and seeing Malakai''s head tilted down.

    Malakai removed his hood. "I wasn''t sleeping, just daydreaming," he replied, fixing his hair, which had been messed up when he had put his hood on. He turned around and saw Akari holding the key. "Let me know when you lot are ready," he said, watching them put their seatbelts on.

    "Go, we''re fine", Jason said, out of breath, clicking his seatbelt in.

    "Aryt", Malakai slowly drove out of the road, took a left turn and continued straight.

    "It looks like there''s a key in most of the street," Luna said, looking out of Malakai''s window at the other roads and seeing cars parked in different ones. They left the area, and Malakai kept driving as normal, so like a maniac.

    "Is it just this straight road?" Malakai asked Luna.

    "Yeah, there''s no turns anytime soon", she replied, relaxing with the map on her lap.

    They were currently going 80 mph. Malakai would''ve gone faster, but his team talked him down as it looked like they were in the lead by a lot. They didn''t like the idea of crashing. Malakai was tempted not to listen and go over 100 mph anyway, but he didn''t want the whole car screaming again. The time he was alone in the car was peaceful; it made him appreciate the silence much more. The car was silent; everyone was determined to win. Silence for the first time. But nothing lasts forever. Malakai looked at his mirrors and noticed another car behind him in the distance, and they were closing the gap.

    "Someone''s catching", he alerted his team.

    Luna checked her side mirror, "I can''t see their number, but it looks like they are coming closer", she said, squinting her eyes and trying to see the number.

    "Don''t do anything stupid", Jason told Malakai sternly.

    Malakai smiled, "I''ve got two options. Increase the distance by speed or increase the distance by slowing them down", he said, giving his team a choice.

    "No, don''t go faster!" Akari quickly replied, worried about the speed.

    "What''s wrong with what you''re doing now?" Nina asked, not wanting to get into a race.

    "They''re gonna catch us. If I slow them down, I guarantee they ain''t coming close to us", Malakai replied confidently.

    "How are you going to do that?" Luna questioned, looking at Malakai''s smile.

    "Hehe, you''re gonna have to wait and see", he said with a devilish smile.

    The car behind them progressively closed the gap between them; Malakai saw the number on the car, "Six. Looks like we got the green light". Everyone looked at him when he said that.

    Malakai took his foot off the accelerator, dropping his speed. He watched the car''s movement, ensuring he stayed directly in front. Their speed had fallen to 50 mph, and the distance between the two cars was about three car lengths.

    "What''re they doing?" The driver said, looking at Malakai''s car. They tried to steer left, but Malakai steered left. They tried to speed up and steer right, but Malakai blocked them. They were forced to drop their speed because of this. They couldn''t overtake; Malakai was blocking them; he made it look like the car behind them was tailgating them. Malakai was perfectly blocking them, making sure they stayed behind him. Malakai giggled, and everyone looked towards him. Malakai pressed the brakes gently, bringing down his speed further while still blocking the car behind. The car was following really close now.

    "Everyone hold on tight", Malakai warned. In the space of two seconds, Malakai quickly put his foot down on the brakes, causing the car to jolt forward. Everyone in the car moved with the car and was stopped being flung out by their seatbelts. Despite the passengers in the backseat holding on to what they could, they weren''t safe from the jolt. They still felt the impact. After quickly pressing the brakes, he removed his foot from the brakes and slammed his foot on the accelerator, causing the car to pick up speed again and zoom forward. While all this happened in their car, 2 seconds before, in the car behind them,

    "Why are they slowing down so much? I can''t get past them". He kept driving, keeping close to the car in front until,

    "WOOAAAHH!" He slammed the brakes as he saw the brake lights and the car stop in front of him. Everyone in the car got pushed forward by the force of the brake. The driver''s chest hit the steering wheel, and the person next to him got saved by their seatbelt, strangling them to their seat, same with the person in the middle at the back. The people on either side got their faces smacked by the seat in front. Everyone''s seatbelt saved them but also hurt them. The car stopped, and everyone sat in silence for a moment.

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    "IS EVERYONE OKAY?!" The driver asked in a panic, looking at all of them

    "Yeah", one of them responded shakily, holding their chest. The rest seemed to be in shock.

    "Is anyone hurt?" One of them asked.

    "I don''t think so". No one got seriously hurt, but they did get minor injuries. The speed they were going at wasn''t fast at all, but braking suddenly was still dangerous at the speed they were going.

    The driver slumped back in his seat and watched the car in front drive ahead. He forgot it was a race; he just sat there in shock. The five of them sat there in shock. Someone could''ve seriously gotten injured. Who''s fault was it? There''s or ours for driving too close? But I wasn''t trying to drive close. They made me. Yeah, it''s their fault. They did it on purpose.

    "Did Malakai just brake check them?" Delilah questioned, staring at the TV wide-eyed at what she saw. Everyone was shocked at what they saw.

    "Why would he do that? Imagine if they didn''t stop and crashed into each other", Ray said, hoping for a logical response. But all he got was,

    "It''s Mally. Who knows what he''s thinking?" David replied with a straight face. Inside, he was scared about what he saw.

    "Does he always do dangerous things like this?" Maria asked, covering her mouth with her hand.

    "It looks like it. I know we''ve said we''ve been friends for a long time, but we''ve only physically been with Malakai since we''ve been in this academy", Benjamin cooly answered, looking disappointed.

    "Yeah, he''s always been a joker. When we used to play online, he would do reckless stuff like go to the opposition team to fight them on his own. But every time he does something, he does it for a reason", William said, trying to make it look like a good quality.

    "I don''t know. What he did may have had a reason, but it was still dangerous. Did you see how harshly the other car stopped?" Tanisha pointed out that she was unimpressed by Malakai''s actions. "He did something illegal to win a challenge. A stupid reason if you ask me".

    Lucas stood up to go to the bathroom, but before he left, he said, "The only thing we can say is, it''s Mally. That''s the only answer. I bet he''s laughing right now".

    "Hehehehehe".

    "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!" Jason screamed at him, leaning forward in his seat so he was close to Malakai''s face.

    Malakai turned his head to look at him and smiled, "What? What did I do?"

    "THEY COULD''VE CRASHED INTO US! WHY DID YOU DO THAT? ARE YOU A FUCKING IDIOT!" Jason continued to scream in his face.

    "Bro, look, they ain''t behind us no more. We''re far ahead", Malakai replied casually, like he wasn''t getting shouted at.

    "Malakai. That was fucked up", Luna said in a cold tone. Malakai could sense her mood; he also felt her eyes piercing through him. Malakai didn''t meet her eyes; he kept looking at the road. Akari and Nina were shocked into silence. They were holding their chest; their hearts were running. The seatbelt may have caused their bodies to sting a little. Akari was scared, Nina was shocked, Jason was angry, and Luna was pissed off.

    "Heheheheh", Malakai giggled. "Look, nothing happened. No one died, no one''s hurt", he said, trying to lift the mood.

    "Malakai, shut up", Luna harshly said, stopping him from talking. Her tone alone sent a shiver down his spine.

    "YOU FUCKING IDIOT!"

    "Jason shut up. Please", Luna stopped him from talking as well. "Malakai, listen and listen to me carefully. I know you''re not a bad guy, but look what you''ve done to Akari and Nina. You did what you thought was right, and it worked, but look what it came with. So now, don''t say anything and don''t drive like a moron. You got what you wanted. You don''t need to do anything extra, so shut up and drive normally", Luna calmly but harshly scolded Malakai; it was clear she meant what she said. Luna looked out of her window; she didn''t want to look at Malakai or anyone, for that matter. Malakai didn''t respond; he kept looking forward and gave a faint smile. He also bit his tongue so he wouldn''t smile harder. He made sure not to look at anyone''s faces; if he did, he would crack. The ride was silent and awkward, but they eventually reached location C.

    "Okay, let''s go", Luna said, getting out of the car. The rest of the team also got out of the car without saying anything. When they all left, Malakai put his face in his right palm and started giggling; he''d been holding it in ever since Luna had scolded him. He made sure to cover his face to make sure his teammates didn''t see.

    "Are both of you okay?" Luna asked, putting a hand on Nina''s and Akari''s shoulders, as they hadn''t said anything since the incident.

    "Yeah. It was a bit of a shock, but I''m fine now", Akari replied with a weak smile on her face.

    "Me too. Now that we''re here, I''m all good", Nina replied. "I think you were too hard on Malakai", Nina said to Luna, looking back at the car.

    "Yeah, I feel bad. Even though it was dangerous, he did it to help the team", Akari said, glancing back at the car and seeing Malakai''s head tilted down and his hands covering his face.

    Luna looked back, "He''s fine. I doubt my telling him off hurt him. He''s probably laughing right now. I could tell while we were driving he wanted to laugh; he''s probably letting it all out now", Luna said, crossing her arms.

    "Forget about him; let''s go," Jason said, rushing ahead without caring about Malakai. The four passed a gate and reached what seemed to be the challenge��a large climbing net. The net was vertical, at about a 50-degree angle. At the end of the net was a platform, but they couldn''t see what was on it.

    "Guess we have to climb up", Luna said, looking up.

    "Maybe it was a good thing that idiot drove fast; climbing up this with other people racing to the top would be a mess", Jason said, looking behind and seeing no one there. Nina was the first to climb, and as soon as she saw the net, she was excited to climb it. Luna followed with Akari, and Jason stayed at the back in case anyone fell, specifically Akari. Nina and Luna were climbing the net just fine; Nina, in fact, was racing to the top. On the other hand, Akari was slow, so Jason helped her by holding her hand and supporting her balance as she slipped a few times before. Eventually, everyone reached the top and was met with a door with a circle in front of it painted on the floor. The door didn''t look like one that opened sideways; it wasn''t a door that you had to push or pull the handle to open. It looked like a door that automatically went up when you stood in front of it.

    "How do we open the door?" Jason asked, even though no one knew the answer. Luna walked and stood inside the circle. The door didn''t open. Luna looked down at the circle and noticed it was pretty big,

    "Stand in the circle with me", she told her teammates. Everyone joined and stood within the circle.

    Ping!

    The noise startled everyone in the circle. Did it work? The door started lifting up. Everyone remained in the circle until the door fully opened just to be safe.

    "It looks like it worked," Nina said, stepping out of the circle and entering the room. When they entered, it was nothing special. It was a plain white room with six boxes with locks placed on a relatively high table.

    "Can I have the key?" Jason asked Akari.

    "Here you go", Akari gave Jason the key. Jason walked to the box that was labelled 1st in gold. The boxes were lined up in order from 1-6, with one being coloured gold, two being silver and three being bronze. Four, five, and six were coloured black. From what it looked like, that meant the order in which a team arrived unless it was a trick.

    "We''re going for number 1, right?" Jason asked his group before unlocking it.

    "Yeah, I don''t think we should overthink this", Luna replied. Jason wasted no time, he used the key and unlocked the box. Inside the box was a folded piece of paper and a map. Jason handed the map to Luna and kept the folded piece of paper.

    "Another piece of paper'''', Jason said while he unfolded the paper, "86479," he read out.

    "That''s probably the code to the safe at the last location", Akari said.

    Jason smirked, proud that he got first place.

    "Let''s go".

 Chapter 49 - Hyena

    "Let''s go".

    The four of them rushed out of the room and went to the climbing net. They all carefully descended the net, and while they did that, they noticed another team ascending the net; they didn''t get a proper look at them; they just saw people climbing up. This time, there were no slip-ups, and everyone got down safely. Akari didn''t need any help from Jason. They all ran to the car; Malakai was leant back in his seat with his head resting on the headrest, so he saw them immediately. He turned the car on and waited for them to get in. His teammates all got in the car,

    "Have you finished crying?" Luna teased, looking at Malakai, who was avoiding all eye contact and biting his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling.

    "Yeah, about a minute ago", Malakai sarcastically replied. "I''m sorry, by the way", he apologised, as he didn''t before.

    "It''s fine, just drive", Nina ushered him, putting her seatbelt on.

    "Aryt aryt. Don''t act like that the next time I do it then", Malakai smiled. He reversed and turned back toward the road. "Where we going?" Malakai asked looking at Luna.

    "We got another map", she replied, trying to sort herself out. "Give me a second to figure it out. Drive slowly", Luna told him, as the road ahead was straight. Luna looked at the map and followed the road with her finger. "Okay, I got it. It''s quite far", Luna said after following the map.

    "Malakai, please don''t be stupid", Jason tiredly told him from the back seat.

    "Yeah, don''t worry. Everything''s under control", Malakai replied. Surprisingly, Malakai kept to his word. His highest speed was 80 mph, and no one had any issues in the car. The vibes were positive; first place looked inevitable. After a while of driving,

    "This is the last turn", Luna said. Malakai didn''t reply; he just continued and took the right turn. They continued to drive until they reached a road that opened up and led to a big circular area.

    "Look, there''s something over there", Akari said, looking through the windscreen.

    "I can get out of the car for this location, right?" Malakai asked for clarification.

    "Yeah, you can", Jason answered him. The road ended, and there were six parking spaces.

    "Aryt lemme park", Malakai said, forward parking into a space. Malakai parked the car and turned the car off. Everyone quickly got out of the car and went onto the pavement. They all saw the six safes on the stands in front of them. All of them ran to the safes except Malakai, who walked with his hands in his pockets.

    "We got code 1, so we use it on safe 1", Luna said, looking at the labelled safes. They gathered around the safe, with the number 1 painted on top.

    "86479," Jason said while entering the code. He successfully entered the code and opened the safe. The four of them eagerly looked into the box, wanting to see what was in it.

    "What''s in the safe?" Malakai asked, finally reaching them after walking.

    "Medals and a piece of paper with the number one on it", Luna replied, turning around to show him.

    "There''s something on the back", Nina pointed out.

    Luna turned the paper over and saw, "We have to write our names and classes at the back to show we came first", she told them. Akari gave Luna the pen she had missed in the safe to write everyone''s name.

    Malakai weaved past them and got the remaining medal in the box. "This medals kinda sick", he said lifting it up and looking at it. The medal was gold, not actual gold, but it was painted gold with metallic paint. However, the medal''s design was cool; it had the academy''s logo on it. Malakai put his medal on, "Now what?" He said, looking around and not seeing anyone in sight.

    "CONGRATULATIONS YOUR TEAM CAME FIRST!" A voice from a speaker spoke out, and everyone flinched. "UNFORTUNATELY, YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR ALL THE TEAMS TO FINISH BEFORE THE CHALLENGE ENDS. SO YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT HERE", The voice finished.

    "Here? There''s nothing here", Jason said, looking around; even the cameramen weren''t there. The only thing there was a drone recording from above and a few steps to sit on.

    "Should we go back to the car?" Nina suggested.

    "NO, YOU CANNOT GO BACK TO THE CAR. ALL TEAMS HAVE TO WAIT IN THIS AREA!" The voice let them know.

    "Damn, well, we might as well get to know each other better", Malakai said, taking a seat on a step.

    "Sure, why not?" Nina replied, taking a seat nearby. Shortly, the rest followed. The five of them waited for a while, talking about each other, telling stories about how they came to this academy and what had happened in each of their classes. After some time, the second team arrived, opened their safe, collected what was inside, and minded their business. However, the next team to arrive would cause a scene. They got what they needed from their safe, and then,

    "Who''s team 4?" One of them asked everyone in the area.

    The five of them were sitting together, "Here", Luna replied, raising her hand.

    "Who was the driver?" She continued to ask while walking towards her.

    "Me", Malakai said, looking up at her.

    "Of course, it was you", she said calmly; she took a deep breath and, "WHAT''S YOUR FUCKING PROBLEM?!" The girl shouted.

    Malakai was taken aback; his eyes widened. He smiled and gave a look towards his teammates. "What did I do?" he replied like he was innocent.

    The girls came closer, "YOU KNOW WHAT YOU FUCKING DID. YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!" She continued to shout. Malakai stood up so he wasn''t being towered by her.

    "I don''t know what you''re on about," Malakai said with a cheeky smile.

    "YOU BRAKE CHECKED US! SOMEONE COULD''VE SERIOUSLY GOT HURT!" She shouted with pure aggression in her voice.

    Malakai got a proper look at the girl��a short, dark-skinned girl with curly black hair and glasses.

    "I know you. You''re Ryan''s fan girl," Malakai giggled. "I forgot your name, though", he said, stroking his chin. The fan girl he was talking about was Melody; he remembered her being next to Ryan when Ryan first approached him (from Chapter 12 - Celebrity).

    "SHUT UP!" Melody shouted, offended by his comment.

    Malakai put his hands over his ears and whinced as a joke, "Why''s everyone shouting today?".

    "What''s your problem? Is there something wrong with your head?" Melody snapped back, lowering her tone and getting closer to Malakai.

    "Hehehehe. Don''t worry; one day, I''ll save you", Malakai laughed.

    "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID?! Brake checking is illegal!" Melody replied, getting angrier as Malakai laughed.

    "Is it?" Malakai looked at his teammates; this was the first time he had heard it was illegal. "Who cares? Fuck the law", Malakai giggled.

    "STOP LAUGHING! You could''ve killed someone. Do you realise what you did!" Another girl approached Malakai, looking angrier than Melody.

    Malakai looked at her, "Yo, you got braces", he smiled, pointing at her.

    "Yeah, so what? You''re going to make fun of me!" She said, taking offence.

    "Na. I think braces are cute", Malakai replied, smiling with his teeth showing.

    The girl stumbled on her words; she couldn''t think of anything to say.

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    "I''ll never understand how he can joke and flirt in a serious situation," Luna said, watching this unfold in front of her. It was entertaining for everyone. The team that came second had no clue what was happening, but they were curious. No one wanted to intervene to stop because it was interesting. This wasn''t the end, though. A guy came charging forward and moved the girls out of the way so he could be face-to-face with Malakai.

    "Why did you do that?" The guy asked Malakai straight up.

    Malakai looked at him. He was a guy with brown skin, long, wavy hair on top, held back with a headband, and short hair on the sides. He looked average height but strong��not Jason strong, but you could tell he lifts weights.

    "Do what?" Malakai laughed at the guys entranced.

    The guy looked away and took a deep breath. "Don''t take the piss, dude", he slowly said, not wanting to deal with Malakai''s trolling.

    "Why don''t we introduce each other first?" Malakai said with a smile that could set anyone off. "I don''t want us to get off on the wrong foot," he provocatively said.

    The guy couldn''t hold back anymore. He grabbed Malakai and lifted him up a little, the same way Dillon, Johan, and a second year held him up. The list only got longer; people really loved to grab Malakai for some reason.

    "Shouldn''t we help him?" Nina questioned, standing up, thinking it was getting a bit too much now.

    "Nope. Actions come with consequences. You would act the same way they are if you were in their shoes", Jason replied before Nina could take another step.

    "I''m sure he can handle himself", Luna added. "He knew this was coming. I''ve only known Malakai for a few hours, but I already know who he is. He''s an idiot, but he''s not an idiot", Luna said, watching on.

    "Why does everyone like grabbing me?" Malakai giggled while looking at the audience that was watching.

    "Why did you do it?!" the guy asked more aggressively this time. He wasn''t shouting, but his tone was louder and harsher.

    "Bro, it''s the game. No one got hurt. Why are you crying?" Malakai continued to giggle at his pissed expression. The guy was playing into Malakai''s hands by reacting this way; no matter the outcome, Malakai won by getting this reaction.

    The guy tightened his grip, "No one got hurt? IMAGINE IF I DIDN''T BRAKE IN TIME!" The guy shouted in Malakai''s face.

    "Bro, it didn''t matter if you stopped in time. Even if you didn''t stop, you wouldn''t have hit me", Malakai answered in a slightly condescending way. "Think about it this way. If you think it was a near-death experience, then at least you can say you had a near-death experience. Think of it as a story you can tell your kids", Malakai laughed.

    "WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS LAUGHING?! ARE YOU A FUCKING HYENA!?" The guy screamed while bringing Malakai closer; their noses were almost touching.

    Malakai giggled at that comment, "Hyena. That''s a cold name. You can all call me hyena if you want", he said, looking at the camera, which was focusing on them. The camera crew were filming the whole thing; they started when Melody was screaming at Malakai, so everyone watching the livestream was watching Malakai get grabbed. Hearing Malakai take the piss angered the guy even more. He released his right hand from his grip so only his left hand held Malakai, and he raised it up like he was about to punch Malakai. Malakai noticed and pushed the guy away before he could swing. The push made the guy let go of Malakai, as his left hand wasn''t that strong alone. Malakai escaped his grasp with that push.

    "Hehehehe. You can grab me, but you can''t punch me", Malakai said, smiling at him and pointing at him like a dog being told to sit.

    Seeing red, the guy lost control like a bull and went straight for Malakai. He swung a reckless right hook towards Malakai''s face, but Malakai dodged by stepping back. He swung a left hook towards Malakai''s face again, and Malakai dodged by ducking. He swung a right hook again at Malakai''s face; Malakai slipped the punch and went around the punch. He was now behind the guy. Malakai was laughing and giggling the whole time. After ever punch Malakai dodged he laughed. The laughing set the guy off more; imagine being laughed at while fighting. That would piss anyone off. Even now, Malakai was still laughing while he was walking backwards,

    "Hehehehehehe oh," he bumped into Luna. "Yo," he said, looking at Luna. "Ow," Malakai said, holding the back of his head. Luna slapped him��not too hard, but not lightly. It might''ve stung Malakai, but that''s it.

    "I''ve hit him, so you don''t need to", Luna said to the guy. "He knows he''s done wrong; let''s all be happy no one got hurt", she tried to calm the situation down.

    The guy didn''t care. He continued charging at Malakai,

    "FABIO CALM DOWN!" Two other guys held him back and stopped him from advancing. "Let''s go. Forget about him. No point in wasting your time", he told Fabio. The two guys holding him back were on Fabio''s team. After being held back, Fabio gave up. This whole performance would be embarrassing if he continued.

    "You''re not safe", Fabio threatened Malakai. The three of them walked away, all glaring at Malakai.

    "Why''d you hit me?" Malakai asked, still holding his head.

    "I had to. You needed it", Luna said, looking at him like a mom telling off her child. "You had this crazy look in your eyes".

    "Malakai, can you come over here!" A voice shouted from behind. Malakai turned around to see a cameraman waving towards him.

    "Come with me", Malakai said to Luna.

    "You''re the superstar", Luna replied, pushing him towards the cameraman

    Malakai scoffed and walked towards the camera. Now, in front of the camera, he smiled and said,

    "Yo"

    "It seemed like you got into a fight. What happened there?" The cameraman asked, getting straight into it.

    "I don''t know. They''re angry about something. I don''t get it, though ", Malakai said with a smile, looking at Fabio and the others who were still eyeing him.

    "Anyways, congratulations on coming first. How does that feel?"

    "Pretty good. I barely did anything; I was the driver. You should''ve interviewed one of my teammates", Malakai replied, pointing towards them. "Lemme call one. YO RAPUZEL, COME HERE!�� He shouted. The camera panned to Luna; she froze awkwardly as the camera focused on her. Luna felt embarrassed, but she came towards Malakai anyway. She came into the frame,

    "Hi", she greeted to the camera. She stood next to Malakai and rested her arm on his shoulder as she was taller. A small gesture to take the piss out of him after he''s taken the piss out of her the whole day.

    "The height difference is crazy," Benjamin laughed, his hand covering his mouth as he chewed something. Luna, being 5''10 and Malakai being 5''6.

    "It''s weird, Mally''s making friends and enemies", Lucas said.

    "He nearly killed five people. I think that''s enough to make people hate you", Tanisha replied, still unimpressed by Malakai.

    "Killed is a bit much; I don''t think they would''ve died", Lucas replied, defending his friend.

    "Can Malakai fight?" Maria asked the guys, as he was almost caught up in one. All of them turned to Maria and thought about the question. It was a good question.

    "I''m not sure. We''ve never seen him fight", William answered, looking at the ceiling.

    "He dodged and slipped those punches nicely", David said, recalling back.

    "Maybe he can, but I don''t think he''d be strong because of his build", William said, thinking about it.

    "Do you think you could beat him, Will?" Delilah questioned, trying to instigate.

    "Yeah, hundred per cent", he confidently replied.

    "No chance", David, Lucas and Benjamin said simultaneously.

    "What?" William couldn''t believe it, he turned to Ray. "Surely you believe in me".

    Ryan looked down, "Sorry Will".

    William stood up and went to the kitchen to get a drink,

    "All of you are haters".

    It was the end of the challenge, and all the teams gathered together, with Mr Miller standing in front of them.

    "Congratulations on completing the challenge", he started off with. "All of you know what position your team got. I''m sure some of you are disappointed with where you placed, but don''t worry. This is only the second challenge. There is much more to come," he said with a reassuring smile. "Your points will be given to you at the end of the week when everyone else has completed the challenge. Once again, congratulations to everyone for completing the challenge despite where you placed. This first day was a successful one. You can now rest for the rest of the week," he completed his speech.

    "That''s all for today. You can now get on the bus!" Mr. White shouted so everyone would get on the bus. Everyone made their way to the bus and took their seats. For some reason, there was tension in the air. I wonder why.

    "When did they get so close?" Malakai asked, looking towards the back of the bus and seeing Akari and Jason sitting next to each other, happily talking.

    "I don''t know. Jason helped Akari climb the net at location C, and they went to the same house to find the key. Maybe something happened", Luna replied, who was sitting next to him.

    "Do you think they had sex?" Malakai joked.

    "What''s wrong with you?" Nina replied with a disturbed face.

    "Aryt, sorry. It was a joke. Why can''t girls handle a joke?" Malakai said with his hands raised.

    "That was just weird", Nina told him.

    Malakai smiled and shook his head. "Nina, I thought we had a bit of chemistry", he said.

    "Here''s the thing, I''m weird, but you are on a different level", Nina replied, making it clear they aren''t similar.

    "Aryt fuck you then; I''m talking to Luna", Malakai said, facing away from Nina but putting his middle finger at her. Nina laughed at his response and didn''t bother replying. The whole act amused Luna.

    "Malakai", a voice called from behind. Malakai looked over his chair to see who was behind him; it was Chris.

    "I got a question", Chris said.

    "Yeah?" Malakai was sitting on his seat, using his knees to see over his seat.

    "Would you have brake-checked us?" Chris asked for both him and Christina

    "Na, I checked the number of the car before I did it", Malakai replied. "You were number 3, and Christina was number 5".

    "Did you?" Christina asked in shock. "I thought you did it because they were catching up to you".

    "Na, you can ask Luna", Malakai said.

    "He''s not lying. He said something like I got the green light. At the time, I didn''t understand, but now it makes sense", Luna supported Malakai''s claims.

    The twins were stunned into silence. Malakai actually thought about them, even though they had become friends a few hours before. This guy was weird but in a good way.

    "I told you, both of you are younger siblings. My twins", He joked before sitting back in his seat normally.

    Malakai pulled out his phone to check if he got any new notifications, but it didn''t look like he did; then suddenly,

    "If you''re making them your younger siblings, then I''m your older sister", Luna randomly said, embarrassingly, looking away.

    "Wha?" Malakai was surprised by what she said. It took him a few seconds to process what was happening. "Aryt, go on. A friend in 1-A sounds pretty good", he smiled with his fist out. It looks like his weirdness rubbed on Luna.

    Luna smiled and fist-bumped him. She knew it was a weird thing to say, but Malakai said it to other people, so Luna wanted to be involved in the joke.

    "So, now I''ve got younger siblings, an older sister, a twin and a student", Malakai said, listing them on his fingers. "I just need a wife". He paused and looked over at Nina. "Nina".

    "No!" Nina cut him off before he could finish.

    "You don''t even know what I''m going to say", Malakai laughed.

    "No".

    Nina was looking out of her window, smiling at the joke, but didn''t want to show him. Malakai and Luna laughed together. A start a new friendship.

 Chapter 50 - Famous Friends

    6:28 PM.

    Malakai entered his dorm slumped. William was sitting on the couch playing on the PlayStation, which was unusual as he rarely played on it.

    "Look who''s back! The hyena!" William cheered as he saw Malakai walk in.

    Malakai walked into the main area. "What, no welcome-back party? No celebration for me?" he questioned, looking around the messy room.

    "The celebrations already happened when you won. Everyone''s gone back to their dorms", William replied, pausing his game to talk.

    "Everyone? Who came?" Malakai asked, standing with his hands in his pockets.

    "All of us with Delilah, Maria and Tanisha", William listed using his fingers.

    "You actually had a party without me," Malakai said, covering his yawn with his hand. He looked around the room, and it was evident that people had come over. It wasn''t bad, but the place needed to be cleaned up a bit. Sweet wrappers were on the floor, some snacks were on the kitchen table, and the sink was filled with cups and plates.

    "You have to tell me what happened. The cameras only showed the driving", William said, resuming his game.

    "I''ll tell you after I shower", Malakai said, pulling out his phone to check the time. "Who''s got the challenge tomorrow?" he asked before walking away.

    William thought for a moment, "Only Maria".

    Malakai thought for a second. "Aryt", he said, walking towards his room to get some fresh clothes before his shower.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    The door opened.

    "Yo".

    "Hi... Malakai", Maria said slowly. Maria''s mind froze for a moment. Malakai was in front of her. Why? She quickly looked him up and down; he wasn''t wearing a typical outfit. He wore white slippers with black socks and plain grey night clothes. She recognised this outfit; this was the outfit she would see when they were on the balcony for their talks. She also noticed his hair was damp. Did he just get out of the shower? Did he not use a hairdryer? Seeing his hair like this added a new charm, though. It looked like he was getting ready for bed, but instead, he was standing in front of her. Her outfit wasn''t any better; she had a fluffy red robe and white joggers. She didn''t expect visitors; when she heard the door knock, she thought it would be Tanisha as she went out to get something from the convenience store. Being seen like this was embarrassing. Why was he here?

    "Do you have the challenge tomorrow?" Malakai asked, looking at her and her outfit.

    "Y-yeah", Maria replied, nervous about what he thought of what she was wearing; she couldn''t keep eye contact for long.

    "Do you wanna know what to expect?" He asked.

    "Yes, please," she shyly replied flustered. "Come in," she continued, fully opening the door. She welcomed Malakai in and closed the door. "Congratulations on getting first place".

    "Thanks", Malakai replied, slowly walking in.

    "Do you want anything to drink?" Maria timidly offered.

    "Uuh, what do you have?" Malakai asked, taking off his slippers by the door and looking around the dorm.

    "I was making hot chocolate", Maria replied.

    "You got hot chocolate! Yeah, I''ll have one", he excitedly said like a child. "Please", he nearly forgot his manners.

    Maria giggled at that reaction, "Okay." She walked to the kitchen area.

    "Should I help?" Malakai offered.

    "It''s fine. It''s only hot chocolate", she happily replied, picking up a cup from the cupboard.

    Malakai took a seat on the coach, "Are you using milk or water?" he asked.

    "Milk. Do you want me to use water?" Maria worriedly replied, having already poured the milk into his cup.

    "Na na. Milk is the only way to make hot chocolate", Malakai said, clearly showing his preference. Maria quietly laughed at his response, glad she didn''t mess up. This whole experience was still surreal for her. She felt like Malakai''s wife right now.

    "Maria, are those your slippers by the door?" Tanisha asked from the corridor. "I got the cake you want��" She stopped talking as soon as she saw Malakai sitting on her couch.

    "Heeeyyyy", Malakai waved and greeted in a jokey voice.

    "Why are you here?" Tanisha bluntly asked.

    "I''m telling Maria what the challenges were", he honestly answered.

    "Why are you dressed like that?" she asked, eyeing him up and down. It did look like he came over for a sleepover.

    "Why not?" He answered with a question.

    Tanisha sighed. She knew she wasn''t going to win; this was Malakai she was talking to. "Whatever. Congratulations on getting first place", she said, placing the bag she was holding on the kitchen table.

    "Thanks. Don''t you wanna stay and hear the challenges?" He asked.

    "Mine is on Friday; Maria can tell me all about it tomorrow", she replied, walking to her room. "Oh yeah. I hate you by the way. You made me lose 200 credits".

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    "How?" Malakai asked, confused.

    "I made a bet with Lucas and William that you wouldn''t get first place", Tanisha replied.

    Malakai scoffed, "That''s your fault for doubting me".

    Tanisha rolled her eyes. "You''re not as good as you think", Tanisha concluded before walking to her room.

    Malakai wasn''t sure where he stood with Tanisha. Are they friends? Does she not like him? Did he do something to piss her off?

    It doesn''t matter because,

    "Here you go". He got some hot chocolate.

    "Thank you", he replied, taking the cup from her and holding it with both hands to absorb the warmth. Maria sat on the left side of the coach, not too close to Malakai but not too far. A friendly distance.

    "How was the challenge?"

    Malakai told her about the challenges, what his team had to do, the riddles, where they found the key, what they had to climb, and what the key opened. He tried his best to describe it in detail to help her as much as possible, using what his teammates told him. It would''ve helped her more if he had been involved in the challenges and not been stuck in the car.

    "Yeah, that''s it", Malakai said, sipping his drink.

    "That sounds tough", Maria replied, holding her empty cup.

    Malakai finished his hot chocolate and said, "You''ll be fine as long as you don''t have bad teammates".

    Maria could feel the conversation ending, and she knew they had both finished their drinks. "I have a question".

    "Yeah?"

    "Why did you do something so dangerous?"

    It felt like Malakai had been electrocuted. A shock went through his whole body. He didn''t expect to be asked that. "Why is she asking that? Does she think there''s something wrong with me? Fuck, what should I say?" Malakai thought.

    "Uhhhh", was the only noise that came out of Malakai''s mouth. He struggled to think of the right words to say. If this were anyone else, he would''ve said it how it is: ''Why not'' or ''The games the game''. Saying those things here could make it awkward and make him look bad. Even though Malakai mostly spoke his intrusive thoughts, if he really wanted to, he could control it.

    "If you want me to be honest, I thought it would be the best thing to do," Malakai carefully worded. He then made eye contact with Maria, "I was high on adrenaline the whole time. The whole experience was an adrenaline rush. Looking back on it, it was stupid." Malakai said, knowing full well that if he were in that situation again, he would do it again. He was thinking clearly at that moment and was not influenced by adrenaline at all. The adrenaline rush came after.

    "I''m glad no one got hurt, but you should be careful. There were people in your car as well; they could''ve got hurt too, not only you", Maria replied, with her eyes fixed on him. "And you got into a fight".

    "It wasn''t really a fight, and I can defend myself", Malakai replied.

    "But Malakai, you understand why he was angry. It doesn''t matter if he could''ve beaten you in a fight or not. He was angry because he thought he would''ve got seriously hurt along with everyone in his car", Maria said, trying to make him understand. Maria''s perspective of this was that Malakai didn''t understand how dangerous he was being, but the truth is Malakai knew. But Malakai can''t tell her the truth because then she wouldn''t understand.

    Malakai looked away; it was like he was getting a lecture from his mom. He could feel her eyes on him. He looked into his empty cup, "Yeah, next time, I might think before I do something", he said. He looked at the clock, "Damn, it''s already past 8; I should let you go sleep", he said, switching his gaze back to her but not focusing on her eyes. He stood up, walked to the kitchen, and quickly washed his cup.

    "You didn''t have to wash it", Maria said, walking to the kitchen with her empty cup.

    "I can''t do that. I''d feel bad if I left it for you," Malakai replied, walking past her.

    There was a short silence. "No, he''s leaving. Did my question make him uncomfortable? I lectured him by accident; maybe he already got lectured by his friends", Maria thought. She didn''t want him to leave yet.

    "Will you watch the live stream tomorrow?" Maria quietly asked him, with her back to him.

    "It starts at 12. I should be awake by then; I''ll probably watch it in bed", Malakai replied, turning to her.

    Maria quietly giggled, knowing he had a lazy side. With the cup still in her hands, she turned around to face Malakai, "I''ll try to get first place", she smiled at him, now standing in front of him.

    Malakai reciprocated the little smile, "Yeah, good luck for tomorrow", he said, putting a hand on her head. Maria looked up, and Malakai was smiling with a hand on her head. She was happy. The contact she saw Nada get, she was getting right now. Couldn''t this last longer? Was there a way to make him stay?

    "Aryt, imma go then", he said, taking his hand off her head and walking away. Maria didn''t follow she watched as he walked away to the door. She couldn''t convince him to stay; the only thing she could muster up to say was,

    "Bye".

    October 24th. Tuesday, 10:20 AM.

    On the bus.

    Maria was sitting next to a familiar face, someone she knew before coming to this academy. Luckily, they were on the same team.

    "You should''ve been in that movie with me. I could''ve put in a good word for you".

    "No, I don''t think I could''ve. My acting isn''t as good as yours, Alejandro", Maria replied.

    Alejandro was the son of a famous actor like Maria. His and Maria''s backgrounds were similar; they are both Latino, have famous parents and saw each other quite often when they were growing up. Kind of like childhood friends, but they weren''t that close. Alejandro was in class 1-A. He was tall and built, had smooth skin, light brown eyes, and healthy wavy black hair with some brown dyed in. Alejandro was a model, blessed with his parent''s genes, and he could even act; his talents seemed endless. He modelled in the past with Maria; he used to be on shoots with her, and they were even in a commercial when they were younger. They attended the same high school but never really talked during school, as other people mostly surrounded them. Most of their conversations happened at work.

    "Come to think of it, you didn''t take that much work before we came to this academy. Why is that?" Alejandro asked, looking at her. During her last year of high school, Maria stopped going to shoots and took no offers that were given to her.

    "To be honest, I wasn''t finding it fun anymore," Maria said, looking out the window. "At the start, when we used to go to shoots, I loved it. It was different. I loved it for so many reasons, but the main one was because I wanted to be like my mama," she continued.

    "What changed?" Alejandro asked; he couldn''t take his eyes off her.

    "I''m not sure. That feeling I used to have was gone. It felt like work", Maria replied. "I know it IS work, but at 16, I didn''t want to grow up that fast. It''s childish, I know", Maria said, not wanting to look at him while saying that.

    Alejandro put his hand on her shoulder. "No, it''s fine. If you didn''t enjoy it, who''s to tell you you''re wrong? Your reason makes complete sense. What 16-year-old, what''s to work?" Alejandro comforted.

    "You still did shoots back then", Maria replied, turning to face him.

    "I enjoyed it, so it didn''t feel like work. I''ve taken fewer jobs now because of this academy, but if I have time, I''ll take those jobs", Alejandro said. "What do your parents think about it?" he curiously asked.

    "My parents don''t mind. They were happy I was doing all of this in the first place, but they saw it as extra. All they want is for me to be happy. When I told them my reason, they were fine with it. They were happy I wasn''t forcing myself", Maria replied, fidgeting with her hands.

    "That''s good", Alejandro replied. "Anyway, forget about that. How have you been at this academy?" He shifted the conversation as he felt it was getting awkward.

    "Amazing, it''s been so much fun", Maria replied with a smile; her mood changed, and she stopped fidgeting. Changing the topic was the right call.

    "I''ve seen Tanisha with you a few times; I need to talk to her", Alejandro said.

    "Oh yeah, you two were friends", Maria remembered seeing Alejandro and Tanisha walking together a few times.

    "I liked to think so. We talked a little because we had one class together," Alejandro replied. "You''re both in class 1-C; some interesting people are there", Alejandro recalled; the guy at number one was in her class. "Have you made more friends?" Alejandro asked, checking if she wasn''t lonely.

    "Yeah, a few," Maria happily replied, looking down.

    Alejandro noticed, "Cool, you should introduce me to them some time".

    Maria smiled and looked at him,

    "Yeah, I think you''ll get along".

 Chapter 51 - Not Just A Pretty Face

    In the car, driving to location B.

    "I think we did well", Alejandro said to his team, sitting in the front seat looking down at the map.

    "We got 5 out of 5. That''s the best we could do", Oscar replied to him while driving. Oscar was in class 1-D. He had brown skin that was darker than Alejandro''s and an afro top with a fade on the sides and the back.

    "I meant time-wise; we were really quick", Alejandro said. "You were good, Lorenzo; you answered three of them straight away", he said, looking in the mirror at Lorenzo.

    "You and Maria answered the other two. We''re a team, that''s all that matters", Lorenzo replied, sounding bored, looking out the window. Maria was sitting in the middle with Lorenzo to her right and Maxine to her left. Maxine was a brunette from 1-E. Maria looked at Lorenzo without turning her head.

    "He gives off a similar vibe to Malakai", she thought, "They''re similar in height, and he''s clever like Malakai, too. The only difference, I guess, is that Malakai is always smiling, and Lorenzo always looks like he''s angry".

    Lorenzo always looked angry as he had a resting bitch face, his eyes brows slanted down. Adding a straight face made him look angry or pissed off most of the time.

    Alejandro noticed Maria glancing at Lorenzo, "Maria, which houses are marked red again?" Alejandro questioned to catch her attention.

    Maria looked down at the paper she had, "It''s the three houses right at the end", she answered.

    "How do we find the keys? Nobody I know has done the challenge yet. From what I heard, they''re hard to find", Maxine said, joining the conversation.

    "Yeah, a friend told me they found their key in a plant pot", Maria replied, turning to her.

    "So, how do we search if there are three houses? Do we all go in one house together?" Maxine asked.

    "We should split up. One person to each house, and the extra person joins someone", Maria said, telling them what Malakai told her yesterday.

    "Did your friend find the key?" Alejandro curiously asked, looking at her in the mirror.

    "No, he was the driver. He told me what his teammates did", Maria answered, meeting his eyes in the mirror.

    "Driver? Wait, are you talking about Malakai?!" Oscar excitedly asked, connecting the dots as Malakai and Maria were both in 1-C, and Malakai was a driver yesterday.

    "Yeah", Maria replied with a smile. Lorenzo''s interest was piqued; he kept an ear out just in case.

    "Your friends with Malakai?" Maxine asked, sounding surprised.

    "Yeah, he''s my neighbour too", Maria happily added.

    "Lucky guy", Oscar quietly slipped in, only loud enough so Alejandro could hear as he was beside him.

    Alejandro turned to him. Hearing Malakai was Maria''s friend and neighbour hurt him, not to mention they were in the same class. So that''s what she meant by she made friends. She made friends with the guy who was number 1. The guy that was on everyone''s radar. A guy he even heard girls in 1-A talk about. Alejandro kept quiet; he didn''t want to know more.

    "I want to meet him, especially after yesterday. Even after the minigames, I thought he was cool," Oscar said, keeping his eyes on the road.

    "He didn''t win, though", Alejandro accidentally said. He didn''t mean to say it out loud; he thought he said it in his head but let it slip.

    "Yeah, but apparently, he let his friend win. It looked that way as well", Maxine replied. "I got eliminated in the second round. I planned to leave after watching the dodgeball match, but he was great, So I stayed".

    "I like his accent. It''s tough", Oscar said. "Nothing like I imagined a British person to sound like".

    "Yeah, I like his laugh. I think it''s cute", Maxine added.

    "C-cute?" Maria replied, turning towards her, surprised to hear her say Malakai and cute in the same sentence.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    "Cute? He laughs like a maniac", Alejandro said, now turning his body to look at the passengers at the back. He didn''t see the appeal.

    "It''s cute because he has different laughs. The maniac laugh has its own charm; it shows his crazy side," Maxine explained.

    "Damn, Maxine, were you only watching him yesterday?" Oscar questioned, giving her a look at her in the mirror.

    "I mean, yeah, let''s be real. Yesterday''s livestream was boring. He was the only interesting part. His interviews were funny, and he even got into a fight," Maxine defended herself, showing she was thirsting for Malakai.

    "True, his interviews were funny", Oscar said, giggling, remembering what Malakai said in his interviews.

    From that conversation, Lorenzo didn''t learn anything useful; he only learned that Maria and Malakai were friends and neighbours.

    "Ryan would probably be grateful for any information on Malakai", Lorenzo thought.

    Alejandro leaned back in his chair with the map on his lap. He took his sweet time to talk to Maria, waiting for her to come to him, and this is what he gets,

    "Does she like Malakai? No chance; they''re only friends," Alejandro told himself. "He''s not even good-looking. He''s short and has an ugly scar across his nose, but he is funny. But Maria doesn''t like that kind of humour. Surely they can''t work together," he argued in his own head.

    ��Yo Alejandro where do I go?�� Oscar asked, slowing down the car.

    Alejandro snapped out of it and picked up the map, "My bad, uuum take the next right", he replied.

    Maria was twiddling her thumbs and thinking about what Maxine had said. A lot was said, and it all happened because she brought up Malakai''s name.

    "She found his laugh cute. Did I ever pay that much attention to his laugh? I forgot I''m not the only person who can see Malakai," Maria thought. "Everyone knows Malakai. I wonder how many other girls have noticed him? Wait, do other girls feel the same way I do towards him?" Maria''s thoughts were piling up��more questions that couldn''t be answered, more questions she didn''t need right now.

    At Location B.

    "You said it was the houses at the end, right?" Oscar asked, slowly driving past the streets.

    "Yeah", Maria replied, looking out of Maxine''s window.

    "Who''s searching which house?" Maxine asked before they reached their houses.

    "I''m searching alone", Lorenzo quickly said, still looking out his window.

    "Go ahead. What about you, Maria?" Alejandro asked, wanting to hear her opinion.

    "I don''t mind", she replied.

    "I think you two should search a house together", Oscar suggested.

    "Huh?" Alejandro turned to Oscar. Oscar gave a wink that only Alejandro could see.

    "You want me to search a house all by myself? Maxine questioned, thinking she was going to search with Maria.

    "You heard what Maria said; Malakai''s team found the key in a plant pot. That means you can destroy the house all you want. You think Maria could do that by herself?" Oscar replied.

    "No, but she could help me if we both go into one house", Maxine argued back.

    "Alejandro and Maria are childhood friends. They have better chemistry. If the key is in their house, they''ll find it; if not, they''ll help you", Oscar replied, really pushing for Alejandro and Maria to be together. Maxine couldn''t think of an answer back; she wanted someone else''s help, but Oscar''s point about their chemistry was good; they trusted each other. She didn''t know what else to say, so she took the L and accepted she would search alone. Oscar turned into the street and parked up on the side of the road,

    "Don''t take too long", Oscar said while turning off the car. Everyone in the back quickly got out, while Alejandro got out at a normal pace.

    Before he left, he said, "You didn''t have to fight that hard for us to search together".

    "That doesn''t sound like a thank you", Oscar replied, smugly looking at him.

    Alejandro smirked and blew air out of his nose, "Thanks, bro", he said before leaving. Alejandro closed the door and saw Lorenzo enter the house on the left and Maxine about to enter the house on the right. Maria stood in front of the house in the middle, waiting for Alejandro to join her.

    "Let''s go", he said, walking towards her.

    They both walked into the house together.

    "I''ll search downstairs. You can search upstairs", Alejandro told her.

    "Okay", Maria agreed and started to go up the stairs. While she paced up the stairs, in her peripherals, she saw a picture frame hanging on the wall. The picture was a watercolour painting of a woman crying. Maria stopped on the stairs and looked at the picture.

    "That''s a weird place to hang a nice painting," Maria thought. The picture wasn''t massive��it was slightly bigger than an iPad��but it hung on the wall next to the stairs. Was it really that weird? I guess it was a nice thing to look at while climbing up the stairs. Maria looked at it one more time and then remembered what Oscar had said before they left the car: ''You can destroy the house''. Remembering those words, Maria grabbed the picture frame and took it off the wall. She turned it around and opened the frame. She took off the back, and long and behold, a red key was hiding behind it. The picture frame was weird. There was a gap between the painting and the back of the frame, so you couldn''t notice a key bulging from the painting. It was pretty intelligent and crafty.

    "I FOUND THE KEY!" Maria shouted from the stairs.

    "Already?!" Alejandro said, dumbfounded, walking out of the living room. He saw the key in her hands. "Woah, well done. Let''s go," he said, stunned.

    The two of them ran out of the house and split up to call their teammates from their houses. Their team quickly assembled and ran to their car.

    "What the heck. My team is back already", Oscar said. Oscar was being interviewed. The camera turned to his team running to the car; the cameraman moved out of the way to let them get into the car, but the camera remained focused on Oscar.

    "That was quick. Who found the key?" Oscar asked.

    Alejandro got in the car and put his seatbelt on, "Maria found it".

    Oscar smiled and switched on the car, "Well, see ya", he said to the camera, holding up a peace sign before driving off.

    Malakai was lying in his bed watching the live stream. The live stream picked up what Alejandro said. Malakai smiled,

    "Looks like you''re not just a pretty face".

 Chapter 52 - Good Friends

    Driving to the final location.

    "Eric, you''ve been amazing", Olivia praised him.

    "I don''t think so," Eric replied calmly, underestimating himself.

    "Yes, you have. You answered four of the riddles, found the key, and quickly got the code", Olivia said, listing what he had done. Eric offered a weak smile in response, not knowing what to reply.

    "I was worried about you", Isaac said. "You were quiet and looked like you didn''t care, but you were the most important person on our team", Isaac, who was driving, further praised him. Isaac is in class 1-E.

    "It''s a shame we''re not first, but I''m glad we came second", Eve said, who was sitting in the passenger seat. Eve was a redhead in class 1-A.

    "You''re still in the top ten, right?" Sarena asked Eve.

    "Just about, I''m tenth right now", Even scoffed. "I doubt I''ll be there after this challenge", she continued, with her head resting on her palm, looking out the window.

    "Being in the top ten must be stressful", Olivia said, joining in.

    "Surprisingly, it is. I thought I wouldn''t care, but now realising I might not be there, it stings a little," Eve replied, sounding slightly deflated.

    "Imagine being first", Olivia got shivers thinking about it, "I don''t want that kind of pressure".

    "Malakai and his team got first place yesterday, so he''s staying up there", Eve said. "Sarena, he''s in your class, right? Are you friends?" Eve questioned, turning her body around to look at Sarena.

    "I haven''t talked to him, so no. We sit far away, but I hear him and his friends always laughing and talking", Sarena answered. Sarena is in Class 1-C; she isn''t friends with Malakai or any of his friends. She''s talked with Maria and Tanisha a little but hasn''t considered them friends yet.

    "Is he a class clown and annoys everyone?" Isaac asked; it seemed that everyone who didn''t know Malakai had a bad impression of him.

    "Not really, he keeps to himself and his friends", Sarena replied.

    "Really?" Olivia replied, not expecting that.

    "Yeah, he''s not that outgoing. He doesn''t randomly go to strangers and talk to them," Sarena said. "What I noticed about him is that if there''s an opportunity to cause a scene, he will do it, but he wouldn''t cause one for the sake of it."

    Eve thought about it briefly, "If he won''t go to you, why don''t you go to him?" She asked.

    "Most of the time, other people surround him; it would be weird if I approached him with all his friends with him. The boy I sit next to in class told me he talked to him once in a club, and now they''re friends".

    While those two talked about Malakai, Olivia turned to Eric to talk to him, "How are you feeling?" she asked Eric as he looked out the window.

    "I''m fine," he replied. Eric, as we all know, has gone through a lot. He''s slowly making progress in getting over his breakup. He has yet to make any new friends; his only friends are Olivia and Daniel. Other than that, Eric hasn''t made the effort to go and talk to other people.

    "You look better, but how are you?" Olivia asked sounding concerned, hoping for a more detailed answer.

    "Olivia, believe me, I''m fine", Eric replied calmly with a smile, finally turning away from the window to look at her with his same stoic face.

    "Oh, okay", Olivia softly said, thinking she was being pushy and annoying.

    Eric noticed. "Thanks for asking. I appreciate it," he said with a fake smile to make it seem like he was good. "Look, we''re here," he said, shifting the attention from him and trying to cheer her up.

    The group reached the final location. They all got out of the car and went to the safes. They saw another team sitting to the side when they reached the safes. They didn''t get first place, which they knew, but at least they got second. Eve went to the safe, labelled two, and opened it with the code they had. Eve collected what was inside, and the rest of her team joined her��Eve walked towards the team that got first place.

    "Alejandro, I didn''t think you would get first place", she said, looking at him sitting comfortably on the steps.

    "I had a great team. I barely did anything", Alejandro humbly replied with a smug look on his face. Eve looked at his team and recognised Maria sitting next to him straight away. She didn''t say anything as she was nervous and didn''t want to appear too casual with her. She also recognised,

    "Wait, I know you", she said, pointing at Lorenzo, who was playing offline games on his phone.

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    Alejandro looked to where she was pointing. "You know Lorenzo?" he asked, looking towards Lorenzo.

    "Yeah, let me think. Where do I remember him from?" Eve rhetorically asked, trying to recall. "Oh, I remember. From the minigames, he was with that good-looking guy with the glasses," she remembered.

    "good-looking guy with the glasses?" Alejandro questioned, not knowing who she was talking about.

    "Don''t you remember?" Eve questioned back.

    "I left the minigames after I got eliminated in the second round", Alejandro answered.

    "Why?"

    "Why would I stay? I got eliminated, and I''m not watching someone else win," Alejandro replied with sas.

    "You got a point", Eve said. "Anyway, what was your friend''s name?" Eve asked Lorenzo.

    Lorenzo looked up from his phone. "Why''d you want to know?" he asked, glaring at her.

    "Jeez, it was just a question", Eve replied, unhappy with Lorenzo''s attitude. "No need to be rude", she said, glaring at him too. Alejandro and Maria glanced at each other awkwardly. The situation turned awkward quickly.

    Lorenzo sighed, "His name is Ryan", he said, not wanting to escalate this into an argument.

    "Thanks," Eve replied, uninterested, rolling her eyes. She didn''t care about Ryan; she just wanted to start a conversation, but Lorenzo didn''t see it that way. He thought she just wanted Ryan and that he was an easy way to contact him. Lorenzo used to deal with these types of interactions often, so now he shuts them down before they start.

    "Congratulations on coming first", Eve congratulated Alejandro, turning her body away from Lorenzo and cutting him from the conversation.

    "Thanks, hopefully I break into the top ten now", Alejandro wishfully said.

    "I doubt it, but I know I''m kicked out of the top ten," Eve said, sitting beside him.

    "Yeah. Kicked out by me", Alejandro playfully smiled.

    "Yeah, right", they both laughed.

    Maria looked at the two, laughing with each other. "Both of you look like good friends", Maria said, interfering with their conversation.

    "I wouldn''t say good friends", Alejandro replied, shaking his head.

    "That''s mean", Eve pouted, knowing he was joking. "He sits next to me in class, so we talk sometimes".

    "If she didn''t constantly brag about being in the top ten, then I would maayybe call her a good friend", Alejandro said, trying to get a reaction.

    "Well, now neither of us are in the top ten", Eve replied with a smile, not giving Alejandro the reaction he wanted.

    "Speak for yourself", Alejandro joked, believing he could make the top ten.

    "You''re not making it", Eve laughed, trying to humble him. Maria also laughed at their play argument.

    "How is your class? Is everyone friendly?" Maria asked, changing the topic.

    Alejandro and Eve looked at each other, seeing who would answer first.

    "Friendly, I''m not sure. Antisocial, yeah", Eve answered.

    "Antisocial? But you two talk to each other", Maria said, not picturing class 1-A yet.

    "Our classes are quiet. People talk to the people they sit next to, but you wouldn''t hear a conversation during lessons. There are a few whispers here and there, but that''s it," Alejandro replied, looking at the ground. "There are friend groups in the class, but it doesn''t really look like friend groups".

    "Yeah, before the first challenge, everyone was on edge, but after the minigames, people started talking to each other", Eve added. "I''m sure after this challenge our class will gel even more", she continued.

    "Your class sounds ... tense", Maria said, trying to find a suitable word to describe their class.

    "I expected it, but your class seems fun. Sarena told me about it", Eve replied, wanting to hear what Maria thought of her class.

    "It''s so much fun; I sit next to my best friend, which makes it a hundred times better", Maria said, sounding more excited.

    Hearing Maria say best friend made Alejandro jump a little inside. He could only link Malakai to that word despite Maria referring to Tanisha. Flashbacks of his childhood moments with Maria flashed in his head; he wished there were more. More personal moments, not just brief ''hellos'' and ''how are you doing''. More conversations about each other''s interests and not about work. He missed chances. Chances he wouldn''t get again. Absent-minded, Alejandro became absent-minded. Next thing you know, he exited memory lane and was sitting on the bus next to Maria.

    "How did I get here?" Alejandro thought, looking around the bus and seeing tired faces. He looked to his right and saw Maria looking out of the window. "Is she awake?"

    "Maria?" he quietly called out in case she was asleep.

    Maria turned around. "Hm?" She looked at him and saw that he looked confused. "Are you okay?" she asked, leaning forward to examine him closer.

    Alejandro blinked and shook his head to snap out of it, "Yeah, I''m fine".

    Maria wasn''t convinced, "Are you sure? You''ve barely said anything since you talked to Eve. Are you tired?" she worriedly asked. In Alejandro''s mind, it was like he woke up from a dream and teleported to the bus. He doesn''t remember what happened after Maria said she sat next to her best friend. Was he on autopilot the whole time?

    "A little", Alejandro replied, rubbing the back of his head. He leaned back in his seat. "Maria, when you said you would introduce me to your friends. Did you mean Malakai?" He asked, looking up at the ceiling.

    "Yes, but not only him. I meant all my friends", Maria replied, still worried about Alejandro.

    "Is Malakai a good friend?" Alejandro asked out of the blue.

    "Huh?" Maria was caught off guard by that question. She tried to answer but couldn''t think of what to say. She wanted to say yes straight away, but she didn''t. Why was that? That question was a good question. Yes, she loved Malakai, but they weren''t close or anything. A one-sided love that the other didn''t know about. They didn''t hang out or talk every day, and she only knew him for two months. They didn''t talk much either. But if she asked Malakai for something, she was sure Malakai would pull through. Did that make him a good friend? Was that quality alone enough to make someone a good friend? She trusted Malakai, but did Malakai trust her? Can someone be a good friend if you don''t talk or hang out regularly? Alejandro noticed Maria''s prolonged response.

    "Yes, I guess", Maria finally responded. "I''m not that close to him yet, so I can''t answer that confidently", she continued. After saying that, she realised that what she had said made no sense. She knew he was a good friend; they weren''t close, but she still considered him a good friend. If the question was, is he a close friend, then that response would''ve made sense. Plus, it''s not a fact he''s a good friend; it''s her opinion. She loved Malakai; why wouldn''t he be a good friend? Then why did she say that? Was she embarrassed? Or was she scared she might accidentally show how she felt about Malakai?

    Alejandro smiled after hearing she wasn''t close to him. He heard the ''yet'' added at the end, but that didn''t matter. It wasn''t over; he still had a chance. The door was still open.

    "Meet Malakai, huh. I''d love to meet him. He sounds like an interesting guy".

 Chapter 53 - Coincidence

    11:23 PM.

    "Yeah, you''ll be fine. You can drive fast on straight roads, but when you see a road sign, slow down��not fully, but don''t go too fast. Are you good at driving?" Malakai was on the phone, walking towards the convenience store to get a few snacks.

    "~~~~~".

    "You''ll be fine then. Don''t be stupid though".

    "~~~~~".

    "Aryt, go sleep. You need to wake up early".

    "~~~~~".

    ��Aryt safe,�� Malakai said. He ended the call and was about to enter the store when someone of a similar height appeared in front of him, exiting the store.

    ��What��s up, Malakai��.

    "Yo", Malakai replied. "Uhhhh, what was your name again?" Malakai asked, eyeing him.

    "Lorenzo, I told you my name when we first met," Lorenzo bitterly said, holding a plastic bag filled with supplies in his right hand.

    "That was ages ago", Malakai replied, wafting his hand in the air. "Congratulations on getting first place". Malakai''s congratulations was sincere despite his face not showing it.

    "You watched the stream?" Lorenzo said, surprised he did.

    "Why does that shock you?" Malakai noticed the surprise in Lorenzo''s voice despite his face not showing it.

    "I thought you wouldn''t care", Lorenzo replied. "It''s not like anyone good had the challenge today. It wasn''t interesting at all".

    "Well, I watched it in bed and woke up 5 minutes before it started," Malakai said, looking around and seeing the place deserted. It was only the two of them around. "How was it? Was your team good?" he asked, keeping the conversation going.

    Lorenzo looked up at the clear, dark, starless sky, "Yeah, they were decent. Your friend was good. I thought she would hold us back, but she helped me out the most", Lorenzo replied. There was a pause. "How close are you two?" Lorenzo questioned, looking at Malakai and making eye contact. The vibe changed.

    "We ain''t that close. We''re just friends", Malakai replied, trying to keep the conversation casual. He could sense Lorenzo was after something. Did he make it this tense on purpose? Or does he not know how to be subtle?

    "Close enough to tell her about the challenge", Lorenzo quickly snapped back.

    "At least he''s direct", Malakai thought. He grinned, "She''s my neighbour as well", he replied. "I thought I might as well tell her what to expect. I wanna see my friends do well innit".

    "It must be a coincidence. Such a beautiful girl is your neighbour", Lorenzo said like he was onto something, looking at Malakai dead in the eyes. He didn''t blink; he wanted to see if Malakai would get intimidated.

    "Yup, just a coincidence", Malakai didn''t know Lorenzo''s goal here. Was he getting information? Information that he and Maria are friends? Is that information important? If he was getting information, he might as well gather some, too. "When does Ryan have his challenge?" Malakai asked.

    "Ryan? why do you want to know about him?" Lorenzo questioned, finally blinking.

    "Why not? I''ve already done my challenge; I ain''t gonna do anything", Malakai replied in a friendly tone. "I just wanna know", he said, smirking.

    "You might send someone to sabotage him", Lorenzo said, wary of Malakai''s intentions. "I don''t know what you''re planning", Lorenzo spoke his thoughts, narrowing his eyes.

    "Bro. Who do you think I am? I ain''t Ryan. I ain''t gonna sabotage anyone," Malakai replied, showing he knew what Ryan had done to David and Lucas in the minigames.

    He looked like he genuinely meant it. "His challenge is on Thursday" Lorenzo surrendered the information, trusting Malakai. "Do you know anyone who has the challenge on Thursday?".

    "Yeah, a few friends", Malakai replied, nodding. "Don''t worry, I won''t tell them to do anything to Ryan. I ain''t a bitch��, he said, smiling at Lorenzo, clearly insinuating something.

    Lorenzo stayed calm, and even though Malakai insulted his friend in front of him, he knew that getting angry was useless. "I trust you, that''s why I told you", Lorenzo said, even though he didn''t trust him.

    "Ooooooo", Malakai adlibbed. "Let''s see how much you trust me. What number did he get?" Malakai asked, tilting his head up.

    "Two", Lorenzo answered. "Don''t get the wrong idea; I don''t trust you completely. I trust that you won''t do anything to sabotage Ryan", Lorenzo cleared up. Lorenzo set up a little test for Malakai to see if he was a man of his word. He''d have to wait a few days to see if he would pass. All the talk about trust was bullshit, he didn''t trust Malakai one bit.

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    "You know I''m not their boss. If my friends do anything, it''s on them", Malakai replied.

    "We''ll have to see", Lorenzo shrugged.

    The air was awkward around them. There was silence. The two were looking at each other; Lorenzo purposely made it awkward while Malakai entertained it.

    "So what? Are we friends now?" Malakai asked, breaking the silence.

    "I don''t think we can be friends. My best friend doesn''t like you. If he doesn''t like you, then I don''t know why I should like you", Lorenzo brutally replied; it was clear he didn''t want to be friends.

    "Aryt, I get it", Malakai said, understanding his logic. If one of his best friends didn''t like someone, he wouldn''t like that person either��basic friend code.

    "It was nice talking to you properly", Lorenzo said. "We''ll see what happens the next time we speak". Lorenzo smiled creepily as he walked past Malakai.

    Malakai watched as he went by.

    "Yo, try walk beside Ryan. Sometimes I see you walk behind him; it makes you look like a bitch��, Malakai said loud enough so Lorenzo could hear. He didn''t get a response. It was proving hard trying to get under Lorenzo''s skin.

    "weird guy", Malakai mumbled before finally entering the store.

    October 25th. Wednesday, 12:11 PM.

    The teams were deciding who would drive.

    "Who''s going to be the driver?" Dillon questioned his team; it was obvious Dillion had removed himself from that list. Everyone kept quiet; no one wanted to drive. Everyone wanted to be involved in the challenges and not be stuck in the car the whole time.

    "I''ll drive if no one wants to", David volunteered, stepping forward. Relief came over all his teammates.

    "No, you can''t drive. You need to be doing the challenges", Dillon quickly stopped him. The relief was gone.

    "You''ve got people from classes A and B, so you''ll be fine with the riddles", David replied, pointing at the girls from A (Sydney) and B (Sasha). "I''m big and clunky, so I''ll be slow looking for the key. For the last challenge, it''s climbing up a net. All of you should be fine," David explained as if it were an easy task to complete all of them.

    "I''m not letting you drive; someone else has to do it", Dillon said, turning to the rest of his team. He turned his back to David; it looked like he had already decided David wouldn''t drive.

    "Wai-"

    "I''ll do it," Justin helplessly said, raising his hand. He felt that he would have been pressured into it if he hadn''t volunteered. Justin was in the lowest class; he knew it was coming.

    "Okay, good".

    Sydney (1-A), Sasha (1-B), David (1-C), Dillon (1-D) and Justin (1-E) were on one team.

    "I''ll drive".

    ��Are you sure, Nada?�� Delilah asked, slightly scared.

    "Yeah, Malakai told me what to do", Nada confidently replied with fire in her eyes, ready for the challenge.

    "Will you be able to reach the accelerator?" Ash laughed, teasing Nada''s height.

    Nada smiled sinisterly, "Don''t start crying when I drive too fast", Nada said, staring at Ash. Ash scoffed, thinking she wasn''t serious.

    Delilah put both of her hands on Nada''s shoulders. "I know your Malakai''s student, but don''t copy him. I don''t wanna die today," she pleaded, knowing she was serious.

    "Don''t worry; I won''t go that fast," Nada replied. "Buuuut, we do need to win," she grinned.

    "I''m going to die today", Delilah said, looking down at the floor.

    While all this happened, Alexander watched. The team introduced each other when they first met in the hall before going onto the couch. Alexander told them his name, and they all immediately recognised it. The name under Malakai''s on the leaderboard. The name that would most likely be number one soon. That was the only time Alexander talked to his team; he was silent the rest of the time and let them do their own thing. He had this aura about him that felt like he was important, so no one tried to converse with him; not even Nada tried. It was like no one knew what to say to him. Was Alexander that confident they would win? He was 1/5 of the team; there was no way he could single-handedly bring his team to victory. How would he react if he didn''t get first? Did he think there was a possibility that he would lose? All these questions would be answered in a few hours.

    Alexander (1-A), Reece (1-B), Delilah (1-C), Ash (1-D), Nada (1-E) were on one team.

    "Yawwwnnn, I want to go home", Luke said, looking up at the sky with his hands in his pockets. Luke is in class 1-B, a laid-back guy with light brown hair that was slicked back.

    "Is that why you wanted to drive? You''re too tired to do the challenges", Marcus replied, looking at his other teammates. Marcus is in class 1-E, a short guy with a buzzcut. He''s also Justin''s best friend (You might remember him from chapter 21).

    "Yeah", Luke answered. "But also because I didn''t want to split them up", he said, pointing ahead.

    Ahead of him was Lucas, surrounded by two pretty girls. A brunette with her hair styled in two buns and two strands hanging down either side of her face, with dark brown eyes that looked a completely different colour when the sun shined on them; her eyeliner made her eyes stand out even more. Her name is Jessica, and she is in class 1-D. The other girl had no make-up on and displayed her natural look. She had long golden blonde hair, which had curls at the tips, and dark blue eyes. Slightly taller than the other girl at about 5 feet 7 inches. Her name is Elizabeth, and she is in class 1-A. The two girls were talking to Lucas about who knows what, but it looked like Lucas was having fun.

    "Being good-looking must be nice", Luke said, yawning again.

    "Tell me about it," Marcus replied. "Don''t sleep at the wheel," he nudged Luke.

    "You don''t have to worry about me", Luke said. "It looks like you need to worry about another guy".

    Elizabeth (1-A), Luke (1-B), Lucas (1-C), Jessica (1-D) and Marcus (1-E) were on one team.

    "Who are you lot supporting?"

    "I don''t know/ I have no idea/ All of them", Benjamin, William and Ray answered.

    "Forget that. Who do you think is going to win?" William asked Malakai.

    The four of them were watching the livestream in William''s and Malakai''s dorm.

    "I don''t know", Malakai shrugged. "David probably", he said unconvincingly, lying on the beanbag.

    "Delilah has Alexander on her team", Benjamin pointed out. "I''m guessing you don''t want her team coming first".

    "Eh. It''s weird cuz I don''t care that much. If their team comes first, then fair enough, but if they don''t, then I guess that''ll be nice", Malakai replied. "But Delilah and Nada are on his team; I''ll feel like a dickhead if I was praying on their downfall", he said, pulling out his phone.

    "You don''t have to support anyone", Ray said.

    "Yeah, you''re right. I ain''t supporting any of them. I hope team 6 wins", Malakai replied; team 6 had no one they knew.

    "That''s not what I meant", Ray giggled.

    "I just hope it''s interesting", William said, leaning back on the couch. "Yesterday was soo boring. Nothing happened", he complained

    "If they added cameras in the challenge areas, then the livestream would be a hundred times better", Benjamin added.

    "True", Malakai agreed. "But, there''s some big names there; something will happen".

 Chapter 54 - Were Going To Crash

    "The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?"

    "Footsteps".

    "Correct. Who completes their job once they''re fired?"

    "Bullets".

    "Correct. What is more useful when it is broken?".

    "An egg".

    "Correct. What has hands but cannot clap?"

    "A clock".

    "Correct. Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it, you die. What is it?"

    "Nothing".

    The masked man picked up the envelope with the number 5 on it. "Don''t open this envelope until you reach your car. What''s inside may not make sense when you first look at it, but it will make sense when you reach the next location".

    Alexander quickly took the letter and walked out of the tent without saying anything; his teammates quietly followed. They completed the challenge in less than 30 seconds; none of his teammates had a chance to think, let alone say anything. Were the riddles easy, or was Alexander that good?

    "That was quick", Delilah said while stepping out of the tent, still amazed.

    "The guy is in class A. What did you expect?" Ash replied. Alexander was walking ahead of the other three, so he wasn''t involved in the conversation. It was clear he was focused on winning and nothing else.

    "He''s the guy who''s most likely going to win the whole thing", Reece said. (You might remember Reece from chapter 20, one of Ryan''s friends).

    "You don''t know that", Delilah replied, thinking he was being dramatic.

    "Keep watching him, and you''ll understand", Reece said before they reached the car. Reece opened the door, and the three of them got in the back as Alexander was already in the front.

    "Is everyone ready?" Nada asked while everyone put on their seatbelts.

    "Please drive slower. You don''t need to drive fast. We''ve got a head start now," Ash begged. "No one can catch us".

    "It''s pointless. She''s not going to drive slower", Delilah said. "She''s already gotten advice from her sensei; she''s not going to go against them", she told him with a weak smile on her face. Delilah was grateful she wasn''t one of the people in Malakai''s car on that day. It was funny when Malakai mocked Jason in his interview at the time, but Delilah experienced what he went through, not exactly, but close enough. Now she could understand their reactions; she could relate. She even saw Ash and Reece screaming with looks on their faces that thought they were going to die.

    Reece sighed, "Alexander, surely you think her driving is dangerous", he said to Alexander as he thought his opinion would impact Nada and make her drive slower.

    "Her driving is fine", Reece''s plan failed. "If anything, it''s good; we got here faster than everyone else. Why should she slow down?" Alexander was in favour of Nada''s fast driving. Alexander slightly complimented her. Despite everyone in the back screaming while they went 120 mph, the front of the car was fine; Nada was smiling, while Alexander had a calm expression.

    Nada grinned at the comment, "You heard him", she said before putting her foot down.

    "Brace yourselves", Delilah said, shaking while holding her seatbelt.

    "Lucas, why are you in class C? You''re so much better than that", Jessica said, putting a hand on Lucas''s right arm.

    "Naa, C is good enough for me", Lucas replied, noticing her hand on his bicep.

    "But you got one of the riddles right", Jessica tried praising him.

    "Elizabeth got the other four. If you want to praise someone, it should be her," Lucas said, glancing at Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked at him and became embarrassed by the compliment and the distance between them.

    "I''m just happy to help", Elizabeth shyly replied, looking away from Lucas and diverting her attention to the window. Lucas smiled as he found her reaction cute. Luke looked in the mirror to see Lucas smiling with two girls on either side smiling at him.

    "You know we''re not doing good. There are two cars ahead of us", Luke scolded Lucas even though he didn''t do anything.

    Lucas looked at him, "You''re the one driving", he said like he was blaming Luke. Jessica giggled at Lucas''s response, which boosted his ego a little. "Also, look who we''re up against. The guy second on the leaderboard".

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    "So what? Why are you acting like we''ve already lost?" Luke questioned, not liking how Lucas was already giving up.

    "I''m not; I''m just defending myself," Lucas replied. Being around Malakai helped Lucas learn how to argue better, which is a useful skill for Lucas as his toxic trait was being petty. Marcus stayed quiet; maybe if he were in the back, he would''ve been hit in the crossfire, but he was sitting comfy in the passenger seat. He didn''t want to get involved, so he continued to stare out of his window.

    "You don''t need to argue", Elizabeth intervened, sensing the team chemistry decreasing. "It''s fine if we don''t get first place. Having Alexander here does suck, but there''s nothing we can do", She said, trying to ease the tension. It worked, and everyone went quiet for a bit.

    "How good is he?" Lucas asked, intrigued to know more about him.

    "Really good. I haven''t spoken to him, but he gets full marks on every test. He also came first in the minigames with ease", Elizabeth answered.

    "So what you''re saying is no one has a chance against him, and he''s already destined to win the whole thing", Luke said, gripping the wheel after hearing her talk about Alexander like he was superhuman.

    "It looks likely", Elizabeth replied, looking down. "Unless something happens, I don''t see how he can lose", she said, fidgeting with her hands.

    Lucas smirked, "I think me and my friends can change that", he said confidently.

    "Your friends maybe, but not you", Luke replied.

    "What?"

    "I don''t think you can say that when he''s beating you right now", Luke said.

    "Tch. Just drive, man".

    "Looks like we didn''t get first place", David said, sitting in the passenger side.

    "Their team was too good", Sasha replied. "They were always a step ahead of us".

    "I don''t mind second place", Sydney accepted, despite being 9th on the leaderboards, knowing she was getting kicked out of the top ten. When she saw Alexander on the other team, she expected this outcome. Dillon stayed quiet; he wasn''t happy about getting second place. Of course, he cared about the points, but his pride also took a hit. As soon as he saw Alexander was on a different team, he wanted to beat him. He wanted to see the look of defeat on his face. However, it didn''t go how he wanted. Dillon couldn''t blame anyone; his team played perfectly and made no mistakes. They answered all five riddles correctly, and they answered each riddle in 15 seconds or less, so they didn''t waste much time at Location A. When they arrived at location B, Alexander''s team was already there, but it didn''t faze them. It took them about 10 minutes to find the key, which was quicker than other people''s time, but when they found it, Justin told them he saw Alexander''s team leave 5 minutes after they went to search. The good news was that only two other teams arrived at Location B when they found the key, so despite not getting first, they looked comfortable in second place. At location C, nothing happened. They climbed up the net and got their code with no problems, but the atmosphere in the group was deflated. Knowing you did nothing wrong and made no mistake and still be beaten just because the opposition was better makes you question, what was the point of trying? Sometimes, there''s nothing you can do, and you have to accept it, but it doesn''t make losing any better.

    "Second place is good", David said, looking towards the backseat, trying to motivate everyone. "We''re still getting 800 points; it''s a good head start for the rest of the year. Plus, it could''ve been worse; we could be sixth", David said, trying to lift the mood. He wasn''t wrong; it definitely could''ve been worse.

    "You''re right. It just sucks because it feels like we did so good", Sydney replied. "Good enough for first place", she bitterly mumbled.

    "It is what it is, I guess", David didn''t know how to reply, so he used a saying his friends would say. "It does hurt, but it''s only the start of the year. A 200-point gap can be closed. On a different day, we would''ve got first place".

    Justin was driving, staring blankly at the road ahead. He was still concentrating on the road, but other thoughts clouded his mind. The car was going at a steady pace of 60 mph; there was no point in zooming ahead. Until a noise caused Justin to blink and eliminate his other thoughts; his teammates also heard the noise. Justin looked in the mirror and saw a car coming closer and closer.

    "How?" Justin muttered.

    Dillon turned around in his seat to look through the back window and saw the car. "Shit!" He exclaimed; Dillon''s second place might turn into third. "Go faster!" he hastily ordered.

    Justin did as he was told and put his foot down.

    80 mph.

    It wasn''t quick enough. The car behind was still edging closer.

    "QUICKER!" Dillon shouted, leaning forward in his seat.

    Justin was hesitant to go faster; he wasn''t confident at all. Any quicker, he felt like he would lose control. His mind was telling him no, but his body made his right foot press harder on the accelerator.

    85 mph.

    Justin didn''t commit to it. He couldn''t do it.

    "They''re catching us!" Dillon harshly warned Justin. His voice was clearly pressuring Justin to go faster.

    Justin was quietly breathing heavily. David glanced over at him and saw his chest moving up and down, his eyes wide, and his hands gripping the wheel tightly. This wasn''t good.

    "Justin, calm down", David quietly said to avoid drawing attention from the passengers in the back. The last thing he wanted was for everyone to know that Justin was stressed.

    Dillon turned around again to check on the car, and they were closer than before, "Dude, go faster!" Dillon pressured him.

    "No!" Justin spoke back. I''m not going that fast; I won''t be able to control the car!" His tone of voice made it clear he wasn''t comfortable; his voice was shaky.

    "Fucking shit!" Dillon tamely raged, scrunching his hands into fists. "Block them off! Go in the left lane!" He ordered. "Make sure they don''t overtake us!"

    The car behind them was approaching them on the left-hand side of the road, and they were on the right.

    Justin took a deep breath, "fine", he submissively agreed. His hands were trembling; the speed was still 85 mph. Justin checked the left mirror and saw the car trailing behind. He slightly turned the wheel to the left. Both hands firmly on the wheel. Everything was fine. No need to worry.

    But life sure is weird.

    Justin''s left arm suddenly twitched. It was one of those movements that can''t be explained. That slight twitch caused Justin to turn the car more to the left. He lost control. Lost control of the car and lost control of emotions. In everyone else''s perspective, the movement to the left wasn''t anything major. Sure, it was sudden and seemed out of control, but everything seemed fine. Not to Justin. The movement to the left looked too much for him due to his heightened stress levels. Due to his emotions and irrational thinking about correct positioning, he steered to the right. A bit too much. Now, the car swerved to the right.

    "No no no no no no no no no".

    Justin steered to the left. The car swerved to the left. His feet were frozen. What was his body even doing? He didn''t know. He steered to the right to stop the car from swerving left. The car swerved to the right. He couldn''t control the car. He didn''t know what to do. The only thing he did was mumble,

    "we''re going to crash".

 Chapter 55 - Crash Landing

    "we''re going to crash," Justin quietly said as the car spun. It was like Justin was seeing everything in slow motion. Only his thoughts were playing at normal speed. His life wasn''t flashing before his eyes, but he saw everything as it happened. Justin thought this experience only happened in movies, but it was happening to him now. As Justin was lost in thought, he felt the wheel turn to the left.

    "BRAKE SLOWLY!!!" David shouted while leaning over to try and take over the wheel. Justin snapped out of it. It was like everything sped back up to normal. Without thought, Justin immediately put his foot on the brake. He did what David told him and slowed down the car gently. Before David intervened, the car was swerving to the right, almost at a 90-degree angle to the road. Thanks to David''s help, the car didn''t go off-road. The car began to slow down and came to a complete stop. The vehicle was in the middle of the road, not facing straight ahead but pointing to the left. Smoke came from the exhaust pipes at the back of the car. The car left skid marks on the road behind them. They didn''t crash.

    "Oh shit! They nearly crashed", Luke said, slowing down the car. He watched the whole thing unfold in front of him.

    "2", Lucas read the number on the back of the car. "Wait, David''s in there. We have to stop. I need to check if he''s okay!" Lucas worriedly said, jumping out of his seat.

    "They didn''t crash, so they should be fine", Marcus replied, only thinking about getting second place. He had a front-row seat to the show, and although it did look dangerous, the outcome didn''t look bad. They didn''t crash into anything; they only swerved on the road and nearly spun out. If they had spun out, it wouldn''t have been dangerous as there were no barriers on the side of the road, so they would have just gone off-road on some dirt. However, if the car flipped over, that is a different story.

    "What do you mean!" Lucas lashed out, looking at Marcus and furrowing his eyebrows. Marcus didn''t look at him; he knew his words were heartless. "Bro Luke, please. Just drive slowly next to the car. We don''t have to stop", Lucas begged, taking off his seat belt to lean ahead closer to Luke.

    "Okay", Luke agreed after seeing Lucas''s desperation. Luke was glad Lucas had more things on his mind than girls. They got closer and slowed down. David''s team''s car was at about a 50-degree angle, so if they drove past, Lucas would be able to see the front of the vehicle by looking out of Jessica''s window. They arrived at the scene, and Lucas leant over Jessica; not caring about personal space, he pushed down the window. David was sitting in the passenger seat, looking at Justin and checking if he was hurt. David noticed the car pulling up, looked up, and saw Lucas wide-eyed and slightly pale. Lucas put a thumbs up to ask if he was okay. David put a thumbs up and accommodated with a toothy smile to show he was good. After seeing that smile, Lucas sighed in relief and smiled, glad his friend was alright. He relaxed back in his seat.

    "You can drive now", Lucas said, wiping his forehead. "Sorry about leaning over you", he apologised to Jessica.

    "N-No, it''s fine. You were looking out for your friend", Jessica replied with rosy cheeks. Lucas didn''t notice, though; he was looking down at his feet. He was still in shock. David, his best friend, could''ve been seriously injured, and it would''ve been because of him and his team. The whole car was sneaking glances at Lucas to see if he was okay. Lucas could feel them but didn''t make much of it. For some reason, he was feeling guilty. Lucas was only a passenger; he wasn''t the driver; if he had to blame someone, it had to be Luke, but it still weighed on him.

    "Lucas".

    Lucas looked up. Luke called him.

    "No one got hurt. Everyone is fine", Luke said. "If you want to blame someone, blame me, not yourself. I''m the driver".

    Lucas put his head down and covered his eyes. He smirked, "Was I making it that obvious?"

    Meanwhile, everyone was quiet in the other car. Awkward silence. It was one of those moments where everything could''ve gone horribly wrong, but it didn''t. If everyone were close friends, maybe everyone would''ve been laughing right now. Jokes would''ve been flying over the place. However, all of them were strangers to each other. The other team overtook them and were soon out of their vision. Surprisingly, Dillon had yet to pipe up. Deep down, he knew it was his fault. But it wasn''t all his fault. He wasn''t driving the car after all. All of this wouldn''t have happened if Justin knew how to drive the car properly. There was no point in lashing out now. Dillon had so much to say but kept it in. The two girls, Sydney and Sasha, didn''t say anything either. It wasn''t their place to talk; if they did, it would probably piss Dillon off. I mean, they were also scared for their lives; they nearly lost their lives. Shaking off an experience like this wasn''t a task for ordinary people. Silence was the only answer, it seemed.

    "C''mon, let''s go." David broke the silence. He was the one person who could talk and not worsen the atmosphere. His tone was neutral; he wasn''t angry, annoyed, scared or shaken. Instead of neutral, his tone was calm. "We better get a move on; we don''t want to get fourth now," David said with a single empty laugh at the end. David was the perfect person to have in this situation. Calm. That was what the team needed, and David had that in abundance. Justin rubbed his eyes one last time before driving off. He wasn''t crying, but his vision was blurry for some reason. The rest of the journey was a defeated one. Not a single word was said. A positive was that there wasn''t another car close to them, so third place looked like their final position. Eventually, they reached the final location; everyone exited the car, still not saying anything. All of them had to walk over to their safe��the safe that said number three. It should''ve been number two, and everyone knew that. It was an embarrassing walk, walking past the team that overtook them and saw them almost crash.

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    "Wait, we got the code for safe number two", David realised after almost entering the code. How could they open safe number three if they didn''t have the code? No one on their team remembered or thought about it. David looked to his left and saw that safe number two was opened. Lucas and his team were seated, and they all had a silver medal on hand or around their necks.

    "How did they open our safe?!" Dillon asked, pissed off upon realising.

    "Does every safe have the same code?" Sydney rhetorically questioned, hoping that wasn''t the case.

    "No way", David replied, hoping that wasn''t the answer.

    "Attention!" A voice called out from the speaker. "I know you may be confused. Let me explain; you were slightly correct; every safe has the same code".

    "WHAT THE FUCK!" Dillon reacted.

    "Let me finish", the voice interjected before Dillon could rant. "The first four numbers of the code are the same for all the safes, except for the last digit".

    That explained it. When Lucas''s team arrived with the code for safe three, all they had to do to unlock safe two was use the first four digits of the code they got and then use trial and error for the last digit until the safe opened. To the students, it was bullshit, but it made sense for when a situation like this appeared. The question was, is it unfair? You could look at it from the perspective that one team worked hard to get the code, so they deserve to open the safe with the code they got.

    On the other hand, you got a team that, despite being behind at location C, still managed to arrive first at the final location, granting them the opportunity to open a better safe. There was an argument both ways, but to the higher-ups, this solution made sense. While David tried opening the safe, Dillon couldn''t believe it. They came third. They had second place in their hands. How did they get third? David opened the safe and got the paper and the medals; he handed out the medals to his teammates, giving Dillon his medal last.

    "Here", David said, holding the medal in front of Dillon. Dillon''s mind was empty; he lost out on 200 points. He looked at the bronze medal, and then his eyes wandered to his surroundings until

    "YOU!" His eyes locked on Justin. Dillon turned his body and quickly set off, charging at Justin. Justin took two steps back and raised his hands. He didn''t take a fighting stance, but a stance that clearly said stop. Dillon was moving towards Justin until,

    "CALM DOWN!" David shouted at him, grabbing him from behind and wrapping his arms around his body.

    "LET ME GO!" Dillon replied, trying to fight out of his grasp. Dillon was 6 foot, while David was 6''3. David was also stronger, so David could contain Dillon. But it was challenging.

    "HE''S THE REASON WE LOST!" He said, thrashing around in David''s arms, trying to escape.

    "IT DOESN''T MATTER! HE MADE A MISTAKE. EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES", David replied, trying to calm him down. David was getting elbowed, trying to keep Dillon still. "LU HELP ME!" he called out.

    "Why are my friends always involved in shit", Lucas said under his breath. He stood up and walked towards them. Lucas was also tall at a height of 6''1, taller than Dillon, But Dillon was bigger.

    "Dude, calm down", Lucas said, standing in front of him, blocking Dillon''s view of Justin. "I bet he feels bad about messing up. What''s hitting him going to do?" Lucas questioned him. "Venting your anger on him for a few seconds won''t do anything."

    "GET OUT OF MY WAY!!" Dillion shouted at him, still struggling against David.

    Lucas gave a sinister grin and leaned closer to Dillon''s ear. "Think about it. Do you want everyone in the school to know you as the guy who punches his teammates when he loses? You''ve already got a bad reputation. You don''t want to make it worse", he whispered.

    In the corner of Dillon''s eye, he saw a cameraman pointing a camera at him. What kind of pitiful face was he making? At the thought of that, he stopped struggling.

    "Tch, get off me", he said, forcefully shaking off David''s arms. He shook his head and walked in the opposite direction, away from Justin.

    Surprisingly, Alexander was interested in the scene and watched it closely. Sitting around doing nothing seemed to make Alexander slightly excited; something nearly happened, but it ended quickly.

    "Maybe these lower classes are good for something. Entertainment".

    Everyone was on the bus on their way back. David, Lucas, Delilah and Nada were sitting at the back of the bus together. David had just finished explaining to Delilah and Nada what happened.

    "That''s... a lot", Delilah said, not knowing what to say. "Were you scared?" she asked.

    "A little", David replied. "It would''ve been a lot worse if other cars had been in the way. We were lucky it was a clear road".

    "Did Dillon snap in the car?" Lucas asked.

    "No. In the car, he was silent, everyone was", David replied. He saw Lucas''s face; it was clear he was feeling down. "You came second man. Why are you sad?" David nudged him.

    Lucas couldn''t look at David, "I don''t know. I can''t shake this feeling off. It feels like I made you crash", he replied.

    "Don''t be like that," David said. Look, I''m fine", he said, arms out and smiling.

    "Winning like this doesn''t feel right", Lucas replied, shaking his head, still not looking at David.

    "You didn''t even win, they won", David said, gesturing to Nada and Delilah. Delilah and Nada both smiled; David was clearly trying to cheer Lucas up with that joke.

    Lucas blew air out of his nose and gave a weak smile, "You know what I mean", he said dejectedly.

    "Why are you acting like this? If this were Mally or Will, they would be mocking me right now; even Ben would", David replied. Lucas couldn''t answer. He couldn''t sort his feelings out.

    David put an arm around him and brought him closer, "C''mon bro, it happened, you can''t do anything to change it. Just be happy I''m okay. I nearly got into a crash and got hurt, so what? It''s an experience. Life''s about experiences".

    After hearing that quote, Lucas lifted his head to look out the window at the pale blue sky, still feeling guilty. To cheer himself up, he slowly and quietly mumbled,

    "Life''s about experiences".

 Chapter 56 - Crazy

    "Tomorrow''s your turn".

    "Yeah, what''re you thinking?".

    "I don''t know. You''re all on different teams innit".

    "You think he''s going to win?"

    "No clue. I hope not; I can''t lie".

    "I''ll try to make sure I win. Don''t worry".

    "You? You mean your team".

    "Pfft, you know what I meant".

    There was silence for a few moments.

    "I know one thing, though. Tomorrow''s gonna be crazy".

    October 26th. Thursday, 12:20 PM.

    All the teams were in their cars waiting for the challenge to start, but Mr Miller stood in the middle of the road.

    "Before you all start, given what happened yesterday and even back on Monday, there will be a speed limit of 80 mph. Anyone that goes over this limit will be punished", Mr Miller announced through the megaphone.

    "Well, that''s fun", Ryan said, unimpressed, sitting in the passenger seat with his arms folded.

    "We want to ensure every student''s safety, so please be cautious when driving," Mr Miller said. "Tailgating and brake checks will also be punished".

    "The driver can''t help then; it''s all on us", Benjamin said.

    "I think I prefer it this way", Frank replied. "One of the main reasons Alexander won yesterday was because of his driver".

    "Doesn''t that make it good? The driver is also part of the team; driving fast contributes to the team", Benjamin said, feeling less confident now.

    "Hmm, you''ve got a point", Frank replied, understanding his point. "I guess they''re scared a student will get hurt. Two out of the three days nearly had crashes".

    Benjamin kissed his teeth. "Thanks David, Thanks Lucas, Thanks Malakai", he mumbled.

    The teams were competitive. Ryan, Benjamin, William, and Ray were all on different teams. Benjamin and Ryan''s teams were the two big teams, William and Ray''s not so much. They weren''t bad or anything; it was just that the other two were the standouts. This set-up was planned for something crazy to happen.

    "The location most important is B. The team that finds the key the fastest will have the advantage", Mark told his team. "So, don''t panic at the other locations".

    "We just have to turn the house upside down and break everything", William replied. Mark and William were on a team, not for the first time. They had been together in the dodgeball match, so having someone they were familiar with on their team was nice.

    "We''ll be fine for the riddles. Just leave them to me", Mark confidently said.

    Ray was also in a similar situation.

    "Page, are you sure you want to drive?" Ray asked. Ray had Page, a girl from 1-E, on his team. They met at the club, and Ray remembered her, but Page had no clue who he was. Ray had to remind her, but she still didn''t know him.

    "I''ll drive if you want", Daniel volunteered, who was sitting in the back seat.

    "Guys, it''s fine. I can drive", Page replied, thinking they were doubting her ability.

    "You haven''t drunk anything, have you?" Ray asked to make sure, as he remembered Page when she was drunk. He didn''t know how she was sober.

    "No", Page replied, looking at Ray with an eyebrow raised. "Ray, I''m not an alcoholic", she giggled at Ray''s question.

    "I''m just making sure", Ray replied, slightly embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head, realising it was a stupid question.

    "I don''t want to jinx anything, but our team looks the strongest. We should win", Ryan said. "What do you think, Adam?" he asked, looking in the mirror to see Adam. He wanted to get Adam involved in the conversation. Adam looked at him but didn''t say anything, he only gave him his usual blank stare. Ryan smirked, "Yeah, I agree with you". He said, even though Adam didn''t say anything.

    Each team had noticeable names. But Ryan and Adam were on a team, and Benjamin and Frank were on a team. You could see why these two teams were favourites. They weren''t the favourites for the regular students who were oblivious, but this matchup was intriguing for those who knew who they were. Many students knew Ryan, some knew Frank from the leaderboards, a few knew Benjamin as Malakai''s friend, and no one knew Adam. Only a few people were particularly excited for today, and if you recognised these names, you would understand why. It was also the first time seeing different dynamics work together. It was hard to tell which team would win. Which one would come out on top? No one had an answer. All they could do was watch what happens.

    "IS EVERYONE READY?" Mr Miller shouted into his megaphone.

    "TEN, NINE". The countdown started.

    "We''re going to win".

    "Easy, no pressure".

    "Good luck, everyone".

    "Let''s do our best".

    "ONE!"

    BBEEEEEEPPP!!!!

    The challenge began. All the cars drove off. The road was wide, so there was a lot of space between the vehicles. A crash would only happen if a driver intentionally steered close to another car. The cars all went about the same speed, which was 80 mph or a little under. One or two cars were hanging back and not getting too close. It was clear that the main thing that would separate everyone would be location B. How quickly the teams found the key would determine the outcome. The riddles at location A were easy enough to get 5/5. However, some teams in the previous days got 4/5 or even 3/5, and you could guess what position they got. The race part wasn''t nearly as exciting as the other days due to the speed limit. No one wanted to break the rules, so they stayed under 80 mph. No one knew what the punishment was, but no one wanted to find out. Some drivers even let other cars overtake them; it wasn''t worth the hassle. The driving part was uneventful, leaving a dull showing for the viewers.

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    "Do you think we got off lucky?" Malakai asked his friends.

    "Yeah, at least the driver could help the team in a way. The main reason your team won was because of your driving. Your team took forever to find the key; they took like 20 minutes", Lucas replied, scrolling through his phone.

    "True, having people drive how they wanted did make it more competitive, but I nearly died yesterday because of it, so I don''t know", David said as a joke.

    Malakai smirked at David, saying he had almost died. "Would you lot rather had a speed limit?" he asked both of them.

    "It''s hard to say, but I think it was better without the speed limit. We would''ve come second even if there had been a speed limit. Alexander''s team were too quick at the different locations," David answered.

    "Me too. The whole reason my team came second was because there was no speed limit", Lucas replied, still feeling a little guilty.

    "Fair enough".

    "It''s a shame they don''t show the challenges at the different locations", Lucas said.

    "Yeah, we''re missing the good bits".

    All of the teams arrived at Location A and were inside their tent.

    Mark was standing slightly ahead of his team, showing he was taking charge in answering the riddles.

    "How many months has 28 days?"

    "All of them".

    "Correct. What goes up and down but doesn''t move?"

    Mark hesitated for a second, "Errm. A staircase".

    "Correct. "What can you break without touching?"

    "A promise", William quickly answered. He remembered Ray telling him that one yesterday when they were preparing.

    "Correct. What goes away as soon as you talk about it?"

    Everyone was quiet, even Mark. This was a tricky one. No one wanted to say anything in case it was the wrong answer. They were all stumped and had no clue until,

    "Silence!" Mark announced.

    "Correct".

    The team quietly celebrated with silent cheers of "yess" and bawling of fists.

    The last riddle, "If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you haven''t kept me. What am I?"

    "Milk".

    "Incorrect".

    "Huh. Who answered that?" The voice came from behind. The team turned around and saw a dark-skinned boy with braids tied back and two hanging out the front. He was around 5''10 and had a mischievous smile across his face. William''s eyebrows furrowed; he knew this boy. This boy was in his class.

    "Leroy?!?!"

    At that call of his name, Leroy quickly swivelled on his feet and bolted out of the tent.

    "Hey!" William shouted. He was about to chase him until Mark grabbed his wrist.

    "Wait!" Mark told him. Then he turned to the masked man and asked, "What was the riddle again?"

    "I''m sorry you answered incorrectly. You got 4/5 riddles correct", the masked man replied.

    "No, no, no, that guy wasn''t on our team. The answer he gave wasn''t the answer our team would have said", Mark explained with a tinge of panic in his voice. His eyes wide with desperation hoping they would get a second chance.

    "As I said at the start, you have one attempt at each riddle. I heard an answer, and I took that as your attempt".

    "But he wasn''t on our team! He''s a stranger! You saw him run out of the tent!" Mark replied using a harsher tone.

    The masked man turned around, picked up an envelope labelled 4, and held it out to Mark.

    "Don''t open this envelope until you reach your car. What''s inside may not make sense when you first look at it, but it will make sense when you reach the next location", he told them.

    "You can''t be serious. How is that fair?!" Mark replied narrow-eyed, with his arms out. The masked man didn''t reply, so he held the envelope silently, waiting for Mark to take it. "No ... No, I''m not taking that. We didn''t get it wrong!" Mark said in denial.

    "We need to go!" Eris said, letting her team know they were wasting time. Mark refused to take it; he didn''t want to, and he couldn''t accept it.

    William stepped forward and went ahead of Mark. He grabbed the letter from the man. "Thank you", he said to the masked man. He turned around and forced the envelope into Mark''s hands. Mark looked at him bewildered, but William didn''t care. He turned Mark''s shoulders around and pushed him towards the exit. "Let''s go. We''re wasting time", he said. Mark looked down at the envelope in his hands. He couldn''t believe it; they got sabotaged. The next second, he looked up, and his whole team left the tent, leaving him behind; he had no choice but to follow. This was really happening. When Mark left the tent, he looked around to see if Leroy and his team were still there, but it looked like they already left. His team reached the car and got in the back, leaving the front seat for him. Mark couldn''t wait. He opened the envelope to see what the clue was. 6 houses were highlighted red. His team had to search a whole street. 4 four people had to search 6 houses for the key. Mark tightly scrunched his fist, punched the air in rage and shouted,

    "FUUUUCCCKKKKK!!!!".

 Chapter 57 - Crazy Crazy

    "You should''ve seen their faces; they were so confused", Leroy said, laughing between words.

    "What answer did you say?" Ray asked, surprised it worked.

    "I don''t know, I think I said some shit like milk. I didn''t even hear the riddle; I just snuck in and said milk", Leroy replied, proud of what he did. Ryan scoffed.

    "I didn''t think you would play so dirty, Ryan", Bri said like she was looking down at him from the backseat. Bri is a girl from class 1-A. She has black hair and is Dominican. She''s currently in 7th place behind Ryan in 6th.

    Ryan rested his head back, "Realistically, we didn''t need Leroy for the riddles. All I did was make him do something that would benefit us", Ryan said. He then turned his head slightly so he could see Bri in the corner of his left eye. "You want to stay in the top ten, don''t you?" Ryan said in a tone that showed arrogance

    Bri noticed, "I''m not complaining. I just thought you would be a goody two shoes", Bri replied, looking out the window so he didn''t have to look at him.

    "I don''t think it was that dirty", Ryan said, shrugging his shoulder.

    "You sent someone to sabotage someone else, and now they have to search more houses just to find the key. Pretty ''dirty'' if you ask me", Bri replied with attitude, as she didn''t like Ryan''s tone. Bri was the only girl on the team, so Ryan didn''t mind dropping the act. Bri was smart enough to know Ryan wasn''t what he seemed anyway. Ryan didn''t care if she knew; she was bound to find out eventually.

    "Who cares, bruh? He''s helping us," Leroy intervened. "Anyway, what are we doing next? Am I going to sabotage someone else?" He excitedly asked, clearly having other priorities.

    "We''ll see. There are two teams following close behind us. If it comes down to it, we might have to do something", Ryan said. He then glanced at the mirror to look at Adam, who was sitting silently. "There''s no point in talking to him; he''s not going to reply", Ryan thought. "I don''t see how we lose this; our team is great", he continued, sitting back comfortably.

    He wasn''t wrong; at the last location, Ryan and Adam both answered 2 riddles, and Bri answered 1, while Leroy sabotaged another team. The driver didn''t matter as there was a speed limit, so everyone on the team was comfortable. Adam came third in the minigames because he expected too much from his teammate, but he wasn''t taking that chance this time. Even though he knew they were strong teammates, he wouldn''t risk letting them do something he could do easily. So, if the opportunity arises for him to do something, he will do it without hesitation. At the last location, he would have answered all the riddles comfortably, but for three of them, his teammates answered them before the riddle was read out. It didn''t matter; he still didn''t trust their ability. He won''t make that mistake again.

    "Who was on team 2 again?" Benjamin asked, looking at the car in front.

    "That was the team with Ryan", Frank replied.

    Benjamin smirked, "We can''t let him win", he quietly said to himself. Before the game, Benjamin got on well with Frank, and the two hit it off. They both established they didn''t like Ryan. It seemed like, despite the majority of people liking Ryan, there were a few who didn''t. The few who didn''t were the people Ryan considered the main characters.

    They do say an enemy of my enemy is my friend. The two of them recognised each other. Frank saw Benjamin as Malakai''s friend, and Benjamin saw Frank as Alexander''s friend. Benjamin knew who Alexander was, as Malakai had shown him, and he also saw Alexander dominate in the minigames, but at the time, he didn''t know how good he was. Only after he heard the opinions of others he found out he was THAT good. Either way, they would probably go up against each other down the line, but right now, they were on a team and worked well together. They easily cleared location A, getting 5/5 riddles correct, and moved to the next location. This was the real test: how quickly will they find their key? This was make or break for the entire game. The team that found the red key first would most likely win.

    Ray''s team reached location B.

    "We''re here", Page announced before parking the car. The street they were on already had another team''s car parked on the left. Another team was looking for their key in the three houses on the left, and Ray''s team was looking for their key on the right.

    "Let''s look for the key quickly", Daniel said in a hurry before rushing out of the car. They all exited the car and split up to find the key. Meanwhile, across the street, Ryan looked out the window and noticed another team pulled up,

    "Leroy, you''re up!".

    "Is there a team on the same street as us?" Leroy questioned, walking down the stairs.

    "We got lucky", Ryan replied, grinning.

    Leroy smirked, "Wish me luck". He said, walking out of the house.

    Leroy left the house and saw the driver on her phone. He walked behind the car so she wouldn''t notice him. Leroy had two options: the house in the middle or the one on the right. He couldn''t go into the house on the left as he would get noticed by the driver. Leroy chose the one on the right. The door was open, so Leroy quietly snuck into the house. He had no clue who was in the house, what team they were on and who was on that team. He knew Benjamin was on a different team; Leroy hoped this wasn''t Benjamin''s team and prayed that Benjamin wasn''t in this house. If he was, he knew Benjamin would not let him go so easily. Leroy heard noises coming from a room downstairs, and with that information, he tiptoed up the stairs. Upstairs, there were three rooms, and they all looked untouched. Leroy had free reign. However, he had to be quiet. The person downstairs would hear and find him if he was too loud. Leroy carefully inspected each room, moving objects around slowly and cautiously. He was fighting the urge to smash up the place. It was looking like all the rooms were a bust; this house probably didn''t have the key. Leroy could still hear noises downstairs, which showed they were still searching.

    "How have they not found the key yet?" Leroy asked, thinking about his team. `''How did people find it in less than 10 minutes?" Leroy walked over to the desk in the corner of the room. He had already removed everything from it, so it was bare. Staring, he was lost in thought.

    "Leroy?"

    Leroy jumped at the call of his name and turned to the call. He saw Ray standing at the top of the stairs.

    "Ray? What are you doing here?" Leroy asked. The question came out as a reaction; he didn''t think when he said it, that''s how off guard he was.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings."My team has the clue that the key is in one of these houses", Ray cautiously replied. "Did your team get that as well?"

    "Y-yeah", Leroy stuttered.

    "You''re lying," Ray quickly replied. His quick change of tone took Leroy aback. "You stuttered when you answered, and if you did have the same clue as us, you wouldn''t have snuck around and searched quietly", Ray said, looking at the messy rooms, knowing he searched them. "So why are you here?" he asked, walking into the room Leroy was in.

    "Okay, okay. You got me", Leroy replied with his hands up. "My team''s key is somewhere in the houses across the street", Leroy answered.

    "That doesn''t answer why you''re here", Ray said.

    Leroy broke eye contact, "My teammate thought I would be more useful if I searched another house", he replied.

    "Right?" Ray said, confused. "Can you leave?" he asked.

    "Ray, c''mon. It looks like this house is empty, so you can leave and help your teammates. I''ll do the same", Leroy said.

    "Okay, but you leave first", Ray replied, stepping aside and leaving a path to the door.

    Leroy sighed; he knew this wasn''t going anywhere. He had to do something.

    "Ray, you''re cute".

    "Huh?!"

    "No homo. I don''t swing that way", Leroy clarified. "I''m just saying you could easily get a girlfriend". He was diverting the conversation in a different direction to waste time. Ray stayed quiet; he didn''t know what was going on. "Do you have a crush on someone?" Leroy asked.

    Ray hesitated, "No", he answered.

    "Heh, you hesitated, and you looked away. So you do have a crush", Leroy did a 180 on Ray. First, Ray caught Leroy lying, and now Leroy caught Ray lying. "Who is it? Actually, why am I asking? It''s Maria, isn''t it?" Leroy was waffling, but he wasn''t talking nonsense.

    "Everyone has a crush on her", Ray shyly replied.

    "Not me", Leroy replied. "I do find her attractive, but I don''t have a crush on her", Leroy got Ray where he wanted him. Ray''s mind was somewhere else. Leroy went to pick up a book that was on the chair next to the desk. "It''s none of my business. BUT I think you should shoot your shot at Maria because if you don''t, someone else will get her". Leroy opened the book and started flicking through pages, "I think you two will look good toge-".

    CLING!

    A red key hit the floor. The key was hiding in one of the book pages Leroy randomly picked up. Leroy dashed the book and dived to the floor to quickly retrieve the key. After picking up the key, he picked himself up from the floor and saw Ray blocking the doorway.

    Leroy sighed, "Ray, I don''t wanna fight you", he said.

    "Same. So can I have the key, please?" Ray asked, holding out his right hand.

    "Ever heard of finders keepers?" Leroy questioned.

    "You''re in my house. I''m sure your teammates will find their key in one of their houses," Ray answered, emphasising the fact that he was in the wrong house.

    ''You''re not going to let me through, are you?" Leroy asked, holding the key tightly.

    "Nope".

    "You do realise if we fought, I would win", Leroy said, edging forward slightly. Leroy was taller than Ray (Leroy being 5''11, and Ray being 5''9). He was also bigger than Ray; Ray was skinny compared to Leory, who had an average build.

    "What''s stopping you?" Ray tried aggravating him.

    "I''m sure if I hurt you, your friends will hurt me ten times more", Leroy replied.

    Ray smiled, "Yeah, Lu, Ben and David will be pretty pissed. They''re strong too; picking a fight with them is not the smartest idea".

    "Tch, you''re wasting time", Leroy interrupted, clearly annoyed.

    "Give me the key, and I''ll let you go", Ray said.

    "No! That means your team will be ahead", Leroy replied, getting more frustrated.

    "That''s not my fault", Ray lifting his shoulders.

    "Forget this", Leroy said. He put the key in his pocket and walked to Ray. Ray put his hands up to guard, but Leroy pushed his hands and swatted them away. Surprisingly, Leroy didn''t swing. Instead, he tried getting Ray in a headlock.

    "I mean it, Ray. I don''t want to hurt you", he said, attempting to subdue Ray. Ray didn''t reply; he was struggling against Leroy''s attempt. Ray tried to push Leroy away, but Leroy was grabbing him; he didn''t budge. A lot of nothing was going on; even Leroy was confused about what to do. He didn''t think this far ahead. All this grabbing, pushing and shoving led them out of the room and into the hallway. Leroy was unsuccessful in getting Ray in a headlock due to Ray''s constant squirming. Ray''s head also stayed low the whole time, so it was difficult for Leroy to do anything. He genuinely didn''t want to hurt Ray; he knew if he punched him, it was too far, but he didn''t know what to do. He hoped Ray would punch in self-defence, but he knew Ray wouldn''t do that. Ray lifted his head and slowly took control because he knew Leroy wasn''t going to hit him. Ray could feel the balance changing, so he had a plan. Ray reached for Leroy''s pocket to get the key. Why waste time when he could get the key and run? He freed one of his hands; his target was Leroy''s pocket. Leroy saw Ray''s hands reaching for the pocket. Out of instinct, Leroy shoved Ray. He shoved Ray. Shoved him. He shoved him straight into the corner of the stair railing.

    "ARRRGGGHHH!!" The stair railing had a cube top with a cylindrical body. The sharp corners at the top poked Ray in the left side of his back. Ray dropped to the floor, holding his back, with a wincing face. Leroy froze. Did he seriously hurt him? Ray groaned in pain, and with his hands rubbing the area where he got hurt. He looked at Leroy not with anger, but with betrayal. They weren''t on the same team, but Ray trusted Leroy not to hurt him. Ray tried to get up, but the pain caused him to fall back down. As soon as Leroy saw that Ray was trying to get up, he made his way to the stairs. Before he declined them, he said,

    "Sorry Ray".

    Leroy rushed down the stairs and ran out of the house. He went back to the house Ryan was in and shouted, "I GOT A KEY!". Ryan heard him from upstairs and came to the front door.

    "Good, now tell the others", Ryan told him. On his orders, Leroy went to the other houses to tell his teammates. While he did that, Ray slowly managed to reach the front door.

    "EVERYONE, HE STOLE OUR KEY!!" he screamed. Upon the screaming, Page looked up from her phone and looked at Ray. Ray was looking across the street. She looked across the street and saw people rushing to a car.

    "THEY GOT OUR KEY!" Ray shouted again. After shouting again, Ray''s teammates exited their house to see what the shouting was about. "Someone took our key? No way".

    They all stood outside and saw a car driving off, with Ray trying to follow it. The pain caused Ray to move sluggishly; he couldn''t move much. Ray stood in the middle of the street and watched the car disappear. He looked down at his hands, clenched them, and defeatedly mumbled,

    "fuck".

 Chapter 58 - Crazy Crazy Crazy

    "Hahahaha, this is too easy", Leroy laughed with the key in hand.

    "The jobs not finished," Ryan replied, looking in the mirror and seeing a car behind them. "Can I have the key?" he asked, holding out his hand. Leroy didn''t argue and gave him the key. Ryan put the key in his hoodie pocket.

    "The first two locations were easy to ruin other people, but from what I''ve heard from this next location, there''s not much that can be done. I''m guessing they didn''t think two teams could arrive here at the same time", Ryan thought. He looked in the front mirror to look at the passengers in the back seat. "Adam hasn''t done anything. He answered two riddles, and that''s it; it looks like he''s useless in team challenges. I might have to force him to do something against the team behind us".

    Currently, Ryan''s team is leading the race, with another team not too far behind them. Ryan''s team reached location C. They all quickly got out of the car.

    "Quick, climb the net!" Ryan ordered. As soon as they made their way to the gate, a car pulled up. He didn''t look at who was in the car; he instantly made a break for it. Feeling the pressure, his team were briskly climbing the net. Others faster than others. Ryan wasn''t looking back. He didn''t want to, but he could feel that other people were climbing the net as it was shaking a lot. Adam and Leroy were already at the top before Ryan made it; now, they only needed Bri so they could open the door. They heard someone near the top of the net. Climbing. Ryan turned around and saw,

    "What a surprise". Benjamin climbed onto the platform with a smile on his face.

    Ryan''s and Leroy''s faces dropped. Frank also appeared behind Benjamin.

    "What''s going on? Aren''t you gonna open the door?" Benjamin cheekily asked, pointing at the door, knowing he stopped them. Shortly after, more and more people climbed onto the platform. Eight people were now staring at each other, not knowing what to do. Two teams of four.

    "Who''s going to open the door?" Benjamin asked, breaking the silence.

    "We got here first, so we should go first", Leroy condescendingly snapped back.

    "Your whole team wasn''t here when we came up", Benjamin shrugged.

    Ryan sighed, "We won''t get anywhere if we argue. The next team might come up if we aren''t quick enough", he intervened before the argument continued.

    "What are we going to do then?" Frank asked.

    That was a good question because what were they going to do? Silence came next. All of them awkwardly looked at each other.

    "Rock paper scissors. One round", Adam broke the silence. The first words he''d said since answering the riddles.

    "What?" Leroy questioned, looking at him like he was crazy. "What kind of idea is that?".

    "Let''s do it", Ryan didn''t hesitate holding out his hand, not wanting to waste time.

    "Dude, you can''t be serious", Leroy protested against this, but,

    "We''ve got no choice", Ryan replied, visibly stressed.

    Benjamin and Frank looked at each other; Frank nodded to indicate that Benjamin should do it.

    "Okay, let''s go", Benjamin said, stepping up. "Rock paper scissors shoot?" He asked.

    "Yeah, one round", Ryan confirmed. "Adam, count us in", he said quickly.

    Adam stepped forward, "Rock Paper Scissors Shoot".

    Benjamin held rock. Ryan held out paper. Benjamin lost.

    "Hah. Not as good as Malakai, are you?" Ryan mocked.

    Benjamin wasn''t salty. He smiled quietly and stepped back, allowing them to enter the circle. Good sportsmanship. "Go ahead", Benjamin gestured to the circle.

    "Bri, hurry!" Leroy said, stepping into the circle and waving his hand at Bri. The whole team stood in the circle, which opened the door. Ryan and his team walked into the room, the room with five boxes. A game of rock-paper-scissors got them first place. Ryan smiled. It was that simple. He walked to the box with the number one on it and got the red key from his pocket. He held it up to unlock the box. The box was there. The box was in front of him. He blinked. The box was there. The box was in the corner of his left eye. Wait what?

    "Huh". Ryan was falling. Falling? His right shoulder hit the floor. His glasses barely stayed on his face. Ryan turned his body and looked up. He saw Benjamin next to the box. Benjamin? Why was he here? Why is he unlocking the number one box? Wait, he''s unlocking the number one box! Benjamin shoulder barged him. It all happened so quickly that it took Ryan a few moments to process what was happening. Ryan stood up and went for Benjamin, but he couldn''t reach him. Something was stopping him. Frank Carter. The guy built like a bodyguard was blocking him. A six-foot-four wall was blocking him. Wait, it''s a team challenge. Ryan isn''t alone. Where was Leroy? Ryan turned his head and saw Leroy next to him.

    "Huh". Frank was stopping Ryan and Leroy from reaching Benjamin. How? Frank was massive. He was using one arm to stop Ryan and one arm to stop Leroy. How is this even possible? Ryan was doing everything to move Frank, but he wouldn''t budge. Same with Leroy, he tried grabbing Frank''s arms and even kicked him, but it didn''t do anything. Why? Bri wasn''t involved, and she didn''t want to be involved. She stood on the side and watched everything wide-eyed. How did this happen? When did that guy sneak into the room and barge Ryan to the floor? Bri felt helpless watching but felt it was best not to get involved. Meanwhile, Benjamin got the code and the map from the box without any problems.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings."That was easy".

    He turned around, only to find Adam. Adam was standing in front of Benjamin, blocking his path out.

    Benjamin POV

    He was weaker than I expected. I didn''t mean to make him fall that far. Eh, who cares if he''s hurt. I''m lucky I got Frank on my team. The guy is a beast; he''s holding both of them back. Nice, I got the code and the map. Let''s get out of here...

    Shit! I forgot about him. What was his name? I don''t think I''ve ever heard it. Was this guy on Ryan''s team, too? Their team is pretty stacked. Is this guy going to fight me for the code? He doesn''t look strong. He''s got a weird vibe to him. He doesn''t look scared, either. What look is he giving? He looks bored. I think I kinda understand what Malakai was feeling in the minigames. This guy is weird. Fuck. I can''t show him I''m intimidated by him. I''m not, but I am a little. Is he waiting for me to make the first move? Is he wasting time for another team to come? There''s no way Ryan and Leroy will get past Frank. Is he waiting for them to beat Frank? What should I do? Is this guy seriously in 1-E? I''m wasting too much time. I have to do something. Let me walk up to him. If he does anything, I should be able to handle it. I''m not weak. I''m not stronger than David, but I''m stronger than Lucas. Second strongest in my friend group. That should mean something, yeah, maybe not. Two of my friends are below 5''8. Fuck it. What is he going to do? Let me go closer to him. He''s not moving. He''s just standing there. Let me stand in front of him and see what he does. Heh. He''s not doing anything. Is he scared? No way. He still looks bored. He probably already knows there''s no point in fighting for the code, maybe because Frank is here. I''m not complaining. First place for me. Looks like he isn''t going to stop me.

    "Frank, let''s go".

    Our team will be shocked when they see we got the key. Frank is the main reason we got the code. Only David could probably pull off what he did.

    "Hey, what''s your name?"

    He''s asking for my name? He''s not even looking at me.

    "Benjamin".

    I wish I could see what face he was making. Whatever, we got the key. Ryan and Leroy look traumatised. Haha. If Frank punched them, they probably would''ve died. Let''s see this code. 74578. What a beautiful number.

    Adam''s POV

    That guy is opening the box in front of me. To my right, Ryan and Leroy are getting stopped by this massive guy, and Bri is just watching. What a mess. How are they getting stopped by only him? Just punch his face or something. Oh, the guy finally opened the box. Why is he looking at me like that? He''s probably surprised to see me. Do I know him? Where have I seen him? Is he in my class? No, I would''ve noticed him if he was. One of Malakai''s friends? That guy has too many friends. He might be one of Malakai''s friends. Anyways, what is he going to do? He looks strong, but will he fight me? Honestly, I don''t feel like fighting or stopping him with force. If we did fight, I would win; it would take a while, and I would be hurt in a few places. Not to mention his friend over there. If this guy and I started fighting, I''m sure that the gorilla would jump in. Then, when he jumps in, Ryan and Leroy will jump in, and everything will get messy. What a pain. He''s just standing there. Why is he just looking at me? Is he scared? I''m not going to do anything. I won''t tell him that; I will wait until he realises. I have to say I''m more intimidated by him than I was with Malakai. Malakai is a wild card; you don''t know what to get with him. But this guy, you know, he can do something. Malakai is smart; he surrounds himself with strong people. Fills in for what he lacks. Oh, he''s moving. Is he going to push me? He doesn''t look angry. Why has he stopped in front of me? Why is he smiling at me? Is he mocking me? Wait, he''s walking away.

    "Frank, let''s go".

    Frank, that''s his name. Frank, the gorilla who''s always with Alexander, noted. How is he going to get away from those two? Never mind, he pushed them away. How strong is this guy? Ryan and Leroy look so pathetic right now. So, that''s Frank, but what is his name? Let me ask him.

    "Hey, what''s your name?".

    "Benjamin".

    So that''s his name. Good to know. Looks like I came second. Third place in the minigames and second place in this challenge. Steady improvements. I could''ve gotten first place in both if I had competent teammates. Looks like Leroy is getting up. Ryan still looks defeated. Maybe that''s a sign to go to the gym, buddy. Good looks aren''t everything. Do I have to cheer him up?

    Sigh. I have to do everything around here. I need to get the key first; I can''t trust it with these two.

    "Ryan, give me the key".

    "Here".

    Why did Leroy have the key? Did Ryan drop it? It doesn''t matter. Maybe if Ryan had opened the box faster, none of this would''ve happened. Let''s see what the code is. 74571. Let me give Bri the map. Ryan can''t read it like this, and Leroy can''t read at all. Okay, that''s harsh. He''s not that stupid. It looks like we''re done here. There is nothing else to do.

    "Hurry up. We need to go".

    Ryan looked up and saw everyone near the door. He lost. He looked at the floor and punched it. Rage took over for a second. He had to let it out. Something had to get hit. Ryan composed himself quickly. He stood up, looked at the ceiling and said,

    "Fuck��.

 Chapter 59 - New Faces In The Top Ten

    "Wait, isn''t that Ben''s team?" Malakai asked, pointing at the TV showing a car drive away. "Didn''t Ryan''s team reach there first?".

    "Yeah, it is. Ben''s team number is 1", David replied, yawning.

    "How did his team get ahead of Ryan''s?" Lucas rhetorically asked. Malakai, David, and Lucas were in Malakai''s dorm to watch the livestream. It seemed like Malakai''s dorm was the spot now to watch stuff. Malakai didn''t mind, though. He was happy people were coming over��more people to play the PlayStation with. Playing by himself most of the time was starting to get a bit boring for him.

    "So stupid", Malakai said, shaking his head. "Why are they only recording the driving? The week is basically done. Everyone knows the challenges", he ranted.

    "It''s most likely easier for them. Having too many cameras would be more work. Switching between different angles and trying to find which place is more interesting," David answered.

    "Yeah, I don''t think they have the production for that. This is an academy, not a reality TV show", Lucas added.

    "It''s still stupid, though", Malakai replied, resting his head on the sofa. Lucas and David smiled at Malakai''s reaction.

    "Which day do you think was the best day?" Lucas asked, bored of watching the livestream.

    "Today, deffo," Malakai replied. "It looked the most competitive. All the teams were close," he said, reaching for the drink he had left on the floor.

    "True", Lucas agreed. "Would you say our day was better than yours?" he asked Malakai. After a good night''s sleep, Lucas didn''t feel that guilty anymore. He still felt bad, but it didn''t weigh on him as much.

    "Hehehe. Yeah, David nearly died", Malakai giggled.

    "Aye," David said, putting Malakai in a light headlock. David smirked; he knew it was a joke. He tried not to bring it up for Lucas''s sake.

    "They should make this a TV show with challenges like this", Malakai said, escaping the headlock. Hearing Lucas say this isn''t a reality TV show sparked the idea in his head.

    "I doubt it, it''ll be too much of a hassle", David replied. "This place is supposed to be a school. I don''t think they''ll want to make us TV stars".

    "It''ll be kinda sick though", Malakai said, taking a sip of his drink.

    Lucas leant back, "I liked this challenge. If all the challenges are like this, I''ll love it here. There''s something different every day", he said.

    "You don''t care about winning the whole thing?" Malakai asked as he didn''t mention aiming for the top spot.

    "Eeehhh. Kinda, not really. I''m aiming for the top ten because the top ten still get a reward. It might not be as big as number one, but it''s something," Lucas replied. "My mindset is like yours, Mally", he said, looking towards Malakai.

    "You don''t think you can get number one?" Malakai continued to ask to keep the conversation going.

    "Not right now. If I get close, then I''ll start believing", Lucas said, as if it were unrealistic. "What about you? You''ve been first ever since day one".

    Malakai scoffed. "I don''t know," he shrugged. "All of this doesn''t feel real to me; I can''t lie. I don''t even know how I''m here. I''m surprised I''m still first".

    "You should do your best to keep first", David told him. It sounded like Malakai needed motivation to keep trying.

    "For three years? No chance", Malakai laughed. "I''m just here to have fun. If I win, I win. If I don''t, it is what it is."

    "So when you lose first place, you won''t be bothered?" Lucas asked, as it sounded like he didn''t care.

    "Naa. I''m expecting it, to be honest. I think the next challenge someone will kick me out of first", Malakai answered.

    "Don''t you think you''re being too pessimistic?" Lucas replied.

    "Pfft. Three years. C''mon, no one''s going to keep number one for three years straight", Malakai said, pulling out his phone.

    "Three years is a long time, but it''ll go by in a flash.", David replied. "A lot will happen; you never know. All of us might be in class 3-A competing against each other", David said, looking at the screen and thinking about it. It was a wholesome thought to think about. You and all of your best friends working your way up to the highest class and then competing against each other for top spot. That was the dream.

    "3-A? William''s too dumb for that", Lucas joked. The three laughed at the joke. Wherever William was, he couldn''t escape the jokes.

    Malakai closed his eyes and thought about it,

    "Three years. It''s gonna be a fun three years".

    The challenge finished. Nothing exciting happened at the end. No fighting. No drama. No one could be bothered to start anything. There was no point either. All the students were tired. All they could do was exchange looks. It had been a long day.

    Everyone was on the bus on their way back.

    "Wait, what happened to your team?" Benjamin asked.

    "Leroy stole our key", Ray replied. "He came into my house and stole the key", he said, looking down at his feet.

    "How did he steal it? Did he snatch it from you?" Benjamin asked after seeing Ray''s troubled reaction.

    "No, no", Ray said, shaking his head. "He found the key upstairs, and when I was about to go check upstairs, I saw him running down the stairs with a key in his hand", Ray lied. He didn''t want to tell the truth. If he did, he knew his friends would help him. Even though knowing that was nice, he didn''t want to see it come to fruition. He would feel bad if Leroy got beat up for playing the game. Ray''s back was still in a lot of pain, but he was fighting it. Every movement hurt him. Maybe if Leroy meant to hurt him, he would''ve told the truth, but he knew it was an accident. If anything, Leroy got lucky it was Ray because if it were any of the other five, they wouldn''t have been so forgiving.

    "At least your team got third", William said. "Bro, Leroy came into our tent and said the wrong answer. It took us so long to find the key; we had to search six houses, and there were only four of us", William vented. Despite Leroy stealing Ray''s key, his team still got third. Luckily, the houses Leroy''s team left across the street were already searched; Ray''s team only had to search a bit more to find the key. However William''s team weren''t so lucky. That wrong answer at location A affected them heavily. Searching six houses was a challenging task. Somehow, his team still got fourth.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation."Considering that happened, you did well to get fourth", Frank said, trying to lift William''s mood. Benjamin and Frank sat beside each other while Ray and William sat behind them. Frank also warmed up to Ray and William.

    "It''s bullshit. He cheated!" William said, still in a sour mood. "Where is he?" He asked, turning his head around to look for Leroy.

    "He''s sitting with Ryan at the back somewhere", Benjamin replied. "None of us are friends with him, so we can''t really be mad at him".

    "But we''re in the same class. That''s got to mean something", William said, not letting it go.

    "Let''s forget about that. How does it feel to get first place?" Ray asked Benjamin. Ray didn''t want to think about it anymore. The more they stayed on the topic, the more a part of him wanted to tell them what really happened.

    "Great, especially how we did it", Benjamin replied with a gleaming smile. "You should''ve seen Frank. He was holding back Leroy and Ryan at the same time. They couldn''t get past him", Benjamin said, patting Frank''s shoulder.

    "They weren''t as strong as I thought they would be", Frank added, unaware of his own strength.

    "Or maybe you''re just too strong", Benjamin, William and Ray thought.

    "Is that why they look so pissed at you at the last location?" William asked. "They looked like they wanted to kill you".

    "That was one of the reasons. We weren''t supposed to get first. We were both at the top of the platform, and we played rock-paper-scissors to decide who would go into the room first, and they won," Frank explained.

    "You didn''t listen to them and went in the room anyways and fought them off?" Ray said, trying to finish the story.

    "I wouldn''t say we fought them off. We snuck up behind them and took the key," Frank corrected him. "It was entertaining, to be fair. Benjamin barged Ryan just before he opened the box. The timing was perfect".

    Ray and William looked at Benjamin. "Did your team agree to do that?" Ray asked.

    Frank looked at Benjamin, "Benjamin walked in, and I followed him. I didn''t think he would do that. I thought he was going to watch them", Frank replied. "When he barged Ryan, I understood what he wanted to do".

    "That''s a little scummy, Ben", Ray told him.

    "A man''s gotta do what a man''s gotta do", Benjamin smirked, not feeling remorseful as it was Ryan.

    "I''m not mad; his team did mess up our team", Ray replied, not meaning his previous comment to offend him.

    "Yeah, I''m happy you barged him", William added. "So is that all that happened? You got the key and left?"

    "I got the key, and then", Benjamin''s eyes diverted to Adam, who was sitting a few rows behind Ray and William. "That guy was standing in front of me. That guy Malakai versed in the minigames", Benjamin replied.

    "Did he go for you?" Ray asked.

    "Naa. He just stared at me", Benjamin replied. "But I could tell, he could''ve fought me if he wanted to", Benjamin said, slyly looking at Adam. Adam was looking out of the window, so he didn''t notice Benjamin.

    "Why didn''t he fight you?" William questioned, not getting a clear picture of the situation in his head.

    "Wasn''t worth it", Benjamin said. "I mean, he wouldn''t walk over me. Come on now", He said, looking at his friends flexing his arms.

    "Ha. You had a little staring contest and walked off", William said.

    "Pretty much, but from looking at him and standing in front of him. I can tell he''s going to be a problem. I have no idea how he''s in 1-E".

    At the back of the bus, Ryan was sitting next to Leroy. Pissed.

    "Second ain''t so bad, dude", Leroy said, trying to cheer him up. Ryan didn''t respond. He hadn''t said a word since being barged by Benjamin. "I didn''t think Benjamin was that type of guy, but I guess I was wrong", he continued. Leroy glanced over at Ryan; he could feel his anger through his vibe. "Look, I know losing first place like that is annoying, but look on the bright side. We got 800 points", Leroy kept talking.

    "shut up".

    "Huh".

    "I''m not in the mood", Ryan said.

    "Yeah�� We''ll get ''em next time�� I guess", Leroy didn''t know how to reply. His attempt to cheer him up failed. Was he being too positive? He sabotaged two teams, and for what? Second place? For the work he put in, they deserved first place. Thinking this, Leroy sat back and reflected. Maybe Ryan was right to be this angry. Why am I not angry? The silence made Leroy think and go into a rabbit hole. He ruined Ray and William''s chances of winning. Those two are best friends with influential people in their circle. He purposely made enemies of people in his class; he even hurt one of them. All of that for second place. It wasn''t even worth it. That''s when the thought came. Was he going to be ostracised from the class?

    October 27th. Friday.

    Nothing notable happened. The last six teams completed the challenge, and with that, the school week had ended, and the second challenge was complete.

    6:00 PM

    LEADERBOARD

    1) MALAKAI JUNIOR (1-C) - 1683 POINTS

    2) ALEXANDER BURRELL (1-A) - 1644 POINTS

    3) FRANK CARTER (1-A) - 1631 POINTS

    4) LORENZO DEMARCO (1-B) - 1600 POINTS

    5) MARIA RODRIGUEZ (1-C) - 1590 POINTS

    6) DESTINY SIERRA (1-A) - 1571 POINTS

    7) LUNA WOLFE (1-A) - 1568 POINTS

    8) ALEJANDRO PEREZ (1-A) - 1565 POINTS

    9) BENJAMIN SCOTT (1-C) - 1559 POINTS

    10) JASON ROWELL (1-D) - 1552 POINTS

    10th, "About time I made it into the top ten".

    9th, "Barging Ryan was worth it".

    8th, "I knew I would make it".

    7th, "Back in the top ten".

    6th, "Finally, people can see my name".

    5th, "I can''t believe I''m fifth".

    4th, "Maybe this is a sign to try more".

    3rd, "I guess I''m keeping 3rd place again.

    2nd, "...".

    1st, "Rah (British slang for woah). There''s some new faces here".

 Chapter 60 - This Academy Is A Big Deal

    In that room, again.

    "Miller, you outdid yourself; that was incredible".

    "Who would''ve thought we would watch something like this at our academy?".

    "You never know until you try", Mr Miller replied to the praise.

    "Each day was fantastic; getting to see every angle was a pleasure to watch".

    Despite the students only seeing the driving, the higher-ups got more footage due to the extra cameras placed at the different locations. The higher-ups saw the students answering the riddles, searching for the key, and getting the code. They had a big screen showcasing all the angles, so they had the privilege of experiencing all of it from a screen.

    "Fantastic is a stretch. Tuesday and Friday were lacklustre; however, the other days were great".

    "Thursday was the best of the bunch. I''m surprised the students fought with each other at location C".

    "I''m glad there was no punching involved. If any students got injuries, that would be troublesome".

    "Speaking of injuries, I''m surprised you didn''t stop the race on Wednesday when that car nearly crashed, Mr Miller".

    "Are you not hearing yourself? That car NEARLY crashed. If it had crashed, it would have been a different story. All they did was swerve on the road a bit. Nothing tragic happened", Mr Miller replied.

    "Did a thought of stopping the challenge ever cross your mind?"

    "No. Stopping it at that point would ruin everything", Mr Miller replied. "Besides, none of the students involved are complaining".

    "None of those students are complaining, but the students from Monday are".

    "They are?" Mr Miller asked; he was clueless.

    "Yes. While you were busy the whole week, Mr White has been getting emails filled with complaints about that student, Malakai Junior".

    "What did he do again?" Mr Miller questioned.

    "On Monday, he brake checked a team".

    "Did anyone get hurt?"

    "No, but they are angry that he purposely put them in danger".

    "Can''t we ignore the complaints?" Mr Miller replied.

    "Unfortunately not. Mr White has said that these students are persistent that he gets punished. They suggest that the points he gained during this challenge are removed".

    "We can''t do that!"

    "Whether we can do that or not, he does have to get some sort of punishment. If he goes unpunished here, it would look bad. We need to set an example".

    "Malakai Junior. He''s trouble, isn''t he".

    "He is entertaining, so we can''t complain. His punishment can come later".

    "The leaderboard looks different, too. There are students from each class".

    "Non from class 1-E".

    "Well, one 1-E student just missed out on the top ten".

    "Who?"

    "Adam Ledger".

    Everyone in the room smirked.

    "Maybe he is something".

    The conversation started to die down. Everyone in the room was in high spirits. One of the reasons why was,

    "I''m glad he isn''t here?"

    "He hasn''t been here all week. Does anyone know what he is doing?"

    "He''s been working on the next challenge".

    "Don''t tell me he''s planning on keeping the challenge the same as last year".

    "He isn''t. The challenge he is organising is the room one".

    "The room one?" He sighed. "I guess it''s not a bad challenge".

    "Fun for the students, but not entertaining for the viewers", another mumbled.

    "It''s not all about us. We need to make sure the students are also happy".

    "Well, if he''s setting up that one. I guess it''s a break for us".

    "We can''t rest yet. We need to think of more challenges", Mr Miller said, standing up. "More challenges like this one".

    October 28th. Saturday, 1:01 PM.

    Ring!

    "Someone used the doorbell for once", William thought. William walked to the door and opened it. "Hello?"

    "Hi, does Malakai live here?"

    "Yeah, he does", William awkwardly answered.

    "Is he in? Can I talk to him?"

    "Uuh, lemme check for you", William replied, not knowing who the guy was. William slightly closed the door and walked to Malakai''s room. He knocked on his door, "Mally! Some guy wants to talk to you", he said in a louder tone.

    Seconds later, Malakai opened his door, "Who?" he asked, still in his pyjamas.

    "I don''t know. I''ve never seen him before", William shrugged.

    Malakai kissed his teeth and strutted out of his room to the door; he fully opened it and saw who it was, "Why are you here?"

    "Hi Malakai. I wanted to talk to you", Micheal answered. "Why are you in your pyjamas? Were you still asleep?" Micheal asked, looking Malakai up and down.

    "No, no. I''m asking the questions", Malakai didn''t answer his question. "Why do you know where my dorm is? Malakai questioned.

    "I found out through a first-year", Micheal replied.

    Malakai looked unimpressed, "What''d you wanna talk about?" Malakai continued to interrogate.

    "About the challenge you had", Micheal replied.

    "Why me? Can''t you ask another first year?" Malakai wasn''t giving up on the questioning.

    "I wanted to hear it from you because we''re friends. Right?" Micheal cheekily replied.

    Malakai sighed, ��Aryt. Let''s talk somewhere else then," Malakai accepted.

    "Why? I don''t mind if your dorm is messy", Micheal said, thinking Malakai was embarrassed about his dorm.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it."Na, it''s not that. The readers probably want a change of scenery".

    "Readers?"

    "Nevermind. Come in. Imma go get changed", Malakai said, letting Micheal in.

    "Seriously, why are you dressed like you''re about to sleep?" Micheal asked, walking in.

    "It''s a weekend; I was lying in bed scrolling on my phone", Malakai yawned.

    "It''s 1 PM", Micheal said, trying to show Malakai this wasn''t normal.

    "Time doesn''t exist during the weekends", Malakai replied, walking into his room.

    "Where are we going?" Malakai asked.

    "You said we should talk outside", Micheal replied.

    "Yeah, but I wanna know where we going".

    Malakai and Micheal were walking together to a place Micheal recommended; William also tagged along because he was bored and curious about where they were going.

    "It''s a nice place, you''ll like it", Micheal said. "It''s a place the second years have taken over".

    "Taken over?" William questioned, walking beside Malakai.

    "Yeah, we''ve more or less claimed it. If we want to chill, we go there", Micheal answered. He was happy; he felt like an older brother taking his younger brothers somewhere.

    "Doesn''t the third years go there?" Malakai asked, walking with his hands in his pockets.

    "They have their own place, but most of them don''t go outside," Micheal replied. "Well, they either don''t go outside at all or stay outside".

    "Now that you''ve said it, I''ve barely seen any third years walking around", William said, looking around.

    "Studies get harder, and the challenges to get points add more pressure. Most of the third years I talk to are tired; they can''t wait for graduation", Micheal replied, staring at the clouds.

    "Don''t they care about getting first place?" Malakai asked with a confused look on his face.

    "The ones I talk to are nowhere near the top ten, so they''ve already given up on that", Micheal replied.

    "What''s the point of coming here then? They might as well leave", Malakai said, not understanding.

    "Getting first place isn''t everything you know," Micheal said, shaking his head and smiling at Malakai''s naivety. "Sure, the cash prize and the add-ons you get from coming first or even in the top ten are nice, but just graduating from the academy is a lot," he continued.

    "Actually?" Malakai questioned. "They told me this academy was a big deal, but I didn''t know it was that big".

    "We''ve been telling you this the whole time", William nagged him.

    "Dude, the graduation certificate will get you into some big jobs if you show them", Micheal said. Malakai was listening attentively now. "That''s not all. If you want to become a doctor or lawyer or something like that, this certificate can get you into the best universities in the country, plus the academy will pay for your degree".

    "Just from graduating from here?" Malakai asked to make sure he was hearing correctly.

    "Yeah. That one piece of paper you get at the end of these three years can help you for the rest of your life", Micheal replied, trying to get his point across.

    Malakai couldn''t believe it, and it showed on his face. "That piece of paper can help me anywhere?" Malakai asked.

    "Yes. You''re from England, right? You could get into the best university there if you wanted to. This academy is linked to many countries", Micheal replied.

    Malakai looked up at the sky, "Hmmm, me going to uni", he quietly said.

    "Why did you apply to this academy? You don''t even know anything about it?" Micheal asked, looking at him, a little shocked.

    "I applied because these lot told me", Malakai replied, nodding towards William to his right.

    "We thought you would do a little more research about this place before coming", William said.

    "Coming here blind was more fun", Malakai replied with a smile.

    Micheal scoffed. "Graduating from here isn''t that easy", he said. Both William and Malakai looked at him. "Let me ask you something. How many people are in your year?"

    "150", William answered.

    "There are 150 people who come to this school every year. Guess how many are in the third year?" Micheal questioned.

    "I don''t know, like 120", Malakai answered.

    "80".

    "80?!" Malakai and William replied.

    "Yep. That is another reason you don''t see many third-years; nearly half of them are gone", Micheal said.

    "How? Did they get kicked out?" Malakai asked.

    "Yeah. Near the end of the year, there is a challenge that can eliminate anyone in the school. And I mean anyone, even people in class A", Micheal replied, emphasising that anyone can go.

    "Why?" Willaim asked.

    "Think about it. They can''t give everyone that graduation paper. If they did the certificate would lose its value, and it would cost a lot of money", Micheal answered. He then looked at Malakai and put a hand on his shoulder, "So, you have to make sure not to get eliminated", he said.

    Malakai smirked, "I''ll try my best".

    William was getting tired of the conversation, "Where is this building? How much longer till we get there?" he whined like a kid.

    "It''s just up there", Micheal pointed ahead. The building was in sight.

    "I''ve noticed something", Malakai said.

    "What?"

    "We''ve been getting a lot of looks. How popular are you?" Malakai asked Micheal.

    "Maybe they''re looking at you", Micheal deflected the question. "I did hear you did something illegal in the last challenge".

    Malakai smiled and shook his head,

    "People sure love to talk".

 Chapter 61 - 8 Ball Pool

    Micheal, Malakai, and William reached the building Micheal had been telling them about. On the outside, it didn''t look like anything special. The three walked through the automatic doors and scanned their student IDs to get past the barriers. Despite this building being on campus, only students could access it. For further information, the campus had all the shops and other buildings. The campus is open to everyone, including members of the public. The public can use the shops and restaurants if they want, and instead of credits, they use actual money. Then, there are the academy grounds, which contain all the teaching buildings and buildings used by the academy. These buildings are specifically for the students, so the public can''t enter as they don''t have a student ID. The three of them were on the other side of the barrier.

    "This is why you told us to bring our IDs", William said, putting his ID back in his pocket.

    "Yeah, there are no teachers here, so we basically run this building", Micheal replied. "The cleaners are the only adults that come round here".

    The building looked clean, which showed that at least these second years weren''t animals. They didn''t cause hard work for the cleaners. The three continued to navigate through the building. Malakai noticed a wall with Polaroid images stuck on it. Many pictures showed parties, ceremonies, random moments and even individual students��a wall to commemorate memories of the second years.

    "Did they spell your name wrong?" Malakai asked, pointing at a picture with Micheal''s name at the bottom.

    Micheal turned around and looked at where he was pointing. "Nope, that''s how you spell my name", he replied, smiling, showing he had heard that question a lot.

    "Isn''t it supposed to be a e?" Malakai pointed at the ea in his name and made a switching motion with his fingers.

    "That''s how you would spell it, but the Irish way is how my name is spelt. My dad''s Irish, so I''m half Irish", Micheal answered.

    "You''re half Irish?" William asked, carefully examining his face. "You don''t look it".

    "Na, I can see it", Malakai said, looking at Micheal. Being from the UK, Malakai had seen some Irish people. "But, I can only notice now because you told me. If you never told us, I don''t think I would see it".

    "My mom has pretty strong genes", Micheal said, walking ahead.

    "Half Irish, huh? Explains why you drank a lot when I met you at the club", Malakai slipped in.

    Micheal smirked; he didn''t mind the cheeky remark. He knew Malakai was known for comments like that, so he smiled it off. If that was any other first year, he might have looked at them differently.

    They eventually reached a room where noise was leaking out and could be heard from down the corridor.

    "Sounds like a party", Malakai said as they approached.

    "They''re always blasting music", Micheal replied. "I don''t think that many people are in there today". Micheal opened the door and entered the room, with the two following behind.

    "Hey, it''s Micheal!" someone shouted to get everyone''s attention. Everyone looked towards the door and saw Micheal walk in with two shorter boys following him. It looked like an older brother bringing his younger brothers to a party.

    "Who are the kids?" A guy said, walking towards him.

    "They''re first years. I wanted to talk to them, so I bought them here", Micheal replied, looking proud of who he bought in. More and more people started crowding around them.

    "Wait, I recognise him", someone said. "He was the one that got into a fight".

    "Yo", Malakai nodded.

    "Oh yeah, I forgot. You''re not from here", he said after hearing Malakai''s accent.

    "You don''t need to talk to me, do you?" William asked Micheal before it was too late.

    "Maybe", Micheal replied, not wanting to say no.

    "I''ll take that as a no", William picked up on that. "Imma do my own thing then".

    "I like this kid. C''mon, let''s go", a second-year said, putting an arm around William and taking him away.

    "Yo Willy, don''t drink anything. I ain''t dragging you back home", Malakai shouted to William.

    "Don''t worry; I''ll take good care of him", the second-year dragging him replied.

    "You don''t do anything to him as well. I remembered your face", Malakai smiled, pointing at the second year. The second year smiled and continued walking away. "Now what?" Malakai asked, looking at Micheal, who had a crowd around him.

    "Do you want to play pool?" Micheal replied, pointing at a pool table.

    "Sure".

    The two walked over to the pool table and set it up with an audience surrounding the table. While Micheal was putting all the balls in position.

    "How did you get that scar?" a pretty girl asked, standing near Malakai.

    "I don''t know. I woke up one day, and it was there", Malakai replied in a jokey way while using the cue chalk on the tip of the cue. He was more focused on his cue than the girl.

    "Come on, tell me", she said, getting closer to Malakai''s face.

    Malakai placed the tip of the cue on the tip of her nose to stop her face from moving closer. "I was fighting a bear, and it scratched me", he smiled.

    "Hey Malakai! You wanna stop flirting and start the game?" Micheal teased.

    "I wasn''t flirting", Malakai replied, walking away from the girl and to the end of the pool table. "You sure you want me to break?"

    "Yeah, go for it".

    "What rules we playing 8 ball?" Malakai asked.

    "Yeah".

    "Aryt", Malakai positioned himself and started the game. Hitting the white ball and breaking the triangle of balls.

    DUN!

    Malakai potted a striped ball. Malakai glanced at Micheal giving him a smirk, showing him he could play. Micheal reciprocated.

    "Where are you in the leaderboards?" A guy asked before Malakai took his next shot.

    "First", he nonchalantly replied, analysing the table to see which ball to pot next. All the people around looked surprised, and then they all turned to Micheal, who gave them a look of ''I told you''.

    "What class are you in?" a girl asked.

    "1-C".

    "How?"

    DUN!

    Malakai potted another ball. "I don''t know", he shrugged, looking at all of them. They all had so many questions they wanted to ask. How was someone from class C first on the leaderboards? "Yo Micheal", Malakai called out. Micheal looked at him. "Let''s do a wager. Whoever wins this game gets something".

    "Like what?" Micheal was interested.

    "How much credits you got?" Malakai asked.

    "Like ten thousand".

    "Aryt, a thousand to however wins", Malakai said.

    "Only a thousand?" Micheal replied, not expecting a low amount.

    "Bro, I''ve only got a thousand five hundred", Malakai said with his arms out. "I''m broke". He got a few laughs.

    "I''ll give you some credit if we go on a date", the pretty girl proposed.

    "I''ll think about if I lose", Malakai smiled, not taking her seriously.

    Micheal scoffed, "Okay, deal", he agreed. "But remember, I brought you here to ask you something. Not just to play pool".

    "What''s stopping you? I''m right here", Malakai replied, walking around the table to take his next shot.

    Some of the second years looked at each other after his response. "This first year is a little cheeky", someone quietly said to Micheal.

    "I know, but I don''t mind. He knows how to have fun", Micheal replied. "So, Malakai. What happened in the challenge?"

    DUN!

    Malakai potted another. "You can call me Mally if you want", he said. "A lot happened. Uhhh, we drove a car, answered some riddles, looked for a key in a house, climbed a net to get a code and opened a safe", Malakai quickly summarised. "I say we, but I didn''t do any of that. I just drove the car", he said before taking his next shot.

    TAKT!

    "Shit!" he missed his shot.

    "You missed, I finally get to play", Micheal said, looking at the table and seeing Malakai had four more balls to pot. "All of the things you said didn''t show up on the livestream".

    DUN!

    Micheal instantly potted a ball. "I did see you fight", he said, looking at Malakai, who was messing about with his cue.

    "You saw? How?" Malakai asked.

    "A friend was on the academy app and saw a livestream going on. He clicked on it and saw what was happening. He told me, and I secretly watched the livestream while I was in class", Micheal replied.

    "You watched it in class?"

    DUN!

    "Yeah, every other year had classes", Michael replied. "I only saw the end of your day. I didn''t see the part when you brake-checked another team."

    "Did anyone see that part?" Malakai asked everyone. Everyone shook their heads. "No one saw it. So, it didn''t happen", Malakai smiled.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there."You don''t need to lie. I think everyone here can tell you''re not normal", Micheal replied.

    DUN!

    "Why''re you tryna make me look bad?" Malakai replied.

    "I''m not. I''m just saying what you did", Micheal said, smiling, knowing exactly what he was doing.

    "What happened after you brake checked them?" Someone asked Malakai.

    "Nothing", Malakai replied, shaking his head. They stopped their car, and that was it. No crash happened. I drove away after I brake-checked them; no one got hurt", he continued.

    "What happened in the fight?" another person asked.

    DUN!

    "Nothing. A fight didn''t happen. The guy grabbed me and tried to punch me, but I dodged all of his punches", Malakai replied.

    "I saw it. You were laughing like crazy", a guy commented. Malakai smiled and looked away guilty.

    "Why didn''t you swing back?" A girl asked.

    "I didn''t wanna", Malakai replied. "I wasn''t angry at him, so punching him makes no sense".

    "Malakai, it''s your go", Micheal told him.

    "Huh?" Malakai looked at the table; he didn''t notice Micheal missed his shot. "You potted four balls? You''re kinda good", he said, walking around the table.

    "I''m alright. There are people here better than me", Micheal replied.

    "Yeah, like me".

    DUN!

    Malakai potted. ''Ooohs'' rang around the table after that shot. It was a good shot, which got the reaction it deserved. The game was close, and Malakai had the advantage.

    "Was the challenge fun?" Micheal asked him.

    "Yeah, I guess. I only drove the car, but I still found it fun", Malakai answered. "I''m not gonna lie; you should''ve asked someone who actually did the challenge", he replied.

    "I''m not friends with any other first year", Micheal said.

    DUN!

    ��What a loner��, Malakai joked.

    "I wouldn''t call Micheal a loner. Everyone likes him", someone said.

    "Everyone likes him?" Malakai said in a doubtful voice, pointing at Micheal. "I know two people who don''t".

    "Who?" Micheal asked, wondering who he was talking about.

    DUN!

    "Remember in the library when we first met. Those two guys that were tryna scare me", Malakai reminded him.

    "Oh, I remember", Micheal remembered. "Yeah, I don''t know those two too well. I can understand why they wouldn''t like me", he said.

    "Who are you talking about?" Some of Micheals''s friends asked.

    "I don''t know their names, but I know they''re from 2-E", Micheal replied.

    DUN!

    "Huh?" Micheal looked at the table and Malakai only had the black ball left to pot. "When did this happen?" Micheal rhetorically asked, looking at everyone.

    "You might lose", someone whispered to Micheal.

    The shot Malakai had wasn''t an easy one, but it was doable. The black ball was quite central, positioned near the top right. It wasn''t close to any hole.

    CLACK!

    "AARGHH!"

    He missed.

    "Unlucky", Micheal said, walking past him.

    "It''s calm. So, what else you wanna ask?"

    DUN!

    Malakai didn''t get a response. He only heard the ball being potted.

    "You''ve lost, dude. You should''ve potted the black ball", a second-year told him.

    ��Wha?�� Malakai turned to him.

    "Micheals going to win now. He''s playing serious", he replied.

    "What do you mean serious? Wasn''t he playing properly before?" Malakai asked, looking confused.

    "Nope. He was talking the whole time. When he doesn''t talk, that''s when you know he''s serious", another guy said, joining in the conversation.

    DUN!

    "Yo Micheal!" Malakai called out. Micheal didn''t listen; he was too focused on the game. "Fuck. I''m going to lose a thousand credits", he quietly said. "Yo, I forgot to tell you something about the challenge", Malakai desperately tried to distract him, but,

    DUN!

    Only the black ball was left to pot.

    "Looks like you lost kid", a second-year said, putting a hand on Malakai''s shoulder. Malakai couldn''t believe it. He had his hands at the back of his head while he smiled. All the girls giggled at Malakai while the guys sympathetically smiled at him. He was so close. Micheals''s shot was similar to Malakai''s but slightly easier.

    CLACK!

    Gasps everywhere. Micheal missed.

    "wow", Micheal said, he couldn''t believe it himself.

    Malakai looked around at the faces covered in disbelief and then looked at Micheal.

    "Did you miss on purpose?" He asked.

    "No. I didn''t", Micheal replied, sounding a little shocked. Malakai could tell he was telling the truth. Malakai walked around the table to get ready to finish the game.

    "Wait, you said you forgot to tell me something about the challenge", Micheal interrupted him before he could take his shot.

    Malakai smirked, "I was chatting shit".

    "I should''ve known", Micheal replied, smiling. "Well, let me ask you something quickly".

    "Go on".

    "What was the higher-up like?

    Malakai looked up at him. "Mr Miller? I don''t know. Normal, I guess", he shrugged. "I didn''t talk to him; I just saw him" Malakai didn''t know how to answer, so he tried his best to give the best response.

    "Oh", Micheal wanted more.

    "Why have you never seen him?" Malakai asked.

    "We have, but he''s never been involved like that before. The most he''s done is watch the challenge from afar", Micheal replied. "We''ve heard all the higher-ups stay behind the scenes and organise the challenges, but they''re never there in person. So seeing one there was weird".

    Malakai didn''t get it, "it''s not that deep. He''s just an old guy. There''s nothing special about him", he replied.

    "Hah. Nothing special; any of them can kick you out of the academy if they wanted to", Michael said, feeling kind of happy with Malakai''s response.

    "They could kick me out, but they won''t. I know they won''t", Malakai replied, giving a smile. But it wasn''t his usual smile, and Micheal noticed. Micheal knew this smile. Malakai only smiled like this in certain situations. Seeing that smile weirdly calmed Micheal down, but it also made him happy and sad at the same time. He couldn''t put a finger on it, but if he had to explain why, it was probably because he was happy Malakai enrolled in this academy but upset because Malakai wasn''t in the same year as he was. Having Malakai in the same year as he was would''ve been interesting. A person like Malakai was rare. One in a million, no, one in a lifetime.

    "Good for you", Micheal said, smiling with his teeth showing. He stepped back from the table and let Malakai take his shot in peace.

    All the second years looked at Micheal; they were surprised he smiled like that with his teeth out.

    "You''re going to let him win like that?" Micheal''s friend said to him.

    Micheal watched the pool table and saw how Malakai positioned himself.

    DUN!

    "It''s fine, because I won".

    DUN!

    "FUCK!"

    Malakai potted the black ball, but he also accidentally potted the white ball, so Micheal won. Malakai potted the black ball in the right middle pocket, but the white ball after colliding with the black ball travelled to the right corner pocket.

    "You know you could''ve won if you hit the ball lighter", Micheal told him. "Actually, you could''ve won the whole game without me having a turn if you used less power on your shots".

    "Yeah, but smashing it is more fun", Malakai replied, feeling slightly salty but not showing it.

    "Risk taker, I should''ve known", Micheal mumbled.

    "Tell me your details", Malakai said, pulling out his phone to transfer Micheal the credits.

    "No need", Michael said, raising his hand. "I don''t need any credits".

    "But, we made a bet. I need to give you something", Malakai replied.

    Micheal paused for a moment, "Okay, how about this? You owe me a favour", Micheal said.

    Malakai screwed his face and looked away. It was clear he didn''t like that proposal.

    "You can''t back out now", a second-year cheered.

    "I ain''t. It''s just a bit painful to hear", Malakai replied. "Fine", he said, offering his hand to Micheal. Micheal smiled and shook his hand.

    "What are you going to do now? Go home and cry", Micheal teased.

    "Hah. What else you got here? I''ll beat you at that", Malakai replied. "You brought me here; I might as well stay a while. Plus, I need to tell you more about the challenge. I only gave you a summary".

    All the second year cheered; they all took a liking to Malakai. Micheal walked over to Malakai and put an arm around him.

    "Seems like you''re making more friends", he said to Malakai.

    "I guess so".

    It looked like the party had only started.

 Chapter 62 - Halloween Costumes

    October 31st. Tuesday, 10:18 PM.

    Malakai stepped out of his room to get a drink from the kitchen. As soon as he turned the corner to walk to the kitchen,

    "BOO!!"

    "What the fuck are you wearing", Malakai said, unfazed by the scare attempt. He didn''t even flinch.

    "It''s my costume", William replied, spreading his arms. He was wearing a white sheet over his body with two holes punctured for his eyes so he could see. It was the most basic Halloween costume you could get and the most boring thing to be: a ghost. It was a costume, nevertheless.

    "What a great costume", Malakai sarcastically said, clearly unimpressed. He continued to the fridge to see if there was a drink.

    "Aren''t you going to go?" William asked, looking at Malakai getting a drink.

    "Oh shit, you''re going to that party"; Malakai remembered that William got told there was a secret Halloween party. A second year told William that a Halloween party takes place at this secret location every year. It was a big Halloween party that select people knew about. The location was only told to people who were invited, so if you knew the location, you could turn up. No one would stop you at the door and ask for an ID or proof of an invitation.

    "Yeah, Ben and Lu are coming too", William replied.

    Malakai picked his drink and closed the fridge. "What about Ray and David?" Malakai asked, opening his drink.

    "Ray doesn''t feel like going. That gave David an excuse not to go, but I feel like David didn''t want to go anyway. When I told him about it, he didn''t look excited," William rambled; it was clear he was excited about the party. "So, are you coming or not?" he eagerly asked Malakai.

    Malakai looked at the time, "We have classes tomorrow, you know that, right?" He said.

    "Okay? What time are you planning to go to sleep?" William asked, knowing Malakai''s questionable sleep schedule.

    "I''m going to sleep early today," he replied, smiling. It was obvious he was lying.

    "You''re drinking a soda in front of me", Willaim said, pointing at Malakai''s drink.

    "Caffeine doesn''t work on me", Malakai replied, sipping his drink. "And I wasn''t going to finish it; I was gonna drink some now and save the rest for later".

    "Dude, just come with us", William pleaded. Malakai gave him a look that showed he couldn''t be bothered. "It''ll be fun. Just come, dude". Malakai knew he could put his foot down, and William would give up, but a part of him was curious about this party. A second year did invite them, so it had to be good.

    "Aryt, look. If Lu or Ben have a good costume, I''ll go", Malakai proposed.

    William grinned like he had already won, "I guess you''re coming then".

    "Huh, why?" Malakai replied. As soon as he said that, the front door opened.

    "Yo, we''re ready!" A voice called out. Two people started walking into the main area.

    "You fucking tryhard", Malakai annoyedly said, looking at Lucas''s costume.

    "What?" Lucas replied. Lucas''s outfit was good. It was a mixture of a skeleton and a clown. He had a torn, worn-out suit with painted blood stains on it. His face was also white due to face paint; he also drew a scar near his mouth with red paint to make it look like his mouth was slit. His blue eyes were white because he added contact lenses. The costume also came with a top hat, which matched the outfit well. Just for an extra touch, he even painted his hands. His left hand was normal with painted blood stains, and his right was painted like a skeleton. His pants and shoes were also splattered in red paint to look like blood stains. A lot of effort went into this costume.

    "That looks so cool", William said, admiring his costume with stars in his eyes.

    "How long did that take?" Malakai asked, secretly impressed by the outfit but not showing it.

    "The whole day, dude," Lucas replied, trying not to move too much to ruin the costume.

    "Where''s your outfit?" Malakai asked, shifting his gaze to Benjamin.

    Benjamin wore a white polo shirt tucked into his grey trousers with a brown belt, finishing off with white trainers. Benjamin popped his collar,

    "Hi, I''m Franklin Saint", he said with a wave.

    Malakai''s face lit up, "Oh my days. No way", he reacted with a beaming smile.

    "I built this shit!" Benjamin said one of Franklin Saints lines out.

    Malakai laughed, "You ain''t him, bro", he joked, repeating a meme. He went to give Benjamin a handshake and then pulled him into a hug. All this happened, and Lucas couldn''t believe it.

    "HOW DID HIS COSTUME GET A BETTER REACTION THAN MINE?!" Lucas shouted in disbelief.

    "Snowfall is one of Mally''s favourite shows; I knew he''d react like this", Benjamin said. Malakai finished Snowfall two weeks before and told Benjamin that Franklin Saint is now his favourite character in any TV series.

    "I thought One Piece was his favourite show?" Lucas replied, confused. He remembered Malakai mentioning Snowfall to Benjamin and Ray but didn''t get involved in the conversation as he hadn''t watched Snowfall. However, he constantly hears conversations about One Piece between his friends.

    "That''s my favourite anime, but my favourite show that isn''t an anime is Snowfall", Malakai replied like Lucas should''ve known.

    "Mally, you should''ve dressed up as Luffy (The main character of One Piece)", William said, joining the conversation. Malakai and William were both caught up to One Piece.

    "I don''t have the outfit", Malakai replied. "I don''t think my skin tone matches Luffy anyway", he said, holding up his hand to show his complexion.

    "You could pull off Trafalgar Law; your skin colour is similar", William replied.

    "No he can''t, he''s too short", Benjamin said.

    William and Malakai turned to Benjamin in excitement, "How you know about Law? I didn''t know you were that far", Malakai asked.

    "I''ve been binging it ever since you landed here", Benjamin replied. For context, Malakai and William have watched One Piece for a long time, and they convinced Ray and Benjamin to watch it. Ray is nearly caught up as he was hooked early, but it took Benjamin a bit of time to get into it. When Malakai came to America, he constantly heard Malakai and William talk about One Piece in class. Even during lunch, he would hear Ray joining their conversation as he was catching up, so he felt left out. Since then, he''s been watching at least five episodes or more a day.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.Malakai dapped Benjamin. "You should''ve told us", Malakai said.

    "I wanted to catch up and then surprise you, but I let it slip", Benjamin happily replied.

    "How many episodes have you got left?" William asked, joining the conversation.

    "Like 300", Benjamin answered.

    "300?!" Lucas couldn''t believe what he was hearing. "How can you watch that many episodes and still have 300 left?" The guys couldn''t convince Lucas to watch it. He saw the episode count and gave up; he didn''t really like anime anyway. Same with David.

    "You''re missing out on peak", William said.

    Lucas shook his head, "I''ve got better things to do with my time", he said. He caught a glimpse of the time. "Forget that. Are you coming?" Lucas annoyingly asked Malakai, who was in his famous grey pyjamas.

    "Now I am. I made a deal with Willy. If any of you came in good outfits, I''ll come", Malakai replied, glancing at the clock.

    "It''s a good thing I went through all this effort", Lucas said, looking down and admiring his own outfit.

    "Bro, the only reason I''m going is because Ben is dressed as Franklin Saint. Your outfit is too much", Malakai laughed. That diss caused William and Benjamin to join in on the laughter.

    "Fuck you. If you are coming, hurry up, you prick", Lucas replied with a tinge of anger in his tone. Malakai''s comments were getting to him a little, but this was Malakai''s speciality, annoying people.

    Malakai laughed, "Aryt aryt", he said, walking to his room.

    "If his outfit isn''t good I''m punching him", Lucas mumbled, while Benjamin and William were still laughing.

    After about 10 minutes, Malakai left his room with his outfit. All the boys looked at him with disappointment.

    "Where''s your outfit?" Lucas asked, cracking his knuckles.

    "You''re looking at it", Malakai replied. His outfit was black trainers, black socks, black joggers, a black hoodie, and a black ski mask around his neck, which he had yet to pull over his face.

    "Who are you trying to be?" William asked, thinking this might be inspired by a character in a scary movie or something.

    "I''m going as myself", Malakai replied with a sense of pride on his face.

    Benjamin laughed, "Bro thinks he''s scary", he giggled.

    William also laughed, "You''re shorter than me. You''re not scary, dude", he added.

    "Bro I don''t care. I don''t have an outfit, and I ain''t buying one", Malakai replied.

    Lucas looked the most disappointed; he just stared at Malakai with bored eyes. Was this guy worth punching? Malakai met his eyes and gasped, he had an idea.

    "Lu, you got any white contacts left?" He asked.

    "Yeah, you want to use them?" Lucas replied. Malakai smiled, and Lucas got his answer. "Don''t take too long to put them in", he said.

    "I ain''t a pussy, it''s just contact lenses".

    11:22 PM

    The four boys were walking to the party.

    "Do you think they''ll let us in the party this late?" Benjamin asked.

    "What party closes at 11? We''re fine", Malakai reassured them. The reason he was reassuring them was because two people weren''t particularly happy.

    "If we aren''t allowed in, we all know whose fault it is", Lucas said.

    "Why you mad?" Malakai asked Lucas as he was clearly being passive-aggressive.

    "Because it took you 15 minutes to put in two contact lenses!" Lucas snapped back.

    "It was my first time", Malakai said, trying to defend himself.

    "I thought you weren''t a pussy", William joined in on attacking Malakai.

    "I ain''t. It''s just my eyes kept closing whenever my finger went close. That was some involuntary movement, I can''t control that. My body was reacting to it like it was dangerous", Malakai waffled on.

    "You sound like a pussy to me", Lucas replied.

    "Bro, next time, I''m doing it in 2 seconds", Malakai replied. "It doesn''t matter anyways. I look sick", he said, widening his eyes and looking at his friends.

    "You don''t. Your outfit is wack", Lucas said.

    "Why are you hating?" Malakai asked.

    "Because I''m your biggest hater", Lucas replied.

    While those two argued, Benjamin asked William, "Where is the place? Are we close?"

    "Yeah, it''s down there", William pointed down the street. The street the boys were on looked deserted; it was like an alleyway. The location sure was secret.

    Sniff Sniff

    "Euughhh. What''s that smell?" William said, covering his nose. Malakai and Lucas''s attention shifted, and Lucas instantly picked up on the smell. He covered his nose, and his eyes squinted.

    "What smell?" Malakai asked, looking at them.

    "Can''t you smell it?" William said, turning to him.

    Malakai sniffed the air, "Oh, that''s strong", he said, covering his nose. "That''s weed, no?" he asked.

    "Yeah, it is", Benjamin answered, also covering his nose.

    "This is weed?" William questioned.

    "You''ve never smelt weed before?" Malakai asked him.

    "No", he answered, shaking his head. Malakai looked towards Lucas, and it seemed that this was new to him, too. He could''ve taken the piss out of Lucas, but he left him alone.

    "If the smell is this strong, that means this is a party party", Malakai said, putting his hands in his pockets. After a few more steps the boys reached their destination. They all stood before a black door that looked like the back door of a building. Music was leaking through the door, so they knew this was the place. The smell was also stronger, but it was a bunch of weird smells, not just the smell of weed.

    "Go on, you wanted to come here so bad", Malakai said to Lucas, waiting for him to go in first.

    Lucas didn''t respond; he was just curious. He walked towards the door, opened it and stepped inside. It looked like he stopped in the doorway, so the three pushed through the door to see why he stopped, and they instantly saw why.

    "What the fuck��.

 Chapter 63 - Escaped The Cage

    "What the fuck��.

    What the boys saw was like at the club with the bright lights and loud music, but it was much worse this time. More extreme. People were spraying alcohol and smoking weed; people were unconscious on the floor; people were sniffing cocaine, had needles in their arms, and consuming pills, and there were pills scattered on the floor. It was a mess. What kind of party was this? It was definitely a Halloween party, as everyone was dressed up. The costumes ranged from clowns, killers, ghosts, cops, bunnies and characters from shows. No one was dressed boringly. Despite the boys being told it was at a secret location, it looked like everyone knew the secret. There were a lot of people; it looked like there were around 200 people or more. However, they weren''t all students; some looked older like they were in their late twenties. Remember, the campus wasn''t only open to students; it looked like some strangers got word of the party. The boys stood there speechless; this was nothing like the previous party they had been to. Lucas went to the club the most out of the group and would sometimes bring William; that was it. None of the other guys went to the club. The only time they went was that one time after the first challenge. Lucas and William expected it to be like the club, while Malakai and Benjamin didn''t know what to expect.

    "You lot still wanna be here?" Malakai asked, looking at their shocked faces.

    "I don''t think this is a good idea", Benjamin replied with uncertainty and his eyes all over the place.

    "Wait, isn''t that a teacher?" Malakai asked, squinting his eyes and pointing at a table.

    "Yeah, it is", William replied. "Why is he sniffing the table?" he questioned, squinting his eyes to see in more detail.

    "He''s doing cocaine lad", Malakai answered like it should''ve been obvious. Shock was written all over William''s face. He''d only ever seen stuff like this in TV shows.

    "Yeah, this isn''t a good idea, let''s go", Benjamin decided, turning around.

    "We just got here, we can''t leave", Lucas disagreed, grabbing Benjamin''s arm and wanting to stay.

    "He''s right, we got invited", William added in favour of staying.

    "We didn''t get invited; you were told about it", Malakai said in favour of leaving. More people started walking into the building, forcing the boys to move forward.

    "Let''s stay for a bit", Lucas said. "We came all the way here", he had a point, walking this distance to just turn around and go back would be a waste. Not to mention the fact that they spent time on their outfits, well half of them did.

    Malakai and Benjamin looked at each other, knowing this wasn''t a good idea. Malakai didn''t know what to say, so he waited for Benjamin''s answer.

    "Only a little bit", Benjamin agreed.

    "Yess, let''s goo!" William said, marching forward.

    "Wait", Malakai said, yanking the back of William''s costume, causing him to stop.

    "What?" William asked, turning around so Malakai stopped yanking him.

    "You''re not doing any drugs. If you do, I''m smacking the shit out of you", Malakai clearly told him, pointing at him.

    "But", William tried to protest.

    "No!" Malakai replied with a scary look in his eyes.

    "Why''re you only telling me?" William said, feeling like a younger sibling being told off for something he never did.

    "I mean everyone. If I see any of you doing drugs, I''m smacking the shit out of you", Malakai said, looking at Benjamin and Lucas.

    "Don''t need to tell me", Benjamin replied, shrugging his shoulders.

    "Drugs is a no-go for me", Lucas replied with his hands up.

    Malakai let go of William��s costume.

    "You said no to drugs but said nothing about alcohol", William cheekily said, walking away to the bar.

    "You might need to watch over him", Lucas said, walking in another direction towards some girls.

    Benjamin and Malakai stood there and watched their friends go separate ways.

    Benjamin looked at the people partying, "What''re you gonna do?" he asked Malakai.

    "Fuck up the party", Malakai replied.

    "How?" Benjamin said, looking at Malakai.

    "I don''t know, imma make these kids stop taking drugs", Malakai replied, scoping the place.

    "Kids? I guarantee everyone here is older than you", Benjamin said. "And if you''re gonna mess with people, you''ll get caught".

    "I got my bally (balaclava/ski mask) on; no one can see me", Malakai replied, pulling up his ski mask so only his white eyes showed.

    "Right. You have fun", Benjamin said, not understanding what Malakai was going to do. "Watch Will", he said, leaving Malakai behind as he walked ahead. When Malakai said he was going to ''fuck up the party,'' Benjamin believed him, but he didn''t know how he was going to do it. One thing for sure is that he didn''t want to be near Malakai when that happened. Benjamin wandered through the party, stepping on substances that were on the floor and passing barely conscious people. They were like zombies. He wasn''t comfortable, but this wasn''t the first time he had been in a situation like this. He didn''t know where he was going; he was hoping he''d find someone from another class he knew. Staying with his friends was out of the question. He didn''t want to stay with Lucas while he flirted, William while he drank, and Malakai while he was being Malakai. If David or Ray were here, it would''ve been perfect; he''d have someone he could stay with. Regret was always a thought when he was getting ready for the party, but he felt bad after seeing Lucas put in so much effort.

    Bump!

    ��Sorry I wasn��t paying attention��, Benjamin was lost in thought.

    ��Watch where you going man. Wait, Benji?��

    ��J?�� Benjamin replied, squinting his eyes. ��It��s really you!�� He excitedly said. Benjamin accidentally bumped into an old friend.

    ��Benji!��, J embraced him. J isn��t his actual name; it��s his nickname. ��Why��re you here man?��

    ��I should be asking you that. You��re not even a student here��, Benjamin replied, stunned to see him.

    ��There are a lot of people here that aren��t students��, J said, pointing fingers at strangers.

    ��I know, but I still didn��t expect you to be here��, Benjamin replied, feeling his mood rise.

    ��It��s not only me here. Everyone��s here��, J said.

    ��Really?!�� Benjamin replied, looking around, trying to spot them. He was like an excited kid.

    ��Yeah, let me show you��.

    Benjamin followed J through the crowd until they reached a somewhat quiet spot near a wall. The spot had a few chairs, and that''s it, no table. When Benjamin got closer, he saw four other familiar faces��faces he had seen throughout his childhood.

    ��Aye, Benji! Is that you!?�� They recognised Benjamin before he even reached them. Benjamin approached them with a smile, a smile those guys couldn��t forget. Three of them sat in chairs while one leaned against the wall.

    "what you wearing, man?" Tevon laughed, looking at Benjamin''s outfit and leaning against the wall.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings."It''s my costume. I''m Franklin Saint", Benjamin happily replied.

    "You look like him, but you''re nothing like him," Tevon joked, his teeth showing.

    ��When did you get grills, Tev?�� Benjamin asked, seeing Tevon��s teeth shining.

    ��Got ''em last week��, Tevon replied, showcasing his teeth.

    ��Yeah, you needed them. Even a dentist couldn��t save em��, Benjamin dissed

    ��Still cheeky, aye, young g��, Tevon said, grabbing Benjamin. Kofi, Dante, Jamar (J), and Monty all watched, laughing, feeling the nostalgia. Six boys laughing and fooling around like they were back on their block. Benjamin broke free from Tevon��s grasp.

    ��Man, I missed you guys��, Benjamin said, smiling ear to ear.

    ��We missed you��, Dante replied after taking a hit from his blunt.

    ��How��s your new life, man?�� Kofi asked, smiling at Benjamin.

    ��It��s good��, Benjamin replied in short.

    ��We ain��t seen you for four months, and the only thing you can say is good?�� Jamar said.

    ��No, it��s just. I��m confused. Why��re you here?�� Benjamin asked, still shell-shocked, why all his old friends were in front of him.

    ��For the party��, Tevon answered, spreading his arms.

    ��You came all the way from Nashville for this party. You expect me to believe that��, Benjamin replied, knowing they weren''t serious.

    ��A couple hours in a car is worth it for this party, Benji��, Monty said, smoking his joint.

    Benjamin smirked, ��I know when I was a kid, I used to believe your stories, but I ain��t a kid no more��, Benjamin said. ��I��m taller than all of you except Tevon and Kofi��. He was waiting for them to say they came to surprise him.

    ��Looks like you��re all grown up, huh? Benji��, Tevon said. ��You know why we��re here��, he said, lowering his head, he was embarrassed to look in his eyes. Benjamin looked clueless. He looked towards the other guys; they didn��t give him any hints. Tevon sighed. ��Look around��, he told him. ��We��re the reason why this party is a party��.

    Benjamin looked around the party, and everything clicked. ��No����, he mumbled. He looked at his friends again. ��Cocaine? You guys are dealing cocaine now?�� He asked, pissed off. ��Weeds fine, but cocaine and heroin is too far��. He told off his friends. His friends didn''t reply; they wanted to let Benjamin rant.

    "Benji you used to deal too", Kofi replied.

    "Yeah, weed. You guys used to pay me for helping you", Benjamin snapped back.

    Short backstory time. Benjamin comes from a rough neighbourhood in Nashville. All his childhood friends are older than him by 3-4 years. He was one of the youngest kids on his block and used to help them sell weed to get money.

    "Let me ask you this. Why did you help us?" Tevon asked Benjamin.

    "To help my family", Benjamin replied like it was instinct.

    Tevon raised his eyebrows, shoulders, and hands, basically saying that what they''re doing here is the same.

    "No, no", Benjamin said, shaking his head. "You can still get money selling pot. Why cocaine? You know how dangerous this shit you''re doing is. Look at my outfit. All of you are doing the shit Franklin was doing. Tch, you can''t write this shit, man", Benjamin ranted; he was speaking at a million miles per hour. He had to let it all out; he wanted them to hear this.

    "You don''t understand Benji, and you don''t have to", Tevon said to him.

    "What does that mean?" Benjamin replied, not liking how they were treating him like a kid.

    "You''re not in our situation anymore. You escaped the cage", Jamar said. Benjamin didn''t know what to say; he felt like a child being sympathised by adults. It was like they were talking about something he wouldn''t understand, but Benjamin knew full well he could understand.

    "Look, you''re in this academy. I don''t know shit about this academy, but I know that it''s hard to get into, and it''s a massive achievement if you do. You don''t need to worry about us if you''re here. You''re in a different world to us", Tevon said, trying to break it down.

    "And if you''re worried about your family, we got ''em. Whatever they need, they can have it. You don''t have to worry; just do your best here", Monty added.

    This was a lot to process for Benjamin. "You''re doing it again! You''re treating me like a kid!" Benjamin snapped. "I''m not just worried about all of you; I''m worried about everyone else. Do you realise how fucked up this shit is!?" he asked, clearly pissed off now.

    "Benji, this shit is life-changing for us, man", Tevon replied to calm him down. "It''s the same as you for this academy. This shit changed your life. Do you know how much money we all got man? 10 times more than when we sold weed".

    "But".

    "Benji!" Tevon cut him off before Benjamin could interrupt. "Listen to me! There are winners and losers. You have to trample over other people to win. This is life. No matter how brutal it is. Not everyone can win. We might be selling this shit that fucks up people to get money, but if we aren''t, someone is. It''s us or them. Be grateful you escaped this. You''re free; you escaped the cage. That''s what we mean by you don''t have to worry about us".

    The other guys quietly listened to Tevon lecture Benjamin. Benjamin clenched his fist; he hated the directions his friends were taking. Winning? What''s winning? Getting rich? Providing for your family? Helping people? What''s winning in this life? Benjamin could''ve unleashed all these questions, but,

    "He''s right, Benji", Jamar said. "You''ve got your own problems to worry about. You don''t have to help us with our problems anymore". Jamar scoffed, "We''re probably the reason you''re acting like this right now".

    Benjamin''s eyes were fixated on the floor; he didn''t want to look at them.

    "If anything happens to us, it''s our fault. You don''t have to feel responsible. We won''t feel a type of way towards you. It''s just how life goes when you come from our hood", Monty said. It was clear Benjamin was upset; he didn''t want to talk.

    "Why''re you acting like we''re your only friends? You''ve got your other friends here with you", Kofi said, trying to cheer him up.

    "Forget that we''re in a party right now", Monty said, shoving a bottle in Benjamin''s face.

    "I don''t drink", Benjamin quietly replied.

    "So, you are still a kid", Tevon said, shaking Benjamin''s shoulder, causing him to smile a little. Tevon put his arm around Benjamin and dragged him closer. After that, the six of them began to talk about what had happened in the last four months Benjamin had missed. They also spoke about the good old days. This seemed to raise Benjamin''s mood again, but their situation still played in his mind. He realised he couldn''t do anything now, but it burned him.

    "Who''s that?" Jamar said, looking at a guy approaching them. All the boys looked where Jamar was looking, and none recognised the figure coming closer; only Benjamin did.

    "Yo Ben, we need to go".

 Chapter 64 - The Past Is The Past

    "Yo Ben, we need to go".

    The boy standing in front of Benjamin wore a ski mask covering the bottom half of his face, showing only his white eyes and wavy hair with brown tips. Seeing him made Benjamin''s smile grow. His presence made it seem like everything was going to be okay, even though he seemed distressed.

    "Who''s this Benji?" Kofi asked, stepping forward.

    "It''s fine", Benjamin said, raising his hand. "He''s my friend".

    "Yo, I''m Malakai Junior", he quickly introduced himself to Benjamin''s friends. All the guys looked at him and gave him a little nod.

    "What happened?" Benjamin asked.

    "I think I pissed off a lot of people; they''re all looking for me", Malakai replied, checking his shoulders.

    "What did you do?" Benjamin asked, looking at Malakai, constantly turning his head.

    "Threw a few blunts and pills, smashed a few needles and blew cocaine off a few tables", Malakai listed.

    Benjamin''s eyes widened, and his mouth gaped. He really did fuck up the party. Benjamin''s friends all looked at each other.

    "You''re messing around with our product?" Tevon questioned from behind Benjamin.

    "Tev!" Benjamin said, trying to stop him.

    "Your product?" Malakai replied, looking past Benjamin.

    "Mally, forget what he said", Benjamin said, stepping in front of Malaki to block his vision of Tevon.

    "Yeah, we sold all of that and your fucking about with it", Tevon continued with a straight face.

    "Malakai didn''t mean it. He always takes the piss. He jokes around too much", Benjamin said, not wanting them to fight.

    Malakai raised his eyebrows. "You sold it, so why do you care what happens to it? You got your bread, and you probably made a profit. Your supplier will be happy, no?" Malakai replied, not feeling intimidated.

    Tevon didn''t expect that response. He smirked, "Benji, you''ve got a funny friend", he said. "I can see why your new life is only good. You probably didn''t know how to describe it with this dumbass as your friend", Tevon said, pointing at Malakai. Malakai didn''t reply, but he smiled under his ski mask. Benjamin was slightly embarrassed by the compliment and the dynamic between his two different friends.

    "Go", Jamar said out of the blue.

    "Huh", Benjamin turned to him.

    "Looks like your friend needs you. We''ve talked enough. The next time we see, you better have more stories", Jamar told him.

    "Oh shit did I disturb a reunion", Malakai said. "My bad, it''s calm. You can stay here Ben and talk more if you want. Imma try get Willy and Lu, but if I can''t, imma text you".

    "Wait, I''ll", before Benjamin could finish what he was going to say, he turned to his friends. They all nodded and indicated that it was fine to go.

    "Benji, go. The longer you stay and talk with us, the more you''ll feel sorry for us", Tevon said. "Like J said, the next time we meet, you better have more stories".

    Benjamin didn''t want to leave, but if he stayed with them, he would never want to leave. He went to each of them and gave them a brotherly hug. Even though they said we''ll meet again soon, it wasn''t certain. Benjamin didn''t know if he''d ever see some of them again. It was true Benjamin would go back to Nashville during winter break, but who knows if they''ll be there. Will they be there or in another state selling cocaine? They say freedom is priceless. A quote that got screamed in Benjamin''s neighbourhood. Benjamin was about to leave his friends. Friends who were risking their freedom for extra cash. People got taken away or died in Benjamin''s neighbourhood frequently, but that was out of his control. This time, it felt like when he''d leave them, they would be gone, and if he ever did see them again, they wouldn''t be the same people. Was this out of his control, too? If he did stay, what would happen? Nothing right? They would talk some more until the party was over and go their separate ways. Maybe in that time, Benjamin could persuade them against selling cocaine. Did he have the power to change minds? Was he that good of a speaker? He isn''t a kid, after all. He''s grown up. He understands the world. He''s lived life. He has seen shit other people see in movies. What doesn''t he understand? 18 years old�� 18 years old�� Is 18 years old still a kid?

    "Who should we get first?" Malakai asked, taking off his hoodie.

    Benjamin snapped back to reality, "Huh. Why are you taking off your hoodie?" he said, following Malakai.

    "Someone might recognise me if they see this hoodie", Malakai replied. He tied his hoodie around his waist and pulled his ski mask down to show his full face.

    "Why''re you pulling down your mask? You said someone might recognise you", Benjamin asked; everything was happening so fast.

    "They won''t recognise my face, but they''ll recognise my outfit. You know I stole someone''s mask and started wearing it when I was fucking about", Malakai replied.

    Benjamin stopped walking. "Mally, wait", Benjamin stopped him.

    Malakai turned around, "What?".

    "Erm. It''s about my friends. They''re not bad people", Benjamin timidly said. "I know they said it was their product, but it''s not what it looks like", he didn''t know how he could make it look good.

    "Ben, it''s calm", Malakai replied. "I knew people who sold weed", he shrugged.

    "I''m talking about cocaine here", Benjamin said, thinking Malakai wasn''t getting his point.

    "I mean, I knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy that sold cocaine", Malakai replied, trying to cheer him up. Benjamin looked away in disappointment thinking Malakai wasn''t taking him seriously. "Look, my point is I don''t care. Their reasons for doing this are the same reason some of my friends back home were doing it. To survive and feed their families", he said.

    "It''s just I don''t want you to get the wrong idea about them", Benjamin said, looking back up at Malakai.

    "I don''t", Malakai truthfully replied. "This life ain''t fair, you know. Some people are born with a silver spoon, and others aren''t born with anything. It''s not their fault for being born in that environment".

    "I''m guessing you''re shocked at my upbringing. I didn''t tell you guys about my childhood", Benjamin said, looking at the dirty floor to avoid eye contact.

    "I mean, I kinda figured it out when we were coming here. When we were in that alleyway you didn''t cover your nose when it stank of weed. It didn''t surprise you like Willy and Lu, so I kinda got an idea from that", Malakai replied.

    Benjamin lowered his head. "Are you going to look at me differently now?" he shyly asked.

    "Na, why would I? What did you do? Sell weed?" Malakai questioned.

    "Yeah, I helped them", Benjamin embarrassingly answered.

    "So what if you did? I don''t care. Some of my childhood friends are drug dealers", Malakai replied, smiling showing it was okay. "You did it to help your family. If you did it to act cool or for fun, then I would be judging you", he said.

    Benjamin smiled at Malakai''s honesty. He was glad Malakai was the one who found out about his past; he knew he would be the most understanding of all the guys. "Could you keep my past a secret from the guys?" he asked.

    "Yeah, don''t worry about it. I think they would understand if you told them though", Malakai replied.

    "Yeah, I''m sure they would, but everyone''s got their unconscious thoughts and feelings. I''m sure one or two of them would feel a type of way, not cause they want to but unconsciously", Benjamin rambled. "I wouldn''t blame them though. A drug dealer is a bad guy in the face of the law", he quietly said.

    "Who cares? You''re here at this academy. The past is the past", Malakai said, walking away. "Let''s get Lu and Willy; I''m starting to get paranoid".

    Benjamin smiled and followed him. "The past is the past", he mumbled to himself.

    Malakai and Benjamin walked through the party, trying to spot one of their friends. The number of people at the party decreased; it was a few minutes past midnight, so technically, Halloween was over. People were starting to leave or they were passed out on the seats or floor, making the party''s volume look less. It was mostly the students who were leaving as they had classes in the morning. They continued to search until Benjamin noticed a familiar top hat.

    "Mally, isn''t that Lu?" Benjamin asked, tapping Malakai''s shoulder to show where he was looking. They could only see the back of the guy sitting down, so they couldn''t tell if it was Lucas.

    "There''s two girls hanging off him, so it''s probably him", Malakai replied. The two of them walked over to the guy with the top hat, and as they got closer, they heard him giggling.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions."Hehehehe. Then I punched him because he said my outfit wasn''t good. Like how could he say that. Look at my outfit".

    "What''s he talking about?" Benjamin asked as they could hear the conversation as they approached.

    "He''s chatting shit to try and get laid", Malakai replied, shaking his head. He got closer and removed the top hat from the guy, revealing nice, silky golden hair. It was Lucas. Lucas tried tilting his head back to see who took his hat off but could only see the ceiling.

    "Who took off my hat?" He asked.

    "Lu, it''s time to go home", Malakai said, holding his top hat.

    "Wait, I know that voice", Lucas said. He freed his hands that were around the two girls and swivelled on his chair to look behind him. "Mally! Ben!" He said, seeing the two standing. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

    "Lu, we have to go", Benjamin told him.

    "Why?" Lucas looked down at his watch, "It''s only midnight", he said.

    "You can tell the time?" Malakai said, slightly impressed. "Aren''t you drunk?" He asked.

    "No, I''m tipsy. I''m better at taking alcohol now", Lucas corrected him, looking proud of himself.

    "Taking alcohol. Great English", Malakai said, mocking him. "Anyway, Lu, let''s go".

    "No! I''m staying here", Lucas refused like a spoilt kid.

    Malakai and Benjamin looked at each other and nodded. They knew what they had to do.

    "Awwww, why don''t you want to stay?" One of the girls asked.

    "We have to go. It''s past my bedtime", Malakai replied, taking the piss.

    "Bedtime? You''ve got a bedtime?" The girl replied. The flashing lights were making it hard for Malakai to see her properly, but he could tell she was cute. The girl on the left had black hair, while the other had blonde hair.

    "I don''t think someone with a scar like that on their nose would have a bedtime", the other girl joined in. "Why don''t you stay here and tell us how you got it".

    "I was awake at 3 am, and the monster under my bed attacked me. That''s why I have a bedtime", Malakai replied, still taking the piss.

    "Mally, why are you lying? You do all-nighters all the time", Lucas interrupted. "You said you diagnosed yourself with insomnia". Malakai looked at Lucas like he had ruined everything.

    "Oh, someone''s lying. It''s not good to lie", the blonde girl flirtingly said.

    "Don''t worry about him. He''s a real joker; he tells jokes all the time", Lucas said, placing his arm around her.

    Malakai sighed loud enough that Benjamin could hear; Benjamin knew he had to help him.

    "Lu, we have class tomorrow. The longer you stay here, the more you''ll regret it in the morning", Benjamin said, trying to help Malakai.

    "It''s fiiiinneee. I can miss tomorrow''s classes. You can tell me what I missed", Lucas replied, waving his hand to shoo Benjamin away.

    "No I ain''t!" Benjamin exclaimed. "If you don''t show up, that''s your problem", he said, annoyed.

    "Boys, there''s three of you and two of us. We can make this work", the girl with darker hair said, leaning forward.

    "The numbers don''t match up", Malakai replied, sounding uninterested.

    "They don''t have to", she seductively said.

    "I''ve got someone waiting for me at home, so I''m good", Malakai calmly replied.

    "Oh, now the numbers do match up", she said.

    "I''m taken", Benjamin quickly replied.

    "Lies. Both of you are single. You don''t have girlfriends", Lucas snitched.

    "Oh, lying again", she said. "It''s fine if you two don''t want to. We got him", she cupped Lucas''s chin.

    Malakai face palmed, breathed in and breathed out. "Aryt look, he''s gay", he said, pointing at Lucas.

    "What?" Everyone was confused.

    "His boyfriend''s waiting for him", Malakai continued. The girls quickly figured out he was lying again, and they gave amused smiles and played along. It was clear that they weren''t leaving with Lucas or either of them, so they stopped persisting.

    "Huh", Lucas looked at Malakai. He then looked at the two girls. "No, I''m not. I''m not gay".

    "Ben", Malakai quickly said. On that signal, Malakai and Benjamin quickly grabbed Lucas while he was totally off guard and dragged him out of the chair. When Lucas eventually realised what they were doing, he started thrashing around.

    "LET GO!" Lucas shouted, trying to get out of their grasp. Benjamin was mainly doing the heavy lifting, with his arms around Lucas. Benjamin was stronger than Lucas, but keeping Lucas still was still a hard task. Malakai was also grabbing Lucas''s arms to stop him from swinging.

    "I DON''T WANNA GO!" Lucas continued to shout, but his efforts were effortless. He was getting dragged away; he couldn''t fight back as he was tired and was already feeling sluggish.

    "CALL MEE!! I GAVE YOU MY NUMBER!" He shouted to the girls.

    The girls laughed at what they were seeing. "Your friend said you were gay, so I don''t think it will work out! You can give me his number! You said he was single!" The girl replied, pointing at Malakai or Benjamin, Lucas couldn''t tell.

    Benjamin laughed. The whole party, Lucas flirted with those two girls, only for it to fall through because Malakai said he was gay. Lucas heard the girls reply, and Benjamin''s laugh discouraged him even more. He stopped moving,

    "You can let me go now", he said dejectedly.

    "Okay", Benjamin replied, letting go. Malakai also let go.

    "Both of you ruined it. I was gonna have sex", Lucas said disappointedly.

    "With which one?" Malakai asked, giving Lucas his top hat back.

    "Both of them", Lucas replied, putting his hat back on.

    "No you weren''t!" Benjamin replied, shaking his head. "I was not gonna let you in the dorm if you brought them with you".

    "Why are you acting like you''re the owner? It''s OUR dorm!" Lucas furiously replied.

    "Bro, it doesn''t matter. They aren''t interested in you anymore", Malakai said, checking his shoulders just in case.

    "AND WHOS FAULT IS THAT?!" Lucas shouted at Malakai.

    "Yeah, yeah, I don''t care", Malakai brushed Lucas off. "Let''s get Willy and get out of here", he said, walking ahead.

    "I don''t think it''ll be hard to find him", Benjamin said, scanning the area.

    "I saw him at the bar when I was getting a drink," Lucas said. His mood was fragile. One second, he was happy, and another, he was sad. Right now, he was happy as he reminisced about the start of the party.

    "Aryt, where''s the bar?" Malakai asked.

    "Follow me", Lucas cheerfully said, skipping in front of them.

    The three quickly made it to the bar and immediately saw William. Well, they didn''t see William; they saw a white sheet sitting on a table with what looked like its head resting on the table. Unless William took off his costume, it had to be him.

    "That''s Will, right?" Benjamin asked.

    "Only one way to find out", Malakai said. He walked towards the guy and slapped what looked like his head. The figure moved slightly. Malakai gave him another slap.

    "Grmmmhhh", he grumbled.

    "Yo", Malakai said. No response. He looked to his friends, unsure if he should slap him again or do something more.

    "No, Mally, you have to do this", Lucas said, walking towards the guy. He went to the table, grabbed the guy''s shoulder, and lifted his face off the table.

    "Wait Lu, it might not be William", Benjamin said, but it was already too late.

    "Will, we have to go", Lucas said to the guy. They saw two brown eyes squint open through the holes of the costume where the eyes were supposed to be.

    "Lucas?" It was William. "What time is it?" he mumbled.

    "It''s time for school", Malakai said from behind Lucas.

    "School? I can miss it, right?" William slowly replied.

    "Will, we have to go. I don''t know why, but we have to go", Lucas said.

    "Why?" William sluggishly asked.

    "I don''t know", Lucas answered.

    Malakai shook his head. He couldn''t be bothered to deal with them. He turned his head and noticed a bag on a nearby table. Malakai went towards the bag and briefly looked inside; it looked like it was full of sweets.

    "Who''s bag is this?" Malakai asked a guy nearby.

    "No one. It is for everyone to grab sweets from", he replied.

    Malakai looked around and saw nobody nearby, so he took the bag. He turned around and,

    bump!

    Malakai quickly pulled up his ski mask to cover his mouth and nose. "My bad", he apologised.

    "Watch where you''re going, man", the guy stumbled. Malakai was looking down and avoided eye contact. The guy was taller than Malakai, so he could only see his hair and outfit. "Wait, those sneakers", he said, looking down at Malakai''s feet. His eyes wandered their way up to Malakai''s waist, "That black hoodie". Malakai kept his head down but. "HEY! YOU''RE THAT GUY THAT MESSED AROUND WITH US! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE SPENT TO GET THOSE DRUGS!"

    Malakai lifted his head and sighed,

    "I was so close".

 Chapter 65 - Scary Scary

    "I was so close".

    Malakai locked eyes with the guy, "Are you sure you don''t have the wrong guy?" He asked, not intimidated. The guy was about 5''10, so he was looking down at Malakai. Well, most guys did, as Malakai was short.

    The guy looked Malakai up and down, "IT''S YOU!" Out of nowhere, the guy lunged and tried to bring Malakai to the ground. Malakai saw it coming from a mile off, so he easily evaded it. He still held onto the bag full of sweets; he wanted to take them home.

    "GUYS! I FOUND HIM!" The guy shouted. When Malakai turned his head, he saw five other people look towards him.

    "Long day", Malakai said to himself. He took off and ran to where his friends were. They hadn''t moved from that spot. It looked like they were waiting for him, or Benjamin couldn''t move William and Lucas.

    "Yo, we need to go!" Malakai hastily said to them.

    "What''s in the bag?" William drunkily pointed.

    "I''ll show you later. We need to go", Malakai replied, checking his shoulders.

    "Mally, you need to carry Will again. He can''t move, he thinks he''s floating", Lucas giggled.

    "Ben, why didn''t you move them?" Malakai asked, ignoring Lucas.

    "I tried, but they were having their own conversation. You try disrupting two drunks talking", Benjamin replied, defending himself. "Where did you go?" He asked. Malakai looked behind him and saw six people running towards him. "Oh.." Benjamin saw the same image Malakai saw.

    "I need to go. Take care of them two", Malakai said. He gave one last look to William and Lucas, who looked clueless. "Go home", he told them.

    Shouts of "GET HIM" drew closer. That was Malakai''s cue to run off. With the sweet bag in his right hand, he left his friends and went on a mission to escape. He swiftly moved past people and tables; miraculously, he didn''t bump or knock into anything. His eyes analysed everything. He needed to find the exit but couldn''t remember where it was. The flashing lights made it confusing and made it hard to spot anything. The place was huge, which was surprising as the entrance made it look like a tiny back room. His pursuers were still following him in the distance, but they would eventually catch him if he couldn''t find the way out. He had to be careful not to find a dead end; if he did, it was game over. Malakai wasn''t at full speed, but he was still rapid. He didn''t have much space to run; his quick-stepping was enough to get away from them for now, at least.

    "HEY!"

    A shout, but it wasn''t from behind him. It was to his right. He turned his head and saw the black door and what looked like the outside peeking through the bodies blocking it. The shout was coming from people arguing at the door. People wanted to get in, but someone wasn''t allowing them inside. Malakai swivelled on his feet, changed direction and went towards the door. He pulled the ski mask over his head so his whole face was covered, and only his eyes showed. He reached the door and pushed past the people that were there. No one stopped him. Most of them didn''t know what moved them because Malakai ducked down and kept low. It was like a little kid pushing through them. Luckily, he wasn''t grabbed by someone; he was already out by the time he was noticed. He made it. He was outside. He could stretch his legs and run at his max. He''s more or less escaped; they weren''t going to catch Malakai. Malakai''s night was entertaining, for sure.

    Here is what Malakai did in more detail. When he separated from Benjamin, he walked around tables and secretly brushed cocaine off them while he walked past. He covertly stole a few blunts and pills from people and threw them on the floor. He then saw a person take off their mask for a moment to take a drink; while they weren''t looking, Malakai nabbed the mask. The mask was a full-face mask with a similar design to the masks in Money Heist. With this new mask, he became adventurous. More daring. Instead of secretly accomplishing his mission, he decided to be more obvious. Now, he would go to the tables and strike up a conversation with these people. When they warmed up to him and even offered him some drugs, Malakai would do what he wanted. If someone passed him a blunt, he would throw it on the floor and stomp on it; if someone gave him a drink, he would pour it on the floor; if someone offered him a needle, he would drop it; and if they offered him cocaine, he would blow it off the table. All of this in front of them. There were a few close calls where he was almost caught, but he was a slippery guy. He made it out of every situation. The scenario that caused him to call it a night was when someone grabbed his face and pulled his stolen mask off, revealing his face. Luckily, he had his ski mask underneath pulled up; otherwise, he would''ve been exposed. He slipped away because the guy was off his face, drunk, high or both. He then wandered around the party to try to find one of his friends, and after some time, he managed to find Benjamin. Malakai thought he was safe, but they recognised his clothes despite not seeing his face.

    So now we are here, Malakai running away. Malakai was outside on the campus. It was around fifteen minutes past midnight. It was dark out, and only the street light illuminated the place. Malakai had a good lead, but they were still in sight. Malakai knew he was safe; he just had to keep running. Malakai didn''t take anything the whole night, so he was technically sober. But the entire night, he was high on adrenaline. Even right now, he is running for his life. Maybe coming to this party was worth it after all. Malakai made a few detours, turning corners and running to places without street lights. He didn''t realise he lost the people chasing him a while ago. To tell the truth, the people chasing him gave up a long time ago. To be more precise, they gave up after Malakai turned the first corner outside of the club. Malakai didn''t notice as he was too paranoid, so with every voice he heard or shadow he saw in the corner of his eyes, he thought it was them. Malakai finally looked back and saw no one.

    "They''re gone", he said, out of breath. He took out his phone and looked at the time. It was 23 minutes past midnight; he ran for about 8 minutes straight. He texted in the group chat asking if they were alright and made it out. Benjamin replied with a video showing him and Lucas carrying a lifeless William. Malakai smiled at the video. It looked like the night was over. It was a pretty successful night for him; he had fun and got a bag full of sweets.

    Home time. Malakai walked back to the dorm building, tired. He entered the building and entered the elevator, pressing his floor number and waiting for him to arrive. The doors opened, and he stepped out. He walked down the corridor to his dorm. The dorm keys were cards, and Malakai kept his key on the back of his phone with his phone case, keeping it safe. He pulled out his phone and was about to take off his phone case to get his key until,

    "AAAAHHHHH!"

    He heard a muffled scream coming from next door. Maria and Tanisha''s dorm. He then heard some muffled talking.

    "They''re probably watching a movie", he thought. Curious, he went over and knocked on their door.

    "AAHHH!"

    Another muffled scream. His knock must have startled them. Malakai smirked, "I wonder who that is". The door slowly opened, and someone peeked through the tiny gap.

    "Trick or treat".

    "What are you doing?" Tanisha asked as she fully opened the door, revealing her green night pyjamas. What she was looking at was Malakai standing back with a ski mask covering up to his nose, revealing his messy hair and white eyes. He was also holding a bag up to her.

    "What does it look like? I''m trick or treating", Malakai replied, holding up the bag.

    "What''s in the bag?" Tanisha asked, looking at it.

    "It''s sweets, I stole it from the party", Malakai said.

    "Why are you standing so far back? She asked, looking at Malakai weirdly.

    "I stink. I came from a party that had drugs everywhere", he casually replied.

    "Drugs?" Tanisha said, looking concerned. Tanisha leaned forward and sniffed the air around Malakai. As soon as she caught a whiff of it, she covered her nose and scrunched her face.

    "I didn''t do any", Malakai quickly said before he was accused.

    "What type of drugs?" Tanisha quietly asked.

    "Weed, LSD, heroin, cocaine and some other shit", Malakai listed. ��It was fuuuuucccckkkked��.

    "Why did you go?" She asked, sceptical that Malakai was lying about taking anything.

    "Willy got told there was a secret Halloween party, so we went. We didn''t know it would be like that, though", Malakai replied.

    "What did you even do? You said you didn''t take anything", Tanisha wanted to know more.

    "I didn''t. I ruined the party. I was throwing joints and blowing cocaine off tables", Malakai grinned, but Tanisha couldn''t see it because of the mask.

    "And nothing happened to you?" Tanisha asked, looking Malakai up and down for any injuries.

    "Naa. I got chased, but that''s it. You can''t tell, but I''m sweating; I had to run around campus to get away", he replied, sounding proud.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author."I didn''t hear about any party", Tanisha said.

    "It was a secret one. Only certain people know. I think we were the only first years there", Malakai replied.

    "Who else went?" Tanisha kept the questions rolling.

    "Me, Willy, Ben and Lu", Malakai answered. "It was fucked up, but it was fun. There were people passed out on the floor and shit. There were even some teachers there".

    "What?!" Tanisha couldn''t believe it. Her voice raised slightly, so she quickly covered her mouth afterwards.

    "I got a video of one of them sniffing cocaine", Malakai replied.

    "Tan, who is it?" A voice said, approaching the door. Malakai and Tanisha flinched like they were almost caught and stopped talking. A figure came behind Tanisha. "Malakai?" It was Maria covered in a red blanket.

    "Trick or treat".

    Maria giggled at his gesture. "Why are your eyes white?" she asked, instantly noticing. Tanisha stood a bit in front of Maria so she couldn''t smell Malakai.

    "It''s contacts. It''s part of my outfit", Malakai replied.

    "Outfit? What are you dressed as?" Tanisha asked, looking at what he was wearing.

    "Myself".

    "You can''t be serious", Tanisha disappointedly said, the same disappointment Malakai''s friends felt.

    "Did you go to a Halloween party?" Maria asked.

    "Yeah, I came back now", Malakai replied.

    "Was the party good?

    "Yeeaaah, it was good", Malakai said.

    "Were everyone''s outfits scary?" Maria curiously asked as she thought the outfits were the main thing about a Halloween party.

    "Scary scary", Malakai replied, smiling, having two meanings behind his answer. Tanisha understood what he meant.

    "You do realise Halloween is over. I''m not giving you any sweets", Tanisha told him.

    "I''m not asking for sweets. I was gonna give you some", Malakai replied, holding out the bag to them.

    "Really?" Maria excitedly said, her eyes lit up.

    "Yeah, I took this bag from the party. The bags kinda full, I can''t keep all these sweets around Willy", Malakai replied. Malakai handed the bag to Tanisha, saying, "Here, take what you want".

    Tanisha opened the bag and put her hand inside to look through what sweets were inside. After scavenging around the bag, her brows furrowed. "Why is there a bra in here?" she asked, pulling it out.

    Malakai''s eyes opened. "I ... don''t know".

    "Did you put this in here?!" Tanisha interrogated him, instantly thinking he was behind this.

    "Bro, I told you I took the bag from the party. I didn''t properly look inside it", Malakai defended himself. Tanisha gave him a look of disgust, not believing him. "You can have it if you want", he said, putting his hands up.

    "Have it?" Tanisha said, shocked he would even say that. She curiously looked at the size. "It doesn''t fit me".

    "Huh?"

    "It''s 36 DD (US). That''s big for me", she replied, as if Malakai were a store employee.

    "Why are you acting like I know what that means? I don''t know bra sizes", Malakai replied. "Aryt then, Maria can have it", he said.

    "36 DD is a bit small for me", Maria shyly replied. Tanisha stared daggers at Malakai after she said that.

    Malakai covered his ears and turned his head, "I didn''t hear anything", he said, even though he blatantly did. "Just put it back in the bag then. I''ll find someone to give it to".

    "Like who?" Tanisha asked as if he had no options.

    "Hmm. I could give it to Delilah as a joke", Malakai thought out loud.

    "As a joke? You''re going to make fun of her chest size", Tanisha said, pressuring Malakai to make him look bad.

    "Ah-", Malakai got caught out. He couldn''t think of anything to say.

    "What cat got your tongue?" Tanisha asked.

    "Aryt, forget what I said. I''ll probably give it to Lucas or I''ll keep it", Malakai replied before Tanisha could go further.

    "Keep it?" Maria and Tanisha said in synchrony.

    "I don''t know; maybe it was fate. Maybe my wife will have 36 DD boobs", Malakai said.

    They both looked at him, unsure what to make of what he said. It was clear he was joking, but it was only clear if you were close to Malakai.

    "You''re disgusting", Tanisha frowned, about to turn around.

    "Wait, gimme my sweets", Malakai stopped her.

    Tanisha kissed her teeth, turned back around, and held the bag for Malakai. "Take it then", she said.

    "Don''t you want to take any?" He asked Maria.

    "I do", Maria said. Maria took the bag from Tanisha and scrummaged through it to find the sweets she wanted.

    "What were you lot doing? Watching a horror movie?" Malakai asked.

    "Yeah, I love horror movies", Maria answered.

    "Who was the one screaming?"

    Tanisha looked away and stayed quiet. "Tan", Maria giggled.

    "No it wasn''t! It was you!" Tanisha embarrassingly said. Malakai laughed a little. "Why are you laughing? You''re probably too scared to watch horror movies", Tanisha projected.

    "Yeah, I''m so scared", Malakai sarcastically replied. "Wait I have something for you", he said. He got something in his pocket, "Here, open your hand". Surprisingly, Tanisha listened and opened her hand. Malakai dropped the item.

    "AHHHH!"

    The scream startled Maria.

    "Hahahaha. Yep, I deffo heard that scream", Malakai laughed.

    "What did you do?" Maria asked, trying to find what Malakai gave her.

    "What''s wrong with you!? Why would you do that!?" Tanisha angrily asked. Malakai picked up the item that he gave her. "Why you mad? Why''re you scared of a toy spider?" he smiled, holding up the small toy spider he had picked up at the party. Maria giggled a little, too.

    "Tch. Maria, let''s go. Slam the door in his face", Tanisha said, upset, turning around and leaving Maria and Malakai alone.

    "She doesn''t like bugs. Sorry", Maria apologised.

    "Naa, it''s my fault. I might''ve taken it too far", Malakai replied.

    "Here you go", Maria handed the bag back to Malakai.

    Malakai took the bag. "You can take more if you want", he said, seeing Maria already with a handful of sweets.

    "This is more than enough", Maria replied. "Besides, if I want more, I can come over and ask", she quietly added.

    Malakai smiled as he heard what she said. "You gonna go class tomorrow?" he asked, keeping the conversation alive.

    "Yeah, the movie is almost finished", Maria replied, as soon as she said that.

    "MARIA, HURRY UP, OR I''LL START THE MOVIE WITHOUT YOU!" Tanisha shouted from the couch.

    "Aryt, I''ll let you watch your movie", Malakai said, getting ready to leave.

    "Are you going to class tomorrow?" Maria asked before he left.

    "Depends. Most likely, yeah", Malakai replied. "Oh yeah, take this", he said, holding out his hand.

    "Huh", Maria held out her hand, and Malakai dropped the toy spider in her hand.

    "If she ever teases you, you can scare her with that", He said, smiling. Maria couldn''t see his smile, but she could tell he was smiling because of his eyes.

    Maria grinned from ear to ear. This was like a gift that Malakai had given her. "Thank you," she said.

    "Aryt, bye", Malakai said, walking to his dorm.

    "Bye", Maria replied. Before she closed her door, she watched Malakai go into his dorm. When Malakai was gone, she closed her door. She looked at the tiny spider in her hand. Although it was just a small plastic toy, Maria was going to treasure it. She wasn''t going to use it to prank Tanisha; she was going to keep it in a safe place. Malakai probably didn''t mean much by giving it to her, but Maria considered it a present. It was much more than a toy spider. Is everything given to you by the person you love special, no matter how small it is? Maria smiled while looking into her palm. She clenched her fist and returned to the couch to finish the movie with Tanisha.

    1:01 AM

    William entered his room stumbling. The walk home took longer than it should have, mainly because Lucas kept fooling around. William made his way to his desk and put his hands on it to balance himself. He went into his pocket and grabbed something; he pulled it out and looked at it. It was an unopened small packet of cocaine. He didn''t buy it, he found it on a table at the party and picked it up. He didn''t do any drugs like Malakai told him, so he didn''t sniff or try any cocaine, but he had his hands on some cocaine now. William stared at the packet. Tempted.

    Click!

    "Yo, you''re back", Malakai said while opening the door.

    William quickly scrunched his hands and put them in his pockets. "Yeah", he awkwardly replied.

    "What happened to your costume?" Malakai asked, looking at him.

    "Ah, I uuh ditched it. When walking back. It was getting in the way", William replied, struggling to look at Malakai.

    Malakai looked at William, "Are you good?" he asked as his body language was weird.

    "Yeah, yeah. I''m good", William nodded, trying to act normal. There was silence for a moment.

    "Aryt, take a shower. You''ll feel better", Malakai said, leaving the room.

    William waited for the door to close. When it did, he took his hands out of his pockets and unfolded them, showing the packet again. He stared at it again for a few seconds, fighting temptations. He won. He opened a drawer and threw the packet near the back. He hesitated to close it but forced himself to do it.

    "I''m never touching that again".

 Chapter 66 - Double Date

    November 11th. Saturday, 2:02 PM.

    ��Huuuuh haaaah huuuh haaah huuuh haaah��.

    "CATCH HIM!!!"

    "Shit!" He pulled out his phone while running and scrolled through his contacts. He picked a name and called them.

    Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!

    "Hello?".

    "Yo Delilah!".

    "Malakai? What''s up? Why does it sound like you''re running?"

    "Listen imma come to your dorm. Just open it when I knock".

    "Okay?"

    "Your dorm number is 146, right?"

    "Yeah".

    "Aryt safe".

    "By-".

    Welcome back. You''re probably wondering why Malakai is running again. It''s been 11 days since the Halloween party, but Malakai is still being chased. Well, everything supposedly cooled down. There were talks about a boy messing around at the Halloween party among students in the higher years. But no one knew who it was. People assumed it was a stranger not from this academy, so it blew over. However, there were agreements that if they did find the boy, they would reveal who they were, and nothing was said about what would happen after, but it was kinda obvious what they were hinting at. Anyway, Malakai had no knowledge of this. He lived his life the same. Nothing weird or unexpected happened. He checked his shoulders when he was around the second and third years, but everything else was normal. No one around him knew about the party except for the people he told, who were Ray, David, Tanisha, Maria and Delilah. Other than that, no first-year knew. Not even Ryan, which was surprising. Malakai expected Ryan to approach and interrogate him about the party, but it seemed like he was clueless. Ryan didn''t approach Malakai at all, which was nice. He still got dirty looks from other students, but he could handle them. He''d been getting dirty looks ever since he came to this academy.

    So why was Malakai getting chased? His accent ratted him out.

    Malakai was walking around campus. William was feeling ill and told him to buy some groceries, so he went without complaining. He liked walking around; it was peaceful for him. While he was out, some people bumped into him. Yes, they bumped into him. It wasn''t his fault, but they got pretty pissed that Malakai was in the way... When he wasn''t. They started shouting at Malakai, but Malakai stayed silent. He had no reason to take the piss out of them and cause a scene. It was only after they had finished he finally said,

    "My bad. I''ll be careful next time", he was the bigger man and apologised.

    "That voice", the guy said, squinting his eyes and trying to remember. "IT''S YOU!" It didn''t take him long to remember.

    Malakai''s London accent sold him��an accent that stood out when everyone else had an American accent. Malakai didn''t realise they were the same people; he wasn''t paying attention. He realised they were the same people after they remembered him. It was too late.

    That is how we are here. Malakai running to Delilah''s dorm to hide. He was almost there, running down the corridor, trying to find dorm 146. Looking left and right at each door number he passed until he reached 146. He stopped in front of the door and knocked countless times. Delilah quickly opened the door, and Malakai rushed in.

    "What happened?" Delilah worriedly asked, closing the door.

    "Some guys were chasing me", Malakai replied, catching his breath.

    "The same guys from the party?" Delilah asked.

    "Yeah, I think so", Malakai replied, removing his hood.

    "You said you covered up. How did they recognise you?"

    "They didn''t recognise my face. They recognised my voice", Malakai said, taking off his shoes.

    "Were you by yourself?"

    "Yeah", Malakai replied. It took a few seconds for Malakai to start breathing normally again.

    "Why did you come to my dorm?" Delilah asked, walking away from the door.

    "Why would I go to my dorm? I''m not gonna set myself up", Malakai smiled.

    "So, you''re setting me up?" Delilah joked. As soon as the joke landed.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    Both Malakai and Delilah''s faces dropped.

    "Quick, grab your shoes and go to my room", Delilah quickly whispered.

    "You don''t have to answer it", Malakai quietly replied, calming her down.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    "It''s better if I tell them myself you''re not here. It''ll be more suspicious if I don''t answer", Delilah said. "Quick go", she ushered Malakai away. Malakai got his shoes and went into Delilah''s room.

    Delilah composed herself before going to the door. When she was ready, she went to the door and opened it.

    "Hello?" She greeted with an attitude and a straight face.

    "Hey. Uuuhh, does a short guy live here? He has a big scar on his nose and black hair", the guy said, looking out of breath.

    "What?" Delilah replied, looking pissed off. Remember, Delilah has a resting bitch face.

    "It''s just that guy came running to this building, and I saw on the security cameras downstairs that he ran up this corridor", the guy said, feeling slightly intimidated.

    "There are stairs at the other end of the corridor. He probably ran down there", Delilah replied, pointing down the corridor.

    "Um, my friends are looking on the other floors, so if he is there, we will find him. But I have to make sure that he isn''t here".

    "He doesn''t live here. I live here with my roommate. Who. Is. A. Girl", Delilah bluntly replied

    "Oh, but I asked someone else, and they said they heard a door open around here", he said, looking down the corridor. "So he must be around here".

    Delilah kissed her teeth. "Yes. He tried to come in, but I told him to fuck off", Delilah replied, trying her best to shoo him away.

    "Look, we really need to talk to him", he persisted. "He did something to me and my friends".

    Delilah sighed, "If you''re that sure he''s in here. Why don''t you come inside and check!" She said, sounding pissed off.

    If any guy got an invitation to enter a girl''s dorm room, they wouldn''t hesitate, but this invitation wasn''t too tempting. No matter how pretty Delilah was, her mood scared the guy.

    He stepped back, "Maybe next time", he nervously smiled.

    "Tch. Never in a million years", Delilah said, harshly closing the door.

    After the door closed, she let out a deep breath. She looked at her hands, which were shaking a little. Nevertheless, she was proud of her performance. After she calmed herself down, she went to her room to let Malakai out. She opened the door and saw Malakai lying on his back on her bed, holding one of her animal plushies.

    Malakai looked towards the door, "Are they gone?" he asked.

    "Y-yeah", Delilah replied, taken back by what Malakai was doing.

    Malakai pushed himself up from the bed, "I would never have imagined you to have plushies", he said, throwing the toy lion he was holding back to its place.

    "S-so what?" Delilah said, a bit embarrassed.

    "Nothing. You only have two anyway. If you had ten or something, then I would be questioning what other personalities you have", Malakai replied, getting up from the bed.

    "Did you do something weird?" Delilah asked, thinking he did and looking around her room.

    "Nah, I didn''t do anything", Malakai replied, shaking his head and walking to her.

    "How can I be sure?".

    Malakai sighed, "Fine. I took one of your sexy lingerie", he casually said.

    "H-huh. I don''t have any sexy lingerie", Delilah replied, looking at him flustered.

    "There''s your answer", he said, walking out of the room. "I didn''t do anything".

    "I don''t believe you", Delilah said, walking out of her room and closing her door.

    "Fine, you got me. I made love to one of your plushies", Malakai replied, smiling and holding his hands up like a criminal.

    Delilah laughed. After that joke, she knew he didn''t do anything, "dummy".

    "What did they say?" Malakai asked.

    "It was one guy, and he said they wanted to ''talk'' to you", Delilah replied, doing a quotation mark gesture when she said the word talk.

    "Then what did you say?"

    "That you weren''t here".

    "And he left that easily?" Malakai questioned, thinking that was too easy.

    "I was kinda acting like a bitch", Delilah replied.

    "You mean you were being yourself", Malakai joked.

    "Shut up". Delilah tried to kick his leg, but Malakai dodged it.

    Click!

    Another door opened to their left.

    "Delilah? I heard the door open and close a lot of times. Who came?" Akari asked, coming out of her room. "Malakai? Why are you here?".

    "I needed help from Delilah for something", Malakai replied. Another figure appeared behind Akari. A bigger figure. "Jason? Oh shit yeah, you two are going out", Malakai said, remembering.

    "Are you two going out?" Jason asked, pointing at Malakai and Delilah.

    They both looked at each other. "Naaaah", they both answered, shaking their head.

    Delilah noticed Akari was dressed up, "Are you going somewhere?" she asked.

    "We''re going on a date", Akari happily answered. "What about you two? Are you going to stay here?".

    Malakai remembered something, "Oh shit. I was supposed to get groceries", Malakai said, putting his hands on his head. "Willy''s gonna be pissed".

    "You needed help getting groceries?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.

    "Imma lie and say yeah", Malakai replied. Jason could tell Malakai was involved in something, but didn''t pry further.

    Suddenly, Akari''s face lit up. "I got an idea. How about we go on a double date?" She excitedly proposed.

    "But we''re not dating", Delilah quickly replied.

    "Silly. It doesn''t matter, while me and Jason go out on our date, you two can go out and get groceries", Akari said.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!"Isn''t the point of a double date that both the couples go to the same place?" Malakai replied.

    "Don''t ruin the idea!" Akari playfully shouted. "Okay, how about we all go to the same place?" she proposed.

    "Wouldn''t we get in the way?" Delilah asked.

    "I don''t mind", Akari quickly answered. She really wanted this double date to happen. "Do you mind Jason?"

    "�� I don''t mind", he answered after a bit of hesitation.

    "Yessss!" Akari celebrated. "Delilah, come with me", she said, grabbing Delilah''s arm.

    "Huh?"

    "You''re not going out like that", Akari said, dragging Delilah to her room. Delilah was wearing a short-sleeve shirt and joggers, clothes people would normally wear at home.

    "I don''t have to look nice. Malakai isn''t my boyfriend", Delilah desperately said, trying to escape. Even though Akari was small, with enough willpower, she was able to drag Delilah.

    "You still have to look nice for me", Akari replied, emphasising the me.

    "Wait, wait, nooo. Malakai help", Delilah''s voice faded as she vanished into her own room. Malakai and Jason watched as the scene unfolded and looked at each other after it finished.

    "Wanna talk over there?" Malakai said, nodding towards the couch.

    "Sure".

    The two walked over to the main area.

    "Do they have drinks?" Malakai asked, walking to the fridge.

    "They do", Jason replied, taking a seat on the couch. He found a small notebook on the side of the couch; he picked it up and started reading it. There was peace and quiet for a few moments until,

    "How''s life?" Malakai asked, scouting the fridge for a drink.

    "It''s good", he replied.

    "You''re in the top ten, innit?" Malakai asked as he wasn''t sure; he didn''t look at the leaderboard often.

    "Innit", Jason mocked his British slang. "Yeah, I am. I''m tenth", he proudly answered.

    "Heh. Remind me, why''re you there?" Malakai said, finally picking a drink. He chose a pink drink that looked like a strawberry milkshake.

    "Me. I led the team the whole time", Jason replied.

    "I think you''re forgetting the part where you were screaming like a bitch when I was driving��, Malakai said, walking to the couch. He didn''t sit on the couch; he didn''t want to be that close to Jason. He found a small seat opposite the coach and sat on it. Malakai opened his drink and took a sip. The two of them were quiet for two minutes until,

    "What''s that?" Malakai asked, nodding at what Jason was reading.

    Jason''s eyes had been glued to the book the whole time. "Some random revision notebook", Jason replied. He closed the book and put it back where he found it. "Let me ask you something and answer honestly. Why are you here?"

    "It sounds like you don''t want me to be here", Malakai replied, enjoying the drink. "I pissed off a few people, and they were chasing me", he answered.

    "What did you do?" Jason asked.

    "I don''t know, you have to ask them", Malakai replied, not wanted to tell him about the Halloween party. "It is what it is. Anyways, how''s your girl?" he asked, wanting to move on and changing the subject.

    Jason smirked. "Amazing", he replied, keeping it short and brief. "What about you? Where''s your girlfriend?".

    "I don''t have one", Malakai answered, sounding free.

    Jason scoffed, "You''ve got some cute girls in your class. Heck, you''ve got Maria Rodriguez in your class. You can''t get better than that", he said.

    "You sure you can say that with a girl bro?" Malakai replied.

    "I''m just saying", Jason said, lifting his shoulders. "Isn''t she already your friend? If she is, I don''t know why you aren''t shooting your shot".

    "Yeah, she is, but I can''t be her man. Not with this", Malakai said, pointing at the scar across his nose. "No chance. I''m too ugly. She can find herself a tall model, so why would she go for me? Plus, I don''t even like her like that".

    "True. That scar messes up your face. Even without it, I doubt she would go for you. You''re short and have a few acne scars", Jason replied.

    "Aye, I''ve got a skincare routine now. My acne scars are going, and my skin is soft now as well", Malakai said, touching his face. "But what you''re saying is right though. I don''t think we''re a good match anyway, visually and chemistry-wise", Malakai smiled.

    "What about Delilah? You two seem close".

    "Naah. She''s like my sister, and we''re the same height", Malakai replied.

    "Is that a problem for you?" Jason asked.

    "Not for me. I wouldn''t mind if my girl was taller than me. I''m not gonna lie. But I think Delilah would want someone taller", Malakai replied. "Are there any cute girls in your class?".

    "Yeah, but I don''t think you''d like them", Jason replied, thinking of who was in his class.

    "Why?"

    "Because of how they are. Then again, I doubt they''ll like you".

    "Damn, I don''t think anyone likes me", Malakai said, slurping his drink.

    "That''s what you get for being a piece of shit", Jason told him like an older brother.

    "It''s fun though", Malakai replied, smiling. "I ain''t really looking for love right now, so I don''t care if girls don''t like me".

    "You''re focused on winning challenges?" Jason asked.

    "Nah, I just wanna have fun, I can''t lie", Malakai replied. "Maybe I''ll look for a girl next year. If my heart wants it", he mumbled the last sentence.

    The conversation died for a bit. In their silence, they could hear the girls talking in the other room.

    "What do you think about Dillon?" Jason asked, breaking the silence.

    "Dillon? He''s an idiot", Malakai laughed. "But he ain''t a bad guy. I don''t hate him. I don''t have any negative feelings towards him, to be honest".

    "Is there anyone you hate?" Jason curiously asked.

    "I don''t hate anyone. Hates a strong word, but I don''t like Ryan", Malakai replied.

    "Yeah, I see that", Jason nodded.

    "Like, me and Dillon will probably be friends in the future. But I don''t see myself being friends with Ryan", Malakai said, finishing his drink.

    "Everyone loves Ryan. If you openly go against him, you''ll be the villain".

    "I don''t care. I''ve been the villain since day one", Malakai grinned. Jason also grinned. "The thing is, your smart, so why are you acting like Dillon''s bitch?".

    Jason blew air out of his nose, "I guess it looks that way. All I''m doing is letting him take control. I don''t want to be the class leader", Jason replied, leaning back on the coach. "It''s too much work".

    "Was he pissed that you were in the top ten and he wasn''t?" Malakai asked.

    "Not really. He didn''t congratulate me. Only Akari and some of the guys in my class did", Jason replied.

    "Did you want a congratulation from him?"

    "I don''t know. It would''ve been nice", Jason said, looking up at the ceiling.

    "He''s too prideful. I think once that pride is gone, he''ll be fine", Malakai replied, looking out the balcony window.

    "Is that when you''ll be friends? When he loses his pride?" Jason asked.

    "That''ll be the only way we''ll be friends", Malakai answered. "Might need to destroy that pride myself", he smirked.

    "I think you''re already destroying it", Jason quietly smiled.

    Click!

    "We''re ready!" Akari announced, walking out of the room. Delilah shortly followed. She wore light blue ripped jeans, a white tank top and a grey loose cardigan.

    "Don''t you think you overdressed? We''re just getting some groceries", Malakai said after seeing Delilah''s outfit.

    "Shut up!" Delilah embarrassingly replied.

    "No! You''re not getting groceries. You''re coming with me and Jason", Akari reminded them, waving her arms. Akari looked at Delilah, "We might need to add some make-up", she said, clearly having fun dressing up Delilah.

    "What? No!" Delilah replied.

    Malakai stood up from his seat. "She don''t need make-up, she''s already pretty", he said, intervening to stop them taking longer. That comment made everyone look at him; he said it so casually. "I feel left out, so I wanna dress up too", he said, walking towards Delilah''s room.

    "Your outfit is fine", Akari said, looking at Malakai''s black cargo pants and white designer hoodie.

    "Naa, I think I need to add more", he said, not wanting to get noticed again. "Do you have any accessories?" he asked Delilah.

    "Yeah, I do", Delilah answered. Then she saw what was in his hands. "You drank my strawberry milkshake!! I was saving that for later!!!" She frantically said.

    "I didn''t. There''s some left", Malakai replied. As he approached, he handed her the bottle.

    "IT''S EMPTY!" Delilah shouted. She tried to throw the bottle at Malakai but he already ran into her room.

    "Those two. They''re like a married couple", Akari said, shaking her head, seeing Delilah run after Malakai.

    After a few minutes, Delilah and Malakai left the room. Malakai came out without his hoodie on. He had a blue Chelsea shirt on (football team). This shirt was under his hoodie. He also came out with a pink beanie that covered his hair and only showed the tips. He also wore a matching pink scarf around his neck and covered his nose. So, like the ski mask he wore for the Halloween party it only showed his eyes.

    "Why''re you wearing a pink beanie and scarf?" Jason asked, looking at his outfit.

    "This is the only colour she had ", Malakai replied.

    "Why are you covering your face?" Akari asked, looking at his outfit.

    "I don''t wanna be seen with her", Malakai joked.

    "Hey!"

    "Ow!" Delilah elbowed Malakai''s stomach. Malakai didn''t dodge her attack this time.

    Akari skipped to the door excited,

    "This is going to be fun. This is my first double date".

 Chapter 67 - Fuck Love

    Love. L.O.V.E. It''s a strange thing. A strange but beautiful thing. A really beautiful thing, if you have it. If you feel it. I can''t really describe love; it''s like no other feeling. It''s too good to be true. Everything feels amazing. Everything looks colourful. All of this because of a stranger. A stranger you love. A stranger you trust. A stranger you would do anything for. A stranger you could do anything with. A stranger who becomes the most important person in your life. Only love can do that. But love doesn''t last forever. Something I found out first-hand. I mean, how can it? Everything I''ve told you sounds too good to be true. If love lasted forever, don''t you think the world would be happier? You wouldn''t see people depressed or broken. Why would they be if they had love? But the truth is, love is the reason why some of those people are depressed or broken. Pffftt, love is the reason why I can''t be happy for more than a few minutes. I broke up with my girlfriend about two months ago. We were together for two years, but I loved her for three, heh, maybe four. I''m such a loser. I couldn''t stop looking at her the first time I saw her. I don''t know why.

    Was it her eyes? Her hair? Her lips? Her nose? I was questioning myself. Why was I looking at her so much? I was denying the fact I liked her face. Childish, I know. I made excuses to look at her. I''m looking at her eyes because I''ve never seen eyes shine like that before, or I''m looking at her hair because I''ve never seen a girl with that hairstyle��any excuse to look at her. When my friends caught me looking at her, I said those excuses out loud. Denying their claims that I liked her. Thinking back, I might not have known I liked her. Maybe my brain thought I couldn''t like her. She was too good for me. She was just someone I could look at, like a celebrity. My brain must have suppressed any thought of liking her to save me, but I guess my heart won. After a year of admiring her from afar, I became friends with her. We had one class together, math class. We sat next to each other, and we both hated math. I remember the first time I talked to her. Most embarrassing shit ever.

    "Hi, I''m Eric. Who are you?"

    I ASKED WHO ARE YOU. Smh. It wasn''t like I was staring at her every chance I got. Of course, I knew who she was. I tried to act so cool. I''m not sure it worked; I thought I definitely left a good impression on her at the time. But she was being nice, I''m sure. But yeah, maths became my favourite class. Not for the subject, just her. I wasn''t shy, but I wasn''t full of confidence either. However, when I talked to her, she gave me confidence. I was 16 at the time, I was 5''9, but I was still growing. I was skinny and had short hair with waves. I don''t think I was her type. I heard some of her friends saying that she liked guys with dreadlocks. For that sole reason, I wanted to grow my hair out, but my mom didn''t let me. So, I was stuck with my short hair. Knowing all of this. Despite my insecurities. Despite my negatives. Despite the other guys, she could have. I asked her out, and she said yes. Happiest moment of my life. It wasn''t meant to happen, but it did. The words slipped out of my mouth when I was staring at her, and surprisingly, she accepted my feelings. I would''ve completely understood if she turned me down because it came out of nowhere, and we''d only known each other for less than a year. But she said yes. It was then everything seemed colourful. I loved everything. I loved life because she was in it. Thinking back, I still can''t believe the emotions I felt at the time. I can''t describe it. When I was with her, I couldn''t stop smiling. When I wasn''t with her, I wanted to see her, but I was still smiling, knowing I was going to see her. Everything was about her, which made me happy because I loved her. At the start, I could tell I loved her more than she loved me. But I knew that because I was the one who chased her. Over time, I could tell the love I gave was reciprocated. I could tell we loved each other the same. I could tell she was happy. I could tell she loved me a lot. Or so I thought. We came to this academy together, and we even got into the same class, class 1-B. We got a dorm together. We were going to live with each other for the first time. Live together for the three years we would be at this academy. But on the first weekend here, she told me.

    "I think we should break up".

    When I first heard it, I couldn''t believe it. It made no sense. Why should we break up? It didn''t make sense. But it didn''t make sense to me. Only me. A lot happened: a lot of questioning, begging, crying, desperation, which led to one last conversation. That conversation gave me the answer I didn''t want but needed to hear. After that ��.. life went on. The sun rose, the sun set, the moon rose, the moon set, the sun came back up, and a new day started. The day carried on, and then it happened again. The sun set, the moon rose, the moon set, the sun came back up, and a new day started.

    After weeks of living on autopilot, I realised that life goes on. Mentally. Emotionally. Physically. I can''t describe what I felt or thought. I can''t even try to replicate those feelings in my mind if I tried. It was too dark. Questioning what the point of life is, what my purpose is, what happiness is, and whether I will ever experience happiness or love again. These questions filled my mind. It wasn''t healthy. But life went on. Time didn''t stop when I felt empty. Time didn''t stop when I felt nothing. Time didn''t stop when I was crying. Time didn''t stop when I felt alone. Time didn''t stop when I was having panic attacks. Time didn''t stop when I couldn''t sleep. Time didn''t stop when I was dreaming. Time didn''t stop. Knowing that hurt me, it made me feel helpless and useless. Why won''t time stop for me? I''m hurting. Can''t you see? I needed days to stop going by, but it didn''t. Life went on. No matter what happens in life, life goes on. And that one lesson, as painful as it was, helped me. Even if it was only a little bit, it helped me take a little step. I could''ve given up. It was like life was telling me I was irrelevant. No matter what happens, life will go on. I''m not a main character. Looking at it from that perspective can break you and make you end it. But something inside of me didn''t want to go. Surely, if I''m feeling this sad, something must be on the other side of the spectrum. I know there is because I''ve felt it. A happiness that can rival or even outweigh the sadness I''m feeling. I guess my heart wanted to feel that feeling again. That same heart that put me in this position wanted to feel that happiness again. How selfish. That''s what made me take that step.

    After that, I began to heal, slowly. Me and Sasha still live together. We can''t change dorms now; it''s too late. While I was depressed, I questioned why she waited so long to tell me. She said she had lost feelings two months before. She could''ve broken up with me before we decided to live in a dorm room together for three years. I blamed her, but I was narrow-minded. It was only recently that I looked at it from her point of view. I would''ve been a mess if she told me before we came to this academy. And I guess as much courage as it takes to ask someone out, it must take the same courage to break up with someone, especially when you don''t hate them. Another reason she must have decided to be my roommate is because she must feel responsible for me. She couldn''t just break up with me and leave me. I mean, she could''ve, but she isn''t that type of person. I don''t see her that much; the times we do meet in the kitchen, she usually asks if I''m okay. I reply with I''m fine every time. It''s weird. Back then, I couldn''t keep my eyes off her, but now I can''t look at her.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.Lately, I''ve been reflecting, a lot. I know my relationship was only two years; some people have gone through a lot worse. People have broken up from relationships lasting more than five years. I''m sure my feelings might have been similar to those people, but I''ve looked at my situation and feel grateful in a way. I''m glad she didn''t play along and continue to date me for no reason. I probably would have felt much worse if she broke up with me in three years. Looking at it from that point of view, it seems like a good thing. It''s something I tell myself when I feel down. You have to look for positives if you want to be happy.

    So, what''s my current status? Nothing crazy has happened to me. I''ve got no friends, only Daniel and Olivia. Friends might be a stretch; they''re people I know. I don''t talk or text them. The only time I talk to them is when I see them. They''re nice people. They comforted me when I needed it, and I''m sure if I needed help, they would help me. A happy couple helping me. Pfft, it was a little annoying, but at that point, I wouldn''t have minded if a serial killer listened to me. I needed someone to talk to at the time, so I''ll always be thankful to them. I wish I had more people to talk to, but I can''t speak to people. When I was younger, I had no problems making friends. Now, I don''t even know how to start a conversation. It''s like my mind is never present. I do get lonely sitting alone in the class. Hearing everyone talk while I''m there with no one to talk to. I feel isolated from the class, but I guess that''s my fault. I don''t text my friends back home; I don''t want to tell them about my current situation. It''s a little embarrassing, and I don''t want to worry them. I do need to text them at some point; I miss them.

    My school life is getting better educational-wise; I''m on top of all my studies. I''m not in the loop about who has the most points and the leaderboard. I''ve looked at the leaderboard, and I don''t recognise any of the names.

    I''m slowly healing. I got a gym membership; I''m trying to build muscle. I looked at myself in the mirror and hated how skinny I was. I''m still clueless about the exercises and what to do, so I watch videos to help. I feel great when I''m at the gym, and that''s one thing I have enjoyed recently. I also plan on growing my hair out more, not because of her. I just don''t want to see my old self when I look in the mirror. I''m trying to pick up good habits like reading and walking. If I have free time, I try to do something productive; wasting time makes me feel worse.

    I''m outside right now, sitting on a bench. It''s November, but the sun is out. If the weather looks nice, I get out of my dorm. Being stuck in my room brings back some emotions I don''t want to feel and thoughts I don''t want to think. But yeah, that''s my academy life so far. It''s kind of pathetic that I ruined the start of my academic life because of a breakup. But who knows? One day, I might look back on this and laugh. That''s what I saw someone online say when they were talking about their breakup story.

    "Yo, you good?"

    Wait, what? I looked to my left, and there was a guy in a sports shirt with a pink scarf covering his face and a pink beanie sitting next to me. Who is he? Is he talking to me?

    "Y-yeah. I''m fine".

    "You sure? You looked kinda sad".

    I was spacing out again. I think I was looking at the floor. Was I looking sad? I can''t remember. I made this guy worry.

    "I was daydreaming. I''m fine".

    Why is he dressed like that? It''s a bit windy, but it''s not that cold. He''s still looking at me. He definitely thinks I''m weird.

    "You sure you''re okay?

    "Eh?"

    Wow, this guy is still asking. And why did I make that weird noise? I was complaining about shutting myself off to people, so I guess this is a good place to start.

    "I broke up with my girlfriend about two months ago. She was my girlfriend for two years. I thought we loved each other, but she lost feelings, and I didn''t notice. She didn''t cheat, and we didn''t break up on bad terms, so that''s good. It still hurts, but I''m slowly getting there".

    Shit! I didn''t mean to tell him so much. Why did I tell him that? My mouth just kept talking. Why would I start by saying I broke up with my girlfriend? This is probably too much for him.

    "Fuck love".

    "Huh?"

    "Forget loving someone else. You gotta love yourself first, innit. That''s the realest love you''ll get".

    What''s he talking about? Love myself first? Is that the realest love I''ll get? Hold up. Did I love myself when I was with Sasha? I never really thought about it. Love yourself. I need to love myself. How can someone else love me if I don''t love myself? Who cares who loves me if I love myself. Loving myself is the realest love I''ll get. Hah, for some reason, I feel motivated.

    "Let''s go".

    I looked up and saw a pretty, tanned girl with short brown hair reaching her shoulders approach the guy sitting next to me. His friend? His girlfriend? I shouldn''t pry. The guy stood up and looked at me.

    "Fuck love".

    And just like that, he left. I couldn''t see his face, but I could tell by his eyes he smiled when he said it. Dammit, I didn''t ask for his name.

    "Fuck love", I mumbled.

    Why do I feel so happy? Wait, am I smiling? I am! I''m genuinely smiling! This isn''t a fake smile! I can''t stop smiling. I looked down at the floor, and the past two years flashed in my head for two seconds.

    "Hehehehe".

    I took a deep breath. Thanks for the memories, but I don''t think I need to remember those anymore. Hmm, what should I do? I went to the gym already, but I want to go again. I think I''ll do cardio. I haven''t done any cardio since I started going to the gym. I stood up and looked to the sky, smiling,

    "Fuck love".

 Chapter 68 - Blonde Or Brunette, I Want Both

    "Did you know that guy?"

    "Nope", Malakai replied, shaking his head.

    "Why did you say fuck love when you left?".

    "He told me he broke up with his girl a few months ago, so I gave him some advice", Malakai replied, still wearing his pink scarf over his face.

    "Love advice from you?" Delilah doubtfully said, narrowing her eyes.

    "Shut up man", Malakai replied. "Anyways, where''s my drink?" he asked, holding out his hand. Delilah went to the store to get a drink, which is why Malakai was sitting on the bench. He didn''t want to go into the store because he was paranoid.

    "Your drink? You didn''t ask for one. I had to buy one because YOU drank mine", Delilah replied, while holding a strawberry milkshake. "If anything, MY strawberry milkshake you drank from MY fridge was YOUR drink", she continued, keeping the drink close to her body so Malakai wouldn''t snatch it.

    "You let me in your dorm. It''s common courtesy to offer your guest a drink", Malakai replied, pointing at Delilah.

    "Guest? You barged into my dorm", Delilah said, pointing back.

    "You let me in. YOU opened the door", Malakai argued back.

    "I didn''t know what was happening. YOU randomly called me".

    You''re probably wondering why these two aren''t with Akari and Jason. Well, while those two argue, we can flashback to 20 minutes ago.

    "Where are we going?" Delilah asked Akari, who was walking ahead clinging onto Jason''s left arm.

    "A restaurant I haven''t been to yet. I''ve heard the food is really good", Akari excitedly replied. "We''re nearly there. I''m sure both of you will love it".

    "I don''t think we will", Malakai whispered to Delilah, covering his mouth.

    "Shhh, just play along", Delilah whispered back. They continued to walk until,

    "I''ve got an idea", Malakai said. All of them looked at him. "For our next double date, how about we go on a road trip, and I''ll be the driver?"

    "NO!" he instantly got shut down.

    "Why?" Malakai questioned like he already didn''t know the answer.

    "You already know the answer", Jason coldly replied, looking back at him.

    "Aryt relax", Malakai said with his hands up. "You don''t need to act hard, I''ve seen you scream like a bitch already", he quietly said, so Jason wouldn''t hear. Delilah heard though, and she got a little laugh from that.

    The four of them reached the restaurant, and Delilah and Malakai were stunned when they entered. Jason and Akari had done some research before coming, so they already knew about it, and their reactions were completely different from Malakai and Delilah''s. They all joined the line and waited.

    "This place looks boujee (expensive)", Malakai said, looking around and feeling the high-class atmosphere. Everything looked clean and brand new. White tiles plated the floor, and bright lights lit up the reception. Malakai looked at the cieling. "I think I should buy that for my room," he said.

    "You can''t buy a chandelier for your room", Delilah replied, despite that unserious comment not needing a reply. "What type of food is served here?" Delilah asked Akari.

    "Seafood", Akrai answered.

    "Boujee", Malakai commented under his breath.

    "Can your credits handle it?" Delilah quietly asked Malakai.

    "It can, but I don''t wanna spend my credits on food I probably won''t like. I can get an ice cream and have the same feeling", Malakai replied, still gazing at his surroundings. "Can yours?"

    "Yes, but I don''t want to waste my credits on this either", Delilah said, covering her mouth with her hand. The two looked ahead and saw the line shrinking.

    "Should we go?" Malakai asked Delilah without looking at her, not to make it obvious.

    "Yes, let''s get out of here before she notices", Delilah replied without looking at him. The two quietly sneaked out of the restaurant without Akari noticing. She was too engaged in her conversation with Jason.

    "Hello", the waiter greeted.

    "Hi, can we have a table for four, please?" Akari politely asked.

    "Four? Are you sure? There''s only two of you", the waiter replied, confused.

    "Two?" Akari turned around, and no one was there. Malakai and Delilah disappeared. Akari sighed, "I''m going to kill her."

    Meanwhile, outside, "Akari''s going to be so mad", Delilah said, walking next to Malakai.

    "She can''t be that mad. Now, she can focus on Jason. If we were there, we would''ve taken the piss", Malakai replied. Delilah giggled just thinking about it. "Plus, I don''t think they would have let me in with my outfit. They probably have a dress code", he said, adjusting the scarf so it doesn''t fall off his face.

    "True", Delilah replied. "What should we do now?"

    "Wanna go grocery shopping?" Malakai asked, remembering he still had to get groceries for William.

    "Sure, but first, I need to get something".

    That''s basically what happened. The flashback is over, and these two are still arguing.

    "Just buy me a drink", Malakai whined.

    "No, buy one yourse-" Delilah cut herself off. "Isn''t that Lucas?" she said, pointing ahead.

    Malakai looked in the direction she was pointing and saw Lucas with an arm around a brunette girl. He squinted his eyes to get a better look at the girl''s face, but he couldn''t properly see her facial features.

    "Let''s follow them", he quickly said, pacing ahead.

    "Malakai, wait!" Delilah replied, reaching out an arm to stop him, but he was already too far, so she followed him. The two secretly followed Lucas until he went into a shop, a cosmetic shop. Malakai and Delilah didn''t follow them inside the shop; instead, they hid around a corner and waited for them to leave.

    "Why are we following them?" Delilah asked, looking at Malakai peering around the corner.

    "I saw Lu with a girl a few days ago. It wasn''t this girl though", Malakai replied.

    "That doesn''t explain why we are following him", Delilah said.

    "I was seeing who this girl was. They''ve gone into that makeup shop, so now I know she''s a gold digger", Malakai confidently replied.

    "You can''t say that. You don''t know. He might be buying her a present", Delilah said, giving the girl the benefit of the doubt.

    "The girl he was with last week didn''t get a gift", Malakai replied.

    "How do you know?" Delilah asked. "Don''t tell me you followed them as well".

    "I didn''t. Lu told me about it", Malakai replied. Then, a thought popped up in his mind. "He might be two-timing", he said, touching his chin.

    "Come on Malakai, let''s leave them alone. They might be on a date", Delilah said feeling bad for spying on them. She put a hand on his shoulder to try and move him, but he shook her hand off.

    "My friend can''t two-time. He''s not a dickhead", Malakai replied. "Maybe I should frame him and put that bra in his room", he said out loud.

    "Bra? What bra?" Delilah picked up on that piece of information.

    "I got it from that Halloween party. It was in the bag of sweets I stole", Malakai replied. "I was gonna give it to you as a joke but Tanisha stopped me".

    "A joke��" Delilah quickly caught on to what the joke was. She sighed, "What size was the bra?" She asked in a deadbeat voice.

    "36 double D, I think", Malakai replied, smiling.

    Delilah smirked, "Cadela (Bitch)".

    Malakai grinned; he didn''t understand but knew she swore at him in Portuguese. "Bro it''s fine, your Brazilian. You''ve got a natural BBL", Malakai said.

    "Huh?!" Delilah was caught off guard by what he said.

    "Most guys are like me anyways. They prefer ass over boobs", Malakai continued keeping watch over the store in case Lucas left, so he wasn''t looking at Delilah when saying this.

    "What did you say!?" Delilah questioned.

    "I said I like personality. Look, they''re leaving", Malakai quickly said, trying to gloss over what he had said earlier.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident."No, you didn''t. Repeat what you said", Delilah said, raising her voice a bit.

    "Bro, be quiet, they''ll hear you", Malakai replied, putting a finger over his lips.

    "No! I need to comprehend what you just said".

    "I gave you a compliment, why you mad?" Malakai teasingly asked.

    "Y-yeah, but you can''t say that out of nowhere", Delilah replied.

    "I was giving you motivation", Malakai said, looking at her.

    "M-motivation?"

    "Most girls would pay thousands for what you have", Malakai continued. He looked around the corner, "Delilah man, they''re gone. You made us lose them", he said, blaming her.

    Delilah was still processing the conversation that just happened. She didn''t care that they lost Lucas.

    Bzzzz Bzzz Bzzz

    Malakai felt his phone vibrating. "Who''s calling me?" he asked, pulling his phone out from his pocket. "Maria? This is the first time she''s called me", He accepted the call. "Hello?"

    "Hey Malakai", Maria replied.

    "Yo, what''s going on?"

    "Is everything alright?" She asked, sounding a bit worried.

    "Yeah? What''s wrong?" Malakai was confused.

    "Umm, William came over asking for sugar. He didn''t look too well", Maria explained.

    "Shit! I forgot", Malakai replied. "I was supposed to get groceries, but I got sidetracked".

    "I gave him some sugar, so he should be fine", she tried to reassure him.

    "He''s gonna be so pissed", Malakai mumbled. "Wait, why did he go to you? Didn''t he go to Ben''s or Ray''s dorm?" he asked.

    "He said no one was at Benjamin''s dorm, and I think your other friends were busy. He felt bad for asking me, but I didn''t mind", Maria replied.

    "Busy doing what?" Malakai asked himself. "Whatever, well imma go to the shop now. Do you want anything?"

    "Me? You don''t have to buy me anything".

    "Naah, it''s fine. You helped Willy so if you want anything I can get it for you", Malakai offered.

    Maria smiled. Luckily, this wasn''t a video call, so he couldn''t see the big smile on her face. "My hot chocolate powder is running low", she shyly said.

    "Hot chocolate? Aryt. I might buy one for myself", he replied. "Aryt, I need to get these groceries quick. Bye".

    "Okay, take care. Bye".

    Malakai waited for her to say bye before he ended the call. "Yo, Delilah, we''ve been completing too many side quests. Willy might die, I need to get these groceries", he said, walking ahead.

    Delilah was quiet for a few seconds. "For the record, I''ve never been self-conscious of my boobs", Delilah said out of the blue. Malakai stopped walking and turned to look at her. "And if I ever need motivation, I would ask someone else. Not Malakai Junior", she said, walking past him.

    Malakai stood there and watched her walk past him. "What do you mean? Malakai Junior complimented your ass. That''s one of, if not the greatest thing any girl can hear in their life", Malakai joked.

    Delilah smiled at his joke but still silenced him by saying, "SHUT UP!".

    "You didn''t have to buy me this", Jessica said, clinging to my arm and holding a bag filled with makeup.

    "I wanted to. We couldn''t walk in there and buy nothing. You were looking at it for a long time".

    "Was I? I saw it the last time I came here, but I couldn''t get it", she replied, sounding a little shy.

    "You don''t have to feel bad. I have a lot of credits".

    Hi, I''m Lucas. Did you see what I did there? I lied. I don''t have a lot of credits. Most of my credits are gone from going to the club and buying drinks. And now I spent 80 credits on a makeup set this girl wanted. Why did I spend that much? I mean, I know why I did it, but I''m still questioning myself. It''s a good thing we get credits at the start of every month. When I see those 2500 credits transferred to my account, I feel like a millionaire. Getting money by doing nothing feels good, and having it sit in my account for no reason feels wrong. I still have about 1500 credits left, which sounds good, but it really isn''t. David, Benjamin and Ray have a lot; I think they have over 4000 credits. They don''t spend much, but Malakai and William do. They''re not as bad as me, so I''m sure they have more than me. I used to be good at saving and spending credits on stuff that was needed, but a whole new world has opened up for me. Night life. This freedom is amazing. How can I not spend? I''m getting off-topic here. Anyway, I''ve got a dilemma. I don''t know who to pick. Elizabeth or Jessica. Jessica or Elizabeth. The blonde or the brunette. I''m currently on a date with Jessica. She''s a brunette from class 1-D. Today, we went out to eat and did a bit of window shopping until the last store, where I actually bought something. Which I regret, a lot. But I''m sure I''ll end up with something better later. A few days before, I went on a date with Elizabeth, a blonde from class 1-A. For that date, we didn''t do much. It was kinda like a study date; we walked around and talked, then ended up at the library and talked some more. She taught me stuff that was needed for class, which was great. Totally different from today''s date. Just for clarification, they invited me out on the date; I didn''t invite them. From this piece of information alone, it is clear they''re interested in me; I''m not an idiot. I''m not like those main characters in romance animes who have no clue the girl likes them until the second season or something like that. I don''t know if that''s true; I hear Malakai, William and Ray talk about romance anime sometimes. I don''t know how they can talk about romance; they''re probably like those main characters. None of them have been in a relationship except David. To be fair, Benjamin and Ray could get a girlfriend if they wanted to. Malakai''s an idiot, and William needs a glow-up. Okay, he''s not that ugly, but he could change his image a bit. I''m getting off-topic again; I''m trying not to think about my current situation. Back to the main point, I got introduced to both of them when we were on the same team for the last challenge. I gave them both my number after the challenge ended, and since then, I''ve texted both of them. I''ve got to know them, and I want them both. Aarghhh! If only I could do that, but my friends would kill me. I''ve never two-timed before, but this time, I''m really tempted. I''ve had no problems in life. My family is good; my relationship with my parents and siblings is good. My family is good financially; we''ve never struggled with anything. I''ve got a lot of friends, some here and some back home. The only problem I''ve had is with girls. I''m no stranger to girls. I knew I was good-looking when I was younger because all the girls wanted me. I''ve never had a long-lasting relationship. I think my longest was eight months, but it''s not my fault. I attract pretty girls. Pretty girls with ugly intentions. And every time, I fell for it. I may have messed up a few times with some of the girls, but every guy messes up once. And I was young, so I didn''t know any better. Now I''m grown up, I know what to do and what not to do. I can think clearly now. You know what they say; think with your head, not your dick. I think that''s a quote; I may have made that up right now. Anyway, I''ve been heartbroken before, but I''ve learnt from them. Those experiences have told me not to get too attached to a girl. So, right now, I''m not attached to either Elizabeth or Jessica. I don''t know that much about them, but I do know they are beautiful, and they want me. So I want them. But I can only choose one. You see my problem here?

    Elizabeth is more reserved, while Jessica is more forward. Elizabeth is more interesting to talk to, while Jessica is more fun to talk to. Elizabeth can teach me stuff, while Jessica can learn stuff with me. Jessica is a little clumsy, which is cute, while Elizabeth is graceful, which is attractive. Jessica is pretty, while Elizabeth is cute. Elizabeth or Jessica. Elizabeth or Jessica. Elizabeth or Jessica. Blonde or brunette. I want both.

 Chapter 69 - Is This Really Class 1-A?

    "You should try to visit us more, Isabella".

    "I could if I would. I try coming here every weekend, but sometimes I''m too tired".

    "Sounds like this academy is hard work".

    "It sure is", I mumbled.

    My name is Isabella, and I''m in class 1-A. You probably don''t remember me, but that''s fine. I''m currently back home with my mom and my brother. My house is about an hour''s drive from the academy, so I visit home every weekend, well I try to. It''s Wednesday today, so I should be in class right now, but I had a dentist appointment yesterday and decided to stay over instead of going back to the academy. I have to go back to class today; I don''t want to fall behind. If I leave now, I''ll reach the academy at around 10, but I still have to get ready, so it''s looking like I''ll reach there at 11 or later. Sigh. This academy is draining. It''s also made me realise something. That realisation is that there is always someone better than you. I''ve heard that quote before, but I thought when they said someone, they meant a random person across the world in a different country. Not someone so close. I say someone, but it''s more like people or half of Astral Academy. Sigh. I was in the top ten for a few weeks. Top three, actually. How could I forget?

    3) ISABELLA GRACE (1-A) - 494 POINTS.

    Alexander helped me massively, but I also worked hard. It was a joint exam, after all. I thought every challenge was going to be like that. Simple educational challenges. I thought I had a chance. Oh, how was I wrong. The minigames came out of nowhere, and I was eliminated in the second round. It wasn''t the end of the world. Sure, I got kicked out of the top ten, but the point gap wasn''t huge. I could make up the difference. I was sure that in the next challenge, I would catch up and close the gap. The second challenge came, and I didn''t get first place. My team came second. No one was to blame; the team that came first were faster. The day of my challenge was Friday; it was known as the worst day of the week. No teams clashed or even came close to clashing. No team was close to one another; there was no competition. I tried helping the team by answering all the riddles, but finding the key was what slowed us down. So, I lost out on 200 points. Now, when I look at the leaderboard, I see people from different classes, and I''m nowhere to be seen. It shows us our own rank at the bottom of the leaderboard, but I would rather not say where I place right now. Seeing it makes me sad. Sigh.

    I know we''ve only done two challenges, but I''ve seen the people in my class and even the people in other classes. They''re so much better than me. Smarter, charismatic, confident, athletic, or any aspect, there''s someone who shines in that. Then there''s me. I know I''m in class 1-A, but I don''t shine in that class. At the start, I did, but that was all because of Alexander. The duo who only lost 6 points in the first challenge. I say duo, but I lost all those 6 points. What a fall from grace. In high school, I felt untouchable. I was the best at everything without even trying, and now I have to try to keep up. I''m not even keeping up; I''m falling behind. Am I being over dramatic? I''m being overdramatic, aren''t I? I''m just stressed. This academy had already got me stressed.

    "Izy. Izy. Bella!"

    "Huh?"

    "Are you done?"

    Oh, my little brother''s awake. Noah.

    "Yeah, here you go", I gave him my empty plate. He took it and went towards the kitchen to wash it.

    He is my only sibling. He''s three years younger than me, so he''s 16 years old. My family''s small, it''s just me, my mum and my brother. My dad walked out on my mom when she was pregnant with my brother, so he''s never seen our dad. I was so young, so I barely remember him. My childhood wasn''t terrible, but my mom did her best to make it the best I could have. I quickly realised the situation I was in when I was in middle school. I grew up quickly in that sense. It was around then that everything else felt too easy. I used to get praised by my classmates for being mature and good at everything. When was the last time I got praised? I guess my mom gave me some praise yesterday, but does that count? My mom would praise me even if I finished my food. I''m not complaining, it shows she really loves me. What I mean is praise from someone who doesn''t know me. Would that make me feel better? It wouldn''t change the amount of points I have, so I guess not.

    "Izy, your hair is getting darker. Are you going to dye it again?"

    I grabbed a few strands of my hair and looked at it.

    "Yeah. I will do it next month when I''m back for winter break. Do you want to dye yours?"

    "Nuh-uh".

    My mum and my brother have black hair. I also have black hair, but I dyed it silver when I was 17. I am still trying to figure out why I did it. I remember looking at myself in the mirror and thought I looked boring. Next thing you know, I''m at the hairdresser''s with silver hair. It was definitely an ego thing, looking back at it. When my hair was silver, everyone paid more attention to me, and I felt more important. It''s a shame it doesn''t have the same effect at Astral Academy. I get looks, but that''s it. My different coloured hair isn''t anything special. I''ve seen someone with pink hair, and someone in my class has a bit of purple in her hair. I''m the only person with silver hair; if that''s a positive, I''ll take that.

    "So Izy, are you winning?" Noah asked.

    "Winning?"

    "I don''t know how your school works, but you''re versing other people, right?"

    Oh, I haven''t told them anything. My mom asked me how the academy was, and I answered, "It''s going good". My mom doesn''t understand that my academy is a big deal. My brother understands, but he doesn''t know how the academy works. It''s a good thing they don''t understand; that means I can lie.

    "I''m not first, but I''m in the top ten".

    "Is that good?" Noah replied.

    "Yes. Really good".

    "Congratulations dear".

    "Mom, it''s only been three months".

    "It doesn''t matter. You have to celebrate every achievement".

    Sigh. I regret lying. What''s the time? 9:15. I don''t wanna go, but I have to.

    "I need to go get ready".

    "You''re not staying for one more day?"

    "I can''t. I don''t want to miss too much. Sorry mom".

    "It''s fine. I can''t drop you off, my shift starts in an hour".

    "It''s okay. I''ll get a taxi".

    It''s annoying I couldn''t pay for the taxi with my credits. What''s the time? 10:48 AM. I can make it to the 11:15 class. Let me check what class it is. Biology. Not too bad. Why aren''t there many people outside? Oh, right, most people are in class. Seeing the campus like this is nice. I haven''t spent much time on the campus. Most of the time is spent in my dorm. Sigh. I hope the next challenge is like the first one. Like, what was that last challenge? Driving, solving riddles, finding a key and climbing a net, like, come on. It''s ridiculous. Even so, it has made our class closer. More people are becoming friendlier with each other.

    I''ve heard conversations about teaming up to completely destroy the other classes. Then, once the other classes are down and out, there will be a proper competition between all of us. But that conversation was quickly counteracted when the leaderboard was mentioned. Only five people from class 1-A are in the top ten. Mr Saint, our teacher, said that was the lowest number of 1-A students in the top ten at this stage in the academy''s history. He seemed quite embarrassed when he told us that. There are 30 of us in the class, and only 5 of us are in the top ten; thinking about it now, it is a little embarrassing looking at it. Mr Saint must be getting teased by the other teachers. Then again, isn''t that expected? Look at the amount of points people got in the last challenge. 1000 is a bit too much. Sigh. I''m stressing too much again. Maybe going to class and seeing everyone will calm me down.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "Isabella, we need your help!"

    Maybe not. The minute I walked through the door, about five girls came running towards me.

    "What''s going on?".

    "Right now, we''re trying to pick class leaders", Eve said. "We need one boy and one girl. We''ve picked Alexander for the boy, and for the girl, Destiny nominated herself".

    Destiny? Her team beat mine in the last challenge. She stole first place from me.

    "What''s wrong with that?" I questioned, looking around at the rest of the girls.

    "None of us want her to be the leader", Anya replied, covering her mouth.

    Ouch, that''s mean. I looked towards Destiny''s desk, which was in the back row. She sat with her face resting on her palm, looking amused by the situation. She knew what she was doing, and she loved it. Destiny had tanned skin and blonde hair, with the tips of her hair dyed purple. Her hair is tied back with a headband, and there is one strand hanging down her face. She has really nice eyes. She has heterochromia, so her left eye is hazelnut brown, and her right eye is ocean blue. That alone made her stand out, but she also wore massive gold earrings. The academy doesn''t care about piercing or makeup; you''re good to go as long as you wear the uniform. For some reason, they''re really strict about uniforms. I don''t know why.

    "Hi Isabella", Destiny waved.

    "Hi, Destiny".

    I thought people liked Destiny, but I guess I was wrong. It looked like she got along with everyone in the class. I saw her talk to a lot of different people. I''ve spoken to her once; I''m surprised she remembered my name. She was nice when I talked to her; we talked about how we felt about the academy. Yes, she''s extroverted, but that''s not a bad thing.

    "So, why don''t you want Destiny as the leader?" I quietly asked the girls crowded around me.

    "She''s crazy, Isabella", Anya whispered.

    I glanced at Destiny and she was looking straight at us. She knew the gossip was about her.

    "Can''t you all vote against her being the leader and then pick someone else?"

    "We can, but��" Sydney replied.

    "But?"

    All of them looked towards the floor.

    "No one else wants to be the leader", Eve answered.

    I looked at the girls around me. Confused and disappointed. Is this really class 1-A? No girl in here has the balls to be the leader.

    "Isabellaaa!" Destiny called out. "If you agree to let me be the leader, then this conversation will be over."

    Murmurs of "no" filled my space. These girls are really against Destiny being the leader. I know she''s extroverted. But crazy? I don''t know. Have they seen something I haven''t? What has she done?

    "Destiny, why do you want to be the leader?" I asked her.

    "If it''s not me, then who would it be?" she replied. "I''m 6th on the leaderboard, the highest-ranking girl in our class", she proudly replied.

    "You''re not the highest-ranking girl, though. Maria Rodriguez is ahead of you", Bri bitterly said.

    "I said in OUR class. How about you listen when I talk?" Destiny replied. Bri rolled her eyes, tired of Destiny.

    Oh, she has an attitude. Then again, most girls have one. Girls are good at making arguments out of nothing.

    "Luna is three points behind you. Why can''t she be the leader?" Sydney asked.

    "She can be the leader.... If she wants", Destiny said

    All eyes landed on Luna, who was in her seat. Her seat was next to the door, so she was close to everyone crowded around me. I just realised I''m still standing next to the door. Can''t we talk about this at my desk? Sigh. Anyway, Luna looked at all of us awkwardly.

    "Luna, do you want to be the leader?".

    "Not really", Luna slowly replied.

    "Why not?" Anya desperately asked.

    "I''m not the leader type", Luna replied. "If no one else wants to do it, I don''t see why Destiny can''t be the leader", she said, looking down at her desk.

    All the girls looked at her like she told them she was going to break up with them. They hoped she would agree to be the leader. What has Destiny done for them to act like this? Did something happen yesterday? What happened?

    "Sooooo, can I be the leader now?" Destiny asked with open arms, leaning back on her chair.

    The girls stayed silent; they didn''t want to accept her as the leader.

    "Why don''t we ask Alexander?" I quietly suggested.

    "That''s a great idea," Eve exclaimed. She turned around and looked at Alexander, who was sitting in his seat. "Alexander, who do you think should be the leader for the girls?"

    Alexander turned his head in our direction. "I don''t know. I don''t care who the leader is", he bluntly replied.

    Great. I would be lying if I said I didn''t expect that response. Does he know any of the girl''s names? He knows mine, I think. I looked at the girl''s expressions around me. It looked like all their hopes were crushed a second time. First by Luna, then by Alexander. Now, everyone in the class was staring at us, the other girls sitting in their seats and the boys. I forgot there were boys here. Why didn''t they help out? Couldn''t they help nominate someone for the girls? How many times do I have to ask? Is this really class 1-A? Sigh.

    "Isabella, why don''t you be the leader?" Luna suggested.

    "Huh, me?"

    Me, the leader? Everyone''s face around me lit up.

    "Yess! Isabella, you could be the leader!" Ashley said, edging closer to me.

    "You would be a great leader!" Anya added.

    "Are you sure? I don''t think I would".

    "You''ll be great! You''re smart, calm, confident, mature", Anya hastily listed.

    She said that too fast. She''s definitely said that to someone else before. She doesn''t believe that. She just wants someone to be the leader. Sigh. I doubt Destiny will agree.

    "I''m not in the top ten. Destiny would reject me being the leader".

    "It doesn''t matter. If you want to be the leader and everyone votes for you, she can''t disagree," Bri told me.

    Sigh, let''s see what she says. I looked towards Destiny, who immediately met my eyes.

    "Destiny, do you have a problem with me being the leader?"

    Destiny smiled at me, not saying anything for a few seconds. "You know what, Isabella? If it''s you, I don''t mind", Destiny replied. "I don''t need it as much as you do".

    Huh. What does she mean by that? Does she know how I was in high school? I was always the leader, the person someone could rely on. Now, in this academy, I''m a nobody. A complete opposite of the person I was. She''s right; I need this more than she does. But how does she know that? This is weird. No one here should know how I was in high school. Who is she?

    The girls around me cheered when they heard that I was going to be the leader, but those celebrations were cut short when a voice came from behind me.

    "Excuse me".

    I turned around to see who it was. Oh, it''s Mr. White, the principal.

    "Is Luna Wolfe in this class?"

    Luna stood up from her desk and showed her face to Mr. White. "Yes, I''m here".

    "Can you come with me please".

 Chapter 70 - Who Handles The Consequences?

    November 15th. Wednesday, 11:24 AM.

    "Malakai�� Malakai��, Delilah whispered. Malakai''s head rested on his palm. He slightly turned his head to look at her. "Do you have a spare pen?" She continued to whisper, leaning over to his side so he could hear.

    "No. Why would I have a spare pen?" Malakai quietly replied. They were quiet because their lesson was going on, and their teacher was lecturing at the front of the class. "Why don''t you have a spare pen?" Malakai asked.

    "This is my spare pen, it ran out", Delilah replied, shaking her pen to make it work.

    "Use a pencil".

    "I don''t have one".

    Malakai pulled a face, "You''ve got a pencil case, and you don''t have a pencil. What do you have in there?" he asked.

    "It''s none of your business", Delilah answered.

    Malakai scoffed. He reached over and snatched the pencil case off her desk.

    "Hey", Delilah reacted. Right after she did, she looked at the teacher. Luckily, he was looking at the board, so she knew she wasn''t that loud. Meanwhile, Malakai was looking through her pencil case.

    "You''ve got highlighters and different coloured pens. Just use one of these", Malakai said, holding up a red gel pen he had picked from the pencil case.

    "No, that would ruin my notes", Delilah replied.

    "How?"

    "My notes are organised. I can''t use a different colour halfway through".

    "Oh my days", Malakai said. He turned his head to the left to look at the window. "You''re lucky the window is closed. I would''ve thrown this pen out of it".

    "Lucky me. Now give me back my pencil case", Delilah said, reaching over and trying to grab it.

    Malakai held the pencil case away from her. "Let''s swap. Lemme use this red pen, and you can have my pen", he said.

    "No. I want my pencil case back", Delilah replied.

    "Why? You said you wanted a pen, so I''m giving you one", Malakai said, holding his pen to her.

    "I don''t trust you. You''re going to mess around with my pencil case", Delilah replied, still trying to get her pencil case.

    "I didn''t think you were such a girly girl", Malakai said, guarding his desk.

    "I''m not. I just like my notes organised", Delilah replied.

    "Notes are notes. Who cares how they look?" Malakai said, taking the lid of the red pen and starting to use it.

    "I do", Delilah said, swiping at Malakai''s hands.

    "You two at the back be quiet!" the teacher scolded. Without realising the two of them distracted the whole class.

    "It was her/him", Malakai and Delilah both accused each other simultaneously. All eyes were on the two of them.

    "I don''t care who it was! Stop talking! You are disrupting the whole class!"

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    Everyone''s attention was quickly shifted from Malakai and Delilah to the opening door.

    "I''m sorry to disturb your class. Can I have a word with Malakai Junior please", it was Mr White.

    Everyone''s attention shifted back to Malakai. Malakai didn''t know what to think. He didn''t even know what he''d done. Why was he being called out?

    William turned around in his seat, "Dude, what did you do?" he asked.

    "I don''t know", Malakai shrugged. He had no clue, but he was trying to figure it out in his head.

    "Yes, please take him. The class will be quieter without him", the teacher said, sounding sick of him.

    Malakai smirked, "Dickhead��, he insulted his teacher under his breath before he stood up. Only Delilah heard, causing her to giggle a little. "Should I bring my bag?" he asked.

    "No, you can leave it here. You''ll come back", Mr White replied. Malakai tucked in his chair.

    "Good luck", Delilah told him before he walked away. Malakai didn��t reply. He walked to the front of the class, yawned, and covered his mouth while he walked, not making eye contact with the classmates looking at him.

    "What a surprise he''s in trouble again", Tanisha quietly said. Maria silently watched Malakai walk past.

    Malakai reached the front of the class. He heard Lucas whisper something to him as he passed him, but he couldn''t hear what he said. He reached the door where Mr. White was standing.

    "Follow me", Mr White said, leading the way. Malakai followed and closed the classroom door behind him.

    The two walked down the corridor and turned the corner. After turning the corner, Malakai saw four people standing against the corridor wall. Luna, Akari, Jason and Nina. Team 4. His teammates from the last challenge.

    "Go stand with them", Mr White ordered him. Malakai listened and stood next to Luna, who was at the end of the line. He looked down the line and said,

    "Yo", he smiled when he greeted them. The girls greeted him back, but Jason didn''t. None of them looked happy when replying to Malakai. Were they pissed at him? Or the situation?

    "Are we getting a reward?" Malakai asked Luna.

    "I don''t think so", Luna quietly replied.

    "Damn".

    Mr White waited for silence before talking. He stood in front of them, glancing at each individual.

    "I''m sure you can connect the dots and realise why I called you all here", Mr White started. None of them answered. "Your team came first in the last challenge, but your team did something dangerous to win". Eyes widened. "We''ve got many complaints from the team that were affected by this, so we can''t look away from what happened", he continued. Nina was worried, Akari was anxious, Jason was pissed, Luna was stressed, and Malakai was biting his lip, stopping himself from smiling. "Therefore, because of your team''s actions and the complaints we''ve received, all of you will be punished".

    "What?!" Jason exclaimed. Everyone''s faces dropped except for Malakai, who had a slight smirk. "Why are we getting punished? He was the one driving the car", Jason said, pointing at Malakai.

    "I''ve been told the whole team must be penalised for his actions", Mr White replied.

    "That''s not fair. None of us told Malakai to brake-check them", Nina said, not taking Malakai''s side.

    "Whether you told him or not, the affected team complained a lot. There have to be consequences, leaving this unpunished would be unjust and cause problems down the line", Mr White explained.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there."But why do we have to get punished? Why can''t you only punish Malakai? None of us were involved", Jason asked, trying to change Mr White''s mind.

    "You''ve got a point, but Malakai is part of your team. What Malakai did, helped your team get first place. That dangerous act caused you and your teammates to get more points", Mr White answered.

    "But we didn''t do anything", Akari joined in, making the point that they were not involved known. The severity of the situation was becoming more clear now. They didn''t even know the punishment, but some of them thought that points would be deducted from them. They were thinking about themselves now.

    "All of us shouted at him after he did it. None of us supported what he did", Nina added.

    "All of you benefitted from his actions. You were all a team, it''s only fair", Mr White replied.

    "No, it''s not!" Jason harshly replied. "Look, he''s smiling right now", he said, pointing at Malakai. Everyone looked at Malakai, who was indeed smiling. It wasn''t a toothy smile, but one of those smiles where you try not to smile. Jason was already pissed at Malakai, but after seeing him smiling, Akari and Nina were also pissed. Luna didn''t know what to think; she felt Malakai was planning something.

    Malakai had stayed silent the whole time, listening to the situation. He found it amusing. He sighed and wiped his face with his hand.

    "Aryt, look. You can send them all back to class. Just give me the punishment", he said, grinning. Mr White didn''t respond; he wanted to hear what he had to say. "I was the driver, and I brake-checked them. All of them were crying and screaming when it happened. Punishing them isn''t fair because they had no say," Malakai continued.

    "As I said before, the whole team has to suffer the consequences of your actions", Mr White replied.

    Malakai stepped forward.

    "Listen. I said, let me handle the consequences".

    His tone was casual but stern. His hazelnut-coloured eyes looked warm, but his stare felt cold, and Mr White felt it. The vibe around him when he said that felt off and caught everyone off guard. One second, he was joking around; the next, he was dead serious.

    "What was that just now?" Mr White thought. He took a second to compose himself.

    "I''ve been told that team four will receive a punishment", Mr White tried explaining.

    "By who?" Malakai asked.

    "He''s back to normal", Mr White thought. "The higher-ups", he replied.

    "What''s the punishment?" Malakai asked; it was like the roles were reversed.

    "How has he gained control of the conversation?" Luna thought.

    "No punishment has been set. I''ve just been told to inform you that all of you will receive a penalty", Mr White replied.

    "So they haven''t told you anything", Malakai mumbled. "Aryt, let''s go see what penalty they will give me", he said.

    Everyone''s eyebrows raised and they looked at him like he was crazy.

    "Excuse me?" Mr White said, wanting to hear what he said again.

    "Let''s go talk to the higher-ups. They can tell me my punishment directly", Malakai said, more slowly this time. His teammates watched him silently handle this.

    "You can''t. You''re only a student. Why would the higher-ups want to talk to you?" Mr White replied, sounding a little panicked.

    "Look, they told you to tell us we will get a punishment. That means they don''t even know what the punishment is", Malakai slowly said. "I think you''ve been getting constant complaints, so you complained to the higher-ups. Then the higher-ups gave you an order to tell us that we will get punished, but the punishment isn''t even decided", he continued. Mr White''s eyes widened because Malakai got the story spot on. "I''m guessing the punishment is going to be taking points away from us because they can''t think of anything else. I don''t mind if it was only me, but taking points off these lot would be unfair", Malakai said, nodding to his team.

    Mr White was quiet for a moment. "But why do you want to talk to them?" he asked.

    "So we can negotiate", Malakai smiled, turning this into a light-hearted joke.

    "What happens when they refuse to let you in?".

    "Then you''ll have to tell them what I said", Malakai replied. "But I think they''ll want to talk to me", he confidently smirked.

    Mr White was hesitant on what to do next. Should he take him to the higher-ups? Or stand his ground?

    "It would be easier to know the punishment now, and he is adamant on handling the consequences. The students who complained probably wanted to see Malakai get punished, they''re not fussed about his teammates", Mr White thought.

    "Okay, I''ll take you to see them", Mr White accepted. Malakai smiled with the teeth showing. He was excited. "All of you can go back to class", Mr White told the rest. "Follow me", he said to Malakai.

    "You lot don''t have to be stressed. Nothing will happen to you," Malakai told them with a reassuring smile before following Mr White.

    All of them watched him walk beside Mr White with his hands in his pockets.

    "How does he always end up in these situations?" Luna said out loud.

    "He''s an idiot, that''s why", Jason replied.

    "Y''all really tried to force the punishment on him", Luna said.

    "Of course. Why should we get punished?" Nina replied, feeling relieved she wasn''t involved in the punishment.

    "Weren''t you angry, Luna? You were going to get points taken off of you?" Akari asked.

    "I''m not saying what he did was good, but he was a big reason why we came first", Luna answered. "I do feel bad seeing him take the punishment alone".

    "I don''t feel bad. It''s every person for themselves", Jason said, walking away.

    "Where are you going? Isn''t your class the other way?" Akari asked him.

    "I''m going to go buy a drink", Jason replied.

    "I want one, too", Akari said, skipping away following him. The two of them walked away, leaving Nina and Luna standing together. Luna glanced at Nina, who was looking at Malakai and Mr White walking down the corridor.

    "He told us not to stress about it. You don''t have to worry", Luna said, touching her shoulder.

    "I''m not", Nina replied. "I''m wondering what''s going to happen to him".

    Luna looked at Malakai, who was walking away with his hands in his pockets.

    "I guess we''ll know when he comes back".

 Chapter 71 - Into The Lions Den

    Mr White and Malakai walked side by side to the room with the higher-ups. Malakai didn''t find the atmosphere awkward, but Mr White did.

    "Did they actually not tell you what the punishment was gonna be?" Malakai asked, trying to start a conversation.

    "No", Mr White answered.

    "This is going to be interesting", Malakai quietly said, excited.

    Mr White glanced at him and saw him smiling. "Why do you think they would want to talk to you?" Mr White hesitantly asked.

    "Honestly, it''s just a feeling", Malakai replied. "I''m in class 1-C, and I''m first on the leaderboard. Surely they''re interested, no? All the second years are making a big deal out of it".

    "Are you friends with the second years?" Mr White asked, surprised to find he was already talking to them.

    "I''m friends with Michael, so I''m basically friends with all of them".

    "Michael?" Mr White said. "He is a great student", that name gave him a few memories.

    Malakai noticed Mr White smiling now, "What was he like last year?" he asked.

    "When he first joined, he started in class 1-B", Mr White said.

    "Huh?" Malakai didn''t expect that.

    "Yep. He wasn''t a standout student at the start, but gradually, throughout the year, he climbed the leaderboard. At the end of the year, he was second on the leaderboard and made it into class 2-A", Mr White summarised.

    "Made it into class 2-A? How do you move up classes?".

    "It depends on your points at the end of the year. The students with the highest points move up. You can''t move up during the school year, so you''re staying in the class you''re in now for the whole year," Mr White answered.

    "Damn. Guess I gotta stay first", Malakai said, looking up at the ceiling.

    "You have to keep working hard", Mr White replied. He warmed up to the conversation and started enjoying talking to Malakai. "I should''ve known you two would become friends. You two are similar", Mr White continued.

    "Really?" Malakai didn''t see any resemblance in their personalities.

    "Well, he''s less troublesome than you, but you''ve both got charisma", Mr White replied, touching his chin.

    "I don''t have charisma", Malakai said. "A lot of people hate me".

    "You might see it like that, but from an outside perspective, I see a lot of people smile when they see you", Mr White replied. The conversation was becoming more and more casual.

    "How do you see our year? Is it better than last year?" Malakai asked, genuinely curious.

    "Your year? Hmm", Mr White had to think about his answer. "Your year is definitely different, that''s for sure. There''s a lot of interesting characters amongst you, not just yourself".

    "Yeah".

    "It''s been fun watching all of you. You''ve also competed in a new challenge and the minigames, so it was interesting seeing something new", Mr White continued. "It''s been an enjoyable year so far. I''m hoping you feel the same?"

    "Yeah, it''s been sick", Malakai replied. "I hope it stays like this".

    Malakai and Mr White had been walking for a while; they entered a new building and reached a set of polished white stairs.

    "Their office is up there", Mr White told him with a lowered tone. "You understand who they are, right?" he asked with a slightly worried expression.

    "Yeah", Malakai nodded. "I''m not going to be stupid. I know when to be serious", he said, reassuring Mr White.

    "Okay, good. I''m happy I don''t have to tell you to behave", Mr White replied, but he was still on edge. He didn''t know how Malakai would act; he could only predict how he would be by what he''d seen so far. Before they started to climb the stairs, Mr White had to tell him, "Before we go up, if they disrespect you or say something that offends you. You have to swallow your pride and accept it. Stepping over the line could get you expelled from this academy", Mr White warned him. "I''m only the principal, they have much more power than me. If they wanted to, they could get rid of anyone. So don''t be over-friendly with them, they may see it as disrespect".

    "Yeah I know", Malakai replied casually.

    "Malakai", Mr White put a hand on his shoulder. "I''m telling you this as an adult, not your principal. Sometimes you have to let some people walk over you to survive, because pride isn''t worth losing everything for".

    Malakai was taken back a bit by how serious Mr White was right now. He really appreciated how Mr White advised him, but it got him thinking. What was he walking into?

    "I get it. A bit of disrespect is fine, I can handle it", Malakai replied, feeling weirdly pumped up. The two of them ascended the stairs and reached the office doors. Mr White was clearly nervous, while Malakai was in his usual position with his hands in his pockets.

    "I''m not sure how many of them are in the office right now", Mr White quietly said.

    "How many higher-ups are there?"

    "Seven", Mr White answered. "I''ll go in first and tell them that you want to talk to them. They may send you away, so keep that in mind".

    "Aryt", Malakai nodded. Mr White knocked on the doors and waited for the call to come in.

    "Come in", said a voice from inside. Mr White opened the door and entered the room, closing the door behind him. Malakai waited outside; he didn''t know what to expect, but for some reason, he couldn''t stop smiling. After a minute, the doors opened again, and Mr White appeared.

    "You can come in", he said with a straight face, making way for Malakai to enter the room.

    Malakai looked down at himself to ensure his uniform was good before entering. After checking, he took his hands out of his pocket and entered the room. The room was spacious, with paintings on the wall and a long black table at its centre. The room was quite dark as the curtains were drawn; a few lights lit up the place. Malakai walked into the room with a toothy smile on his face. He walked closer to the table and stood at the end of it. Six men were sitting at the table, and he recognised one of them. Mr Miller. Malakai glanced around the room again to avoid eye contact with them for a little bit.

    Silence.

    It seemed like they were waiting for Malakai to introduce himself. Malakai took the hint.

    "It''s nice to meet you, I''m Malakai Junior. I''m from class 1-C", he introduced with a big smile.

    "Good afternoon", One of them greeted back. The others nodded at Malakai. "What would you like to discuss?" he asked.

    "My punishment for what I did in the last challenge", Malakai replied, not beating around the bush.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation."Okay, please continue".

    "Before I say anything, Can you tell me your names? I don''t want to be rude," Malakai said. Mr White gave Malakai a look that said, ''What are you doing?'' However, Malakai didn''t see him. He was focused on the people in front of him.

    The higher-ups furrowed their eyebrows at him��the audacity for him to ask for their names.

    "That won''t be necessary". The man who was talking to Malakai was sitting at the table''s figurehead. He looked tall and slender, with white hair combed to the right side and a long white beard. Out of the whole table, he looked the most sophisticated. "You will eventually get to know all of us when you come to complete our challenges".

    "Aryt that''s fine", Malakai smiled. He glanced at each of them quickly to remember their faces.

    "I''ve got to say, hearing your accent in person is unusual", another one chirped.

    "It''s a normal London accent, Sir", Malakai confidently replied.

    "Is that so? Whenever I see a British person on TV, they always have a posh accent. Isn''t that a normal British accent? Or are you of lower class?" he asked. The man talking to Malakai was bald on both his head and face and looked grumpy. He was also significantly rounder than everyone else.

    "There''s a lot of different accents in England. The one I''ve got is called Multicultural London English", Malakai smugly replied. The man rolled his eyes; he didn''t like how Malakai was talking back. Malakai wasn''t responding rudely; it was just that the man didn''t like being taught something like a student. He didn''t bother to respond because he''d never heard about that accent. He didn''t want to be schooled, so he kept quiet.

    "That scar on your nose. How did you get it?" a smaller man asked; he looked to be shorter than Malakai. They all wanted to know more about Malakai.

    "I got it when I was younger. The corner of the table sliced my face when I was turning around. I wasn''t looking when I was running", Malakai replied.

    "I''m surprised you don''t cover it up. It''s unsightly. I don''t know how you have the confidence to walk around with that", he said, looking at Malakai''s face with disgust.

    "It''s a part of me now, can''t do anything about it. Just have to embrace it innit", Malakai replied, feeling his scar. "Where''s Mr Anderson? Isn''t he a higher-up?" he asked, looking around the table. Malakai had to relieve some pressure off him. He had to ask a question before they asked him another one.

    Some of the higher-ups lowered their heads, and the mood worsened after that question.

    "He''s not here at the moment. He has business elsewhere", the grumpy man replied. "How do you know Mr Anderson?".

    "He interviewed me", Malakai answered. "It didn''t even feel like an interview, we had a good talk. I haven''t seen him since", he said, looking happy about remembering Mr Anderson.

    "I don''t think you''ll see him anytime soon", Mr Miller bitterly said.

    "Why?".

    "He''s a very busy man", Mr Miller replied, looking unhappy.

    Bang!

    "Enough about that! What did you want again?" the tall man asked, banging the table and sounding slightly impatient.

    "Oh. My punishment", Malakai replied, unfazed by his worsened mood.

    "What about it?"

    "What is it?" Malakai simply asked. They all looked at him, bewildered. They thought he was going to appeal against getting a punishment, but he was asking what it was. Malakai noticed their confusion. "You were originally gonna punish my whole team, but I thought it was unfair, so I wanted to take responsibility".

    "Right". None of them knew how to respond; they didn''t see this scenario coming.

    "You don''t have a punishment, do you?"

    "Watch your tone, boy!" The grumpy man said, pointing at Malakai.

    "My bad, I apologise", Malakai replied, smiling with his hands up. Mr White had his heart in his mouth for a moment. Malakai was being too casual.

    "Before we discuss your punishment, let me ask you a question. Why did you brake check that team?" Another higher-up took over. He looked the oldest with a weathered face and glasses stuck to his face.

    "To win", Malakai replied like it was obvious. "I wanted to slow them down. I knew what I was doing, I wasn''t gonna make them crash", he confidently said.

    Mr White looked towards his feet, stunned that Malakai hadn''t been kicked out yet. The higher-ups looked at each other, unsure how to proceed. They all thought this kid was crazy, but they secretly liked it. Preferably, they wanted to overlook this incident, but the nonstop complaints forced them into action. The problem was in front of them, and they could solve it now.

    "So, your punishment. You want to take full responsibility?" The tall man asked.

    "Yes sir", Malakai replied, saluting like he was in the military. Mr White couldn''t believe what he was seeing, while a few smiles broke on the faces of a few higher-ups.

    "The only punishment that comes to mind is a point reduction", the tall man replied. "Do you think that''s a fair punishment?".

    "Yeah, that''s fair", Malakai replied. "But don''t you think that''s a bit boring?"

    "What?"

    Malakai smirked. "I mean, look, I''m first on the leaderboard. A guy from class 1-C. If you take points away from me, Alexander will be first. A guy from 1-A. Like, c''mon, seeing a guy from class 1-A first on the leaderboard is boring".

    The higher-ups glanced at each other. He was making sense. The leaderboard looked different for once, and that could be ruined if they take points off him. If that was the punishment, everything would go back to usual, back to being boring. That can''t happen.

    "What do you think your punishment should be then?" The tall man asked.

    "I don''t know", Malakai shrugged. Some of the higher-ups kissed their teeth at his response. "What''s the next challenge?" he asked.

    "We can''t tell you that, but I can tell you Mr Miller is the organiser".

    "Again?"

    "Is there a problem with that?" Mr Miller asked, not liking his reaction.

    "Nah, nah", Malakai replied with his hands up. "I just thought it would be someone else''s turn or something".

    In truth, Mr Anderson organised this challenge, but as he was busy, Mr Miller had to take responsibility for it.

    Suddenly, an idea popped into Malakai''s head. "I''ve got an idea. Why don''t you give me a handicap in the next challenge?" he proposed. Eyebrows raised. That wasn''t a bad idea; no one opposed it, but no one had a suggestion on what the handicap would be until,

    "I know what your punishment will be".

 Chapter 72 - Picking Teams

    November 20th. Monday, 2:01 PM.

    Every class had homeroom. This is because tomorrow, challenge three is happening.

    Class 1-C.

    "Okay, everyone. I know you probably already know this, but the next challenge is happening tomorrow", Ms Green said. Most of the students figured out the next challenge was happening due to the scheduled homeroom. The students never had homeroom at the end of the day, so the rumour started that the next challenge was happening this week. That rumour spread, and eventually, everyone knew. No one knew what the challenge was, but they knew a challenge was happening.

    "The reason why I''m here is because the challenge tomorrow requires you to be in teams of five", Ms Green continued. Excitement was rising among the students. "So I need to supervise and watch you pick your teams".

    "We get to pick our teams?" David speculatively asked.

    "Yes, you can be with whoever you like, but it has to be a group of five. No more or no less", Ms Green answered, making the number five clear. With that, students started talking to each other, already building their teams until,

    "Uuuh, miss. I don''t think I can do that", someone had their hand up.

    "Malakai, I said five. So someone in your friend group of six will have to join another team", Ms Green replied, predicting Malakai''s problem.

    "It''s not that Miss. Ermm, I have to be alone for this challenge", Malakai said. The whole class turned to look at him. What has this kid done now? Some thought he was taking the piss as usual.

    "What?" Ms Green was confused. She thought he was joking.

    "I have to be on a team by myself for this challenge. It''s my punishment for what I did in the last challenge", Malakai replied.

    "You never told us that", William said, completely turning his body around.

    "You''re trolling", Benjamin didn''t believe him.

    "Nah, I''m being serious", Malakai replied.

    "But you said you already got your punishment. It was a lecture from Mr White, and that''s it", Delilah said.

    "I lied. I had to keep it confidential. I went to the higher-ups'' office and talked to them", Malakai nonchalantly replied.

    "You talked to the higher-ups?!" Ms Green was shocked. "Why haven''t I heard this?" She was more shocked that she had never heard this had happened than Malakai talking to the higher-ups. For context, when Malakai returned to his classroom after returning from the higher-ups'' office, he lied and told everyone he got a lecture from Mr White. He had to keep his punishment a secret until it had to be revealed.

    "Did your teammates get the same punishment?" Benjamin asked.

    "Nah, only me", Malakai replied.

    "Why?" William question.

    "We were all gonna get the punishment, but then I said let me handle it cuz it''s me that was driving the car, and they had nothing to do with it", Malakai replied.

    "You really took one for the team?" Delilah asked, sceptical that what he said actually happened.

    "Why are you questioning that? I''m a good person", Malakai replied, feeling hurt that Delilah thought that.

    "You met the higher-ups? What were they like?" Lucas asked from the front of the class.

    "I don''t know. They''re a bunch of old people innit", Malakai shrugged. His response got a few laughs. Some laughs were at his comment, others were at his use of ''innit''. Hearing that word still made a few people smile, as they were American.

    "Okay, Malakai, wait", Ms Green put her hand to her forehead to sort the situation in her head. "So you have to be on a team by yourself?".

    "Yep".

    "Okay. But there are thirty students here. There would''ve been six equal teams. Now one team will have four people instead of five," Ms Green said, narrating what was going through her head.

    "Yup. Sorry classmates", Malakai jokily apologised, raising his hand and looking at everyone.

    "Malakai, why do you have to cause problems everywhere you go?" Ms Green said, placing her hand on her forehead.

    "It''s not my fault Miss. I''ve got haters", Malakai replied. The whole class looked at Malakai like he had ruined everything. "Don''t worry Miss. I''ve got a solution".

    "Go on", Ms Green tiredly replied.

    "My friends can be the group of four. Ben, Lu, Ray and Willy can be on one team, and David can join another team", Malakai said.

    "WHAT?!" All his friends stood from their desks and shouted at Malakai.

    "Why do we have to be at a disadvantage because of you?" Lucas complained.

    "Cuz you''re my boys", Malakai replied.

    "We had a perfect five because you were gone. Why do we have to be a team of four?" Benjamin complained.

    "Cuz you''re my boys", Malakai replied.

    "Why are you making this our problem?" William complained.

    "Cuz you''re my boys", Malakai replied.

    "Malakai, isn''t there another solution?" Ray complained.

    "Nah. Cuz you''re my boys", Malakai replied.

    "Why do I have to join another team?" David complained.

    "Cuz you''re my��oh, that''s just cuz you''re the smartest out of all us, so you would help another team out a lot," Malakai replied.

    "That doesn''t make any sense. I would help more in the team of four because they''re down a person", David said.

    "That does make sense. Just do that then", Malakai shrugged. "Make Willy join another team", he said, pointing at William.

    "Why me?"

    "I don''t know. I wouldn''t want you on my team", Malakai giggled.

    "Shut up!" William replied, trying to slap him (He missed).

    Ms Green watched this all play out. She was entertained but was getting a headache from the situation.

    "Who''s on our team then?" Benjamin asked Malakai.

    "I don''t know. Sounds like a you problem. I''ve already got a team", Malakai replied, smiling, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair. All the other students started murmuring.

    "I''m going to smack this guy", Lucas said, nearly leaving his seat.

    Bang!

    "That''s enough!" Ms Green smacked her desk to quiet the class. "It looks like this is the perfect time to pick your teams. The problem has been solved. William, Lucas, Ray, Benjamin and David, I''m sorry your friend is an idiot". People smiled at how she called Malakai an idiot. "It looks like you will have to make a team of four, and one of you will have to join another team". David was slowly shaking his head. Lucas was staring daggers at Malakai. Ray was looking at his friends. William had his head on his desk. Benjamin was hysterically smiling at how ridiculous the scenario was.

    "Go ahead and choose your teams. Once you have, come to me so I can write your names down", Ms Green concluded.

    Every student stood up from their seat to form their teams while Malakai stayed relaxed in his seat. All of his friends surrounded his desk immediately.

    "Malakai, Why?" David seriously asked him.

    "What did I do?" Malakai asked back innocently.

    "You made this so much harder for us", Ray said.

    "Bro, what about me?! I''m by myself! I have it the hardest", Malakai replied.

    "Yeah, but that''s your fault. We didn''t do anything, and we are losing a person", William said.

    "But like, you lot are sick (great) innit. You can pull it off", Malakai replied, smirking. William''s point made sense, and Malakai had no counterargument for it. Delilah watched from her desk.

    "Delilah".

    Delilah looked at where the voice was coming from.

    "Do you want to join our team?" It was Tanisha, with Maria standing next to her.

    "Yeah, sure", Delilah agreed.

    Malakai looked to his right and saw the three girls. "I''ve got an idea. Why don''t one of you join their team", he said, pointing at his friends and then the girls.

    "What is going on?" Tanisha asked, seeing Malakai point at her.

    "You don''t mind one of them joining your team? One of them doesn''t have one," Malakai asked Tanisha.

    "Why our team?" Tanisha replied.

    "Why not? I mean, Originally, before I got nerfed, I probably would''ve joined your team", Malakai said.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.After hearing that, Maria was disappointed that he couldn''t join their team anymore. She hadn''t thought it could''ve been a possibility before, but now it''s definitely not. Her shoulders slightly slumped.

    "No, you wouldn''t have. I wouldn''t have let you", Tanisha snapped back.

    "What do you mean? You else is gonna join Delilah? She has no friends", Malakai said.

    "Huh?! I''ve got friends", Delilah defended herself.

    "Like who?" Malakai questioned.

    "Umm", Delilah hesitated. "Rosy".

    "Who the fuck is that?" Malakai said, looking around the class.

    "Her", Delilah timidly pointed at a girl with fluffy blonde-brown hair.

    Malakai could only see her side profile. "Oh, her. She''s nice", Malakai said.

    "Nice? You know her?" Benjamin asked.

    "Not really. I forgot to zip up my bag before putting it on my back, and she told me it was open", Malakai replied.

    "And that''s enough to call her nice", Lucas said, not understanding his logic.

    "Bro, none of you lot would''ve done that. Only Ray and Maria would''ve", Malakai replied. His friends smiled, knowing what he said was true.

    "Forget that. Who is joining their team?" David said, wanting to make a team already.

    "One of you is actually joining our team?" Tanisha asked, thinking that it was a joke.

    "It''s up to you. If you don''t want any of us to join you, just tell us", Benjamin replied, not trying to force one of them to their team.

    Tanisha was unsure what to say; she didn''t want to refuse them.

    "Tan, I think it will be good if one of them joins. They''re all smart", Maria said, trying to persuade her.

    "Yeah, I agree. They''ve all got their own qualities", Delilah added.

    "You''re just saying that because you don''t know anyone else in this class", Malakai teased.

    "Shut up!" Delilah replied, trying to smack his head, but Malakai dodged it while giggling.

    "Who wants to go?" William asked the group. No one gave an answer. It wasn''t like they didn''t want to go, but they wanted to stay with their best friends.

    "I think Ben should join", David suggested. Everyone looked towards Benjamin.

    "Okay, I don''t mind", Benjamin accepted.

    "You''re not gonna argue against it?" Malakai asked.

    "I knew I was gonna join them. It was either me or David, but David''s joining the team of four", Benjamin replied.

    "You''re calling them idiots?" Malakai instigated.

    "I mean, it''s simple, really. Surely they''d want someone in the top ten", Benjamin said, playing along with Malakai to piss off his friends.

    "What are you tryna say?" Lucas replied. Another playful argument started.

    "I''m happy with Benjamin on our team", Tanisha said while those six argued with each other. "But who is going to be our last teammate?" She rhetorically asked, looking at the class.

    "I know someone", Maria replied. Maria walked away from the commotion that was going on around Malakai''s desk, and Tanisha followed. She walked to the front of the class, towards a desk in the second row. The desk she walked to had two girls surrounding it and a girl sitting in that seat. The girl had circular glasses and black hair with white highlights. The girl had a wolf cut, so she was easy to pick out. Maria went to the desk and asked,

    "Sarena, do you want to join our team?"

    Class 1-A.

    Two people were standing next to a certain someones desk.

    "We''ve got three people, but we need two more", Frank said. "Who do you think should join us, Isabella?".

    "Uhm, I think anyone would be okay. Anyone who joins will help us", Isabella replied.

    "Not everyone. Some people won''t help at all", Alexander coldly said. Isabella awkwardly looked at Frank.

    "He''s not wrong", Frank said, rubbing his chin. "I know this is class 1-A, but there is still the upper tier and lower tier of the class".

    "He''s right", Isabella thought. "To be honest, I don''t know who''s good enough for Alexander. He''s already rejected three people. I''m surprised he let me in his group. Wait, does he consider me a friend? Naah, who am I kidding. I''m more of an acquaintance", she thought. Isabella looked around the class. It was quite calm; a lot of people were sitting in their seats. Not many were crowding around and forming teams. Were they waiting to be chosen?

    "Oh, I''ve got someone in mind", Frank said. Alexander and Isabella looked at him. "I could ask Luna if she wants to join", he suggested.

    "Luna?" Alexander asked, not recognising the name.

    "She was my partner for the first challenge. She''s really smart", Frank replied.

    "She''s in the top ten too", Isabella added to put in a good word for her.

    "Sure, if both of you say she''s good enough", Alexander agreed.

    "Okay, I''ll go ask her", Frank said, getting up from his seat and walking away. Frank went to Luna, leaving Alexander and Isabella together.

    "Just one more person", Isabella mumbled to herself, looking at the rest of the class.

    "Let me join".

    "Huh?" Isabella turned to where the voice came from. It was Destiny.

    "Who are you?" Alexander asked, looking at her uninterested.

    "Destiny. I sit over there", she replied, pointing behind her towards the back row. "So, am I joining?".

    "Why do you think you can join us?" Alexander insensitively asked.

    "Because I can", Destiny bluntly replied, looking down at him as he sat. She had a smirk while she looked down at him.

    Alexander could feel the disrespect. "Who do you think you are?" he said to her, furrowing his eyebrows and getting up from his seat so he wasn''t looked down upon.

    "That''s ironic. I could ask you the same thing", Isabella thought, seeing Alexander get riled up.

    "I''m Destiny. I know my worth. I know how good I am", she confidently answered.

    "Where are you in the leaderboard?" Alexander asked.

    "I''m sixth", Destiny proudly replied. "But, I want first".

    "I don''t think that''s possible for you", Alexander rudely said. Isabella stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

    "I don''t think you can say that. You''re not first after all", Destiny mockingly said. "The only person who can say that to me is the person who''s first, and the last time I checked, it wasn''t you", she fired back.

    Alexander was getting irritated; he didn''t like how he was being spoken to. This was the first time in a long time this had happened. He couldn''t fire back because he didn''t know anything about her.

    "How about this? Let me join your team so you can take the top spot for now", Destiny said.

    "What?" Alexander wasn''t following.

    "If I join you, we will definitely beat Malakai and his team. When we beat him, we''ll get more points than he does, so he''ll fall down the leaderboard. Once he is out of the picture, we can compete", Destiny explained.

    Alexander scoffed. He thought about the idea for a moment before answering. "Fine, you can join", he replied. "I''ll show you firsthand you have no chance of getting first place".

    "I can''t wait to see", Destiny replied, teasingly smiling.

    "I''m back. Luna said she will join us", Frank said, slowly finishing his sentence after seeing what was happening. "Is she joining our team?" he asked, looking at Destiny.

    "Yes, I am", Destiny answered for them. "Nice to meet ya".

    Frank was speechless, first because of Destiny''s approach and second because of how easily she was allowed to join their team. He saw people get rejected in front of him and the second his back is turnt she joined. Why did Alexander accept her so easily? Frank was missing some vital information.

    Luna went next to Isabella and whispered, "Is this really our team?" she asked, feeling the tension.

    "Yep", she sighed. "I guess it looks like we''re guaranteed to win, whatever the challenge is".

    Class B.

    "Who are we taking for the last person?" Lorenzo asked.

    "I think we should take Chris", Reece suggested.

    "He''s already joined a team, look over there", Luke replied.

    "Don''t worry, I''ve already got someone in mind", Ryan said, looking at who he was going to ask. He walked to the back of the class and stood in front of a desk,

    "Eric, join our team".

 Chapter 73 - Challenge 3

    November 21st. Tuesday, 9:16 AM.

    "It''s too early for this", Malakai yawned, stepping out of the bus.

    "Anything before 12 is early for you", Lucas said, following behind him.

    "Am I wrong?" Malakai replied, rubbing his eyes.

    "Yes, just go to bed earlier", Lucas said, looking around at the surroundings.

    "You don''t understand man", Malakai yawned again.

    All the students arrived at the location where the next challenge would take place. Each class had its own bus to travel on. The journey wasn''t long��it was only a 45-minute drive. This challenge was different from the last. In the last challenge, the students were split into five groups, but this time, all 150 students were completing the challenge at the same time.

    "That building is huge", Ray said, looking at the wide and tall building in front of him. "What kind of challenge are we going to do?" he rhetorically asked.

    "Can my class come over here please!" Ms Green said, waving her arms to indicate where she was. All the homeroom teachers from the different classes also joined them. More help was needed this time as every first year was involved. Also, this time, the challenge was not being live-streamed, so there were no cameramen.

    "Is everyone here?" Ms Green asked, looking at her students in front of her. "You''re not little kids, so I''m not doing a register".

    "But what if one of us got lost on the way here?" Malakai asked.

    "Malakai", Ms Green said in a deadbeat tone that showed she wasn''t playing along.

    "Sorry Miss", he quickly apologised. Malakai and Ms Greens banter was on and off. Most of the time Ms Green would play along and the other times she was sick of his jokes. You could guess what time it was this time.

    "Follow me", Ms Green said, walking ahead into the building. All the students followed her into the building.

    "I can''t wait", Maria said with an excited look on her face.

    "Are you not nervous?" Delilah asked. Maria, Tanisha, Sarena and Delilah were already walking together in their group. Benjamin was walking with his friends at the moment but would join them when he needed to.

    "I''m more excited than nervous", Maria happily replied, looking energised despite it being early in the morning.

    "But you don''t know what the challenge is. It could be tough", Tanisha said, not feeling the same excitement Maria was feeling.

    "Even so, I want to do well so I keep my spot in the top ten", Maria replied.

    Tanisha smiled, "I guess we have to do good now. I don''t want you to lose your place", she said.

    "I think she''s put more pressure on us now", Sarena whispered to Delilah.

    "Yep, totally", Delilah whispered back.

    Everyone was in the building, packed into this massive white room. The different classes stood behind their teachers and waited for an announcement. All the students were excited to know what the challenge was. The conversations were endless. Despite it being early in the morning, the students were wide awake for this��well, the majority of them.

    "Do you lot want a spoiler?" Malakai tiredly said. His friends turned to him. "You''re gonna see Mr Miller come out of that door", he said, pointing to a door on the side of the room.

    "How''d you know?" William asked.

    "They told me he organised this challenge", Malakai replied, yawning again.

    "That''s a shit spoiler. Give us another one", Lucas said, flicking the back of Malakai''s ear.

    "Ayo", Malakai felt it. "It''s the only one I got. Take it or leave it", he joked.

    "You already gave it to us", Ray giggled.

    While Malakai laughed and joked with his friends, he was getting watched from all angles. No matter where he was people always watched him.

    "Whatever the challenge is, he can''t win this time", Ryan said to himself.

    "It''s time to make everyone know who I am and overtake him", Destiny said to herself.

    "Why is he always smiling? It pisses me off", Dillon said to himself.

    "I hope my teammates don''t slow me down, again", Adam said to himself.

    Out of nowhere, a door opened, and a familiar man walked in. Yep, Mr Miller was back, which didn''t please many of the students. He stepped onto the platform at the front and walked to the centre. He stood before them and let their teachers quiet them down for him. Once silence came, he started,

    "Welcome to challenge three", he introduced with a smile. The students felt a wave of excitement and happiness after hearing that despite who said it. "This is challenge three", Mr Miller continued. "All of you are here to participate today instead of the challenge being spread out through the week".

    "No shit Sherlock", Malakai quietly said so only his friends could hear. No laughs broke out, but they all smirked. Anyone could fall victim to Malakai''s jokes.

    "The challenge this time is a lot different from your last. You''re not leaving this building", Mr Miller said, spreading his arms. "I''m sure all of you saw how big this building is from the outside. Well, I can tell you that this building contains many rooms, and those rooms are escape rooms".

    Smiles, gasps and shocked faces. Escape rooms. That sounded fun. Something straightforward, not driving to different places and doing random tasks. The majority of students were happy with this announcement. Who doesn''t like escape rooms?

    "Yes, today''s challenge is a single escape room. You and your group will have to try and get out of the room the quickest", Mr Miller said. "I won''t tell you anything about the escape room as I don''t want to spoil you or give you a head start. You''ll have to go in there and figure it out yourselves. However, I will tell you that there are four different ways to escape".

    Four ways to escape? Throughout his explanation, some students were whispering and already strategising. It may sound stupid, as they don''t know what''s inside the room, but they wanted to be organised.

    "Before I let you go, let me tell you about the points", Mr Miller said in a tone that clearly showed he knew what he was doing. "The team that escapes first will get 1500 points."

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website."This time, there''s a definitive winner," Alexander mumbled. Destiny gave Alexander a side-eye to see his reaction, but his facial expression looked the same as ever. Students were also side-eyeing Malakai, which wasn''t that surprising. Malakai could lose first place, and the point gap could be closed, which fired up the students more. They wanted to see Malakai fall. His name had been at the top for too long.

    "The teams that finish 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th get 1250 points. Teams that finish 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th or 10th get 1000 points. Teams that place 11th to 15th get 750 points. Teams that place 16th to 20th get 500 points. Teams that place 21th to 30th get 250 points. Teams that don''t escape the room in the time limit get 0 points", Mr Miller explained.

    "What''s the time limit?" A student shouted out without hesitation.

    "The time limit is six hours", Mr Miller answered.

    Six hours? How big is this room? Is it that hard to escape? The students also noticed that every position offered points. Only the teams that didn''t finish didn''t get points. So that must mean escaping is difficult. Stress came over some students.

    "Settle down! Settle down!" Mr Miller said, trying to calm the noise. "Hearing that reaction showed me that all of you thought this would be easy. Let me tell you, a lot of work has been put into this. Points can''t be given so easily, and that''s the harsh reality of this academy", he said.

    "Can you tell us what to expect!" Someone shouted. Cheers of support followed that comment. Panic was evident. Students were having doubts about their abilities.

    Mr Miller smiled, "I won''t tell you anything about the room. All I will tell you is that you have to find a way to escape it within the time limit", he replied.

    "Will there be a clock to show us how much time we got left!?"

    "There will be a clock, but it will only tell you the time. It won''t tell you how much time you got left", Mr Miller answered. The more the students knew, the more stressed they became, and Mr Miller loved it. "I don''t want to waste more of your time. I''ve told you what the challenge is. Your teachers will guide you to your rooms. Good luck and try your best", Mr Miller''s final words before leaving the room.

    The noise in the room increased. Everyone was talking now.

    "Mally, good luck", David sympathetically said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

    "I''m not getting first, but I''m coming in the top ten", Malakai replied.

    "There''s no way", William said. "You''re by yourself".

    "Mally, I know you do some cool stuff, but this time, even I think you''re doing too much", Ray added.

    "Doubt me, I don''t mind. But, when I do come in the top ten, I want an apology", Malakai replied, doing his usual smile.

    "Do you think he will?" Lucas asked Benjamin.

    "I think he''s crazy, but if he does do it, I wouldn''t be surprised", Benjamin replied.

    "Shhhhh!". "Quiet!". The teachers tried their best to quiet the place down and eventually succeeded after many attempts. The place was quiet enough for the teachers to make their announcements.

    "Can my class follow me!" Mr Saint ordered his class. Class 1-A followed their teacher out of the room. Next was class 1-C, as they stood next to class 1-A. The classes didn''t stand in order, their homeroom teachers stood where they wanted, and their classes followed.

    "Shit, I need to go to my team", Benjamin said. He left his friends and went to his team. "Are yall ready?" he asked when approaching them.

    "Yeah/Nope/Not really/I don''t know", he got four different answers.

    "Heh, everything is going to be fine. You''ve got someone in the top ten here", Benjamin boastfully but jokingly said.

    "You''re not the only person in the top ten here", Tanisha said, wrapping an arm around Maria. Maria shyly looked away because of the compliment.

    "I know", Benjamin smiled.

    "If we don''t do good, they''re both losing their places in the top ten. I feel even more pressure now", Sarena whispered to Delilah.

    "Yep, totally", Delilah whispered back.

    The class left the room and went up some stairs to a higher floor. They reached a wide corridor with doors on the left-hand side. The doors were heavily spaced out, meaning the rooms were massive.

    "Behind these doors are the escape rooms", Ms Green said. "With your team, go and stand behind a door, but don''t go inside!" she made the last bit clear.

    Different teams walked and chose a door. Malakai and his group of friends continued to walk further down the corridor. The number of students started to dwindle as they chose doors.

    "Let''s stay here", Tanisha said, standing next to a door. Her team stopped and waited for further instructions.

    "Good luck", David, Lucas, Ray and William wished them good luck as they walked past them.

    "Thanks", they all replied.

    Malakai walked to them and held his fist out for a fist-bump to each of them. "Good luck".

    Sarena was hesitant to fist-bump him as this was their first interaction. "Thank you", she timidly replied.

    Delilah and Benjamin fist-bumped him and thanked him, but,

    "You''re not gonna spud me? (fist-bump me)", Malakai asked, holding out his fist.

    "No. I don''t need your luck", Tanisha replied, leaving him hanging.

    "Aryt, whatever you say", he said, pulling his fist away. "Good luck", Malakai smiled, holding out his fist.

    Maria smiled and fist-bumped him, "Thanks, you too. You need it more than us", she replied.

    "Luck? Naah, maybe a bit", Malakai said, walking away. With that, he went further down the corridor and chose a door next to his friends. Everyone was behind a door and waited for what to do next.

    "Hello! Is everyone ready?" A voice came from a speaker in the ceiling. It was Mr Miller again. "If everyone is ready, we can start the challenge", the challenge was about to start. "When you hear the beep you may enter your room".

    There was about a two-minute wait. Time felt like it was going in slow motion. The students wanted to go into the room already, but all they could do was wait until,

    BEEEEPP!!!

    Doors opened, and students went flying in. David and his team rushed into the room and were frozen in place upon seeing what was inside.

    "Where do we start?".

 Chapter 74 - Escape Room

    "Where do we start?" William asked upon entering the room and looking everywhere.

    The room was massive for an escape room. It seemed to have everything: a kitchen area with an oven, a stove, a table and a refrigerator, a bed in the corner of the room with stuffed animals, a study area with a big desk and a computer, and that wasn''t all. The room was messy, with clothes and random objects scattered on the floor. The boys stared at everything and had no clue where to start.

    Ray walked across the room to the other side, carefully stepping over everything, "Guys, there are two doors", he told them. The rest of the guys followed him to check it out.

    "Are these the exists?" William asked, knocking and pushing on the doors.

    "I think so. This one has a lock, and the other has a keypad. There are four ways to escape, maybe these are two of them", David replied, trying to piece everything together.

    "What''s that?" Ray pointed. He pointed at this little window near the floor next to the door. No person could fit through that space, so that wasn''t an option for an escape route.

    Lucas knelt down to look at it closer. The window had a glass door that could be pulled down; Lucas pulled it down and put his hand to the other side. "I can''t feel anything on the other side", he told them.

    "What is it for then?" Ray asked, tilting his head and looking at it.

    "They use this type of thing when they need to give you something, or you have to give them something", Lucas replied. "We might need to give them something for us to escape".

    While those three were trying to figure that out, William wondered somewhere else.

    "Woah, there''s a treadmill", William noticed. He walked towards it and stood on it. He was about to start it until,

    "Wait!" David stopped him. "We might need that for escaping. Don''t do anything until we have things figured out", he said.

    William looked at him, disappointed. "Tch, fine", he reluctantly agreed. "Having Malakai here would''ve been fun", he mumbled, stepping off the treadmill.

    "Why don''t we look at different areas of the room?" David said. He quickly took the role of the leader.

    The boys separated to search different parts of the room. William went to the area with the bed, Ray went to the kitchen area, David went to the study area, and Lucas found another door. Lucas walked to the door and stepped over objects on the floor. He reached the door and cautiously opened it. To his surprise, it opened. Lucas stepped inside and saw �� a toilet. He found the restroom. He walked inside and saw a note stuck on the mirror.

    "This room is not part of the escape room. There are no clues inside the restroom", he read out. Lucas disappointedly walked out of the restroom. He thought he found something good.

    David saw him walk out. "What''s inside there?" he asked.

    "A toilet, in case you need to go", Lucas replied.

    "Are you joking?" David asked, not taking him seriously.

    "I wish I was", Lucas said. "Have any of you found anything?" he asked, looking at the other two.

    "There''s nothing in the kitchen area, only kitchen stuff and a few ingredients", Ray replied, closing a cupboard.

    "I found a guitar", William said, holding it up.

    "That isn''t going to help", Lucas replied, walking towards him. Lucas looked around the area. There was a bed, a make-up area and a closet; nothing too unusual until he spotted something. "Did you not see the mannequin standing there?" he asked William, pointing at the mannequin in the corner. It was a full-body female mannequin, completely white with no facial features.

    "I didn''t think it was important", William replied.

    "Dumbass. A mannequin is more important than a guitar", Lucas said, picking the mannequin up.

    "How?"

    "This room could belong to the mannequin", Lucas replied.

    William laughed. "You called me a dumbass. How can a room belong to a mannequin?" he asked.

    "Escape rooms have a story. You have to figure it out to escape. You don''t just find a key and use it to escape. Dumbass", Lucas replied, walking past him. "Have you ever been to an escape room?" he asked William.

    "No", William shook his head.

    "Have you two been to an escape room?" Lucas asked the other two.

    "No/Nope", Ray and David replied.

    Lucas sighed.

    "When have you gone to an escape room?" Ray asked.

    "In high school", Lucas answered, placing the mannequin in the centre of the room.

    "With friends?" William asked.

    "No, with a girl. It was a date", Lucas answered.

    "Of course", David said under his breath.

    The boys were having trouble finding something to start off. Everything was all over the place, nothing linked to anything. All they had was a mannequin.

    "Does the TV turn on?" Ray asked. A TV was attached to one of the walls, and it was turned off. William walked towards it and pressed a button on the side to switch it on. The TV turned on and showed,

    "0 Dollars?" William read out. "How do I change the channel?" he said, pressing the different buttons on the side.

    "Don''t change it!" Lucas shouted at him.

    "It''s not changing", William said after pressing every button.

    Lucas walked over to William and dragged him away from the TV. "That''s another way to escape. Earn enough money to get out of here", he said, pulling him away from the TV.

    "You don''t know that. You''re guessing that", William replied. "That could be a part of the story you''re talking about".

    "Bro! Can''t you be serious? I''m tryna think of solutions", Lucas said, putting his hands on the top of his head. William was stressing him out.

    "I think Lu is right", Ray said. "I saw another smaller TV over there with an old games console plugged into it".

    "Where?" Lucas asked, quickly turning his head.

    "Over there", Ray pointed. He pointed to the left of the restroom door. Lucas went over to inspect it. It was a small old-school TV with an old games console plugged into it.

    "What console is that?" William asked, peering over Lucas''s shoulder.

    Lucas ignored him. He switched the TV on, and a game appeared on the TV.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there."The graphics are terrible", William said.

    Lucas stood back up. "We''re wasting time!" he said, trying to get his message across.

    "Yeah. We''ve been here for 15 minutes, and we haven''t found anything", David said.

    "Did you find anything?" Lucas asked David, hoping for something.

    "Nothing. The computer needs a password", David replied.

    "Have you tried password?" William asked.

    "No..." David slowly said, thinking William might be onto something.

    "I have to do everything around here", William sarcastically said, walking to the computer. He sat down on the seat at the desk and tucked in the chair. He confidently typed in password and,

    ''Incorrect password''.

    The three of them looked at William like an idiot.

    "Guys, I didn''t use a capital p. Let me try again", William nervously said. This time, he typed in Password.

    ''Incorrect password''.

    "Get out of the seat", Lucas told him sternly.

    "It usually works, though", William mopped, standing up.

    "Check the back of the computer. The password may be written on the back", Ray suggested.

    Lucas looked behind the computer and found no password but pulled out a book. "A diary", he said. He opened the first page. "Complete to-do list. The to-do list is on the computer. Fuck sake!" he raged, forcefully closing the diary.

    "Don''t close it. Check the rest of the pages", David said, not losing hope. Lucas shook his head and opened the diary again. He flipped through the rest of the pages, but they were mostly empty; some had little doodles at the bottom, except the last page. The last page was filled with writing.

    "Woah, that''s some nice handwriting", William commented.

    Everyone ignored him and read what was written.

    "What is this?" Lucas asked after skim-reading it.

    "A poem, maybe?" Jay tried guessing.

    "More like lyrics to a song", David said. "Will did find a guitar earlier", he put two and two together.

    "Try finding the meaning of the song. Maybe that''s the password", William said. Everyone gave him a look. "What did I do this time?" he asked.

    "Nothing. You actually said something good for once", Lucas replied a little shocked.

    "I did?" After a moment of realisation. "Yeah, I did. How did none of you think of that?" he boasted.

    "Well done, you did one good thing. Now go do something useful. Let me try and decipher this", David said, shooing away William with his hand.

    "Let me stay here, it''s better if two people try to figure it out", Lucas said.

    "Okay", David agreed. "Ray, try to find more clues", he instructed.

    "Sure", Ray listened and walked away with William following him.

    "Should we play on the console?" William quietly asked.

    "I''m not sure if that''s a good idea", Ray replied, scanning the room. "Let''s search everything. We have to make sure we haven''t missed anything", he said.

    William rolled his eyes. "There''s nothing else to do, so I guess I have to".

    About 15 minutes passed.

    SLAM!

    Lucas slammed the diary on the desk, "Where''s the password!" he said, clearly frustrated. He stood up and walked away from the desk.

    "So, the password is not any of the lyrics?" William asked.

    "No, we tried everything. It''s just a stupid song", Lucas replied. "Have you found any clues?" he asked William and Ray.

    "No", they both shook their heads.

    "Have you checked in the guitar?" Lucas desperately asked.

    "Yup, there''s nothing in there", Ray replied.

    Lucas looked defeated. He walked to the kitchen and rested his head on the table. "Why can''t we find anything?" he said. No one could hear him, though, as his head was rested in his arms.

    "Lu, when you went to the escape room, what did you do when you got stuck?" David asked, leaning back on the chair at the desk.

    Lucas lifted his head, "You could ask for a hint", he answered.

    "Oh", everyone knew they weren''t getting a hint.

    "Everyone''s stressing too much", William said. "We all need to relax a little", he said, throwing and catching a basketball.

    "Where did you find that?" Ray asked, confused about where he got a basketball from.

    "It was hidden in the closet", William replied. "I do have some bad news. It is flat", he said, pressing the basketball with both hands, showing that it lacked air.

    "Is there a hoop anywhere?" David asked while asking for the ball with his hands.

    "Nope", William passed him the ball.

    "The heck?! This is flat", David threw the ball back to William. He was disturbed by how flat it was. David loved basketball; out of the group, he was the best at it. Benjamin was a close second, while Ray was third. Lucas and William were about the same, and Malakai, well, he is British, so basketball isn''t his cup of tea. The last time we all saw Malakai play basketball, he kicked the ball like a football (soccer ball) into the hoop.

    William caught the ball, and his intrusive thoughts spoke out,

    "Do you think the password is in the ball?" he said.

    Lucas looked at him like he was a hopeless idiot, but Ray looked at him optimistically.

    "It could be", Ray said with a lit-up smile. He went to the kitchen, opened the drawer, and picked up a knife.

    "Woah, woah. What are you doing?" David asked with concern, seeing Ray quickly pick up a knife.

    "Opening the basketball", Ray replied. "Here", he handed William the knife.

    David stood up from his chair and was about to stop them before they got hurt.

    "David let them", Lucas stopped him. "It''s not like we''ve got any other ideas", he said, watching them with no hope.

    David sighed and walked over to them to make sure William didn''t cut himself.

    "Here I go", William excitedly said with the knife in hand. He placed the basketball on the floor, held the knife with both hands and pushed down the centre of the ball. The basketball cut easily, and the cut was visible. William pushed the knife deeper and then pulled the knife out. The rest of the air escaped the ball. William ripped the cut a bit more with his hands, so his hand could fit inside. Once the cut was big enough, he placed his hand inside and said,

    "What''s inside".

 Chapter 75 - Escaping The Room

    "What''s inside?"

    William reached and felt what was inside. His hand touched something and pulled it out. It was a folded piece of paper; he opened it up, and,

    "LonelyLoner123", William read out. "What is this? A username?".

    David''s eyes lit up. "That has to be the password", he said with an inspired smile on his face. He quickly stepped to the desk and sat on the chair. "Can you read it out again, please?" he asked.

    "LonelyLoner123. No spaces, and both the lonely and loner start with a capital L", William told him.

    David quickly typed out what he was told and pressed enter when he finished. The boys gathered around the computer while it loaded. The loading circle took a long time; this could be good, but it could also be for nothing. This time it was,

    "I''m in!" David cheerfully said.

    Lucas''s face broke into a smile. "Great! Now, find the to-do list", he said, getting closer to the desk.

    David clicked on random apps to find the to-do list and eventually found the notes app. The first thing that popped up was a to-do list with multiple tasks written.

    "Exercise, respond to emails, respond to family, upload a picture with friends, upload assignment, bake cookies, clean room, complete video game and feed Gary", David read out.

    "Who''s Gary?" William asked, looking around the room. All the boys did the same, confused about who Gary was.

    "It has to be a pet", David said.

    "Don''t tell me it''s something like a hamster or mouse", Lucas said, getting shivers and dreading the thought of feeding a mouse.

    "Is that a fish tank over there?" Ray asked, pointing towards the bedside table. Lucas, who was motivated by their sudden progress, went closer to inspect it. A small wooden box covered what looked like a fish tank.

    Lucas moved the box and found out what it was. "Will. Why didn''t you properly search the bed area?" Lucas calmly asked.

    "What? There''s nothing there", William replied, despite seeing the fish tank in 4K.

    "There''s a fucking goldfish here", Lucas said, showcasing the lone goldfish swimming in the tank.

    "Forget arguing!" David said, stopping them before it escalated. "Let''s do these tasks. Lucas, find the fish food and feed Gary. The rest of us will clean the room".

    "Okay", Ray and William agreed. Lucas was already searching for the fish food.

    The three of them cleaned the room, picking up clothes and rubbish from the floor, cleaning the dirty dishes, the kitchen table, the study desk, the bed, and everything else that needed cleaning. It took the boys about 10 minutes to clean the room. It wasn''t the best job, but it would do.

    "Have you found the fish food yet?" David asked Lucas.

    "No", Lucas worriedly replied. Even after thoroughly searching the room, the fish food was nowhere to be found. "Have any of you seen it?".

    He got responses of no and shaking of heads. Lucas wasn''t happy, he thought it would''ve been a straightforward task.

    "Lu, maybe we have to do something to earn the food", Ray told him as he noticed he was stressed.

    "Yeah, don''t worry too much", David added. "We need to keep doing tasks to find out more".

    Ping!

    A noise came from the TV.

    "You must complete all the tasks before escaping", Lucas read out.

    "Before escaping", William repeated. "Wait, so completing the task isn''t a way to escape. What''s the point?" he complained.

    "Lu literally already told you, dude. The room has a story, the tasks are a part of the story", David told him.

    Lucas rolled his eyes and shook his head. He was starting to understand why Malakai and William argued a lot of the time.

    "What should we do next?" Ray asked, waiting for something to do.

    "Right", David hastily made his way to the computer and sat down. "Let''s separate the tasks", he said. David looked at the list. "I''ll deal with the tasks on the computer, William, you do the exercise".

    "Is that the treadmill?" William asked.

    "Yeah", David replied.

    "What does it say I have to do?"

    "It doesn''t say anything. I think you just have to run on the treadmill".

    "I''ll start now", William said, walking off.

    "You two should bake the cookies", David told them.

    "Both of us?" Lucas questioned.

    "Yes, because I can do most of the tasks on the computer", David replied.

    "Let me help with the computer. I think I can find more clues here. I feel the computer is a big part of this room", Lucas said. "Ray can handle the cookies. He''s a pretty good chef".

    "Chef, not baker. I don''t know how to bake cookies", Ray said. "There''s no recipe book in the kitchen either".

    "I can find a recipe online and print it out", David said after some quick thinking. There was a printer next to the computer, which was convenient. David opened up the web browser and searched for a cookie recipe. He clicked the first link and printed the recipe.

    "Here you go", David handed Ray the recipe.

    "Thanks", Ray took it and went to bake the cookies.

    "Okay, let''s search this computer", Lucas said.

    "Isn''t there a chair somewhere you could use?" David asked, looking at Lucas standing up.

    "I''m fine. I don''t mind standing", Lucas replied, eager to search for more clues.

    "Should we do the tasks first and then search the computer?" David asked.

    "Yeah, let''s get them out of the way", Lucas replied.

    David clicked on folders until he found a folder labelled assignment. He opened it up and found a two thousand-word essay.

    "Where do we upload this?" he rhetorically asked. He scrolled to the bottom of the essay and found a link. He clicked the link, and it took him to a different page, a page with an upload button. "That answers my question", he said. He clicked the upload button and chose the assignment. He submitted the assignment, and,

    "TWO HOURS!?" Lucas reacted. "What type of connection do we have?"

    "I''m sure it will be two hours for everyone. It would be unfair if it weren''t", David replied. "There is a six-hour time limit, I''m this is to fill the time".

    "Tsk, this challenge is stressing me too much", Lucas said, rubbing his forehead.

    "Relax, dude. I''m sure we''re doing good. I imagine a lot of people will struggle to find the password", David reassured him. "It was in a basketball. A lot of people wouldn''t check that".

    Lucas sighed. "Having Benjamin or Malakai here would''ve been so much better", he said. "They both act like they know what they''re doing most of the time".

    "You prefer being lied to that everything is okay?" David replied, skim-reading an email for the next task.

    "In this situation, yes", Lucas replied. "How many emails are there?" he asked, seeing David writing a response.

    "There''s five. It''ll take a while to respond to them all", David replied.

    "It''s a good thing we''ve got time", Lucas enthusiastically said as a joke.

    While those two responded to emails, let''s see what William was doing.

    When William left them, he went to the treadmill and turned it on. The screen on the treadmill showed kilometres, miles, and speed. William increased the speed to the maximum number, which was ten. After 2 minutes at max speed, William felt breathless. He decreased the speed to seven and continued at that speed.

    15 minutes later.

    "How long do I have to run for?" he rhetorically asked, breathing heavily. He looked at the screen and saw 2.4k and 1.49 miles. Do I have to go until I reach a certain distance?". He was feeling tired now; he couldn''t continue at this pace. He decreased the speed to 5. At this point, he was speed walking, sweat dripping down his forehead. "How do I know when I''m finished?" he complained. No one heard him as everyone else was engrossed in their tasks. "Forget this", he said. He turned down the speed again to 3. William''s stamina couldn''t handle it, but he knew he couldn''t quit as his friends would be mad at him. He had to get this done one way or the other.

    After some time, Ray came over to William to check up on him.

    "How''s it going?" Ray asked.

    William silently shook his head and gave him an exhausted look.

    Ray looked at the screen and saw 4.9K and 3 miles. "Are you trying to reach 5k?" he asked.

    "Huuh, haah. Probably", William answered, looking like he''d given up on life.

    Ray looked at the speed number, which was not impressive. He clicked on the speed button a few times to increase the number to 8.

    "What are you doing?" William asked in a panic, trying to keep up with the treadmill.

    "You''re almost there. Give it your all for the last kilometre", Ray replied with a mischievous grin.

    William was forced to run, but he still tried to turn down the speed. Before he could press the button, the treadmill started slowing down.

    "Huh? Did you turn it off?" Ray asked, watching the running belt slow down.

    "No", William replied out of breath. He kept walking on the treadmill until it completely stopped.

    Ping!

    A notification came from the TV. Lucas and David turned around after hearing that noise. The TV showed the amount of money they had. It wasn''t $0 anymore, it changed.

    "$24? Where did that come from?" Lucas asked.

    "I think Will got it from running on the treadmill", Ray replied.

    "Is that it?" William said, dissatisfied, catching his breath.

    "Is there a timer on the treadmill?" Ray asked, looking at the screen on the treadmill.

    "No. There wasn''t", William replied, on his knees resting

    "How fast were you going?" Lucas asked, he didn''t know as he was focused on the computer.

    "Pretty fast", William lied, looking at the floor and not making eye contact.

    "You were walking when I came over", Ray said, ruining the lie.

    "I was running for a long time. I had to take a break", William replied, giving an excuse. "It''s not that important. We don''t even know why we need money".

    David swivelled the chair around. "Actually, we need as much money as we can get", he said. "There''s a shop, and we can buy an escape for $100".

    "What shop?" William asked. He slowly stumbled to the computer, his legs shaking with every step he took.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.David and Lucas opened the shop and showed him what they could buy. The store had a lot of things, but the majority of it was useless.

    "Is the fish food there?" Ray asked.

    "Yeah, it''s $20", Lucas answered. David scrolled to the fish food and clicked on it.

    "I did good then. I got us the fish food", William said, finally breathing normally.

    "You did, but now we need to get $95 more to escape", David said.

    "$96, actually. We''ll have $4 left after you buy the fish food", Lucas corrected him.

    "Same difference", David replied as he bought the fish food.

    "It''s fine. We can find another way to escape", Ray said, feeling more confident about their chances. "Did you find anything else?"

    "We found important information. The mannequin is a girl who has no friends. All of her social media accounts have no friends, and there are no posts", Lucas replied.

    "That''s depressing", William commented.

    "She likes music and made her own song. That''s why there were lyrics in her diary", Lucas continued.

    "She made a song?" Ray asked.

    "Yeah. There''s a file here, it sounds good", David replied.

    Beep! Beep! Beep!

    "Oh, the cookies are done", Ray said, looking towards the kitchen area. He went over to the oven to get them out.

    "Oh yeah, he was baking the cookies. I was wondering why he came over to me", William said, wiping sweat off his forehead. "We''ve done a lot of tasks. What tasks have we got left?"

    "We''ve done the assignment, responded to the emails, exercised and baked the cookies. We need to upload a picture with friends, respond to family, feed Gary, and oh fuck", David said, with his face dropping.

    "What?" Both of them were surprised by that reaction.

    "Lu, you should''ve completed the video game", David replied.

    An already stressed Lucas became more stressed.

    "It''s fine, I''ll do it, but I wanna shower first", William excitedly said, still wiping his sweaty forehead. "Is there a shower in the bathroom?" he asked Lucas.

    "Yeah, there is", Lucas replied with his head in his hands. "Fuck, we still need to respond to our family and upload a picture. We don''t even have a camera. There''s only a Polaroid camera in the shop, and we can''t respond to our family on the computer", Lucas was stressing a lot more now.

    "We do have a camera", William said. David and Lucas turned to him. "I found a phone at the back of the closet earlier", he said, pulling out a phone from his pocket.

    "You fucking idiot! Why didn''t you show us earlier?!" Lucas raged, snatching the phone from William.

    "I forgot", William honestly replied, realising he messed up.

    "What do you mean you forgot?" Lucas continued.

    "Lu, forget it", David stopped him, "Will, go take your shower. Don''t take too long", he told him.

    "Uum, okay. My bad guys", William said, feeling responsible for wasting time. He quickly went to the restroom to shower.

    "I swear, how does Malakai deal with him?" Lucas mumbled, unlocking the phone using the password they found in the notes app on the computer.

    "The cookies are done", Ray said, bringing the tray to them.

    "They look good. How many did you make?" David asked, counting the cookies.

    "Twelve. I could only make enough mixture for twelve", Ray answered. "But, what do we do with them? Does it tell us to do something with them?".

    "No, it just tells us to bake cookies", David replied, double-checking the tasks. "We still need to take a picture with the mannequin, feed Gary and complete the video game", David looked towards Lucas, "Lu, have you responded to the family yet?".

    "Yeah, I''ve sent the message", Lucas replied. "I need to look through this phone so we don''t miss anything".

    Ray put the tray of cookies on the kitchen table. "Should we dress up the mannequin for the picture before Will gets out?" he asked David.

    "Yeah, let''s do that", David agreed.

    Ray and David dressed up the mannequin while Lucas searched the phone for information. The fish food came through the glass window the boys found at the start, so Lucas got the fish food and fed Gary, leaving only two tasks left. William eventually got out of the restroom.

    "I told you to be quick. What took you so long?" David asked.

    "I was resting, and I was deciding whether to wash my hair or not, then I remembered there was no blow dryer", William replied.

    "There was one in the shop for $10", Lucas said, setting up a makeshift tripod for the photo.

    "How is a blow dryer less than fish food?" William asked, going to the make-up area near the bed to get some perfume to put on himself.

    "Use your head, dude. Obviously, the things we need will cost more", David replied, putting the mannequin in position.

    William walked over to them after applying some perfume he found on the make-up table. "Why is the mannequin dressed up? What are we doing? Taking a picture?".

    "Yeah, it''s one of the tasks", Ray replied.

    "It''s all set up. Stand next to the mannequin", Lucas told his friends. The three of them took a position next to the mannequin. Lucas pressed the button on the phone to take the photo, and a ten-second timer started. He quickly went over and stood next to Ray in the photo.

    "Do we smile?" William asked.

    "Just look happy", Lucas replied.

    Flash!

    "Ow, why did you put flash on?" William asked, blinking fast.

    "Do you have to complain about everything?" David asked.

    "I uhh", William couldn''t answer, slowly realising he might be the problem.

    "Will, go complete the video game, " Lucas ordered while looking at the picture on the phone. William silently agreed and went over to the old games console.

    "Where do we upload the photo?" Ray asked.

    "I''m uploading it right now on her social accounts", Lucas replied. "Aannnd done, that''s all the tasks finished. Will should complete the game, and then we need to find a way to escape". Lucas looked over at the computer and saw David already in the seat. "How long until the assignment is uploaded?" he asked.

    "50 minutes", David replied. "Let''s look over everything again. We still need to work out how to escape".

    Over the next 50 minutes, the boys inspected the room all over again to find something. They tried mapping out everything they''d done to find clues to escape. Seeing if things linked together and painted a bigger picture. Over an hour went by, and nothing.

    "Finally, I''ve completed the game", William said, putting the controller on the floor. "Those last two levels were a bitch". The game he was playing was a Super Mario-style type game. It had terrible graphics, and the controls were stiff, making it hard to complete levels. "Have you guys found out how to escape yet?" William asked. He looked at his friends, but it didn''t look promising. Ray was leaning against the kitchen table, looking lost; David was sitting at the computer, staring at the screen, looking clueless, and Lucas was sitting on the bed, looking defeated. "Guys?".

    "I don''t know what to do", Lucas muttered. "We haven''t found anything in an hour. We had an hour and found nothing", he stressed. "We''re losing so many points".

    Ray walked over to William, "Were there any clues in the game?" he asked.

    "No. Well, I don''t think so", William answered unsurely. "I doubt there were any clues in there anyway", he continued, worried he might have missed something.

    Ray stared at the console. "Should we break it?"

    "Break what?" William didn''t know what he was talking about. He looked at what Ray was looking at. "Y-you mean the console?".

    "Yeah. What else have we got to lose?" Ray replied, sounding confident in his idea.

    "But the console might be a clue. We might need it for later", William said, trying to persuade him against breaking it.

    "Will, think about it. How did we find the password? We had to break the basketball. We probably need to break something again to find what we need", Ray replied.

    "The basketball was deflated, it was already broken", William said, not in favour of breaking the console.

    Ray was growing tired of staring at a dead end. He crouched down and unplugged the console.

    "Woah, Ray! Wait!" William tried to stop Ray as he held the console above his head.

    SMASH!

    Ray forcefully smashed the console on the floor. Lucas and David turned to see what had been smashed.

    "What happened?" David asked, standing up from his chair.

    "Ray broke the console", William said in shock.

    "Did you complete the game?" Lucas worriedly asked; he hadn''t heard William earlier.

    "Yeah, I did", William slowly replied as he watched Ray pick apart the console.

    Ray was tearing apart the console to find something until he noticed a card tucked away at the base. He pulled it out and skim-read it.

    "I FOUND SOMETHING!" Ray excitedly announced.

    Everyone quickly gathered around him to see what he was talking about.

    "What did you find?" Lucas eagerly asked.

    "The mannequin''s ID", Ray replied. He handed it over to David to let him see.

    "Gracie Taylor", David said, reading out the name. He flipped over the ID. "Student number 829463".

    Lucas''s eyes widened. He looked over to the door with the keypad. "That''s the code for that door", he confidently said. He ran over to the door, "Quick, let''s try it".

    "Isn''t his hopes too high?" William asked, thinking this was too good to be true.

    "When you''ve had nothing for over an hour, anything can excite you", David replied, walking away.

    The three of them reached the door. David stood in front of the door and looked at the ID again.

    "829463", he said while he typed it in.

    All the boys impatiently waited for the door to open, but it didn''t open. Lucas''s smile dissolved, and his shoulders slumped. He was so sure that was the escape that the thought that it wouldn''t work wasn''t an option in his mind. William and Ray kinda expected this would happen.

    "Let me try again. I think I typed it wrong", David said. This time, he slowly and carefully pressed each number. When he pushed the last number, nothing happened again.

    "That''s that", William said.

    Click!

    The door opened.

 Chapter 76 - Pay To Win

    Click!

    The door opened.

    "Everyone do your job".

    Alexander''s team entered the room. The five of them immediately separated and looked at different parts of the room. Efficient and effective. That''s what this was. After a mere few seconds, something was found, and a decision was made.

    "I found a diary. It says there''s a to-do list on the computer", Alexander said, making his presence known in the middle of the room. "But the computer needs the password. We need to find the password", he said; it was clear who the leader was.

    "Let''s clean up the room. That way, it''ll be easier to look for clues", Isabella suggested.

    "Everything''s moving so fast", Destiny said, smirking.

    "You can''t keep up?" Alexander condescendingly asked.

    "Oh, I''m keeping up just fine. I was expecting this. If it wasn''t like this, I would''ve had to take control", Destiny replied, walking away.

    Alexander scoffed; he didn''t bother to reply. The team swiftly cleaned and organised the room. During the cleaning process, they searched every nook and cranny for the password but didn''t find it.

    "Has anyone found the password yet?" Luna asked, looking around.

    "Nope", Frank replied for the whole team.

    "Have you checked under the treadmill?" Alexander asked Frank.

    "Yes, I lifted it a little and looked under. There was nothing underneath it", Frank replied.

    Alexander walked back to the study desk and picked up the diary again. Frank walked over to him to check what he was doing. He was reading the lyrics on the last page. He already read them before, but this time, he looked at them with an open mind to see if they meant something. Luna and Isabella awkwardly looked around the room for something to do.

    "Izy, can you throw the basketball to me?" Destiny asked.

    "Izy?! When did she get nickname privilege?" Isabella thought. She looked to her left and saw the basketball lying against the wall. She picked it up and threw it at Destiny.

    Destiny caught it and was caught off guard by how soft it was. She pulled a face and pushed the ball inwards after feeling how soft it was. She smirked. Destiny walked to the kitchen area and opened a drawer. She pulled out a sharp knife.

    "Destiny, what are you doing?" Isabella worriedly asked, seeing the knife in hand.

    "Hmm, that''s a good idea", Luna said, seeing Destiny hold the knife in one hand and the basketball in the other.

    "Huh?"

    Destiny stabbed the basketball, carving it open before reaching inside. Isabella saw her take out a piece of paper. "No way", Isabella quietly reacted. "What kind of maniac would think of that?".

    Destiny confidently strolled over to Alexander with the piece of paper in hand. Alexander swivelled in his seat as he felt her presence.

    "I found the password", Destiny said, holding it up between her index and middle finger.

    "Show me", Alexander replied, holding out his hand.

    Destiny dropped the paper in Alexander''s hand. Alexander looked at what was written on the paper and typed it in.

    "Looks like it''s one-nil to me", Destiny said, seeing the computer unlocked.

    Alexander had to accept that she was right; he ignored her, though. He found the to-do list and read what was on it. Isabella and Luna were also by the computer, so they saw the list.

    "We''ve already done one of the tasks", Luna said, referring to cleaning the room.

    "That''s handy", Isabella commented, reading the rest of the list.

    "I''ll do the exercise", Frank said, leaving the group and going to the treadmill straight away.

    "I''ll bake the cookies", Luna volunteered.

    "Do you know how?" Alexander asked to make sure.

    "Yeah, if they have all the ingredients, I should be fine", Luna replied. She went to the kitchen to get started.

    Alexander didn''t completely trust her. He opened a web browser and quickly printed a recipe.

    "Give this to her", Alexander told Isabella, handing her the recipe. Isabella took it and went away to give the recipe to Luna.

    "What should I do?" Destiny pestered Alexander, peering over his shoulder.

    "Feed Gary", Alexander bluntly told her.

    "There''s no fish food", Destiny replied.

    "Find it".

    "We both know I can''t find something that''s not in the room", Destiny cheekily replied, checking her nails.

    "It has to be in the room, otherwise, it wouldn''t be on the to-do list", Alexander said, looking through the computer.

    "What''s the shop?" Isabella asked, appearing out of nowhere.

    Alexander clicked on the shop app he had ignored before, and a tab opened showing different products.

    "Escape. $100", Isabella said out loud. She looked at the TV showing their amount, which was still at ��0. "How do we get money?" she rhetorically asked.

    "Oh look, fish food", Destiny said, pointing at the screen. The screen showed fish food for $20. "Looks like it''s two-nil to me".

    "Congratulations on proving me wrong. Now go do something that will actually help the team and not your own small useless accomplishments", Alexander replied. "It looks like you''re too attached to beating me", he said. Alexander wasn''t as fazed as he was before. He evaluated the situation in his head and realised that Destiny wanted to prove a point, so she was trying her hardest to prove it by ''beating'' him in small, trivial things. Having that mindset, Alexander didn''t mind Destiny''s taunts.

    "My small ''accomplishments'' are helping the team progress," Destiny bit back.

    "I''ve got an idea", Isabella said, breaking the two of them up. "Alexander, is the phone password somewhere on the computer?" she asked. After a few clicks, he found it in the notes tab. "Great. Destiny, how about me and you do the respond to the family task and look through the phone?".

    Destiny smirked, "Sure, let me help the team out more as if I haven''t already", she said.

    Isabella took Destiny away, leaving Alexander alone at the desk.

    "Finally", Alexander quietly said.

    He quickly got started on the assignment task. He found the assignment and clicked the link to where it was supposed to be submitted. He uploaded the assignment and waited.

    "2 hours to upload?" Alexander reacted in his head. His face showed his discontent at the upload rate. He didn''t dwell on it for too long as he went straight to the email inbox. He swiftly responded to the five emails and completed that task. After over 15 minutes, Alexander completed two tasks and had nothing else to do. He messed around with the computer for a few minutes, trying to search for something extra but got distracted by,

    Ping!

    The sound came from the TV. Their money total changed.

    It was now $37. At the same time, Frank had stopped running on the treadmill. He was breathing heavily while he stepped off. Alexander got up from his chair and went to check up on him. Frank had his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it."Are you okay?" Alexander asked, looking down at Frank.

    "Yeah, just give me a minute", Frank replied.

    Alexander walked over to the treadmill to look at the screen. "A 5K run", he said. "The quicker you did it, the more money we''d get".

    "I tried running at eight, but halfway through, I had to turn it down to six", Frank replied, controlling his breathing.

    "You did well. $37 is a good start", Alexander said. He looked to the rest of his teammates to see what they were doing, and he didn''t know what they were doing. "Why are you dressing the mannequin?" he asked.

    "We need to take a picture with the mannequin, don''t we?" Isabella replied.

    Alexander looked at them, confused. "Yeah, we do. But why does the mannequin need to be dressed up?". Alexander didn''t see the point.

    "For the picture, duh", Destiny replied.

    Alexander didn''t respond again; Destiny knew how to keep him quiet.

    "We can take the picture now, join us", Isabella said, waving to them to come over.

    Alexander and Frank walked over and stood with them to take the picture. All of them smiled except Alexander, who kept a straight face. Once the picture was taken, Isabella took the phone off the makeshift tripod and uploaded it.

    "Have you baked the cookies?" Alexander asked Luna.

    "Yeah, they''re finished", Luna replied.

    "Good", Alexander said. "I know how we''re going to escape", All of them looked at him. "We''re going to buy our way out".

    "And how are we going to do that?" Destiny asked, raising an eyebrow. She was the first one to question him.

    "We''re going to sell everything in this room through that glass window", Alexander said, pointing to the glass window next to one of the doors.

    Everyone didn''t expect that. No one thought about that either. How did he come up with that solution?

    "Can we?" Isabella asked, thinking it sounded a little far-fetched.

    "We have to find out", Alexander replied. "It''s the quickest way to escape".

    "Hey genius, we still need to buy fish food to feed Gary", Destiny said, trying to get under his skin.

    "Do you think I haven''t thought of that?" Alexander replied. "The list said to feed Gary. It didn''t say to give him fish food. We can give him a bit of the cookie. As long as he eats it, we''ve fed him".

    Destiny''s eyes widened; even she was shocked. "How far did he plan ahead?" she thought.

    "How many cookies did you make?" Alexander asked Luna.

    "I could only make twelve", Luna replied.

    "Give me one and sell the rest", he said with no hesitation.

    Luna listened and went to the kitchen, picked up one cookie and gave it to Alexander. Alexander broke a little piece off and went to the fish tank. He dropped the little piece in and waited for Gary to eat it. Everyone watched and waited for the result. The little piece floated at the top. No bite. Alexander broke another small piece and dropped it in to catch Gary''s attention. It worked. Gary swam up and ate the pieces floating about.

    "Done", Alexander said, walking away from the tank.

    "You know it''s not good to feed fish cookies", Destiny told him.

    "It will be fine. It only had two small pieces", Alexander replied.

    "What are you going to do with the rest of the cookie?" Destiny asked, seeing him still holding the cookie.

    Alexander put the whole cookie in his mouth and walked past her.

    Destiny let out a little laugh. "I didn''t know you had a sense of humour".

    "Alex, I''m going to take a quick shower because I''m all sweaty", Frank said. Alexander put a thumbs up as he couldn''t respond while eating.

    "We''ve only got the video game task, right?" Isabella said. "I''ll do it right now".

    "You know how to game?" Luna asked, not expecting that.

    "A little. I used to play video games with my little brother", Isabella replied.

    "Same. Actually, I still play video games now", Luna said, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.

    Isabella giggled, "You can help me if you want when I get stuck", she said.

    "It''s fine, I''ll watch", Luna replied.

    While that happened, Alexander put the cookies on a plate.

    "Don''t you think two people on one task is a waste?" Destiny asked him, seeing Luna and Isabella walk to the game console. She thought Alexander would be against it.

    "It''s the last task, and we have plenty of time until the assignment is uploaded. It''s not a waste", Alexander replied, walking to the glass window. He lifted the glass and slid the plate of cookies to the other side. "Now we wait".

    Five minutes later.

    Ping!

    The number on the TV changed.

    "$59. So each cookie was worth $2", Destiny said. "Luna, you must have made some damn good cookies".

    "I didn''t do anything special", Luna replied, mashing the controller buttons. She had already taken the controller off Isabella; the game was too hard for her. Frank had also got out of the shower.

    "$41", Alexander mumbled. He walked to the make-up table next to the bed and picked up everything he could. He didn''t know what he was picking up, but he cleared the table. He grabbed everything that could fit through the little window. Alexander was holding about fourteen things while he walked to the glass window.

    "I feel bad for the mannequin", Destiny commented, watching him.

    "It''s not a real person", he replied, sliding each object out the window.

    Another 5 minutes passed.

    Ping!

    "$73. Each item was worth a dollar?" Frank said, hoping for a higher amount.

    "Now I feel worse for the mannequin", Destiny added.

    "We can still sell more objects", Alexander said, feeling optimistic.

    As time went on, they kept selling more objects. They sold smaller accessories, the stuffed animals on the bed and clothes that could fit through the window, but objects like the guitar and kitchen pots and pans couldn''t.

    Ping!

    "$102", Alexander said. He immediately went to the computer and bought the escape ticket for $100.

    Ping!

    Another notification popped up on the screen.

    "The doors will open once all the tasks are complete".

    "What tasks have we got left?" Frank asked, scared they might''ve missed something.

    "The assignment still needs to be uploaded. It''s got 15 minutes left", Alexander replied. He looked over at Luna, who was still playing the video game. "Has she completed the game yet?" he asked Isabella.

    "Yeah, she completed it a long time ago. She''s speedrunning the game now for fun", Isabella replied.

    They stood there awkwardly for a few moments.

    "Are you sure that''s all? Gary still might be hungry", Destiny said, trying to cause chaos.

    "If he is still hungry, then we can sell more stuff and get his fish food", Alexander replied, sounding bored of her.

    Destiny looked around the room, which was bare. There was nearly nothing left. Destiny put an arm around the mannequin. "Mannequin, I''m so sorry for all of this".

    15 minutes passed.

    Click!

    The door opened.

 Chapter 77 - Destined To Meet

    Click!

    The door opened.

    They escaped.

    "We made it!" William cheered, jumping out of the room.

    "About time", David said, stepping out.

    Lucas sighed in relief that the code worked.

    "I think we have to go down there", Ray pointed down the corridor.

    The boys were descending some stairs to reach the lobby. After they exited the room, a sign led them down the corridor and to some stairs that led them down.

    "What place do you think we got?" William asked, going down the stairs with a skip in his step.

    "Probably 15th or something like that. We wasted a lot of time", David replied, not feeling confident.

    "I feel like we did good", Ray said, feeling great. "Considering we had one less person".

    "You''re right", Lucas replied, glad they were out. "But if I see Malakai there, imma be pissed".

    They reached the bottom floor and were again directed by some signs to the end of the hall. They reached a black double door with a lobby sign above it.

    "Who wants to open it?" Ray asked, looking at his friends and feeling a little nervous now that they were in front of the door.

    "I don''t want to see how many people are inside. If I see a lot, I will die inside", Lucas replied with a beating heart.

    "This is basically like seeing the results you got for a test", David added.

    "I''ll open it", William said carefree going forward.

    "Wait!".

    Their attempts at stopping him were futile as he had already pulled both handles, opening both doors.

    "Woah, is this the room we were in this morning?" Ray asked, with his eyes moving everywhere as he examined the room.

    "Nah, this one is different, it has seats and tables. It even has a stage", David replied, leaning forward to look inside.

    The boys walked into the room and counted in their heads the number of people they could see. Everyone in the room looked at them as they entered.

    "Guys, I think we killed it", William said, trying to count the teams.

    "I''m counting seven teams", Ray said. "We got 8th".

    "Are you sure?" Lucas questioned, not getting his hopes up yet and still counting.

    "Yeah, we''ve got 8th. Look over there", David said, guiding his friends to an electronic board. They all walked closer to see their names.

    "Yesss!!" Lucas celebrated after getting confirmation.

    All of the boys embraced each other in celebration. The electronic board showed their positions, team members, and class. The electronic board was big and showed all the positions from first to thirty. Of course, the other positions were blank as they hadn''t escaped yet, so a dash was next to those positions.

    "How many points do we get?" William happily asked, forgetting what Mr Miller had said in the morning.

    "A thousand", Ray answered, still looking at the board.

    "I''m happy with that", David said, stretching his arms.

    "I agree, getting fifth or higher would''ve been a miracle", Lucas added, looking ecstatic.

    "Check out the other names. The whole of 1-A escaped", Ray pointed out.

    "Impossible", William reacted, turning back to the board.

    "Yes, look. There are thirty people in each class, so there are six groups of five," Ray explained to him.

    William counted the names, "Holy crap", he muttered. "Hold up, look who came fifth. A team from class 1-D".

    "1-D?" David took a closer look. "I don''t see Dillon on that team".

    "I don''t recognise any of those names", Lucas said. "Sabrina, Nathan, Theo. Who are these people?" he asked.

    "Me too. I don''t recognise them. If they had done well in the last challenge, we would''ve noticed them", David replied.

    "Maybe they got lucky this time", William said, turning his back to the board.

    "If they did this good, I''m pretty sure it wasn''t because of luck", Ray replied, giving them their props.

    "We did good", Lucas proudly said, relaxing his body. "I was stressing too much inside there".

    "I did tell you many times to relax", William replied in a I told you so tone.

    Click!

    The doors opened.

    The boy''s head swivelled in the direction of the door to see who came ninth.

    "Mally?"

    A group of five people came through the door.

    "Who are they?" William asked, not knowing them.

    "They''re from 1-B", Lucas replied. "That''s Delilah''s roommate, and that girl has an identical twin brother", he showed William by slyly pointing at them.

    "Of course, you recognise the girls", Ray slyly commented.

    "Malakai''s not making it. Benjamin''s more likely to come through those doors next", David said, walking away. "Let''s go take a seat".

    The boys went over to a table and sat down. The table was big; it could fit around ten people, five on each side.

    "Wait, does this mean we''ll make it into the top ten?" William asked, trying to count the points in his head.

    "No", Lucas replied, quickly killing his dream. "If we came in the top five, then yeah".

    "It''s not all bad news. We got a thousand points, so we won''t be too far behind", David told them.

    "I wish there were a challenge where we could face off against other classes", William said, resting his head in his palm.

    "That legit happened in the last challenge", Lucas replied.

    "No, but that was with people from other classes", William said. "I meant our class versus another class".

    "You do remember in the minigames, we got destroyed", David reminded him.

    "Individually, 1-A would beat us, but as a class, I think we''re the strongest", William replied.

    "What about 1-B?" Ray asked.

    "Naaah, we''re stronger", William confidently replied.

    After some thinking, "You know what, I agree", Lucas said. "I think the six of us could take anyone on".

    William smirked. "We got the power of friendship", he joked.

    "Bleghh", David fake vomited.

    "That was cringe", Ray added, smiling.

    "Someone had to say it", William replied.

    "He''s not wrong", Lucas laughed.

    They continued to talk for about 20 minutes until,

    Click!

    The doors opened again.

    Everyone in the room looked towards the doors to see which team would get the 10th spot.

    A lone boy walked out with his hands in his pockets. He wore grey tracksuit bottoms and a football (soccer) shirt. The shirt was a Chelsea shirt but was yellow, meaning it was the away kit. He had his grey hoodie tied around his neck, so it looked like he had a cape. The boy had wavy black hair with brown tips, hazelnut-coloured eyes and a scar across his nose.

    "Mally!" Ray shouted out.

    "I don''t know how he does it", William said, a little stunned.

    "How?" Lucas questioned with wide eyes.

    "If anyone was going to do it, it had to be him", David replied, proudly smiling.

    "Did he do the escape room alone?".

    "Where''s his team?".

    "Did he cheat?".

    "Why was he alone?".

    "Did he not choose a team?".

    Questions were being asked between the 1-A students. None of the 1-A students knew of Malakai''s punishment, not even Luna.

    "He''s always smiling", William said, seeing Malakai''s face.

    The boys stayed in their seats and waited for Malakai to come to them, but before he reached them, he had to pass another table.

    "Yo".

    "Hey Malakai", Akari greeted him. "Delilah wasn''t lying, you were on a team by yourself".

    Malakai went to the table where Akari and her team were sitting. "Yeah, it was lonely, man", Malakai replied.

    "It looks like you had fun", Akari said, seeing him smile.

    "It was fun, but it would''ve been better if I was with people".

    "Why is your hair damp?" Christina asked, looking at his hair.

    "I had a shower", Malakai casually replied, shaking his head so his hair moved.

    "You had a proper shower?" Akari said.

    "Obviously, you had to run on the treadmill as well, no?" Malakai was confused by their reactions.

    "Yeah, Eris did", Akari replied, looking at Eris.

    Malakai looked at Eris. Eris had long brown, reddish hair and hazelnut-coloured eyes like him. Her eyes were sharp, and her eyelashes were long.

    "I washed my body after I ran on the treadmill, but I didn''t wash my hair. That would''ve taken too long", Eris said, slightly embarrassed but not showing it.

    "That makes sense. You''re a girl innit, you''ve got long hair. I took a shower because I wanted to," Malakai replied, shrugging his shoulders. "The shampoo smelt nice, so I wanted to try it."

    The table laughed and smiled at what he said. Akari and Christina knew Malakai was chill, but the other girls, Sasha, Eris and Samantha, were finding out now.

    "What place did you get?"

    "We got ninth. We came in like 30 minutes before you did", Christina answered.

    "Damn. I''m happy I got tenth, I can''t lie", Malakai said.

    "But you''ve lost your top spot", Akaria replied, letting him know.

    "It is what it is. They had to nerf me. I was too good", Malakai replied, smiling. "I''ll chat to you lot later. I need to see what my friends are saying", he said.

    He gave each of them a fist bump and left them. He was walking to his friends with a smile plastered on his face; he couldn''t contain it. To avoid making it awkward, he looked elsewhere, and while he was looking elsewhere, he saw another familiar face. He knew he had to see them later until something changed his mind. Someone was staring at him. The stare came with a smile, which clearly had a meaning. Malakai stopped moving. He looked at his friends and raised a finger to tell tell them to give him a minute. He changed direction and walked towards a different table. With his hands in his pockets, he walked to that table, passing other tables with 1-A students on them. The 1-A students stared at him like he was an alien. He really soloed the escaped room.

    "Yo Luna, you good"? Malakai smiled, reaching the table and holding out his fist for a fist bump.

    "Hi Malakai. I''m good", Luna replied, fist-bumping him. "Was that your punishment? Doing this challenge alone?"

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there."Yeah, I gave them the idea, kinda", Malakai said. "You escaped first?".

    "Yeah, I had a good team", Luna replied, looking at her team.

    Malakai glanced at the rest of the team. "Yes, Alex. What you saying?" Malakai said, smiling at him.

    Alexander glared at him and then looked away, not responding at all.

    "Aryt, I see you. Yes, Frank, you good?" Malakai switched and greeted Frank.

    "Yes? I''m good", Frank awkwardly replied, just about understanding his accent.

    "Ben told me you two got on, so I''m sure us two could get on", Malakai said.

    "Sure?" Frank was still awkward because he didn''t know how to reply to him.

    "I might call you bodyguard to make it easier for me".

    Frank didn''t know what was going on.

    "Isn''t calling his name easier?" Luna asked.

    "Naah, calling him bodyguard is funnier. You can''t lie he does act like a bodyguard", Malakai replied, pointing at Frank.

    Luna put a hand over her mouth to cover her smile. It was clear what she thought.

    Malakai then looked at the last two people on their team: a girl with clear white skin and long silver hair and a tanned girl with two different-coloured eyes and blonde hair with purple tips.

    "Hello, Malakai. We finally meet", Destiny said, standing from her seat.

    "Yo, who are you?" Malakai asked, gauging her.

    "You should know who I am if you look at the leaderboard", Destiny replied, walking closer to Malakai.

    Malakai got his answer from her reply and tone of voice. "I don''t look at the leaderboard. I just know I''m first", he replied, grinning with his teeth out.

    Destiny was now standing in front of Malakai. Destiny is 5''8, so she is slightly taller than Malakai, but that didn''t intimidate him.

    "I don''t think you''re first anymore. It''s such a shame. It looks like my name will be higher than yours. Along with everyone else in 1-A", Destiny replied, tilting her head.

    Malakai giggled a little. "You''re in 1-A, but your maths is shit".

    Isabella''s mouth gaped while Luna kept a straight face.

    "If my calculations are correct, I''ll still be in the top ten. You''ll still see my name there", Malakai said, trying to aggravate her.

    "Guess we''ll have to find out", Destiny replied. Malakai got her good with that response. "My name is Destiny, if you didn''t know already".

    "I didn''t".

    "Now you know!".

    Tension could be felt by everyone who was close by. Conversations stopped between the 1-A students as they were too busy watching these two speak. Luna had to watch this interaction, which was not the first time she had been in the middle of a Malakai altercation.

    "Should we stop them?" Isabella whispered to Luna.

    "It depends. Do you want to see Destiny put in her place?" Luna asked. "If one person is going to do that, it''s Malakai".

    Isabella didn''t get it because she hadn''t met Malakai; she''d only seen him from afar, like most people. She didn''t know how he was going to do that, as it looked like Destiny had the upper hand by finishing first in the challenge and throwing Malakai out of the number one spot. However, she was curious. She wanted to see Destiny put in her place. She wasn''t the only one, some of the girls in 1-A also wanted to see that.

    "Why were you staring at me?" Malakai asked, getting straight to the point.

    "To get your attention. I wanted to talk to you", Destiny answered, telling no lies.

    "Why me?" Malakai asked, acting like he was a nobody.

    "I wanted to see what type of person you are. Also, I know nothing about you", Destiny replied with a tone.

    "I know nothing about you. You don''t know anything about them or them", he said, pointing to his friends and random people. "What''s your point?".

    "But I do know things about them", Destiny replied, smiling.

    Malakai didn''t like her smile. He started giggling. "Who is this kid?" he asked, looking at Luna. "Is your class filled with weirdos?".

    "You''re calling me a weirdo when you''re wearing your hoodie like a cape", Destiny replied. "Are you imagining yourself as a hero?" she asked, treating him like a kid.

    "I don''t need to imagine. I''m already a neighbourhood hero back home", Malakai replied, clapping back.

    Alexander watched on. To him, this was a win-win. He didn''t like either of them. He disliked Destiny more and didn''t care about Malakai, so he enjoyed seeing Destiny agitated. It was clear Malakai was getting under her skin.

    Destiny wanted to skip the small talk. "How did you escape by yourself?" she asked.

    "I don''t know, the doors opened for me", Malakai said in an unserious tone, shrugging his shoulders and smiling.

    "You don''t stop playing games, do you?" Destiny replied, a bit ticked off, thinking he was joking.

    "Why are you pissed off? Are you jealous cuz I escaped by myself, and you needed a team?" Malakai was going for the kill now; he wanted a reaction. "I came tenth by myself, I doubt you could''ve done that. Is that why you''re pissed?"

    "I''m not pissed off, I''m curious about how you did it", Destiny replied, trying to keep her composure.

    Malakai giggled. "Let me tell you how I did it. I escaped by myself cuz I''m him, and you needed a team, cuz your shit", Malakai said, smiling with his teeth out. He was having fun now.

    "You know, you shouldn''t speak to a lady like that", Destiny tried to switch it on him and make him look childish.

    Malakai pulled a face and then smirked. "You''re not a lady. You''re a woman", he replied. "A lady speaks with eloquence and class, you speak like a bitch".

    Eh?

    No one around could believe he said that. The 1-A student''s eyes were glued to the two of them. It was like everyone was shocked to the spot. All the girls thought that, but hearing it being said still shocked them.

    Destiny had to process what just happened, when she did, "Why you!" Destiny clenched her fist and moved towards Malakai.

    "Okay, that''s enough", Luna said, stopping them. She tiredly got up from her seat and stood next to Destiny. "Malakai, you crossed the line. You know not to call a woman a bitch. That''s too much".

    "Sorry big sis", Malakai saluted like a soldier.

    "You shouldn''t be apologising to me", Luna said. "Apologise to Destiny".

    "I don''t think I can do that", Malakai replied, showing that he didn''t want to apologise to Destiny.

    "I don''t need his apology. Seeing him kicked out of first is enough for me", Destiny said. She wasn''t smiling anymore.

    "Hehehehehe. Aryt, guess that''s the end of the conversation", Malakai said. "It''s a shame our conversation couldn''t be longer. I wanted to take the piss more. I didn''t think the word bitch would trigger you so much. I didn''t even call you a bitch, I said you talk like one".

    "Malakai", Luna sternly said.

    "Aryt, aryt. I''m done", Malakai replied with his hands up. "Just some advice, if you wanna chat shit to be people, you can''t get pissed off that easily when they chat shit back", he told Destiny. Malakai started walking away, "Bye Luna".

    "Bye".

    Awkward silence.

    Destiny could feel everyone''s eyes on her, but her eyes were fixated on Malakai. Malakai kept walking straight without looking back, so all Destiny saw was a 5''6 boy walking away with his hands in his pockets and a makeshift grey cape.

    "Who is he?".

    "Mally, what happened?" Ray asked. All his friends saw the interaction from a distance, so they couldn''t hear what was being said.

    Malakai took a seat at the table. "Nothing, someone just wanted to talk to me", he replied. "Forget about me. What happened to you lot?".

    Ryan and his team walked into the lobby. Ryan looked at the electronic board, which showed the team''s positions. His energy dropped. He saw something he didn''t like.

    10th - MALAKAI JUNIOR (1-C).

    His team came 12th. Some time passed by since Malakai had escaped.

    "Why''s his name alone?" Ryan mumbled. He looked around the lobby to find Malakai, but he couldn''t find him. However, he did spot his friends. By himself, he walked towards David, Lucas, Ray, and William.

    "Where''s he going?" Eric asked.

    "Leave him, he''s going to talk to someone", Lorenzo replied.

    Ryan got closer to the table, and as he got closer, he counted five people sitting at the table. One had his head down, resting on his arms with their hoodie up to cover their head. That had to be Malakai. He reached the table.

    "Malakai. Malakai", Ryan ignored everyone else at the table and called Malakai''s name.

    "Can''t you see he''s sleeping?" Lucas said, with his eyebrows furrowed.

    "Wake him up then. I want to talk to him", Ryan replied, straight-faced.

    "No", David firmly said.

    Ryan kissed his teeth and rolled his eyes. "Fine, I can talk to you. Why is his name alone on the leaderboard?"

    "He completed the challenge alone. That was his punishment for brake checking in the last challenge", David answered, keeping it short and brief.

    "Bullshit. You expect me to believe he came 10th all by himself", Ryan didn''t believe it.

    "You have to believe it, it''s facts", Lucas said, screwfacing Ryan.

    Ryan grit his teeth. "Wake him up. I need to talk to him", Ryan had to hear it from Malakai.

    "Get lost dude", William said, shooing him with his hand.

    "Tch", Ryan stepped forward.

    Shift!

    Ray and Lucas simultaneously stood up from their seats to block Ryan from getting closer.

    "Fuck off", Lucas sternly told him.

    With no chance of getting to Malakai, Ryan took a deep breath. He lifted his hands and smiled.

    "Alright, fine. I might have lost my cool there. I''m sorry", Ryan turned around and left the table. He walked away with a calm and happy facial expression so as not to raise concern from other people watching, but inside, he was furious. He was close to snapping. Maybe it was a good thing Malakai was sleeping; Malakai may have tipped him over the edge with his trash talk. Ryan had to hold that L and walk away.

    While Ryan walked away with a fake smile, Malakai smiled to himself.

 Chapter 78 - The Key To Escape

    "We''ve done all the tasks. What do we do now?" Delilah asked.

    "I thought if we did all the tasks, one of the doors would open", Tanisha said, with her hands on her hips.

    Benjamin looked at the TV. "We can''t buy our way out. Does $41 get us anything?" he asked, knowing there was nothing.

    "Nope, nothing useful", Sarena replied, remembering the items in the shop.

    "Completing the game was harder than I thought", Maria said, looking at the game console. Maria started playing the game, but it eventually got too hard for her, so Benjamin took over and completed it.

    Their team had completed all the tasks and was struggling to think of their next move. It took them a while to find the computer password, so everyone was already anxious about their timing. It felt like they wasted a lot of time, and they didn''t want to waste more.

    "We''ve searched everywhere. How do we escape? Can''t we get a hint?" Tanisha asked in desperation, looking at the camera in the corner of the room.

    "There are four ways to escape. One of us will figure something out sooner or later", Benjamin said, trying to ease her mind.

    "We don''t have time for sooner or later. We need to find something now", Tanisha hastily replied. Benjamin''s attempt to calm her down didn''t work.

    Delilah was on the computer trying to find a hint, Sarena was sitting on the bed, writing in the diary to try and find links between the tasks, Benjamin and Tanisha were wandering around the room, searching every nook and cranny for something that would help them, and Maria was zoning out. Earlier, she had an idea but forgot it as she was playing the video game. Now, she was trying to remember what thought she had in mind.

    "It''s no good", Maria quietly said, covering her face with both hands.

    She walked over to the fish tank to look at Gary again. The fish tank was a decent-sized cuboid; it had gravel at the bottom, a pump for clean water, and little accessories to decorate it. Gary was a big, rounded, fantail goldfish with a nice pattern on his body and a white belly. Maria watched as Gary swam left to right in the tank.

    "Doesn''t he get bored?" Maria thought, staring at Gary swimming. "He could be swimming in a big pond with more fish, but he''s trapped in a small tank, alone. He doesn''t have a clue how big the world is".

    ...

    "Maria".

    Maria was pulled out of her daydream by a voice and a hand on her shoulder. "Y-yeah?".

    "You need to help us find a way to escape", Tanisha said. "I don''t think staring at the fish will help".

    "R-right, sorry. I wanted a little break", Maria apologised, seeing Tanisha stressed.

    "It''s fine. I''m just worried we won''t escape in time", Tanisha said, looking at the clock. "6:36!? Delilah, what time does it say on the computer?".

    "1:42", Delilah answered.

    "I got scared for a second", Tanisha said, putting a hand over her heart. "That clock is wrong", she pointed out.

    "Should we change it to the right time?" Sarena asked, putting the diary down.

    "Why not? We might get a hint or something", Benjamin replied, optimistically thinking.

    While everyone fussed over the clock, Maria''s attention returned to the fish tank. She was weirdly invested in it. Back home, Maria had pets; she had two dogs and a cat, and they were the family pets. When she was younger, she had her own pet, a hamster, but Timothy didn''t last two months. After that gigantic heartbreak, Maria agreed not to get any small pets again. Also, in her house, one of the rooms had a big fish tank with many tropical, exotic, and colourful fish, but Maria never considered the fish to be pets. They were more like moving paintings, something nice to look at. But, now she''s here staring at a lone goldfish named Gary, ''someone''s'' pet. She knew this whole situation was fake; she knew this fish wasn''t someone''s pet, but this fake scenario made her interested in the fact that a fish could be a pet. Maria knew fish could be pets as she had seen it in TV shows, but this was the first time she''d seen it.

    "A fish as a pet? Isn''t that lonely? They don''t even do anything".

    She continued to watch Gary swim around the accessories, which caused her to look at the accessories more closely. Most of them were casual sea stuff like an open treasure chest, fake coral, seaweed, starfish, etc. But one of the accessories was a lighthouse. Maria stared at the lighthouse, she didn''t like how it looked. Something came over her. She rolled up her right sleeve and put her arm in the fish tank.

    "Maria, what are you doing?" Delilah was the first to notice. Her question caused everyone else to look.

    "Maria?!" Tanisha went over to Maria to see what she was doing.

    Maria had her arm deep in the fish tank. The water was cold, but she continued fishing. She picked up the lighthouse, and something came out from the bottom of it. The lighthouse was hollow, and a key was floating in the water.

    "Did a key just come out of the lighthouse?" Benjamin asked, coming closer to the fish tank.

    Maria dropped the lighthouse, retrieved the key and took her hand out of the tank. "I knew something was going on in there", she said.

    "How did you?" Tanisha quietly asked, totally confused.

    "It felt too weird. The fish tank was too much for one goldfish. It nearly had the same amount of decorations as my fish tank in my house", Maria replied. She looked at the wet key. "Is this the key that opens that door?".

    "We have to find out", Delilah said, walking to the door.

    Everyone walked to the door with the lock. Maria put the key in the lock and turned the key.

    Nothing happened. Maria tried turning it several times, but the lock didn''t budge.

    "The key isn''t for the door", Maria disappointedly said.

    "Don''t worry about it. This is good, we found a key that means it must lead to something", Delilah said, seeing the positives from it.

    "Yeah, that means there must be another keyhole somewhere", Benjamin added.

    "Keyhole", Sarena mumbled with her hand to her chin. "I know!" she piped up.

    The rest of the group was surprised by her sudden cheer. Sarena skipped to the desk with the computer on it and pulled the chair back. She went under the desk.

    "Look, there''s a keyhole here", she said, putting her finger over it. None of the other guys could see, as the space under the desk was small, and Sarena was occupying it right now.

    "How did you find that?" Delilah asked. She was at the computer most of the time and didn''t recognise it was there.

    "When I was responding to the emails, I was kicking my feet and felt something stick out, so I checked it out. When I saw it, I didn''t think it was a big deal. I thought it was a bad design for the desk", Sarena replied, popping her head out from under the desk.

    "Let''s try it. Here you go. You can open it", Maria said, handing Sarena the key with her sleeve still rolled up and her arm wet.

    "Thanks", Sarena said, taking the key.

    She inserted the key in the hole and twisted it. This time, it opened. A little compartment opened and revealed another key inside.

    "It''s another key", Sarena said, getting out from under the desk and showing the key in hand.

    "It looks similar to the key Maria found", Tanisha said, looking at the key Sarena held out.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences."Guess there''s only one way to find out if it''s the same", Delilah said.

    "and that''s how we escaped".

    "that''s a totally different way from how we escaped".

    I hear fuzzy voices. No, my dream. Let me stay in my dream. I still wanna be in my dream. I don''t wanna wake up yet. This dream was good. Wait, what was the dream about again? I can''t remember. All I can remember was that it was good.

    "We were worried we weren''t going to find a way to escape".

    Fuck sake. I can hear the voices clearly. I''m awake now.

    "Mhhmm", I lifted my head off the table. "Who escaped? I heard that''s how we escaped", I said, rubbing my eyes.

    "Dude, you''ve been asleep for so long", William told me, who was sitting next to me.

    How long was I out for? When did I even go to sleep? I just wanted to close my eyes.

    "Bro, I was having a good dream, and you woke me up", I said, still rubbing my eyes.

    "What was it about?"

    A girl''s voice? I know that voice.

    "I can''t remember, but it was a nice dream". I opened my eyes and saw five new people at the table. "When did you lot get here?"

    "A while ago", Delilah replied, sitting across from me.

    "What place did you get?" I asked while taking my hood off.

    "Fourteenth", she replied.

    I smiled, "Only four places behind me", I arrogantly but playfully said. I fixed my bed hair with my hand while I looked around.

    This place is packed out now. "Has everyone escaped?".

    "Yeah, they made an announcement that a teacher will come in half an hour to talk to all of us", Benjamin replied, sitting to the right of Delilah.

    "When did they make that announcement?".

    "Like half an hour ago".

    Tch, I guess I did wake up at the perfect time. I always wake up a few minutes before my alarm. This was bound to happen. Anyway, lemme see what''s going on. I looked around the lobby, and a lot of people were standing up; all the tables were taken. Some people were staring at me. Nothing new. What else is going on? Tanisha is side-eyeing me. Nothing new. Ray is talking to Maria. Something new. Oi, go on Ray. We making progress now. Maybe I don''t have to wingman him that much. He can seduce her on his own. They look happy, I wonder what they''re talking about.

    Yawwwnn.

    "How long was I asleep for?" I asked.

    "About two hours", Lucas replied, sitting on the other side of Delilah.

    "Two hours?" I mean, the sleep did feel good.

    "What time did you sleep yesterday?" William asked.

    "My normal time".

    "Which is?" Delilah asked.

    "Like 2".

    "Go sleep earlier, dude", Lucas said.

    "What do you think I try to do?".

    "At least you don''t snore", Delilah said.

    I''ve been told I''m a silent sleeper. "I guess that''s a good thing. My future wife will be happy with that".

    "Hello, everyone!" A new voice came into the room. A short, cheerful-looking lady with short brown hair. She had a microphone in hand while she walked onto the stage. The people on the stage had to get off to give her space.

    "Who''s that?" I asked.

    "I think it''s 1-B''s homeroom teacher", David replied.

    She walked to the centre of the stage and said, "I''m Ms Harper, class 1-B''s homeroom teacher. Mr Miller had some important business to attend to, so I will discuss your results with you".

    "What''s there to discuss? We can see the results", Lucas said.

    "Should we go stand near the stage?" William suggested.

    "Yeah", Delilah, David and Benjamin agreed.

    "Why man?" I complained. I cba to stand up.

    "Mally, come on, it''s better if we go closer", William urged me.

    Guess I have no choice. Everyone''s already standing up. It looked like other people had the same idea. A lot of people were standing in front of the stage, and many were leaving their tables.

    We got up and walked closer to the crowd.

    "This feels like a concert", Lucas said, looking around. "Have any of you been to a concert?"

    "I''ve been to wireless", I said.

    "What''s that?" William asked.

    "It''s a music festival in London".

    "I''ve never been to a concert", William bitterly said.

    "Concerts are overrated anyways", I told him.

    Ms Harper was waiting for everyone to settle down. It''s kinda hard to see. There''s too many people in the way.

    The life of being short. Thanks, Mom, thanks, Dad.

    "Who wants to put me on their shoulders? I wanna see better".

    "No, if you can''t see, that''s your fault for being short", Lucas replied.

    "I wasn''t asking you. I was asking Ben or David, you''re too weak". That''ll piss him off.

    "What do you mean weak?"

    Yep, got him.

    "Go on, you can get on my shoulders", David said, squatting down.

    "My guyyyyy", I slowly got onto his shoulders. He grabbed my legs and carefully stood up. "Don''t drop me".

    "Don''t move around too much, and I won''t", he told me.

    Woah, I''m so high up.

    "Is this how you feel, David?".

    "Kinda, you''re probably like 10 feet high. You''re seeing something completely different to me", he replied.

    He''s right. This feels surreal. Everyone''s looking at me. Nothing new. Who can I see? I can''t turn my body, or I''ll fall off. There''s too many people; I don''t know where to look. I can see Luna and her group. I should be able to see Nada, she''s got pink hair. I can''t see her, she might be behind me.

    "Ben, you''re gonna have to catch me if I fall".

    "I''ll try", Benjamin casually replied with his hands in his pockets.

    "How are you going to catch me like that?"

    "Don''t worry about it", he said.

    "Are you going to stay up there, Malakai?" Ms Harper asked, looking straight at me.

    I looked back at her. "You know my name, Ms?

    "Who doesn''t?" she happily replied.

    She''s nice. She looks older than Ms Green. I wonder what she thinks of Ryan. Probably only positive things, he does act like a model student. It''s kinda weird that everyone knows about me; well, it is my fault for being an idiot. Is what it feels like to be popular. Wait, am I popular? A lot of people hate me. Does everyone have to know you AND like you to be popular? Fuck.

    Eh, who needs strangers? I''ve got some people that like me; that''s enough.

    "It looks like everyone is ready, so I will continue", Ms Harper said. "Challenge 3 is over, and everyone escaped within six hours. No one got zero points, which is great".

    If anyone didn''t escape, that would be embarrassing. Getting no points is bad. There is no coming back from that. Your hopes of finishing in the top ten would be over.

    "Here is the order in which everyone escaped".

    A screen came out from the wall and was switched on. It showed 1st to 30th place.

    "I''m sure you all know what position you got and how many points you will get. I want to congratulate you all for your efforts today, no matter where you came". Ms Harper started clapping, which led to a chain reaction in which everyone clapped.

    Challenge 3 is done like that. It was a fun challenge. The last one was better, but I guess not every challenge can be like that. I''m glad I came here. What would I''ve done if I didn''t?

    "However, there''s one more thing I have to say", Ms Harper said, disrupting the applauds. "One team got the secret exit. I say one team, but it was one person", she continued.

    "Malakai Junior got the secret exit".

    Eh?

    "I did?".

 Chapter 79 - The Mannequins Story

    "I did?".

    Everyone''s eyes landed on Malakai. The guy on someone''s shoulders. The most unserious guy at the academy. One person got the secret exit, and it was him? Of course, it would be him. Who else would get it?

    "I thought I escaped normally", Malakai said, clueless about what he did.

    "The doors opened for you. I don''t think that''s normal", Ms Harper happily replied.

    "What did he do?!".

    "What''s the secret exit?!".

    "Tell us how he escaped!" Shouts of curiosity from the students.

    "Mally, how did you escape?" Benjamin asked, looking up at him.

    "I told you the doors opened for me", Malakai replied, feeling a little overwhelmed with the new information.

    "We thought you were taking the piss", Benjamin said, confused.

    Malakai didn''t properly tell his friends how he escaped. All he told them was the doors opened for him. They all brushed it off as one of his jokes. Malakai was also too tired to explain properly, so his friends didn''t pressure him to tell them his escape route.

    "We''ve got the recording of Malakai''s escape", Ms Harper said as the screen behind her changed to a black screen with a play button. "You don''t mind us showing your recording, Malakai?"

    "Naah, I don''t mind", Malakai replied, curious himself about what he did. "Are your shoulders hurting? Should I get down?" he asked David, feeling bad about staying on him.

    "Nope, you stay up there. Everyone''s going to watch your recording. I can hold out till then", David replied, wanting everyone to see Malakai.

    "What about the people behind us?" Malakai asked.

    "There aren''t that many people behind us. They can see don''t worry", William said.

    "Fuck sake", Malakai muttered while smiling. He was feeling a little embarrassed now, so he kinda wanted to get down.

    The lights dimmed to better show the screen. A few seconds went by, and the recording started.

    "Why the fuck is called Malakai funny moments?" Malakai smiled, pointing at the screen.

    "The editors had a bit of fun making this", Ms Harper replied, excited because she knew what was coming.

    Click!

    The door opened.

    Malakai entered the room and saw what was in front of him.

    "This is going to be a long day".

    Cool transition (transition in the recording to the next scene)

    "Why''s this basketball flat?" he said, holding the basketball. Malakai kicked the basketball against the wall. "There''s definitely something in there".

    He went over to the basketball and tried to open it.

    "How do you come to that conclusion?" Lucas quietly asked Malakai.

    "I don''t know", Malakai shrugged, invested in the recording.

    Cool transition.

    "Oh shit, there''s a mannequin", Malakai went over to the mannequin and picked it up. "It''s a woman. What should I call you?". He stood there for a few moments thinking of a name. "I can''t be arsed to think of a name. You can be bae or darling".

    "Why do you chat so much shit?" David asked him, finding the recording amusing.

    "I don''t know. Why am I so weird?" Malakai was suddenly realising how abnormal he was.

    Cool transition.

    Malakai was on the computer. "Why''s there so much shit to do?" he said, looking at the to-do list. "Why do I have to make cookies? Why is the fish called Gary? Such a stupid name", he complained. Malakai closed the to-do list and scrolled on the computer.

    "Is there porn on here?".

    Malakai''s eyes widened. He forgot he said that. Head started turning to look at him. He got weird looks from everyone, and I mean everyone, not just his friends. His close friends laughed, but,

    "Oh my god, Malakai", Delilah said, covering her smile.

    "You''re disgusting", Tanisha said, shaking her head and screwing her eyes at him.

    Maria and Sarena didn''t comment.

    "IT WAS A JOKE! I WAS JOKING!" Malakai announced, waving his arms and looking around.

    "There was no one in the room. Who were you joking to?" A complete stranger asked, looking up at him.

    "I DON''T KNOW!" It was clear Malakai had no idea what he was doing half of the time. "Aye, David, let me down".

    "Nope, you''re staying up there", David smirked.

    Cool transition

    Malakai was on the computer completing the tasks. "Good afternoon, it has come to my attention that blah blah blah. Why the fuck are these emails so long? I don''t have to respond to these professionally. I just have to respond with something". Malakai then went on to give the worst email responses ever.

    "You actually completed that task by responding with a few words?" David asked.

    "Yeah", Malakai replied.

    "We wasted so much time responding to them properly", David said, annoyed. "We could''ve escaped quicker".

    Cool transition.

    "I''ve done everything on the computer. I might as well clean the room quickly".

    Malakai cleaned the room in the messiest way.

    "I found a phone", he said, turning it on, but he needed the password. "Bae, I need your face to unlock the phone".

    That joke got a few laughs from the crowd.

    "Why are you laughing at your own joke?" William asked, seeing him letting out a small laugh.

    "I''m kinda funny", Malakai smiled.

    Cool transition.

    "I responded to my family". He gave the worst response.

    "We need to take pictures", Malakai remembered.

    He looked at the mannequin. "I need to dress her up". Malakai went to the wardrobe, picked an outfit and dressed the mannequin.

    "Oouuuu, my bae looking fine", he said, admiring the mannequin. "This is fun, what other outfits are there?" He then went on to take three other pictures with three different outfits.

    "Me and bae looking fly", he said, looking through the pictures. "I might make this my profile picture".

    "Why are you treating her like your girlfriend?" Lucas asked, a little weirded out.

    "I was by myself. What do you want me to do?" Malakai questioned back. His friends were questioning everything they were seeing, but they had a point. What Malakai was doing was weird.

    Cool transition.

    "What should I do now? Oh, I should exercise". Malakai went to the treadmill and switched it on. He put it on 10, which was the max speed.

    Cool transition.

    "Huuuh haaah huuuuh haaah huuuh haaah", Malakai was breathing heavily. He stumbled off the treadmill with his legs shaking. He could barely walk.

    Ping!

    The TV showed $50 (The max you could get).

    "I feel sick", he said, holding his stomach.

    He tried to make it to the kitchen sink, but his legs gave out, and he fell to the floor. He stayed on all fours for a few seconds, trying to control his breathing.

    "Bluuurrrgghhhh".

    "Eeeeeewwwwwww/ Euuuuhhhhh", shouts of disgust came from most students. Some students looked away, others'' faces winced, and the rest looked at Malakai again with disgust.

    Maria, Tanisha and Sarena all had their faces covered.

    "You actually vomited?!" Delilah asked with a concerned look, feeling a little sick watching that.

    "Bro, I ran at max speed for basically the whole thing", Malakai replied, trying to defend himself.

    "Basically?" Ray questioned.

    "I turned it down to 8 for about three minutes half way through. Then I got second wind and turned it back up to 10", Malakai said. He saw a lot of people still looking at him like he was trash. "Why are you looking at me like that? I didn''t vomit anything out, it was only water".

    "That explains why you were tired and slept for so long", David said. "You ran a 5K in just under 20 minutes".

    "I need water", Malakai mumbled. He eventually got up and poured himself a glass of water. He downed the glass in a few seconds, but a few seconds later,

    "Bluurrrghhhh".

    He vomited again, but it was in the sink this time. After getting everything out of his system. He lay on the floor like a starfish to catch his breath. He stared at the ceiling for a good ten seconds, questioning life. After quickly daydreaming, he looked at the camera in the corner of the room and pointed towards it.

    "Ladies you see that, I have a lot of stamina".

    "How did he run at that speed for so long?" Luke asked, yawning.

    "He goes to the gym", Reece replied. "I see him on the treadmill sometimes".

    "He actually goes to the gym?" Ryan asked, sounding surprised. He didn''t expect that, Malakai didn''t look like he went to the gym.

    "Yeah, he goes at night around eleven or twelve. He asked me to spot him once when he was benching 143 pounds (65 kg). For his height, he''s pretty strong. He did it comfortably for three reps, so he could probably bench 154 pounds (70 kg) if he wanted to", Reece replied, speaking highly of Malakai. "I didn''t see his body cuz he always wears a hoodie, but he''s got a sleeper build for sure. The weights he uses for different machines are pretty good".

    Malakai always wears clothes that hide his figure, even his uniform hides it. Looking at him you couldn''t tell if he goes to the gym or not. A lot of people assume he doesn''t by his height, so they think he''s weak.

    "So, your gym buddies?" Luke asked.

    "You have to ask him", Reece replied, shrugging his shoulders. He didn''t consider the two of them friends.

    Ryan and Lorenzo glared at Malakai through the crowd. They didn''t expect that from him. They knew he was quick, but he also had endurance and a bit of strength. This guy is more of a problem than they originally thought.

    Cool transition.

    Malakai came out of the restroom with a towel on his head, he had a shower. Also, before he went to take a shower, he cleaned his vomit off the floor.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement."I''ve got $50. What should I buy?". He walked to the computer and went to the shop.

    "Fish food $20. Why the fuck is it so expensive?" He bought the fish food.

    "A mic for $20. We can record a song", he said, looking at the mannequin. Earlier, he found the song file and listened to it. He also saw the lyrics in the diary, so he put two and two together. There was also a recording app on the computer to make music.

    "$10 left. What''s left?". Malakai scrolled through the shop.

    "A Polaroid camera. Yeah, lemme get that".

    "You bought the most useless stuff. You could''ve got more money and escaped", William told him.

    "Bro, I escaped anyway. It all worked out".

    Cool transition.

    "Shit I need to bake cookies". He printed out a recipe and ran to the kitchen. "Are there any aprons here?".

    Maria and Delilah giggled.

    "Why are you worried about wearing an apron?" Maria asked.

    "I''m a professional chef. I always need an apron when I cook", Malakai joked.

    "You were baking, not cooking", Delilah corrected him.

    "It''s the same thing".

    Cool transition.

    Malakai was baking the cookies with the mannequin standing next to him. He was stirring the cookie mix.

    "This is long", he then looked at the mannequin. "You can try stirring it", he then put the whisk in the mannequin''s hand and went behind the mannequin. He then proceeded to guide the mannequin to stir the cookie mix.

    "You''re not really good at this, are you?".

    "You might actually have a mental problem. You''re treating the mannequin like it''s an actual girl", William said.

    "She was my bae", Malakai replied, playing along with the joke.

    A girl from a different class turned to Malakai and asked, "Is that how you treat your girlfriend?".

    "I don''t know. You wanna find out?" Malakai jokingly flirted.

    Maria''s heart jumped a beat.

    Cool transition.

    Malakai was playing the video game while the cookies were in the oven. "This game''s shit. Do I have to complete it? It''s so long".

    While the cookies were baking, he speedran the game.

    "Did you complete the game when the cookies were in the oven?" Ray asked.

    "Naah, I did half the levels, then the cookies finished", Malakai replied.

    Cool transition.

    Malakai took the cookies out.

    "The cookies are done. Should I eat them?".

    He looked around the room and got an idea. He placed the mannequin on one side of the kitchen table and sat it down. He then went to the fridge to look for a drink.

    "Champagne? I don''t drink". Malakai picked it up anyway and got two cups. He poured champagne in one and water in the other. He put the cup with champagne next to the mannequin and the cup of water beside him. He placed the plate of cookies in the middle of the table and sat opposite the mannequin.

    "Bon app��tit".

    "We lost to a guy who had a fucking dinner date with a mannequin", Dillon said, watching in disbelief.

    "I knew he was stupid, but this is a different level", Jason replied, watching in disbelief.

    Cool transition

    "Yesss! Finally!" Malakai completed the game. "Now what? I''ve done everything. The assignment will be uploaded in a bit. I fed Gary, cleaned the room, and even fixed the clock. How do I escape?"

    He looked around the room, "Oh shit, I need to make the song".

    He went to the computer and finished setting up the mic he bought from the shop. He started earlier but didn''t get to finish setting it up. Malakai flipped to the last page of the diary and played the music file in the background. The song had a piano instrumental with some guitar strings in it. The vocal singing was good, but the mixing of the song wasn''t great. That was expected; it wasn''t like this song was made in an expensive studio with a good-quality mic.

    "She didn''t record the chorus", Malakai noticed some of the lyrics weren''t sung. "Only four lines. I should add another four bars". The mic came with some headphones, so he put them on.

    "I want some autotune". He opened the app that helped make music and started messing around with the mic.

    "Yo. Yo". He kept testing his voice to find the right level of autotune.

    "How do you know how to do this shit?" Lucas asked, amazed he knew how.

    "I had a friend that liked making music. I went to his house sometimes, and we messed about making music", Malakai replied, smiling while reminiscing.

    "You have an accent that we just about understand, and now you''re adding autotune to it", William joked.

    "What do you mean just about? You can understand me fine".

    "Aryt, everything should be good. Imma just freestyle the last four bars". Malakai pressed play and let the instrumental play. He got close to the mic and waited for his part.

    "Lately I''ve been feeling alone, uh.

    Late at night, there''s no one else to call on.

    Drunk in love, surprised how I''m still sober.

    Maybe I''m just better off a loner.

    Lately I''ve been sleeping on my own.

    Late at night, there''s nowhere else to goooo.

    Paranoia, take the long way hoooome.

    Look over my shoulderrr, wish this shit was overrr".

    "I didn''t know you could sing", Delilah said, pleasantly surprised by what she heard.

    "Only a little, I can''t properly sing. That''s why I use autotune", Malakai replied. He was right, he could only sing a little and hit small notes. The autotune helps him a lot.

    "Did you think of those last four lines on the spot?" Ray asked.

    "You can tell he didn''t steal those lyrics. The last two lines were too relatable to him at the moment", Delilah said, knowing his situation with the second-years.

    Malakai smiled, knowing it was true. While he was freestyling, he was thinking about that night after the Halloween party.

    "Let me hear it". Malakai said, taking off his headphones.

    He played the recording. "Ayyeee, I''m too cold".

    He was clearly happy with the result, so he continued to mix and put the song together.

    "It''s finished. Can I post it anywhere?" he rhetorically asked. He scrolled the computer to find somewhere to upload it, but there wasn''t a clear place.

    "Fuck it. Imma post it on all her social media".

    After he posted it Malakai continued to have fun making music. He found instrumentals and started singing or rapping over them.

    "L O V E, I don''t want your love,

    spend it with the people that I love.

    I''m home aloooooonneee ooouuuuuuu with no lights oooonn.

    I''m home aloooooneee ouu ouu with no lights oooonn".

    "You had too much fun making songs", Benjamin said, feeling the song Malakai was making.

    "Yeah, I did".

    "What the point you don''t have the songs?" Lucas said, thinking what he was doing was pointless.

    "I do. I sent the files to my email", Malakai happily replied.

    Cool transition

    Malakai was dancing to the song he made with the mannequin. He didn''t make full songs; he rapped or sang about eight lines on a bunch of different instrumentals.

    "Let me play this one". He went to the computer and played a different file. He stood in front of the camera and,

    "Hop out the whip, uh-huh.

    I did what you did, I''m winning I''m lit, four bands on my fit, uh-huh.

    Still watch for the feds, uh-huh.

    Might fuck on your bitch, uh-huh.

    She''s sucking my dick, you''re liking her pic, you''re life is so shit, uh-huh".

    "Are you capping (lying) in your lyrics now?" David asked, teasing him.

    "Bro, it''s lyrics. What do you want me to say?" Malakai replied. "You can''t lie though, it''s hard". Malakai was proud of that one.

    Some people didn''t like the lyrics. Cough cough, Tanisha. Maria also felt a bit uncomfortable about the lyrics.

    Cool transition

    Malakai was searching a cupboard in the kitchen area.

    "You smoke?" He found a cigarette packet. He took the biggest one that was poking out from the rest and held it between his index and middle finger.

    "It''s not good to smoke. You know a pretty girl can drop in ratings if she smokes", Malakai looked at the cigarette,

    "For me anyways".

    "You don''t like smokers?" Delilah asked, paying attention to what he said at the end.

    "I don''t hate them", Malakai replied. "But I wouldn''t marry one".

    Malakai put the cigarette in his mouth and started observing the packet. "This is what cigarette packets look like in America", he looked at it for a minute and was lost in thought. The taste of the cigarette in his mouth brought him back, he took the cigarette out of his mouth,

    "Blegh". He went to the sink and spat in it. "I don''t know how people can smoke this shit, it''s disgusting", he said.

    He looked closely at the cigarette in his hand. "This is some shit quality cigarette", he said, squishing it with his fingers and feeling the texture of the paper. Malakai started unrolling the cigarette. "This ain''t even cigarette paper". He took apart the cigarette and found that there was something written on the piece of paper that was used. He looked towards the mannequin.

    "Damn".

    Cool transition.

    Malakai was staring at the ceiling, lying on the floor next to the mannequin.

    Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

    "Bro, these notifications don''t stop".

    The notifications were coming from the computer and the phone. The song that Malakai posted was getting a lot of reactions and comments. These reactions and comments weren''t real people, they were bots that emulated real people. Obviously, the social media account wasn''t real either, it was simulated to replicate real life. After the first few, Malakai checked the responses, but he soon realised they were the same messages, so he left them alone. But the notifications didn''t stop. He tried to turn the phone on silent but couldn''t, and he didn''t want to turn off the computer because he thought he needed it. So, he was stuck with,

    Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

    "I don''t know what to do".

    Malakai had completed all the tasks, he was stuck. He didn''t know what to do next. He couldn''t buy his way out because he had no money. He was tired, he couldn''t be bothered to do anything. So, he lay on the ground, listening to a repeating sound.

    ...

    Silence for 30 seconds.

    "It stopped?".

    Click!

    "Huh?" Malakai sat up and saw that both the doors were open. The one with the lock and the one with the keypad.

    "How did that happen?". He looked around the room to see if this was a trick. Everything looked the same.

    "I guess I''ve escaped", he said, standing up.

    But before he left the room, he picked up the mannequin and sat it down at the desk. He went into his pocket and placed all the Polaroid images he had taken on the desk in front of the mannequin.

    "Actually, I want to keep this one".

    Malakai took one of the images, the one he liked the most. He also placed the note he found on the cigarette paper next to the Polaroid images. Malakai placed his hand on the mannequin''s head.

    "Aryt bae, I''m gonna have to love you and leave you. I have to go".

    He walked away from the desk and to the exit, but before he left, he looked into the camera.

    "I''m keeping this camera", he said, holding up the Polaroid.

    "You kept the camera!?" All his friends asked in synchrony, looking at him.

    "Yeah, it''s in my pocket", Malakai replied, pulling it out of his hoodie pocket.

    Malakai turned around to look at the room one last time. He smiled, silently turned around and left with his hands in his pockets. Leaving the mannequin sat at the desk with a bunch of Polaroid images and a note that said,

    ''I want to be happy''.

 Chapter 80 - Youre All My Kids

    The screen went black. The recording ended.

    "That is the secret escape route", Ms Harper said, walking back to the centre of the stage as the room lightened up.

    Murmurs between the students came after the recording finished. Most of the conversations were in agreement that the secret escape was bullshit. They didn''t understand it, all he did was mess about in the room. Some questioned what he did to escape; others wanted to know what was on the note.

    "Ms!" Malakai shouted out with his hand up. "So, like, what do I get?" He asked, eager to know.

    The conversations stopped; they all wanted to hear his reward.

    "If you remember what Mr Miller said, he said one escape will give you more points". Students'' faces were dropping. "For finding the secret escape, you get 2000 points".

    Eruption. Shouts from students came from all directions. Shouts of injustice and unfairness. Opinions were making themselves known.

    "WHAT!?"

    "HOW IS THAT FAIR!?"

    "ALL HE DID WAS MAKE A SONG!"

    "IF WE KNEW AN EXIT GAVE US 2000 POINTS, WE WOULD''VE TRIED HARDER!"

    "HOW CAN HE GET 2000 POINTS!".

    All this commotion while Malakai smiled.

    "500 more points for making a song. Are you fucking kidding me", Destiny bitterly mumbled, dumbfounded. She clenched her fist, regretting trash-talking Malakai earlier. Malakai smiling appeared in her memory, "There is no way he planned this".

    Alexander rolled his eyes. "It makes sense. Finding the secret exit would''ve been harder with five people. It was easier for him because he was by himself. No team would decide to waste $20 on a mic. Only an idiot would do that, but his idiocy paid off", he thought. Alexander quickly accepted the result, he wasn''t hurt or spiteful that Malakai got more points. He didn''t dwell on it too much because to him, it was like there was nothing that could be done. He did all he could. He did the best he could. What more could he have done?

    Ryan could only smile at the situation. It was like this was all written by the academy. The guy who was on a team by himself was the only guy to find the secret escape, and now he was getting more points.

    "Every time he does something, I find a new level of hate for him", Ryan thought, glad he hadn''t confronted Malakai earlier. "Ha, it''s quite impressive".

    "Maybe I should stop underestimating him", Adam thought.

    Adam''s team came 15th, which was pretty decent. He had Nada on his team, who helped the team a lot. When Nada said she wanted to be Malakai''s apprentice, she wasn''t lying. She tried to adopt Malakai''s way of thinking and make it her own. Surprisingly, it worked as it led to their team finding many clues for the escape room. They escaped by getting the code. Malakai and Nada talked quite a bit, and most of the time, Nada questioned Malakai about what he would do in certain scenarios. At first, Malakai found it weird, but over time, he found it fun. From this, Nada has benefited massively. She still needs to improve academically, but she''s become a recognisable figure for 1-E. Anyway back to Adam.

    "It''s not only impressive he got the secret exit, but he also came 10th. He could''ve come 30th and got the same amount of points", Adam thought. "He might be the most dangerous person in this academy. Maybe I was wrong, he does belong here".

    Dillon wasn''t angry at Malakai, he was angry at the challenge for having a secret exit that gave you more points. The whole thing didn''t make sense to him. All his frustration was to the challenge, not Malakai, which was new.

    Jason, like in the minigames, raised his respect for Malakai. Every chance Malakai got, he came up with new surprises. Jason didn''t particularly like Malakai, but he had a lot of respect for him.

    "I got some crazy plot armour boy. Is that plot armour? Probably not. I wasn''t close to dying or anything. What is plot armour again? Doesn''t matter. Thanks, author", Malakai mumbled.

    "What did you say?" David asked, hearing Malakai say something.

    "Nothing", Malakai replied.

    "Malakai, do you want to talk to your year group?" Ms Harper asked, holding out the mic to him.

    Malakai grinned. This was an opportunity, and he was going to take it. "Yeah, wait, imma come on stage", he replied.

    David slowly crouched down so Malakai could get off, Benjamin helped get Malakai down, too. David stood back up and stretched his shoulders by moving them around.

    "Don''t say anything stupid", David told him, placing his hand on Malakai''s shoulder.

    "I won''t".

    "Mally, don''t make yourself more of a target", Benjamin told him.

    "I''m already the biggest target there is".

    "Don''t say anything that will make people angry with you", Ray told him.

    "Everyone already hates me".

    After that last warning, he walked towards the stage. Students moved out of the way and made a path to the stage for Malakai. He walked down the path with his hands in his pockets, his default walking position. Malakai briefly looked into random people''s eyes while passing them, seeing jealousy and envy. Malakai knew he wasn''t liked, but this was the first time he could see it in person. He arrived at the stage and climbed up the steps on the side.

    "Hi, Ms", he greeted, walking closer to her.

    "Hello, Malakai", Ms Harper replied, handing Malakai the mic and giving him centre stage.

    He walked to the centre and faced the crowd. A view he was already familiar with. A similar view he got on the first day, but this time, they were standing up and not sitting down.

    "Yooo. You all good?" He asked the crowd with a big smile on his face. He acted like he was going to start a performance or a comedy act. "There''s a lot of people here innit".

    "Booo!/Shut up!/Get lost!/No one likes you!/Fuck off!" abuse was getting thrown at Malakai from all angles. He hadn''t even done anything yet, and they were so loud.

    "Why am I getting hate?" he questioned with a smile still on his face. "Wait, I''ve got an idea".

    Malakai placed the mic on the floor and pulled out his Polaroid from his hoodie pocket. He turned his back to the crowd and prepared to take a selfie with them, including as many people as he could. The noise only got louder, and middle fingers were being put up to ruin the picture.

    Shutter!

    Malakai took the picture and waited for the image to come out. He took out the image, put the Polaroid back in his pocket, and picked up the mic. he shook the image in his left hand and had the mic in the other.

    The noise was still loud. Malakai looked over at Ms Harper, but she could only raise her shoulders. Basically telling him this was his problem. Malakai looked back at the crowd. He had to talk to them.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "Aryt, listen. Let me talk, let me talk", Malakai said, slightly raising his voice.

    "Shhhh! Shhhhh!" some people wanted to hear what he had to say. Those people were his friends. His friends came in clutch, helping calm the crowd by shushing them.

    "Aryt. I know a lot of you still don''t like me, and that''s fine. If I were you, I wouldn''t like me too", he started off with a smug look. People were rolling their eyes already and had annoyed looks. "I mean, I was by myself, and I escaped the room. I got 2000 points while first place only got 1500 points".

    "YOU GOT LUCKY!!" someone shouted.

    Malakai tried to spot who said that, but he couldn''t locate the voice. "Lucky? That''s what you think. You think all I did was make a song to escape, but it was more than that. I know what I did", Malakai confidently replied. At the time Malakai had no clue what he was doing. It was only after he saw the note he realised he did a lot more than mess around.

    "YOU DIDN''T DESERVE IT!"

    Malakai smiled, his teeth showing, and looked at the floor. He took a moment before lifting his head again.

    "Let me say this one thing. You''re all my kids".

    Everyone heard what he said, but did they really? It took a few seconds to process. Students looked at each other and they all had the same expression. Before any protest or noise riled up,

    "Hehehe", Malakai giggled. "Look, a guy from 1-C escaped on his own. I''ve been at the top of the leaderboard for three challenges in a row. Three months. Every second year I''ve talked to said this isn''t normal. So guess what?" Malakai smiled, his face was beaming. "Imma talk my shit".

    "Oh boy", David said. He warned him not to say anything stupid, but it was bound to happen.

    "Get ready for another great speech, boys", Benjamin said.

    "Here''s the thing, I could be humble because three years is a long time", Malakai said, slowly walking around the stage. "I know I ain''t gonna be first the whole time. I know karma''s gonna bite me like a bitch, but while I am at the top, imma make it known I''m here. Before you overrate me, you''re gonna underestimate me".

    "NO ONE CARES!"

    Malakai smirked and stopped shaking the picture. "This is a nice picture", he said, holding it up and looking at it. He put the picture in his pocket.

    "I''m just saying, thirty 1-A students can''t beat me", Malakai said. "Actually, I take that back, twenty-eight students because I like Luna and bodyguard", he said, pointing in Luna''s direction.

    The 1-A students looked at Luna. "Who''s bodyguard?" they asked.

    "It''s Frank", she shyly answered, overwhelmed by everyone''s attention. Everyone turned to Frank. He didn''t know where to look; this was new for him. People were looking at him. Alexander was slightly amused by it. He smiled slightly, seeing Frank''s flustered reaction.

    "I don''t hate any classes, imma be honest. 1-A, I don''t mind you lot cuz you got Luna. 1-B, I like you lot cuz you''ve got the twins, but I don''t like one guy. 1-D is aryt. I don''t really know anyone from there. I like 1-E. You lot are good", Malakai listed.

    "We''re lucky you made friends with him, Christina", Eris said, nudging her.

    "Me and Chris didn''t have much of a say. He practically adopted us".

    Malakai turned to Ms Harper. "Wait, Ms. Is the leaderboard updated?" he asked.

    "I believe so", Ms Harper replied, unsure herself.

    "Can it be shown on the screen?" Malakai asked, pointing to the screen.

    "I''m not sure. Maybe the teachers could put it up", Ms Harper replied.

    There were other teachers in a different room; they monitored each escape room and watched what each group did. If someone bought or sold something, they would get a notification to inform them. They would also check if each team did their tasks correctly. A lot of people were involved behind the scenes in this challenge to help it work. That is how this challenge went so smoothly, thanks to the people behind the scenes.

    Ping!

    The screen turned on.

    <u>LEADERBOARDS</u>

    <u>1) MALAKAI JUNIOR (1-C) - 3683 POINTS</u>

    <u>2) ALEXANDER BURRELL (1-A) - 3144 POINTS</u>

    <u>3) FRANK CARTER (1-A) - 3131 POINTS</u>

    <u>4) DESTINY SIERRA (1-A) - 3071 POINTS</u>

    <u>5) LUNA WOLFE (1-A)- 3068 POINTS</u>

    <u>6) ISABELLA GRACE (1-A) - 2867 POINTS</u>

    <u>7) ALEJANDRO PEREZ (1-A) - 2815 POINTS</u>

    <u>8) SABRINA HALEY (1-D) - 2742 POINTS</u>

    <u>9) BRI LOPEZ (1-A) - 2651 POINTS</u>

    <u>10) EVE MASON (1-A) - 2645 POINTS</u>

    The screen shone in front of everyone. Most of the names were familiar. Familiar and boring. The top three didn''t change, but the rest did.

    Malakai looked at the screen, and a big smile covered his face. He started giggling. Malakai turned around and put the mic to his mouth.

    "Destiny, where you at?" Malakai said with his eyes scanning the crowd.

    "Shit", Destiny said, averting her eyes and putting her head down.

    "There you are", Malakai found her. "Hehehehe. What did you say before? Your name will be higher than mine? I don''t think it is", he said, pointing at the screen.

    Destiny wasn''t looking, she couldn''t look. She was burning inside. She was biting her bottom lip in frustration. Just like everyone else, she underestimated Malakai and said things that should''ve been said after confirmation. Some of the girls in 1-A were enjoying seeing her like this, smirking and seeing her sour face.

    Malakai looked at the crowd in front of him and then back at the leaderboard. "This would be a sick picture", he mumbled. "Yo, David, come here and take a pic of me", Malakai said, taking out his Polaroid again.

    "He always knows how to make the most of an opportunity", David quietly said.

    David and the others walked towards the stage. When David got close enough, Malakai threw the Polaroid at him. Malakai looked at the Polaroid and pointed towards the top of the leaderboard on the screen.

    Shutter!

    David took the picture.

    "That''s cold", Benjamin said, proud of his friend. He got chills from what he saw. Benjamin turned to his other friends, and they all had similar expressions. This memorable moment captured in a picture.

    The picture captured the back of the heads of some of the audience and Malakai on stage, staring at the camera and pointing towards his name at the top of the leaderboard on the big screen.

    David took the image from the camera and started shaking it.

    Malakai saw the picture was taken. "Aryt, I think that''s me done. This whole speech will probably backfire on me at some point, but who cares? I just wanna have fun. The person who''ll take first place from me will be boring as shit, I know that for a fact", he said, obviously hinting at a particular someone.

    Everyone knew who he was talking about; they were all sneaking glances at him to see his reaction. But he was unfazed, or he didn''t care. I don''t think he was listening anymore.

    "But yeah, stay safe everyone. If you wanna be my friend, just come chat to me. I need more people to like me", Malakai concluded with his regular smile.

    His friends started applauding, which then slowly caused others to join. Not everyone clapped, but it was a decent applause. Malakai walked away from the centre and handed the mic to Ms Harper as he passed. He walked off stage and stayed on the side, he didn''t bother going into the crowd to join his friends. His friends, however, were getting out of the crowd to join him.

    "That was some speech", Ms Harper said, taking centre stage again. She was momentarily speechless, trying to figure out what to say next. "That''s all for today. Well done to all of you for completing today''s challenge. Your phone and other belongings are in the other room with your homeroom teachers, so if you want to make your way there now", Ms Harper quickly concluded. She didn''t want to hold them up much longer.

    Malakai''s friends met up with him on the side. They all shook his hand and gave him a hug. David handed the picture to Malakai.

    "This looks like an album cover", Malakai said, admiring the picture.

    "It turned out really good", David commented.

    "You should make it into a bigger picture and frame it", Ray added.

    "It looks iconic", William said, looking over Malakai''s shoulder.

    "Iconic?" Lucas questioned.

    "It''ll only be iconic if he ends up first in three years", Benjamin said.

    "Three years, huh?" Malakai thought. He felt happy. Really happy. He created a memory for life, and it was captured in a photo. Something he could look back on in fifty years'' time. He made this. Never once in his life did he think he could do something like this.

    Malakai sincerely smiled at the picture and said,

    "Guess I know what I have to do now".

 Chapter 81 - Another Challenge?

    November 24th. Friday, 11:39 AM.

    "Winter break soon. You''re going home, right?".

    "Yep, I can''t wait", Maria replied, closing her notebook. "Have you sorted out your plane ticket?"

    "No, not yet", Tanisha replied. "It''ll be sorted out tomorrow or Sunday".

    "I really wanted us to go back together", Maria said. "Another plane trip together would''ve been fun". Maria and Tanisha came to Astral Academy together and stayed in a hotel until they enrolled there.

    "Not all of our parents are famous actors who can sort things out with a snap of their fingers", Tanisha joked.

    "Hey!" Maria playfully hit Tanisha on the arm. After that, she leaned back in her chair and looked up, "I can''t wait to see my family. I miss getting woken up by my brothers in the morning".

    "I''m surprised they haven''t visited you", Tanisha said, writing in her notebook.

    "They would''ve, but they couldn''t find the time," Maria replied. "We''ve also been busy, so I can''t complain".

    "What''s the longest you''ve been away from your family, apart from this?" Tanisha asked.

    "Around two weeks. I was filming for a TV show", Maria replied, thinking back to the time she used to film.

    "Really? I thought it would''ve been longer".

    "It was going to be a month. They gave me an option to do more scenes, but I didn''t want any more".

    "How old were you?"

    "I was twelve. I think I remember telling you when I came back".

    "I don''t remember any of this", Tanisha said, trying to jog her memory. Who were you staying with?"

    "My uncle and my aunt".

    "I remember you missing a couple of days in high school, but I don''t remember much from middle school", Tanisha said. "When do you go back?" she asked, closing her notebook.

    "Winter break starts on the 14th, and my flight to California is on the 16th", Maria replied, picturing the dates in her head.

    "Are you staying there the whole month?"

    "Yeah, I''ll be back by the 13th (January)", Maria replied, already looking excited.

    Tanisha smiled, happy that Maria was looking forward to seeing her family. She looked around the classroom. "This classroom is weird. I don''t like it".

    They weren''t in their usual classroom; they were in a class they had never been in before��a classroom on the other side of campus in an older building. The classroom was old, dark and gloomy. Ms Green was supervising their class. Currently, they are doing self-study. But I''m guessing you can tell not much self-studying was going on. Ms Green knew this but let them speak amongst themselves. As long as they weren''t too loud, she didn''t mind. She had her own work to do, so she didn''t want to be disturbed.

    "I get what you mean, but I like the desks. I don''t have to lean over to talk to you", Maria replied, leaning closer to Tanisha. Instead of singular desks, there were double desks.

    "That''s one good thing about this class", Tanisha said. She was still looking at people in the class. Wondering about their situations and plans for the holidays. "Do you think everyone is going home over the holidays?"

    Maria looked at her funny. "Why wouldn''t they?" she naively asked back, not understanding her. Wasn''t it obviously? Who wouldn''t want to go home?

    Tanisha realised Maria wasn''t thinking like she was. "I-I don''t know", she stopped herself from explaining.

    She knew Maria could be naive like this. Who could blame her? They were at a prestigious school, so you would think everyone would have money and a high-class upbringing. But that isn''t the case. Not everyone in this academy can afford to go back home. Not everyone would want to go back home. Some people probably came here to get away from their families. However, Maria was ignorant of this. Maybe it was better that way.

    "Do you think Malakai will go home?" Tanisha asked out of the blue.

    "Huh!?"

    "Why do you look so surprised?" Tanisha asked, a little startled by Maria''s reaction.

    "Because you''re asking about Malakai", Maria slowly said, looking at her like there was something wrong. "Normally, you don''t want anything to do with him".

    "I don''t hate him, my feelings towards him are ... complicated," Tanisha said, trying to express her thoughts.

    "Complicated?".

    "I don''t want to dislike him, but I can''t like him", Tanisha tried to explain. "Everything he does seems to annoy me somehow. Sometimes it''s my fault because he doesn''t do anything wrong, but I''m still annoyed at him".

    Maria tried to understand, and she did a little. She knew Tanisha was overprotective of her, and seeing Malakai get close to her may have made Tanisha cautious of him. She was always like this when boys tried to get too close to her.

    "Why are you asking about Malakai?" Maria curiously asked.

    "He''s the only foreign student in our class. Everyone else here lives in America", Tanisha replied. "Other classes have more foreign students. Like 1-B has someone from Japan and South Africa and 1-A has someone from Sweden and Germany. Each class has three to five people from different countries. We''ve only got Malakai, who''s from England, which is so boring". Tanisha went on a mini-rant.

    Maria hadn''t seen Tanisha rant like that in a while, so she was left a little speechless.

    "Don''t you think that''s a little bit special in a way?" Maria said. "Our class has one foreign student, and it''s Malakai. The person number one on the leaderboard".

    "He''s not going to be first forever, he said it himself", Tanisha replied, resting her head on her palm.

    "But even still, everyone knows who Malakai is now. I think that''s why he did that speech, to make sure everyone knows who he is".

    "I think he was just being arrogant and an attention whore��, Tanisha said, rolling her eyes.

    Maria giggled, "he''s having fun", she replied. "Anyway, why are you asking if he is going home or not? Don''t you think he will?".

    "I don''t know. I''ve never seen him look sad or homesick", Tanisha replied, sneaking glances at Malakai. "Both of us have been homesick and sad about being away from our families. I''ve seen people in our class feel the same way, too, but he never looks like that. I''ve never seen him sad or act a little bit homesick".

    "You don''t know how he feels. He probably feels sad and homesick when he''s alone in his dorm", Maria said, also sneaking glances at Malakai. "I''m sure he wants to go back. He''s always on the balcony late at night".

    "You still wake up in the middle of the night to talk to him?" Tanisha asked with a worried look.

    "Not as much as before, I''m more tired these days. And I didn''t wake up on purpose, I was always thirsty", Maria told her to clear suspicions she woke up on purpose just to talk to him. She looked down at her desk in thought, "Whenever he''s on the balcony, he just stares at the sky, sometimes with earphones in, listening to music. I''m sure that''s when he thinks about his family".

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation."Calling them would be pretty hard, too, because of the time difference", Tanisha said, putting herself in Malakai''s shoes. She shook her head, "It''s hard to read him. When I look at him, he''s always smiling and acting like an idiot, but he''s somehow beating people from 1-A. I don''t understand it".

    "You should talk to him more", Maria replied. "The more I talked to him, the more I understood him".

    "His mind or his accent?" Tanisha joked.

    "Both", Maria giggled. "His accent isn''t hard to understand, it''s when he talks fast, that''s when it''s hard to understand".

    Tanisha wasn''t convinced by what Maria was saying. "Okay then. What have you understood about his mind from talking to him?" Tanisha asked, not taking her seriously.

    Maria gently smiled. "He just wants to have a good time. Everything to him is fun", she calmly replied. "He told me everything that will happen at this academy will be a memory he could look back on. He wants to make memories".

    Tanisha looked at Malakai, who was talking to Delilah.

    "Having fun. Is that all he wants?".

    Meanwhile at the back of the class. Four students put their tables together to make a table of four.

    "Have you lot ever played blood money?" Malakai asked, bored.

    "No/What''s that?/Nope", they all answered.

    "You spin a coin vertically on the table, and you have to catch it between your index finger and middle finger. If you don''t catch it, everyone flicks the coin into your knuckles", Malakai explained, looking excited. It brought back some childhood memories.

    Everyone looked at him, disturbed.

    "What type of game is that? How is that fun?" Delilah asked, not seeing the fun that could be gained from this.

    "It''s fun, trust me", Malakai replied, wanting to play.

    "Do you have any scars on your knuckles?" Benjamin asked, looking at Malakai''s hands.

    "Nah, I was too good. I always caught the coin", Malakai replied, showing the back of his hands.

    "I wanna play", William said, eager to play. "Does anyone have a coin?" he asked.

    All of them shook their heads.

    "I guess Americans don''t really carry coins", Malakai said. "Wait, don''t you lot have nickles and quarters?" he asked.

    "We do, but why would we carry them when we can pay with our phones?" Benjamin replied.

    "Damn". That idea was in the bin. They had nothing to do again.

    "There''s some kids here whose parents are millionaires. Why don''t we rob them?" Malakai said, letting his intrusive thoughts fly.

    "Why would we do that? We don''t even use money here", Delilah replied, shutting another idea of his down.

    "You''re right", Malakai said. "We could still rob them, though. Get some money, innit".

    Screeeech!

    "Good morning everyone!"

    Everyone in the class jolted, even Ms Green. The speaker suddenly turned on, and someone started talking.

    "It''s Mr White here. I hope your self-study is going well".

    "It was going well", Lucas muttered, lifting his head from the table and rubbing his eyes.

    "I''m sorry to interrupt, but I have an important announcement. Challenge 4 will happen at 12 PM today".

    "12 PM?!" Everyone looked at the clock.

    "A challenge is happening in ten minutes?" Tanisha said.

    "This challenge is a simple one, it''s nothing like the others. All you have to do for this challenge is find someone with the same picture as you".

    "A simple challenge, I hope it is", Malakai said, yawning.

    "At twelve, all of you will receive an email. The email will have an image. You then have to find someone with the same image as you. Here''s the twist, the challenge lasts until 3 PM. Every hour, your image changes".

    "What?" A lot of people were confused.

    "Let me explain how it works. At twelve, you will receive an email with an image. You must find someone with the same image. If you do, you have to go to the main office to get it checked. Once it is checked, you have completed the challenge. However, I said the image changes every hour, meaning if you haven''t found your partner by 1 PM, another email will be sent to you with a different image. You will then have to find someone with the same image as your new one. Your old image will be useless".

    "That makes sense. Having three hours to find someone with the same picture as you would be easy", David said, liking the challenge.

    "That''s why we''re in this classroom as well. We''re on the other side of campus. All the other classes are probably far away, too", Lucas replied.

    "For finding your matching pair and completing the challenge you will get 1000 points. Finding your partner in the first hour will not get you more points. As you are still in the first year, we thought that would be too much".

    "If points were decided on which hour you found your partner, that would''ve been stressful", Maria said.

    "The second and third years probably have that rule. It will probably be the same for us when we become second and third years", Tanisha replied.

    "Those are the instructions for the next challenge. Good luck everyone".

    The speaker turned off, but the noise didn''t. Everyone started talking, loudly.

    "Three hours to find someone with the same picture as me, that''s free points", Willaim said, stretching his arms.

    "This challenge is useless, everyone''s gonna get points", Malakai complained. He couldn''t be bothered for a challenge today.

    "I think that''s the point", Benjamin said. "The last two challenges have been a lot of work, this one seems chill. I feel the next one will be a big one".

    "The calm before the storm", Delilah quietly said to herself, pulling out her phone.

    Malakai noticed Delilah pulling out her phone. "Who you texting?" he asked, trying to see her screen.

    "Akari. I''m going to ask where she is ", Delilah replied.

    "Shiii, let me see who I can ask", Malakai said, also pulling out his phone.

    William saw Malakai''s phone and squinted his eyes. "Do you only use the phone the academy gave you?" William asked, seeing his phone.

    "Yeah, my other phone is back in my room. I don''t even use it, I don''t need to", Malakai replied, opening his contacts.

    "What about calling your family?" Delilah asked.

    "I use this phone. I need to change the sim for the other phone, and I can''t be arsed to do that".

    "You''re so lazy", Benjamin commented.

    "What do you mean? I transferred everything to this phone anyway", Malakai shrugged. "This phone is useful. This is all I need here".

    "The academy did give us this phone specifically for this academy", Delilah said.

    "Yeah, but it''s still goo-".

    Ding!

    The challenge started.

 Chapter 82 - Encounter

    Ding!

    The challenge started.

    All the phones in the room pinged. An email was sent to all of them. Everyone instinctively checked the email to see what it was. It was their image.

    "What image did you get?" Delilah asked, leaning over to look at Malakai''s screen.

    "A palm tree", Malakai replied, tilting his phone to show her. "What about you?"

    "A mouse", Delilah said, showing her picture.

    "So what do I do? Find another person with a palm tree picture?" Malakai asked, a little confused about what to do next. It didn''t feel like this was a challenge.

    "Yeah, it looks like everyone has already started", Delilah replied, looking up.

    Malakai also looked up and saw a mess. Everyone was standing up and crowding around each other, and it was significantly louder. Before, it was like a library. Now, it was a playground.

    "I already hate this challenge", Malakai mumbled, slumping back in his chair.

    "Hey, what did you two get?" William asked with Benjamin beside him. Malakai couldn''t be bothered to reply; he just showed them his phone.

    "I''ve got a mouse", Delilah answered, also showing her phone.

    "A palm tree and a mouse. No good. I''ve got a bed, and Ben''s got a flame", William said, showing his phone for proof.

    "Let''s go see what everyone else has got", Benjamin said, getting up from his chair.

    Malakai tiredly put his head down on the table, "I can''t be arsed".

    "Come on dude", William said, dragging his arm.

    "You never know, one of them might have your picture. That''ll complete your challenge", Delilah added to motivate him.

    Malakai lifted his head and got up from his seat, "Don''t bring my hopes up".

    "I''ve got a picture of a laptop", David said.

    "I''ve got a picture of a pair of gloves", Lucas said.

    "I''ve got a picture of a nail", Ray said.

    "I''ve got a picture of a wine glass", Tanisha said.

    "I''ve got a picture of the sky", Maria said.

    None of them had the same picture.

    "Really? None of us match?!" William said with a disappointed look.

    "The chances of us matching were highly unlikely", David replied. "They wouldn''t make this challenge that easy".

    "Emily doesn''t have any of those images either", Ray said, adding his input.

    "Who''s Emily?" Malakai asked.

    "She sits next to me", Ray replied.

    Malakai still had no clue. He looked over at Benjamin, and he had no idea either; he shrugged his shoulders.

    "I asked Sarena what she had, and she had a picture of an apple", Maria added.

    It was looking like everyone in the class had different images.

    "We need to check with everyone in class first", Benjamin said, breaking the silence. "If no one has our pictures, we''ll have to find the other classes".

    After that suggestion, they all went around the class and asked everyone about their images. You can guess the outcome.

    The nine of them gathered again.

    "We''ve got 45 minutes until our pictures change", William said, looking anxiously at the clock.

    "We need to ask other classes", Tanisha said.

    "I''ll text Alejandro and ask where his class are", Maria said, opening up her messages.

    "I texted Akari earlier. She said her class was in the science labs", Delilah replied, finding the message to see if Akari had said anything else.

    "Can anyone else text someone from another class?" David asked.

    ��I��ll call Nada��, Malakai said.

    "Call? You can just text her", Delilah said.

    "Callings faster".

    "I''ll text Frank and see what image he has ", Benjamin added.

    They had contact with 1-A, 1-B and 1-E but not with 1-D.

    "Does anyone know someone from 1-D?" David asked, looking around.

    "Mally, don''t you have Jason''s number?" William said, remembering they were on a team.

    "Nah, I didn''t have the chance to get it. He didn''t sit with us on the bus in the second challenge", Malakai replied, scrolling his contacts to call Nada.

    "The heck?" William turned to Lucas, "Lucas, surely you know a girl from 1-D?".

    Malakai and Delilah side-eyed each other; they knew Lucas knew someone.

    "I might know someone", Lucas quietly replied, scrolling through his phone.

    Malakai and Delilah smirked at each other, knowing who he was talking about. Malakai''s phone stopped ringing,

    "Hello?"

    Malakai put the phone next to his ear, "Yo Nada", he replied. "Where''s your class?"

    ��In the gymnasium��, Nada said.

    "Gymnasium?"

    "Yeah, the classrooms next to it", Nada clarified. "What about you?"

    "We''re on the other side of campus, near the old buildings", Malakai replied.

    "Are you going to come to the gymnasium?" Nada asked.

    "That''s a fifteen minute walk", Malakai replied, not wanting to walk there. "Does your class want to meet up?"

    "Uhm, let me ask them". Nada muted the call for a second. "Yeah, everyone wants to meet up".

    "Calm, where should we meet?" Malakai asked.

    "The courtyard", Nada quickly answered.

    "Which one?"

    "The big one, I think other classes are meeting there too", Nada said.

    "Aryt, we''ll be there", Malakai replied, he was about to end the call but remembered something. "Wait, what image do you have?"

    "A slice of pizza".

    "Tch. You don''t match with anyone", Malakai said, not bothering to tell her his image. "Aryt, forget it. I''ll see you in a bit. Safe".

    "Bye".

    Malakai ended the call. "They wanna meet at the big courtyard", he told the group.

    "Alexandro said his class were going to the big courtyard, too", Maria said, looking up from her phone.

    "What image did he have?" Tanisha asked.

    "He had a clock", Maria dissappointedly replied.

    "I texted Frank, and he said the same thing. Every class is going to the big courtyard", Benjamin said. "He also had a different image to everyone".

    "Guess we''re going to the courtyard", Ray said, putting his phone in his pocket.

    "Should we tell everyone?" William asked.

    "If you wanna", Malakai replied, shrugging his shoulders.

    "Everyone! All the classes are meeting in the courtyard!" David announced to the class.

    "Someone''s the class leader", Malakai jokingly whispered to Benjamin.

    "I know, right?" Benjamin replied.

    "Some people have already left", someone said.

    The class had fewer people than before; some students already got a move on and left. They weren''t waiting for anyone.

    "It doesn''t matter. If they can''t find their partner, it''s on them", David replied. With that, everyone rushed out of the classroom. Speed walking, jogging, even running.

    "Why''s everyone that desperate for points?" Malakai said, watching the rush.

    All of his friends looked at him straight-faced. He knew what he was doing when he said that. He was winding them up.

    "Let''s go", Maria excitedly said, grabbing Tanisha''s hand. The two of them walked to the door hand in hand.

    "This is not going to be fun", Benjamin unenthusiastically said, walking away with David and Lucas.

    "Bye Ms", Malakai said, walking to the door with his hands in his pockets.

    "Byyee. Make sure all you boys complete the challenge", Ms Green replied. "And don''t cause any trouble".

    "You know I''m still here, Ms", Delilah said, walking beside Ray.

    "At this point, you''re one of them", Ms Green replied as she watched them walk out of the door.

    The seven of them were briskly walking to the courtyard. Maria and Tanisha were slightly ahead of them.

    "We''ve got 40 minutes. It''s a 10-minute walk to the courtyard, so only 30 minutes", Lucas calculated, worrying about the timings.

    "Even less than that because we have to walk to the main office to complete the challenge", David replied, adding to his stress.

    "The first hour is a waste, let''s be real", Malakai said. "All we have to do for this hour is find everyone else, so the next hour is easier". He was the calmest out of all of them.

    "It''s going to be so crowded. One hundred and fifty people in one place. It will be hard to find our partner in that crowd", Ray said.

    "I think the strategy for this is to wait. Wait for people to partner up, that leaves less people to check", Benjamin replied.

    "If that''s the plan, should we go and get food, I''m starving", William said, putting a hand on his stomach.

    "No, we still have to go to the courtyard", David replied, rejecting his idea.

    "The faster we complete the challenge, the faster we can go home", Lucas added, further shutting down his idea. "You can eat after".

    Malakai put a hand on William''s shoulder, "I thought that was a good joke", he said, consoling him.

    "Thanks, dude, but I was being serious", William said, feeling dejected. No one was taking him seriously.

    Malakai smirked and put an arm around William, "We''ll go to a restaurant after. All of us haven''t eaten together for a while".

    "It''s been a week", Lucas said.

    "A week too long", Malakai replied, looking back at him.

    "In that case, let''s hurry. Who knows, we might get lucky and find our partner straight away", David said, jogging ahead.

    "Do we really have to jog?" Malakai asked, not wanting to.

    "If you want to be left behind", Ray said, feeling motivated seeing David ahead. Malakai looked at the rest of his friends.

    "I want to get food, sooo", William moved Malakai''s arm off him and left them.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it."I''m not jogging", Lucas said, not feeling their motivation.

    "Same", Benjamin said, not feeling their motivation.

    "We''ve got two hours. I''ll be fine", Delilah said, not feeling their motivation.

    "Heh, people with common sense".

    Malakai, Delilah, Benjamin, and Lucas continued to walk while David, Ray, and William jogged further ahead to the courtyard. During the walk, they talked about their classes and some of the material they covered in class. All of them were on top of things, and none of them were behind on any of the subjects. Academically, they were all doing well; no one was struggling, which was a good thing. Their conversation was going smoothly, but while they were talking,

    "OII!!"

    The four of them turned around to see who was shouting at them.

    "Tch", Malakai kissed his teeth, realising who they were.

    "Who''s that?" Lucas asked, squinting his eyes to see who the guy was.

    "Yo, Delilah, go. If they recognise you, it will be bad for you", Malakai told her. He remembered that guy talking to Delilah at her door. "They can''t see you right now".

    Delilah was standing in front of Malakai, Lucas and Benjamin, so she wasn''t visible from behind as the guys blocked her. "What about you guys?" she asked, trying to stay out of sight.

    "It''s fine. I''ve got Ben and Lu with me", Malakai calmly replied, still looking at the guys approaching. "Trust me, go. If you see the other guys, tell them to come here".

    Delilah listened and secretly walked away; she looked back and saw Malakai, Benjamin and Lucas blocking the view so she could escape. She didn''t run, but walked hastily away to avoid looking suspicious if they could see her. She wanted to see what happened next, but Malakai was right. If that guy saw her again with Malakai, it would be bad news for her.

    "Mally, who are they?" Benjamin asked, staring at the guys approaching them. Not intimidated.

    "They''re the guys that I pissed off at the party. They chased me a few weeks ago", Malakai replied, still with his hands in his pockets. Not intimated.

    "You''re not going to run again?" Lucas asked.

    "Why would I? It''s a 3v3 right now", Malakai replied with a big smile.

    His smile was contagious because Benjamin and Lucas also smiled after seeing it. They were on board with his idea. All the previous encounters ended in flight, but this time, it was a fight.

    "YOU''RE NOT RUNNING THIS TIME?" the guy shouted, coming closer with two other guys on either side.

    "I wanna talk this time", Malakai replied, smiling.

    "What? Do you think you''re tough now because you have your friends with you?" the guy asked, now face to face with Malakai. He wasn''t in Malakai''s face, but he was close enough to look down at him.

    "Kinda", Malakai cheekily replied, seeing the annoyance in his eyes. "What do you want?"

    "What do I want? I want to break your face", the guy aggressively replied, getting closer to Malakai.

    "Whoa, calm down", Benjamin grinned, standing next to Malakai and looking down at him. "Who are you?"

    "I''m a second year", he fiercely replied.

    "That doesn''t answer the question. What''s your name?" Lucas was also looking down at him, standing on the other side of Malakai. The guy was 5''10, and Lucas and Benjamin were 6 feet and over.

    "Anthony".

    "Okay, that''s cool. Can you piss off now! We''re completing a challenge right now", Lucas said, edging closer to Anthony. This caused Anthony''s friends to come closer.

    "No!" Anthony replied with a disgusted look. "Do you know what your friend did? I want payback!" he said, staring down Malakai, looking like he wanted to kill him.

    "I didn''t even do anything. It was a party, parties are about having fun", Malakai said, grinning the whole time. He was having fun.

    "YOU had fun, you ruined ours", Anthony replied, pointing his finger at Malakai. "You either pay back how much you owe us, or we beat the shit out of you".

    "All of this over some drugs", he mumbled. Malakai stared into Anthony''s eyes and smiled with all his teeth showing,

    "I ain''t paying you shit".

    Anthony furrowed his eyebrows, gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

    "Wait, are we really doing this here?" One of Anthony''s friends asked, seeing Anthony aggravated and realising they were out in the middle of campus with other people walking around.

    "He''s right here. why would I leave him now?" Anthony replied, not backing down.

    "It''s perfect. It''s a 3v3", Benjamin instigated, cracking his knuckles.

    "Hah, 3v3? That midget isn''t even a person. It''s a 3v2", Anthony said.

    "It''s a 6v3. Can''t you count?"

    Malakai, Benjamin and Lucas looked behind them. David, William and Ray were there. Both of Anthony''s friends were backing off, but Anthony stood his ground. He was so focused on Malakai that he didn''t notice three other people coming closer.

    "What''s going on here?" David asked, towering over everyone.

    "You had to call your friends. You can''t do anything by yourself?" Anthony asked Malakai, trying to insult him.

    "I single-handedly pissed you and your friends off, so that answers that question", Malakai replied. "And they didn''t come here to help me, they came here to watch".

    Anthony smirked, "Like you''ll do anything".

    "You lot, don''t swing at them. Let them swing at you first, then you can do whatever you want", Malakai told his friends.

    "You sure you don''t want us to help?" Benjamin asked.

    "Nah, I''ll be fine", Malakai grinned.

    Anthony looked behind him and saw his friends standing further back. "Why are you backing away? Let''s fight them", he told his friends.

    His friends weren''t too keen on fighting, and it was apparent. Anthony had to set the example; he walked closer to Malakai with his fists balled.

    Malakai smiled and waited for his first move. His friends stepped further away from Malakai to make space for him to move. Anthony stepped forward with both hands in front of him and started with a swinging right hook. Malakai saw it from a mile off; Anthony made it obvious. Malakai dodged the hook easily by moving left. Anthony was quick on his feet; he readjusted his body and swung another right hook at Malakai. Malakai moved back and dodged again. Two swings, two misses.

    "Can you only swing with your right?" Malakai giggled, taunting him.

    Anthony was pissed; he pulled back his left fist. Malakai noticed and moved to his right in preparation to dodge. A left swing didn''t come. It was a fake. A right hook was coming towards Malakai''s face. He didn''t have time to dodge this one. He had to block it. Malakai lifted his left arm to block his face. His forearm blocked the punch. He tensed his arm to absorb the impact, he did that so he could counter. Malakai leaned forward and quickly swung at Anthony''s face. He caught Anthony on the left cheek. The first hit in this fight landed. It wasn''t the strongest punch as Malakai didn''t pull his arm back a lot, but it was a hit.

    At the same time, one of Anthony''s friends was facing off with one of Malakai''s friends. Anthony''s taller friend tried to grab David and put him in a headlock. But it was useless. David pushed him away with ease, jabbed him straight on the nose with his left hand, and swung his right hand straight at his chin. The guy slumped to the floor. A one-two combo, and the fight was over. One fight was already won. Anthony''s other friend was fighting Lucas. Unlike his friends, he wasn''t swinging recklessly. He had a southpaw stance, so he had boxing experience. Lucas had no boxing experience, so he took a stance he thought was right. He did have a height advantage, and with that advantage, he kept the guy at bay with jabs.

    Back to Anthony and Malakai. After that hit, Anthony became desperate. He was shaken. Any strategy he had before was gone. Now, he wanted a hit back badly. He charged at Malakai without thought, just trying to land a hit. Swinging recklessly with both hands. Malakai kept evading by moving back and side to side. Malakai was smiling the whole time, taunting him. Malakai knew he had to do something, he couldn''t dodge forever. Someone had to drop or forfeit. He stood still for a moment and waited for Anthony to swing. Anthony threw a rash left hook after seeing Malakai stationary. Instead of moving back, Malakai slipped the punch to get close. Malakai was in close proximity to Anthony; he was in punching range. Malakai kicked the side of Anthony''s left knee, causing Anthony to stumble and lower to one side. While stumbling, Malakai pulled his right arm back and got a good right hook on Anthony''s face. Slightly higher than his last hit. Malakai''s knuckles felt Anthony''s cheekbone in that hit. It was a good connection. A really good connection.

    "Hehehehehehe. That''s two hits, if you don''t want me to make it three, then get lost", Malakai giggled.

    Anthony was still on his feet after that hit, but his face was stinging. He was lost for a moment but caught himself when his vision cleared. His legs almost went. They were weaker. Struggling to keep him up. One more hit like that, and he might be dropped. Not might be he will be dropped. Anthony sorted himself out and collected his thoughts. He had a goal now. Beat him senseless.

    By.

    Any.

    Means.

    Necessary.

    He wasn''t going out like this. Getting beaten by a first-year? No way. He took a deep breath and charged again.

    "HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

 Chapter 83 - Unexpected

    "HEY!" WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

    That shout stopped Anthony''s charge. He took a look at where the shout came from, and it was like the adrenaline he had to fight drained out of him.

    "Shit! She''s here. We need to get out of here. We can''t get in trouble again", Anthony said in a panic.

    All he needed was one glance at the person to decide what he wanted to do. Anthony turned around and looked at his friends. One was untouched, and the other was unsteady on his feet. His legs were trembling, and he had a hand over his nose with blood leaking through his fingers. Anthony looked at the floor, and there were drops of blood next to his friend''s feet. While he was losing his fight, one of his friends completely lost his own. Anthony knew what choice he had made when he saw the person; he just had to act on it. Anthony looked around and saw a few bystanders watching the scene. He only noticed now because, during the fight, it was like it was only him and Malakai outside. Everything else was white. Seeing the number of people watching made him panic more. He had to go.

    "Let''s get outta here", Anthony said, running away.

    His two friends didn''t question, they followed behind him. The friend with the bleeding nose was still a little disorientated, but he could still run away, even if it were slowly. They all left without saying a word to their opponents.

    "They ran?" Lucas said, confused like the rest of his friends.

    They all looked at the person who shouted. It was a small girl with brownish hair. She was far away, so her details weren''t clear. The girl looked towards the guys.

    "HEY!"

    "I think we should go", Benjamin said, gearing to go.

    "She''s not a teacher, she''s wearing our uniform", Ray said, spotting that detail.

    The girl started walking towards them.

    "Yep, let''s go, she''s coming towards us", William said, already stepping away.

    The girl quickened her pace, which caused the guys to run. The six of them fled the scene.

    Malakai looked back while running, "Who is she? She''s kinda scary".

    At the courtyard. 12:40 PM.

    "Woah, is every class really here?" Maria asked, looking at the crowd. It was like a packed-out convention.

    "This looks like when we were in the lobby for the last challenge, but worse", Tanisha replied, not liking the view.

    Maria checked her phone, "20 minutes left. It''s good that the main office is only a 5-minute walk from here".

    "15 minutes to find one person in this mess", Tanisha said with a grimace on her face, not too keen on mixing in the crowd.

    "What''s the plan?"

    "Ahh!" Tanisha jumped in fear. "Delilah? Where did you come from?"

    Delilah snuck up on them. "I just came here now", she replied.

    "Why are you alone? Where are the rest of the guys?" Maria asked, looking behind Delilah and seeing her alone.

    "They ran into a little problem", she replied, not wanting to go into detail.

    "A little problem? What happened?" Maria worriedly asked.

    "It''s nothing, they''ll be here soon", Delilah reassured her, waving her hands.

    "Everywhere they go, they cause problems", Tanisha said, unsurprised. "It''s not even them. It''s Malakai. I feel bad for the rest of them".

    "They''re fine, don''t worry about them", Delilah replied, not making it sound like a big deal. "Anyway, where should we start?" she said, looking around.

    "I see Alejandro over there. We could ask him if any of his classmates got the same pictures", Maria suggested, pointing to where he was. There were 1-A students around Alejandro.

    "Yeah, let''s do that. I haven''t spoken to him in so long", Tanisha replied, also spotting Alejandro, feeling a little better after seeing someone familiar.

    However, before they made their move, someone walked towards them through the crowd alone.

    "Hey, how are you doing?"

    The girls looked up at who greeted them. An unexpected encounter.

    "Good, how about you?" Tanisha replied, taken back.

    "I''m doing great, thanks for asking", Ryan replied with a smile. "I think this is the first time we''ve met. I''m Ryan".

    "I''m Tanisha".

    "I''m Maria".

    Those two introduced themselves, but Delilah didn''t join in on the introductions. She looked at Ryan with a straight face, which looked like a glare. She didn''t want to talk to him.

    "Hi Delilah, it''s nice to see you again", Ryan said, trying to get her to speak. "Remember when we saw each other at the minigames". The way he talked was friendly as if they were already friends.

    "Yeah", Delilah curtly replied, not looking at him. Only Delilah knew about Ryan''s true nature; Tanisha and Maria only knew the good side, the facade everyone else saw.

    "I don''t see Malakai anywhere. Has he found his partner?" Ryan asked, looking around. He still wanted to talk to him, he hadn''t had a chance.

    "Not yet, but he''ll be here soon", Maria replied. "What about you? What image do you have?"

    "I have a picture of the sky".

    "REALLY?!" Maria reacted. Tanisha and Delilah had surprised looks on their faces. One was because of Maria''s reaction, and two, because Ryan had the same image as her.

    "Y-yeah", Ryan replied, a little startled by the sudden reaction. "Do you have the same picture?"

    "Yes! I have a picture of the sky, too", Maria said, lifting her phone to Ryan''s face.

    Ryan took Maria''s phone and compared the pictures to see if they were different. "They''re the same", he slowly said, not expecting this outcome.

    "Do we go to the main office now?" Maria asked, extremely happy. Looking back and forth between Ryan and her two friends.

    "Y-yeah, let''s go", Ryan was still processing what was happening. He didn''t approach these girls to find his partner; he approached them to get information on Malakai and potentially sow seeds for later. Lucky for him, he completed the challenge.

    Maria started walking away. "See you. Good luck finding your partners", she said, waving while walking away beside Ryan.

    "That was quick", Delilah said, watching Maria walk away.

    "For sure. Lucky for Maria, in more ways than one", Tanisha replied, quietly saying the last bit. She turned to Delilah. "Did something happen between you two? You were kinda rude to him".

    Delilah shook her head. "Nothing happened, but I don''t like him", she said, deciding not to tell Tanisha about the real Ryan.

    Tanisha sighed and looked at her hopelessly. "Delilah, you can''t be like that to everyone you don''t know. It would help if you had friends from other classes too. Having only Malakai and his friend group as friends is okay, but in the long run, you need more", she told her. "And Ryan''s nice, everyone likes him. Not liking him would look bad on you".

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.Delilah held her tongue. It wasn''t right to tell her the stuff she heard about Ryan. The stories about the few interactions Malakai had with him, as well as Benjamin''s brief interaction with him in the second challenge. For Delilah, it was easy to see through Ryan''s act as she knew the truth, but she could see why everyone else would call her crazy if she called out Ryan for being a nasty person. Ryan hasn''t set a foot wrong since joining the academy. He''s done everything to make people like him without even trying; he has just been himself. Maybe Ryan was a nice person, but he wasn''t nice to her friends. For that reason, she didn''t want to get involved with him.

    "Delilah, you should smile more. Your straight face scares everyone away", Tanisha said, seeing Delilah stare at the floor, lost in thought.

    "No, it doesn''t!" Delilah took offence.

    "Yes, it does. Look, no one is approaching us", Tanisha replied, pointing around. People were walking past them.

    "Ryan approached us".

    "He''s friendly to everyone, that''s why".

    "We''re still on the outskirts of the courtyard, let''s go near the middle of the courtyard", Delilah said in denial.

    "Fine, but you can''t ask anyone what their image is. They have to approach you", Tanisha replied.

    "Deal".

    "This is a little surreal to me, I''m walking with Maria Rodriguez".

    "Don''t say that, I''m no one special", Maria replied, shyly looking at the floor.

    "It''s just that your mom acted in a lot of my favourite shows and movies", Ryan said, slightly embarrassed, scratching the back of his head.

    "I''m not my mom, so this shouldn''t feel surreal".

    "I mean, you''re famous too. I''ve seen some of your photos in magazines", Ryan replied, giving her props. "I hear some of the girls in my class talk about you".

    "No, they don''t", Maria said. She didn''t know how famous she was.

    "They really do. I''m surprised we haven''t talked properly until now", Ryan said.

    "A lot has been going on. Every day, I''m busy doing something", Maria replied, looking up at the sky. "Someone told me you organised a study session with your whole class a few weeks ago".

    "Yeah, it wasn''t anything big. We collectively agreed to study together so none of us would fall behind", Ryan replied, thinking back to it. It''s true he did organise that, but not to study. By observing them, he wanted to get to know everyone in the class and see who was useful and where they ranked in the class.

    "Your class must be really close then", Maria said.

    "You could say that. Everyone is friendly with each other. What about your class?".

    "Our class is kinda close, everyone has their own groups. I''ve seen you talk to some people in our class. Are they your friends?"

    "I don''t know if they''re my friends, but they''re people I can talk to. I''ve tried to befriend people from all classes", Ryan replied.

    "Have you talked to Malakai? Are you two friends?" Maria asked, looking at him.

    "I need to be careful with what I say here", Ryan thought.

    "Not properly. I''ve introduced myself to him, but I haven''t had a proper conversation with him", Ryan replied.

    "Hmm. I think it would be cool if you two became friends, then both our classes could team up", Maria got hyped up just by thinking about it.

    Ryan kept his composed smile. "Does she not know that I hate him? Why hasn''t Malakai told her about me? Lorenzo told me they were neighbours. Are they not that close? I thought they were friends? Delilah knows, but she doesn''t?" Ryan thought. "I guess this is a good thing. Having Maria dislike me would be a problem". Ryan was confused, but was glad that Maria was ignorant.

    "That would be cool if our classes joined together", Ryan replied. "I need to find the time to talk to him. He''s all over the place, I can''t get a hold of him".

    "Hehe, yeah".

    The conversation died down for a bit, and they were walking in silence. There was nothing to talk about until,

    "I''ve got a question about Lorenzo", Maria said, breaking the silence.

    "Lorenzo? Nobody ever asks about Lorenzo", Ryan replied with a shocked look in his eyes, questioning himself if he was hearing right.

    "Well, he was on my team in the second challenge, and he didn''t talk much. I always see him next to you, so I''m curious about how he is".

    Ryan was speechless, this was the first time someone had asked about Lorenzo. "Lorenzo. He''s my best friend. He''s not good at socialising, and he''s really antisocial. His face doesn''t help because his straight face makes it look like he''s always annoyed".

    "How long have you been friends for?"

    "Like four years. I remember he was always alone, no one used to talk to him. One day, I saw some people picking on him, so I helped him out. After I helped him out, he was still rude to me, but I found him interesting, so I kept talking to him", Ryan replied, feeling a bit of nostalgia picturing his high school days.

    "He used to get bullied?"

    "Yeah. He didn''t bother to defend himself, he just let it happen", Ryan replied. "After we became friends, everyone stopped looking at him weird, and no one bullied him again".

    "Did he have a lot of friends after you became friends with him?"

    "Nope", Ryan smiled. "He didn''t want other friends. People talked to him and forced him to become their friend, but I don''t know if he considers them friends. Even at this academy, he''s got a small circle".

    "I tried talking to him, but he kept ignoring me or giving me short answers", Maria said.

    "Don''t hold it against him, he''s not a bad person", Ryan quickly replied. "If you want to befriend him, keep talking to him".

    "I''ll keep that in mind for next time", Maria said.

    The conversation died again, and silence was brought back to life.

    "Why does she want to be friends with Lorenzo? Does she like Lorenzo?" Ryan thought, side-eyeing Maria.

    "I doubt Lorenzo would want to talk to me again. I thought Lorenzo and Malakai were similar, I guess not", Maria thought, looking up at the sky.

    Start of a misunderstanding?

    "This is harder than I thought", Frank said.

    "We need to be patient, we don''t need to rush", Alexander replied.

    Alexander and Frank were struggling to find someone with the same image as them. People approached them, but no matches thus far.

    "I can''t see Benjamin anywhere. I need to ask him if any of his classmates have our images. He said his friends didn''t have our images, but I want to check myself", Frank said, scouting the area, looking over heads.

    "I thought an image of a boat and a cat would be easy to match", Alexander replied. "They''re common objects".

    While they were preoccupied, someone crept up behind them,

    "I can help you".

 Chapter 84 - First Hour Finished

    "I can help you".

    Alexander turned around, "Who are you?" he asked, looking at him up and down.

    "I''m Jason, I''m from 1-D".

    "How can you help us? What''s your image?" Frank asked, a little wary. Jason didn''t look the friendliest, so Frank was cautious.

    "My image is a pillow, it''s different from yours", Jason replied. After hearing that, Alexander looked uninterested and was about to walk away. "But I heard that you had an image of a boat and a cat. I know two people in my class who have those images", he quickly said, stopping Alexander from leaving.

    Frank saw some desperation in Jason''s face, "Are you sure?" he asked, not fully believing him.

    "Yeah, I can take you to them", Jason replied, nodding.

    "How do you benefit from this?" Frank asked, thinking Jason was up to something. He didn''t know how he could gain from this; they weren''t friends, so what was he up to?

    "Do you know anyone with an image of a pillow?"

    Alexander blankly stared at Jason. "I can''t remember anyone''s image", he bluntly replied.

    "Don''t mind him", Frank quickly intervened and apologised for Alexander''s sake. "From what I remember, no one in our class has a pillow".

    "Tsk". Jason kissed his teeth and looked away. His hopes were too high.

    "Does that mean you won''t show us who has our images?" Frank asked, seeing Jason''s disappointed reaction.

    Jason contemplated for a moment.

    "I''ll still take you to those people".

    "And you don''t want anything back? We''re not friends, so this is a bit weird", Frank said, still sceptical.

    Jason smiled. "This could be the start of our friendship", he replied, putting his hand out for a handshake. Alexander and Frank glanced at each other. "Fine, we don''t have to be friends", Jason retracted his hand, embarrassed and ticked off they left him hanging. From that glance, he could tell that they weren''t too keen on being friends. "Just put me in your good books", he said, walking away.

    Alexander glared at Jason''s back as he walked away. "Just say you want us to owe you a favour", he coldly said.

    Jason stopped. "What?" he turned around with furrowed eyebrows. "I was being genuine when I said we could be friends", he said, pissed off by Alexander''s attitude and walking back to them.

    Frank stepped in front of Alexander to block him from Jason. "Alright, we''ll help you when you need it in the future", Frank diffused the situation before it escalated. Frank didn''t like the idea of being indebted to Jason, but they had an easy path to completion. It would be dumb and immature if they refused his help now. They would only waste time if they didn''t take it.

    Similarly, Jason regretted helping Alexander. He knew Alexander was looking down at him. He thought helping them would be a good thing, but it looks like he''s sucking up to them. He underestimated his arrogance.

    "There''s only fifteen minutes until we get new images", Frank said, looking at his phone, and making Jason aware of the time.

    Jason had one last chance to decide whether to help them or not.

    "Follow me, I''ll take you to them", Jason said, walking away with an annoyed expression. It didn''t take him long to decide despite his negative feelings. He chose to help them. If he didn''t help them only negatives would come from it, he had to swallow his pride this time. He didn''t want them to hold a grudge against him.

    "Thank you", Frank sincerely replied, following behind. "Who are they?" he asked, trying to start a conversation because he felt bad.

    "They''re two random girls in my class", Jason said, his tone a little upset. His pride took a hit; luckily, only he was there to witness it.

    Jason led the way for them. Frank and Alexander silently followed behind. While Jason had numbers two and three follow him, Dillon saw him.

    "Where''s he going?" Dillon mumbled, seeing Jason stroll through the crowd. He saw the two people behind him. "What''s he doing with them?" It didn''t take long for him to realise. "That''s where he went".

    Dillon continued to watch, plotting what to do and deciding whether to approach or not. He saw Jason talking to a group of six girls. A few exchanged words later, two of those six girls started to walk away with Alexander and Frank.

    "Did he just help them?" Dillon couldn''t believe what he was seeing. "Why is he kissing their ass? Is he stupid? They''re not going to help him back".

    "What did you say?" Ash asked, not hearing him.

    Dillon didn''t notice Ash standing next to him. "Nothing", he didn''t bother mentioning it to him, because Ash and Jason were close. "Have you found anything yet?"

    "Nah, but Gabriel found his partner. Some girl in 1-A", Ash replied, blowing a bubble with his gum. "There''s too many people here, yo. I keep forgetting who I asked", he said, looking around.

    "This image is a dud, I''m not finding my partner", Dillon said, looking at his image and gripping his phone tighter than usual. "For the next image, I''ve got a new tactic".

    "We don''t need to stress. We''ve got two more attempts", Ash replied, shaking his dreads. "Huh? Look over there", he noticed something while shaking his head. "Malakai and his friends are pulling up now".

    "We''ve got no time left", William said, stretching his arms.

    "It is what it is", Malakai replied, looking at his right knuckle, which was still tingling.

    "You should''ve seen my face when I saw Mally punch that guy", Benjamin said, noticing Malakai looking at his knuckles.

    "Same, I didn''t expect you to actually fight him", Ray excitedly added.

    "I had to. I couldn''t dodge forever", Malakai replied, putting his hands in his pockets.

    "You gave him two punches to the face, and he never got knocked down. Your punches must be weak", Lucas joked, putting an arm around Malakai''s shoulder.

    "You can''t talk. You had a staring contest with your guy", Benjamin said, defending Malakai.

    David started laughing, "Lu, why didn''t you throw a punch?" he asked, genuinely curious.

    "I couldn''t, the guy was guarding the whole time", Lucas replied, not liking the pressure being put on him now.

    "You should''ve punched him in the face like David did", William said like it was a piece of cake.

    "I told you I couldn''t!" his joke on Malakai backfired on him.

    "So, it''s confirmed Lu is the worst fighter", Malakai instigated.

    "I''m not! I''ll fight you right now", Lucas replied.

    "Nah, I don''t want a staring contest", Malakai joked.

    "Son of a bitch", Lucas smiled as he put Malakai in a headlock.

    "Look, Delilah and Tanisha are still here", Ray said, pointing ahead, causing everyone to look ahead.

    Delilah and Tanisha were in front of them, but they weren''t standing together.

    "Why are they standing apart like that? Did they argue with each other?" William asked, seeing them having some distance between them.

    "Maybe, Delilah looks angry", Lucas said, seeing her straight face.

    "Nah, she just looks like that", Malakai replied, squirming out of the headlock. "Yo!" he called out.

    Delilah and Tanisha both heard him and saw everyone walking towards them.

    "Malakai", Delilah said, walking towards him with a worried expression. "You need to teach me how to smile".

    "What?"

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.Tanisha stood beside Delilah, "I said no one would approach her because of her straight face, so we tested it, and not one person approached her", she explained.

    "Pfft hahahahaha", William started laughing, leading to the others smirking and smiling.

    "Try smiling now", Malakai said.

    Delilah tried to force a smile, but,

    "Yeah, smiling isn''t for you", Malakai said, covering his smile.

    "No! I need to know how to smile. I can''t have everyone think I''m a bitch", Delilah desperately replied.

    This social experiment made Delilah come to a realisation. She knew she had an angry-looking resting face, but she didn''t know it was that bad that it made people scared to approach her.

    "You smile normally when you''re laughing and joking with us", Benjamin said. "Just imagine those scenarios when you smile".

    Delilah tried picturing those scenarios in her and smiled.

    "Hahahaha. Delilah, you don''t need to force a smile, man", Malakai laughed. "Smile when you wanna smile".

    "Fuck", Delilah gave up.

    "Don''t worry, we''ll teach you", Benjamin said, looking away and covering his smile.

    "At least guys won''t approach you", Tanisha said, looking at the postives.

    "The wrong ones will", Lucas commented.

    Delilah looked worried after hearing that. She put her hands together, "Please teach me how to smile", she begged.

    "Heh. Aryt, aryt. Later".

    "Why did you guys come so late?" Tanisha asked, changing the topic. The boys looked at each other, not sure whether to lie or tell the truth. "Did you get into a fight or something?".

    "Nnoo", William couldn''t lie to save his life.

    "You got into a fight?" Tanisha asked, surprised. She only suggested that because it was a typical boy''s behaviour, she didn''t think they actually did.

    "Mally, Lu and David did", William answered.

    The boys looked at him like he was an idiot.

    "What?" William asked, feeling the stares.

    "Why did you snitch?" Malakai asked.

    "She knew", William replied.

    "She didn''t. She was being sarcastic", Benjamin said.

    William realised now that she was being sarcastic when she said that. "It doesn''t matter, she''s our friend, not a teacher", he said. Malakai lightly slapped him on the back of the head.

    "Did you win?" Delilah asked, looking at Malakai, trying to see if he had any injuries.

    "Does it look like I lost?" Malakai replied, smirking

    "Only Lu lost", Benjamin snuck that diss in.

    "I didn''t lose!"

    "Here''s what actually happened. David won his fight, Malakai was winning his fight, and... I don''t know what Lucas was doing", William said.

    "I was waiting for the right opportunity to punch!" Lucas was trying to save himself from embarrassment.

    "Did your fight not finish?" Delilah asked Malakai.

    "Nah, they ran away after a girl shouted at them", Malakai replied.

    "A girl?"

    "Yeah, I don''t know who, though. She looked like a kid".

    "Where''s Maria? Did she find her partner?" Ray asked, noticing she wasn''t there. He noticed from the start but didn''t have a chance to say anything.

    "Yeah, she found her partner early on", Tanisha replied.

    "Who?"

    "Ryan".

    "Ryan?!" Malakai said in shock. He looked at his friends, who all had the same look. Out of all the names to hear, they didn''t expect that one.

    "What''s wrong with Ryan?" Tanisha asked, seeing their wide-eyed reaction.

    "Nothing", Malakai was quick with his response. He made sure no one else gave the wrong answer; he didn''t want other people to know about Ryan. Not right now.

    Tanisha smirked, "Are you jealous of Ryan?" she asked.

    "I''m so jealous, Tanisha. You don''t understand. I want to be just like him".

    Tanisha rolled her eyes, she should''ve saw it coming. "Even though we''re not friends, I''ve gotten used to your sarcasm", she replied, not liking the sarcastic response.

    "What, we''re not friends? I thought of you as my friend", Malakai replied.

    "Hell no".

    While those two conversed, Delilah went over to the other guys.

    "Don''t you think it would be better if we told her about Ryan?" she asked.

    "I don''t know, I think it''s better if we don''t get her involved", Benjamin replied.

    "It''s better if she doesn''t know", David said. "She''s our friend, but she''s not that close to us".

    "Yeah, and even if we did tell her, she wouldn''t believe us", Lucas added. "It''s better if everyone found out naturally, he will show his true face soon".

    "How did he approach you guys?" William asked.

    "We were going to go to a guy that Maria and Tanisha knew, then Ryan came to us and introduced himself to Maria and Tanisha", Delilah replied. "Then Maria asked him what image he had and they both had the same picture, and they left together".

    "Do you think he was waiting for you?" Benjamin asked.

    "Nah, I think it was just bad timing", Delilah replied. "Well, good timing for Maria.

    "He probably saw you and approached you. If we were there, I don''t think he would''ve", David said.

    "Malakai!"

    An unfamiliar voice called out his name. Eyes darted to where the voice came from.

    Malakai couldn''t help but smile after seeing who it was, "What do you want?".

    "Nothing much. I want to complete my challenge, that''s all", Destiny replied, grinning, approaching him.

    "You still wanna punch me or nah?" Malakai asked.

    "Not anymore. You calling me a bitch was unexpected, and I reacted in the heat of the moment", Destiny replied, lifting her shoulders. "It''s water under the bridge now".

    "How can you call a girl a bitch? You really are a jerk", Tanisha judgingly said. Her view of Malakai only continued to decrease.

    "I didn''t. I said she speaks like one", Malakai replied to Tanisha. "I never said you are one, but you speak LIKE one", he said to Destiny.

    "It''s whatever, I don''t care anymore. Looking back, I may have spoken to you rudely", Destiny replied, looking unbothered by it.

    "Apologising now because you realised I''m not a joke?" Malakai asked.

    "I haven''t apologised, I''m reflecting".

    There was a lot of tension between the two.

    "Who are you?" William asked, standing behind Malakai.

    "Destiny".

    That name rang a bell. "Oh, Malakai called you out in his speech", William replied.

    Destiny could''ve replied but stopped herself. If she said something out of pocket it would be everyone against her.

    "Forget the small talk what image do you have?" Lucas asked, walking closer to her.

    "Does it really matter? There''s only a minute left until we get a different image", Destiny replied.

    "A minute?" Lucas looked at his phone and it was 12:59 PM. Time flew by, and they didn''t notice.

    "If you really want to know, I had a picture of a belt", Destiny answered regardless.

    "We wasted our first hour", Lucas said with a little regret. He didn''t even hear Destiny''s answer.

    "I don''t think me and David wasted it. We had a good fight", Malakai said.

    "And we watched two good fights", Benjamin said.

    "I think you wasted an hour. Instead of fighting, you had a staring contest", William said.

    Lucas clenched both his fists. "I''ll punch all of you right now to shut you up".

    Ping!

    1:00 PM.

    Everyone got an email with a new image. All of them checked their phones instinctively.

    Destiny opened her email, saw her image and smiled.

    Malakai checked his image. "What did you get?" he asked Destiny after seeing her smiling.

    Destiny smirked. "Let''s show each other our phones at the same time. It''ll be more fun", she suggested.

    ��Aryt��, Malakai agreed.

    "Three. Two. One".

 Chapter 85 - POV

    "Three. Two. One".

    Malakai and Destiny turned their phones and had their screens facing each other.

    Destiny had an image of a lion.

    Malakai had an image of a lion.

    "Hahahahahahahahaha".

    They both laughed. The other guys checked what was on each screen.

    "They''ve both got a lion", Ray said.

    "Why are they laughing?" William asked, weirded out by their random laughter.

    "Beats me", Lucas replied, confused like everyone else.

    "Hahahaha", they both continued to laugh.

    "You already know what my answer is", Destiny said, putting her phone in her pocket.

    "Yup", Malakai was on the same wavelength. "Another hour wasted".

    "Out of all the people who could be my partner, it had to be you", Destiny said, smiling. It wasn''t a happy smile, she was smiling like this was a joke.

    "You sure you don''t want to go to the main office? We can finish this challenge and go home", Malakai replied in a cheery tone.

    "In your dreams. I''m not helping you get points", Destiny hysterically said, turning around and walking away.

    "Where you going?" Malakai asked, seeing her sudden exit.

    "Going to get something to eat, I''ve got an hour to kill", Destiny replied.

    "Can I come?"

    "Did I invite you?" Destiny asked, looking back and raising an eyebrow. From her tone of voice, it was clear she didn''t want him to join her. "If you want to follow me you can, I can''t stop you. I won''t pay any attention to you though", she said. Destiny turned around to look at Malakai, "Just to let you know, I like men who hopelessly chase me even if I don''t care about them. So if you keep following me, you never know".

    Malakai swivelled on his feet and walked in the opposite direction. "Pfft, fuck that. I ain''t chasing you", he mumbled.

    "Are you really not going to the main office?" Delilah asked as he walked past.

    "You saw what happened. She legit said she don''t wanna help me get points", Malakai replied, sounding like he didn''t care.

    "What are you going to do?" Benjamin asked.

    "I don''t know, I''ll probably go get a drink", Malakai replied. "You know what imma do that. You lot have fun finding your partners", he said, walking away with his hands in his pockets. He left the guys and went out of the courtyard.

    "After I get a drink, what imma gonna do?"

    "What the heck did I just watch?" William asked, dumbfounded, turning his head right to left and seeing Destiny and Malakai walk in two different directions.

    "I don''t know, being around Malakai is like being in a TV show", Benjamin replied. "Anyway, what image did everyone get? I got a fly".

    "I got a pillow", Lucas said.

    "I got a book", William said.

    "I got a table", Ray said.

    "I got a dog", David said.

    "I got a ladder", Delilah said.

    "I got a swing", Tanisha said.

    No matches.

    "Why can''t this be simple?" Tanisha frustratedly said.

    "They probably made it so there are no matches between classmates", David replied.

    "I don''t like this challenge, it''s not fun", William said, annoyed.

    "I agree, this challenge is boring", Lucas agreed, shaking his head.

    "Let''s complete it and get it over and done with", David said.

    Lorenzo''s POV

    I hate how quickly Ryan found his partner. How can he talk to people that easily? Everyone he talks to is friendly to him. It''s not fair. He could''ve at least helped me before he left. Who did he leave with? I didn''t see, he just walked away from me when I wasn''t looking. He''s not responding to my texts. Tsk. I have to do this alone. But, how am I going to do this? I don''t want to talk to people. I don''t want to approach people either. Why can''t someone come up to me with a picture of a star? Everyone who''s come up to me has something different. Where''s Luke? I should''ve stuck with him. I don''t recognise anyone. Tsk. I really have to do this myself. Is there a way I don''t have to socialise? There has to be... I got it! I can just hold up my phone to people. Then, people can see my image, and they don''t have to talk to me if their image doesn''t match. I should find my partner in no time.

    8 minutes later.

    Tsk. Am I the only person with a picture of a star? I''ve shown my phone to everyone here, and they''ve all shaken their heads. I could tell they thought I was a weirdo, but it''s whatever. I''m used to that. Do I have to leave the courtyard to find my partner? Why isn''t everyone in the courtyard? Tsk. My arm''s hurting from holding up my phone. Great. Why is this so annoying?

    "Let me see your phone", said a monotone voice to my right.

    Who? I turned my head. Adam? Was that his name? I showed him my phone without saying anything back. Does he always have the same facial expression? I''ve never seen him happy or sad. I''ve only seen his straight face.

    "I''ve got a star too. Let''s go to the main office", he said, walking away.

    He didn''t sound excited. I don''t look excited, but I definitely feel excited. He''s walking ahead. Why''s he walking so fast? Does he want to go home that badly? I mean, I do, too, but dude, relax. I picked up my pace and started walking beside him.

    Should I talk to him? Nah, I don''t need to. He doesn''t speak much, either. I''m glad my partner wasn''t a girl. That would''ve been awkward. I got the best person possible, someone like me. Someone who doesn''t talk and keeps the same facial expressions.

    "Where''s Ryan?"

    Why is he talking?!

    "I don''t know", I answered in a bored tone so he would get a hint.

    Why is he asking about Ryan? Tsk. What am I talking about? Everyone asks about Ryan.

    "Has he already completed the challenge".

    "Yeah".

    Tsk. Why has he made this awkward?

    (Only Lorenzo found it awkward).

    William''s POV

    I left the guys. I don''t know why they want to stick together. It''s better to split up, and then when we find someone with the same image, we could text each other. It''s the smartest play. I thought David would see my point, but he wants to stay with everyone. Hmmmm, I should really start asking people what images they have... There''s a lot of people here... Too much people... And I''m by myself�� This would''ve been easier if I was with everyone��

    I''ve made a severe and continuous lapse in my judgment.

    Arrghh. Dammit. I see why everyone disses me. I''m a dumbass. This is so hard. Why did I do this?

    Never mind, I see Mark. Lemme ask him what he has. There''s a ginger guy next to him. He looks familiar. Eh, I guess I''ll ask him too.

    "Mark! What''s up!" I shouted.

    "William! What''s up, dude", he replied with a pleasant smile.

    "Nothing much. Only struggling to find someone with the same image as me".

    "You too, huh? It''s harder than I thought it would be".

    I''ve heard that saying for the hundredth time today.

    "What picture do you have?" I asked.

    "I''ve got a bottle cap. What about you?"

    "I''ve got a book".

    "A book?" The ginger guy reacted.

    Does this ginger guy have a book?

    "Yeah". I showed him my phone.

    "Nice! I''ve got a book", he happily showed me his phone.

    "Wow, I''m going to be left alone", Mark said, a little stunned. "You two have fun. I''ll see you around William". Mark left us alone.

    Why did he leave so suddenly? He could''ve stayed and talked longer. Oh well, I''ve completed my challenge.

    "Let''s go".

    These 1-A guys move fast. "Sure. What''s your name?" I asked him.

    "I''m Kennedy... I was on your team for the dodgeball match in the minigames...".

    Dammit.... That''s why he looked familiar.

    "Oh... my bad, dude. Hehe. I knew you looked familiar", I replied awkwardly, scratching the back of my head.

    "Don''t worry about it. The minigames happened a long time ago".

    "Yeah. My memory isn''t the best".

    It looks like he doesn''t care. I know his name now, and I won''t forget it. This is a good chance. I need more friends from other classes.

    "Hey, let''s be friends".

    Dammit. Why did I say it like that? I sounded like an NPC.

    Dillon''s POV

    I need the person to come to me. I''m not finding them, it''s taking too long.

    "WHO HAS A PILLOW!!!!!"

    "Dude, calm down. You''re going to burst my eardrum", Ash said, covering his ears.

    "WHO HAS A PILLOW!!!!!" I ignored him.

    Ash isn''t going to help me, he can''t even help himself. I don''t know where Jason is, he''s probably found his partner because he sucked up to those guys. I have to do everything myself. Fuck sake.

    "WHO HAS A-"

    "YO! You don''t need to shout, I''m right here".

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.I looked to my left and saw a tall blonde guy with blue eyes.

    Huh, I know him. He''s Malakai''s friend.

    "You have a picture of a pillow?" I asked him to make sure.

    "Yeah". He showed me his phone, and he had the same image as me.

    "Let''s get out of here", I told him, walking away.

    Finally. This fucking challenge is over. It was a pain in the ass.

    "Slow down, bro. You don''t have to walk so fast. We''ve got about fifty minutes left", he said, trailing behind me

    Tch, this guy. What''s wrong with him?

    "Stop walking slow", I told him, not bothering to look back.

    What''s this guy''s name anyway? Do I need to know it? Fuck it, might as well.

    "What''s your name?"

    "Lucas. You don''t need to be rude. I know you don''t like Malakai, but you don''t need to be pissed at me", he replied, sounding butt-hurt about it. "Why are you being a dickhead?"

    Tch. I really have to explain myself to him. He''s not even walking beside me. Is he scared of me or something?

    "I''m not pissed at you. This is how I am".

    "This is how you are? It looks and sounds like you''re angry. Malakai was right, you are a stereotypical American bully".

    Tch, even his friends are fucking annoying.

    "Shut the fuck up. You''re lucky we have the same picture".

    "Lucky, how?"

    "I would''ve punched you ten times already".

    "Sureeee, buddy. You wouldn''t even get close".

    Tch. I bet he can''t fight for shit. All he can do is talk. He''s walking behind me. Tch. Even though I''d love to punch his teeth in, I can''t. If I beat him senseless, his friends would come running...

    It must be nice to have loyal friends.

    Ash��s POV

    Bruh. His shouting worked. Maybe I should start shouting. Wait a damn minute. Did that guy come with a group? He did. Let me ask them. There''s three guys and two girls. That means there''s a high chance one of them has my image. It''s simple math. (He doesn''t know what he''s talking about).

    I walked over to the group.

    "Hey, do any of you have a picture of a table", I asked, showing my phone.

    "A table? Ray, that''s you, right?" the tall guy replied.

    "Yeah, I''ve got it". A shorter boy with curly hair and green eyes showed his phone to me.

    He has the same picture as me. This doesn''t feel real. I''m a genius. My math was correct (He got lucky).

    "Cool, I wanna go home, so let''s go".

    We started walking to the main office. Ray�� He''s Malakai''s friend, but I''m sure he''s done something because I know that name. It''s familiar. His face is familiar, too.

    "Hey, what rank are you?" I asked.

    "Hm? I''m 31st", he casually replied.

    ��31st!?�� He''s that high? Dawg, I don''t even wanna tell him my rank. "How many points you got?"

    "2184. It would''ve been more if I did better for my team in the second challenge".

    I noticed he was sadly looking at the floor while he said that. "Huh? What did you do?"

    "I messed up finding the key. I should''ve found it quicker", he said, clearly faking a smile.

    He still looks upset about it. That challenge happened a while ago. I know he could''ve been a higher rank but damn. 31st is hella high.

    "Did you mess up that badly?"

    "Yeah, my team could''ve got first if I found the key faster".

    Damn, he''s sad. I should cheer him up. He doesn''t even need cheering up he''s 31st. Dawg, I need cheering up. If he''s that upset about his rank, imagine if he had mine. He would have depression.

    "It doesn''t matter. There''s nothing you can do about it now", I said.

    "Huh?"

    "Did you learn something from losing that day?" I asked him.

    "Uhh��. I haven''t really thought about it", he slowly replied.

    "Think about it then. Whatever happened that day should show you what to improve on and what to do next time. There''s a reason why that happened to you".

    That was a good speech if I don''t say so myself. I should be a motivational speaker... Eh? Where''s the response? Why''s he quiet? Did I say something stupid? Was the speech not good? I probably told him something he''s already been told.

    "Thanks, I needed to hear that. That''s great advice".

    "It was?"

    Isn''t that normal advice? I thought everyone knew that shit. I just said something that would be said in a corny TV show. Haven''t his friends told him that? What shit friends.

    "What''s your name? You haven''t told me it yet. I''m Ray from 1-C".

    "My name is Ash from 1-D".

    He''s a nice guy. I wouldn''t mind having him as my friend.

    Eric��s POV

    This challenge is so awkward. How many more people do I have to ask? At least it''s helping me talk to strangers. Overcoming my social anxiety. Heh, who am I kidding? It''s not helping anything. I''m not having a conversation with them, I''m only asking them a question. On the bright side, when I finish this challenge, I can go to the gym and rest earlier. Then I can start that series I''ve put off starting. Finishing early on Friday is the best. I need to relax, I''m not finished yet. I need to stop planning what I''m going to do. I need to find...

    Bump!

    Woah.

    "I''m so sorry".

    "It''s all go-".

    Sasha? No, it isn''t her. I thought that was Sasha for a sec. She kinda looks like her. They have similar hair.

    "Are you okay?" she asked.

    "Y-yeah, yeah. I''m fine. Don''t worry about it", I replied, struggling to look at her face.

    Shit, I lost composure for a second after I saw her. I need to snap out of it.

    "I''m so sorry I bumped into you. I tripped over someone''s leg".

    "It''s okay, I''m not hurt. Are you hurt?".

    "No, no. You stopped my fall", she said.

    I stopped her from getting hurt. Even if it wasn''t intentional, I did something good. That makes me feel good. I helped someone.

    "That''s good. While we are here, do you mind telling me what image you have?" I asked.

    "Oh, I have a picture of a swing".

    "A swing? No way". Oop, I was a bit too excited then.

    "I do. Here, take a look", she replied, showing me her phone.

    "You really do have a swing".

    "What do you have?"

    I showed her my phone, "A swing".

    "Oh my gosh, no way. Yess!"

    Wow, she''s really cute. NO! I can''t think like that. Do I want my heart broken again? No girls. I need to love myself before I can love someone else.

    "Quick, let''s go to the main office. My friend has already finished hers, and I want to see her", she happily said, skipping ahead.

    "Wait, you haven''t told me your name yet", I called out.

    "My name is Tanisha, I''m from class 1-C", she replied, looking back with a bright smile.

    Tanisha...

    "What about you?"

    "I''m Eric from 1-B".

    Delilah��s POV

    Tanisha found her partner by falling over. Is this a Disney story? Should I start falling onto people now? I doubt that would work for me. They''ll probably be scared of me. What now? William, Lucas and Ray have found their partners. The numbers are starting to go down; it looks like there are fewer people, too. That''s a good thing; we can find partners more easily. But the problem is we aren''t.

    "There''s a big group over there. Surely one of them has our image", Benjamin said, pointing to the group.

    "It''s a group of about ten girls. It would be awkward if we just approached them", David replied.

    It looks like it''s my time to shine. But approaching a big group like that is still intimidating, even if I am a girl. It doesn''t matter, we need to complete this challenge.

    "I''ll go".

    "You sure?" Benjamin asked, sounding surprised.

    "Who else is going to go?"

    "I mean, you''re not the approach a-stranger type", he replied.

    "Normally, yeah, but this time, I might gain something from approaching them. I''m only going to ask them a question, I''m not going to have a whole conversation with them".

    "Ben, just let her do her thing", David said.

    "I wasn''t stopping her. I was just making sure she wasn''t pushing herself", Benjamin replied.

    "I''m not a kid, you know", I smiled.

    "Okay, my bad for looking out for my friend".

    He was looking out for me, that''s nice. "I appreciate it", I told him, walking away. I walked ahead while Benjamin and David followed.

    Okay, this is kinda scary. I don''t wanna do this anymore. I''m not shy, but this is a bit much. I recognise some of them, but I don''t know their names. Tanisha was right, I need more friends. I need to talk to more people, so I don''t have this type of problem in the future. Damn you, Tanisha. Oop- One of them is looking at me! I''ve got no choice. I have to say something.

    "Erm. E-excuse me. Do any of you have a picture of a ladder".

    "Hmm?" All of the girls turned to look at me.

    None of them heard me�� fantastic. I have to ask again. It is my fault. I asked them when they weren''t looking at me.

    "Do any of you have a picture of a ladder?" I asked, holding up my image.

    "No, sorry".

    Shoot, they''re all shaking their heads. Is it me, or are they all looking at me weirdly? It doesn''t matter, I''m used to that look. It''s clear they don''t want to talk to me. Bad luck for me, I guess. Maybe David and Benjamin will have more luck, but my search contin-

    "I do".

    Huh? Who said that? I looked up, and a girl made her way through the group and stood in front of me.

    Who is she?

 Chapter 86 - Girl Talk

    Delilah''s POV

    Who is she? She''s pretty. The girl standing in front of me had silky long black hair and white skin with a slight tan. She was slightly shorter than me, if I had to guess, I would say she is 5''4. Her eyes were nicely shaped with long eyelashes and grey-coloured eyes. She''s got really nice eyes.

    "I''ve got a picture of a ladder. You''re Delilah, right?" she said.

    "You know who I am?" I asked, surprised.

    "Why wouldn''t I? A lot of people know you are".

    They do? Why am I famous? This is news to me.

    "Come, let''s go to the main office", she said, making her way out of the group.

    I still don''t know who she is. "Y-yeah".

    I followed her and walked through the courtyard beside her.

    "I''m Sabrina, by the way".

    Sabrina? I''ve seen that name somewhere. Where have I seen it?... No way.

    "Are you in the top ten?"

    "Yeah. I''m 8th", she replied with a smile.

    "That''s where I''ve seen your name. When you said your name was Sabrina, I thought it sounded familiar".

    "I''ve somehow made my way up there", she humbly replied.

    Somehow? Yeah right. She''s smart, and she knows it. She''s a girl boss, from how she looks, acts, and speaks. I''m kinda jealous. I wanna be like that. Before I learn more about her, I need to ask.

    "How did you know who I was?"

    "As I said before, a lot of people know who you are".

    "How? I don''t talk to anyone".

    "Exactly. You only talk to Malakai and his friends, and Malakai is the most famous person in our year group".

    This is what I get for being his friend. Blessing and a curse.

    "How do people see me?" I worriedly asked.

    "Hmm? A lot of girls know you as an ice queen".

    "Ice queen?!"

    "Yeah, beautiful but cold and heartless".

    I''ll take being called beautiful, but. "I''m not cold or heartless!"

    Sabrina giggled a little, "I heard a lot of boys wanted your number, but they''re too scared to ask. One boy in my class said he accidentally bumped into you, and the look you gave him made him nervous, so he ran away without saying anything".

    A boy bumping into me? Oh yeah, that did happen. Let me recall, I tried to say something to him, but he walked away. I didn''t give him a loo- oh wait, she meant my normal face...

    "However, the only times you do smile is when you''re with Malakai and his friends. I''ve got to say your smile is beautiful", Sabrina said.

    "My smile is beautiful?!" When has she seen me smile? How long has she been watching me?

    "Why do you sound so surprised?"

    "I recently found out I can''t�� smile", I embarrassingly replied.

    "Hehehe. Don''t be silly. Everyone that has seen you smile has said the same thing".

    Everyone''s seen me smile? It''s not just her? How many people are watching me?

    When I''m with those guys, I''m not paying attention to anything else other than the moment. I''m genuinely happy during those times, not to say I''m unhappy other times, but I''m especially happy in those moments. Maybe I don''t need to learn how to smile.

    "Is that it? Everyone knows me as the ice queen?" I asked, hoping it was.

    "There are rumours, too".

    "Rumours?"

    "Yeah. One of them is that you and Malakai are dating, and other rumours are that you''re friends with benefits".

    Sigh. What fantastic rumours.

    "Sooo which one is it? Dating or FWBs, or both?"

    "Neither! And that doesn''t even make sense! How can you be both?"

    "Hehe, I''m only teasing you. I know you two have nothing going on", she giggled.

    "What do you mean?" I asked quickly, raising an eyebrow.

    "To me, it''s obvious. You two don''t have that dating energy. When I see you together, you look like good friends".

    I know people talk about woman''s intuition but damn girl, you nailed it.

    "Unless you two do stuff in private", she said, giving me a side-eye.

    Okay, she wasn''t 100% certain. "We don''t".

    "Hehe. You said that so fast".

    I have to make it clear. "We''re close, but we don''t have that type of relationship".

    "Why don''t you?"

    "Because, we don''t like each other like that. Plus, I''m not interested in dating anyone right now?"

    "You''re not?"

    "Nope, I just want to focus on the academy".

    "Is he your type?"

    "My type? I haven''t really thought about it".

    "What is your type?"

    Damn girl, chill. It feels like I''m being interrogated. These questions are nonstop. Was I like this when I asked Malakai what his type was? I feel kinda bad now.

    "My type... Umm. Someone who is good-looking. Funny, and umm, someone who can protect me".

    I said the most generic things. The truth is, I don''t think I have a type. I''m not like Malakai because he said he''s never had a crush, but I''ve had crushes on different types of boys with different qualities.

    "I reckon he fits into all those categories".

    "Huh? You think he could protect me?"

    "Yeah, I think so. Remember in the second challenge when that guy kept swinging at Malakai, and he dodged every punch. He can''t be confident for no reason".

    She''s got a good memory. I forgot that happened. "You think Malakai is good-looking?" I asked.

    "The more you look at him, yeah".

    Maybe she''s grown to like his scar. Not a lot of people like it. I''ve gotten used to it, but I wouldn''t call it attractive.

    "What''s Malakai''s type?" she asked, fidgeting with her fingers.

    Why is she asking that? "Malakai doesn''t have a type. He said his type was someone who could make his heart skip".

    "Such a Malakai thing to say".

    Such a Malakai thing to say? Why is she talking like she''s known him for a long time? Is she interested in him? There''s no way, right?

    "Uhm, just a question. Do you like Malakai?"

    "Yes. Yes, I do".

    Ooookaayy. I did not expect her to be so direct. Wow. I knew there were some girls out there that would have a crush on him, but this girl next to me just admitted it. This is interesting. I thought she would like a different type of guy. Not Malakai

    "Like do you like, like him?"

    "Yes, I like him. I have a crush on him", she confidently replied, looking straight at me.

    Yep, she''s a girl boss. She''s the one who''s going to ask Malakai out, and Malakai has to accept no matter what he feels.

    "What do you like about him?"

    "I find him incredible", she said, smiling at the sky.

    Incredible? That''s a new way I''ve heard someone describe their crush. Has anyone in history called their crush incredible?

    "At first, his face was a little weird because of his scar, but the more I looked at it, the cuter it got. And he''s got the best smile", she happily said. "And how he acts is different, I like it".

    Hearing her talk about my close friend like this is kinda weird. Does she like that he''s first?

    "He''s nothing special. He says that all the time. He says he''s just a normal guy getting lucky".

    "But Delilah, you''re his friend. You''re close to him. Surely you see how amazing he is", she said, looking at me.

    "I mean, yeah. At the start, I did, but since I''ve been close to him, I''ve seen how he is just a normal guy".

    "He may be normal in how he acts, but what he does is incredible. Think about it, he''s kept the top spot for three months, and no one has come close. Could you do that? I couldn''t, and no one else has done it except for him. He''s not even in class 1-A".

    She really likes Malakai, I can hear it in her tone.

    "You''ve got a point, but this is only the start of the year. He''s not going to stay number one".

    "He won''t".

    Ouch, at least she isn''t delusional.

    "But he will still compete for number one. What he''s doing now isn''t a total fluke".

    Now she''s said it, what Malakai is doing is incredible. Maybe it''s because I sit next to him every day I find it normal. Him constantly acting like an idiot made it look like to me he was being lucky. But maybe he''s meant it this whole time. He doesn''t look like he means it. Look at the last challenge. He made a song for fun, and he escaped because he made the mannequin happy. He didn''t plan that. I don''t know. It''s two different perspectives. Hers from the outside and mine from the inside. Life''s weird. Maybe she''s right.

    "If it isn''t a fluke, what place do you think he will get at the end of this year?" I asked.

    "At the end of this year..." she paused for a moment to think. "I''m not sure because anything could happen. We could have a team challenge, and his team fails him. That would bring his ranking down. But I think he''ll be in the top three".

    Top three?! She has a lot of faith in Malakai. I don''t think Malakai has that much faith in himself. How much does she like Malakai? Okay, now I have to know.

    "Is Malakai your type?"

    "No, he''s the opposite actually".

    "What!?"

    "Yep. I imagined myself with someone responsible. Someone who is mature and serious. Someone tall and strong to protect me. Someone classy, you know. Malakai doesn''t tick any of those boxes".

    "He could if he wanted to. Except for the tall box, that''s impossible for him", I joked.

    "Hehehe", she giggled, covering her mouth.

    "There are times when he is serious and mature, but those are rare moments. He likes to joke all the time instead".

    "I haven''t seen that serious side of him. His apology on the first day was somewhat serious. I feel like he wanted to burst out laughing halfway through".

    She even remembers his apology. Damn girl. Should I be scared for Malakai''s safety?

    "Despite him being the opposite of my type, I''m weirdly interested in him".

    "Is it because he''s first?" I asked, trying to catch her out.

    "Hehe, not because he''s first, but how he got there by being how he is".

    "So if he wasn''t first, you wouldn''t even give him a second look".

    She smirked, "That''s what I meant earlier by he''s incredible. If he wasn''t first or in the top ten, he would be like most boys. Childish and irresponsible. But he''s first. Even though he''s childish and irresponsible, he''s beating everyone. That''s amazing to me".

    Stolen story; please report.She''s making sense. Malakai''s been an idiot, but he''s first. Malakai said it''s a fluke, but it can''t be 100% a fluke. Can a fluke last this long?

    "Think about the other boys in the top ten. They''re not like Malakai. All the boys in the top ten are from 1-A. No one in class 1-A is immature and irresponsible like he is. Even if he is getting lucky, I''m already interested".

    "You really like him, huh".

    "Strangely, I do".

    "You know I could put in a good word for you and tell him how you feel about him".

    "No. I want him to notice me by himself".

    Okay. You go, girl, but it isn''t going to be easy to get his attention like that.

    "So you''re not going to ask him out?"

    "That won''t work. If I asked him out, I would get rejected. I need him to see and notice me first".

    At least she knows that.

    "How are you going to get him to notice you?"

    "Hehe, over time, I''m sure he will. Everything is about timing".

    "Just to let you know, Malakai isn''t the type to fall in love at first sight".

    She smiled. "I know he isn''t. I wouldn''t want him to fall in love at first sight. I want him to fall in love with me, not my looks".

    Malakai, watch out. I think I found the girl that will make your heart skip.

    Bri��s POV

    Is there a pattern to this? That girl from 1-D got paired up with that girl from 1-C. Would there be a higher chance that my partner will be in 1-D or 1-E? Ugghh, my social battery is running out. I can''t do this anymore. Ugh, but 1000 points. I can''t miss out. I made it back into the top ten a few days ago. I can''t give up now. This challenge is the easiest we''ve had. I can''t complain... but it''s so draining.

    "Bri".

    "Hmm?" I turned my head to the call of my name.

    "What was your image again?"

    "A tennis ball".

    "I think one of those boys has it".

    Which boys? I looked to where she pointed. Oh, those guys that came with the girl.

    "Thank you, I''ll go check".

    Please, one of you have a tennis ball. I looked at the two boys more clearly. Wait, I know him. I''ve seen him before. He''s that guy from the second challenge. He shoulder barged Ryan. If he''s my partner, that conversation would be interesting. I wonder if he remembers me.

    "Do any of you have a tennis ball?" I asked, approaching them and showing my phone.

    "Yeah. I have a tennis ball".

    It''s him. Of course, it was going to be him.

    "Great, let''s go".

    We started walking to the main office. I''ll walk without saying anything for a bit. I want to see if he remembers me.

    "What''s your name?"

    "Bri. What about you!"

    "Benjamin".

    Silence.

    He doesn''t remember me. Should I ask him? Why not? I want to talk about what happened in the second challenge.

    "Do you remember me?"

    His face froze. Yep, that face shows he doesn''t.

    "Uum, I''m sorry. I don''t. Have we met somewhere before?"

    "Not properly, but your team in the second challenge faced off with mine at the top of the net".

    "Top of the net? You were on Ryan''s team?" he asked, looking at me trying to remember. "Oh yeah! You were the only girl on the team".

    "Yeah. I really, really appreciate you fighting my teammates and making my team come second", I sarcastically said, smiling.

    "Hehe, my bad. I was just playing the game", he replied, giggling a bit.

    "Okay, but seriously, why did you do that? What was the point of playing rock, paper, scissors to decide who got into the room first when you were going to barge Ryan anyway".

    "Are you still mad I did that?"

    Oh.. I didn''t mean to be passive-aggressive like that.

    "A little. I could''ve got 1000 points, but I got 800 because of you".

    He shrugged his shoulders. "I don''t know what to tell you. I feel like anyone in my position would''ve done the same".

    "What about good sportsmanship?"

    He scoffed. "You can''t say that when you had Ryan on your team. Oop-". he covered his mouth like he wasn''t supposed to say that.

    Cute.

    "Don''t worry, I know how Ryan is. I was on his team after all".

    "Phew".

    He looks so relieved. "Why are you so worried about saying that?"

    "Why wouldn''t I be? You''re a girl, and saying something bad about Ryan in front of a girl would make me look like a jealous hater".

    "Can''t argue with that. If I didn''t know how Ryan actually was, I probably would''ve called you a jealous hater".

    "See".

    We both went quiet for a few seconds and walked in silence.

    "Have you told anyone about him?" he asked.

    "Nope. I could, but if I did, one, no one would believe, and two, if a rumour were to spread, Ryan would know it was me that started it. I''ve chosen not to get involved with him".

    "Yeah. My advice would be to stay far away from him".

    "You say that, but you shoulder-barged him. That''s not staying far away from him. You didn''t give me a proper answer to my question. Why did you barge him?".

    "Aight, aight. I''ll tell you", he smiled. "Even if I didn''t shoulder barge him, I was involved with him anyway. As to why I did it, I got multiple reasons".

    "What are they?"

    "One is because I wanted to win, two is because I did it for a friend, and the last reason is because I wanted to".

    "You wanted to? Did it feel good?"

    "To barge him? Fucking amazing. He was light as hell. But I think that was because he didn''t expect it, so I''ll let him off".

    "I remember seeing you do that, and I was so shocked. Then the big guy came and held him and Leroy back. I didn''t want to get involved, so I stayed in the corner and watched".

    "I don''t blame you. What happened in that room was crazy".

    He''s chill. I thought he would be annoying. I can''t be mad at him anymore because he explained why he did it. Okay, I can be a little annoyed that he stole 200 points from me.

    "Has Ryan done anything to you since then?" I asked.

    "Nope. You?"

    "No. I haven''t even made eye contact with him".

    "Are you worried he might do something to you?"

    How did he know I was thinking about that? "A little".

    "You don''t have to worry. I doubt he''ll do anything to a girl. If he does do something, you could tell me. Me and friends would sort it out".

    "I''m not scared of him, but if he does try anything, I''ll let you know. Ooh, we could have a partnership against Ryan?"

    "Partnership?" he said, looking at my smiling face. "Aight, sure. If I hear he''s trying to do something against you or your friends, I''ll tell you".

    "Same, I''ll tell you too. That would be fun".

    Suddenly, my social battery is all charged up.

    David''s POV

    "Does anyone have a picture of a dog?"

    I''m the only one left without a partner. I might be stuck with Malakai trying to find someone in the last hour.

    "A dog? I know someone that has that picture", a girl said.

    "You do?"

    "Yeah, she was in 1-B. What was her name again?"

    "Are you talking about Eris?" Another girl said, overhearing the conversation.

    "E-Eris?"

    "Do you know her?"

    "No, not really". Shit, I said that out loud. This is going to be awkward. "Do you know where she is?"

    "I can take you to her".

    "Thank you. I''m sorry I can''t help you back".

    "It''s okay. Hopefully, the people that are with Eris have the same picture as me".

    "Thanks. I''m David. What''s your name?"

    "I''m Kayla from 1-D".

    Kayla took to me where Eris was.

    "Hey, Eris, I found someone with a picture of a dog", Kayla called out.

    Eris turned to the call of her name, and her eyes widened at the sight of me.

    "D-David".

    "Do you know him?" Kayla asked

    "No, not really".

    Kayla looked at us both, suspecting something. "Are you sure? You both responded in the same way".

    "We might have met once", I told her. "Should we go?" I asked Eris, so we could get out of here.

    "Yeah", Eris awkwardly responded.

    The two of us walked away to the main office.

    I don''t know how to start this conversation. Maybe it''s better if I don''t talk. I doubt she wants to talk to me.

    "So".

    For fuck sake.

    "You''re not gonna ask about Alaina?"

    For fuck sake. "Why would I?"

    "Because she''s your ex".

    "And?"

    "And you know I''m her best friend".

    "Do you still talk to her?"

    "All the time".

    "Good for you".

    "So, you''re not gonna ask?"

    Why is she so persistent? Eris has always been awkward like this. It''s like she doesn''t know she''s being awkward. "Why? Do you want me ask?"

    "She''s asked about you".

    "What? Why?"

    "I don''t know. She wants to know how you''re doing", she shrugged.

    I don''t understand. "Why, though? We only dated for about 8 months. We both agreed to stop dating and then a month later, she''s dating someone else".

    "You don''t miss her?"

    "Nah. It''s been a year. Why? Does she miss me?"

    "I don''t think so. But, she still asked me what you were up to".

    "What did you tell her?"

    "You looked fine. I told her I haven''t spoken to you yet".

    "Oh, okay". When are we going to move on from this topic? Can''t she tell by my voice I don''t wanna talk about it?

    "She''s still with that guy".

    Guess she still wants to talk about it.

    "Even though she''s with that guy, she looked happier when she was with you".

    "No chance. She could be happy right now with that guy, and you wouldn''t know".

    "I suppose. It was just my opinion, I thought you two were good together".

    "You did? We were okay, there could''ve been more chemistry".

    "You two had plenty of chemistry, you two were perfect together. That''s why I was angry when you broke up, and I was angry that you didn''t try fighting for it to work".

    "You know none of us cheated or anything. We both just thought it would be better if we went different ways. She was the one who proposed it, and I agreed with her".

    "You should''ve thought about it. You agreed like it was an easy decision".

    I shook my head and looked away. There''s no point arguing. I can''t tell how she''s feeling, her tone of voice always sounds tired. I don''t know why it still bugs her. Why was she angry me and her best friend broke up. I don''t understand. Girls, man. How do people understand them?

 Chapter 87 - Londoners

    2:00 PM.

    A new email with an image was sent. The remaining students had one more hour to find their partners.

    "Aryt, third time''s the charm".

    Malakai stood up from his seat and made his way out of the cafe. For the last hour, he had been in a cafe, drinking a milkshake while scrolling his phone. He watched one anime episode, and for the rest of the time, he scrolled through social media. He sat in a booth near the back so no one disturbed him. The cafe was quiet as it wasn''t busy. A few students from the academy were in the cafe, but they didn''t notice Malakai, and if they did they didn''t want to talk to him.

    "This shouldn''t be too hard", Malakai said, stepping out of the cafe. He made his way to the courtyard with his hands in his pockets.

    "I hope people are still there. Imagine if everyone left and changed the location", he thought. Malakai still walked with caution in case Anthony was still around. He was in his uniform, so he had nothing to cover his head or face. Malakai checked his shoulders every few seconds to see if anyone was following him.

    He reached the courtyard and,

    "At least there''s less people than before". The courtyard looked to have less than fifty people. "This should be easy".

    Malakai looked around and did not recognise anyone. "Did everyone I know find their partners? I should''ve texted them to check. Eh, who cares? I can find out after. Wait, where''s Destiny? She should be here. Should I find her? Nah, forget her. I should be finding my partner".

    While Malakai talked to himself in his head,

    "Malakai".

    Malakai turned around to see who called his name. A light-skinned boy with light brown cornrows, pale blue eyes, and a few freckles stood behind him.

    "Yo".

    "What image do you have?" the guy asked.

    Malakai lowered his eyebrows, "That accent. Are you from England?"

    "Yeah".

    "What? London?" Malakai quickly asked, recognising the accent and feeling close to home.

    "Yeah".

    "Oiiii, my guyyy!" Malakai dapped him up. "I didn''t know there was another guy from London here. How come I''ve never met you sooner?" he excitedly asked.

    "I don''t know. We haven''t had the chance to meet", he calmy replied, but his facial expression was excited.

    "What''s your name?"

    "Nathan. I''m in class 1-D".

    Malakai was smiling ear to ear, "Brooo, I''m so gassed (excited)". Malakai dapped Nathan up again.

    "You looked shocked, fam", Nathan said, also smiling.

    "I am. Like, hearing a London accent in front of me don''t feel real", Malakai replied, a little shell-shocked. It had been a long time since Malakai heard an English accent in person.

    "What''s your image? If we have the same one, we can talk more", Nathan said, holding out his phone.

    "My image? Wait, what is my image? I haven''t even checked", Malakai said, pulling out his phone.

    "You haven''t checked?" Nathan asked, looking at him funny.

    "Nah", Malakai giggled. "I saw it was two o''clock and came here". He opened his email and checked the image he had been sent. "I got a picture of a penguin".

    "Yo, I got a penguin", Nathan replied, smiling, happy they matched.

    Malakai and Nathan smiled at each other and dapped each other again.

    "Easy 1000 points".

    They both made their way towards the main office to complete the challenge. Malakai knew it was going to be easier to find his partner, but he didn''t expect the first person to approach him to have the same image. Plus the person was from London. The two of them were already automatically friends before they properly conversed.

    "Are there more people from England here?" Malakai asked.

    "There''s two girls in my class from England. One''s from Manny (Manchester), and the other is from Brighton", Nathan said.

    Malakai looked at him, surprised. "Why don''t I know this? Wait, you said you were from 1-D innit. That''s probably why. I don''t know anyone from 1-D", he replied.

    "Yeah, our class don''t like you", Nathan said. "Even those two girls didn''t want to introduce themselves to you".

    "Rah (woah)".

    "I told them, let''s talk to Malakai, and we can have our own English group, but they hated the idea".

    "My own people hate me", Malakai laughed.

    "They''re posh, that''s why", Nathan said.

    "What? Are they posh white girls?" Malakai asked.

    "Yeah. They think you''re a roadman (gangster)".

    "Cuz of how I speak?".

    "Basically. And how you act".

    Malakai smirked, he found it amusing.

    Nathan looked at Malakai with a side-eye and saw that smirk. "Are you a roadman (A gangster)?" he asked, not sure if he was.

    "Bro, if I was, I wouldn''t be here innit", Malakai replied, smiling.

    "Fairs. You''re like me then. Surrounded by them man, but weren''t involved", Nathan said.

    "Yeah, yeah. I was friends with some guys, but I didn''t chill with them that much. I stayed in school, went home and played games. I wasn''t outside like that", Malakai replied, looking up at the sky and reminiscing the days.

    "What part of London you from? I''m from North", Nathan said.

    "South London", Malakai replied. "We''re on opposite sides".

    "I don''t know anyone from South. Do you know anyone from North? I might know them", Nathan asked.

    "Nah", Malakai shook his head. "I haven''t been North that much".

    "Fairs. I can''t talk, I haven''t been to South London", Nathan said.

    "Ever?"

    "Nah. I''ve never been".

    "Don''t worry. You''re not missing much", Malakai scoffed.

    "You don''t like South London?"

    "Nah, I like it. It''s home innit. I have to like it. I''m just saying if you want to go somewhere, South London shouldn''t be your top spot", Malakai replied. "I mean, look where we are. We''re in America, bro", he said, looking grateful.

    Nathan picked up on that. "Is this the first time you''ve been away from the UK?" he asked. He was judging this from Malakai''s reaction. His tone of voice sounded like this was a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

    "Rah, you can tell", Malakai paused for a moment, he realised he might''ve sounded like an excited kid. "Kinda. I went to Mauritius when I was a kid with my family because that''s where my parents were born. But I haven''t travelled since", Malakai replied. "I was too young, so I don''t remember anything. I can''t really count that as travelling".

    Nathan didn''t know how to reply, all he could come up with was, "Mad. You need to travel man".

    "Why have you travelled lots? Where have you been?"

    "I''ve been to Spain, Italy, Greece, Dubai and Nigeria", Nathan listed using his fingers.

    "You''ve been to that many countries? How old are you?" Malakai asked, looking at Nathan more carefully, thinking he must be much older than he looked.

    "I''m twenty".

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    "Twenty?!" Malakai replied in shock. "I''m still eighteen".

    "That''s not mad. It''s only a two-year difference", Nathan said, not understanding his shock.

    "I know, but like, I didn''t expect you to be twenty".

    "So you''ll be twenty-one when you graduate. That''s sick, you''ll still be so young with that graduation certificate. Then you can travel cuz you''ve got time", Nathan said.

    "Yeah, with the hundred racks (thousand) I get from first place", Malakai cheekily said.

    "You really believe you''ll get first?" Nathan asked.

    "Naah, I''m just enjoying first while it last", Malakai replied with a small smile.

    "Fairs, I would do the same. I can''t lie".

    Malakai and Nathan kept walking and talking about their childhoods and experiences living in London. Malakai was having a great time, finally talking to someone who had similarities to him. But Malakai can''t have good things for long.

    "HEY!" A voice shouted from behind them.

    Malakai and Nathan turned around.

    "Is he shouting at us?" Nathan asked, looking at the guy who shouted.

    "Don''t know", Malakai replied, shrugging his shoulders.

    The guy came walking towards him, with another guy following behind.

    "I feel like I know him", Malakai said, squinting his eyes, feeling the familiarity.

    "What''s up, Malakai?" the guy said, trying to intimidate him by standing close to him.

    "I''m calm. What you saying?" Malakai calmly replied. "You going to the main office as well?"

    "Main office? Pfft, I finished the challenge in the first hour. I was just walking around with my friend, and then I noticed you. You haven''t completed the challenge yet?" he laughed, giving Malakai a condescending look.

    "Nah, I haven''t. I had some complications", Malakai joked, smiling, knowing he was being down upon.

    "Complications, my ass. Just admit you couldn''t do it".

    Malakai glanced at the other guy. He looked like a model. He was tall and had smooth skin, brown eyes and black hair with brown tips.

    "Aryt man. What you want?" Malakai asked, stopping the small talk.

    "What do I what? You''ve already forgotten what you did to me. I haven''t! I still remember!", he said, clearly irritated. His hand gestures showed he was still angry about whatever Malakai did.

    "I did something to you? What did I do?" Malakai replied, confused. He looked at Nathan.

    "Don''t look at me, bruv. I don''t know", Nathan said.

    "Okay, wait. Let me remember", Malakai said, putting a hand on his head.

    "You''ve done a lot of shit", Nathan commented.

    "I know", Malakai said. He looked at the guy in front of him of him. He had tanned brown skin and long light brown hair that was held back with a headband. Malakai felt some deja vu.

    "Oh, I remember. I brake checked your team", Malakai remembered, pointing at him. "Your name was Fabio innit?"

    "You do remember, you fucking prick", Fabio replied, smiling menacingly.

    "He''s pissed", Nathan whispered to Malakai.

    "I know", Malakai whispered back. "Aryt, what do you want then? Cuz I''ve already had my punishment".

    "Punishment? You were alone in the last challenge. Do you think that punishment is worth what you did?" Fabio asked.

    "Yeah, why not?" Malakai replied, smiling like it was a joke.

    "You nearly killed me!" Fabio said in a darker tone.

    "I just didn''t though. My car wasn''t even close to yours", Malakai casually replied

    "SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" Fabio shouted in Malakai''s face.

    Malakai quickly glanced at Nathan; they both held their laughs.

    "I want to fight you", Fabio clearly said, quickly composing himself.

    "Again? I''ve already had a fight today with someone else", Malakai complained.

    "You did? When?" Nathan asked.

    "In the first hour with some second-years. They were pissed at me", Malakai replied.

    "Why?"

    "It''s a long story".

    "Stop lying. You can''t fight. All you can do is run", Fabio bitterly said, interrupting them.

    Malakai looked at Fabio, and his expression was condescending but angry. His eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth frowned. Seeing this, Malakai made his mind up.

    Malakai kissed his teeth. "Fine, I''ll fight you", he replied in a fed-up tone.

    "W-what? You will?" Fabio didn''t expect him to agree that quickly.

    "Yeah. Go back a bit and let your friend hold your stuff", Malakai said, shooing Fabio back with his hand and wasting no time.

    His sudden change of attitude took Fabio aback, but he didn''t mind. Fabio smirked. "Okay", he replied. He stepped back and gave his friend all the belongings he had in his pockets.

    "What are you going to do to him?" his friend asked, holding his stuff.

    "Breaking some of his teeth so he won''t smile anymore", Fabio replied.

    "Should I jump in?"

    "Alejandro, you think I''m going to lose to that midget?" Fabio asked in an offended tone.

    "N-nah, you''ll beat him", Alejandro replied, slightly worried and not entirely confident in Fabio.

    "You''re actually going to fight him?" Nathan asked, unsure if Malakai was serious.

    "Yeah", Malakai replied, handing Nathan his phone. He looked down at his knuckles. Despite dishing out two punches earlier, they looked untouched.

    "Where should I punch him? His chin, his cheekbone, his nose or his temple?"

    "What? You''re not serious bruv. You''re not going to land the punch where I tell you", Nathan said, smiling, thinking he was messing around.

    "Just tell me where to punch him man", Malakai replied, coldly looking at him, not smiling.

    Nathan hesitated. "He''s serious. He''s not joking for once", Nathan thought, looking at Malakai''s body language.

    "If you''re bad (gangster or cool), punch his temple", Nathan told him.

    "Aryt".

    Fabio was waiting, hopping on his tiptoes, eager to start. Malakai took his hands out of his pockets and stood about fifteen feet in front of him.

    "He looks different", Alejandro thought, standing behind Fabio. He could see that Malakai''s mood was different. The aura he had about him was different. This person was different.

    "Come on then", Malakai said, looking uninterested.

    Fabio stood with both hands guarding his face and slowly edged forward towards Malakai.

    "You''re not going to punch?" Fabio asked, cuatiously watching Malakai''s hands.

    "I''ll wait for your first punch".

    "Hehe, okay", Fabio happily said with a grin and wide eyes.

    In that instant, Fabio rushed forward, charging at Malakai. He threw a jab with his right hand and then a quick overhand with his left towards Malakai''s face. But Malakai''s face wasn''t there. Malakai blocked the jab with his left hand and moved back to dodge the right hook. As Fabio threw an overhand, he was left open for a split second. In that split second, Malakai closed in, pulled back a right hook and landed his punch. Landed it straight on Fabio''s temple.

    It was done. Fabio''s legs gave out. He fell to the floor. Nathan''s and Alejandro''s mouths gaped. Fabio wasn''t out cold. He tried to stand up, but his legs wobbled when he tried to put pressure on it. His legs couldn''t withstand standing. All he could do was stay on the floor on all fours.

    Malakai looked at Fabio, discombobulated on the floor with a straight face. He casually put his hands in his pockets and started walking away as if nothing happened.

    "Where are you going!?" Alejandro shouted, angry Malakai was walking away.

    Malakai turned around, "I''m going. He can''t fight anymore. His head is spinning", he replied.

    "You''re just going to leave!?"

    "What do you want me to do? Do you wanna fight me?" Malakai asked. "It looks like your face means everything to you. You don''t want a black eye".

    "No, it doesn''t!" Alejandro fiercely replied, taking offence. "Just because my face looks good doesn''t mean it''s my prized possession. You don''t know me!".

    "Aryt then, prove me wrong", Malakai said, looking at him bored. "I wouldn''t recommend it though. Someone needs to stay by him for a while", he pointed at Fabio. "You can''t help him if you''re concussed as well".

    Alejandro stared at him, not knowing what to do. He''s never been in this situation before. Every boy thinks that if they see their friend get beat up, they will help them without a second thought. So why wasn''t Alejandro moving? This boy that was shorter than him was standing right there. There was no better opportunity to get revenge and land a punch, but Alejandro didn''t move. His friend was struggling on the floor next to him, and Alejandro couldn''t do anything for him. The reason for that is because Alejandro has never fought in his life.

    After that, Malakai turned around and started walking away with his hands in his pockets and Nathan beside him. Alejandro clenched his fist and stared at Malakai''s back while he walked away.

    "Alejandro", Fabio said, holding his left hand to his head and lying on his back.

    Alejandro looked at him with concern.

    "I lost. Badly". The realisation hit Fabio.

    "Don''t worry. Next time we''ll get him by surprise. Both of us will jump him", Alejandro replied.

    "No no. Aah!" Fabio tried to lift his head, but it was hurting. "Let''s leave him alone. It was my problem, and I got what I wanted".

    "Got what you wanted? You wanted to beat him up not get beat up", Alejandro replied, frustrated.

    Fabio was still dizzy and in pain. "True, but I wanted to fight him. And I lost".

    "That''s what I''m saying! We can jump him and beat him up", Alejandro said, focused on getting revenge.

    "We can''t", Fabio shut him down. "If we do that, he will come back ten times worse with his friends, and his friends look strong. I''m not trying to have beef with them", he said. "It''s not so bad, he only punched me once. My head''s hurting, but it could''ve been much worse". Even though he got embarrassed, Fabio was weirdly glad. No one was here to watch what happened except for two other people. Also, he wasn''t punched in a place where it was noticeable he got punched in. If he got a black eye or a broken nose, that would''ve been worse, in his opinion.

    Alejandro shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows.

    Fabio noticed his frustration. "Dude, don''t do anything stupid. I know you work out, but you can''t fight. I can tell you''ve never been in a fight", Fabio told him.

    "You can''t say that. You can''t fight either. Look what happened to you", Alejandro bitterly replied.

    "Exactly. I thought I would win because I could lift a few dumbbells, but look at me. That''s why I''m telling you. Don''t do anything stupid. This is embarrassing for me, not you. This is my loss, not yours", Fabio clearly said.

    Alejandro couldn''t do anything but listen to what Fabio told him. Alejandro thought while his eyes fixated on Malakai until he was out of view.

    "Malakai Junior. How is he friends with Maria? Why is Maria his friend? Does Maria know he''s like this? He''s dangerous. I have to tell Maria".

    Malakai and Nathan were silently walking. Nathan was hesitant to talk. He was still shocked by what he saw. Malakai, who was 5''6, won a fight with one punch against someone who was about 5''10 and well-built.

    "When did you get good at fighting?" Nathan awkwardly asked, side-eyeing him.

    "I''m not good at fighting", Malakai replied, with a little smile.

    "Come on, bruv. I saw you one punch a man", Nathan said.

    "Trust me, I''m not good. You could do what I did", Malakai replied. "All I am is really fast and can read movement quickly. I have no technique or real strength, only speed".

    "I don''t believe that", Nathan couldn''t believe him after what he saw, he thought Malakai was being humble.

    "Bro, put me up against a boxer. I will lose. I''m good at fighting against idiots. You saw me win against an idiot", Malakai said.

    "Did you get into a lot of fights when you were younger?" Nathan asked, seeing if his childhood was the story behind his ability.

    "Nah. I''ve had one or two, but that''s it. I''ve seen a lot of fights, and I learnt from them. That''s why I can read movement well", Malakai replied. "When you''re short, you can''t rely on strength. You have to find an opening and strike. You have to keep dodging until they make an opening for you. I can''t break through someone''s guard, I''m not the strong".

    "What if someone grabs you?"

    "Then it''s game over for me innit", Malakai smiled.

    They walked in silence for a few moments.

    "You need to be careful, bro. Don''t get caught in too many fights. There''s some strong guys here. You might get caught by surprise and get a bang to the face. There''s guys here who want to seriously hurt you", Nathan warned him.

    "I know, but that''s a problem for another day".

    <u>6:00 PM </u>

    <u>1) MALAKAI JUNIOR (1-C) - 4683 POINTS</u>

    <u>2) ALEXANDER BURRELL (1-A) - 4144 POINTS</u>

    <u>3) FRANK CARTER (1-A) - 4131 POINTS</u>

    <u>4) DESTINY SIERRA (1-A) - 4071 POINTS</u>

    <u>5) LUNA WOLFE (1-A)- 4068 POINTS</u>

    <u>6) ISABELLA GRACE (1-A) - 3867 POINTS</u>

    <u>7) ALEJANDRO PEREZ (1-A) - 3815 POINTS</u>

    <u>8) SABRINA HALE (1-D) - 3742 POINTS</u>

    <u>9) BRI LOPEZ (1-A) - 3651 POINTS</u>

    <u>10) EVE MASON (1-A) - 3645 POINTS</u>

    "Tch. Every student completed the challenge".

    "The leaderboard stayed the same".

    "What a useless challenge".

 Chapter 88 - Guy Talk

    November 26th. Sunday, 5:48 PM.

    "Can I tell you guys something?"

    "What?"

    "I have a problem, and I can''t find a solution".

    Lucas, David and Benjamin were at a cafe. They were together as they agreed to help each other with some homework and an assignment. Their other three friends had other things to do, so they skipped this meet-up session.

    "Is it a serious problem?" David asked, putting his pen down.

    "It''s not seeeeerious, but it''s been on my mind a lot".

    "So it''s bothering you?" Benjamin asked, sitting up.

    "Yeah", Lucas replied. "I don''t mind telling you two because I feel like you two will understand. The other three wouldn''t get it".

    "Okay?" David was confused about what was happening.

    "Don''t laugh. I''m not joking. I''ve been thinking about this problem a lot", Lucas told them, gathering the courage to let it out.

    Benjamin quickly smiled and looked down to prepare himself. David bit his tongue to prepare himself.

    "I like two girls, and I don''t know who to pick".

    "Tch", Benjamin leaned back in his seat, disappointed.

    "Tch", David picked his pen back up, disappointed.

    The problem wasn''t funny or serious. To the two of them, this was a regular problem for Lucas. It wasn''t even a problem, it''s just stupid.

    "Guys, guys. It''s not a joke. This situation is really bothering me", Lucas said, trying to pick their attention back up.

    "It sounds like a normal everyday problem for you", David replied, returning to writing in his textbook.

    "This time is different", Lucas desperately said, leaning forward.

    "You used to say that all the time in the voice call when we were playing games", Benjamin said, looking at his assignment on his tablet.

    "Those times, it was my fault. I was young. I wasn''t mature", Lucas replied, lifting his hands.

    "You legit had the same problem like a year ago. I remember the exact party chat we were in. Me and Ray were having a 1v1 snipers only, and I couldn''t concentrate because the rest of you were talking about your problem", Benjamin said. "I lost that 1v1 because of you. I''ll never forget that". That still hurts him to this day.

    "One year is a long time. I''ve changed, even you can see that", Lucas replied, trying to bring them back.

    "Clearly, you haven''t. You''re having the same problem", David said, not looking at him.

    Lucas rolled his eyes and sulked. "I thought you two would understand. Malakai would take the piss, William would be an idiot about it, and Ray would be clueless. You two are my only hope for romantic advice". Lucas rested his head on the table, upset thinking he had blown it.

    David looked at Lucas moping. He sighed and put his pen down again. "Go on. Explain your problem".

    "You said you don''t wanna hear it. Why are you asking now?" Lucas asked, still with his head down on the table.

    David stared straight-faced at him. "Do you want me to listen or not?"

    Lucas lifted his head a little and saw David''s straight face. He then looked to Benjamin, who was leant back in his seat.

    "I''m listening. The problems bothering you, so I''m all ears", Benjamin said, slightly unconvincingly.

    "I don''t like how both of you are forcing yourselves. You''re not going to listen properly", Lucas said, seeing their unwilling body language.

    David went to pick up his pen, and Benjamin pulled out his phone.

    "Okay, okay, fine, I''ll tell you", Lucas quickly said, lifting his head fully before David and Benjamin decided not to listen to him. "Thank you for hearing me out. I appreciate it".

    David and Benjamin took a comfortable position in their seats, waiting for the start of the counselling session.

    "Erm, this problem''s been bugging me for a few weeks. There''s these two girls. One is called Jessica, and she is in 1-D, and the other is called Elizabeth, and she is in 1-A. I like them both, and I don''t know who to choose to go out with", Lucas said, explaining his problem.

    David and Benjamin looked at him with a blank face.

    "You need to give us more than that", Benjamin said.

    "But that''s all there is to it", Lucas replied, wanting a solution.

    "How can we help then?" Benjamin asked, unsure of what Lucas wanted.

    "Give me advice. I don''t know what to do", Lucas replied, unsure of what Benjamin wanted.

    "Ben''s right, you need to give us more info", David said.

    Lucas was caught on his words. He didn''t know what to say next. What else could he say?

    Benjamin could see he was struggling. "Which girl do you like more?" he asked.

    "I like them both", Lucas replied.

    "Surely you like one more than the other", David said. "Who pops into your head first?"

    "Both of them".

    "Son of a", Benjamin sighed. He couldn''t be bothered. He sat forward in his seat. "Before you choose of one them. Do they like you?"

    "Yes. It''s clear they like me. I don''t initiate most of our conversations or invitations to hang out", Lucas replied.

    "Do these girls know you are hanging out with the other?" David asked.

    "No. Well, I don''t think so", Lucas replied, scratching his head and raising an eyebrow.

    David and Benjamin looked at each other. In truth, neither of them had any good advice or solution. They didn''t know what to tell him. What solution would be suitable?

    "I don''t wanna be a dick, but they probably just like your looks", Benjamin bluntly said.

    "I don''t wanna be douce, but it''s obvious", Lucas replied, acknowledging what he said.

    "Why are you wasting your time if you know they''re using you?" Benjamin asked.

    "At first, I had no interest in dating either of them, but after getting to know both of them. I can''t help it. Besides, looks are what make relationships start. If someone likes how someone else looks, they would want to get to know them", Lucas replied.

    "Not all the time", David said.

    "Most of the time", Lucas pettily replied.

    The conversation was going nowhere, leading Lucas to devise his own solution.

    "Maybe I should date both of them".

    "Like two-timing?" Benjamin asked.

    "No, like a polyamorous relationship".

    Benjamin and David looked at each other, both thinking that Lucas might be too far gone.

    "It''s not only up to you. They have to agree as well", David said.

    "I could ask them", Lucas shamelessly replied.

    "LU! Be serious", Benjamin sternly told him.

    Lucas slumped back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling after being told off.

    David looked at him like he was hopeless. "What we''re planning to do?"

    Lucas took a few seconds to reply. "I was thinking I could continue hanging out with them, but they keep asking to hang out more and more. It''s getting harder to handle".

    "You''re already two-timing?" Benjamin said in disbelief.

    "I''m not. I haven''t slept with either of them", Lucas replied, looking at Benjamin to defend himself.

    "That''s... actually surprising", Benjamin said with a shocked look in his eyes.

    "I told you, this time is different. I care about them both", Lucas convincingly replied, looking at them.

    David sat up from his leant back position. "I''m not an expert on love, but the only solution I can think of is to get to know them more and see who you''re more compatible with".

    "Then what?"

    "What do you mean then what? After getting to know them better, you should like one more than the other. Then you go out with that girl", David replied.

    "What will happen to the other girl?" Lucas slowly asked.

    David rolled his eyes.

    "Tsk, Lu stop being an idiot. The girl you don''t pick will continue with her life", Benjamin replied, slightly annoyed at how Lucas was acting. "Her life doesn''t revolve around you, she''ll find someone else", he told him the hard truth.

    Lucas covered his face with his hands. "Ahhh!" he said in frustration. "Why am I feeling like this?"

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there."Bro, it''s because you like them", Benjamin said. "Grow a strong attachment to one of them, and your feelings for the other one will die down".

    "I don''t see that happening", Lucas replied, shaking his head and not believing it.

    "Lu, you can''t have everything you want in life, but you can feel like you have everything you want with the right person", David told him.

    Lucas didn''t want to hear a life-changing quote right now. He just wanted a solution he would like. Lucas rested his head on the table again, covered his face and mumbled,

    "Why do I have to choose?".

    9:41 PM

    "I forgot to tell you something".

    "What?"

    "I think Maria likes you".

    "Cough, cough, cough", Lorenzo choked on his food. "Cough. What did you say?"

    "I think Maria likes you", Ryan repeated.

    "Maria Rodriguez in 1-C?" Lorenzo asked.

    "Yeah", Ryan confirmed.

    Lorenzo finished chewing his food properly. "What are you talking about? Who told you that? Did she say it herself?" he quickly questioned.

    "She didn''t directly say she liked you, but she was asking about you", Ryan replied, taking a seat opposite Lorenzo. "She was my partner for the last challenge".

    "That doesn''t mean she likes me", Lorenzo said, disappointedly shaking his head.

    "She was interested enough to ask questions about you".

    That caught his attention. Lorenzo was slightly worried. No one had ever asked about him. "What did she ask?"

    Ryan had to jog back his memory. "She asked how you were as a person. She said she tried talking to you when she was on your team, but you kept ignoring her".

    After Lorenzo heard that, it felt like his heart dropped. He felt let down as if he had missed an opportunity. He remembered the times Maria tried to start a conversation with him, and he''d reply rudely. "Did she really want to talk to me?" he thought.

    "I�� didn''t feel like talking that day", he said, looking down at his plate.

    "You don''t feel like talking any day", Ryan replied, looking at him with a slight smile, seeing hints of regret in his eyes.

    "What else did she ask?" Lorenzo asked, wanting to know every detail.

    Ryan scratched his head, trying to remember. "She asked me how we became friends".

    It was like a wave hit Lorenzo. "You told her how I used to be!" Lorenzo anxiously said, quickly raising his head to look at him.

    "Y-yeah. I had to. It''s an important part of how we met", Ryan replied, surprised by his reaction. This was the first time he had seen Lorenzo act like that.

    Lorenzo''s shoulders slumped, and he hung his head. Ryan saw an upset Lorenzo in front of him. He''d never seen Lorenzo this upset. Lorenzo and upset barely go in the same sentence, so seeing this was rare.

    "Lorenzo, you don''t have to worry. She didn''t judge you. If anything, I think that made her more interested in you", Ryan worriedly said, trying to cheer him up. He didn''t know how to act. Seeing Lorenzo, who was always calm and composed, panic like this was something new.

    Lorenzo took a few seconds to answer. "No, it''s not your fault. I can''t hide from my past. I just regret not talking to her that day", he weakly replied. "She was trying to be nice, and I shrugged her off".

    "Calm down. I told her not to hold it against you. I said you''re not the best with strangers", Ryan said. "She''s still interested in you".

    "How do you know that? She might be getting close to me to get closer to you", Lorenzo replied. His past experiences with girls came back to mind.

    "I was right next to her. She didn''t ask questions about me, she didn''t ask for my number, she didn''t try anything. She asked questions about YOU, Lorenzo", Ryan said, encouraging him. Trying to build his confidence.

    Lorenzo looked at him, feeling conflicted. It was too good to be true. In truth, he didn''t know how to feel. Should he believe it or not?

    "Lorenzo, you need to stay calm", Ryan told him. "You attracted Maria by being yourself".

    "But I was rude to her", Lorenzo replied.

    "Yes, and that made her curious about you. Some girls like that. They like guys who push people away. It makes them want to come closer and see why they push people away", Ryan said. "You''ve done the first bit. You''ve caught her interest. Now you have to keep her interested".

    Lorenzo had no knowledge about romance. What Ryan was telling him was new information to him. He didn''t even mean to attract Maria, but Ryan told him he somehow did it. It didn''t make sense to him.

    "Be yourself. Don''t get too excited, and don''t be too nervous around her", Ryan said. "That''s the best advice I can give you".

    "What happens if myself isn''t good enough?" Lorenzo asked, not believing in himself.

    "It will be. I know how interesting you are. It''s about time other people found out", Ryan encouraged him.

    Lorenzo reflected on himself. This was the first time he properly looked at himself. He was a moody guy who was always on his phone. That''s when it hit him.

    "How am I interesting? All I do is scroll through my phone", Lorenzo said, slightly scared at his personality and characteristics.

    "Yet, we always have something to talk about", Ryan replied.

    "But it''s always you that is carrying the conversation".

    "Because you can''t be bothered to talk about what you want to talk about".

    Lorenzo was stuck on his words. He couldn''t argue back because it was true.

    "Lorenzo, when you''re on your phone, you''re doing a lot of things. It''s not like you''re playing the same game", Ryan said. "I''ve seen you read online books, watching stuff, playing games and puzzles. You''ve got a lot to talk about and keep her interested. I''m sure you know a lot of interesting things because you''ve read about them. The things you find interesting, she might find interesting too".

    Lorenzo wasn''t too convinced, and it showed on his face.

    Ryan stood up from his seat. "You''ll be fine. I''m sure you''ll figure it out. You''re underestimating yourself. If you tried harder, who knows what you could do?" he said. Ryan started walking away, "If the opportunity comes, give it your all. It will be more than enough".

    Lorenzo sat there and took in the words that were said to him. It was weird. This was the first time he felt like this. He didn''t know how to act. This was the first time a girl had asked about him. In the past, girls had approached Lorenzo, but they only did that to get closer to Ryan. He learnt that after a girl approached him and talked to him in high school a few days after becoming Ryan''s friend. The first girl to ever approach him. The girl entertained Lorenzo for a few days and eventually asked for Ryan''s number. Lorenzo gave her Ryan''s number, not thinking much of it, but after he did that. The girl stopped talking to him. His first and last painful lesson. After that, Lorenzo didn''t care. Any girl that was nice to him, he would shut them down. He didn''t want to be used again.

    But this time, a girl asked questions about him. A girl was curious about him. Not just any girl either, arguably the prettiest girl at the academy. Lorenzo almost didn''t believe it. Was Ryan lying? He can''t be. He has no reason to lie. Why would Ryan lie to him?

    Lorenzo knew nothing about love or relationships. How was he going to get with Maria? A lot of emotions swirled up in Lorenzo. Happiness, anxiety, excitement, and other feelings he didn''t know how to describe. It was the first time he''d felt like this. All this time, he was fine being alone. He had Ryan as a friend, and that was all he needed. But now the opportunity to be with someone has arisen. Someone he would never imagine to be with. Someone he wouldn''t mind being with. Someone he''d liked to be with. He couldn''t sit around and wait for it. He had to chase it, but he couldn''t do that by the way he is now. He had to change.

    Lorenzo wanted to change.

 Chapter 89 - Bruises

    November 28th. Tuesday, 7:27 PM.

    "Can I tell you something?"

    "Again?"

    "Again? Did I tell you something before?"

    "Oh, never mind. It was Lucas who told me something a few days ago".

    "Oh, okay? Um, yeah. I''ve got something to confess, and I don''t think I can tell the other guys. Only you", Ray nervously said.

    "Is it something bad?" David asked, a little concerned.

    "Kinda".

    Ray and David were in their dorm, chilling in the main area. David was sitting on the couch while Ray was standing up.

    "Do you remember when I said it was my fault for not finding the key in the second challenge?" Ray said, struggling to keep eye contact.

    "Yeah?"

    "It was my fault. But what actually happened was Leroy came into my house and he found the key in front of me. Then we fought for the key", Ray continued, looking at the floor.

    David kept silent and waited for Ray to finish.

    "We didn''t throw punches or anything. It was more of a grab-and-push fight", Ray awkwardly explained, using hand gestures. "I nearly got the key from him, but he pushed me into the stair railing".

    "He what!?" David furrowed his eyebrows, raised his voice, and perked up in his seat.

    "Wait, he didn''t mean to! I could tell he did it as a reflex", Ray replied, with his hands raised in front of him.

    "Did you get hurt?" David instantly asked with worried eyes.

    Ray was hesitant to answer. He wanted to lie, but he couldn''t. From that hesitation, David got his answer.

    "Ray, show me where you got hurt", David seriously asked.

    Ray forfeited. He had to show him. Ray took off his shirt and turned around. David''s eyes widened. The left side of Ray''s back looked like it had been bruised. The bruise was fading, but it was still lingering on his skin. The challenge was around a month ago. If the bruise isn''t fully healed now, that would mean it must have been a nasty bruise. Much darker than it was now.

    David didn''t want to imagine the colour it was before. He got up from the couch and gently poked at the bruise to test if it hurt him. Ray flinched due to the slight pain.

    "It still hurts", David said.

    "Only a little", Ray replied.

    "Now it makes sense why you haven''t felt like going out much because you''ve been in pain", David said, angry at Ray. "Why didn''t you tell us?"

    "It wasn''t a big deal", Ray sheepishly replied, putting his shirt back down.

    "Look at this! How can you not call this a big deal?" David angrily said. "Have you gone to check it out?".

    "no".

    "RAY MAN!" David shouted. "Tch. Tomorrow, you''re going to the nurse''s office", he told him. "And Leroy. I''m telling the rest of the guys, and we''re gonna-".

    "DON''T!" Ray shouted back and turned around. "Don''t tell the rest of the guys! Don''t do anything to Leroy!"

    "Why?! Look what he did to you!" David replied in disbelief Ray was defending Leroy.

    "He didn''t mean it!"

    "I don''t care if he didn''t! He still did it! And he''s friends with Ryan".

    "David! Please! Don''t tell the guys. I don''t know what they''ll do to Leroy. They would probably bully him nonstop. That''s why I didn''t tell them", Ray said with desperation in his voice. "I told you for a reason. I told you because I know if I told you not to do anything to Leroy, you would listen".

    "But".

    "No buts! I don''t want you to get revenge for me! What''s done is done!" Ray said, raising his voice.

    David didn''t respond. All he could do was respect Ray''s decision, whether he liked it or not. As much as he wanted to get back at Leroy, he had to listen to his friend.

    "Has he apologised to you?"

    Ray didn''t answer straight away, automatically giving David his answer.

    "Okay, I''m not going to do anything to him. All I''ll do is make him apologise to you", David said.

    "I don''t want an apology. I don''t need it", Ray sourly replied, looking away.

    "If he''s sorry like you said, he would''ve apologised already".

    "David! I''m telling you, I don''t need no freaking apology! I don''t want you to do anything to Leroy!" Ray said, growing in frustration that David was this persistent.

    "Why?"

    "BECAUSE IT''S MY FAULT! I''M TOO WEAK!" Ray''s frustration took over. "ALL YOU GUYS EVER DO IS PROTECT ME! YOU TREAT ME LIKE A LITTLE BROTHER, WHICH IS NICE, BUT SOMETIMES IT HURTS! IT''S LIKE YOU''RE ALL CALLING ME WEAK! I WANT TO HOLD MY OWN!"

    Ray took a seat on the couch, put his head in his hands, and wiped his face to cool down.

    David let him have his moment. He had no choice. He didn''t know what to say. He was speechless. David took a seat next to him.

    "I appreciate you all looking out for me, but I need to handle situations myself. All of you have your own problems. You can''t watch out for me all the time", Ray said.

    "We''re your friends. We''ll always be there for you", David replied, letting him know they will be there whatever happens.

    "I know you will, but there will be times when you won''t be able to", Ray said.

    Ray hung his head low, and the two sat in silence. It was needed.

    "David, you''re strong. Train me".

    November 30th. Thursday, 5:12 PM.

    Delilah, Tanisha and Maria were walking back to their dorms after finishing their last lesson of the day.

    "I need to go over that again. I didn''t understand anything", Tanisha said, checking on her phone to see if the lesson slides had been uploaded yet.

    "Same, I was so tired. I couldn''t concentrate", Maria said, looking at Tanisha. "We were talking to each other the whole time".

    "It was so boring, I didn''t want to listen", Tanisha replied. "What about you, Delilah? I didn''t hear that much noise from the back".

    Delilah put her phone in her pocket. "I made notes, but I need to go over them to make sure they''re right", she said.

    "You didn''t joke around with Malakai?" Tanisha asked.

    "Nah. For the later lesson, he can''t be bothered, so he''s more chill. He''ll only mess around if someone else does, but everyone else is tired, so nothing happens", Delilah replied.

    "The later lessons are killer", Maria said, stretching her arms.

    "Apparently, in the next semester, we''ll be using the lecture halls. So, we''ll be with every other class listening to the same lecture", Delilah said.

    "Really? How''d you know?" Tanisha asked, looking at her.

    "My roommate Akari told me. She said her homeroom teacher told them by accident", Delilah replied.

    "I don''t know how to feel about that. That would be scary", Tanisha said. "I feel like a lot of fights would happen".

    "It would be so noisy, too", Maria added. "I prefer our classrooms".

    "Yeah, I''m not looking forward to the idea myself", Delilah replied.

    "Hahahahaha".

    They all heard laughter in the distance.

    "You bitch!��.

    After hearing the word bitch being shouted, they looked at each other in confusion.

    "What''s going on?" Maria quietly asked.

    "I don''t know. Where is it even coming from?" Tanisha asked, looking around and seeing nothing.

    "It''s around that corner up ahead", Delilah said, pointing towards it.

    The girls were already walking towards that direction. They weren��t going to turn the corner, but they would pass it.

    ��Should we check what��s happening?�� Delilah asked as they got closer.

    ��We should take a look��, Maria replied, curious.

    Tanisha wasn''t too sure. ��I think we should mind our business��, she voiced her opinion.

    The trio got closer, and the laughter and what seemed to be insults got louder. They passed the corner and peeped at who was making the noise. They saw three girls with their backs turned.

    ��What are they doing?�� Delilah rhetorically asked, seeing them face a wall.

    ��Maybe they��re smoking. I don��t know, let��s leave them be��, Tanisha said, wanting to walk ahead, but Maria noticed something.

    ��One of them kicked something��, Maria said, looking closely. She moved her head forward to get a closer look. ��That��s a person. They��re kicking someone!��.

    Delilah focussed her vision, ��Oh my, they are��, she said, covering her mouth.

    ��We need to help them��, Maria worriedly said.

    Tanisha wanted to help but was scared they would get hurt in the process.

    ��Let��s go��, Delilah said, taking the lead and walking ahead.

    Maria joined and followed behind her, leaving Tanisha with no choice but to follow her.

    ��Hey! Turn around!" Delilah shouted as she approached.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.The three girls turned around. One had short black hair, one had long brown hair, and the other had a blonde ponytail.

    ��Who are you kicking?�� Delilah asked with an attitude.

    Maria peered around the girls and saw another girl cowering on the floor. Covering her body with her arms, she was trying to defend herself. The girl had light brown hair with straight bangs. Her glasses were almost off her face, most likely due to them hitting her.

    ��It��s none of your business��, the girl with black hair replied, holding a vape in her right hand.

    ��None of my business? You��re ganging up on one girl��, Delilah said with her arms folded.

    ��I told you, it��s none of your business��.

    Delilah glanced at the three of them. ��You three are real bitches, you know that��.

    ��Huuh?! Say that again bitch!�� The blonde girl said with a screwface.

    Delilah smirked. ��You three. Are. Bitches��.

    The blonde girl scrunched her fist and was about to swing, but,

    ��Wait! You know who that is, right?" The girl with black hair asked.

    ��Of course, I know who she is. She��s Delilah. Malakai��s girlfriend��.

    Delilah scoffed. ��That rumour is still going strong��.

    The girl with black hair saw Delilah''s reaction. ��Oh, it��s just a rumour?��.

    ��Yes, we��re friends. That��s it��, Delilah replied.

    The girl with the black hair stepped closer to Delilah. ��There are a lot of rumours about you��, she said. ��One of the rumours said that when you were in high school, you never lost a fight, and one or two of those fights were against boys. Is that rumour true?��.

    ��If you wanna know so badly. Why don��t you find out yourself?�� Delilah confidently replied, smiling and showing her teeth. Being around Malakai made Delilah better at trash-talking and taunting.

    While those two squared up, Maria went closer and tried to help the girl against the wall.

    "Where do you think you''re going, Ms celebrity?" The brunette girl asked, blocking her.

    "Move out of my way. I''m going to help her", Maria fiercly replied.

    "I don''t think so", she replied, stepping closer and looking down at her.

    "DON''T TOUCH HER!" Tanisha shouted, quickly rushing to Maria''s side and putting her arm across to protect her.

    Delilah saw the commotion by her side and smirked. "I wouldn''t lay a hand on her. She has some scary friends. From Class A, B and C".

    After that comment, the realisation hit. The girl with black hair realised their situation and who they were dealing with.

    "Sigh. Girls, let''s go", she forfeited.

    "Why?" the blonde girl behind her asked.

    "I don''t want to start something I know we''re not going to win. We will beat them up here, but they''ll get us back harder. Everyone likes Ms celebrity over there, and Delilah''s friends with Sabrina", she replied.

    "She''s friends with Sabrina?... shit. How?" the brunette girl said, looking towards Delilah.

    "They were partners for the last challenge. I saw them happily talking to each other. They''re obviously friends now".

    "Yikes. This is so not worth it. Let''s get out of here", the blonde girl said, sounding uninterested.

    "Yep", the girl with black hair took a hit from her vape and blew the smoke in Delilah''s face. Delilah kept a straight face while the smoke blew in her face. "Let''s forget this happened. We won''t hurt her again", she said, smiling.

    She walked past Delilah, and her friends followed, giving her dirty looks as they passed. Delilah turned around to see if they were still looking at her, but all of them had their backs turned, walking away.

    "Are you okay?" Maria instantly went to the girl sitting against the wall.

    "I''m okay. Thank you for helping me", she timidly replied.

    Maria helped her up, "What''s your name?"

    "Monica, I''m in class E".

    "I''m Maria".

    "I''m Delilah".

    "I''m Tanisha".

    They all quickly introduced themselves.

    "I already know all of you", Monica shyly replied, looking at the floor.

    "Why were they hitting you?" Delilah asked.

    Monica was too embarrassed to say.

    "You don''t have to tell us", Maria said.

    "No, I''ll tell you", Monica replied, brushing some dirt off her uniform. "I overslept, so I was rushing to class. I accidentally bumped into one of them. I apologised straight away, and I thought nothing of it. But I was walking back to my dorm after class, and they saw me. They started insulting me. I listened to their insults and waited for them to finish, but they didn''t stop. I tried walking away, but they dragged me here and started beating me".

    "Just for bumping into them?" Delilah asked, confused.

    "It''s also because I''m in class E. Those girls were in class D. The girls in my class don''t like the girls in class D, and the girls in class D don''t like us", Monica replied, wiping her glasses.

    "Why did something happen?" Maria asked.

    "There was a little argument between the girls in our classes. It''s because the girls in class D look down at us, and the girls in our class don''t like that", Monica replied. "Most of the arguing happens online. In person, it''s mostly dirty looks and minor comments".

    "That sounds bad. I didn''t know that was happening", Tanisha said, surprised she hadn''t heard anything.

    Monica rolled up her sleeve and saw a few bruises forming on her right arm. She was sure that there were a few bruises on her leg already.

    "We should get you an icepack", Maria said after seeing her injuries.

    "You don''t have to worry about me. I''ll go by myself", Monica shyly replied, rolling her sleeve back up.

    "No, I''ll come with you", Maria insisted. She turned to her friends and told them, "You two can go without me".

    "I''ll come too. I don''t like you two being alone. They could still be around", Tanisha replied with no hesitation.

    "I''ve got nothing else to do", Delilah shrugged. "We can all go out to eat after as well".

    "That''s a great idea", Maria happily said. "Let''s get your ice pack".

    Maria grabbed Monica''s hand and walked ahead while Tanisha and Delilah followed them.

    "What scary friends does Maria have in class A and B?" Tanisha asked.

    "I don''t know, I was lying", Delilah replied, lifting her shoulders.

    "Huh?"

    "Well, I wasn''t totally lying. She has friends in both of those classes. I''m guessing she''s friends with Ryan now, and you said both of you had a friend in class A", Delilah said. "Whether they''re scary or not is up to you. But her friends in our class are pretty scary. If you get on their bad side".

    Tanisha had a reassuring smile on her face. "At least I know there will be people to protect Maria if she''s ever in trouble", she said. "Talking about scary, is that rumour about you never losing a fight true?"

    "No, I''ve never been in a fight in my life", Delilah replied, shaking her head.

    "You lied?! But you were so confident", Tanisha said with a shocked face.

    "I wasn''t going to admit I''ve never fought just before potentially getting into a fight", Delilah replied.

    Tanisha shook her head, "I don''t know how you were so confident. I was terrified", she admitted.

    "You weren''t scared when they were about to touch Maria", Delilah smiled.

    "No, I was still scared, but I didn''t want them to hurt Maria", Tanisha replied.

    "How she stepped up to those girls surprised me. She didn''t look scared at all", Delilah said, looking ahead at Maria walking with Monica. "She''s stronger than you think".

    "I know, I just can''t help it", Tanisha replied, also looking at Maria.

    "You don''t have to worry so much. If someone does hurt her, that person will regret it", Delilah said. "I guarantee that person will be hurting a helluva lot more", she chuckled.

    Tanisha didn��t join her chuckle. Too much worrying was going on in her head.

    "I don��t want her to get hurt at all", Tanisha quietly said.

    Delilah looked at Tanisha''s anxious face. She just about heard what she said.

    "You know that''s impossible, right? Everyone gets hurt in life. It''s inevitable. In the future, someone might hurt her by accident or on purpose. She might get a few bruises, even some scars. But as long as she doesn''t let those injuries affect her, she fights back and overcomes the pain. She''ll be fine", Delilah said. "And if she can''t do it alone, we''ll be there to help".

    Tanisha understood that Delilah wasn''t only referring to physical pain but also mental and psychological pain.

    "She''s a strong girl. And remember, as much as you worry for her, she worries the same amount for you", Delilah continued.

    Tanisha listened and kept looking straight ahead at Maria. Everything Delilah said, she heard. She understood. She knew what Delilah said was facts. However, her only thought was,

    "I don''t want no bruise or scar to taint her skin".

 Chapter 90 - Auntie

    December 4th. Monday, 3:33 PM

    "Why did you ask me to stay behind?" Isabella asked, hiding her anxiousness.

    "You are a class leader as well, are you not?" Alexander replied, staring at her, sitting up straight.

    "Yeah, but I didn''t think we needed to do anything", Isabella said. "I thought we would only have to make big decisions".

    "This is a big decision".

    Isabella felt her heart drop. This announcement was randomly dropped onto her. Alexander asked Isabella to stay behind after their lesson to discuss something.

    Isabella didn''t reply. She was mentally preparing herself, tightly clasping her hands under the desk.

    "This is about the next challenge".

    Isabella relaxed her grip. The topic wasn''t that bad.

    "Do you know what it is?" Isabella asked, feeling the stress leaving her.

    "No, but I know the set-up for the challenge", Alexander replied. "The next challenge is a class challenge. Each class will be against each other".

    "Isn''t that a good thing? Our class should easily win", Isabella said.

    "The whole class is not competing".

    "Oh...".

    "Two people are representing the class, and I''m going to be one of them".

    "How do you know you''re going to represent our class?" Isabella asked.

    "Why wouldn''t I represent our class?" Alexander arrogantly replied with a straight face.

    Isabella sighed in her head.

    "Who else is going to represent? Aren''t you going to pick Frank?" she asked.

    "I can''t. It has to be one boy and one girl", Alexander replied.

    After that, Isabella thought, "A girl? Is he going to ask me to be the other representative?"

    "I was thinking if you could let me know who would be a good representative", Alexander replied. "I don''t know any of the girls, but you''re close with them. You should know who''s good".

    Isabella''s mouth was gaped by his response. She quickly realised her facial expression and closed her mouth. "I''m right in front of him. Does he not think I''m good enough?" Isabella asked herself.

    "I, uh, um", Isabella was stuttering. She didn''t know what to say. A lot was going on in her head.

    "Was I wrong? Aren''t you not close to the girls?" Alexander asked, misinterpreting Isabella''s struggle to respond.

    "No, I am close with them", Isabella quickly cleared up. "I was, um. Was just thinking what type of girl you wanted to represent with", Isabella was slowly getting her composure back.

    "I don''t know, that''s why I''m asking you", Alexander said, sounding like he wanted an answer already.

    "Does that mean you would be fine with anyone?"

    "Not anyone", Alexander harshly replied, furrowing his eyebrows. "Who would be the best?"

    "The best... Probably De-" Isabella stopped herself from saying that name.

    "This is my chance. I have to prove I''m one of the best in this class. One of the best in the whole year. Then I''ll get the praise and looks of admiration again like I did in high school. I have to be confident. Even if it''s fake confidence, I have to show it", she thought.

    "Me. I''ll be the other representative", Isabella confidently said.

    "You? Are you sure?" Alexander asked, seeing her confidence.

    "I''m the class leader for a reason", Isabella said, putting a hand on her chest and keeping up the fake confidence. "The girls picked me. I''m sure they''ll be happy when they see I''m representing the class".

    "You''re this confident, but you don''t know what the challenge is", Alexander said.

    "I could say the same thing to you", Isabella replied, lifting her shoulders and tilting her head.

    Alexander blinked at that response. She wasn''t wrong. He didn''t dislike her response. It was the opposite. It was confident but not arrogant.

    "You don''t think that other girl would be better?" Alexander asked, referring to a certain someone.

    "Destiny? I don''t know. If you want her to be the representative, you can choose her", Isabella replied. "But I think she''ll be more focused on beating you than the other classes. Remember what happened in the escape room?".

    Alexander remembered how Destiny was always trying to prove a point to him. After that memory, he decided.

    Alexander stood up from his seat, "You''ll represent the class with me", he said, picking up his bag.

    Isabella smiled, proud she did what she did. But then, a thought dawned on her.

    "Wait! Do you know my name?!" Isabella panickedly asked. She remembered that Alexander didn''t remember names. He only remembered the names of people who were ''worthy of remembering''.

    "Of course, I know your name. It''s Isabella", Alexander replied, walking out of the classroom without looking back at her.

    After he left the classroom, Isabella leaned back in her chair and tilted her head back to look at the ceiling. She smiled. Isabella felt happy. There was no warmth behind what Alexander said. He didn''t say it in a friendly way or a way that had any underlying meaning to it. But Isabella felt happy he remembered her name for a different reason. Alexander was undoubtedly the most important/powerful person in the year group. He would eventually get the top spot and dominate. Someone who only recognised and remembered people who were significant to him. Alexander remembered her name. It may sound silly and stupid, but to Isabella, it meant something.

    She was one step closer to getting back the crown she thought she always had.

    December 6th. Wednesday, 8:58 PM

    "I''ll see you both next week. Don''t worry".

    "That''s so far away".

    "We want to see you now".

    "I''m seeing you right now, we''re talking", Maria replied, giggling.

    "No, I want to play games with you".

    Maria was on a video call with her younger brothers, Ivan and Mateo. Ivan was the older brother at 11 years old, and Mateo was the younger brother at 7.

    "We can play next week", Maria said. She was lying on the couch, holding her phone to her face. They were on a video call so they could see each other.

    "Can''t you come back home early?" Ivan asked, holding the phone.

    "I can''t. I still have one more week left. I think there''s going to be one more challenge, and I can''t miss that", Maria replied, smiling. She was always happy whenever she was on a video call with her family.

    "Challenge!? I want to do a challenge!" Mateo cheerfully said, getting excited peering behind Ivan.

    "Me too! Are the challenges fun?" Ivan asked.

    "Yeah, they''re really fun. But they can be very stressful", Maria replied. She checked the time. "It''s getting late. Shouldn''t you two be in bed?"

    They both guiltily looked away from the camera.

    "Hehe. I''ll let you off this time because you''re talking to me", Maria smiled.

    Her brothers giggled.

    "Where''s mam��? Is she busy?" Maria asked. She''d been on the call for twenty minutes and hadn''t spoken to her mom yet.

    "She''s still talking on the phone", Mateo replied.

    Maria sighed. "Tell mam�� she needs to rest", she said, getting up from her lying position. She never asked about her dad as she knew he was in another country for a business trip. She spoke to him a few hours ago.

    "Is there anything cool where you live?" Ivan asked, seeing some of the background while Maria sat up

    "Cool..." Maria mumbled. She''s only shown her brothers her room, not the whole dorm. She looked around the room. "My balcony has a nice view. Do you want to see it?"

    "Yeah", they said in synchrony.

    Maria giggled. She stood up from the couch and started walking to the balcony. "You two better stay healthy because when I come back home, I want to go everywhere with both of you. I don''t want any of you to catch a cold", she said, opening the balcony door and stepping out. "Also, no staying up late and no eating sweets!".

    "Mam�� won''t give us any", Mateo complained.

    "Hehehe. That''s good-" Maria''s laughter was cut short.

    She was looking in a different direction. Maria was looking at the balcony to her left. On that balcony was Malakai with earphones in his ears, leaning over the balcony railing and looking at the night sky.

    Despite music playing in his earphones, Malakai heard the voices faintly. He turned his head and saw Maria holding her phone.

    "Maria! What happened? Whatchu looking at?" Ivan asked, noticing Maria not looking back at the camera.

    Maria was frozen in place. She was caught off guard, leaving her embarrassed.

    "It''s, it''s nothing", Maria replied, looking back at her phone, embarrassingly smiling.

    "You''re lying", Mateo saw through her lie.

    Malakai didn''t want to intrude, so he started to walk back inside. He lifted his hand to wave bye to Maria.

    "What were you looking at?" Ivan continued to ask, still curious.

    Maria stretched her arm to stop Malakai from going inside. For some reason, she didn''t want him to leave.

    "Okay, you got me. I was looking at my friend. They were also on the balcony", Maria replied.

    "Your friend? Is it Tanisha?" Mateo asked. Both Ivan and Mateo knew who Tanisha was. Tanisha met them a few times.

    "No, a different friend", Maria replied. "Do you want to see them?"

    "Yes!" they both said in synchrony.

    Malakai was forced to stay, but he didn''t mind. He had nothing to do anyway. Malakai walked closer to Maria''s balcony. Maria walked closer, too, and handed Malakai her phone.

    "Hi", Maria whispered while handing over her phone.

    "Yo", Malakai replied, taking her phone.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.Malakai lifted her phone, looked at it and saw two boys who resembled Maria looking at him. The balcony was well-lit, so Maria''s brothers could see Malakai clearly.

    "Hey", Malakai said, smiling and waving.

    "hi", Ivan shyly replied. Mateo didn''t answer. He hid behind Ivan.

    Malakai smiled, "What''s your name?"

    "Ivan", after he replied, he looked at Mateo, but Mateo didn''t answer. "His name is Mateo", Ivan answered for him.

    "Both of you got nice names", Malakai gently said.

    "he looks scary", Mateo timidly said.

    "Mateo! That isn''t nice!" Maria worriedly said, hearing him.

    "Nah, it''s fine", Malakai told Maria. "I don''t think I''m scary", he said, smiling with his teeth to Ivan and Mateo.

    Mateo slowly showed more of his face to the camera.

    "How did you get that scar?" Ivan asked.

    "Ivan!" Maria said, embarrassed.

    "Hehe, it''s fine. They''re kids. They''re gonna be curious", Malakai said, looking at Maria. "Basically, I got this when I was fighting a dragon. It scratched me on the nose", he told them.

    "That''s a lie. Dragons are not real", Mateo replied.

    "Eh?" Malakai didn''t expect the younger brother to react like that. He thought that made-up story would make them laugh. "Your brother''s kinda smart", Malakai said to Maria. "Wait, how old are you two?"

    "I''m seven".

    "I''m eleven".

    "Damn, maybe you are too old to believe in dragons", Malakai smiled. "My younger brother and sister liked dragons when they were younger".

    "Dragons are for kids", Mateo said.

    "Only kids believe in dragons", Ivan added.

    "Heh, I guess so", Malakai replied, smiling. He couldn''t stop smiling.

    "You two are still kids. Now give me the phone", Another voice said. An older voice.

    The two boys disappeared from the camera.

    "Who may you be?"

    Another person appeared on the camera. A beautiful light-skinned woman with wavy black hair, almost identical to Maria. But unlike Maria, she had sparkling brown eyes. The woman was beautiful like Maria but looked more mature.

    "Hey, auntie", Malakai said.

    "Auntie?" the woman replied, surprised.

    "Auntie?" Maria replied, confused. "Wait! Mam��?" Maria leaned over her balcony railing and snatched the phone off Malakai.

    "Mam��, how are you?" Maria frantically said, trying her best to distract her mom from Malakai''s introduction.

    "Hello, my little princess. I''m doing fine, what about you?" her mom asked back.

    "Great. I''m doing fantastic", Maria replied, flustered and nervously laughing.

    From that reaction, her mom knew she was doing just fine. She didn''t have to worry.

    "That''s wonderful... Now, who was that boy?"

    "Ah- Um. What boy?" Maria awkwardly asked.

    "Maria, don''t lie to me. I know what I saw", her mom replied, mischievously smiling.

    Malakai watched this all happen. He didn''t know whether to leave or stay. He felt like he was too far in to go now.

    "Sigh, he''s just a friend", Maria said.

    "Is he still there? Can I talk to him?" her mom asked, curious to know who Malakai was.

    "Umm", Maria looked towards Malakai. She didn''t want to let her mom talk to him, but she knew her mom wouldn''t let it go.

    "I don''t mind", Malakai shrugged his shoulders.

    Maria pouted at her mom before handing Malakai her phone.

    Malakai took the phone and smiled at the screen.

    "Hello, auntie".

    "Auntie, hehe, that''s new. Only my nephew and niece call me that", she said, smiling.

    "I call all of my friend''s mom auntie", Malakai replied.

    "I love that, that''s nice", she said. "''My name''s Havana. What''s your name?"

    "Malakai Junior".

    "Malakai Junior. That has a nice ring to it. Is your dad called Malakai, too?"

    "Nah, Junior is my surname".

    "Junior as a surname? I''ve never heard that before", Havana said. "You''re quite interesting, Malakai. Are you British? You don''t sound American".

    "Yeah, I''m from London".

    "That''s great. London''s nice, I''ve been there a few times".

    "London''s aryt".

    Maria was getting second-hand embarrassment, but her mom was enjoying the conversation. Maria didn''t want her mom to say anything embarrassing.

    "If you don''t mind me asking, how did you get that scar?"

    "Mam��! That''s rude!"

    "Oh, sorry, is it a personal story?" Havana apologised.

    "Nah, you good", Malakai replied. "I''m guessing you don''t believe in dragons either, so I''ll have to tell you the truth. It''s not even real. It''s make-up. I came back from filming a movie".

    "Really now. The movie must have high production because that make-up looks freakishly real", Havana played with the joke.

    Malakai smiled, "Nah, I''m joking. I got it when I was younger. I cut my nose on the corner of a table when I was running", he quickly explained.

    "Ouch. It weirdly suits you, though".

    "Weirdly? I don''t know if that''s a compliment or a violation".

    "I meant it as a compliment", Havana cleared up.

    Maria was eager for them to stop talking before her mom embarrassed her. She was swaying side to side, fidgeting with her hands, waiting for the conversation to end.

    "Who are you to Maria?" Havana asked.

    A direct question that caused Maria''s heart to stop for a second. For a parent, this was a standard question, but Maria wasn''t ready for it. She was about to hear what Malakai thought of her. A question she couldn''t ask but always wanted to hear the answer to.

    "I''m no one", Malakai replied. "I''m just a friend and her neighbour", he then showed Havana his surroundings and showed that Maria was on the balcony next to his and they weren''t on the same balcony.

    "Just a friend", Maria thought.

    "Just a friend", Havana said.

    "You don''t have to worry about me, auntie", Malakai replied, smiling. "There''s guys here that are much nicer and better looking than me".

    Havana gave a warm smile, "I''m not worried".

    "You probably want to speak to your daughter, innit. I''ll give her phone back", Malakai said. "If I have time, I''ll watch a movie you''re in. Aryt, bye", he waved.

    "Bye. It was nice talking to you", Havana waved back.

    Malakai gave Maria her phone back. "Aryt, bye", he said to Maria.

    "Bye, see you tomorrow", Maria replied.

    Maria watched as Malakai walked back inside and closed the balcony door. She made sure that Malakai didn''t look back. Havana saw her daughter''s face as Malakai left. Havana smirked after making eye contact with Maria again.

    "He''s a nice boy".

    "Mam��, don''t get any funny ideas. He''s just a friend", Maria replied with slightly blushed cheeks from embarrassment.

    "If you say so", Havana said. "Is he in your class?"

    "Can we stop talking about him?" Maria replied, eager to move on.

    "I want to know".

    Maria sighed. "Yes, he is".

    "Lucky you", Havana teased.

    "Why are you asking so much about him?" Maria asked, flipping it on her.

    "Because he''s your friend, Maria. I want to know what type of people you have around you. We talk every few days, and you don''t talk much about your friends. I was getting worried your only friend was Tanisha", Havana replied.

    "I''ve got a lot of friends, and some of them are guys. Malakai is one of them", Maria said.

    "Right, you told me Alejandro was with you. Are you two getting closer?"

    "Closer? I mean, we''ve always been friends".

    "Hmm. Alejandro was always so shy".

    "Alejandro isn''t shy. Didn''t I tell you I talked a lot with him when he was on my team?"

    "You''re right. You did tell me. That was a few months ago, wasn''t it?"

    "It wasn''t that long ago", Maria giggled.

    "How is Alejandro doing? He''s in the top class, so is he at the top of the leaderboard?" Havana asked. Like most parents, Havana didn''t fully understand how the academy worked.

    "No, but I think he might be in the top ten. I need to check", Maria replied.

    "Who is at the top?" Havana asked.

    "It''s -" Maria stopped herself, her face paused. She looked away from the camera.

    "Who is it?" Havana asked, confused about the reaction.

    "it''s Malakai", Maria quietly answered, looking away from the camera.

    Havana had a big smile on her face. "He''s in your class, and he''s number one. That boy sure is something special". She noticed Maria was looking elsewhere, daydreaming. She looked a little upset.

    "Maria, baby. It looks like you''re having fun at this academy, so keep it that way. You don''t have to worry about getting first place or getting into the top ten. Just have fun. If those things happen, then well done, but if it doesn''t, who cares? As long as you have fun and enjoy yourself, that''s all that matters".

    Funnily enough, her mom hit the nail on the head. Maria was daydreaming about the leaderboard and her position. Maria''s rank wasn''t bad. She was in the top 20, but being able to say she was in the top 10 to her mom would''ve been nice. When she was in the top 10, she was so happy when she told her mom. She even sent her screenshots of her position on the leaderboard. Not being able to do that now hurt her a little.

    "You know, talking to your friend today made me happy. So happy. I was worried you would surround yourself with the wrong people, but I was worried for no reason. Malakai seems to be a fun person. I''m sure if you have people like him around, your next three years will be unforgettable. And you said Malakai''s at the top of the leaderboard. If you stay around him, he''ll bring you higher on the leaderboard, too. Surrounding yourself with people doing better than you will motivate you to do better".

    After that mini-lecture, Maria smiled, "Thanks, Mam��". She needed some words of encouragement.

    "Three years is a long time. Who knows? If you and Malakai get closer, you two can be more than just friends. I wouldn''t mind him as my son-in-law".

    "MAM��!"

    "Hahahaha. I''m only teasing you".

 Chapter 91 - Male Representatives

    December 7th. Thursday, 3:13 PM.

    It was the end of the school day. All the lessons had finished, but the students weren''t walking home. They were seated in the main hall. There were no more lessons, but an assembly still had to take place. An important assembly.

    "This assembly is definitely about the next challenge", Ryan said, sitting up straight, staring at the stage.

    "Do you know anything about it?" Lorenzo asked, surprisingly not on his phone.

    "No. I think this challenge will be a new one", Ryan replied. "The last two were challenges that had come up in the past, but the older years have said that their fifth challenge was an exam-based one. This doesn''t look like it will be exam-based".

    "Maybe you''re right", Lorenzo said. He was barely listening.

    "You weren''t listening, were you?" Ryan said, hearing Lorenzo''s different tone of voice.

    He looked at Lorenzo to see what he was doing and saw he was sneakily turning his head left and right. He had his head up as opposed to down. He was looking for someone.

    "If you''re looking for Maria, you won''t see her. 1-C is sitting behind our class. You won''t see her unless you turn around", he told him, knowing Lorenzo wouldn''t go through that much effort.

    Lorenzo stopped swivelling his head and disappointedly pulled out his phone. He wanted to check if Maria was looking at him, but he wouldn''t go as far as to look behind him, as it would be awkward for him and the other people behind him.

    Ryan gave a small smile. He was happy Lorenzo cared about something. "Lorenzo, don''t rush. Everything will happen in due time".

    "I can''t believe Malakai spoke to my mom", Maria said, leaning back in her seat and staring into space.

    "Maria, you''ve been dazed the whole day. You''ve told me they only introduced themselves to each other", Tanisha replied, looking at her weirdly.

    "I know, but my mom knows who Malakai is. She''ll keep asking about him", Maria said. "My mom hasn''t seen me with any boys, probably only Alejandro".

    "Weren''t there guys at your photoshoots and stuff?" Tanisha asked.

    "There were, but I didn''t talk to them. I only said hi and bye. But she knows Malakai now".

    "Just tell her he''s only a classmate. If you keep telling her that she''ll get bored eventually", Tanisha replied, not seeing why she was making a big deal out of it.

    "Tan, my mom''s already taken a liking to him because he called her auntie", Maria said, sitting up and getting close to Tanisha to make a point. "No stranger has called her that. You haven''t even called her that".

    "Hmm. I should call her auntie. I don''t know why I haven''t", Tanisha replied, feeling a little ashamed. "You''re thinking about it too much. Make it clear that the two of you are friends, nothing more, and you''ll be fine".

    Tanisha thought about this situation differently than Maria. Tanisha thought Maria didn''t want her mom to know about Malakai because he was Malakai. He''s an idiot. Who wants their parents to know about Malakai? She thought Maria''s mom would misunderstand their relationship, and Maria didn''t want her mom to think that Malakai was her boyfriend. That''s how Tanisha understood the situation. But sadly, her understanding is wrong. However, her advice about making it clear that she and Malakai were friends actually suited Maria''s interests right now.

    Maria wanted to do that but didn''t want to at the same time. She loved Malakai, but only she knew that. She hasn''t told Tanisha yet. Even though Tanisha was her best friend, she held back from telling her. She knew Tanisha didn''t like Malakai, so telling her she loved him would only make her feel a type of way. She felt like Tanisha would only dissuade her from loving Malakai. But Tanisha would only do that because she doesn''t trust Malakai. Once Tanisha trusted Malakai, Maria would tell her everything. But Maria felt like that would take a long time.

    As for her mother, she didn''t want to tell her. Maria was extremely close with her mother, but she wanted her relationship with Malakai to become closer before she spread information to her mom. Right now, it is a one-sided love. She needs to know what Malakai is feeling before jumping the gun and telling other people. She felt it would have been annoying if she had told her mother. Her mother would persuade her to make a move and do something out of character, which could lead to Malakai rejecting her. She didn''t want that. Anything but that. This was Maria''s first time falling in love, so she wanted to do things her way. If she made mistakes, it would be her fault. She didn''t want to blame anyone else if this didn''t work out. It will be all up to her. Her love story.

    After a few minutes, someone walked through the door on the left side of the stage. The sudden appearance of someone caused everyone to quiet down. A small man walked onto the stage. His face had a few wrinkles. He had a stubble beard, and the hair on his head was brown with a few white strands. He had a full head of hair; even though he looked around fifty, it didn''t look like he was balding. His nose was big and pointy, and his eyes drooped a little. He walked to the mic and announced,

    "Good afternoon. I''m Mr Donald, one of the higher-ups at this academy".

    Another higher-up. The second higher-up the students have seen.

    "You can probably guess why I''m here", Mr Donald smiled. "I''m here to announce the last challenge before you leave for winter break".

    Excitement levels were rising. Many students were tired due to enduring lessons the whole day, but some were getting a second wind.

    "This last challenge is a big one. It''s a class challenge".

    The students liked that. Classmates smiled at each other. They got to work together for once. Other classes were more confident than others. You can probably guess which classes those were.

    "Yes. The next challenge is a class challenge, so everyone is involved. However, I will not explain the challenge today. I will explain the rules tomorrow before the challenge starts", Mr Donald said.

    Many expected that to happen. When they were in the main hall, they expected a big announcement but no explanation.

    "I''m not finished!" Mr Donald said, quietening the students. The students thought that was the end of the assembly, but it was far from over.

    "I know I said that everyone in the class will be involved, but one person from each class will have a major role in the next challenge", Mr Donald said. "That means I need you all to pick one person from your class that will represent you".

    Noise broke out. Everyone started talking.

    "Just one person?!" "Who''s going to represent us?!" What does he mean?!" How is this a class challenge if one person is chosen?!" "I''m choosing myself".

    "QUIET!" Mr Donald shouted. "I don''t want to stay here forever, so let''s do this in an orderly fashion", he said. "I see that all of you are seated in your classes already. That makes things easier". Mr Donald looked towards class 1-A. "Let''s get started. Class 1-A. Can you pick someone to represent your class. You have a minute to decide. No one else speaks!" he made it clear that no other class could discuss. They still could, but not loudly.

    The hall fell silent.

    "It''s going to be you, right?" Frank asked.

    "Of course", Alexander replied.

    Alexander looked to his right. All of his classmates'' eyes were on him. No words were said, but it was clear what they decided. Alexander stood up from his seat. He was sat at the end of the row, so when he got up, he was already next to the aisle.

    Alexander got up and walked down the aisle to the stage. It was a short walk as class 1-A got into the main hall first, so their seats were near the stage. He went round the stage and went up the stairs at the side of the stage. Everyone watched him and expected this outcome. Who else was going to represent class 1-A?

    "You can stand over there", Mr Donald pointed at where Alexander should stand.

    Alexander stood straight-faced and looked at the crowd. His eyes scanned everyone. He didn''t look at anyone in particular. He just kept his eyes moving.

    "Class 1-B. You have one minute to pick someone", Mr Donald said.

    "It has to be you, Ryan", Melody said, turning around in her seat to look behind. Ryan was sitting in the row behind.

    "Are you sure? Does everyone want me to represent the class?" Ryan asked, looking around.

    "Yeah, who else is it going to be?" Michelle asked, sitting next to Melody.

    Most of the girls were in agreement. They didn''t have a problem with Ryan representing the class.

    "Do any of you guys want to represent the class?" Ryan asked his male classmates.

    None of the guys protested against it. All of them told him to go for it. There were one or two guys who wanted to represent the class, but they knew they would be rejected by everyone else. It was always going to be Ryan representing. They stood no chance.

    "Looks like it''s up to you to carry the class", Lorenzo whispered to him.

    Ryan smirked. "Thanks, guys", he humbly said to his classmates, raising a hand.

    Ryan stood up from his seat and made his way to the aisle. He walked down the aisle and did the same walk that Alexander did. He went up the stairs and stood next to Alexander. He smiled and looked at the crowd.

    "Class 1-C, you have one minute to pick someone".

    Everyone looked at each other. Nothing was said. They all waited for someone to lead the conversation.

    "David, I think you should go", Lucas said, starting a conversation and breaking the silence.

    "Me? You''re crazy. We have Mr number one in our class. We''d be stupid if we didn''t choose him", David replied.

    The whole class looked at who he was talking about.

    "Yawwwwn!" he was covering his face with his hand. After finishing his yawn, he saw everyone looking at him.

    "What? You''re choosing me?"

    "Stop trolling. You knew you would be chosen, Mally", Ray said, sitting next to him.

    Malakai smiled, "I wanted to hear you lot say it. If the people want me to represent them, I''ll do it innit".

    All his classmates were tired of his jokes but smiled nonetheless. Some people wanted someone else to represent them, but what argument could they put out there against Malakai? What David said was right. They''d be stupid if they didn''t pick Malakai. He was number one.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere."Aight, you''ve said what you wanted. Now go", Benjamin told him, pulling his uniform up to make him stand.

    "Aryt, aryt", Malakai replied, standing up and brushing Benjamin''s hand away.

    "You better win. The whole class is depending on you", William said.

    "Don''t worry, bro", Malakai nonchalantly replied.

    He made his way to the aisle. Class 1-C were seated at the back of the hall, so Malakai''s walk to the stage was longer than the rest.

    As he walked down the aisle, his hands were in his pockets, and his head was raised. He closed his eyes and was lost in his own head,

    "I can hear your thoughts so loud. I can hear the crowd so loouud. (Telekinesis by Travis Scott was playing in his head while he walked down the aisle). I can hear the crowd so loud".

    The crowd was dead silent (I don''t know what bro was hearing).

    Malakai made his way to the side of the stage and went up the stage. He walked across the stage in front of Alexander and Ryan and took his position next to Ryan. No words were exchanged, but Malakai could feel the tension between him and Ryan. Malakai looked at the crowd and smiled. He was trying to find familiar faces to look at.

    "That lineup is serious", Benjamin said, seeing the three of them on stage.

    "I hate to admit it, but they''ve all got aura", William replied.

    "Class 1-D, you have one minute to pick someone".

    Dillon stood up. No discussion or other opinions. It looked like the decision was already made.

    "What is he doing?" a girl rhetorically asked, looking around. "What are you doing?!" she asked Dillon directly.

    Dillon ignored her.

    "Why are you going?! No one picked you", she said, louder. The girl looked at Sabrina for help. "Sabrina, stop him. It should be you".

    Sabrina saw Dillon continue to walk. "If he wants to go. Let him", she said, already accepting it.

    Dillon made it to the aisle.

    "It''s not about letting him. Our whole class is depending on him. We need someone reliable", the girl said. "Girls come on. You agree, right?"

    The girls didn''t reply. All of them awkwardly looked away. They didn''t want to argue in front of the whole year. Of course, they didn''t want Dillon to represent them. However, none of them wanted to cause a scene.

    "Tsk. What about the boys? she asked, looking at the boys in her class. "Are all of you scared of him?".

    The boys couldn''t be bothered. They didn''t want to get into an argument with Dillon. There was no point. Dillon wouldn''t listen. Of course, some of them didn''t want Dillon to represent them. However, none of them wanted to cause a scene.

    "Seriously?" she said, looking at their unbothered expressions.

    She looked at Jason, who she thought was the closest to Dillon. Jason lifted his shoulders, showing there was nothing he could do. To tell the truth, he didn''t care. He knew this was going to happen.

    "Kayla, sit down. He''s already up on the stage", Sabrina told her.

    Kayla looked towards the stage and saw Dillon standing there next to Malakai. There was no going back. She powerlessly slumped back in her seat. Disappointed. She felt like her class lost the challenge before it even started.

    The crowd got second-hand embarrassment from witnessing that.

    "That''s awkward", Lucas quietly said.

    "How much aura does Dillon have on the stage?" Benjamin asked William.

    "Negative aura".

    "It looks like 1-D have decided", Mr Donald said, a little confused. "1-E, you have one minute to pick someone".

    Someone stood up immediately, but this time, there was no commotion or disagreements. The guy that stood up was Justin. He had long black hair, brown eyes and pale skin. He was on Dillon''s team for the second challenge. He was the reason they nearly crashed.

    Justin looked at his best friend, Marcus.

    "What are you waiting for? We already decided it would be you", Marcus told him, nodding towards the stage.

    Class 1-E discussed who they would pick among themselves while the other classes picked. This way, there were no delays or confusion on who to choose when called upon.

    Those words of encouragement helped Justin a little. He smiled and gave a nod to Marcus. Justin made it to the aisle and made it to the stage. He had to stand next to Dillon.

    Dillon tilted his head away from Justin. There was still some hatred there. Dillon would never forget how Justin sold second place for him. He still wanted to punch Justin for what he did, but there was no point now.

    Justin still felt guilty about it. His confidence has been slowly decreasing since then. At the start of the year, he was full of confidence despite being in the lowest class, but that incident made him question a lot. Now, he feels inferior to everyone and is intimidated by the higher classes. He had to build his confidence back up, and this was a great opportunity for that.

    "I''m weirdly pumped up for this", David said, seeing the lineup.

    "Me too, Ray replied. "Seeing them go against each other will be cool".

    "This will be the first time Malakai goes up against Ryan and Alexander", Lucas added.

    "It''s weird that guy didn''t get chosen in 1-E", Benjamin said. "What was his name again? He told me it. Tch ... Adam. Yeah, that was his name".

    "I think he wants to stay low-key", David replied. "But in the second semester, he has to stand out more if he wants to climb the leaderboard".

    The five boys stood on stage for everyone to see. Alexander had a straight face. Ryan had a gentle smile. Malakai had his usual toothy smile. Dillon had a mean look. Justin had a timid look.

    "You five will be representing your class", Mr Donald said, looking at them. "How do you feel about that?"

    The boys glanced at each other to see who would answer his question.

    "This is kinda sexist, I can''t lie", Malakai replied. "Everyone here is a boy. There''s no girl representative", he said, looking at the others on stage. "I don''t wanna point fingers, but 1-E, you lot should''ve chosen Nada. And 1-D, I swear there''s a girl in the top ten. Why''s he on stage?".

    Dillon felt Malakai''s eyes on him. "Why did you come on stage then? Why didn''t you let a girl represent your class?" he asked, rattled.

    Malakai grinned and faced Dillon. It was time to chat shit.

    "Do me a favour real quick. Pull out your phone and check the leaderboard for me. That''ll answer your question".

    "Tsk. I don''t care if you''re first. No one wants you here", Dillon replied, not looking at him.

    "Pffffftt. How are you talking? You forced yourself here", Malakai said, pointing and laughing at him.

    "Malakai, if you keep being arrogant, people will continue to dislike you", Ryan intervened with a gentle voice.

    Malakai turned to him. He kept a poker face and didn''t show how he truly felt. He didn''t like how Ryan sounded. It was like Ryan was treating him like a kid.

    "Hmph. I''m just taking the piss. When I''m not the first anymore, you''re gonna miss me", Malakai said.

    "No one''s going to miss you. The sooner you''re gone, the better", Dillon replied.

    "Hehehe", Malakai giggled. "Bros talking like he''s gonna take the top spot from me".

    "You don''t stop chatting shit, do you?" Dillon said, stepping closer to Malakai.

    "Okay, that''s enough", Mr Donald stopped them. He pleasantly watched the whole thing from the side but didn''t want it to get physical.

    Dillon stepped back in position. Pissed. While Malakai smiled with his teeth out. The crowd got a bit of entertainment from that.

    Mr Donald looked to the crowd. "I hope you''re happy with whom you''ve chosen because this challenge is exciting. HOWEVER, it''s not done", he said.

    The students got startled by the way he shouted however.

    "Another person from your class will be representing you".

    Everyone''s excitement levels rose again. Another chance for someone. Only class 1-A knew about this. The other classes were clueless. Class 1-D was the most relieved. Another person could help their class. All their eyes landed on Sabrina. They knew who they were going to pick.

    "Silence!" Mr Donald said to kill the whispers. "This time, you won''t be choosing your person, but these five will", he said, pointing to the guys on stage.

    Mixed feelings. Class 1-A knew what they were getting into. Class 1-B was confident in Ryan''s decision-making. Class 1-C were guessing who Malakai would pick as he had many options. Class 1-D was certain that Dillon would choose Jason, and Class 1-E was certain that Justin would choose Marcus.

    "But there''s one condition", Mr Donald announced. He turned to the guys on stage. "The person you choose must be of the opposite gender to you", he told them. "So, as you are all males. You must each choose a female classmate to join you".

    All the boys slumped in their seats. Their chances were gone. The girls, however, perked up in their seats. This was exciting for them. They could get chosen.

    "Let''s not waste time and begin. Can you pick a female classmate to join you", Mr Donald told Alexander.

    "He''s going to pick you. It''s confirmed, right?" Eve asked.

    "Yeah, he told me on Monday", Isabella replied, nodding.

    Isabella told the rest of the girls in 1-A of what happened in her meeting with Alexander on Monday. I say, everyone. I meant everyone in the girl''s group chat, which doesn''t mean every girl in class.

    "I''m confident with you and Alexander representing us", Anya said. "This should be an easy win for our class".

    Isabella smiled. She was excited to show everyone what she was capable of. She was going to force herself into the limelight.

    Alexander stood on stage and looked at his class. His eyes quickly tried to find Isabella in the crowd. It wasn''t hard to spot her silver hair, though. He told Isabella he would choose her, and Isabella told him that she was the best girl to pick. Simple. He was about to say her name, but he saw another face in the row in front of her. It was Destiny. Destiny was staring at him. The stare came with a smile. The smiling face she was pulling was normal, but it had a lot of meaning. It was like her eyes were telling Alexander something. Something he couldn''t understand. How could one normal facial expression say so much?

    "Can you pick someone please?" Mr Donald pressured him to say a name. He noticed Alexander was taking his time.

    "What''s taking him so long?" Eve asked, seeing Alexander looking in their direction.

    "Are you sure he knows your name?" Anya asked Isabella.

    "He does. He said it to me..." Isabella replied. She didn''t know what Alexander was doing. "Has he forgotten my name?" she thought.

    Alexander got himself together. He had already decided who he was going to pick on Monday. Why was he hesitating? He looked at Isabella, who was looking at him, but Destiny''s face was still in view. Destiny''s ''normal'' facial expression. Those eyes were telling him something. He hesitated again, but this time, he caught himself hesitating so he wasn''t lost in thought. He had to choose.

    And just like that, a name slipped out.

    "Destiny".

 Chapter 92 - Female Representatives

    "Destiny".

    Time froze. Isabella froze. Was she hearing things? She had to have been. Alexander told her he would pick her. Maybe she imagined it. There''s no way Alexander would lie to her. Alexander wouldn''t lie for no reason.

    "Destiny, please come to the stage", Mr Donald announced.

    She didn''t imagine it. Alexander really said Destiny''s name.

    "Destiny��".

    Destiny''s name echoed in Isabella''s head. Why was her name called out? Why was she picked? Her face was frozen in place, with her mouth a little open. The girls around turned to her, shocked.

    "I thought you said he was going to choose you?" Eve asked.

    Isabella didn''t respond.

    "Why did he pick Destiny?" Anya asked.

    Isabella didn''t respond.

    "Did he lie to you?" Ashley asked.

    Isabella didn''t respond.

    Destiny heard the questions behind her. She smirked before she stood up from her seat. She stretched her arms and glanced behind her.

    "Don''t worry, girls. I''ll bring home the win for the class", Destiny said. "Oh, and I know all of you talk behind my back in that little group chat you have. I don''t mind, but if you want to add me to it. You know my number", she said, winking and blowing a kiss to them before making her way to the stage.

    The girls all gave her dirty looks as she walked away. She made enemies with all of them. Which is a questionable move to make, but only she knew what she had planned.

    "Isabella, Alexander might''ve changed his decision at the last minute", Bri said from the row behind. "It took him a while to pick. Maybe he was analysing the situation and deciding who would better match up to the people already on stage. We all know Destiny is kinda wild. Maybe he thought she was better suited". Bri tried to explain what she thought Alexander was thinking. She saw Isabella out of it and wanted to ease her mind a bit.

    "Y-yeah", Isabella replied, still lost in thought. To be honest, Isabella didn''t process a word Bri told her. In her mind, all she could think about was that her chance was taken from her. Her chance to prove herself was snatched away by her. By Destiny.

    "They''ve got it all wrong", Frank thought, seeing their discussion.

    Frank was listening to their conversations and heard Bri''s explanation.

    "He wasn''t analysing anything. Alexander hesitated", he thought.

    Frank looked up on stage and saw Alexander and Destiny standing together, side by side. Alexander had his usual unbothered expression, but Frank could tell Alexander wasn''t unbothered. Frank has known Alexander for a long time, so he can read Alexander''s body language very well. A lot of people can''t, even some of Alexander''s family can''t, because his expressions and body language are all very similar. Alexander nearly never shows signs or expressions of weakness, but when he does, only a select few can tell.

    "They thought he was analysing. They were wrong. Alexander wouldn''t analyse on the spot like that. He''s too arrogant to do that. He''s confident in his own ability. He wouldn''t need to analyse who to pick to help him. He would complete the challenge on his own if he could. Plus, he doesn''t care enough about people to analyse their strengths and weaknesses. It''s not clear to anyone but me. He clearly hesitated and changed his mind at the last second. I''m sure he regrets picking Destiny. His eyes are looking down. He definitely regrets it. He never looks down at the floor. He should''ve stuck with Isabella. I don''t know what Destiny did. Maybe she mouthed something to him. Only Alexander knows. That was the first time I''d seen him hesitate in a long time, and it was over choosing someone. Pfft, the people at this academy are something else".

    "Can you pick a female classmate to join you?" Mr Donald asked Ryan.

    Ryan looked towards the girls in his class. They were all seated near each other, so getting a view of them was easy enough. His eyes landed on who he was going to choose. He already knew who he was going to pick before Mr Donald asked him, and most of the girls had an idea of who he was going to choose.

    "Akari".

    If you were in 1-B, it was obvious who would be chosen. Akari was a significant figure in the class. Class 1-A picked Alexander and Isabella as their class leaders. If class 1-B had to pick leaders, it would be Ryan and Akari.

    Akari stood up from her chair and shyly smiled at everyone she faced. Everyone smiled back, showing they were happy with her being chosen. She made it to the aisle and walked down it to the stage. She kept her head down because she wouldn''t know where to look if she looked up. All the eyes on her made her nervous. Akari made it to the stage and stood beside Ryan. That was the duo for class 1-B. Two strong duos were on the stage. It was looking scary for the other classes, and it was going to get a whole lot scarier.

    "Can you pick a female classmate to join you?" Mr Donald asked Malakai.

    Malakai grinned. Teeth showing. The majority of students in the hall were expecting to hear one name. It would be a shock if he didn''t choose her. Whispers of the name were floating around. Everyone knew it was coming. Even the girl who he was going to pick knew it was coming. She didn''t want to be chosen, but it was inevitable. Who else was he going to choose?

    ��Delilah Ana Borges��.

    "Why did that idiot say my full name?"

    Delilah took a deep breath and exhaled before she stood up.

    "Good luck", Tanisha told her as she shuffled past her to get to the aisle.

    "Thanks", Delilah replied unenthusiatically. It was clear she wasn''t too excited about being chosen.

    Maria watched as Delilah made her way to the aisle. She wished that was her. Why wasn''t that her? What does Delilah have that she doesn''t? She felt like she''d done a lot in the previous challenges. She found the key in the second challenge and the third challenge. Both times she helped her team massively. She helped herself and other people get a lot of points. So, why wasn''t she picked? Maria wasn''t looking at Delilah with envy. She was happy for her, of course. She just questioned what the factor was that separated the two of them. Was it a matter of attributes and ability or chemistry with Malakai? Whatever it was, Maria realised she had to do better. Even though she felt like she was doing her best, it still wasn''t enough to get chosen. Next time, she wanted to be the one up on stage.

    Delilah walked down the aisle, staring at Malakai the whole time. She stared at him with a straight face, which made her look like she was pissed at him. She got up on stage and stood next to Malakai.

    "Why did you say my full name?" she whispered, lightly elbowing the side of his stomach.

    "I''m letting everyone here know who you are", Malakai replied, smiling.

    "I''d rather not have everyone know me", Delilah said, glancing around the crowd.

    "I meeaannn, it''s too late for that now. After this, everyone will know who you are".

    Delilah shook her head, looked down and smirked. There was nothing she could do now. She stood up on the stage for everyone to see.

    "I''m confident we''ll win this", Lucas said with his arms folded.

    "Out of the three duos on stage, they are the coldest", Benjamin said, sitting comfortably.

    "I think everyone is thinking the same thing", David replied, looking at the faces of people from different classes. "They all look worried".

    The boys took a look around and David wasn''t lying. Worried looks were on the faces of all the classes, even 1-A. Even though Delilah didn''t want to be known, she was known by most people. But as Malakai said, after this challenge, she would be known by everyone. All 150 first-year students.

    "Can you pick a female classmate?" Mr Donald asked Dillon.

    "He has to pick you", Kayla said to Sabrina.

    "I don''t think he will", Sabrina replied, relaxed in her seat with her legs crossed and looking at Dillon.

    "Why?" Kayla asked, concerned. Out of all the things to hear, she didn''t want to hear that.

    "I got into a little argument with him a few days ago. I don''t think he likes me very much", Sabrina replied, lightly smiling.

    "Don''t be silly. Who else is he going to pick?"

    "Kayla".

    She heard her name called out. But who called it? She looked at everyone around her, and everyone around her was looking at her. She was confused.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings."He chose you", Sabrina told her.

    "Huh?"

    "Can Kayla come up on stage, please?" Mr Donald said.

    "Huh?!" Kayla looked at Dillon on stage, and he was looking at her straight-faced. Kayla was a mixed-race girl with light brown curly hair that reached her shoulders and a lip piercing on her bottom lip. A vertical labret piercing.

    She furiously stood up.

    "Why did you pick me!" Kayla fiercely told Dillon. "Pick Sabrina! She''s the only girl that can go against those girls!" she said, pointing at the girls on stage.

    "He has picked you. Can you please come up on stage?" Mr Donald repeated.

    "No, I don''t want to be chosen", Kayla sassily replied, standing her ground. "I want Sabrina to go up on stage".

    "Yeah, she''s right. We want Sabrina to be chosen".

    "Sabrina should go up on stage".

    "We all choose Sabrina".

    Some of the other girls were also starting to voice their opinions. Seeing Kayla stand up for herself gave them confidence. They wanted Sabrina to represent them, and they were going to force that to happen if they needed to.

    "Dillon, choose Sabrina, your class wants her", Malakai said to Dillon.

    Dillon ignored him. The students in the crowd started whispering to each other. It was awkward. Some were talking about Dillon, and others were talking about Kayla. This mini-protest caused some of the boys in 1-D to sink into their seats. They didn''t like the attention this was bringing.

    Mr Donald tutted. It was getting out of control.

    "Kayla, you have been chosen. Unfortunately, you or your classmates do not have a say", Mr Donald said.

    "But-"

    "If you continue to refuse to come up here, I will have to disqualify your class from this challenge".

    Heads turned. Eyes opened. Mouths gaped.

    Disqualification? Mr Donald was serious, and he didn''t look like he was joking. Disqualification was a harsh punishment. Could he really do that? There was only one way to find out, but did they want to find out?

    Kayla froze in place. She knew she had to go, but she didn''t want to. The whole class was going to rely on her. How did it come to this? Why was she chosen?

    "Kayla, go", Sabrina said, smiling at her. "You''ll be fine. We''ll all be supporting you". She reassured her by taking her hand and squeezing it.

    Kayla saw Sabrina''s smile and surrendered. She weakly smiled back and started walking. Not because she wanted to but because she had to.

    "Dillon, man. Why didn''t you pick Sabrina?" Malakai annoyingly asked. "She''s in the top ten. She''s good. You should''ve listened to your class. All of them want her on stage".

    "Shut the fuck up", Dillon shut him down and gave him a death stare.

    "Hehehe", Malakai giggled. He turned to Delilah. "Is she good? I was just chatting shit. I don''t know her", he asked her.

    "Yeah, she''s good. Really good", Delilah replied, looking towards Sabrina. "She''s too good for 1-D".

    Kayla stood next to Dillon, leaving the last class to choose.

    "Can you pick a female classmate?" Mr Donald asked Justin.

    "Nada".

    It looked like Justin had made up his mind a long time ago. Nada wasn''t the most popular girl in her class, but her popularity has been on the rise. Initially, she was seen as ''the weird girl'' because of her pink hair, so the class overlooked her. However, her rank for someone in 1-E is high. Right now, she''s in the top twenty with around 3200 points. Nada has had a lot of help to get there, but it''s still impressive. Her name would''ve been on the leaderboard if she had done better in the first and third challenges. Because of that, she''s been recognised in her class much more, and they also know about her friendship with Malakai. She''s gained a lot of respect from her classmates.

    When Mr Donald told them they had to pick a female classmate, the first name that popped into Justin''s head was Nada. He was unsure about choosing her at first, but remembering Malakai say Nada should''ve represented the class instead of him removed his doubt.

    None of the girls in 1-E complained. They were more than happy with Nada going up. All of them wished her good luck before she left. Nada proudly left her seat and walked to the stage confidently.

    The higher classes didn''t know of Nada. Many of them had obviously seen her because she was the only one with pink hair in the year group. However, they have yet to see what she can do.

    Nada stood next to Justin, completing the duos. Five duos stood on stage, each representing a class. Some classes were happier than others, but even though some classes were less confident, the challenge wasn''t entirely reliant on the people on stage. They, too, would have a role to play, which they will see tomorrow when the challenge happens.

    "These students will represent you tomorrow for your challenge", Mr Donald said. "Can I get a round of applause for these students, please?".

    Applauds. Everyone applauded, even if they didn''t want to. While they clapped,

    "Why did you pick me?" Delilah whispered.

    "What do you mean? Malakai replied, looking at her like she was asking a stupid question. "Who else was I going to pick?"

    "Maria. She''s got a higher rank than me", Delilah said, discretely so people in the crowd couldn''t tell what she was saying.

    "Maria?" Malakai replied, covering his mouth. "You think Maria could go up against Destiny. No chance, Destiny would eat her alive".

    "You think I can go up against her?" Delilah asked, now also shielding her mouth.

    "Yeah", Malakai shrugged with confidence. "I feel like Maria would be scared of her".

    "I''m scared of her", Delilah said, exaggerating. She wasn''t scared. A better word would be intimidated.

    "Stop lying, you ain''t scared", Malakai saw through her lie. "I mean, you don''t look scared", he said, joking about her scary expression.

    Delilah stared at him straight-faced, already tired of the facial expression jokes.

    The crowd had stopped applauding moments ago, and now Mr Donald was talking to the crowd about the previous weeks and how he was proud of everyone. The majority of the crowd wasn''t listening to him. Some of them were looking at the duos on stage. Specifically, the two whispering to each other.

    "Why did you pick me?"

    "Bro, stop asking that", Malakai said.

    "No, because you should''ve picked someone else. I don''t want the whole class relying on me. If I do bad, they''re gonna hate me. Everyone''s gonna hate me", Delilah replied.

    "You ain''t gonna do bad. We''re gonna win", Malakai reassured her. Those words meant nothing, as he didn''t know what the challenge was. He just said it to calm her down.

    "But what happens if I mess up and bring the class down?" Delilah asked.

    Malakai thought for a moment. "Being hated by everyone isn''t too bad", he joked.

    "Malakai!" Delilah lightly punched his arm.

    "I wonder if he''ll be alright", Frank thought, looking at Alexander. "If it''s a challenge where they have to work together, I''m worried for them". Frank watched Malakai and Delilah quietly talking to each other on stage. "Those two together look strong. I hope the challenge tomorrow doesn''t involve that much teamwork".

    Everyone else was getting a similar idea, seeing Malakai and Delilah smiling and joking around with each other on stage. The rumour about them dating was still going around, and seeing this made it stronger. The strength of their chemistry was visible. The other duos on stage looked like classmates, while those two looked like great friends. Which was scary for everyone else if the challenge involved teamwork.

    Maria saw those two on stage, and her question from earlier was answered. It was definitely a matter of chemistry. She had to get closer to Malakai to be the one to stand next to him. However, she didn''t want only to stand next to him. She wanted to help him and have him rely on her sometimes. Maria had to better herself. She had to try harder.

    "This challenge is going to be interesting", Ryan thought, side-eyeing Malakai and Delilah. "Not only am I going up against those two. I''m going up against these two", he switched to side-eying Alexander and Destiny. "I''ve heard things about Destiny, but I haven''t had the chance to talk to her. I guess I''m going up against her before I get to know her".

    "This time, you''re losing your number one spot", Destiny thought, looking at Malakai. Unlike Ryan, who was secretly looking at everyone, Destiny was blatantly looking at others. "Delilah, hmpf. You''re not as scary as you look. I''ll show everyone".

    Mr Donald''s speech was coming to an end. Many of the students had turned off their brains for it. They couldn''t be bothered to hear it.

    "Tomorrow will be the last challenge of this semester. You will all get an email about the timings and what will happen. That is all I''ve got to say. I''ll see you all tomorrow", Mr Donald said.

    "But, before you all leave, could I get one last round of applause for these students on stage".

    Tomorrow, the last challenge of the first semester begins.

 Chapter 93 - Is Everyone Ready?

    December 8th. Friday, 8:27 AM.

    "How long until we get there?" Dillon asked, growing impatient.

    "About another 15 minutes", Mr White answered.

    The representatives of each class were on a mini-bus with Mr White and a few other teachers. They were currently driving to the location of the challenge. Their journey had already taken half an hour and still had not reached. The students didn''t know what to expect. Some were excited, while others were nervous.

    The mini-bus had fifteen seats. Ten were occupied by students, and the other five by teachers. The students obviously sat with their partners, so each class was together. With the names on the bus, you would''ve thought it would be hectic, but it was surprisingly peaceful.

    Alexander and Destiny sat near the front. They didn''t interact with one another. Alexander stared out the window the whole time while Destiny stayed on her phone. Dillon and Kayla were behind them. They also didn''t talk. Dillon listened to music, and Kayla watched videos on her phone. Justin and Nada were behind them. The two of them spoke the whole journey, getting to know each other. This was their first time conversing, so they had a lot to discuss. They talked about the academy, their lessons, and what had happened to them during previous challenges. On the other side, Ryan and Akari sat near the front. Ryan and Akari talked a little but did their own thing after a while. Behind them were Malakai and Delilah. At the start of the journey, they spoke for about five minutes, but Malakai felt sleepy, so he pulled up his hood and rested his head back on the seat. We all know Malakai doesn''t have a good sleep schedule, so him sleeping now isn''t out of pocket. Delilah was on her phone to pass the time until,

    "Delilah, are you excited?" Akari asked, kneeling on her seat to look behind.

    "I don''t know how to feel. I''m nervous if anything", Delilah replied, putting her phone down.

    Akari looked next to Delilah, "How long has he been asleep for?" she asked, seeing Malakai with his hood up and head down. She couldn''t see his face.

    Delilah glanced over at Malakai, "Basically, the whole journey. We talked for about five minutes, and then he wanted to sleep".

    "Have you taken pictures of him?" Akari asked, smirking.

    "Only one", Delilah replied, disappointed. "I was going to take some more to make fun of him, but he sleeps normally. He doesn''t snore or dribble. There''s no point in taking pictures. He makes the same face".

    "Are you sure he''s not dead?" Akari joked, trying to get an angle on Malakai''s face.

    "He might be", Delilah giggled.

    The two of them were quiet so as not to disturb Malakai and the others on the bus.

    "What about you? How are you feeling?" Delilah asked.

    "I can''t wait", Akari happily replied with a smile beaming on her face. "We don''t know what the challenge is, but it seems fun already".

    "Are you not nervous? Your whole class is relying on you", Delilah said.

    The whole class relying on her was getting to Delilah. She knew Akari was excited, it was all they talked about yesterday in their dorm.

    "A little, but my class is confident in me. So I have to be confident in myself", Akari replied.

    "Right��" Delilah said, looking away, a little jealous.

    "Doesn''t your class feel the same way?" Akari asked, tilting her head.

    "Um. I don''t know how my class feels about me", Delilah slowly replied, avoiding eye contact and scratching her cheek with her index finger.

    "Delilah", Akari looked at her hopeless. She sighed. "It doesn''t matter. This could be your chance to prove yourself", she said. "If you do well, everyone in your class will like you".

    "And if I don''t?" Delilah asked, having doubts about herself.

    "That''s not a possibility", Akari said, motivating her. "Look who your partner is".

    Ryan could hear their conversation. Hearing that line ticked him off a little.

    "I''m sure if you''re in trouble, Malakai will help you and vice versa", Akari said. "He will help you win no matter what. I should know, I was on his team not long ago", she thought back to the second challenge and Malakai''s reckless driving. She felt a bit of fear remembering that.

    Delilah broke a slight smile. "Akari, how about we team up?".

    Akari broke into a mischievous smile. "Nuh-uh", she shook her head. "Us two are rivals today".

    Delilah broke into a full smile, "I knew you would say that", she said.

    Delilah turned to Malakai,

    "He would''ve been against it too", she thought.

    8:58 AM

    "Malakai, wake up. We''re here", Delilah said, shaking Malakai''s shoulder.

    Malakai slowly opened his eyes. Everything felt still. The mini-bus wasn''t moving. They arrived.

    "I had that dream again. The good one", Malakai thought. "But... I already forgot what it was about".

    He slowly lifted his head, looked out the window, and saw that the mini-bus was in a car park (Parking lot). Malakai wanted to go back to sleep and remember the dream, but his time to sleep was over. He turned his head to the left and saw everyone else on the bus stand up and make their way out of the bus.

    "Tch", Malakai kissed his teeth. He wanted to sleep again. Malakai took off his hood and rubbed his eyes. He fixed his hair with both hands and stood up. Delilah watched his discombobulated state and waited for him to ready himself.

    "After you", Delilah said, making a way for Malakai to get out as his seat was next to the window.

    Malakai was still half asleep, so he didn''t respond. He got out of his space and walked to the bus exit.

    Malakai stepped out of the bus, "Yawwwnnn".

    "Wake up. I need you to be at your best right now", Delilah said, shaking Malakai''s shoulders from behind while stepping out of the bus.

    "My best? What is my best?" Malakai asked. "The challenge could be something I''m shit at".

    "Don''t say that", Delilah replied, pushing him lightly.

    Malakai cleaned his eyes and looked ahead, "We going into that building?"

    "Looks like it", Delilah replied, catching up and walking beside him.

    The building had multiple floors, and it curved around. It wasn''t a block, but it was a circular building. The building looked new and freshly renovated. You would think this building was built for this challenge, but it wasn''t. This building is an office for a business that is associated with and works with Astral Academy. The higher-ups got permission to use this building for the day. All the employees who worked here got a day off, which was lucky for them.

    "Every place we go for a challenge, it feels like a movie set", Malakai said, admiring the building.

    "Tell me about it".

    Mr White led them inside the building. All the students and teachers followed him inside. When they entered, they were introduced to the reception of the office. It was evident what type of building this was when they all saw their settings.

    "What are we doing here?" Destiny asked, furrowing her eyebrows and gazing around the place. The place didn''t impress her. It was just a bland office building. From the outside, it looked interesting. Complete opposite inside.

    "Follow me in here", Mr White said, holding a door to another room.

    Everyone went towards him and entered the room. The room they entered was a simple meeting room. White walls, windows with blinds, a large shiny black round table that could fit ten people, standard office chairs and a monitor at one end of the room.

    "Can you all take a seat, please?" Mr White told the students, gesturing to the seats.

    They all sat sitting next to their partner and the people they liked. Malakai sat next to Delilah and Nada. Delilah had Akari on her left. Akari had Ryan, and beside him were Dillon and Kayla. Destiny and Alexander sat to Kayla''s left. Justin sat next to Alexander completing the table.

    The table was silent, and all the students either looked down at the table, fidgeted with their hands or awkwardly looked at each other. This continued until the monitor switched on. Mr Donald''s face appeared on it.

    "Welcome to challenge five. The last challenge of this semester", Mr Donald said. "This is a recorded message explaining the challenge. Unfortunately, I cannot be there with you, but you will have Mr White with you. If there are any problems, he should be able to help you".

    "This better be a good challenge", Dillon thought.

    "This better be a good challenge", Ryan thought.

    "This better be a good challenge", Destiny thought.

    "In this challenge, you will be competing against each other. As you can see, you are in a huge building with a lot of floors. Fifteen floors, to be exact. This building is filled with plastic balls. In those balls, there are cards that tell you how many points that ball is worth. In this challenge, you have to get your own points", Mr Donald said. "You are responsible for how many points you and your class get".

    "This is a good challenge", Dillon thought.

    "This is a good challenge", Ryan thought.

    "This is a good challenge", Destiny thought.

    "Let me explain in more detail. The main aim is to get the most plastic balls you can. Each plastic ball has a different number of points, some of which are more valuable than others. However, you don''t know that as you can''t see inside the balls. You have to collect the most balls to increase your chances of getting more points. There will be five different rounds. The rules for those rounds will be told to you before each round starts. Each pair has a safe zone. A safe zone is a place where only you and your partner can go. No other team can enter your safe zone. The purpose of the safe zone is to store your plastic balls so another team can''t steal them, and it''s a place to rest between rounds. There are also items hidden around the place. These items will help you in different ways. I won''t tell you how, but I''m sure they will help you in tough situations. In this building, there are a lot of rooms, so you could easily get lost. This is where your classmates will help out. They will help you navigate and find the plastic balls. To do this, you will all be given a small camera that will be strapped to your body and an earpiece so you can talk to your classmates".

    Malakai was smiling ear to ear. He was excited now. The whole table was. This sounded like the best challenge so far.

    "Don''t worry. I''m awake now", Malakai quietly told Delilah.

    "These are the rough rules of this challenge. If you have any questions, Mr White should be able to answer them for you", Mr Donald said. "I wish you the best of luck for the challenge, and do your best for yourselves and your classes".

    The recording stopped, and the screen went black. Everyone on the table looked at Mr White and waited for what was next.

    "Does anyone have any questions?" Mr White asked, seeing that everyone''s attention was on him. As Mr Donald explained the challenge with minimal detail, he knew there would be questions. He was annoyed at how poorly he explained the challenge, but he didn''t voice his thoughts in case there was a snitch in the room. He wanted to keep his job.

    Ryan raised his hand, "Can you explain the safe zones? I didn''t quite understand".

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings."Yes. Safe zones are essentially your home base. That is where you will stay between rounds and is a place you can return to whenever you want. As you heard, you can store the plastic balls you gathered in there, and no other team can take them from you. Only you can enter your safe zone, and you cannot enter anyone else''s safe zone", Mr White explained.

    "What happens if another team enters your safe zone?" Akari asked.

    "That team will be punished. They will get three plastic balls taken away from them", Mr White answered.

    "Are everyone''s safe zones close together?" Ryan asked.

    "No. You can see this building is very big. Your safe zone is on a random floor in a random room. No team will know where it is unless they find it", Mr White replied. "Once we''re finished here, I will take one team at a time to their safe zones".

    "Is there even a point in knowing where the other''s safe zones are? We can''t go into them", Destiny thought. She would''ve preferred if they were close together. She wanted to sabotage everyone.

    "How many points can we get?" Dillon asked without raising his hand. He wanted to know the juicy information.

    "In this building, there is a total of 5000 points".

    Everyone glanced at each other. That was a lot of points.

    "If one team were to collect every ball, they would end up with 5000 points, but that is highly unlikely", Mr White said. "Each ball has a card with a number on it inside it. The number represents how many points it''s worth. Every ball has a different number, so some balls will have single digits, most will have double digits, and a few will have triple digits".

    "What''s the most valuable ball?" Dillon asked, curious to know.

    "One ball has 500 points, but you won''t know which ball that is because they all look the same. The balls are a solid white coloured. There is no way to look inside it".

    "Can the balls pop?" Malakai asked, swivelling left to right on his chair.

    "They''re not balloons", Destiny condescendingly said, thinking he was crazy.

    "They can still pop though, innit", Malakai replied, shrugging his shoulders, thinking his question was normal.

    "He''s right, they can pop. They are plastic balls", Mr White said. "But they won''t pop so easily. They can be popped with a sharp object and enough force. Therefore, they can be popped. However, if they do pop, that ball becomes useless. The card inside is useless. For example, if you pop a ball with a card that says 100, you must leave it on the floor. You cannot cheat and sneak the card into your pocket. At the end of the challenge, we (the teachers) will pop the balls you''ve got and count your points ourselves. You won''t know the results until we''ve announced them".

    Cheating hadn''t come to anyone''s mind, but that issue looked like it had a solution already.

    "How long are the rounds?" Nada asked.

    "Each round is different. You will be told the instructions and time limit before the round starts", Mr White replied.

    "Will our classmates really help us?" Akari asked, wanting to know more about their involvement.

    "Yes. As this building is big and confusing to get around, they will help you guide it and find some of the plastic balls. You will not have a map, and there are no directions anywhere, so communicating with your classmates will be vital".

    "Do our classmates have the map of this place?" Justin asked.

    "Their situation is a bit different. They will explain it to you when you get the chance to talk to them. You have to put on the camera and the earpiece. If you don''t, you will be put at a disadvantage".

    "What are the items he was talking about?" Destiny asked.

    "I can''t tell you. You will have to find out yourself. There are a lot of items", Mr White said. "All I will say is that they will be a big help if you get them".

    The table went quiet. It looked like the questions were done.

    "Any more questions? If not, we''ll get started right away", Mr White asked to make sure.

    "The aim of this challenge is to basically get the most balls", Malakai said.

    "To put it simply, yes", Mr White replied.

    ��Aryt��, Malakai smiled.

    Mr White walked to the door and opened it,

    "Okay. Alexander and Destiny, come with me. I will take you to your safe zone".

    9:31 AM.

    Class 1-C.

    The rest of the class was sitting in their classroom. They had just seen the video of Mr Donald explaining the challenge, but their video had an extra bit to it.

    "That is their involvement in the challenge, but your involvement is different. Your representatives do not have a map. They can''t navigate the building well. Your job is to help them get around the building and guide them. To do that, you will have to build the map. Each floor has a layout, so the maps of each floor are different. You have been given one piece of the map of each floor. As there are fifteen floors, you have fifteen pieces. The map of each floor consists of three pieces. Therefore, you have to find those pieces. The pieces of the map are hidden around the academy building. None of the pieces are hidden outside the building, so you do not need to go outside. You will be able to see and hear what your teammates are doing. You will also be able to talk to them through the mic given to you. Your job in this challenge is as important as theirs. If you want you and your classmates to get a lot of points, you have to pull your weight. That is all. If you have any questions, you can ask your teachers. Best of luck, and do your best".

    With that, the recording stopped, and the screen went black.

    "Does anyone have any questions?" Ms Green asked.

    "Do we go searching for the pieces now?" David asked.

    "No. There will be different rounds. It will be announced when you are allowed to search", Ms Green replied. "I will give you some advice. I would rearrange the tables and bring some of them together. You have some time because I need to set everything up with the cameras and connect the mic to their earpieces".

    "Teach, is there anything else we need to know about the maps?" Benjamin asked.

    "Anything else?" Ms Green thought for a second. "Oh, right, there are different versions of the maps. For example, some versions have dots on them. Those dots represent the plastic balls, so you can tell Malakai and Delilah exactly where they are".

    "So not all of them have the dots?" David asked.

    "No, it depends on how quickly you find the pieces. Let me explain it like this. As there are five classes, there are five versions of a piece of floor one. Not all versions are the same. Some have dots, and others have nothing. It all depends on which one you find", Ms Green replied.

    "We can help them a lot if we find those pieces", Tanisha said.

    "This really is a class challenge", Maria replied. "Everyone has a part to play".

    "If no one has any more questions, I suggest you set up the classroom in a way you would think would be the best", Ms Green said. "Before I forget", she went to her desk and picked something from under it. "Here are the pieces of the map you have".

    She placed them on David''s desk as it was the closest desk to her. David picked up one of the pieces. The pieces were laminated pieces of paper that had diagonal cuts across them. The majority of the pieces were triangled-shaped. David turned around one of the pieces.

    "Twelve", he read out a number written on the back. "This must be the floor number". Feeling motivated and excited, he smirked,

    "Guys, let''s sort out this room".

    9:42 AM

    "You can take off your blindfolds".

    Malakai and Delilah took off their blindfolds. They had to be blindfolded so they couldn''t see or know what floor they were on. And they also used the elevator to keep them from counting the number of stairs they were going up. This made them clueless about their location.

    Both of their eyes readjusted to the light, and they saw where they were. It was a bare room with green flooring, a single rectangular table, two chairs and a long vertical locker in the corner in the corner of the room.

    "The green flooring represents a safe zone. If you open a door and the floor is green, that means you found another team''s safe zone. Every other room has a white floor", Mr White told them. "The cameras and the earpieces are already connected to your classroom. Go ahead and put them on", he said, pointing to the table. "Press the button on them, and they should instantly turn on and connect to your class. While you do that, I''ll sort out the next team. Wait in this room, you will hear an announcement soon telling you what will happen", he said, pointing at the speaker above the door.

    Mr White left the room and closed the door behind him. Both of them walked over to the table.

    "That was a lot of information", Delilah said, picking up the camera vest on the table.

    "This is sick", Malakai said, putting the camera vest on and the earpiece in and ignoring what Delilah said. "How do I turn them on again?" he rhetorically asked.

    He pressed the button on the top of the camera and the button on the earpiece.

    Beep!

    The camera turned on, but Malakai didn''t know if the earpiece was on.

    "Can you hear anything?" Delilah asked, putting her earpiece in.

    "Nah", Malakai replied, shaking his head.

    "Hello?" A voice came through the earpiece.

    "David?" Malakai could hear David''s voice in his right ear.

    "Hello? Can you hear me?"

    "Yeah, yeah. I can hear you", Malakai replied. "Can you see my hand?" he asked, putting his hand in front of his camera.

    "Yeah, I can. I can see you on Delilah''s camera as well", David said.

    "You can?" Malakai looked at Delilah''s camera and put his middle finger up to the camera. His instinctive pose when a camera was on him. "What''s the set-up you have?" he asked.

    "The screen in the classroom has both of your camera angles. On the left is yours, and on the right is Delilah''s", David replied.

    "Mr White told us that you would help us, but he didn''t tell us how. He said you will tell us", Delilah said.

    "Yeah, we can help you guys a lot", David replied.

    David went on to explain their roles in the challenge. After explaining that they had time to talk as they had nothing to do, they talked about what they had done to the classroom and their strategy for finding the missing pieces of the map.

    "Can Ms Green talk into the mic? I wanna hear her voice", Malakai joked.

    David looked towards Ms Green. She shook her head.

    "She doesn''t want to talk to you", David replied.

    "I meant Delilah wanted to hear her voice", Malakai said.

    "No I don''t", Delilah said, but she quickly realised what she said was kinda rude. "Wait, I didn''t mean it like that".

    "Wow Delilah, You''re gonna break Ms Green''s feelings", Malakai said, taking the piss.

    "Tell Malakai to shut up and concentrate on the challenge", Ms Green told David. She was at her desk and away from the mic. It was unlikely Malakai heard that.

    "I heard her voice, I''m happy now", but Malakai still heard her. "David, are you gonna be talking to us the whole time?" he asked.

    "Yeah, I''m the leader, somehow. But, if anyone else has some input, they can talk too", David replied. "Why do you want to talk to someone?"

    Malakai smiled. "The real question is, do they want to speak to ME?".

    David looked back at his classmates. He got their answers from their expressions.

    "None of them want to talk to you".

    "Damn. I''m actually the most hated".

    Screeeech!

    The sound of a speaker turning on rang in the ears of Malakai and Delilah.

    "Is everyone ready?".

 Chapter 94 - 21 Questions

    "Is everyone ready?".

    A voice came from a speaker in the corner of the room. It was Mr White''s voice.

    "Challenge 5 is about to begin".

    Everyone got up from their seats and readied themselves.

    "The rules of the first round are as follows. One team will be allowed out of their safe zones and can search the building for fifteen minutes. Before their fifteen minutes end, they have to be in their safe zones. If they are not, they will receive a penalty. After their fifteen minutes is up, the next team will be allowed to search".

    "Wait, is only one team going out?" Malakai asked Delilah to make sure he understood.

    "I think so", Delilah replied unsure.

    "Alexander and Destiny, get ready. Your fifteen minutes will begin shortly. The rest of you cannot leave your safe zones".

    "Bro, we have to stay here for thirty minutes until our turn", Malakai complained with his arms in the air.

    "Mally, we''ve got the same rules. Only class 1-A can search for the map pieces right now. We have to stay in the classroom", David told him.

    Malakai walked back to his chair and slumped in it,

    "Tch, long day".

    BEEP!

    "Round one has started".

    Alexander and Destiny opened the door and left their safe zone. They didn''t say a word to each other and went their own ways. Alexander made his way to the stairs while Destiny went down the corridor towards a different room. Alexander made it to the stairs and started his descent to the bottom. They couldn''t use the elevator as that would be cheating. Only the stairs could be used to get to different floors.

    "Don''t waste all of your energy", Frank told Alexander.

    Frank was on the mic for class 1-A. Right now, he is the only person in the classroom. Everyone else was searching for the map pieces. As Frank was the closest to Alexander, he was chosen to speak to him and Destiny. Of course, anyone else could speak into the mic if they wanted to, but no other person in the class was close to either of them. No one wanted to talk to them. So, it was most likely that Alexander and Destiny would only hear Frank''s voice through the earpiece in this challenge.

    "I''ll be fine", Alexander replied, rushing down the stairs. "As soon as I find out what floor our safe zone is, I can search rooms".

    That was their plan. They decided that Alexander would find out what floor they were on, and Destiny would search the rest of the rooms on their floor. That plan was made pretty quickly, and Destiny had no problems with it.

    Alexander made it to the bottom floor. He looked around and saw no more stairs.

    "I''m at the bottom. I went down twelve flights of stairs. Our safe zone is on the sixth floor", Alexander calculated, telling Frank.

    There were also no numbers anywhere to indicate which floor was which. If a student didn''t know what floor they were on, it would be hard for them to figure out without help from their classmates. The stairs spiralled down. Therefore, to get to another floor, there was a flight of stairs, a landing and another flight of stairs. Each flight of stairs had twelve steps, which made it more tiring for the students. As the rounds progressed, going up and down those stairs would be harder and harder.

    "The sixth floor", Frank quietly said, stroking his chin.

    He looked towards a desk to his left with all the map pieces. Frank quickly checked each piece, turning them around to check the number on the back. Eventually, he found six. Frank put the piece on a different table.

    "We should''ve organised the pieces to each table to make it easier", Frank said, shaking his head and looking at the pieces jumbled up on one desk.

    "You should do that", Alexander said.

    Frank didn''t realise he said that out loud. He looked back up at the screen and saw from Alexander''s angle that he was already in a room.

    "Is that a room on the first floor?" Frank asked. He turned around for a second, and Alexander was already doing something.

    "Yeah, I''ll be fine. Do what you have to do. Organise the map pieces", Alexander said, concentrating on searching the room.

    "Okay", Frank replied. "Destiny, your safe zone is on the sixth floor", he said. Frank remembered Destiny could also hear what he could say, so he told her what floor she was on.

    Hearing Destiny''s name made Alexander curious.

    "Frank, tell me what she''s doing", Alexander said.

    "She''s currently in a room with a lot of tables. She''s already found a ball", Frank told him, looking at Destiny''s camera angle.

    Destiny smirked. "Awweee, Alexander wants to know what I''m doing", she said teasingly. Only Frank could hear what she was saying. Alexander and Destiny couldn''t talk to each other through the earpieces. They could only talk to and hear Frank.

    "He''s making sure I''m on my best behaviour, bless him. Tell him I''m doing great. No, no, not great. Fantastic", Destiny said, taking the mick.

    "She''s doing great. You don''t have to worry", Frank told Alexander. He didn''t want to repeat exactly what Destiny said because it would''ve been cringe.

    "I''m not worried. I''m making sure she''s doing her job", Alexander said, making it clear he wasn''t worried. He sounded a little offended that Frank might''ve thought he was worried about her.

    "Frank, I found a piece! It''s a piece of the eighth floor", Mark said, jogging into the classroom, holding up the map piece.

    "Great", Frank replied. He looked back at the screen.

    "You two will be fine. I need to sort out the map pieces".

    "It''s fine. I didn''t need his help this round anyway", Alexander thought. "This round is down to me and her. Their help will be useful in the next rounds".

    Alexander was still searching the first room he entered on the first floor. The room was filled with computers, rows of computers. He''d been searching behind the computers, under the chairs and in the room''s corners, but he found nothing. It looked like no plastic balls were in this room, but there had to be something here. The room was big, something had to be hiding there.

    "There''s nothing here", Alexander thought, looking around the room disappointed. He searched the room, not thoroughly, but he wasn''t lazy with it. He could''ve been more in-depth with his search, but he had no time. He walked to the door and was about to leave. Before he left, he checked behind the door just to make sure. There was no plastic ball, but there was a card on the floor. Alexander crouched down and picked it up. He turned the card around to see if anything was written on the back, and there was.

    "Late pass. This item will give you extra time. You can return to your safe zone three minutes after the round is over, and you will not be penalised. Only usable for two rounds".

    Alexander didn''t find a ball, but he found an item that would come in handy later. He left the room, slightly unsatisfied and was instantly stumped. He didn''t know how long was left until the round was over. Should he search another room or go back to his floor? He had no choice but to ask.

    "Frank, how long until the round is over?".

    Frank was busy with his own problems. A lot of classmates were returning with map pieces, so he was organising and piecing things together. Everyone in the classroom heard Alexander''s question. Frank turned to the screen and saw that Alexander was out of the room.

    "The round started at 10:15, so you got..." Frank looked at the clock above the classroom door. "Five minutes".

    "Five minutes?" Alexander thought. "How did I waste ten minutes?"

    He looked down the hall and saw other rooms. The shut doors were tempting. Knowing that there were points behind some of those doors enticed him to search further. But he couldn''t. He''d have no time to search and make it back to the sixth floor. He just found the late pass, which solves the problem of him not making it back. However, Alexander didn''t want to waste it on the first round. This round was only the starter.

    "Tsk".

    Alexander decided. He was returning to the sixth floor and his safe zone. He hastily made his way to the stairs and jogged up them.

    Alexander was annoyed at his performance. It wasn''t bad. If anything, it was pretty good. He found out which floor their safe zone was on, and he got an item. But Alexander wasn''t satisfied with that. He wanted more. He wanted to find a plastic ball. He wanted to get points. While he ascended the stairs, he assessed what he had done. Could he have gone down the stairs faster? He could''ve definitely searched the room quicker. Was he too cautious of missing anything? Did they have to find out which floor they were on? They could''ve found out later. Did he choose the wrong plan? Was the plan wrong? Did they need a plan?

    Flaws. Flaws. Flaws.

    To everyone else, Alexander seemed perfect. Everything he did was precise, and there were no flaws or mistakes in the process of whatever he did. All the things he did, all these things he''s achieved. It''s all perfect. But Alexander isn''t perfect. He wants to be. He thinks he is. But he''s near perfect. Not perfect. Once in a while, he''s reminded that he isn''t perfect. This was one of those reminders.

    "Destiny, there''s four minutes left until the round is over. Get back to the safe zone. You don''t have time to search another room", Frank said, seeing her still in a room.

    Alexander just reached the sixth floor, and he heard that there were four minutes left. It was no use. The round was over. Alexander couldn''t search another room. He had no time. A four-minute search would be a bad job. He''d basically be setting up another team by messing up the room searching.

    "I hope she did her job", Alexander thought, diverting his attention to something other than himself.

    He walked down the corridor back to his safe zone. As he was about to open the door, he heard someone jogging down the hall. Alexander looked to his left and saw Destiny jogging while holding three balls. Destiny saw Alexander empty-handed.

    "You''ve got nothing?!" she questioned, disappointed while she got closer. Her face clearly showed her disappointment. She expected something.

    Alexander didn''t meet her eyes. He turned to the door and opened it,

    "I got more than you think. I figured out what floor we are on, and I got an item", he said, walking inside and not facing her.

    "It''s not points, though, is it?" Destiny harshly replied, feeling let down.

    She was out of breath from dashing from room to room searching. She hadn''t even searched all the rooms on the sixth floor. She had only searched four. There were too many. Plus, the rooms had a lot of places where the balls could be. It was more complex than spotting the ball after a quick look around. The balls weren''t large either. The balls were big enough to fit in someone''s palm, so holding two is possible, but it would be tricky. They would be slightly smaller than a dodgeball if we were comparing size.

    "This is only the first round. We''re in a great position. We both did our jobs", Alexander said, not wanting to admit he was the weaker player this round. "You found three balls, and I got an item that will help us later. That''s more than enough".

    Alexander didn''t believe what he was saying, but he had to say it to protect his own ego.

    "Hmpf", Destiny didn''t want to argue back, she was too tired.

    She was already fired up for this challenge. She wanted to prove a point. She had a point to prove. Malakai humiliated her in the third challenge. She hadn''t forgotten. This time, she wanted to throw him out of that top spot. Usually, she would be more relaxed, jokey and playful, but there was no room for that now. She underestimated Malakai before, and she wasn''t going to do that again. She was giving 100%, and she needed 100% from her partner. Destiny thought she would''ve gotten 100% because Alexander was so ''perfect'', but she was disappointed. Did she expect too much? She didn''t think she did. She knew Alexander did poorly by his standards. His perfect standards.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    "The round ended by the way", Frank said.

    The whole of class 1-A was in the classroom. The majority of them heard what Destiny said to Alexander. After hearing her opinion, some of their opinions swayed. They also thought Alexander should''ve at least found one plastic ball.

    Destiny threw the balls she got on the floor, and threw herself on the chair afterwards. She didn''t throw the balls forcefully. It was more like she let go of them out of exhaustion. Alexander, on the other hand, slowly sat down on his seat and quietly caught his breath. The only thing on his mind.

    Flaws. Flaws. Flaw.

    "Ryan and Akari, get ready. Your fifteen minutes will start shortly".

    "When did 1-A''s round end? There was no announcement", Malakai said, looking around, confused.

    "If there''s no announcement for the round ending, that means we have to keep track ourselves", Delilah replied.

    Malakai looked into Delilah''s camera, "That means you lot have to watch the time for us", he said, pointing at the camera.

    "Don''t worry, we will", David replied.

    "Should we go over the plan again?" Delilah asked, leaning forward.

    "Why? There''s not much to strategise. You''re gonna check what floor we''re on, and I''m gonna search this floor", Malakai replied, leaning back. "You sure you wanna check what floor we''re on? Won''t you get tired running down the stairs and then running back up?"

    "I want to do this", Delilah confidently replied. "I''m sure you would be faster, but I want to challenge myself".

    "What''s the actual reason?" Malakai bluntly asked, smiling, knowing there was another reason.

    Delilah broke eye contact and looked away,

    "I''ve been using the stair climber at the gym a lot. I want to see if it actually helped me", she guiltily replied.

    "Hehehehe", Malakai giggled. "Sure, go for it".

    Delilah awkwardly glanced around the room. "What should we do? We''ve been here for fifteen minutes, and there''s nothing to do", she said. "The tablet we found in the locker does nothing. We''re just sitting here".

    Malakai thought for a moment. "We could play 21 questions", he proposed.

    "Huh? Why?"

    "I''m sure the class wants to know more about you", Malakai said.

    "Me? What about you?" Delilah asked.

    "No one wants to know about me. They hate me", he replied. After a second, Malakai''s face lit up. He had a eureka moment. "Delilah, we can make you some friends".

    "Wha?"

    Malakai quickly took off his camera vest and held the camera to focus on Delilah.

    "Classmates, this is Delilah", Malakai said, like he was vlogging.

    "What are you doing?" Delilah asked, putting her hand in front of her to cover her face a little. She didn''t like how he was filming her.

    "She looks like a bitch, but she isn''t really. She just has a scary face. She''s nice, really. She has no friends, so be her friend, please. She''s in desperate need of friends".

    "Malakai! Shut up! What are you saying!?" Delilah swiped at Malakai''s camera.

    "Hehehe", Malakai giggled as he dodged her swipe.

    The whole of class 1-C could see what they were doing. Even though Malakai and Delilah are the representatives of 1-C, they''re not really close to everyone in 1-C. They have their own group and stick with it. Most of the girls in 1-C avoided Delilah because, one, she was always with Malakai and his friends, and two, because she looked pissed all the time. And Malakai stayed with his best friends. He hasn''t made friends with most of the other boys yet because he can''t be bothered. If they came up to him, he wouldn''t mind, but they didn''t. Malakai was well known, but he wasn''t popular, so people didn''t want to approach him and be friendly.

    Malakai put his camera vest back on and thought of something.

    "Wait, you''re Brazillian. Why the fuck are you called Delilah?" Malakai asked. "I haven''t thought about it until now. Delilah ain''t a Brazillian name".

    "No, it isn''t", Delilah replied. "Are we actually playing 21 questions?"

    "Yeah, we are. Now answer the question", Malakai said, pretending to point a gun at Delilah.

    Delilah sign. "Fine", she accepted to play along. "It was the name of an actor my mom liked. She watched everything that the actor starred in. My mom really liked the name Delilah. She found it beautiful, so she called me Delilah", she replied. "My middle name is Ana, which is a common Brazilian and Portuguese name. So it''s not like my name isn''t Brazillian".

    "Tut, tut, tut. You''ve been Americanized", Malakai joked.

    "What about you? Malakai doesn''t sound like a Mauritian name", Delilah said. "I don''t even know what a Mauritian name would sound like, but I know Malakai isn''t one".

    "It''s not. My name is Malakai because my parents liked that name. That''s it".

    "What an interesting story", Delilah sarcastically said.

    "I know, right?" Malakai sarcastically replied.

    The two sat in silence, not sure what to talk about next.

    "Is that is? I thought you were playing 21 questions?" David asked.

    "Oh shit. I forgot the whole class was listening", Malakai replied after hearing David''s voice in his ear.

    "Everyone wants to hear another question", David told them. No one in the class explicitly said they wanted to hear another question, but everyone did look at each other, expecting more.

    "I don''t know what to ask her", Malakai replied, his mind went blank.

    "Oh, I know", Delilah said, sitting up. "Who do you think the prettiest girl is in our class?"

    The girls in the class looked at each other. After looking at each other, they glanced at who he was most likely going to say. But who knows? Beauty is in the in the eye of the beholder.

    Malakai smirked. "You know who I''m gonna say", he replied.

    Delilah was waiting for one name.

    "Ms Green".

    A few laughs and smiles broke out in the class. Ms Green lowered her head and smirked. She thought Malakai was going to be serious.

    "That doesn''t count. Pick someone under thirty-five", Delilah said.

    "I''m not over thirty-five! I''m thirty-one!".

    Malakai and Delilah faintly heard Ms Green''s shouting down the earpiece.

    "When are you going to stop this joke with Ms Green?" Delilah asked, covering her smile after hearing Ms Green''s response.

    "The joke is gonna continue until the day I graduate", Malakai replied. "I''m the closest thing she''s gonna have to a boyfriend or a husband. She''s gonna miss me when I''m go-"

    "Listen, Malakai! When this challenge is over, I''m going to make you write a five thousand-word essay in front of me!" Ms Green was now on the mic. She took the mic off David so Malakai could hear her clearly.

    The class found it funny. Malakai and Delilah found it funny.

    "Aryt, Ms, I''m sorry", Malakai giggled.

    Delilah giggled. "Okay, forget, Ms Green. Pick someone under thirty", she said, asking her original question and still taking a dig at Ms Green.

    "Those two, I swear", Ms Green said under her breath, smiling and going back to her desk.

    She saw the funny side of it. In all seriousness, she was glad she had people like Malakai and Delilah in her class, it made her days more enjoyable. It made her teaching fun, too.

    Back to the question Delilah asked, Malakai briefly thought about it.

    "Isn''t it obvious?" Malakai said. "We''ve got a model in our class".

    "Right, Maria. Okay pick someone except Maria", Delilah replied. She knew Maria''s name was going to come up, but she was surprised Malakai didn''t outright say Maria''s name. It was like he wasn''t including her, as if she were in a league of her own.

    Maria smiled. Hearing Malakai think she was the prettiest gave her some confidence, not that she needed anymore. She''s heard that she''s beautiful by various people. But this one person saying it felt different. Even though he didn''t directly say it, it was what he meant. Next time, Maria wanted to hear him say that to her.

    Tanisha saw Maria smiling in the corner of her eye. She was happy that Maria was happy, but wasn''t happy about who made her happy. It was a complicated feeling she was feeling.

    "Pretty, hmm", Malakai took his time to think. He was envisioning all the girls in his class. "I don''t know. All the girls in our class are pretty. Every girl at this academy is pretty. I don''t know how", he replied.

    "You have to answer. You''re not escaping this", Delilah said, forcing him to answer.

    "Everyone''s pretty, though. Like Sarena has nice hair, I like her hair. She has a wolf cut, it''s so sick. Nicole''s got nice eyes. Have you seen her eyes? They''re sleepy but sharp at the same time. Who else? Rose is cute. She''s got a nice smile", Malakai was rambling on.

    "Stop flirting", Delilah said, stopping him. She was getting information but no answer.

    "How''s that flirting?" Malakai cluelessly asked. "I''m complimenting them".

    "He knows what he''s doing", Lucas quietly said.

    "Yep. He did that on purpose", Benjamin replied. He glanced at the girls he mentioned and saw them a little flustered by his comments. "Mally hasn''t even spoken to them, and he''s saying this. Has he been looking at everyone in this class that closely?".

    "Who knows, dude? Mally''s weird", Lucas replied.

    "Just pick a girl", Delilah pushingly said, desperate for an answer and thinking Malakai was running from the question.

    "Aryt, fine", Malakai replied. He put a hand on his chin. "Tanisha''s got nice skin. I might pick her to piss her off".

    "You can''t pick Tanisha to piss her off", Delilah said, quickly closing that option off.

    Tanisha sighed in relief.

    "Wouldn''t that have been a good thing if he had chosen you?" Maria asked, seeing her relieved reaction.

    "Chosen by him? No", Tanisha replied, shaking her head.

    "Okay, I''ll be serious now", Malakai said. He had an answer. "Maya. I think she''s the prettiest", he chose. He saw Delilah''s expression. "You don''t know who that is, do you?" he said after seeing Delilah''s face blank. "She sits in the second row, I think", Malakai was unsure himself.

    Even after that piece of information, Delilah slowly shook her head, looking clueless.

    "Sorry, Maya", she awkwardly apologised, looking into Malakai''s camera. "Are you two friends?" she asked Malakai.

    "No, I''ve never talked to her", he laughed. "I don''t even think she likes me. I looked at her one time, and she looked at me pissed. I don''t even know what I did. She gave me a dirty look for no reason", he giggled.

    Delilah also giggled, imagining it, "You probably did something".

    "I don''t even remember doing that", Maya thought.

    "Are you asking her out in front of the class?" Delilah asked, trying to embarrass him.

    "No, I don''t like her. I just said she''s attractive, innit", Malakai replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Let''s stop talking about me. We need to talk about you. You need friends".

    "Stop acting like I''m a loner''", Delilah said, offended.

    "Bro, without me and my friends, you would be", Malakai replied.

    "No", Delilah disagreed with a scrunched-up face. "I''m friends with Maria and Tanisha".

    "Because of who?" Malakai questioned with a grin.

    Delilah looked away, "Shut up", she knew he was right.

    "Okay, classmates. If you have any questions about Delilah, ask away", Malakai said, positioning his camera to focus on Delilah. "We''re still playing 21 questions, right?".

    After a few minutes of questions from Malakai and some people from 1-C, it was time.

    "Malakai and Delilah, get ready. Your fifteen minutes will start shortly".

    "About time", Malakai said, getting up from his seat.

    Delilah took a deep breath and slowly breathed out before she got up. She could feel her heart beating quickly. She was nervous. This was the most nervous she''d been for a challenge. For the other challenges, she had a whole team, but for this one, she only had Malakai. And it wasn''t like he could carry her to victory. She had to play her part. If she slacked, she would bring Malakai down. The whole class down. She had the entire class helping her, too, but getting the points was up to her. That made her nervous.

    She tightly clenched her fists in an attempt to calm herself and went towards the door to stand beside Malakai.

    Malakai glanced to his left and saw that Delilah was tense. She was staring ahead with clenched fists. Her hands were shaking ever so slightly, enough that Malakai could notice.

    "Yo".

    Delilah looked at Malakai.

    "Don''t worry. We got this", Malakai said, smiling and holding out his fist.

    Seeing Malakai smile caused Delilah to smile. It was nothing special. It was just his usual smile, but it was enough. She calmed down a little, seeing Malakai smile.

    "Yeah", she replied, fist-bumping him.

    BEEP!

    "Aryt, let''s go".

 Chapter 95 - Ive Got A Weapon On Me

    BEEP!

    "Aryt, let''s go".

    Malakai and Delilah left their safe zone. As they planned, Delilah ran towards the stairs, and Malakai ran to the other rooms on their floor.

    "I keep forgetting how quick Mally is", Benjamin said, watching Malakai''s camera angle. The camera was moving frantically from side to side as it was strapped to Malakai''s chest.

    "What are you lot doing? Go!" David told them off, seeing them standing around.

    Benjamin, Lucas, Ray and William were watching the screen. Their eyes were glued to it. It was like they were watching a sports match. They completely forgot they had their own roles to play.

    "I want to watch though", William said like a kid.

    "Same", Lucas added.

    "You can''t! You need to help the rest of our classmates", David replied, pointing to the door. "You do realise this is a challenge. Points are on the line".

    Lucas, William and Benjamin looked at him straight-faced. They didn''t want to move. Watching was more interesting than what they had to do.

    "C''mon, guys. We need to help in our own way", Ray said, walking towards the door, urging them to follow him.

    Benjamin saw Ray walking out of the door with most of the class.

    "Aight. I''m sure we''ll get to watch him later", he said, joining Ray.

    "Uuughh. Fine", William reluctantly agreed, slowly following behind.

    Lucas silently followed with his eyes locked onto the screen while he left. The boys weren''t the only ones who wanted to watch. There was someone else who wanted to stay.

    "I don''t want to miss out on what he does", Maria thought, seeing Malakai''s camera angle. "But I can''t stay. I have to be useful to the class. If I want to be with him next time, I have to help him".

    Maria took her eyes off the screen and walked out of the class determined. Maria was out of the class, but what was she going to do next? She didn''t know. She had no plan. She walked out with all this determination but had no clue what to do with it.

    "Should we check the library?" Tanisha asked from behind her. She noticed Maria frozen in place, stuck on where to go.

    "Yeah, let''s go!" Maria replied, determined, quickly latching onto the idea. She swiftly turned on her feet and gracefully but hastily walked to the library.

    There were two different libraries. One in the academy building and the other on the campus. The library on campus was much more extensive than the one in the academy building. The campus library allowed anyone to enter, but the academy library was in the academy building, so only students could enter that one. The library where the ''meeting'' happened (Chapter 20 - Alliance, Enemies Or Rivals) and where Eric was crying (Chapter 18 - Puffy Red Eyes) were in the campus library. The campus library was more popular due to its bigger space and better aesthetic. Also, because members of the public went there, some of the students liked meeting strangers. Few people went to the academy library because there was nothing really to do there. Of course, if you wanted a quiet place to revise, it was perfect, but otherwise, it was boring. Therefore, major events have yet to happen in the academy library. For now.

    Maria and Tanisha made it to the library and found that two of their classmates were already inside searching, which was a good thing because two people alone couldn''t search the library.

    "Should we split up?" Tanisha asked.

    "Yes", Maria quickly replied.

    "What about the time? We need to make it back before the bell", Tanisha said.

    For the students back at the academy, a bell rang to signal the end of the round. Unlike their representatives, they had something to tell them when the round was over. However, their punishment was much lighter than theirs. If they reach their classrooms after the bell, they will not be penalised unless they have a map piece. If a student has a map piece and arrives late to their classroom, it will be taken away from them. If a student arrives late and they have nothing, no penalty will be given. That''s what they''ve been told.

    "Keep checking your phone", Maria replied. "The round ends at 10:55. We should leave three to five minutes before".

    Tanisha checked her phone, "That means we''ve only got seven minutes to search", she said.

    "We need to start looking then", Maria excitedly replied with a smile, walking backwards to where she was going to search.

    The two dispersed, going in opposite directions. There were two floors to the library. They decided to search the first floor and leave the second floor for later rounds.

    Maria wandered the place and instantly felt a block. A mental block. A lot of things were happening. She saw rows of shelves stacked with books, and her mind instantly thought that finding a triangle-shaped laminated piece of paper would be impossible. There were so many places to look, but so little time. She had to think. She couldn''t run around like a headless chicken and search for the sake of searching. She had to think strategically and search a place worth searching.

    Maria looked at the bookshelves with eagle eyes, "Where would they hide it?"

    The bookshelves had four shelves. Maria couldn''t reach the top shelf. She needed a step to check properly. However, she could see what books were on the top shelf.

    She thought to herself, "How would they hide it?"

    Maria knew there was no time to take out individual books and look inside them. That would take too long. They had to be in between the books.

    Maria had an idea but didn''t think it was a good one. Given the time she had to use it. Good or bad. She entered an aisle and put her hand on the spine of a book on the second lowest shelf. She moved down the aisle with her hand moving along while she looked at the upper two shelves. She kept her hand on the spines of the books to feel if anything stuck out between them. She wasn''t paying attention to that shelf with her eyes, so she used her hand to look out for her. If they were to hide a map piece, they might hide it between the books instead of inside. If they were to hide them inside, that would take too much time and would be impossible to find with the limited time. The academy wouldn''t go that far. She knew she was missing the bottom shelf, but she was going to go back to check it. She reached the end of the aisle and found nothing. But now she had to go back down the aisle to check the bottom shelf. After quickly doing that she found nothing. She searched one side of the aisle. Now she had to search the other side. If she could, she would''ve outstretched both arms to feel on both sides, but the aisle was wide. It wasn''t narrow like some libraries. She searched the other side using the same technique. Again, she found nothing. She pulled out her phone to check the time.

    "10:47".

    She had three minutes left to search. It didn''t take her long to search the aisle. It took about two minutes or less, so she had time to check one more. She quickly moved to the next aisle and did the same method. Maria did the same thing with more pace. She scanned the shelves up top, and her hand moved along the spines of the book on the lower shelf. Her eyes weren''t picking up anything. It looked like the higher shelves had no luck. She was anxious she might''ve missed something with how quickly she was looking around. But she couldn''t stop. There was no time to stop. Her eyes kept moving, and her hand kept moving along.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.Poke!

    Maria felt something stick out. Her eyes latched onto her hand, and she saw a shiny piece of paper sticking out. She pulled it out, and it was a laminated piece of paper shaped like a triangle. It was a map piece. The way she was holding it showed the back, which showed a number. The number was eleven, meaning this was a piece of floor eleven. She turned it over, and the map piece showed seven rooms, and five of them had dots in them. Maria found a map piece that showed where the plastic balls were. She found the best version of that piece.

    "Maria!"

    She heard a familiar voice call her name. It was Tanisha''s voice.

    "We need to get back to class! We have to go now!"

    Maria didn''t realise but time was flying. She pulled out her phone and checked the time.

    "10:51".

    Four minutes to make it back. Which was fine. The walk back to the classroom is three minutes, which is three minutes at an average walking speed. It would be less if they ran. They had nothing to worry about, but they still had to go, just in case.

    Maria held the map piece tightly in her right hand and skipped down the aisle with a gleaming smile. As she skipped, she looked up towards the ceiling. While she did that, she noticed something sticking out on a higher shelf. It looked like another map piece. Maria quickly went over to the shelf and tiptoed to reach it. Luckily, it was on the second-highest bookshelf and not the top shelf. If it was on the top shelf, she wouldn''t be able to reach it. On her tiptoes, she just barely pinched the paper sticking out. She managed to pull it out without any complications. Another map piece was acquired. This time, it had no dots, meaning it was the worst version of the map piece. Maria checked the number on the back, and it was three. She had two map pieces, one for floor eleven and another for floor three. A very successful round. Maria helped Malakai and Delilah a lot. They wouldn''t know about it unless someone told them, but knowing she helped was enough for her. And this was only the start. There were more rounds to come.

    "Maria, hurry! We really need to go!"

    "Coming!" Maria replied, getting a move on.

    While 1-C''s round was coming to an end, let''s see what Malakai was doing in his round.

    "This room better have something good".

    Malakai had searched two rooms so far. The first one had nothing. It was a bland room with a lot of chairs and desks. Malakai ravaged the room. Knocking all the chairs over and moving the tables everywhere. There were a few cupboards, but they were empty. In the second room, however, he found a plastic ball. The room was similar to the first as it was next door. The main difference was the lower amount of chairs and tables. After climbing on a chair, he found a ball on top of a tall steel cupboard. Now, he was going into his third room.

    Malakai opened the door and stepped in. This room was different from the previous two. This room was an office. An office for one person. This room was much smaller than the other two. The room had a long wooden desk with a computer on it. The desk also had other things like a lamp, plants and a pen pot, but those things were irrelevant right now. The things that were important were the big things. The things where you could hide something. However, this room didn''t have much of that either. All it had was a single metal locker and open shelves showcasing nothing but accessories you would put in an office.

    There was nothing Malakai could really do in this room. The only thing was to check the desk and what was inside the locker. Malakai walked over to the desk and looked at the computer screen. It was switched off, so it was just a black screen. He turned around to look at the locker, which had a padlock.

    Malakai kissed his teeth in mild frustration and shook his head. He knew if he wanted to get into the locker, he would have to find the code, which was definitely on the computer. He couldn''t be bothered to put in all that effort. Nevertheless, he pulled out the chair to get started.

    Drop!

    Malakai peered over the chair and looked at what dropped under the desk. It was a plastic ball.

    "Wot"

    Malakai was confused. Why was a ball on the chair? Wasn''t it supposed to be in the locker? He turned his head to look at the locker again. After realising what just happened, he smiled.

    "There must be something good in that locker".

    Malakai collected the plastic ball from the floor and sat on the chair. He moved the mouse to wake the computer up. When the screen turned on, obviously, a password was needed. But something was weird, the user of the computer was called.

    "5284".

    Malakai smiled with his teeth out.

    "That was easy".

    Malakai got out of the chair and went to the locker. He quickly went to the padlock and unlocked it using the numbers he found. After hastily sliding the numbers in, the padlock unlocked. Malakai removed the padlock, opened the locker, and saw what was inside.

    He started giggling.

    "Attention everyone. Malakai Junior has found an item. The item he has found is a paintball gun. Malakai Junior has a paintball gun".

    "HE''S GOT A WHAT!? WHY HAS HE GOT THAT!?" Destiny reacted in shock at what she just heard.

    Alexander looked down at his item with disgust.

    "The worst person to get that", Ryan quietly said, clenching his right fist.

    "A paintball gun..." Akari said in disbelief, scared with dilated eyes.

    "Of course, he would be the one to find that", Delilah smirked, running around.

    "For fuck sake. We haven''t had a chance to search", Dillon furiously said.

    Kayla stayed silent.

    "I wish I could''ve found that", Nada wishfully said, tying her hair up.

    "I hope I don''t bump into him", Justin thought, biting his nails.

    "I pray for whoever comes across Mally", David thought, seeing the paintball gun through Malakai''s camera angle.

    Malakai hadn''t even picked up the paintball gun yet, and that announcement by Mr White was made. The paintball gun was at the bottom of the locker, sitting upright. The only thing in the locker was the black paintball gun, nothing else. No helmet, no gloves, no protective vest, no bullets, nothing. Just the gun.

    Malakai crouched down and took the paintball gun out of the locker. He held it by the handle and gripped it. It was perfect. It fit like a glove in his hand. He stood back up and held the paintball gun up to look at it from a side angle. Malakai looked at the paintball and smirked,

    "I''ve got a weapon on me".

 Chapter 96 - Nothing

    "I''ve got a weapon on me".

    Malakai looked at the paintball gun with a massive grin. The paintball gun was all black with a shiny metallic look. It had a small body with a long, narrow barrel. The air tank hung at the bottom of the grip, and the hopper at the top had a weird oval shape. The metallic smell alone got Malakai excited. He shook the gun.

    Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

    There were bullets inside. A lot of them, by the sound of it.

    "Hehehehe", Malakai silently giggled.

    There were no targets anywhere, but his index finger was getting itchy. He wanted to shoot something. He wanted to shoot someone. Malakai was stuck in his own world until,

    "Guys, I think you should go back to your safe zone. You have three minutes left. There''s no time to search another room".

    He heard David''s voice through his earpiece. His excitement decreased. His emotions were overflowing momentarily, but hearing the round was over calmed them down.

    "Aryt".

    Malakai had two plastic balls and a paintball gun. His search was more than successful. Even if Delilah came back with nothing, it would be no biggie. They were set up well for the next rounds. Heck, the whole game. Malakai had a defence and an offence. He could shoot someone if they got too close. He could shoot someone if they were running away with a ball. He could shoot a plastic ball to pop it. He could shoot someone, stopping them from getting a ball. He could shoot.

    Shoot.

    Shoot.

    Shoot.

    Malakai was getting ahead of himself. He had to calm himself down. It was true the paintball gun put him at an incredible advantage, but it didn''t guarantee the win. He didn''t know what the other rounds were yet. But despite not knowing, he was confident. Confident and eager to use the paintball gun. Who wouldn''t be excited to use a paintball gun?

    Malakai held one plastic ball in his left hand, balanced the other between his left arm and chest, and held the paintball gun in his right hand. He calmly walked out of the room and went towards his safe zone. Satisfied.

    "Yo, David. Is Delilah back at the safe zone?" Malakai asked.

    "Not yet. She''s running up the stairs", David replied.

    "Aryt".

    Malakai kept strolling to his safe zone. It was only down the hall, and he didn''t have to rush. He reached his safe zone, opened the door and went inside. He dropped one of the balls on the floor and started doing kick-ups (keepie uppies) with the other with the paintball gun in hand. Malakai is pretty good at football (soccer), so he could do a lot of kick-ups. As Malakai was occupying himself, Delilah came rushing into the room. Rushing into the room with one plastic ball in hand.

    Malakai looked up and saw Delilah breathing heavily. "Yoooo. You got a ball", he said, surprised, kicking away the ball he was juggling and walking closer to Delilah.

    "Yeah", Delilah replied, catching her breath. "You found two �� and a paintball gun", she said, staring at it, a little stunned there was an actual paintball gun in his hand.

    "Yeah. Sick innit", Malakai happily said, pointing the gun at her.

    "Don''t point that at me", Delilah replied, backing away and putting her right hand in front of her.

    "Why? I ain''t gonna do anything", Malakai said.

    Famous last words.

    Pap!

    Delilah flinched at the sound of the gun. Her brain didn''t even have time to program her to scream. Her brain hadn''t even processed what had happened yet. After that quick flinch, her body froze. Not only her body but her mind, too. Delilah froze.

    "Hehehehehe", Malakai giggled. "Why you scared?" he asked, still thinking this was a joke. "It''s on safety", he said, showing the button on the side showing it was on safety. "Nothing comes out".

    Pap! Pap! Pap!

    Malakai pointed the gun to the ceiling and pulled the trigger a few times.

    "Stop!" Delilah sternly told him. Her heart was racing, but it wasn''t because of the running she had done before. That shock shocked the exhaustion out of her.

    Delilah looked at Malakai straight in the eyes. "Malakai. Don''t do that again", she calmly said. "Even as a joke".

    Malakai could see how shaken Delilah was.

    "Shit... my bad", he apologised, feeling a little ashamed. He felt bad. He didn''t know if that apology showed it enough. "You can shoot me if you want", he said, holding the gun to her.

    Delilah lightly smiled. "No, I''m fine". She could see Malakai was feeling terrible about what he did. "I don''t have any trauma or PTSD about guns or getting shot", Delilah clarified. "I just didn''t expect it. I didn''t think you would actually shoot, even though you pointed it at me. So when you pulled the trigger, my whole body felt a shock. I''ve never been shot by a paintball gun, so I don''t know how it feels either".

    Malakai kept quiet for a few seconds. "It hurts", he replied. "A lot".

    "If that''s the case. Please don''t shoot me", Delilah said, smiling to lighten the mood.

    "Aryt", Malakai half-heartedly smiled, still feeling bad and looking at the floor.

    "Mally, that should teach you a lesson", David told him. He found it amusing how Delilah told him off. "You need to stop joking all the time".

    "Shut up, man. If it was any of you lot, this gun wouldn''t be on safety", Malakai replied, slightly embarrassed, realising the whole class might''ve seen what he did.

    "Don''t worry, Mally, only half the class saw that", David said. "The other half just came now".

    "Is the round over?" Delilah asked.

    "Yeah, it ended a few seconds ago", David replied, taking a look at the table with the map pieces. "We got a lot of map pieces".

    "Did someone get pieces for our floor?" Malakai asked. "Wait, what floor are we on?". Due to his excitement about having a paintball gun, he forgot what Delilah''s role was in this round and forgot to ask.

    "Oh, I haven''t told you yet", Delilah remembered. "We''re on floor nine".

    "Nine. Let me help sort out the map pieces, and then I''ll let you know what we''ve got", David said.

    David stood away from the mic and went to the table where all the map pieces were. The class found six pieces.

    "Did any of you find a map piece for floor nine?" David asked, looking around the table.

    He got a few blank stares.

    "No, but we found the same piece twice", someone replied.

    "Twice?" David looked at the pieces they were talking about.

    They both showed four rooms, but one had two dots while the other was blank. He turned them around, and they both had the number two.

    "What do we do with the spare?" David rhetorically asked. He looked at his classmates, but they met him with shrugs. No one knew what to do with the extra piece.

    "You have to hide it somewhere else in the next round", Ms Green said, standing behind them.

    "Huh?"

    "You can''t keep both of them. That would be unfair to the other classes", Ms Green said. "Next round, when you go to search for more pieces, you have to hide it somewhere else".

    "Do we have to hide it in the same place?" Emily asked.

    "No, you can hide it anywhere. Anywhere that is in bounds", Ms Green replied. "You cannot be stupid and hide it somewhere someone can''t get it".

    "We can choose which one to keep, right?" David asked, hoping for a yes.

    "Yes".

    "Great. We keep the one with the dots", David said.

    He looked at the rest of the pieces. They didn''t complete a floor, but five different pieces were good. Three of them had dots, while the other two were blank. David turned over the map pieces to see the numbers.

    "No one got any pieces from floor nine", David said, a bit disappointed. He turned to his friends. "Did you guys find anything".

    "No", Ray shamefully replied, looking at the floor.

    Lucas was looking at his fingernails.

    Benjamin was scrolling through his phone.

    William was counting his fingers.

    David face palmed.

    "Dillon and Kayla, get ready. Your fifteen minutes will start shortly".Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Dillon stood up from his seat and walked to the door. He wanted to be let out. Hearing what Malakai got made him more eager to get out. He thought it was unfair how they were made to search fourth. It seemed like a disadvantage, but he couldn''t do anything about it. This is what he gets for being in a lower class.

    "Are you not going to make a plan?" Sabrina asked. "You had all this time and haven''t planned anything".

    "We don''t need one. All we need to do is search some rooms. Why do we need a plan?" Dillon replied.

    "Don''t you need to know what floor you''re on right now?" Sabrina asked.

    "No", Dillon curtly replied. "We can find out later. It''s better to clear out this floor. If Kayla wants to go down all those stairs, she can".

    Sabrina rolled her eyes. Was there any point in telling Dillon anything? He wasn''t going to listen anyway. She hadn''t given up on him yet. It was only the first round. But she was growing tired of him.

    "Kayla, search the floor you''re on. You don''t have to go to the bottom floor", Sabrina told her.

    Kayla listened and didn''t reply. She''s barely said anything the whole time. She only talked when Sabrina asked her some questions to cure her boredom. She still wasn''t confident about the challenge, despite Sabrina telling her it would be fine. From their safe zone, they could hear sounds of running down halls on floors above and below, which made her more nervous. She didn''t think she would be quick enough.

    Kayla didn''t want to be here.

    BEEP!

    Dillon yanked the door open and rushed out of the room to the right. Kayla quickly followed out of the room and went in the opposite direction to Dillon, towards the left.

    Dillon ran down the hall to the closest room. He swiftly opened the door and let himself in. The room he entered was bare. It had two couches facing each other at the centre of the room and two single tables with computers at opposite ends of the room. There were no other objects like lockers or cupboards around the room. It only had decorations like paintings and pictures hung up on the walls. From the looks of it, it didn''t look like it had anything. But there was only one way to find out.

    Dillon went over to one of the couches and removed the pillows. Nothing. He checked beneath the seat. Nothing. He removed the seat pillows and checked. Nothing. He lifted the couch and moved it away from its original position. Nothing.

    "Tch".

    On to the next couch. He did the same thing. Remove the pillows. Nothing. Removed the seats. Nothing. Moved the couch. Nothing. In the first minute, he found nothing. But it wasn''t a big deal. He still had two desks to check. He went over to the desk to the right of the room. The desk only had the computer and the keyboard on it. Dillon pulled out the chair and checked under the desk. Nothing. It was fine, though, because the desk had three drawers on the side. He opened the first one. Nothing. The second one. Nothing. The last one. Nothing.

    "Tch".

    Nothing was going his way. Out of frustration, he quickly rushed over to the other desk and did the same search he had done for the first desk. Nothing.

    Dillon looked around the room with furrowed eyebrows. Even though this was one room of many, he was still pissed he found nothing. He looked down at the desk. Through pure anger, he swiped at the keyboard. Knocking it off the desk.

    Swish!

    A card flew out from beneath it. Dillon''s eyes followed the card''s movement in the air while it flew off the desk. He quickly stepped forward and caught the little card before it touched the floor. Dillon brought the card to his face to take a closer look.

    ''Safe zone pass. This card will let you enter anyone''s safe zone. Unlimited Use''.

    A grin broke out on Dillon''s face. He could go into any safe zone he wanted for the rest of the game. This was an item. A good one. After a moment of relief and excitement, Dillon realised what he had done to find that item. He rushed to the other desk and lifted the keyboard normally.

    Nothing.

    He put the keyboard down. Then swiped it off the table out of rage.

    In his first room, he found an item. Which was better than nothing. Anyway, onto the next room.

    Dillon exited the room and went to the room across. The room he entered was twice as big as the previous one. It was the complete opposite of the last in terms of aesthetics. The last room was bland and bare, but this one was colourful and filled. Paintings, greenery and furniture everywhere. It was a weird room, as it was split into mini sections. One part of the room had a meeting area with the usual table with six chairs around it. Another part of the room had a table with computers back to back to each other. That was the mini work area. The final part of the room had a flat-screen TV hung on the wall with a couch facing it and a pool table to the side. It looked like an area for people to relax. Not to mention the odd cupboard and shelves here and there. So many places for a plastic ball to be. Dillon got right to work and started his search.

    After 5 minutes of searching.

    Nothing.

    Dillon looked around the room. He displaced everything to find a plastic ball, but there was nothing. So many places for a plastic ball to be, but there wasn''t one. He did the same tactic with the computers, too, by checking under the keyboards. Nothing. Dillon hadn''t seen a plastic ball. He didn''t even know what they looked like. He was getting impatient, all this searching and all he got was one item.

    Dillon walked over to the pool table and saw it was set up. He didn''t bother to search around the pool table because it was obvious a plastic ball couldn''t be hidden there. Dillon placed his hands on the cue ball and slid it across the table, causing the balls in the centre to disperse. He did a break shot without a cue stick. The balls flew in different directions around the table, but there was a white rectangle under where the balls were.

    Dillon''s eyes lit up. He knew what that was. It was an item card. He walked around the pool table and picked up the card. He turned it around to see what it was.

    ''Two players. This pass will allow you and your teammate to participate in a round even if the rules state only one participant can play. One round use only''.

    A grin didn''t break out on Dillon''s face. This item would have been good if his teammate had been good. His teammate was Kayla. He had no faith in her whatsoever, so this item was nothing to shout about for Dillon. He put the card in his pocket and was about to leave the room.

    "Dillon, the round is ending in a few minutes. Go back to your safe zone".

    Dillon heard Sabrina''s command. He instinctively looked down at his wrist to check the time, but there was nothing there. Mr White confiscated his watch before the challenge started. Next, he looked around the room for a clock, but there was no clock. There was no way to check the time. Dillon had to listen to her. Most of the round, Sabrina talked in his ear, but the stuff she said was directed to Kayla. She basically talked to Kayla and guided her the whole round. Dillon stopped listening to her voice after the first few minutes, so he had no clue what Kayla''s situation was. The only reason he listened to her voice this time was because he heard his name.

    He was pissed the round was over, and he was embarrassed he didn''t find a plastic ball.

    Instead of rushing, he walked back to his safe zone. He was too pissed to jog or run. It didn''t take him long to reach his safe zone, as it was only a few steps down the hall. The door was already opened, so he entered with his hands in his pockets. Dillon looked up and saw Kayla holding two plastic balls. Kayla looked back at him as soon as she saw him enter the room. Her eyes widened at the sight of his hands empty. We all know what she was thinking, but there was no way she could say what was on her mind. Instead, she timidly asked,

    "Did you find anything?"

    Dillon stepped closer and closer to the table. His eyes averted away from Kayla. He took his right hand out of his pocket and threw the two cards he found on the table.

    "Nothing".

 Chapter 97 - Start Of Round 2

    "For the next round, they''re deffo sending all the teams out together", Malakai said.

    "Yeah, I think so too", Delilah replied. "Do you have a plan?"

    ��Nope��, Malakai answered. "I''ve got a gun, so if I see anyone, it''s on sight", he grinned, holding the gun up.

    Delilah saw his grin. "Don''t just shoot at anyone", she told him, having a bad feeling about the gun in Malakai''s hands.

    "It depends who I see, imma be honest", Malakai said, shrugging his shoulders. "Why? Do you have a plan?"

    "Not really", Delilah replied, shaking her head. "The only thing I can say is that we have to be careful".

    Malakai held up his gun to remind her that he had protection.

    "I know you have that, but I mean it in other ways. Like other teams might''ve found items too", Delilah said.

    "True", Malakai replied, putting his gun on the table.

    "Also, the people. We''re going up against Alexander and Destiny. Ryan and Akari", Delilah listed with her fingers.

    Malakai scoffed, "Akari? She ain''t too much to worry about".

    He didn''t think she would be a problem. Malakai had been on her team before, so he thought he had an idea of her abilities.

    "Don''t underestimate her. She could''ve been in 1-A if she was better at physical activities. She''s hella smart. I guarantee she''s smarter than half the people in 1-A", Delilah replied, backing her friend.

    "She fell in love with Jason. She can''t be that smart", Malakai joked.

    "C''mon, don''t say that", Delilah said, breaking a little smile. "You''ve never been in love, so you can''t judge her".

    "I ain''t judging her. But falling in love with Jason? A girl like her? Naah man", Malakai replied, shaking his head.

    "What does that mean? You don''t think they''re a good match?" Delilah asked, sitting up for this conversation.

    "Hell no", Malakai replied. "If she was ''hella smart'', she would realise she''s too good for him", he continued, using his fingers as quotation marks to quote Delilah.

    "Do you know Jason enough to know he''s not good enough for her?" Delilah asked.

    "Not really. I can just tell innit", Malakai smiled.

    Delilah rolled her eyes at that lazy response.

    "Can you blame her, though? Isn''t Jason what most girls want? Tall, muscular and good-looking?"

    "And that''s enough to make a girl fall in love? Tall, muscular and good-looking? That''s stupid", Malakai replied, pointing to the side of his head.

    Delilah could tell which way this conversation was going. "Like I said before. You''ve never been in love, so I don''t think you can comment", she said.

    Malakai leaned back in his seat. "All I''m saying is love makes you do stupid shit. Making you stupid", he replied. "You''re never catching me like that", he smiled.

    "You don''t know that. You can''t control what your heart feels", Delilah said, looking down at the table. She was thinking about Sabrina when she said that. She thought those two would be good together. They oddly suited each other in her head.

    "My heart ain''t felt shit yet, and I doubt it will anytime soon", Malakai replied, putting a hand over his heart. "I''m having too much fun right now. Love would only get in the way".

    "You can still have fun and be in love with someone", Delilah said.

    "I don''t know, maybe. I doubt it, though. I won''t be as focussed on the challenges", Malakai replied. "I know I said I don''t care about being first, but being first for this long and beating people who are labelled better than me feels good", he smiled. "It''s fun".

    "I can''t argue with that, not that I know what that feels like", Delilah giggled. "I''m happy you care about your ranking and feel competitive now. I feel like it brings the best out of you", she said. "And thinking about it now, I think it would be weird if you were in love".

    "Why?" Malakai asked, looking offended.

    "I think you would be more mature and less jokey".

    "You think I''m a romantic?"

    "Yeah. I think you would love hard".

    Malakai smiled and blew air out of his nose. "I mean, we ain''t finding out any time soon", he said. Malakai sat up in his seat and looked into Delilah''s camera, "Don''t fall in love, kids", he said, pointing into the camera, telling his class.

    "Aren''t you the youngest in the class?"

    "Probably", he giggled.

    "Malakai having a girlfriend would be weird", Lucas said, looking at his friends and starting a conversation.

    "Yeah, I can''t imagine it", William replied.

    The boys were sitting close to the mic. They could''ve spoken into it, but they decided to let Malakai and Delilah have their own conversation. All they did was watch and listen.

    "He would need a girl to like him first. Which will take a while because I don''t think a normal girl could handle him", Benjamin added. "He''s too crazy".

    "He''s not that crazy. Only sometimes when he needs to be", Ray replied. "Usually, he''s normal".

    "Naah, he''s too childish right now", Lucas disagreed. "Maybe when we graduate from here, he''ll be ready for a relationship. Not right now".

    "If the guy that''s been in a hundred relationships says that. I believe him", William said with his hands up.

    "Shut up prick".

    "Hahahaha".

    Their conversation was loud enough for a girl to hear. A girl in love.

    Maria listened to the whole thing. The things Malakai said and the things his friends said. She digested the entire conversation, and it was a little painful. It was like she got rejected. I mean, she kinda did. She heard Malakai say love would only get in the way, and she heard his friends say he''d be ready for a relationship after graduation. In summary, her love won''t be accepted right now or any time soon. She kept a poker face and smiled while Tanisha and the other girls in the class talked to her, but she was on autopilot. She wasn''t hearing anything. It hurt her that Malakai said he wasn''t interested in love right now because she wanted him right now. However, there are positives. It''s clear he has no interest in anyone. Unless he''s hiding it. So Maria isn''t fighting a losing battle. There are no girls above her. Another positive is that she knows how Malakai feels. Before, she wasn''t sure. So, if she had misunderstood a situation, gambled, and confessed, it could''ve ended in a relationship or a rejection. Maria didn''t know the odds. But now, knowing how he felt, it would''ve 100% been a rejection. It''s a painful positive. She knows she can''t confess. If she wants Malakai, Malakai has to confess to her. That''s the only way she will know that Malakai wants her. Confessing to him is off the table. Yesterday, she realised she had to do better to stand beside Malakai. Now she knows what she has to do to be with him. She has a clear vision.

    She has to make him fall in love.

    Screeeech!!!

    "Round two will begin shortly", Mr White announced through the speaker.

    That screech and announcement got everyone''s attention.

    "Here are the rules for round two. Every team will choose one person to leave their safe zones and search the building. The other person has to stay in their safe zone. They cannot leave. The person searching cannot enter another team''s safe zone. No punching is allowed. If you see another person, you cannot punch them. If you do, that will lead to a penalty. Pushing and shoving is allowed but within limits. You cannot be too harsh and push or shove with the intent to hurt your opponent. If you push someone to get a ball, then that is fine. But you cannot push with excessive force to harm them. This round will last twenty-five minutes. The round will start shortly. Decide who will go out and search. Once you have decided, tell the security camera in the corner of your room".

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.The speaker turned off.

    Malakai and Delilah looked at each other. Delilah gave a little nod to Malakai.

    "Aryt".

    It was obvious who was going to participate in this round.

    Malakai got up from his seat, picked up the paintball gun from the table and walked to the security camera. He looked up into the camera and pointed the gun towards the camera as a joke.

    Screeeech!!

    "Malakai, this announcement is only being told to your safe zone. You need to be careful with the paintball gun, you hear me?" Mr White said. He spoke with a tone of familiarity. It was like he was genuinely warning Malakai to be careful.

    "We''ve adjusted the air pressure just right, so the shots will hurt them, but it won''t be dangerous. It would be painful enough that they wouldn''t want to get shot again but not too painful that they can''t move. Shots to the body and the legs are fine. You cannot shoot to a body part where the skin is exposed. If you do, that will be a penalty", Mr White told him. "Headshots are not allowed. No one has head protection. If you shoot another student in the head, be it accidental or on purpose, the punishment will be expulsion. You will be kicked out of the academy".

    Malakai smiled ear to ear. The thrill excited him.

    "Don''t worry, I wasn''t good at getting headshots in shooter games".

    "This isn''t a game, Malakai. I''m serious. Don''t aim for the head", Mr White told him, seeing him smile like a maniac at the camera. "Good luck".

    The speaker turned off.

    The room fell silent.

    "This is gonna be fun", Malakai said, smiling ear to ear, gripping the gun tighter.

    Delilah watched him from her seat. She couldn''t see his face but could tell he was grinning.

    "Malakai, please don''t be an idiot", she said. "If you hit someone in the head, you won''t only be expelled. You''ll get into bigger trouble. The police might get involved".

    Malakai turned around to look at Delilah. "Don''t worry, I won''t shoot anyone in the head", he unconvincingly replied, nodding.

    "Malakai, this is serious. Don''t shoot anyone in the head", David sternly told him. He knew he had to say something to him.

    ��Aryt, aryt I get it. I''m not an idiot", Malakai replied, tired of the nagging. "The thought of shooting someone in the head didn''t cross my mind".

    "Good".

    "What about you lot?" Malakai asked. "What are the rules for your round?"

    "Ours is the same as yours", David replied. "Six people from every class can search the academy for twenty-five minutes".

    "You picked who''s searching?"

    "Yeah, we''ve already decided".

    "Can the chosen participants get ready. Round two will start shortly".

    Malakai positioned himself next to the door.

    "Good luck", Delilah said, resting her head on her palm.

    "Thanks. I don''t know what you''re gonna do for twenty-five minutes, but have fun", Malakai replied.

    "I''ll try to stay awake. Maybe I''ll have David commentate on what you do".

    "No. I don''t wanna hear live commentary of what I''m doing. I might take my earpiece out if he does that", Malakai joked.

    BEEEP!!!

    Malakai raced out of the room at the sound of the beep. They got three balls in the first round. This round, Malakai wanted them to have double digits by the end of it.

    "Mally, go to the eleventh floor. The map piece for the eleventh floor has five dots on it", David told him.

    "Five dots? Rah. Whoever found that piece is a G", Malakai replied, running down the hall and towards the staircase.

    Everyone knew who found that piece. It was the best piece found in the last round, but that piece of information about who found it wasn''t that important to announce to Malakai or Delilah.

    Maria sat in her chair, lightly smiling. Sure, it would''ve been nice if Malakai found out it was her who found that piece, but at the same time, it wasn''t anything to brag about. It was only one piece. She was happy that she could help out. She didn''t need the praise or recognition. She just needed to keep doing what she was doing, and the rest will follow.

    Only six people from the class went to search. None of those six people were Malakai''s friends or people he knew, so all of them were watching him.

    Right now, Malakai was climbing the stairs at some pace to the eleventh floor. Every time he reached a new floor, he had to remind himself what floor it was so he wouldn''t get lost and confused. He only had to go up to floors as their safe zone was on the ninth floor. Malakai made it to the eleventh floor and looked right and left.

    "Which way do I go?" he asked, waiting for some help.

    David looked at the map piece. Luckily, the map piece had the stairs in the picture. "Go to the right", he told him.

    Malakai heard the instruction and jetted to the right. He made it to the first door, but it was already open.

    Malakai was confused. Why was it open? He stopped at the doorway and leaned forward to peek inside. He couldn''t see anyone in the room even though the light was on. He stepped forward.

    Creeaak!

    The floor let out a creak as he stepped inside. Malakai glanced around the room. The room was a decent size. There was nothing special about it, but it had a lot of objects in it alongside the usual office stuff. However, there was something clear about this room.

    "Someone''s been in here already".

    All the objects in the room had been misplaced and moved. Cupboards were open. Drawers were open. Chairs had been moved. Someone had beaten him to this room. And if someone had beat him to this room, that meant they probably beat him to the other rooms, too. Suddenly, that map piece with the five dots may have become meaningless.

    Malakai looked around the room, tempting to leave, not to waste time.

    Thud!

    That noise stopped him from leaving. Someone was still in the room.

    Malakai looked at the desk where the noise came from. This one was similar to most of the other desks he''d seen already, with a computer and other office accessories. It was facing the other way to Malakai, so someone was hiding behind it where the chair was tucked in. On closer inspection, Malakai noticed the chair wasn''t even tucked behind the desk. It was moved to the side. Now, it was obvious someone was hiding there. The noise sounded like someone accidentally bumped into the desk. Be it their head, arm or leg.

    Malakai slowly crept closer to the desk. Raising his right arm. The arm that held the paintball gun. Malakai was a few feet away from the desk, pointing his gun. There was nowhere to run for the person hiding.

    "Who''s there?"

    A few seconds of silence followed, but,

    "It''s me".

 Chapter 98 - Surprises

    "It''s me".

    Malakai furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait. I know that voice", he said. It was a female voice that responded.

    "Nada?"

    Nada popped up from behind the desk and showed herself.

    "Wassup", she said, smiling, holding a plastic ball in each arm.

    "Yo", Malakai replied, lowering the paintball gun and smiling after seeing a familiar face. "You got two balls already!? The round just started".

    "I got lucky. This room had two balls in it", Nada replied, clearly happy.

    "Two?!" Malakai reacted. "Yo David. Is there two dots on the map for this room?" he asked.

    David looked at the map piece. "Nope. I don''t think every ball is doted on the map pieces, even on the best versions", David replied with a hand on his chin.

    "Shit, that kinda makes sense", Malakai said. "Anyways, I don''t wanna waste time. Nada, give me one of your balls".

    Nada paused for two seconds and looked at the balls in her arms.

    "Why?"

    "Cuz you have two".

    "But I found them fair and square".

    "Nada, I''ll shoot you, bro".

    "No you won''t".

    Malakai didn''t hesitate to raise his arm and point the gun at Nada.

    Nada didn''t flinch. "I know you''re not going to shoot me", she confidently said, smirking.

    Malakai stared at Nada for a couple of seconds. He smirked, "Aryt, you got me", he replied, lowering the gun. Nada saw him through his bluff too easily.

    "I know you. You wouldn''t shoot your friends", Nada said.

    "I don''t know about that. There''s some friends I would shoot", Malakai replied.

    William and Lucas glanced at each other. They knew he was talking about them.

    "Hehehe", Nada giggled. "Here, you can take it", she said, tossing one ball to Malakai.

    "Safe", Malakai thanked her when he caught the ball.

    "What are you doing?! You didn''t have to give him one", Marcus said, confused in Nada''s earpiece. Marcus (Justin''s best friend) was on the mic for class 1-E.

    "It''s fine. Malakai''s cool. Our classes have an alliance", Nada calmly replied. "I only did it because I know Malakai would do the same if he were in my position".

    The rest of the students in 1-E were unsure about what happened. They didn''t like how Nada gave Malakai a ball when she didn''t have to. She gave away points. She might''ve given away a ball that was worth more than a hundred points. Plus, they didn''t trust the alliance that Nada had said they had.

    Malakai looked into Nada''s camera. "Our classes are calm. If your class needs help, I''ll help you lot", he said, confirming the alliance. Whether or not class 1-E believed him was up to them. "Is your safe zone on this floor?" Malakai asked, looking at Nada.

    "Nu-uh, it''s on the floor above. I came to this floor because my class found the map piece for it", Nada replied, pointing up.

    "Did it have dots on it?"

    "Yeah".

    "My class as well", Malakai said. "Aryt, let''s not waste time. Let''s split the rooms on this floor".

    "That''s fine by me", Nada replied, walking around the desk.

    "My safe zone is on the ninth floor, so if you wanna team up at the start of another round, just go there innit", Malakai said.

    "Cool. I think it would be a waste of time going to your floor and asking to team up", Nada replied.

    "True. Well, if we see each other again, we can help each other somehow".

    "Yeah".

    "Aryt safe", Malakai said, putting out his fist.

    Nada fist-bumped him, and the two of them raced out of the room. Nada went into the room next door while Malakai went into the room next to that one. The two of them had the entire floor to themselves for now, and they wouldn''t get in each other''s way. They had no excuse for not producing results.

    Meanwhile, on the sixth floor, Alexander was clearing all the rooms. Before the round started, he asked Destiny which rooms she had searched. From that, he knew which rooms to avoid. Each floor had a different number of rooms. The sixth floor had twelve rooms. Destiny checked five of them and got three balls from it. Leaving Alexander with seven rooms to check. Obviously, the higher the number of rooms, the smaller the room sizes would be, leading to quicker searches. Some of the other floors had fewer rooms, but the rooms were bigger. Therefore, no floor had an advantage over the other.

    Alexander was efficiently clearing each room. He didn''t thoroughly search, but it was good enough. To put it simply, he wouldn''t miss a plastic ball in the way he was searching. So far, he''d searched three rooms and obtained one ball. The other two rooms were a bust and had nothing in them. No balls or items. There may have been a small item hidden in them, but Alexander wasn''t searching for anything small. Alexander wasn''t fussed by it, though. He had four rooms left, and he also remembered that Destiny already found three balls. It was unlikely there would be many balls left on this floor. The most he predicted he was going to find was two, and he already found one. So he might end up with more than he had predicted.

    Overall, class 1-A was doing decent. I''m saying decent because their map pieces were lacking, but not lacking in the way you think. 1-A found eight map pieces, which is a lot. However, six of those map pieces were blank. Only two of them had dots. Even though they pieced together one floor and found out which floor had a lot of rooms, they didn''t have the advantage of knowing if those rooms had balls or not. At the start, you would''ve thought that class 1-A would''ve had an advantage by going first and searching for the map pieces, and you''re not wrong. But by going first it meant that they found the pieces that were in the most obvious spaces, and the pieces in the most obvious spaces would be the worst version of those map pieces. Obviously, at the time, the students didn''t think of that as they were in a hurry to collect map pieces, but the realisation after the round ended hit them. The adrenaline clouded their thought. What else could they do? Leave the pieces? That would be stupid. They had to take the pieces. It was just annoying for the students, knowing they took the worst version of the pieces, leading to the better versions for the other classes. So, overall class 1-A was doing decent.

    I''d love to say class 1-B were in a similar boat, but they weren''t. Their map pieces were bland. No dots. And their representatives in the first round could have done better. In the first round, Ryan and Akari only found one plastic ball and one item. So far, this challenge hasn''t been going too well for them. From this perspective, it''s clear to us they''re not doing too well, but Ryan and Akari thought they were doing well. After the first round, Ryan was composed. He liked the position they were in. He found a useful item, and Akari found a ball. In his books, this was good enough. But, if he heard what the other teams accomplished, his opinion would probably change.

    It doesn''t matter, though, because this is the second round. In this round, Ryan was searching the floor his safe zone was on. The fifteenth floor. Compared to Alexander''s floor, there were only a few rooms. However, the rooms that were on this floor were spacious. In the first round Ryan and Akari only searched one room each. This floor had five rooms, and they only searched two in fifteen minutes. By hearing that information, you can tell they searched the rooms thoroughly, which was a massive waste of time. Ryan acknowledged this fact and, for this round, improved his speed, but he was only in his second room, and he only found one ball.

    "Ryan, I think you should move on to the next room. You can''t be looking through everything you have no time", Owen told him.

    "You think so?" Ryan asked.

    "Yeah, you need to get points. The only way to do that is to find plastic balls", Owen replied.

    Ryan didn''t like how he was being told what to do.

    "You''re right. I''ll be quicker", Ryan said, masking his annoyance. After that, he left the room and went to the last room on the floor.

    Everyone in the 1-B classroom was watching the screen eagerly. Okay, not everyone. One guy was sitting on the side of the room on his phone.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation."You''re not going to join everyone?" Luke asked, covering his mouth because he was a mid-yawn.

    Lorenzo looked up from his phone.

    "Join what? There''s nothing I can do except watch", he replied.

    "You''ve got a point", Luke tiredly said, pulling out a chair and taking a seat next to him. "What do you think?"

    Lorenzo looked up at his classmates, watching the screen and helping Owen to communicate ideas to Ryan.

    "Don''t know", Lorenzo shrugged.

    Luke saw that answer coming. He was talking to Lorenzo, after all. A lot of people would give up on Lorenzo after the countless dull replies, but not Luke. He didn''t mind. Luke had a lazy personality. An incredibly lazy personality. However, he was talented in whatever he did. Luke had a natural gift for being good at most things. The only thing he didn''t have was the drive to put in that extra effort. As Luke was lazy, he didn''t like interacting that much. Not because he didn''t want to, but because he found it exhausting to keep someone entertained for so long. This is why he stuck around Lorenzo. Luke didn''t need to think too hard or waste that much energy when he was around Lorenzo. The conversations were mainly a question, an answer, and then a silent pause until the next question. Another reason Luke stayed around Lorenzo was because he found him interesting in a way. He''s Ryan''s best friend, but even though he is, no one cares. Ryan was THAT guy for 1-B, and this guy was his best friend, but no one cared about him. Plus, Lorenzo didn''t have any other friends. It made Luke question why Lorenzo and Ryan were best friends. He could ask Lorenzo or Ryan, but he couldn''t be bothered. He wanted to see the answer for himself, and the only way to do that was to stay close to them and observe.

    "I feel sorry for him".

    Luke swiftly looked at Lorenzo.

    "What?" Luke was kinda shocked. Lorenzo randomly spoke.

    "Owen. I feel sorry for him", Lorenzo repeated.

    "...Why?"

    "If Ryan wasn''t in this class, he would be the figurehead of this class", Lorenzo replied, surprisingly, with his phone face down on the table.

    Owen was a tall white boy with long, fluffy blonde hair with a taper fade and a sharp jawline.

    "Does that even matter? Who cares who''s the figurehead of the class?" Luke asked, interested in this conversation.

    "Believe me, it''s important", Lorenzo said. "In a regular school, no one would care, but here it''s different. Every class needs that one person to represent and lead them. Everyone wants points, and a good leader will get them points".

    "Why can''t they both represent the class?" Luke asked, surprisingly not yawning again.

    "They can''t. Someone has to be number one. And unfortunately for Owen, Ryan is just better than him", Lorenzo said, slyly looking at Owen.

    Luke observed Owen for a few seconds, "Do you think he cares?"

    "One hundred per cent. If you''ve got a lot of good things going for you and put in a lot of effort and, you''re still not number one. You''re going to care", Lorenzo said.

    "You sure?"

    "I''ve been around Ryan for a long time. I know what it looks like when someone envies him", Lorenzo replied. "I know the exact looks and expressions. I''ve seen it on tons of people. It''s always the same".

    "He doesn''t look envious", Luke yawned while keeping his eyes on Owen.

    "He''s too focused on the challenge. You won''t see it now", Lorenzo replied. "You''ll notice him slip from time to time in class when everyone''s attention is on Ryan".

    Luke wiped his watery eyes from the yawn. "Hmm. I''ll believe what you say. I can''t be bothered to watch someone else during class", he said. "Besides, I don''t think he minds his role right now. Look at him", Luke tiredly pointed. "The class''s attention is on him. Everyone''s around him. He''s like a leader right now".

    ...

    Luke looked at Lorenzo because he didn''t respond.

    "Do you not think so?" Luke asked.

    "Nah. I was just thinking that Ryan should be where Owen is, and Owen should be where Ryan is".

    Luke''s eyes opened. "You think Owen should''ve been a representative?" he asked, surprised. Lorenzo just kept on surprising him.

    "Yeah. I think this challenge is too much for Ryan".

    "Didn''t you just say Ryan is better than him?"

    Lorenzo looked at Luke like he was an idiot. "I did, but that doesn''t mean he''s better than him at everything".

    After that response, Luke realised he had asked a stupid question. "Why do you think Owen should''ve been a representative?" he asked, wanting to move on from his question.

    "He''s too calculated. They both are", Lorenzo replied.

    "You mean Akari too?" Luke asked.

    "Yeah. We needed someone who could just do stuff without thinking. Every class has got that one person with that little crazy in them", Lorenzo replied. "Ryan and Akari aren''t suited for this type of challenge".

    "So what you''re saying is we''re doomed", Luke said, watching his classmates watching the screen excitedly.

    "A little. I''ll be surprised if we get first or second because I''m expecting third or fourth".

    "What about fifth place?"

    "No way. Even if Ryan is out of his depth, he wouldn''t come last".

    Dillon was searching on the fourth floor, which was one floor higher than his safe zone. He had already found two balls and was wanting to find a third. No items had been found yet, but he didn''t care about items.

    "Dillon, go to the ninth floor. Kayla found something", Sabrina told him.

    "Why is she on the ninth floor?" Dillon questioned, not understanding why she was that far up the building.

    "She found 1-C''s safe zone".

    Dillon''s eyes widened, and a smile slowly appeared on his face. He stopped what he was doing and exited the room. He charged for the stairs, climbed and kept a mental note of what floor he was on when he reached a new one. He reached the ninth floor and looked left and right. He couldn''t see Kayla.

    "Go to you''re right. It''s near the end", Sabrina said.

    Dillon listened and ran. It didn''t take long for Kayla to come into vision. He saw her standing in front of a closed door.

    "What are you doing? Go inside", Dillon told her, pointing to the door.

    "I can''t. Delilah''s blocking it", Kayla nervously replied.

    "Tch".

    Dillon approached the door. Gripped the handle and pushed. The door budged open and closed again. It was clear Delilah was sitting behind the door. Dillon tried again, but this time, he used more force.

    "Okay! Chill out!" Delilah said from behind the door.

    She tried her best to keep it closed, but one more push and it would open. It didn''t matter if she was sitting behind it. She was getting pushed away. Delilah quickly stood up and allowed the door to be fully opened. She quickly positioned herself in the doorway to block their entrance. She was met with Dillon towering over her and Kayla watching from behind him. Delilah''s eyebrows furrowed from seeing two people.

    "Why are both of you here? Only one person is allowed this round", Delilah said, confused.

    Dillon pulled out a card from his pocket. "I got this", it was his item.

    Delilah saw the card''s title and quickly figured out what that item''s function was.

    "Okay? But you can''t barge into my safe zone", she said.

    Dillon pulled out another card from his pocket and smirked.

    Delilah''s eyes were screaming, ''Oh shit''. She knew she was in trouble here.

    "Well, I''m not letting you in", Delilah said, trying her best to stand tall.

    Dillon stayed smirking, not intimidated at all.

    "You''re not going to hit a girl, are you?" Delilah asked, trying to make him look like the bad guy.

    "I''m not", Dillon plainly said. "I''ll just walk through".

    Delilah looked into Dillon''s eyes and could tell he wasn''t lying. He would walk through if he wanted. He could walk through if he wanted. Delilah wasn''t strong enough. She can''t push him away if he just waltzs in.

    Dillon saw Delilah''s stare. It looked like she wasn''t going to back down.

    "Are you sure you don''t wanna move?" he asked, staring back.

    Delilah didn''t respond. She kept eye contact and stood tall.

    Dillon grinned, "Heh. Your choice", he said, taking a step forward.

    "Hands up".

 Chapter 99 - These Bullets Are Bisexual

    "Hands up".

    Dillon and Kayla both turned around. They saw Malakai holding two plastic balls, one in his left palm and the other between his left arm. His stomach looked rounder as if he had a ball in his hoodie pocket. The most noticeable thing was the paintball gun he was pointing at them.

    Kayla had a shocked look on her face, "How did he get there? I should''ve noticed him walk down the hall. How did he silently sneak here?" she thought.

    Dillon''s mouth gaped a little, "Fuck. How did I forget about him? She stalled for time. Tch. I should''ve just walked in. But I didn''t wanna accidentally hurt her", he thought.

    "I said, hands up", Malakai smirked, feeling the power.

    Dillon''s gaped mouth closed and turned into a smile. He realised what was happening and found it hilarious.

    "Ha. What''s up, Malakai?" Dillon asked, turning his body around and facing him. "You good?"

    "I''m aryt. What you doing? Cuz I know for a fact you''re not trying to get into my safe zone", Malakai replied, matching his smile, keeping his aim locked on Dillon.

    "I was. I was going to take every ball you had", Dillon said. "But you''re here now. Which is even better, because you can watch me do it".

    Malakai raised an eyebrow. "Watch you do it? Brudda? You see what''s in my hand?" he asked, confused, waving the paintball gun.

    Dillon scoffed. "You think I''m scared of a paintball gun?" he replied hysterically.

    Dillon turned around and took a step closer to the room, but Delilah was still blocking the door.

    "Yo! Don''t move".

    Dillon turned his head and saw Malakai pointing the gun straight at him. Kayla and Delilah kept quiet and watched. They didn''t want to intervene.

    Dillon smirked.

    "You don''t scare me, midget", he said, not taking him seriously.

    "I don''t care if you''re scared or not. If you don''t wanna get shot. Leave", Malakai replied.

    "Hahahaha", Dillon laughed. He turned to face him again to show how he wasn''t intimated. "British boy got a gun and thinks he''s the shit. Little boy upgraded from a knife and got a toy gun. He thinks he''s a shooter-"

    BANG!!

    A shot whistled past Dillon''s head. Delilah and Kayla flinched at the sound. Dillon didn''t even have time to flinch. He was stuck thinking about his speech. He never experred it. Dillon turned around to look at where the shot landed. The bullet hit the wall behind him. Leaving a yellow paint splatter. Luckily, the bullet burst on impact and didn''t ricochet.

    "If you don''t piss off. The next bullet will burst on your stomach", Malakai said with a straight face, staring straight at Dillon.

    Delilah felt a chill down her spine. "Somethings different about him", she thought.

    This was the first time she''d seen him like this. She''d seen Malakai serious before but never seen him like this. Delilah''s camera caught what was happening, but seeing it and experiencing it were two different things. To the people in 1-C, it looked like Malakai was trying to intimidate Dillon, but Delilah felt something different. She didn''t even know how, but she felt something. Felt a vibe. An aura. Something was different about Malakai.

    Kayla felt the same thing, and she was closer. She couldn''t move. She felt like Malakai was talking to her when he wasn''t. She didn''t want to move in case Malakai involved her as well.

    Dillon felt like something was off about Malakai, too. However, he didn''t take precautions. He thought Malakai had lost his cool, and this was the perfect chance to capitalise.

    "Hahahaha", he laughed. "British boy shot his first shot. How did it feel? Scary right? Who would''ve thought there were things scarier than knives?" Dillon ridiculed him. "You should really work on your aim. Don''t worry, It''s fine. Guns are alien to you. How would you know how to use a gun-"

    BANG!!

    "AARRGHH!!!"

    Malakai pulled the trigger again. He shot his shot. A bullet burst straight onto Dillon''s stomach. His stylish grey shirt got a new customisation. A yellow splatter at the centre. Right under the camera vest.

    "ARGH!!! FUCK!"

    Dillon dropped to the floor. His right hand let go of the ball he was holding while his left hand still tightly gripped onto the other ball he had. His right hand gripped his stomach. Right where the shot hit. The shot burned. Dillon wasn''t prepared. He didn''t tense or anything. Plus, his shirt wasn''t the thickest, so the impact of the bullet wasn''t softened at all. He never experred it.

    Dillon put his head to the floor. The pain was lasting longer than he wanted. Dillon had been paintballing before, explaining why he wasn''t scared of the paintball gun. But without any protective gear, it hurt worse than he had thought. The sting was making his body vibrate. His body was warming up. It felt like he was starting to sweat. Dillon wanted to stay still until the pain reduced, but his body was shaking.

    Delilah watched with a hand covering her mouth in awe. She saw a six-foot male drop to the floor like a toddler struggling to stand. Kayla was visibly shaking. Seeing Dillon react the way he did terrified her. The only thought that came into her head was.

    I don''t want to get shot.

    The ball Dillon dropped rolled towards Malakai. He chipped it with his foot towards Delilah. Delilah quickly reacted and caught it. Next, Malakai pointed the paintball gun towards Kayla.

    "For wasting my time, I''m taking that ball. And I need something more", he said. "Throw those two balls into my safe zone", he ordered her.

    Kayla was shaking more than before. The gun was being pointed at her. Her mind. Her heart. Her everything was losing it. She didn''t do what Malakai said. Not because she didn''t want to, but because she physically couldn''t. Her body was terrified to move. Malakai misinterpreted this and saw this as her standing her ground.

    "You think I won''t shoot you?" Malakai coldly asked. He crazily smiled and placed a finger over the trigger.

    "These bullets are bisexual. They''ll hit anyone".

    Delilah and Kayla both felt uneasy after he said that. Delilah almost didn''t recognise him after seeing his expression.

    David saw Malakai''s face on Delilah''s camera angle. He knew he had to step in. He didn''t say anything the entire time when Malakai was pointing the gun at Dillon. The class was chattering, but nothing was said directly into the mic. Now, he was pointing the gun at a girl. David had to intervene.

    "Don''t shoot her", David told Malakai in his earpiece.

    "Do you want points or not?" Malakai replied with no hesitation, keeping his eyes locked on Kayla.

    After Kayla heard Malakai say that, her heartbeat ran faster. She slightly moved her head to look at Dillon. Even though he was on the floor, he looked like he was recovering.

    "Imma give you ten seconds", Malakai said, still pointing the gun at Kayla.

    Despite being terrified, Kayla didn''t want to give away the plastic balls she had. She didn''t want to get hurt, but she didn''t want to lose points for her class. She didn''t know what to do. What she wanted the most was to run away. However, that wasn''t the right thing to do. She needed to take the bullet and hold onto the plastic balls for the class. That was the right choice.

    Another thing she had to consider was whether Malakai was bluffing. Would he really shoot a girl? Surely not. Malakai wouldn''t shoot a girl. He had to be bluffing. This is all an act to scare her.

    "Kayla, give them the balls".

    Kayla heard Sabrina''s voice in her ear.

    "DON''T!" Dillon shouted, lifting his head.

    "Kayla, listen to me. Just throw the balls to Delilah", Sabrina told her clearly.

    "Why are you scared!" Dillon said, getting up on his feet with a hand still on his stomach. "He won''t shoot you".

    He looked at Malakai and took a step towards him.

    "Aye", Malakai switched his aim back at Dillon. "You don''t wanna get shot again".

    Dillon stopped instantly. A shock ran through his body as soon as the gun was pointed at him again. It''s true. He didn''t want to get shot again.

    Malakai pointed the gun back at Kayla.

    "Whoever that person is in your ear is a smart person. Listen to them", Malakai said, placing a finger over the trigger and giving that crazy smile.

    Kayla was still. She had two people telling her different things, and time was ticking.

    "Kayla, just listen to him. He''s not bluffing. He will shoot you. Trust me".

    After those words, Kayla promptly threw the balls at Delilah. She did as she was told. Dillon watched helplessly. He had no say. And if he did want to voice his opinion and stop them, he knew he had to take another bullet. The feeling was still lingering on his skin. The pain was gone, but that tingling feeling was still there. The pain was bearable, but Dillon didn''t want to endure that again.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings."Hehehe", Malakai giggled as he walked between them to get to his safe zone. "You lot should get back to your safe zone. The round ends in a bit".

    Dillon looked at him with anger, while Kayla looked at him with fear.

    Malakai was standing in the doorway of his safe zone. He turned around and pointed the gun at Kayla and,

    PAP!

    Kayla physically couldn''t make a sound. Her mouth hung open, but no sound came out. Her body flinched. Her heart dropped.

    "Hehehe. I''m joking. It''s on safety", Malakai giggled, showing the safety button was on. "You think I''d actually shoot you?".

    SMACK!

    Delilah slapped the back of Malakai''s head. Quite hard. Malakai''s head bobbed forward and back. He turned his head to look at her.

    "Don''t joke like that! You had no reason to do that", Delilah said, sounding pissed. She saw how scared Kayla was the whole time and felt sorry for her. "If it was one of your friends, it MIGHT''ve been funny, but she''s a stranger. You scared her for no reason". Delilah was telling him off in front of Kayla and Dillon.

    Malakai got overexcited again. Not for the first time in a challenge. In the second challenge, he brake-checked a team and got told off by Luna. Now he was getting told off by Delilah for scaring the shit out of a girl. Malakai thought the slap was uncalled for. The slap hurt, too. He only got a telling-off for nearly killing or injuring five people in a car crash, but he got slapped and a telling-off for scaring a girl. Things didn''t add up. Malakai thought it was bullshit. He didn''t shoot her, so what was the big deal?

    "Apologise!" Delilah told him.

    "Aryt, my bad", Malakai apologised, shrugging his shoulders and not sounding sincere at all.

    "Tch", Dillon walked away. He knew the apology didn''t mean shit. Malakai wasn''t even apologising to him, but he hated the apology anyway.

    "idiot", Delilah mumbled, glaring at Malakai. "Kayla, I''m so sorry he did", she apologised.

    Kayla didn''t reply to the apology. She silently turned around and followed Dillon. She caught up to Dillon and walked behind him, with her heart still racing.

    Dillon glanced at the ball he held tightly in his left hand.

    "Why did you tell her to give him the balls? We just lost points", he frustratedly asked Sabrina.

    "He was going to shoot her", Sabrina replied.

    "No he wasn''t!" Dillon said, believing he was bluffing.

    "He was. Did you see the look in his eyes?" Sabrina asked. "If we waited any longer, Kayla would''ve got shot".

    "He wouldn''t shoot a girl. He''s a crazy piece of shit, but he wouldn''t go that far", Dillon replied. "He even said, ''You think I''d actually shoot you?''"

    Sabrina sighed. "There''s no point arguing about it. Either way, we were going to lose our balls. We could only stop if Kayla got shot or not", she said. "It was a bad idea going to their safe zone. I should''ve told Kayla to leave their safe zone alone. This is on me".

    Dillon wasn''t blaming Sabrina for what happened. He wanted to raid their safe zone. He thought it was a brilliant idea. It just went completely left. Maybe if it was another safe zone, they would''ve been fine. Maybe everything would''ve been fine if he had been quicker and just charged into the room before Malakai made it back. So many things could''ve happened, but it didn''t. Dillon lost three plastic balls and got shot. Everything went wrong this round.

    "Tch".

    "Why did you do that!?"

    Back at 1-C''s safe zone, Delilah was still pissed at Malakai.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Did you see how scared she was!?" Delilah asked.

    "It was a joke. I didn''t actually shoot her", Malakai replied, raising his arms confused.

    "It doesn''t matter if you shot her or not! You saw how scared she was, and you still pretended to shoot her", Delilah said. "I thought you learned your lesson from pretending to shoot me".

    "Learnt my lesson?" Malakai rhetorically asked. "We''re in a challenge. What you want me to do?"

    "I told you not to do that as a joke", Delilah replied, clarifying the word joke.

    "So you wanted me to shoot her?" Malakai asked.

    "NO!" Delilah replied, looking at him like an idiot.

    "Bro, why are you pissed though? It''s a paintball gun. It''s not that scary", Malakai said, getting a little annoyed now.

    "It is scary! You did it to me! I should know!" Delilah replied, irritated. "I''m annoyed because I feel sorry for her. You didn''t have to do that. She isn''t your friend. You can''t laugh about it later!".

    "Okay, guys, let''s calm down", David told them, trying to stop the argument now.

    "It''s a challenge. I''m just tryna have fun", Malakai said, ignoring David.

    "Fun? You scaring people is fun?" Delilah asked. "Malakai, this is why people don''t like you. She thought you were going to hurt her, but you pranked her for your entertainment. That''s such a dick move. You said getting shot hurts a lot".

    "I didn''t shoot her!" Malakai replied, making it clear.

    "I know you didn''t! But you scared her. She thought you shot her even after she did what you told her", Delilah said, pointing at him.

    "Oh my days". Malakai kissed his teeth and turned around to go take a seat,

    "Scared of a paintball gun. Heh. You Americans should be used to this shit. You got guns everywhere".

    "Oi, Malakai. Calm down", David sharply told him.

    "I am calm", Malakai replied, raising his voice a little. He grinned, plopped down in his seat and put the paintball gun on the table.

    "Mally''s pissed", Benjamin whispered to his friends.

    "Yeah. He did deserve it", Lucas replied.

    "True. He''s not pissed because he''s wrong, though. He''s pissed because Delilah''s pissed at him", Benjamin said, happy seeing his friend triggered a little. The whole friend group found it a little funny. Seeing your friend annoyed is an enjoyable experience (As long as it''s over nothing serious).

    "Do they usually argue?" Emily asked Ray, overhearing their conversation.

    "No. This is the first time they''ve argued. Properly, anyway", Ray replied. "When they argue, it''s always play arguments over stupid stuff".

    "It''s fun seeing him annoyed", William said, rubbing his hands, enjoying himself.

    Emily looked at the screen and saw Malakai looking down, smiling and shaking his head from Delilah''s camera angle. "He doesn''t look annoyed", she said.

    "Believe me, he is", William replied. "If he wasn''t, he would be talking like nothing happened. He''s silent because he doesn''t want to talk to anyone".

    "Him having that paintball gun is a nightmare for everyone else", Lucas said.

    "Yeah, but he needs to calm down. He is too excited right now", Benjamin replied. "I thought when he joked around with Delilah, he would''ve calmed down, but it looks like he forgot about it when the round started".

    "Can you blame him? Most boys would be excited with a paintball gun", Emily said, defending Malakai.

    "I mean, yeah, but none of us would do the shit he just did", William replied. "That''s crazy".

    Emily had nothing to reply to that. In truth, she didn''t care about what Malakai did. As long as he was getting points for the class, she didn''t see a problem with his actions. She hadn''t spoken to Malakai or had any interaction with him at all. Despite being in the same class, she didn''t see the buzz about him being first. Like everyone else, she saw him as a lucky idiot. However, seeing how he dealt with Dillon fired her up and made her think.

    Maybe this guy isn''t a lucky idiot.

    Her rank wasn''t the best, but seeing how well their representatives were doing gave her hope. Most of the people in the class were looking at Malakai in a bad light after what he did, but Emily didn''t care. She wanted points.

    "This is the first time I''ve seen him like this", Maria thought. "It''s really cute".

    She kept her composure and bit her tongue to stop herself from smiling. She thought Malakai''s actions were mean and wrong, but her opinion and feelings for him didn''t sway. In her head, she was imagining fake scenarios of how she would''ve dealt with that situation and how she would''ve handled Malakai. Even though she found his annoyed mood cute, she wouldn''t want to argue with him and be the one to make him annoyed. She would never want Malakai to be annoyed at her. That would be the worst.

    "Okay, guys, forget what happened. The next round is going to start soon. I don''t want you two to be annoyed at each other for the rest of the challenge", David told them. "Malakai, stop being an idiot. Both of you are doing good. There''s no point in messing it up by playing jokes".

    Malakai was still grinning. Still leaning back on his chair. Still thinking the telling-off was bullshit. Still annoyed, the class saw the argument. Still pissed the class is seeing him right now.

    "Aryt. Whatever man".

 Chapter 100 - 100

    "Round three will begin shortly", Mr White announced.

    "Here are the rules for the third round. Both players from each team will be allowed out of their safe zones and search the building. However, all safe zones are locked. If you open a door and it turns out it is another team''s safe zone, you cannot enter it. This round will last twenty-five minutes. The round will start soon".

    "Hmmm. Both of us will be let out. That''s interesting", Destiny mumbled. "Is there a plan you want me to follow, genius?" she sarcastically asked, throwing and catching one of their plastic balls.

    "Do what you want. Just be useful", Alexander replied. "Don''t bother searching this floor. I searched all the rooms".

    Destiny lightly threw the ball she had across the room.

    "You only got three balls last round. The same as me in the first round, and you had more time", she said. "You need to pull your weight. Don''t talk to me about being useful".

    "I found an item last round as well".

    "Items do not give us points".

    "They don''t, but they help. This item lets me use the elevator for the rest of the challenge", Alexander said, holding up the card.

    "What about me?" Destiny asked to make sure it was for both of them.

    "You can''t".

    "Well, it''s not a good item then, is it?".

    "It''s perfect. Just because you''re lazy to use the stairs".

    The two of them were going back and forth.

    "Lazy?!" Destiny couldn''t believe he said that. "That''s some talk for a guy struggling with this challenge. Actually, you know what you''re right. That item is perfect for you, as you''re struggling so much in this challenge. You need the help", Destiny harshly replied.

    "Let''s calm down. The round is starting soon", Frank told them. "We''re in a great position. The majority of the map is complete. Destiny floor eight looks good. You should go there. Alexander, you can use the elevator to get to the second floor. Our map pieces are blank for that floor, but there are a lot of rooms. There''s one room with a ball in it. I''ll guide you to that room".

    "Aye, aye, captainnnnn", Destiny replied, listening to Frank.

    Alexander kept silent. He was going to listen to what Frank said. He was well aware he had to do more. Currently, they have six balls, which is tied second to class 1-E. 1-B has five balls, and class 1-D has three. Class 1-C has the most, with nine. By these numbers, 1-A were doing good. Alexander was doing good. But not good enough. Not good enough to reach number one. Alexander knew that. By his standards, this was poor. He was taking a long time to adjust to this challenge. Usually, with most things, he would grasp the concept and adapt quickly, but this challenge was different for some reason. It took two rounds, but he was growing in confidence. This round was his. He knew it. He could feel it.

    "Should we use the safe zone pass to get into 1-C''s safe zone and steal their balls?"

    Dillon turned in shock to Kayla. She was silent the entire challenge, and this was the first thing she said to him.

    "Are you joking?" Dillon asked, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

    "No. I''m serious", Kayla replied. She wasn''t timid in her tone, and her eyes looked serious.

    Dillon, without thought, put a hand on his stomach. The place where he got shot. The thought of going back there made his hand move instinctively. Dillon thought about it. It wasn''t a bad idea. Malakai and Delilah would be on different floors, trying to get more plastic balls. Surely, they wouldn''t be camping near their safe zone. That would be a bad tactic. They could search the whole building and get more points. Why would they stay near their safe zone? The idea was getting more and more tempting with more thought.

    "That''s a bad idea".

    Sabrina''s voice stepped into Dillon''s thoughts and stopped them.

    "Why?" Kayla asked, desperate for redemption.

    "Do you want to get shot?" Sabrina questioned back.

    "But he won''t be near his safe zone", Kayla said.

    "You don''t know that", Sabrina replied. "And even if he isn''t. Why would you want to make enemies with the guy with a paintball gun. If you steal from his safe zone, he''ll know it was you".

    "But we need to get our balls back", Kayla was trying her best to counteract Sabrina. Thinking about the three balls they lost last round made her stressed. She desperately wanted them back and more. She wasn''t scared anymore. She was more stressed than scared.

    "Kayla, if you steal from him, he''ll come back ten times worse. Steal from him this round, and the next round he sees either of you, he''ll shoot with no hesitation", Sabrina said.

    "But-"

    "She''s right", Dillon interrupted Kayla. "We''re the only team who can go into safe zones. He''ll know we did it. It''s a stupid idea".

    Kayla was shocked into silence. She thought this was something they could agree on. Why is he agreeing with Sabrina? Dillon noticed her surprise.

    "If you want to do it, go ahead. But when you get shot later on, don''t cry about it. The guy is a maniac. If you give him a chance to shoot you, he will. Look what happened to me. I fucked around and found out", Dillon said. "I didn''t believe Sabrina before when she said he would''ve shot you, but thinking back to it, she was right. He''s crazy. When he said he wouldn''t shoot you, it was a lie. The first shot he shot whistled past my head, and I''m sure he meant for it to barely miss my head to give me a warning".

    Sabrina was stunned by how calmly Dillon was speaking. Heck, the whole class was stunned. Everyone watched the screen in disbelief. They were asking each other if that was actually Dillon. They liked it. All it took was one paintball shot to the stomach for Dillon to talk calmly and sincerely. Who knows how long that would last, but the class didn''t care. They saw that Dillon could be likeable.

    Kayla, on the other hand, didn''t like what Dillon was saying. The one time she wanted him to be rash and angry, he wasn''t. She thought for sure Dillon would agree with her. All she needed was his support for the plan to go ahead, and she still couldn''t get that. She was taking L after L after L. She wanted the challenge to end but,

    "Everyone get ready. Round three is starting".

    Everyone readied themselves in their safe zones. Standing near the door, ready to be let out. All of them were going to leave their safe zones. All ten representatives will be running around the building. It was going to be hectic.

    BEEP!

    Fifteen people from every class left their classroom to search for map pieces. Every round, a different number of students searched for map pieces, and different students had to be chosen each round to make it fair and ensure everyone took part.

    Lorenzo and Luke were casually strolling down the corridor. Both were unsure of what their next move was. I say that, but neither of them was thinking of a next move. They were going with the flow.

    "Where are you going to search?" Luke asked.

    "I don''t know", Lorenzo shrugged, looking at his phone. "Is there even a point in searching. We''ve got most of the pieces".

    "Yeah, but we need to find the pieces with the dots on them", Luke replied.

    "Do they even help?" Lorenzo asked. "We could find a map piece with five dots on it, but it won''t mean anything if all five of those balls are gone because someone else found it before our representatives".

    "There''s a lot of room, you know", Luke yawned. "There''s probably a whole floor none of them have searched yet".

    "I still think our role in this challenge is pointless", Lorenzo replied, his opinion not changing.

    "Maybe right now", Luke said. "I think the last two rounds is when we come in clutch".

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it"We?"

    "I mean everyone here", Luke said, clearing the misunderstanding. "Guiding your representative around the building will cut off so much wasted time".

    "Whatever. I don''t care", Lorenzo replied, not caring. "I found a map piece in the first round. That''s enough for me-"

    Whoosh!

    Someone ran past Lorenzo and Luke. Lorenzo and Luke were walking down the corridor, and at the end of the corridor, it split into left or right like a T junction. Someone ran straight across them before they were going to decide where to turn.

    Lorenzo turned his head to the right to see who was running. He could only see the back of their head. The person had long, black, wavy hair.

    Lorenzo knew this hair. It was Maria.

    Lorenzo wanted to go. Lorenzo wanted to follow her.

    "Uh- Um Luke", Lorenzo quickly tried to say words. "I''m going to search over there", he said, pointing to the direction Maria was running.

    After saying his piece, he hastily walked to the right. Leaving Luke without a see you later or a bye.

    Luke stared at him, pacing away, perplexed.

    "I thought you didn''t care?" Luke said.

    "Somethings off about him", Luke thought. "First randomly speaking up and now chasing Maria Rodriguez. Does he think he has a chance with her? Really? If he does, then I feel sorry for him. That''s a heartbreak waiting to happen. Yawn. It''s none of my business, I guess".

    Alexander got out of the elevator and went into the room closest. The door was closed, meaning no one had been inside yet. He opened the door and charged inside.

    "Yeah, the ball is in this room", Frank told him.

    From the first scan of the room, there was no sign of a plastic ball. The room was quite big. It had the same office stuff he''d seen in other rooms, but there were two bookshelves in this room. There were also a lot of long vertical cupboards and drawers. It was screaming for the ball to be hidden in one of them. From the looks of it, Alexander had his work cut out for him. It was going to take a lot of effort just to find one ball. A quick search would probably take 2 minutes, maybe more. It didn''t matter. It had to be done. Leaving a plastic ball is leaving points. Alexander went to work. Dashing around the room and doing quick inspections of everything. Alexander didn''t care about items. If he found them cool, but he wasn''t actively going to search little spaces for a card. Time was valuable.

    Speaking of valuable, a minute had passed, and Alexander hadn''t found the ball yet. The majority of the room was messed up, and nothing. Alexander kept his cool. There was still a section of the room he hadn''t searched. The thought of leaving the room was still lingering in his mind. He didn''t want to waste too much time on one ball. Maximum of three minutes. Any longer, he was onto the next room.

    Creeeaaak!

    Alexander''s eyes darted at the door. Someone was trying to sneak into the room.

    A small girl with pink hair.

    "Hey", Nada awkwardly said, lifting her hand for a wave.

    Alexander stared blankly at her. He didn''t understand why she came into the room. He was clearly in it. Why would she go into a room someone is already searching? She could go into another room and look for a ball. Yeah, her class might have a map piece telling her a ball is in this room, but he''s already here. The ball is his. How was she going to get it?

    Alexander ignored her and continued to search. Whatever the reason she was here, it didn''t bother him. He didn''t understand her presence, but he didn''t care. It was her loss being in the same room as him.

    Nada looked around the room and saw that Alexander had already done most of the work for her. She went around the room and checked the mess he had left in case he missed something. Like Alexander, she found nothing.

    "You should make more of a mess", Nada said out of the blue.

    Alexander heard her but ignored her. He didn''t want to hear it. No one from this academy can tell him what''s best.

    Nada went over to one of the bookshelves and shook it. The noise made Alexander turn and check out the sound. In his head, he was questioning everything while watching her. He wanted to ask what she was doing, but he was trying his best to ignore her. He didn''t want to acknowledge her.

    Nada noticed his glances.

    "Have you checked on top of the bookshelves and cupboards?" she asked, pointing up.

    Alexander didn''t reply.

    "You can''t see what''s on top of them, so you have to shake ''em", Nada continued to talk anyway. Nada was talkative. She could talk to anyone. Also, Nada and Alexander were on the same team for the second challenge. Nada remembered. I''m not sure Alexander remembers, though. This is why Nada was being kinda familiar.

    Alexander didn''t reply and went back to what he was doing. Nada kept doing what she was doing, and Alexander was nearly finished searching the last of the room. It wasn''t looking good. He hadn''t found the ball. Did he miss something? Nah, he wouldn''t miss anything. Maybe Nada was right. The ball had to be on top of one of the cupboards.

    Drop!

    A white plastic ball bounced and rolled next to Alexander''s feet. He looked at his feet, and the ball was sitting beside his left foot. He bent down and retrieved it. The ball was actually on top of one of the bookshelves or cupboards, and Nada found it. But unluckily for her, it rolled next to Alexander.

    Alexander knew what he was going to see when he turned around. Nada standing there, trying to block his path. When he turned around, he was right. Nada was standing there, blocking his path.

    "Can I have my ball back?" Nada asked with an outstretched arm

    "Move", Alexander simply responded.

    "No. I''m getting my ball back. I found it", Nada replied. She couldn''t help but smile for some reason.

    The challenge in front of her was big, and she smiled at the excitement of it.

    Alexander blankly stared at her. A lot of things about this girl confused him. She was tiny. Alexander was six foot, and this girl was going to try to stop her. Why was she trying?

    Alexander moved forward, but Nada didn''t budge. She stood firm. Alexander kept walking closer to the exit and closer to Nada. When Alexander was close enough, Nada made her move and swiped for the ball. Alexander reacted quickly and moved the ball away from her hands. But Nada didn''t stop there. She swiped for the ball again. She wasn''t going to stop until she got the ball.

    Alexander furrowed his eyebrows at her rash attempts. His natural reaction was to raise his arm. Up in the air so she couldn''t reach even if she jumped. Despite the ball being up in a place Nada couldn''t reach, she still jumped for it. Her vertical jump was quite high but not high enough for her hand to reach the ball Alexander held up.

    Alexander had won. Nada could continue to try, but she''ll be jumping for nothing. Alexander just had to keep his arm raised until he walked out of the room. Once he was out of the room, he could run and lose her. Alexander took his steps towards the exit. It took longer than he wanted, but he got his first plastic ball of the round.

    Pop!

    Alexander felt nothing at his fingertips. He looked up at his hand, and it was empty. He was holding air. He looked at Nada''s hands to see if she had stolen the ball from him. There was no ball in her hand. The ball disappeared. His eyes were still on Nada''s hands, and he noticed something. Nada was holding a long, sharp pin.

    She popped the ball.

    The pop Alexander heard was the ball popping. He thought he imaged that sound.

    While Alexander held the ball up, Nada kept trying to get it. She continued to jump around Alexander. Sticking around him like an annoying bug. Alexander ignored her after her first two jumps. He didn''t notice that Nada had a different goal. She went into her pocket and got the item she found last round. A long, sharp pin. The item made to pop plastic balls. Nada couldn''t reach the ball by jumping, but with the pin, she could just about reach it, stab it and pop it.

    Alexander looked at Nada and saw she was looking at the floor near his feet. It took him a second to remember that there were cards inside the balls to indicate how many points it was worth. Alexander looked down, and the card was right in front of him. The card faced up and showed a number. The number on the card was,

    "100".

 Chapter 101 - Book Fight

    "100", Nada said, looking at the card on the floor.

    "stupid", Alexander uttered.

    Nada didn''t hear what he said, but she heard him mumble.

    Alexander didn''t waste any time. He ran out of the room. What else could he do? He lost a ball. He didn''t want to lose time as well. Nada watched as he rushed out of the room. After he was gone, she looked back at the floor. Seeing the 100 card on the floor stung her. She could''ve had it. Or could she? Was she going to beat Alexander any other way?

    "Nada, forget about it", Marcus told her. "You did good. You stopped him from getting points".

    The students in class 1-E saw what Nada did, and they were impressed. They didn''t see it as one hundred points lost to them. Only one hundred points lost to 1-A. On the other hand, Nada was happy she stopped Alexander from getting a hundred points, but she was upset that she could''ve gotten that ball if she had been faster.

    She would''ve gotten a hundred points if she had reached the room before Alexander. She could''ve gotten a hundred points if she had waited for Alexader to leave the room. She should''ve gotten a hundred points if she had gotten the ball before it rolled off to Alexander.

    Would''ve, could''ve, should''ve.

    Nada couldn''t dwell on it for too long. She had to go on. It was only one ball. There were many others to be found. Nada hastily walked out of the room with her head held high to search another room.

    Meanwhile, Alexander took the stairs to the bottom floor. His thought process was that no one''s safe zone would be on the bottom floor, so the majority of the rooms would be untouched. The thought process wasn''t perfect because another person could''ve searched the bottom floor in the previous rounds, but it was a gamble that Alexander had to take. Nine other people were searching the building. Finding a floor no one else was on would be a challenge, and he didn''t want to share a floor with Nada.

    Alexander reached the bottom and made haste down the corridor. The first door he saw was on the left, and it was opened. The second door he saw was on the right, and it was opened. The next door he saw was not opened. Alexander looked further down and saw more closed doors. He might''ve found a goldmine.

    Alexander opened the door and searched the room, not wasting a second. You''re probably thinking it''s amazing how unfazed Alexander is right now, even though he lost a hundred points. But let me tell you something. This guy isn''t unfazed. Losing that ball unsettled him. He had it. He had a hundred points in the palm of his hand. Knowing he had a hundred points in his hands and then lost it irritated him. It wasn''t only the fact he lost those points, but it was how he lost the points. Something about the whole situation irked him. It wasn''t normal. The question that kept popping up in his head was.

    Why would she do that?

    No normal person would resort to that. Alexander was trying to see it from her perspective and replicate her thought process, but it didn''t make sense to him. Only an idiot would do what she did. But despite it being idiotic, it was smart. Annoyingly smart. Alexander didn''t like it. Normally, those reckless actions wouldn''t work, but she didn''t hesitate to act, and it worked. It was frustrating. Alexander didn''t like it. Everyone would feel the same way he was, but not everyone would hide it like he was. His perfect, calm composure remained the same. However, inside, there was this annoyance he couldn''t shake off. The annoyance he lost points. The annoyance Nada did that. The annoyance he couldn''t figure out Nada''s thought process. Annoyance.

    Alexander didn''t like it.

    "Just keep looking. Just keep looking".

    Maria was in the library mumbling to herself while using the same strategy she had used in the first round. She had already searched two aisles but found nothing. It didn''t get to her, though. If anything, it motivated her.

    Lorenzo was also in the library. He didn''t know where Maria went so he was searching for her instead of map pieces. Finding a person should have been easier than finding a piece of paper, but it was still quite difficult to find her because the library was much busier than he expected. About fifteen people were in the library, and they were all searching. Lorenzo was also searching. It wasn''t the thing he should be searching for, but he was searching.

    Lorenzo walked into an aisle that had someone else in it. He didn''t recognise him. Shock. The guy had black dreads with blonde tips, and he was a few inches taller than Lorenzo. It was Ash from 1-D, but Lorenzo didn''t know him. Ash was taking out books to look behind them to look for map pieces. He looked like he didn''t know what he was doing. He was just doing it to do something. Lorenzo continued to walk down the aisle after being disappointed that the person wasn''t the person he was searching for. He was about to walk past Ash but,

    BANG!!

    A book whizzed past Lorenzo''s face and barely missed Ash in front of him. Ash was facing the bookshelf, and the book flew from behind him. Lorenzo looked up in the direction from which the book came. He looked up to the second floor. Lorenzo saw a guy leaning over the ledge and staring down at him.

    "The fuck you doing, man?" Ash asked, turning around and looking up at the guy.

    "Ash, my man. How you doing?" the guy casually said, like he didn''t try to assault him.

    His hair was messy at the top with red highlights, but he had a nice fade on the sides. He was clean-shaven with a strong jawline and reddish-brown eyes. Similar to Lorenzo''s eye colour but a little more red. His tone of voice was husky. Lorenzo wasn''t sure if that was his regular voice or if it was because he was ill. He also had one long ruby-red earring on his left ear. Lorenzo had seen this guy before but didn''t know which class he was in. He remembered seeing someone with red highlights in their hair and thought it was odd.

    "Who the fuck are you? How do you know my name?" Ash asked, mean-mugging him.

    "You''re friends with Jason, no? I thought we would get along because I know your friend", he replied.

    "Get along? You threw a book at me, man", Ash said with his arms up.

    "I wanted to get your attention".

    Ash looked at Lorenzo, confused. "You know this motherfucker?" he asked, pointing at the guy.

    Lorenzo shook his head.

    "Oh, oh. I know you", he said, noticing and pointing at Lorenzo. "You''re Ryan''s friend. Hmmm, what''s your nameeee... I feel like I know it", he continued, dangling his arms over the ledge with a book in his left hand.

    Lorenzo didn''t say anything and just stared at him. He didn''t want to tell him his name.

    "Tut. Maaan. I can''t remember it. Sorry, dude", he said, looking at Lorenzo and standing up normally. "I hope you accept my APOLOGY!"

    He arrowed a book straight at Lorenzo.

    THUD!

    Lorenzo managed to dodge, leading to the book meeting the floor. He looked back up at the guy and furrowed his eyebrows.

    "Ayo! What the fuck man! Stop throwing books!" Ash angrily told him.

    "I''m sorry, man. I''m just so bored", he said, looking like he didn''t care.

    "Bored? Go help your class, dawg", Ask replied.

    "I don''t want to", the guy replied, leaning over the ledge again.

    "Don''t want to? What class are you in?" Ash asked, thinking he might be in 1-E.

    "1-A".

    "1-A?!" Ash said in shock.

    Lorenzo''s eyes widened, too. It came as a shock.

    "If you''re in 1-A, Why the fuck are you acting like this?" Ash asked.

    Ash was doing all of the talking. One because he was talkative and two because Lorenzo wasn''t talkative.

    "He''s in 1-A?" Lorenzo thought, staring at him, trying to picture 1-A. It didn''t help because he didn''t know anyone in 1-A.

    "Whats that suppose to mean? Do you think everyone in 1-A is a try-hard?" he replied. "Haha. I''m not a nerd like them. Not everyone is a try-hard in our class. Isn''t that right, Naomi?"

    "Huuh?"

    A girl with light brown skin and wild, long, curly hair came walking and looked over the ledge. She wore a mask that covered her mouth and nose. Her eyes still showed, and they were thin, narrow eyes. She was blasian.

    "What did you say?"

    "Nothing. I''m just telling these guys I''m bored", he replied.

    Naomi looked down at Lorenzo and Ash.

    "Ew. Who are they?" Naomi asked.

    "Ew?" Ash questioned.

    "Some nobodies", the guy answered.

    "Nobodies?" Ash questioned. "You called me by name a few seconds ago".

    "I did. But you''re still a nobody".

    "Tsk. Fuck you, dumbass", Ash said, turning around and going back to what he was doing, leaving the conversation.

    Lorenzo kept his eyes on the guy. The guy whispered something to Naomi. Lorenzo couldn''t figure out what he was telling her. After he finished, Naomi walked away. Shortly after, he also walked away from the ledge, out of Lorenzo''s vision. Lorenzo didn''t want to keep his eyes off that ledge in case he came back.

    Ten seconds passed, and nothing happened. Lorenzo was uneasy but remembered that Maria was still in this library. With that in mind, he started walking down the aisle.

    BANG!

    A book whizzed past Lorenzo''s face and hit Ash in the back of his head.

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    "THE FUCK YOU DOING MAN!" Ash raged with his left hand holding the back of his head.

    "Bleh", the guy stuck his tongue out at Ash.

    "Fuck this guy".

    Ash got the book he was holding and flung it at him.

    THUD!

    It hit the ledge.

    "Hahahaha. Now we''re talking".

    BANG!

    The next book the guy threw missed as Ash dodged it. The guy had an extreme height advantage. He could see over multiple aisles, so other people could also see him from their aisle.

    Ash threw another book towards him, but this time, it was too high and flew over the guy''s head.

    "Ash, what you doing, man?" Oscar asked, walking into the aisle and seeing Ash throw a book.

    "Dawg, this guy keeps throwing books at me", Ash replied, pointing at him.

    "Heh. The more the merrier".

    BANG!

    The guy threw a book towards Ash''s friends.

    "What you doing, blud!?" Nathan asked, standing next to Oscar and barely dodging that last book.

    "Oouuu, a British accent", the guy said, picking up on the accent. "You''re not him though".

    "Tch, this guy''s pissing me off", Nathan said, not liking the look on his face. He didn''t hear his last comment as he said it quietly, but Nathan could tell he insulted him.

    Nathan picked a book from the shelf and forcefully threw it towards him. The throw had power but no accuracy. It was heading high, over the guy''s head, until,

    Catch!

    An outstretched arm caught the book.

    "why did you tell me to come here?"

    A lanky guy about 6''3 was standing behind the guy. His straight black hair covered the majority of his face. You couldn''t really see his facial features.

    "Jack, look. I found some fun", he said, pointing down at the Ash and everyone else.

    Jack peered over the ledge.

    "what''s so fun about four guys?" Jack asked. His tone of voice was always really low.

    "You throw books at them. LIKE THIS!"

    BANG!

    The book arrowed at Oscar and was going straight for his body. Oscar managed to block the book with his hands.

    "I''m not having this", Oscar said, shaking his head.

    He went to the shelves, picked some books, and let them go without wasting any time. The books came one after the other. Both flying towards the guys.

    "damn", Jack said unbothered, effortlessly moving his body to dodge the books. "i guess i have no choice".

    Jack held the book in his hand up in the air and pelted it at Oscar. The shot was accurate and was straight at Oscar again. The book bounced off the hands Oscar put up to block. After the block, Oscar had to shake his hands as they stung from the book''s impact.

    "Woooo. Nice throw, Jack".

    Jack lightly smiled, "this is fun. gimme another book", he said, holding out his hand.

    "Shit, they''re gonna throw more", Nathan said, seeing them have more books in their hands.

    "Quick, get some books and throw it at them!" Ash replied.

    BANG!

    Before they could even get any books, books started raining down on them.

    BANG! THUD! CRASH!

    The sounds of books hitting the floor and shelves echoed around the whole library. The library was closed for other students because of the challenge, so only the first years were there. There was also no librarian or teachers to supervise the library, so nobody could stop this fight.

    "We need to get to the second floor. I wanna fuck them up. Fuck throwing books", Ash said, keeping an eye on them as he dodged the books.

    "Let''s go then", Nathan said, sidestepping out of the aisle.

    Lorenzo was still in the aisle, trying not to get caught in the crossfire. None of the books were going in his direction, though. It was like they forgot he was there. Lorenzo could''ve left if he wanted to, but he was caught in the moment and wanted to see how this ended.

    "I should get out of here", Lorenzo thought, seeing the guys leave the aisle. He was invested, but not that invested to follow them to the second floor. "These guys can fight each other. I don''t care".

    Lorenzo sneakily tried to leave the aisle. The opposite direction to where the other three guys left from.

    "Why is it so noisy over here?"

    Lorenzo looked up and saw who asked the question. It was Maria. Looking down the aisle, she saw a mess of books on the floor. She then switched her vision to the ledge where three people stood in view. The two guys were focused on the guys trying to get onto the second floor, but Naomi was staring at Maria.

    Lorenzo quietly watched. He didn''t know what to do. Maria''s attention wasn''t even on him, so he couldn''t say anything to her. More like he didn''t know what to say to her.

    "What?" Naomi asked Maria.

    "Are you throwing books down here?" Maria asked, getting straight to the point.

    "Maybe", Naomi said, bored, rolling her eyes and shrugging. Naomi didn''t throw a single book. All she did was call Jack over because the guy told her to and watch the chaos that happened after.

    The two kept staring at each other. Neither of them paid attention to Lorenzo. It was like he was invisible.

    "Maria Rodriguez", Naomi mumbled. "The girl everyone likes. The academy princess".

    Naomi grinned under her mask.

    "Maria. You should read this book!"

    Naomi forcefully threw a book towards Maria''s face.

    "Ma-"

    Maria sandwiched the book between both hands. She caught it. It was lucky. Really lucky. She even turned her head and looked away at the book when it was flying towards her. Maria did that on instinct. Maria fully opened her eyes and looked at the book in her hands. It was a psychology book. The book wasn''t thick. It was the size of an A5 sheet of paper and looked to have about 300 pages or less. If it hit her, it was going to hurt. It didn''t matter if it was thick or not. It had a hardcover.

    Her heart was racing. She didn''t even know how she caught that. She looked back up at Naomi with an angry look. She tried to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth.

    Another person who couldn''t talk was Lorenzo. When the book was going to hit Maria, he could only let out the first two letters of her name. He couldn''t even finish saying her name. Right now, he was staring at Maria, unsure of what to say. She still wasn''t looking at him. Maria kept staring down Naomi.

    "Ma-"

    "Maria!"

    A voice called out Maria''s name before Lorenzo finished saying her name. A male voice.

    Maria turned around to see who called her. Lorenzo couldn''t see as he was in the aisle and Maria was near the end.

    "We need to go", the voice continued.

    Maria turned to look at Naomi again. Naomi didn''t say anything. All she did was slowly wave like they were friends. Maria didn''t reciprocate the wave. She swivelled on her feet and hurriedly walked away.

    Lorenzo watched as she walked away. He had a chance to talk to her and didn''t take it. He failed to say her name twice. She didn''t even acknowledge him. He was the only person in the aisle. The aisle where all the commotion was, and she didn''t notice he was in the aisle.

    Why?

    The only explanation in his head was that she was too invested in the challenge, and the noises around distracted her. Ryan told him Maria liked him. If she did, she would''ve noticed him. Or would she? Lorenzo was used to being invisible and not being acknowledged by people. It has happened ever since he could remember. He was glad he acquired that skill. He was happy people didn''t acknowledge him. He was glad to be invisible because he didn''t like people. When there was a big group of people and Lorenzo was in the middle of it, he was more than happy to be invisible and fade into the background. No one would question where he went or know someone was missing. They wouldn''t even know he was a part of the group, and he liked it that way. But this one time, he wasn''t trying to be invisible. He still wasn''t acknowledged. There wasn''t even a group of people to hide behind or be left alone by. It was just him. And he still wasn''t acknowledged. He was the only person in the aisle, but he was still invisible. That''s when he realised.

    He hated himself.

    After saying he was going to change, he knew how flawed he was, but he was still determined to change, and he was little by little. But this situation made him realise Lorenzo was invisible. The guys didn''t throw books at him, and Maria didn''t notice him. So many things happened, and he wasn''t involved even though he was in the middle of it. He felt meaningless. The thoughts of being left alone and not being remembered by people flooded his memory. At the time, he loved it, but looking at it now. It was extremely sad. It was depressing. No one gives a shit about him. He hated it.

    Lorenzo was invisible.

    Lorenzo didn''t want to be Lorenzo anymore.

    Lorenzo looked to his right. No one was there. He looked to his left. No one was there. He looked up to see if Naomi was still there. She was there.

    Naomi looked at him for a few seconds. She was waiting for him to say something, but she got nothing from him.

    "Ew".

    Ryan was walking out of a room. He had two plastic balls. He thought he would''ve found more, but he had no luck. There was still time until the round ended, so he hoped to find another before time was up. Having three balls by the end of the round was good enough.

    Ryan came out of the room and turned his head to the right. His body immediately stopped. His eyes saw something he wished he didn''t have to see in this challenge. Malakai with a paintball gun.

    "Shit".

 Chapter 102 - Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot 2

    Destiny was empty-handed right now, but that didn''t mean she didn''t find anything this round. She already found three plastic balls. The reason she didn''t have them anymore was because she dropped them off in her safe zone. She knew if she found another plastic ball, she would struggle to carry it. So she went to her safe zone and dropped them off to search more freely and quickly. Remember, their safe zone was on the sixth floor. Frank had told Destiny to check out the eighth floor, and she did. She quickly rummaged through five rooms and got three balls. There were more rooms to search, and her plan was to continue searching, but she saw someone at the end of the corridor. She saw Delilah coming out of a room. Delilah was at the end of the corridor, and her back was turned, so she didn''t notice Destiny. After that, Destiny changed plans. She returned to her safe zone and decided to search on the seventh floor instead. If her hands weren''t full, she would''ve confronted Delilah, but she didn''t want to take a chance and risk losing one or two of her balls because she got into a little fight with her. She knew she would get a chance later, so she wasn''t too fussed about avoiding her. Therefore, she chose to go to the seventh floor. No one had come to this floor except Alexander, who searched one or two rooms in the previous round. It looked like no one else had come to this floor, as most of the doors were shut. Destiny could only go on that assumption.

    Class 1-A had no intel on this floor. Their map pieces for the floor might as well be blank. It had one singular dot. The map pieces for 1-A were still a struggle, but they couldn''t do anything. The students had accepted that finding the better versions was a miss. They''ve probably already been snatched up by other classes. The only point of the map pieces was to guide their representatives. But even that was kind of useless because it wasn''t like this place was a maze. Their representatives could keep count of what floor they were on by themselves. This challenge for most of the students in the class became a live stream they could watch. Which was disappointing for some as it was promising at the start, but others couldn''t care less, as we saw.

    Destiny continued down the floor and opened the door to the first room she saw. When she opened the door, she wasn''t met with an untouched room. The room had already been searched, and someone was still inside.

    "What?"

    It was Dillon.

    Destiny quickly scanned the room. It looked a mess.

    "Have you already searched this room?" she asked, looking at Dillon''s hands.

    "Yeah. I have", Dillon boldly replied, with a plastic ball in his right hand.

    Destiny noticed two things about Dillon. One was,

    "Why is there a yellow splatter on your shirt?" Destiny smirked as she quickly caught on. "Did Malakai shoot you?".

    "Yeah, he did", Dillon answered, not embarrassed. He had already gotten past it and accepted that it had happened. The only thing he was annoyed about was that his shirt was ruined. It was one of his favourite shirts.

    "Pffttt, haha. Why did you let him shoot you?" Destiny giggled, seeing the funny side of it.

    "I fucked up", Dillon didn''t stutter saying that. He could admit that comfortably. "I don''t know why you''re laughing. He''d shoot you in a heartbeat", he continued, knowing that Malakai didn''t like Destiny.

    "Yeah, right. He doesn''t have the balls to shoot a woman", Destiny confidently replied with her arms crossed.

    The other thing she noticed was,

    "Why are you wearing a backpack?"

    Dillon was wearing a plain leather black backpack.

    "It''s an item I found", Dillon was weirdly answering her questions without a fuss. He had no hesitation to reply.

    "What''s in the bag?" Destiny asked, seeing the bag bulging like it was nearly full.

    "What do you think?" Dillon asked back, walking closer to the door.

    Destiny figured it out shortly, "That''s a pretty good item", she said, sounding a little jealous.

    Having a backpack would''ve been useful to her. She wouldn''t have needed to go back to her safe zone if she had one.

    "I know", Dillon unenthusiatically said, now standing in front of Destiny. "Are you going to stay there?" he asked, looking down at her.

    Destiny looked up at Dillon.

    "Nope", she replied, walking backwards out of the doorway with her hands behind her back. "I know I''m not getting that ball off you".

    Dillon raised his eyebrows. "I thought you would try. That''s a little disappointing", he replied, not sounding disappointed.

    Dillon walked out of the room and took a few steps away from Destiny before taking off his backpack.

    "Heh. Look at the size of you. Trying would do nothing for me", Destiny said, knowing her limits.

    "You never know until you try", Dillon replied, keeping an eye on her while he put his plastic ball in his bag.

    "Do you want me to try now?"

    "Fuck off", Dillon said, not entertaining the idea and zipping up his bag.

    He put his backpack back on and started walking towards another room. He wasn''t in a rush, meaning he wasn''t desperate. Or he could be tired.

    "He must have a lot of balls in that bag. I really want a backpack now", Destiny bitterly said, staring at Dillon with envy.

    "Destiny, what are you doing?" Frank asked, seeing her camera angle wasn''t moving. "Go search a room".

    Destiny sighed and rolled her eyes,

    "Okay, okay. I was just taking a lil break".

    Delilah was walking around with a little metal basket with four plastic balls in it. The basket wasn''t an item she found. She saw it in one of the rooms and had the idea to carry the plastic balls using it. Using the idea, she took everything out of the basket and stole the basket. No one told her she couldn''t do that, and no one stopped her from doing it, so she did it. It was a great idea but risky. If someone saw her, defending herself and stopping her balls from getting stolen would be hard. Having Malakai next to her would''ve helped massively because she would have protection and an extra pair of hands to search. She had the idea to tell David to call him over, but she heard from David''s communication with Malakai that he was struggling to find anything. He only had two plastic balls. Therefore, Delilah thought it would be better if Malakai kept searching on his own because there was a chance for him to find more by himself. She was still paranoid carrying the basket around, so she kept turning her head every few seconds.

    The information Delilah had was that their safe zone was on the ninth floor, so all the rooms had been searched on that floor already. In the second round, Malakai searched the eleventh floor with Nada, so all those rooms had already been searched. That''s why she chose to search the eighth floor this round. Searching the eighth floor was a success because she found four plastic balls in fifteen minutes. Once she saw open doors on the eighth floor down the hall, she stopped searching. She could''ve gone to the seventh floor, but she heard people walking on that floor, so she chose to go up. Now, she was on the tenth floor. She could''ve dropped off the basket at her safe zone, as it was in the middle of both floors, but hearing David say they had ten minutes left confirmed her decision to keep going. She didn''t want to waste time. Time was valuable in this challenge.

    On the tenth floor, Delilah saw no one. The corridor was empty and silent. Weirdly, she hadn''t seen anyone the whole round. She thought she would''ve seen at least one person as everyone was out, but no one crossed her path. She wasn''t complaining. She just thought it was a little odd. Delilah moved as fast as she could to the closest door. She opened the door and went inside without looking. When she stepped inside, she was confused. This room wasn''t like the others. The room was quite small, with a few objects on the side. The middle of the room was bare. The main attraction was the two tables at the end of the room with boxes on each. Delilah could see what was written on the boxes from the doorway. One of the boxes said ''plastic ball'', and the other said ''item''. The tables were distanced a few feet away from each other. It was a weird room.

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    Delilah started walking to the boxes. She was obviously steering towards the box with plastic ball written on it. After a few slower steps, she took a few quick ones, but,

    "Boo!"

    "AAHH!"

    Delilah''s body jumped at the sudden voice that broke the silence and the unexpected hand on her shoulder. She still kept hold of her basket, and luckily, none of the balls flew out. She hastily turned around to see who scared her.

    "Why would you do that?" Delilah asked, surprised and relieved after seeing who it was.

    "To scare you, obviously", Akari happily answered, satisfied with the reaction she scored. She had two plastic balls in her right hand and arm and a plastic ball in her left hand. She instantly noticed Delilah''s basket. "A basket! That''s really smart. There''s so many around, I should''ve taken one".

    "Yeah", Delilah awkwardly replied. She just wanted to get the plastic ball and the item and leave, but having Akari here was a little problematic.

    Akari peered to the right of Delilah and saw the two boxes.

    "Plastic ball. Item", Akari read out loud. "Oh! Should we play a game to decide who gets what!" she excitedly said, quickly thinking of that idea on the spot

    "But... I want both of them", Delilah slowly replied.

    "I''m not going to let you take both, am I?" Akari smiled. "I''m here now".

    Akari was lucky that it was her that came across Delilah. If it was anyone else, Delilah would''ve snatched both the item and the plastic ball and tried to escape out of the room. She had a soft spot for Akari. She knew she was delicate, so she didn''t want to do anything rash, even if this was a challenge. Delilah didn''t like the idea of rushing out of the room with both things. She knew she could do that if she wanted to because Akari wouldn''t be able to stop her, but she felt that it was too mean to do that to her. She heard Nada gave a plastic ball to Malakai last round, so it wasn''t like everyone forgot they were friends just because it was a challenge. Akari was a close friend. She can''t do that to her, even if it is a challenge. Akari said they would be rivals today on the bus journey, but Delilah didn''t have the heart to take both the item and the plastic ball and dash.

    "Are you really not going to let me leave with both?" Delilah asked, tilting her head and seeing if her friend would do her a favour.

    "Nuh-uh", Akari shook her head. "I can''t let my class down".

    Delilah internally sighed.

    "Fine", she forfieted. "Do you want the item or the plastic ball? We can negotiate".

    "Let''s play a quick game to decide. The winner can pick whatever they want", Akari said, ignoring the question.

    "A game would take too long", Delilah replied.

    "It won''t", Akari reassured her, shaking her head again.

    Delilah knew what Akari was doing. She was wasting time. Akari wouldn''t say, let''s play a game for no reason. She was stalling.

    "Okay, what game?" Delilah hurriedly asked, playing along with her idea.

    "Hmm, what''s a quick game to play?" Akari rhetorically asked, looking away.

    Delilah rolled her eyes, "Let''s play rock paper scissors", she said. That was the first game that came to mind.

    Akari could see Delilah was desperate to get a move on.

    "Okay, that sounds good", she replied.

    Delilah put down her basket and held out her right fist, readying herself to play. She wanted to get on with it.

    "Quick, let''s go".

    Akari was surprised by how quick Delilah was moving.

    "Someone''s in a hurry", Akari commented.

    "Akari, I know you''re trying to waste time", Delilah replied, showing she knew what was going on. "We''re only playing one round of this".

    Akari smiled. Her plan kind of worked. She was wasting a bit of Delilah''s time, but it wasn''t enough. Akari wanted to stall Delilah until the round was nearly over, but that wasn''t happening.

    "You got me", Akari said, placing two of her plastic balls by her feet. She held out her fist, "Rock paper scissors shoot?"

    "Yeah. One round", Delilah replied, raring to go.

    "Okay".

    "Rock".

    "Paper".

    "Scissors".

    "Shoot".

    Delilah held out scissors. Akari held out rock. Akari won.

    "Dammit", Delilah mumbled. She thought Akari would go paper.

    "Wow", Akari said. She didn''t expect to win. She thought Delilah would''ve gone rock. She wanted to tie the game to waste more time but accidentally won.

    "I thoug-".

    "Which one do you want?" Delilah asked, cutting Akari off from speaking.

    Akari could see that Delilah stressing about the time. She silently giggled to herself and picked up her plastic balls from the floor. She decided to stop with this time-wasting plan. She didn''t want to stress her friend that much.

    "Which one will I choose?" Akari said, walking closer to the boxes. She directed herself to one box. "I''ll choose this box".

    "The item?" Delilah said, confused. "Why not the plastic ball? You can have four".

    Delilah thought for sure Akari was going to choose the plastic ball.

    "Think about it. They''ve put them side by side, so the item has to be good", Akari replied.

    "I mean, yeah, but it might still be worse than a plastic ball. The plastic balls are worth points, you know? Items aren''t", Delilah said.

    "I know", Akari smugly replied.

    She went towards her box and opened it. Inside was a card. She picked it up and quickly read it to herself in her head.

    ''Tracker (UAV). Using the code on the back, you can use the tablet in your safe zone to track down plastic balls and different players. They will appear as red dots for two seconds, disappear, and reappear a second later''.

    Akari giggled, "This is really good".

    "What is it?" Delilah curiously asked.

    "It''s a secret", Akari replied, keeping the card close to her.

    Delilah smiled, "It is your item", she said. "I can''t be jealous. Even if I won rock paper scissors, I would''ve chosen the ball".

    Delilah went towards the other box and opened it. Lo and behold, there was a plastic ball there. Before she could pick it up,

    "Mally, what are you doing!? Forget him. You don''t need to go after him!"

    Delilah heard David''s worried voice in her earpiece.

    "Mally! Don''t chase him!"

    "David, what''s happening?" Delilah quickly asked, a little startled by the sudden rise in David''s tone.

    "Malakai won''t listen to me. He''s chasing Ryan", David replied.

    After hearing Malakai was chasing Ryan, Delilah could already paint a picture of the situation in her head.

    "Should I go and stop him?" Delilah asked.

    "No, no", David swiftly answered. "You have too many plastic balls, and you wouldn''t be able to stop him even if you tried", he continued. "There''s only like five minutes left until the round is over. I say go back to the safe zone. We can''t have you lose any of your plastic balls".

    "Are you sure? I could quickly try and search another room", Delilah said after hearing she still had five minutes left.

    "You can try, but I would say to go back to the safe zone to be safe", David replied. "You can take out your earpiece if you want. I''m going to be shouting to get Malakai''s attention".

    "No, I''m going to keep it in. I need to hear what''s going on", Delilah decided.

    Delilah briskly took the plastic ball out of the box and put it in her basket. She picked up her basket and was about to start walking out of the room. She looked at Akari to check what she was doing. Delilah didn''t even notice, but Akari was engaged in her own conversation.

    Delilah and Akari made eye contact.

    "Is everything okay?" Delilah asked, seeing Akari''s troubled expression.

    "Um, my classmate is telling me Ryan is running away. He''s being chased by Malakai", Akari replied, a little worried. "I think Malakai''s going to shoot him". She remembered that Malakai had a paintball gun.

    Hearing Akari say that made it even more obvious to Delilah. Malakai wasn''t going to stop until he shot Ryan. If there was one person he could shoot, it would be Ryan, and now he had a chance.

    Delilah didn''t respond to Akari. She broke eye contact and made her way to the door. All she could do now was go to her safe zone and hear what David was saying. While she speed-walked down the corridor, she shook her head and quietly said,

    "Please, Malakai, don''t be an idiot".

 Chapter 103 - Two Stones, No Bird

    "Shit".

    The thing Ryan saw that made him freeze was Malakai. Malakai staring straight at him with a paintball gun in his right hand and two plastic balls in his left. As soon as Ryan came out of his room, Malakai came out of a room further down the corridor. Ryan wasn''t the only one who stopped. Malakai also stopped. He didn''t expect to see Ryan during this round. Ryan stopped because he was scared, but Malakai stopped because he was confused.

    Ryan made the first move. He made a break for it. No thought was needed. He dashed in the opposite direction. All he needed to see was Malakai holding a paintball gun so his legs could move as fast as they could. Fight or flight kicked in.

    He wasn''t the only one who moved without thinking. Malakai took chase.

    "Mally, what are you doing!?" David worriedly asked him. "Forget him. You don''t need to go after him!".

    Malakai didn''t listen. He continued to run. Malakai didn''t even hear what David said. He was focused. Too focused.

    Ryan was ahead of Malakai by a few meters, but Malakai would catch him despite the headstart. Malakai could shoot right now, but it was unlikely the shot would land. Ryan was an average runner. He wasn''t the quickest, but not the slowest. While Malakai was rapid. It was a mismatch. If Ryan continued to run straight, it would be a problem. Luckily, he didn''t have to because he had reached the stairs. Ryan took a left, grabbed hold of the railing and descended the stairs at some pace.

    Malakai saw Ryan take a left and go out of view in the distance. He knew he was going down a floor. There was no way he was going up some stairs in a chase. Malakai was grinning ear to ear. He knew he was catching him. He had complete confidence. Stairs weren''t going to slow him down. Malakai kept up the high pace when reaching the stairs.

    Cling! Cling! Cling!

    Malakai heard the sound of metal hitting the floor. He reached the staircase and saw an object at the bottom of the landing from the top of the stairs. He didn''t know what it was until,

    FFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

    "the fuck��.

    Smoke was coming out of the object at an alarming rate.

    "A smoke grenade?" Malakai said in awe.

    Yes. A smoke grenade was on the stair landing, and smoke was escaping from the body of the grenade. White and grey smoke was filling the staircase rapidly.

    Let''s see what happened a few moments before.

    Ryan was rushing down the stairs. While he descended the stairs, he took out a smoke grenade from his cargo pants and pulled the pin while still keeping ahold of two plastic balls. He threw and left the grenade on the landing. In the previous rounds, Ryan had found some great items. This was one of them.

    Now we''re back to speed. Ryan reached the floor below. But now, he had a choice to make. To keep going down the stairs or stay on the floor he was at now.

    Ryan got out of the staircase and ran down the corridor. He chose to stay.

    The reasoning behind why is pretty simple. He didn''t have much time to think. He thought if he continued down the stairs, he would get caught, and he couldn''t be sneaky going down the stairs. So he had a plan. He would stay on this floor and let off another smoke grenade. Ryan had two smoke grenades. He had already used one, and he was going to use another to lose Malakai for good.

    Ryan pulled out the second smoke grenade from his pocket, pulled the pin, dropped the grenade on the floor behind him and dashed down the corridor. He kept running and was about to reach the second staircase. Each floor had two sets of staircases, so there wasn''t only one way to get to different floors. Ryan''s pace wasn''t constant. He was slowing down gradually. He had to start jogging to catch his breath. As soon as he thought he was far enough, Ryan turned around to check. All he saw was smoke. Just smoke. Smoke everywhere. The smoke was quite far away as he dropped the grenade far back, but the smoke was creeping up the corridor.

    Ryan was breathing heavily. Ever since the chase, Ryan has been stuck in his own head. If Owen had been saying anything in his ear, he wouldn''t have heard it. Ryan was just thinking about not getting shot. This was the first time in a long time his heart was racing like this. Ryan was genuinely terrified. It was like a wild lion was chasing him. This wasn''t a friendly game of tag. Malakai wanted to catch him and harm him. Knowing someone is chasing you to hurt you is scary, and this was how Ryan found out.

    "Ryan, I think you lost him", Owen told him, seeing the smoke engulf everything from the screen.

    "yeah", Ryan quietly replied.

    He kept his eyes locked on the smoke in front of him. The smoke wasn''t disappearing. It was like a giant cloud was filling the corridor.

    It was silent. Ryan couldn''t hear anything. No footsteps. No running. Nothing. He''d lost him. He was in the clear. Ryan''s body relaxed. His heart that was racing, relaxed. His eyes that were fixated on the smoke relaxed. Everything relaxed.

    Until he saw a ghost.

    One second, a dark human figure was shaped in the smoke. The next second, Malakai emerged from the smoke. Malakai locked eyes with Ryan immediately after coming out of the smoke. His pinpoint pupils and maniacal smile jump scared Ryan. Ryan''s body jolted at the sight. Smoke was escaping Malakai''s smiling mouth while the rest of the smoke was dripping off his body. Ryan couldn''t move. His legs were stuck, but they weren''t stuck on anything. He just couldn''t move. Malakai raised his arm. Took aim.

    BANG!

    He missed.

    Ryan didn''t know where the shot landed, and he didn''t want to find out. That shot woke his body up. His fight or flight response was kicking again. I say fight or flight, it was just flight. There was no way Ryan was fighting.

    Ryan took his eyes off Malakai and descended the stairs beside him. He had no more smoke grenades. He had no items that could deter Malakai away from him. All he could do was run and hide.

    "Why is he still chasing him?" Owen rhetorically asked under his breath. "Actually, Ryan has two plastic balls. Taking them from him would be quicker than searching rooms. It''s still weird how he''s chasing him, though. I would''ve given up after the first smoke grenade".

    Owen was making sense of the situation in his head. He came to the conclusion that Malakai was chasing Ryan because of the plastic balls. That was the logical conclusion. It''s a shame he''s wrong, though.

    "Malakai''s going all out", Christina said, leaning back in her chair.

    "I know. He really doesn''t like Ryan", Chris replied.

    The twins were in the class watching. The two had searched for map pieces in the last round, so they couldn''t search this round.

    "Luckily, some of those girls are not here", Chris said, referring to Ryan''s fangirls. "They would lose their shit seeing this".

    "They''ll hear about it for sure when they''re back", Christina replied, seeing half the class chatting about what was happening on screen. "I hope Ryan doesn''t get caught. If he does, that''s bad news for us".

    "Yeah. Akari has three balls right now. If Ryan can keep his balls, that''ll be a solid round. Five in total for the round. If he loses them, it will hurt a lot", Chris said. "I don''t know how Malakai ran through all that smoke and still managed to find Ryan. That shouldn''t be possible".

    "He''s not normal", Christina replied. "Every challenge, he does something unusual. We should be getting used to it".

    "Getting used to it is crazy. He ran through smoke at full speed and found Ryan. I bet even his best friends are questioning how he did that", Chris said.

    "I guess".

    "I want to see his POV because I wanna know how he ran down some stairs and through a corridor in strong smoke and found Ryan. We saw from Ryan''s angle everything was white and grey", Chris said, repeating himself dumbfounded.

    "You should ask him the next time you see him", Christina told him.

    "I will, but I haven''t talked to him in a while", Chris said. "I hope he''s still cool with me".

    Ryan was on the floor below. Again, he chose not to continue going down the stairs. He''d hoped he''d see someone else. Then he could''ve used them to distract Malakai, but no one was around. It was a bare corridor. There was only one option for him.

    Run.

    But he couldn''t keep running. He was much slower than he was before. If he continued to run, he was getting caught. He had to hide. The only problem was there were no good places to hide. Maybe he could''ve found a good spot if he had time, but he had no time.

    Ryan was using the last of his stamina to run down the corridor, looking at rooms left and right, but none of them appealed to him. They all look like death traps to him. It was looking bad until he decided to make a right turn into the restrooms. He opened the door to one of the restrooms, went inside and hurriedly went to the stall at the end. All the stalls were shut, so if Malakai came in, he''d had to open all of them. Ryan went into the last stall and locked the door. He trapped himself. Now, he was praying Malakai didn''t see him enter the restroom.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Malakai jumped down the last steps and was on the floor Ryan was on.

    "Cough! Cough!"

    Malakai inhaled some of the smoke while he charged through it. He found it harder to breathe, and his throat felt weird. But he didn''t care. He was too high on adrenaline. It didn''t affect his speed. He would feel the repercussions later, but right now, the adrenaline is acting as anaesthesia.

    "Cough! Cough!"

    "M_ _aka_! g_ ba_k to _he s_fe zon_e! Sto_ ch_si_g _i_ y_u _uckin_ idiot!"

    Malakai could hear muffled mumbling in his ear again. He heard parts of the words but no complete words. He wasn''t paying attention to the voice because he saw Ryan take a right.

    Malakai sprinted down the corridor and kept his eyes on the right side. He knew where Ryan took a right. He just about saw it. He saw his dangling leg as he disappeared. Malakai kept moving until he found where Ryan had gone.

    The restrooms.

    Malakai smiled and went into a restroom. When he entered, he saw that all the five stalls on the right-hand side were closed. He knew what he had to do. Malakai went to the first stall door.

    BANG!

    Malakai kicked it open with his right foot. It was empty. Malakai went to the next one.

    BANG!

    The stall was empty.

    Ryan could hear the doors being kicked down. The sound was coming closer and closer. It was only a matter of time.

    "Heh".

    Malakai let out a little laugh. It was like a scary movie, and he was the killer. He moved to the next stall.

    BANG!

    Empty.

    The fourth stall.

    BANG!

    Empty.

    There was one stall left. Malakai couldn''t contain his smile. It was written for Ryan to be hiding in the last stall. Malakai stood in front of it, raised his arm and aimed at where Ryan would be standing and,

    BANG!

    ...Empty.

    Malakai''s smile dissipated. No one was there. He chose wrong.

    Malakai rushed out of the women''s restroom and went into the men''s restroom, which was opposite it. He pushed the door open and scanned the room. All the stalls were closed except for the one at the end. Malakai dashed to look inside the stall.

    Empty.

    Ryan was here. Malakai chose the wrong restroom. He jetted out of the restroom to find out where he went.

    Again, let''s rewind a little bit to see Ryan''s POV.

    Ryan ran to the restroom area. He had two options. The men''s restroom or the female''s restroom. He chose to go into the male restroom. You wanna know why? The answer isn''t some 1000 IQ play. It''s just because he instinctively saw the male symbol and went inside. Ryan had no theory, mind games or thinking behind his decision. He naturally saw the male symbol, and his brain thought that''s where we belong. I would''ve loved to tell you it was an unbelievable double bluff, and he knew Malakai would go into the women''s restroom, but unfortunately, it wasn''t. Ryan''s brain was finished. He was panicking and wanted a place to hide. No thinking was going on. The only thought in his head was to survive.

    After Ryan had entered the restroom, he went to the last stall. Again, on instinct. The stall furthest from the door. When he was inside, he was dead silent. He even silenced his heavy breathing. He didn''t want to make the slightest sound. A few seconds later, Ryan realised how screwed he was. He trapped himself. He thought it was over but,

    bang!

    He heard a muffled noise. A faint bang.

    bang!

    He heard it again, a little better this time as he was more focused. He collected his thoughts and realised.

    bang!

    Malakai went into the wrong restroom. Ryan quickly unlocked the stall and quietly scurried out of the male restroom.

    bang!

    He heard Malakai kicking down the stall doors more clearly when he was outside. A smile appeared on Ryan''s face as he snuck away from the scene. The job wasn''t finished yet. He still had to get to a different floor, and when I say a different floor, I mean a couple of floors away from Malakai. Ryan knew exactly how to do that.

    Ryan went down the corridor, stopped in front of a door and pressed a button. He was going to use the elevator. Ryan had an elevator pass. He found it in the previous rounds. He might not have found a lot of plastic balls, but he found good items.

    Ding!

    The elevator doors opened. Ryan was safe... or was he?

    He felt a chill down his spine. Ryan turned his head to the left in the direction of the restroom.

    He saw Malakai staring at him with pinpoint pupils, but he wasn''t smiling this time. He was wide-eyed and straight face.

    Ryan rushed into the elevator and frantically pressed the button to the fifteenth floor. The top floor was where his safe zone was. He mashed the button many times. Ryan wanted the doors to close ASAP.

    Malakai saw Ryan enter the lift. Malakai was nowhere near tired. He still had some adrenaline left in the tank. Malakai had to shoot him. He chased him all this time. If he didn''t land a shot, it was a failure.

    Malakai sprinted to the elevator. Gripping his gun tightly. The tightest he held it. He was determined to land this shot. As he got closer from the angle he was at, he could see the doors were about to close. He was so close, but not close enough to put an arm out and stop them from closing. His legs kept going. The doors kept closing. It looked like the doors were going to close before he could shoot, but he made it. He made it to an angle where he could fit a shot through.

    Ryan''s body jumped after seeing Malakai through the gap of the elevator doors closing. Ryan froze again. He couldn''t move. He was helpless. He was going to get shot. He was a still target.

    Malakai raised his arm and pointed it at Ryan.

    BANG!

    The bullet weaved through the gap of the elevator doors like a thread through a needle. The last thing Malakai saw before the elevator doors closed was Ryan''s terrified expression with a splatter of yellow on the wall to the left of his head.

    He missed.

    Ryan heard the bullet whistle past his left ear and explode on the wall behind him. A little bit of yellow paint splattered onto him as a result of the bullet bursting on the wall behind him. The last thing Ryan saw before the elevator doors closed was Malakai, with his pupils back to their normal shape and his mouth a little open. He looked stunned he missed. The elevator doors closed, and the elevator went up. Leaving Malakai alone.

    "FUCK!!!" Malakai angrily shouted.

    "Cough! Cough! Cough!"

    Malakai could feel his breathing getting heavier. He was finding it hard to breathe. His chest was heavy, too.

    "MALAKAI! GET BACK TO THE SAFE ZONE! YOU HAVE LIKE A MINUTE LEFT!" David shouted in his ear.

    Malakai could hear David clearly now. He was back to reality. He looked down at his hands. He had his paintball gun in his right hand and one plastic ball in his left.

    "Huh? Where''s the other ball?" Malakai questioned in his head. He looked around and saw nothing. "Fuck, I must''ve dropped it earlier in the smoke or something".

    "Cough! Cough!"

    Malakai was getting lightheaded. His vision was getting blurry.

    "Shit. I inhaled some of the smoke", he thought.

    "Cough!"

    Malakai was stumbling on his feet a little. He couldn''t stand straight. His head was all over the place.

    "Malakai! What''re you doing!" David frustratedly told him. "Go!"

    Malakai didn''t like the shouting in his ear, but he couldn''t respond. It felt like no words would come out if he tried to talk. If he tried to talk, a cough would come out instead.

    "I need to go. Shit, what floor am I on?" Malakai thought, looking around.

    He had no clue where he was. He tried to think back before the chase, but his head was hurting. He couldn''t think. He couldn''t remember. He was a mess.

    "Cough! Cough!"

    "You''re on the fifth floor!"

    Malakai heard a voice he weirdly recognised.

    "Ali?" Malakai hoarsely said.

    "Quick, go up the stairs! I''ll tell you when you reach the ninth floor", Ali told him.

    Malakai got instructions and listened. He sprinted to the stairs. His adrenaline wore off, but he wasn''t tired. He could still run. Malakai continued to ascend the stairs at a rapid pace. His head was hurting, but his mind was burning. The only thing he could think about was his two misses. He was pissed. He couldn''t remember half of the chase. It was like he was possessed or something. He couldn''t even remember shooting the first shot. He definitely remembered his second shot. He saw that shot miss in 4K. He couldn''t believe it missed.

    "Malakai, hurry!" David told him.

    Malakai was going as fast as he could. Going upstairs quickly was a challenging task. Especially if you have been running the whole time before. Malakai didn''t know how much time was left for the round. He didn''t know what was going on anymore. He was feeling a lot of familiar horrible emotions. He wasn''t even that bothered about losing one of the plastic balls he had. All his mind could think about was those two shots.

    "Cough! Cough!"

    Two shots, no hits.

    Two stones, no bird.

 Chapter 104 - Idiot. Stupid. Dumbass.

    "David, how long until the round is over?" Delilah worriedly asked, pacing around anxiously in their safe zone. She couldn''t keep still.

    "A few seconds. If he isn''t in the safe zone by 12:45, he''s late", David replied while looking at his phone''s lock screen. It was 12:44. David didn''t know when it would become 12:45. It had to be less than twenty seconds. He didn''t want to check. He thought counting down the seconds was worse.

    Wooosh!

    Malakai rushed into the room. Sprinted. He sprinted the whole way. Delilah left the door open, so Malakai just ran in. He had no clue if he made it on time or not. All he knew was that he was in big trouble. As soon as he entered the room, he kept walking and didn''t make eye contact with Delilah. He stood looking towards the back wall and rested for a second. He wanted to know if he made it on time or not, but he didn''t want to ask. He didn''t want to speak. He imagined this situation as a ticking time bomb. The bomb would eventually go off, but if he spoke he would set it off sooner.

    David looked at his phone,

    "He made it", he quietly said.

    The time changed to 12:45 a second later. Malakai made it by a few seconds.

    Malakai was relieved to hear that. He was still breathing heavily with the paintball gun in his right hand and his left hand clutching the only plastic ball he got that round. That was one problem solved, but he had a lot more to solve any second now.

    "Malakai...".

    It was about to start.

    Malakai closed his eyes for a few seconds to prepare himself before slowly turning and looking at Delilah. He had a straight face on. He couldn''t smile even if he tried. He saw her standing there next to the table. The table had a metal basket with five plastic balls in it. Delilah''s face had an unimpressed look on it. It was clear what she was unimpressed about.

    "Why do you have only one ball?" Delilah asked with a calm yet cold tone.

    Malakai didn��t answer. He averted his eyes to the floor.

    "No, Malakai, you have to say something. David told me you chased Ryan for no reason. If he''s wrong, I''d love to hear the reason", Delilah said, not accepting his silence. "And I want to know why you only have one plastic ball. Last time I heard, you had two", she continued, holding two fingers up.

    Malakai didn��t answer. He kept looking down.

    "Malakai! You know I have an earpiece, too", Delilah said, pointing to her right ear. "I heard everything David was telling you. He told you to stop multiple times!".

    Malakai didn''t even know that. He didn''t remember hearing David''s voice throughout the chase. His mind blocked it out. He was trying to remember what he heard during the chase, but he couldn''t. His mind was drawing a blank. He was questioning whether he heard any sound at all.

    "Are you an idiot!?" Delilah said, raising her voice and trying to get a response.

    Malakai couldn''t even respond. He had no right.

    "Cough! Cough!" Malakai could feel his throat and chest acting up again.

    "Malakai, look! I got five plastic balls. Five!" Delilah said, showing five fingers and pointing at the basket. Delilah was so annoyed that she used hand gestures for everything. "I was so excited because I thought you would''ve had five or more. But I come back to you having one! Are you okay!? We''re in a challenge! Why are you acting like an idiot!?".

    Malakai still didn''t respond.

    "Say something!" Delilah frustratedly said, getting angrier the more Malakai was silent.

    Malakai shook his head, avoided eye contact and said,

    "My bad. Cough! Cough!".

    "My bad?... My bad? You''re a fucking idiot, Malakai", Delilah harshly replied. "So stupid!".

    Delilah wasn''t the only one who was annoyed. A lot of his classmates were, too. Even his best friends.

    "He''s a dumbass", Benjamin said, shaking his head a little annoyed.

    "We were running around the school getting map pieces, and he was chasing Ryan for no reason", William said, disappointed, leaning back in his chair.

    "Guys, we know he hates Ryan. You could see what he wanted to do", Ray whispered so only his friends heard.

    "Ray, I would be fine if he hit him. The motherfucker missed twice", Benjamin whispered back. "He chased him for no reason".

    "We''re also in a challenge. Points are on the line, and he wanted to do his own selfish thing", Lucas added. "It''s annoying he did that. He wasted a round. If he didn''t chase him and carried on searching, he could''ve got another ball or two. Imagine how many points we could''ve got".

    "Ryan had two plastic balls. If Mally shot him, he would''ve got two balls", Ray replied.

    "Ray, you know Mally wasn''t trying to shoot him to get his balls", Benjamin told him. "He just wanted to shoot him".

    "C''mon guys, you know Mally. He does crazy stuff, and it works out most of the time. None of you complain then", Ray didn''t want them to be that annoyed at Malakai. He didn''t want them to praise him by any means, but he didn''t want them to turn on him and make him feel worse than he already did. Everyone in the room hated Malakai right now. Even if what Malakai did was stupid, he wanted his friends to stick by him and not publically hate on him as well.

    "When he does crazy shit, and it works, we praise him. If it doesn''t, we flame him", William replied.

    "Ray, I know he''s our friend, but there''s a time when we NEED to tell him to fix up. Cuz this was just fucking stupid", Lucas said.

    His friends were harsh, but Ray could hear what the girls were saying, and they were even harsher on Malakai.

    "Why would he do that!?" Tanisha rhetorically asked with an annoyed expression. "He''s sabotaging us!".

    "Someone needs to take that gun off him. He''s acting like a child with it", Rose added.

    "Why is he our representative?" Maya commented.

    "Idiot", Emily said under breath. Her opinion of Malakai drastically switched after one round. After round two, she thought he was a secret genius, but now she''s back to thinking he was a lucky idiot.

    Maria quietly watched as everyone was hating on Malakai. She understood why they were mad, but she didn''t feel the same way they did. Of course, she cared about points and was a little hurt that Malakai didn''t get a lot of points that round, but she didn''t care that much to talk badly about him. The thoughts in her head were confusion. She was trying to figure out why Malakai chased Ryan and wasted two bullets. Why did he want to shoot Ryan? She had a lot of questions and possibilities, but it didn''t mean squat. She didn''t know Malakai well enough to understand him, so it was pointless thoughts. Maybe it was a possible talking point for when they had their balcony talks.

    Maria also found it hard to watch the screen. Seeing her two friends argue and go at each other wasn''t a nice thing to watch. In the last round, they were arguing. Now, it was just Delilah having a go at Malakai. Delilah''s camera angle showed that Malakai''s back was turned. Malakai''s camera angle showed the wall. It was clear he didn''t want to be seen. Maria didn''t enjoy what was going on. She wanted everyone to calm down, but it didn''t look like her classmates or Delilah were calming down anytime soon. They had no reason to calm down.

    Malakai wasn��t looking at Delilah. He couldn''t. He just wanted to face the wall. He was pissed at himself. He was pissed he missed. Not once, but twice. His head was also starting to hurt again. Malakai only had the paintball gun in his hand. He dropped the plastic ball a few moments ago.

    Delilah watched him. She wanted answers. She knew what the answers would be, but she wanted to hear Malakai say them. She was annoyed. Really annoyed. Before the challenge started, she was nervous. Nervous, she wouldn''t perform. But look at her, she''s killing it. And Malakai, who was supposed to be reliable and succeed like he usually does, is messing up. Not because the challenge is difficult but because of his own selfish desires.

    Delilah wanted to keep quiet and lay off Malakai. She didn''t want to go off at him, but she couldn''t hold it in.

    "You''re so stupid! You''re such an idiot!" Delilah said with a hand on her forehead. "Why are you fucking up on this challenge? I''m doing my best, and look what you''re doing".

    Delilah was saying how she felt and what was on her mind. She was thinking this might get to him. She wanted to get to him.

    "Argh, like why!? Ever since you''ve got that paintball gun, you''ve been acting like a dumbass. Can''t you control yourself?"

    Delilah was going to keep going until Malakai said something back.

    "You had two balls and lost one while chasing Ryan. You wasted five minutes chasing Ryan. You wasted two bullets. You don''t even know how many bullets you have. And you wasted one earlier just to scare Dillon. You don''t have unlimited bullets, I''m sure of it".

    At this point, Malakai would''ve usually pettily replied and tried to prove her wrong by shaking the gun and making her hear the large amount of bullets in the hopper, but Malakai wasn''t in the mood. He genuinely felt like shit. Things would''ve turned out differently if he hit Ryan. If he hurt Ryan, he wouldn''t mind being verbally abused right now, but he didn''t land a shot. He fucked up horrendously.

    Malakai not responding and not looking at Delilah made her more angry.

    "I can''t believe you. You''re such an idiot!" Delilah bitterly said.

    Idiot was the only word that came to mind when describing Malakai. It was the word that suited him. People called him an idiot all the time as an insult or a joke, but this time, it had a reason. He''s an idiot.

    "You said you weren''t good at getting headshots in shooter games earlier. It looks like your shit at shooter games. You can''t land a shot unless you''re point blank".

    People in the class smirked and giggled at that insult. Benjamin, Lucas and William were giggling while Ray had a hand over his smirk. David had to put a hand over the mic to cover the sound of his little laugh. That joke lifted the boy''s mood a little. To the boys, that joke was funnier to them than it might have been for the rest of the class. The main game they used to play was a shooter game. At the start, Malakai and Lucas were the worst, but Malakai sweated the game and became the best. It was tough to decide who was better out of Ray and Malakai, but Malakai beat Ray in the last two 1v1s they played before the game died and became boring. After that game died, they moved to different types of games, and the competition of who the best gamer was spread among the boys, depending on the type of game. Anyway, back to the main point, the boys found this funny because it reminded them of how Malakai was when he first started gaming. He couldn''t land most of his shots unless he was point-blank. He used to spray with a submachine gun (SMG) up close, explaining why he was never good at getting headshots. With more game time, his aim improved. If he saw a target, he would land every shot at their body with an assault rifle, but he still couldn''t improve his headshot accuracy. He could never land headshots.

    Malakai glared at the floor and furrowed his eyebrows. When people said a good insult towards him, he would smile and appreciate the insult, but this one burned him. He didn''t want to hear it. His mood was getting worse and worse. He could''ve retaliated and said something rash, but he calmed himself. If he said anything, it would look bad on him. At this point, he was hoping for David to say something, but nothing was being said in his ear. It didn''t help that his head was hurting, and he was finding it hard to breathe. He was holding in a cough that had been lingering in his throat for a while. If he spoke, he was going to cough.

    "Malakai, at least say something", Delilah said, growing impatient. "Tell me how you lost one of your plastic balls. You can tell me that much".

    As much as Malakai didn''t want to speak, he had to.

    "I dropped in while I was chasing Ryan", Malakai hoarsely replied, still facing the wall. "Cough!"

    He was doing his best to hold the coughs in. He didn''t want to cough that much.

    "And why did you do something so stupid?" Delilah harshly asked. Luckily, Malakai wasn''t facing her to see her expression. "I know you act like an idiot sometimes, but I thought you knew how to be serious when you need to be", she continued with the same tone.

    Malakai put a hand to his head. His head was banging. He was getting sharp pains at the front of his head.

    "I made a mistake, innit", he weakly replied. "Cough! Cough!"

    "A stupid mistake! How many times did I tell you to stop?" David told him condescendingly in his earpiece. "I shouted down this mic so many times, but you didn''t listen. You chased him for no reason. You didn''t hit him".

    "Shut up, man", Malakai replied, annoyed.

    He took out his earpiece and pressed a button on his camera to turn it off. His camera angle turned off for the students back in the classroom. He could just about handle one person talking his ear off. He didn''t want another person doing it. Thankfully for him, he could shut David up. Unfortunately, he couldn''t shut Delilah up.

    "Malakai, what are you doing!?" Delilah asked, spreading her arms. "You idiot! You can''t turn those off".

    Malakai turned around and walked to the table. Slightly stumbling. He put the paintball gun and the earpiece on the table. After he put his stuff on the table, he put his hand on his head. He made sure to face away from Delilah so she couldn''t see his scrunched-up expression. His head was spinning. He was forcefully closing his eyes, hoping that would ease the headache.

    Delilah didn''t know what to do. She watched, confused. This was nothing like Malakai.

    "Cough! Cough! Cough!" Malakai heavily coughed into his right arm. "shit".

    Malakai took a seat, still holding his head.

    "Malakai?..." Delilah was getting worried now.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    She turned off her camera and took off her earpiece. She wanted to talk to him without everyone else listening.

    "Huh? We can''t see anything", William said, pointing at the black screen.

    "They both turned off their cameras and took off their earpieces", David replied.

    The whole class was in a commotion. They didn''t like how they were being left out. They wanted to know what was happening. Everything ended abruptly.

    "Do you think Mally''s going to be alright?" Ray asked, looking at his friends.

    "He breathed in a little smoke", Benjamin replied. "He''ll be alright after a bit".

    "It''s his own fault. He ran head first into smoke", Lucas said. "I doubt the smoke is dangerous. They wouldn''t let them use smoke grenades in a closed space like that if the smoke grenades were harmful".

    "Still, breathing it in is a little dangerous. It''s not like the smoke is oxygen", David replied. "He''ll be fine after sitting down and getting some fresh air. There''s an open window in their safe zone, so he should be fine".

    Ray looked around the classroom, and it seemed like most of his classmates thought he was faking it. They didn''t buy his constant coughing. A lot of them didn''t want to believe him after what he did last round. They weren''t going to let him get away with it.

    While the class was in discussion, Ms Green quietly smiled, watching the black screen.

    "Malakai, a-are you okay?" Delilah worriedly asked, slowly stepping closer to Malakai.

    "Yeah. Cough! Cough!" Malakai answered, clearly not okay and avoiding eye contact.

    "What happened to you?"

    "Cough! I breathed in a little bit of smoke".

    "You breathed in the smoke!?" Delilah reacted, raising her eyebrows.

    David told her Malakai had run through smoke while chasing Ryan but didn''t mention that he might''ve inhaled some of the smoke.

    "I''m fine. Don''t worry. I just needed to sit down for a bit", Malakai said, leaning back in his seat, still holding his head.

    "Are you sure?" Delilah asked to make sure. Inhaling smoke sounded serious. Delilah thought he needed more than just sitting down to feel better.

    "Yeah, yeah. Don''t worry", Malakai reassured her.

    Screech!

    "Malakai, are you okay?" Mr White asked through the speaker.

    Malakai smiled, "Yeah, I''m good", he answered. He was getting tired of the questions.

    "It doesn''t look like it. You''ve constantly been coughing. Are you finding it hard to breathe?" Mr White questioned.

    "Nah, I''m fine now", Malakai replied, not looking towards the camera in the corner of the room. He was holding in a cough as he was speaking. His throat was itching for him to cough. The headache was also still present.

    "I don''t think you are, Malakai", Mr White said. "I''m going to come to your safe zone and check myself. If I see that you are still struggling to breathe, you''ll have to sit out for the rest of the challenge".

    "What!" Malakai took his hand off his head and looked into the camera. That last piece of information was like an electrical shock to him. "I''m fine! I just needed a break!" he protested.

    "I''m still coming to your safe zone. It''s my decision", Mr White said.

    "I''m fine though", Malakai desperately replied.

    "I said it''s my decision, not yours", Mr White firmly reiterated.

    "Tch", Malakai angrily looked away from the camera and shook his head. He couldn''t avoid this checkup. "Fine. Bring me a water bottle at least, innit", he rudely said out of frustration.

    "Okay, will do".

    The speaker turned off.

    "Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!"

    Malakai let out some nasty coughs he was holding in. There was an awkward silence for about thirty seconds. Malakai didn''t want to speak, but Delilah wanted to. She still had some things she wanted to hear.

    "Malakai", she broke the silence.

    "Don''t ask if I''m alright", Malakai quickly replied with a little bit of attitude.

    "I wasn''t", Delilah calmly said. After seeing what Malakai was going through, she calmed down. "I just wanted to know why you chased Ryan. I turned my camera and took my earpiece out. No one in the class can hear you. Just tell me".

    Malakai let out a deep breath and finally looked at Delilah.

    "You know why I chased him", Malakai replied, looking at her straight-faced. "Cough! Cough!".

    "I know you don''t like him, but did you really have to chase him?" Delilah asked after finally getting an answer.

    "I saw him, and I chased him. Don''t ask what I was thinking because I wasn''t", Malakai replied.

    "You lost a plastic ball. How did you lose a plastic ball?".

    "Cough! I don''t knoowww bro", Malakai replied, tired of hearing these questions. "I had my paintball gun in my right hand, a plastic ball in my left hand and the other plastic ball resting on my left arm. It probably slipped out of my arm while I was running".

    "Do you know where you lost it?" Delilah asked, getting carried away with the questions.

    "Cough! Cough! Delilah, please, stop with these questions", Malakai tiredly told her, slumping in his seat.

    "I wanna know!" Delilah raised her voice as she thought he wasn''t taking her seriously.

    "Look! I told you I don''t know bro!" Malakai replied, now raising his voice a little and getting up from his seat. "I fucked up, okay! I know I did. I know you''re pissed at me. I''m pissed at myself. But don''t act like I ruined the whole challenge. We got two rounds left", he continued, holding two fingers up. He was not doing a peace sign. He was doing the V-sign, which is offensive in England. He didn''t mean it in that way. He just wanted to put two fingers up to show two rounds.

    Delilah widened. She didn''t expect Malakai to respond like that.

    "I''m not acting like you ruined the whole challenge. I''m saying you wasted a round! You chased someone instead of getting points. Of course, I''m gonna be pissed after how hard I worked in that round!" Delilah replied, agitated by Malakai''s tone.

    "Yo, Delilah, I don''t wanna be pissed at you, bro", Malakai said, looking away. "You''re asking questions, and you already know the answer to them. You''re my friend. You should know why I chased him. And I know I fucked up. You don''t need to keep reminding me".

    "It''s not just that. You''ve been fucking up the whole challenge?" Delilah replied.

    "How!? I fucked up once!" Malakai said, holding one finger up to Delilah. "Me pretending to shoot you, and that other girl was me taking the piss. I was being an..." Malakai didn''t finish his sentence because he didn''t want to say that word.

    "An idiot!" Delilah said it for him. "You''ve been an idiot this whole challenge. And now you might sit out the rest of the challenge".

    Malakai didn''t like this. He usually liked arguments, but this one wasn''t fun. He couldn''t joke or take the piss. Plus, his headache was annoying him, too.

    "Tch. Aryt, listen, we''re getting nowhere, man. Let''s stop arguing", Malakai said. "Let''s see what happens, innit. If I have to sit out for the rest of the challenge, you can chat all the shit you want, but if I don''t, I''m winning this challenge. I don''t give a shit".

    "Hmpf, too late now", Delilah said, turning away, not impressed by his sudden determination.

    "Man said too late. We''ve got two rounds left", Malakai pettily replied. A bit of London talk was coming out of him now.

    Delilah was angry at Malakai, and Malakai was annoyed at Delilah. Their facial expressions said it all.

    Creak!

    The door opened, and Mr White came walking through the doorway with a water bottle in hand. He wasted no time and went straight to Malakai,

    "Here you go", Mr White said, handing him the water bottle.

    "Thank you", Malakai replied, taking the water bottle.

    He unscrewed the lid and took a big gulp of water. He needed that drink. Malakai''s head was still hurting, but it was bearable for now. As for his breathing, it was still weird. He wasn''t struggling to breathe, but when he was breathing in and out, it didn''t feel smooth. Malakai took the bottle away from his lips and looked at Mr White.

    "See, I''m fine", he said, smiling at him, trying to convince him.

    "You look fine, but I know you''re not feeling fine", Mr White replied, paying close attention to his body language.

    "Sir, believe me, I''m fine", Malakai insisted.

    "I can''t just take your word for it, Malakai. You breathed in smoke. The smoke grenades used aren''t toxic, but there are still chemicals in there that shouldn''t be inhaled", Mr White said.

    "I didn''t breathe in that much, though", Malakai replied, holding up his hands. He lied. He didn''t know how much he inhaled.

    "It doesn''t matter. You still inhaled some smoke. That isn''t good for your lungs or your airways. You''ve been coughing a lot. We need to check if you''re okay with a medic", Mr White said.

    "Yeah, and we can do that after the challenge", Malakai replied after taking a sip of water.

    "No, the longer we wait, the more damage it can cause", Mr White said.

    "Sir, I''m fine, man", Malakai replied, frustrated that he was repeating himself. "I''m not coughing or nothing. My breathing is fine".

    Delilah awkwardly watched on the side. She was feeling conflicted. She wanted to tell Malakai to go and properly check if he was okay, but at the same time, she didn''t want him to sit out for the rest of the challenge. As much as she told him off, she still needed a teammate for this challenge.

    "Malakai, I know you want to compete in this challenge, but your safety comes first", Mr White told him, trying to get through to him.

    "My safety? I''ve told you I''m fine like ten times. You shouldn''t be worried about my safety", Malakai replied, furrowing his eyebrows.

    "I''m sorry. I can''t believe you", Mr White said. "You are a student at my academy. I can''t have one of my students be at risk for an injury that I could prevent".

    "It''s not your responsibility. It''s mine", Malakai said, pointing at his chest with his thumb. "If something happens to me. It''s my fault. I''m responsible for myself. I''m eighteen. I''m a big man, you know", he tried to add a little joke at the end to further prove he was okay.

    "Malakai, I know you want to believe that, but you are still an Astral Academy student, no matter your age. I can''t ignore this. Even if you say it''s not my responsibility, I will still feel responsible if something happens to you. Especially knowing I could''ve prevented it".

    Malakai was losing. At this rate, he was going to sit out for the rest of the challenge. If he couldn''t persuade Mr White, his challenge would end now. He had to do something.

    Malakai switched his water bottle to his left hand, put his right hand over his mouth to shield it from the camera, and quietly said,

    "Are you sure you want to take me out of the challenge? Would the higher-ups like that?"

    Mr White''s eyes widened, "He''s acting like that again", he thought, seeing a change in Malakai''s eyes. He''d seen this side of Malakai before. It might''ve been for a quick moment, but he still remembered it. Even the tone of voice. His ears couldn''t miss the combination of cold and authoritarian in his voice.

    "What do you mean?" Mr White asked, matching Malakai''s quiet tone. His back faced the camera so he didn''t have to shield his mouth.

    "Don''t you think it would ruin the challenge if you made a student sit out for the rest of it?" Malakai asked, staring into his eyes and not blinking.

    "For safety reasons, I''m sure they would understand", Mr White replied.

    Their conversation was quiet, so the camera in the corner of the room could not pick up what they were saying.

    "You sure?" Malakai asked. "Even after I''ve said I''m fine countless times?"

    "You want to continue with the challenge, I understand, but your word is unreliable", Mr White simply replied.

    "Maybe it is. But what would happen if I do get checked out and I am completely fine like I said?"

    "It''s better safe than sorry".

    Mr White was standing his ground, but Malakai could feel it. He was wavering a little. Malakai felt like he was getting the upper hand.

    Malakai quickly took a sip of his water to clear the tingling feeling in his throat and shielded his mouth again.

    "Listen, I''ve talked with the higher-ups. I don''t think they''d like me to be taken out of the challenge. They''d hate it, I think", Malakai said, continuing to stare into Mr White''s eyes. "The student at the top of the leaderboard was told to sit out for the rest of the challenge even though he said he was fine. I don''t think that''ll go well with them. That''d also affect my progress at this academy, no?".

    "He''s really good at talking", Mr White thought, thinking of a response, but he couldn''t find a pocket to fit in. He didn''t want to interrupt Malakai either, as it would look like he was losing the conversation. It was also unprofessional.

    "I''ve got a paintball gun as well. Taking me out of the challenge would make this challenge boring. 1-A''s gonna win the whole thing if I''m gone. No one wants that. You were in that room when I was talking to them. They don''t wanna see something boring. They wanna see something interesting", Malakai continued, smiling after he said the word boring.

    Mr White could tell from his eyes that Malakai was smiling.

    Mr White thought back to when Malakai spoke to the higher-ups. He remembered that Malakai even got them to listen to him. In the end, Malakai persuaded them to not give him a point reduction. He managed to get a different punishment. But the punishment didn''t affect Malakai because he still did really well in the challenge with the handicap. Thinking back to the punishment, Mr White remembered their faces when they suggested it. They enjoyed it because it was interesting.

    Now, Mr White was conflicted. He wanted to take Malakai out of the challenge to check if he was okay. It was all for Malakai''s safety. But if he did, the higher-ups would be asking questions. He thought he could get away with it by saying ''for safety reasons'', but Malakai filled his head with doubt about what he had said earlier. The more and more Mr White looked at Malakai, the more he looked fine. Malakai painted an image in his head that he was okay. Mr White didn''t even notice, but Malakai hadn''t coughed the whole conversation. Maybe Malakai was fine after all, but Mr White still didn''t want to take that chance.

    "You''re abusing you''re number one position", Mr White said.

    "I''m number one. I might as well. If I wasn''t number one, you wouldn''t have given me a chance to speak", Malakai replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Listen, I''m tryna help you. I know you don''t want to talk to them. That conversation with them will be long. You''d have to explain why you took me out of the challenge and justify why you disadvantaged my class. It would be worse to justify yourself after they find out I''m fine. But, if you keep me in, you won''t have to".

    "Who is this kid?" Mr White questioned in his head, staring into his cold, controlling eyes. He was speechless. Everything Malakai told him was correct. He didn''t want to speak to the higher-ups. He didn''t want to explain his decision if he made Malakai sit out of the challenge despite the obvious answer. He wanted to protect Malakai. But it seemed like the likelihood of him being fine kept increasing the more Malakai said it.

    He was being gaslit.

    "How about this. Let me stay in this challenge. But, if you see me coughing and struggling to breathe, you can take me out of the challenge, and I won''t complain or argue with your decision", Malakai proposed.

    Mr White just stared at Malakai, disorientated. Malakai switched back to normal. His eyes and his tone of voice were back to how they were. Mr White didn''t know what to say. He didn''t know what to do. When he stepped into the room, he had already decided he was going to take Malakai out of the challenge, but his decision was about to do a 180.

    Mr White looked at his watch on his right wrist. It was a few minutes past one. The fourth round was supposed to start at 12:55.

    He couldn''t be in this room much longer. The fourth round had to start.

    "Okay. You can continue with the challenge", Mr White said, looking away from Malakai. He was ashamed of what he was saying. "But! If I see any signs that you''re struggling, I''m immediately taking you out of the challenge", he sternly told Malakai, pointing at him and showing his authority.

    "That''s fine by me", Malakai replied, finally taking his hand away from his mouth.

    Mr White let out a big sigh. He turned around and went towards the doors.

    "The fourth round will start soon", he said on his way out, closing the door behind him.

    While Mr White walked away, he shook his head. He was disappointed that he had let that happen. Now, he wanted a serious conversation with Malakai after the challenge was over. He had to know more about him. The way he could make people with high authority listen to him and make them do what he wanted amazed him. He fell victim to it and was still amazed. It wasn''t just confidence and charisma. It was something more.

    Malakai took another gulp of water before retaking his seat. Delilah stood speechless. In this challenge alone, she''d seen so many different sides of Malakai. This side was the serious side she''d heard his best friends talk about. She had seen a glimpse of it earlier when he was scaring Kayla, but this seriousness felt different from the seriousness she had seen before. It was a little scary, and that was just watching from the side. She couldn''t imagine being the one talking to him. She kinda wanted her camera to be on so everyone could see what she saw, but she totally forgot about her camera being switched off. Even though she wasn''t involved in the conversation, she felt trapped in it. She stood there, unsure of what to say to him. Before Mr White entered, they were in the middle of an argument. Delilah didn''t want to continue with that. Not with Malakai like this. But she had to say something.

    "A-are you going to be serious now? You''re not going to be an idiot?" Delilah asked. She didn''t have an attitude with her tone. Rather, it was a little shaky.

    Malakai looked at her and met her eyes. Delilah felt a jolt down her spine due to the serious look in his eyes. It was like the shine in his eyes had drained out. His eyes weren''t accompanied by Malakai''s usual smile but a straight face. All Malakai had to say was,

    "We''re gonna win".

 Chapter 105 - Cute Expression

    Malakai finished his water and put the empty bottle on the table. He picked up his earpiece and put it back into his right ear.

    "Delilah, let''s not tell them what happened", Malakai said. "I''ll tell them later".

    "Are you sure?" Delilah replied, unsure of Malakai''s mood. It looked like he was back to normal.

    "Yeah, they''ll have different questions anyway", Malakai said, smiling at her.

    "Whatever you say", Delilah replied, taking the earpiece out of her pocket and putting it back into her ear. "Before you turn your camera back on, are you sure you''re okay?" she asked. "You''re not going to start coughing when you start running again, are you?".

    "Who knows?" Malakai grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "My head is still hurting, but I''m breathing fine".

    "I need a yes or no. I don''t wanna lose my teammate", Delilah replied.

    "Heh. It didn''t sound like you wanted to lose a teammate earlier. I heard I was an idiot, a dumbass, and you called me stupid a couple of times", Malakai joked, listing them with his fingers.

    "You are all those things", Delilah said, pointing at him and standing by what she said. "But, now I know you''re not going to be stupid, an idiot and a dumbass. You''re lucky you escaped not being taken out of the challenge. You''re not gonna waste this chance".

    Malakai blew air out of his nose and smiled with his teeth out. He knew she was right, and he wasn''t planning on wasting it. If he saw Ryan again, he would ignore him. That was what he was telling himself. But who knows? If he happened to walk into a room Ryan was in, he could waste a minute or two to make sure he shot him. But that''s only if Ryan was in close proximity. He wasn''t going to go on a chase again.

    Malakai pressed a button on his camera to turn it on. Delilah did the same.

    In the classroom, a loading circle suddenly appeared.

    "Connecting", David read out.

    A few seconds later, both cameras connected, and both showcased their angles.

    "They''re back!" William excitedly said, smiling after seeing the screen.

    The whole class had a similar reaction. They were getting restless, not knowing what their representatives were doing.

    "Malakai", David said into the mic.

    "Yo", Malakai casually replied, looking into Delilah''s camera. He was still sitting down.

    "Why is he smiling?" Lucas asked, seeing his usual smirk.

    "It looks like he''s back to normal", Ray commented.

    "Why did both of you turn off your cameras?" David asked.

    "We had sex", Malakai joked.

    "Shut up", Delilah tiredly said. She couldn''t be bothered with him. Malakai had mentally drained her this challenge.

    That joke did get a few laughs from the class. The majority of the laughs were from the boys.

    "Yup, he''s back to normal", Ray said, seeing Malakai act like he usually does.

    "What actually happened?" David asked, unamused by his joke and wanting to know like the rest of the class.

    "I''ll tell you lot later. I can''t be arsed now", Malakai replied, leaning back in his chair and looking away from the camera.

    "What do you mean later?" David impatiently asked. "Just say it now. What''s stopping you? It can''t have been that big of a deal".

    "David, just believe him. It was a lot", Delilah replied, defending Malakai. "I understand why he can''t be bothered right now".

    David''s words got paused. If Delilah was telling him to believe Malakai, he had to accept the wait. But hearing ''it was a lot'' made him more curious. Malakai kept smiling in his seat.

    "Mally, why you smiling?" Benjamin asked, getting on the mic. "You do realise you wasted a round".

    "I know", Malakai calmly said, smiling and looking into Delilah''s camera again. "It''s calm, though. We''re gonna win".

    His confidence didn''t convince the class. They needed actions, not words. His friends, however, grinned to themselves.

    "You think he''s serious?" Lucas asked, looking at his friends.

    "Whenever we doubt him, he proves us wrong", William replied. "He proved us wrong in the third challenge".

    "Yeah, if he says he''s going to do something, he''s going to do it", Ray added. "I think everyone overreacted a little. He did waste one round, but they''ve still got a lot of plastic balls".

    "No, everyone was mad because we could''ve got more", Lucas replied. "Winning means getting the most points".

    Ray had no response to that. He looked back at the screen,

    "Well, at least he isn''t going to make that mistake again".

    Screech!

    "The fourth round will begin shortly".

    It was time to hear the rules for the fourth round.

    "Here are the rules for the fourth round. Only one person from each team will be allowed out of their safe zone this round. That person will be the person who wasn''t chosen in the second round. So, the person chosen in the second round will not be able to leave their safe zone this round. Another rule for this round is that all safe zones are disabled. A player can go into another safe zone, and they will not be penalised for it. Lastly, this round will last 20 minutes. The round will start shortly".

    The speaker turned off.

    "Damn, looks like I''m staying here", Malakai said, slumping in his seat and getting comfortable.

    "No chance for redemption", David told him.

    "Nah, don''t worry, fifth round redemption arc innit", Malakai replied. "Anyways, you lot should be happy. Our star player is going out".

    "Don''t call me the star player just because I''m doing better than you", Delilah said, stretching her arms.

    "Someone has to be the star player, and you just said you''re doing better than me. So, by default, you''re the star player", Malakai playfully replied.

    Delilah rolled her eyes and sighed. The usual Malakai was back, that was for sure.

    "Here, take it".

    Delilah turned towards Malakai. Malakai was holding the paintball gun towards her.

    "It''ll be more useful for you than me", he said.

    Delilah looked at the paintball gun and paused. She was a little hesitant to take it, but she slowly outstretched her arm to do so.

    Screech!

    "Malakai, you cannot give your paintball gun to your teammate. It is your item. You cannot share it", Mr White said.

    The speaker turned off. That announcement was only told to their safe zone.

    "Damn", Malakai said, pulling back the paintball gun and putting it on the table.

    "It''s fine. I didn''t really want it anyway", Delilah truthfully replied. "Besides you might need it to defend the safe zone. People might come in here".

    "Defend the safe zone against who?" Malakai asked, raising an eyebrow. "I swear it''s gonna only be the girls that are outside this round. I''m sure all the guys chose themselves for round two. Execpt 1-E, they chose Nada".

    "Defending the safe zone doesn''t mean shooting them", Delilah told him. "If a girl comes into the room, just scare them like you''ve been doing this whole challenge", she snuck in a bit of diss.

    Malakai smirked and didn''t respond. It looked like Delilah was going to slyly diss him here and there for the rest of the challenge. He did deserve it.

    "Can the participants get ready. Round four will start shortly".

    Delilah let out a deep breath, picked up her basket and walked to the door.

    Screech!

    "Delilah, you cannot take the basket with you. You can take a basket from another room, use it and bring it to your safe zone, but you cannot take it out of your safe zone once it is inside".

    The speaker turned off.

    Delilah dropped the basket on the floor next to the door.

    "It''s fine. I can get another one", she quietly said.

    Compared to the previous rounds, she was the most confident right now. One because she knew what to do. From the last round''s success, she knew how to be efficient. The other reason was the high likelihood that all the other players running around this round were girls. She knew the guy in 1-E was participating in this round, and she was sure that the girls in 1-A and 1-B would participate. However, she was unsure about 1-D because she didn''t know how Dillon''s item worked. Did they choose Kayla to participate in round two, and did Dillon use his item to tag along? Or did Dillon get chosen and use his item to make Kayla tag along? Either way, she had bags of confidence right now. She might''ve rolled her eyes at the star player comment earlier, but knowing that you were doing well for your class and making them happy was an amazing feeling. She wanted that feeling to stay, and the only way to do that was to keep performing. And she knew she could keep performing. She could feel the momentum.

    "Yo, good luck", Malakai said from the chair.

    "Thanks", Delilah replied, looking behind at him.

    BEEP!!

    Delilah left the safe zone and went towards the stairs. The eighth and seventh floors had already been searched, so the plan was to go to the sixth floor. The idea that the sixth floor had already been searched crossed her mind, but she still had to check, just in case.

    Delilah continued down the stairs. The pace was a little slower than at the start of the challenge. The fatigue was kicking in. She reached the sixth floor and cautiously walked down the corridor. She knew that only one person from each class was out of their safe zones, but she still wanted to be left alone. She quietly made her way down the corridor, and she was met with open doors. Every room''s door was open. Delilah quickened her walk because she expected all the room''s doors to be open.

    As expected, all the doors were opened until Delilah found a closed door. She looked at the room opposite it, and that room looked like it had been searched. She looked to the room to the left, and that room''s door was open.

    "I''ve either gotten really lucky or this is a safe zone", Delilah said, standing in front of the door.

    "I reckon it''s a safe zone", David replied.

    "Me too, but there''s no harm in checking", Delilah said.

    She grabbed the handle and slowly opened the door. Delilah took a small step inside and noticed the colour of the flooring. It was green. This was a safe zone. However, Delilah still wanted to see who was inside. She fully opened the door, and her eyes met with someone. Someone she was a little familiar with.

    "There''s no point in trying", Alexander arrogantly said, staying in his seat.

    Delilah found 1-A��s safe zone. Like Nada, she was also on Alexander''s team for the second challenge, and again, I''m not sure if Alexander remembers that piece of information.

    "Are you going to stop me if I try?" Delilah asked, keeping eye contact.

    Alexander gave her a bored look. He didn''t want to entertain that question.

    Delilah took a slow, cautious step into the room to see Alexander''s reaction. Alexander didn''t flinch. He continued to look at her like she was stupid. Delilah took a quick look around the room. It was the exact same as her safe zone. The same table and vertical locker. The locker was behind the table, so it was a way away from the door. Alexander was also in between her and the locker. There were a couple of plastic balls on the floor near the locker, but they obviously had more than that. The rest of their plastic balls were stashed in their locker.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Delilah took another step to test the waters. Alexander didn''t flinch. Whatever Delilah was doing, Alexander didn''t mind it happening.

    "Delilah, just leave", David told her. "You''re wasting time. He''ll obviously stop you when you get too close".

    "Shit, you''re right", Delilah realised.

    She wanted to get closer and closer to see when Alexander would move. She wanted to make him budge a little. This was her first time in another team''s safe zone, so she got a little ahead of herself. She forgot that she was wasting time. That was why Alexander didn''t mind her cautiously taking little steps into the room. He knew she wouldn''t come too close. She was too scared. Alexander watched her as she wasted precious seconds.

    Delilah shook her head to get her head back in the game. She turned around and left the room, leaving the door open behind her.

    Alexander tutted and shook his head,

    "Why does no one know how to close a door?" he thought, not wanting to get up from his seat.

    "Delilah, try the fifth floor. In the last round, I remember seeing a few closed doors when Malakai was running through that floor", David told her.

    "Okay", Delilah replied, darting to the stairs. "Are there any floors with a lot of dots?"

    "Yeah, but I''m not sure if it''s worth searching those floors", David said. "The majority of rooms have probably been searched".

    "Yeah", Delilah replied. "Are there any dots for the fifth floor?"

    "Like three", David said, dissatisfied.

    "Sounds good enough", Delilah replied. "I might as well search them".

    Malakai was sitting in their safe zone, bored. He wasn''t only bored. He was in a little pain. The sharp pain headaches were back. An ice pick headache. He tried resting his head on the table, but that didn''t work. He finished the water bottle, so he had nothing to drink. There was nothing he could do except firm the pain. He was restlessly swaying back and forth in his chair to try and forget about the pain. It didn''t work. The pain was coming and going. It wasn''t constantly there. As soon as the sharp pain went for a few seconds, and Malakai thought he was safe, the pain would strike back. He knew Mr White was watching him, so he didn''t want to make it obvious he was experiencing some pain. That was why he was avoiding to put a hand on his head. David was preoccupied with whatever Delilah was doing, so he didn''t have to focus on what David was saying.

    Malakai just wanted the pain to go away. He was getting annoyed. If the pain was constant, he could find a way to get used to it. But the pain would randomly jab him. He couldn''t get used to that. The pain was gone entirely before the round started, but it appeared out of nowhere after it began.

    "fuck this", Malakai mumbled.

    He put his head down on the table again and closed his eyes. He thought maybe he could go to sleep, and the pain would go. He wasn''t that worried that someone would come into their safe zone. He didn''t think anyone would bother checking this room. If he went to sleep now, Delilah would wake him up at the end of the round, and the pain should be gone. It sounded like a good idea. An idea that Malakai wanted to work.

    ...

    Creeak!

    "Huh? Did the round end already?" Malakai thought, opening his eyes, unsure if he had gone to sleep.

    Malakai lifted his head and saw who opened the door.

    "Oooouuuu, what a surprise".

    "Fuck sake, man. Piss off", Malakai said, annoyed. As soon as he lifted his head, some pain stabbed his head. It didn''t help seeing her smiling in front of him.

    "Someone''s happy to see me", Destiny replied, amused by the sight in front of her.

    Malakai picked up his gun from the table, leaned back in his chair and aimed at Destiny.

    "Leave, man", Malakai sluggishly told her.

    "Why? I just got here", Destiny replied, smiling, taking a step into the room. "I''m sure you have a lot of plastic balls. I just wanna see".

    "Tch". Malakai stood up from his chair.

    "Move", he coldly told her, keeping his aim on her.

    "Ooooo sccaarryy", Destiny mocked. "You wouldn''t shoot a lady. You don''t have the balls".

    A sharp pain stabbed Malakai''s head again. He didn''t want to deal with Destiny right now. He wanted to close his eyes.

    "Keep chatting shit and see what happens", Malakai said, staring at Destiny with his aim still locked on her.

    "Hehehehe", Destiny giggled. "You don''t need to look at me like that. You''re scaring me", she continued to take the piss.

    Malakai didn''t have a crazy look in his eyes this time. Instead, it was like his eyes were dead. No light in them.

    "Malakai, don''t do anything stupid", David told him.

    "Is Destiny still there?" Delilah asked, hearing David. David had already told her Destiny found their safe zone.

    "Yeah, but you don''t need to go back. She''ll leave soon".

    Malakai didn''t respond to David. He was too concentrated on the pain and Destiny.

    "You should put your arm down, darling. We both know you''re not going to shoot", Destiny said.

    She could feel that there was something different about Malakai. The vibe around him was different than all the other times. The other times, it was like a warm, annoying, happy vibe around him, but this vibe she couldn''t put a finger on it. It was different, that''s it. She thought nothing of it, though. She thought this was him trying to scare her. She found it cute, like a child trying to intimidate an adult.

    "Destiny, I think you should leave him alone", Frank told her. "Just leave the room".

    Destiny smiled at the suggestion.

    "Now, if you don''t mind me. I''m going to collect some plastic balls", Destiny said, taking another step forward.

    BANG!

    "AAHH-!"

    A gasp quickly escaped Destiny''s mouth and stopped halfway through. Destiny fell to her knees. She was short on breath. She forgot how to breathe for a split second. One second, she was fine. The next second, pain struck her stomach and shocked the rest of her body. She was so focused on the pain that her brain forgot about everything else. Like Dillon''s shirt, Destiny''s green shirt also got a new customisation. A yellow splatter at the centre.

    Malakai stared at Destiny malfunctioning, straight-faced. She was handling it worse than Dillon was. Dillon gripped his stomach with one hand, and his body shook a little. Destiny was holding her stomach with both hands, her body was trembling, and she was rapidly breathing. She wasn''t on all fours like Dillon, so Malakai could see her face. Her face was a mix of agony and panic.

    "Mally shot her..." Ray said, a little shocked. Ray didn''t put it past Malakai to shoot her, but seeing him actually do it still shocked him.

    "I saw it coming", William replied, unbothered. "He doesn''t like her, remember?"

    "He kinda had to as well", Benjamin said. "There was no other way he was going to stop her from coming in the room".

    "But don''t you think shooting a girl is too much?" Lucas asked. "I know he doesn''t like her, but she''s still a girl".

    "How else was he going to get her out of the room?" William asked him.

    "I don''t know, but.." Lucas didn''t have an answer.

    "Guess it''s another thing we need to ask him when the challenge is over", Benjamin said, leaning back. "Now we know he wasn''t lying when he said these bullets are bisexual".

    Malakai''s reputation in the class was falling deeper and deeper. The girls obviously hated what they saw. Challenge or not. Him shooting a girl was out of order.

    "He shot a girl", Tanisha said, still in shock, staring at the screen and seeing Destiny trembling in pain.

    "Tanisha, why are you his friend?" Rose asked her. This was the girl Malakai said had a nice smile. She wore glasses with clear frames and had fair skin.

    "I''m not his friend!" Tanisha quickly replied, turning to her and giving her a desperate expression. She didn''t want to be associated with Malakai.

    "I''ve seen you hang around him and his friends, though", Rose said, unconvinced.

    "That''s because I''m friends with his friends and Delilah. Delilah always hangs around with them", Tanisha replied.

    "Maria, are you friends with him?" Nicole asked, noticing Maria''s ''not wanting to be involved'' expression. Nicole was the girl Malakai said had sick(cool) eyes. They were like what Malakai described: sharp but sleepy. She had pale skin with hair that reached just above her shoulders. She also had a peekaboo hairstyle, so her hair was black, but the underlayer of her hair was dyed platinum. A lot of the girls in the class liked her because she had a cool vibe about her. In reality, she was just laid back.

    "Y-yeah", Maria nervously replied, not knowing how they would react.

    "Maria''s too nice. Of course, she''s going to say yes", Rose said. "Maria, you don''t have to be friends with him just because he''s Delilah''s friend. It''s okay not to like him. You don''t have to be friendly to everyone", she told her.

    "But... he''s nice to me", Maria replied, sounding sincere.

    "He is nice to you because you''re Maria Rodriguez. Look how he treats everyone else", Rose said, pointing at the screen.

    That answer took Maria by surprise. She''d heard that answer many times from friends during high school.

    ''He is nice to you because you''re Maria Rodriguez''.

    When she spoke to guys, that answer always played in her mind. But every time she spoke to Malakai, she forgot she was ''Maria Rodriguez''. She didn''t feel unnecessarily famous. She didn''t feel like a beautiful model everyone wanted. She felt normal because Malakai didn''t give her special treatment. Malakai talked and treated her like a regular girl. She didn''t feel any underlying intentions from him, allowing her to drop ''Maria Rodriguez''s'' guard.

    Furthermore, Malakai''s earlier talk about not wanting love proved Rose wrong. He wasn''t nice to her because she was Maria Rodriguez. He was nice to her because they were friends. She wanted to tell Rose she was wrong, but she wanted to keep this side of Malakai to herself.

    "Uhh, well... He was nice to me, too", a voice shyly spoke out.

    The girls looked to who spoke.

    "We haven''t really spoken, but he''s not a mean person", Sarena said.

    In fact, Malakai and Sarena haven''t spoken at all. Their only interaction was when Malakai fist-bumped her and wished her good luck before the third challenge.

    "Sarena, didn''t you see what he did? He shot a girl", Rose reminded her.

    "I know, but he helped us", Sarena replied. "A lot of people already hate him. We''re his classmates, and I don''t think we should hate him either, especially since he hasn''t done anything to us".

    "So you want us to be his friend?" Nicole asked.

    "He treats his friends nicely, sooo I think it would be a good idea to be friendly with him", Sarena replied, pushing her glasses up. "That girl from 1-E gave him a plastic ball because they were friends. If he wasn''t a nice person, she wouldn''t have given him that".

    "You have a point", Nicole agreed.

    "No, she doesn''t", Rose disagreed. "Those two are close. I remember that girl hugging him out of nowhere in the minigames. They even came second together. They''re probably more than frie-".

    "Rose, you can''t get past him shooting a girl, can you?" Sarena asked, cutting her off and figuring out her disapproval of Malakai.

    "No! It''s wrong. He can''t do that to a girl. He''s dangerous", Rose said.

    "Dangerous is a bit of a stretch", Nicole replied, checking her phone. "He is playing the game".

    Tanisha and Maria kept quiet. Tanisha wasn''t Malakai''s friend, but she didn''t hate him. She knew Delilah and Maria were his friends, so she knew he wasn''t a bad person. But she couldn''t get herself to like him. Something was stopping her from considering him her friend.

    This conversation was difficult for Maria. She wanted to defend Malakai but couldn''t. She didn''t want to accidentally expose her feelings or say something that could lead the girls to suspect her of having feelings for him. She had to hold her tongue. However, the thought of every girl not liking him was appealing because that would mean less competition.

    "If he wins the challenge and gets the most points for us, you''ll be thanking him", Sarena said.

    "You''re not wrong", Nicole agreed again, putting her phone down. "I mean, I don''t mind being friendly to him. He''s funny. There''s nothing wrong with having a funny guy around".

    Everyone''s eyes landed on Tanisha.

    "I don''t hate him, but I''m not going to be his friend", she said, awkwardly looking away.

    "Tanisha, I think you''re fine because you''re friends with Delilah and Maria", Sarena replied.

    Everyone''s eyes landed on Rose.

    Rose looked down at the table,

    "If he makes us win the challenge, I''ll think about being nice to him".

    Destiny was still shaking with her hand over where the bullet hit. She was taking deep breaths and finally controlled herself. She looked up for the first time and saw Malakai staring at her. He had the same expression he did before he shot her. Before, she thought the expression was funny and cute because of his short size, but now, looking up at him after what he did, that same expression was scary. She would never want to admit it, but she felt a little scared.

    After one bullet, the same cute expression turned into a scary expression.

    Destiny slowly got up, one knee at a time. When she got up, she looked at Malakai''s eyes, but Malakai wasn''t looking at her eyes. His eyes were looking into her camera.

    The students in the 1-A classroom saw Malakai staring at them. Malakai couldn''t see them, but he made sure they saw him. A lot of the students didn''t like the emotionless death stare they were getting. It was making a few of them uneasy.

    Alejandro and Fabio glanced at each other. Fabio got more evidence to avoid messing around with Malakai, and Alejandro got more evidence to show that Malakai was dangerous to Maria.

    "That could''ve been you, Isabella", Eve said.

    "No way", Isabella replied, shaking her head. "I wouldn''t be in that situation in the first place".

    Isabella hasn''t really been giving it her all in this challenge. She didn''t want to be at the academy. She wanted to be in that building. She was supposed to be in that building. Not Destiny, her. She searched for map pieces in the first and second rounds but didn''t find anything. She never tried, so it was expected. She couldn''t be bothered. Her time to shine was taken from her. She felt betrayed. Seeing Destiny get shot was a little satisfying, but it wasn''t enough. This feeling was going to stay for a while for Isabella as a month-long break was coming.

    "Luna, do you think Malakai would''ve shot Isabella?" Anya asked.

    "Hmm. I don''t think so", Luna replied. "Malakai doesn''t know Isabella. He wouldn''t hurt someone he doesn''t know".

    Meanwhile, sitting near the back of the class.

    "I wish he was in our class".

    Malakai finally looked into Destiny��s eyes.

    "Why''re you still here?" he coldly asked, getting another stab of pain to the head, causing him to grip his paintball gun tighter.

    Destiny blankly stared at him. Most of the pain had subsided. Her stomach was still feeling weird where the bullet wound was. She looked around the room again, only moving her eyes. The locker and plastic balls were calling out to her. The temptation was still there. She couldn''t leave with nothing. She could try and get one ball, at least. Malakai wouldn''t shoot her twice.

    "Yo!"

    Malakai slowly raised his arm and aimed at Destiny''s stomach.

    "Move, or I''ll shoot you in the same place, and this time, I''ll make sure the bullet goes through your skin and into your stomach".

    Suddenly, the urge to get a plastic ball from this room was gone. Destiny had a different urge.

    To get the hell out of there as soon as possible.

    Destiny moved. She moved out of the room. ASAP. She didn''t waste a second. A wrong move would''ve been a shot. Destiny liked this challenge. She was having fun, but her fun was ruined.

    In the penultimate round, Destiny got shot. Her first encounter with Malakai in this challenge was in the penultimate round, and she lost to him. The only thought in her mind as she walked as fast as she could was revenge.

    But how could she take revenge against someone with a paintball gun?

    Malakai exhaled, closed the door and walked back to his seat. He sat down, rested his head back and closed his eyes. The only thing he was thinking about was when the pain was going to stab him again.

    But oddly enough, the pain wasn''t stabbing him anymore.

    "Is Destiny still there?" Delilah asked David.

    "No", David replied, looking at Malakai''s camera angle.

    "And I doubt think she''ll come back".

 Chapter 106 - I Wish This Challenge Would End Already

    The number of unsearched rooms was decreasing. There were only a few doors that hadn''t been opened. It was getting harder to find plastic balls. Akari had suggested using the tracker this round, but Ryan disagreed and thought it would be more useful in the final round. After a quick explanation, she unwillingly agreed. She didn''t show her unwillingness, but inside, she really wanted to use the tracker. There was a reason she wanted to use the tracker this round.

    Akari didn''t like this challenge.

    It didn''t suit her at all. All this running around and searching wasn''t her forte. She would''ve much rather stayed back in the classroom and helped that way, but after hearing the stuff, Owen told them, it was pretty clear the guys in the classroom didn''t have much of a role to play. That was the thing that disappointed her the most. When she heard this was a class challenge, she was eager to compete with her class against the other classes, but it didn''t turn out as she had expected. Akari wanted to show everyone that the gap between 1-A and 1-B was not big. There was no rankism between 1-A and 1-B or between 1-B and 1-C. Akari didn''t know too much about 1-D and 1-E, so she couldn''t speak on them. It was a big deal at the start of the year. People in higher classes were acting more proud and prestige, but as the semester continued, people stopped caring. It became all about points. You had people in 1-E with higher ranks than people in 1-A. Which ultimately showed that the order of classes didn''t really matter because someone in the lower classes could get more points than you. If you were in 1-A, all it meant was that you smashed the entry applications, interviews and exams. The students in 1-A are ''better'', but anything could happen in a challenge. The students would learn about that next semester, as this semester was quite tame.

    The perks of being in a higher class are that you have ''smarter'' people around you, so if there is a challenge where you have to partner or team up, you''ll have a stronger team than those in lower classes. That perk did show itself in the third challenge, as everyone in the higher classes finished before the lower classes. Another perk is that it is shown on one of your graduation certificates, and you can mention it on your CV. Being in the top class at Astral Academy gives you a little edge over other applicants. But overall, it wasn''t a big deal. As I said earlier, no one cares about the class ranks. There are a few people who look down on students in lower classes, but the majority of students don''t care. There are some students in 1-A who wish they were in lower classes.

    Now let��s go back to Akari. She wanted to prove a point. A point that the gap between 1-A and 1-B wasn''t that big. Despite the majority of students not caring about class ranks, it was still an undeniable fact that the students in class 1-A were smarter than everyone else. They were put in that class for a reason. Therefore, reputation was high for 1-A. Leading to the classes below being in competition with each other as no class was close to 1-A. Originally, 1-A and 1-B would''ve been a close match, but now it''s 1-B vs 1-C. It could be debated that 1-C is stronger than 1-B due to certain individuals.

    Akari didn''t like that.

    In truth, deep down, she didn''t like being in class 1-B. She wanted to be in class 1-A. She deserved to be in class 1-A. She would''ve been in class 1-A if she was better at physical activities. Akari was very intelligent but had no athletic ability. If she had just a little athletic ability, she would''ve been in class 1-A, but she doesn''t. She wasn''t qualified for that class. Being in the top class was the norm for Akari, so not being in the top class at the best academy hurt her ego. Akari doesn''t have a massive ego or is prideful in any way, but intelligence and being a top student was what she took pride in. However, people don''t associate those qualities with a 1-B student. Like, yeah, you''re smart because you''re in 1-B, but you''re not in 1-A, so you''re not THAT smart. That''s what Akari wanted to prove. There wasn''t a major difference between 1-A and 1-B.

    But she was struggling to find a way to prove that point. After the first round, she realised she didn''t have the ability to do that in this challenge. Pacing around a multiple-story building and searching rooms, Akari couldn''t find anywhere to use her brain. She kept thinking about who would''ve been better suited for this challenge instead of her. There were a few girls who would''ve been perfect for this challenge, but unfortunately, she was chosen. The only thing Akari could do was try her best.

    So far, her contribution to this challenge was four plastic balls and an item. An incredible item, to be fair. Those stats weren''t bad, but Akari was running on fumes. She couldn''t pace around the building anymore. She was dreading the thought of one more round.

    Currently, she is searching a room. It was another boring office room. She was sick and tired of searching these rooms, but it had to be done. She half heartedly looked around the room.

    "Are you sure there is a ball in this room?" Akari asked, trying not to sound tired.

    "Yeah", Owen replied. "The door was closed, and the room was normal, so the ball must be in there".

    Akari dropped the folder she was holding and took one big look around the room. She was at the back of the room, so she had a view of the entire room. She could see some potential hiding spots, but she''d seen these potential spots in other rooms, too. All of them had the same outcomes. Most of the rooms were similar, so it was like searching the same places over and over again. Akari was getting bored of them.

    While Akari gazed around the room, someone walked in.

    "Hey", Akari said, waving to the person like this was normal, and they weren''t in a challenge.

    "Hey.." Kayla awkwardly replied.

    She didn''t know why Akari was being friendly to her. They weren''t even friends. Kayla continued to walk into the room. Akari wasn''t stopping her, so she had no reason to stop. Sabrina had told her there was a plastic in this room. If Akari hadn''t found it yet, it gave Kayla a chance to find it.

    Kayla''s stats for this challenge weren''t too bad, either. Like Akari, she found four plastic balls and found a good item. It would''ve been six plastic balls, but Malakai took them both in the second round. Losing three balls in the second round was a huge loss, but they made a little comeback in the third round. Dillon found five balls last round, so the total for the round was seven. Which was great, but Kayla still wanted more. She felt like they had lost a lot.

    Kayla casually walked around the room and double-checked the spots Akari already checked to make sure there was nothing there. There were quite a few spots that Akari hadn''t checked. They were mainly the spots at higher places like the upper cabinets. Akari could''ve reached them if she had climbed onto the tables, but she couldn''t be bothered. Kayla, on the other hand, didn''t need to. Kayla was 5''7, so she could reach. Kayla went towards the upper cabinets and opened the first door.

    Drop!

    A ball dropped and rolled past her before she could catch it. The ball fell to the floor and continued to roll. Kayla turned around and saw that Akari was close to her left. Akari awkwardly glanced at Kayla. The plastic ball was in front of them. But who would get it?

    They both jolted to the ball. Neither of them was particularly close to it, but with the sudden movement, Kayla was closer due to her quicker movement and longer reach. Kayla was bent down to the floor to retrieve the ball. Eight of her fingertips touched the ball, and she tried to grab it. But the ball slipped from her fingertips and rolled further away. If she wasn''t so panicked, she would''ve got it. Now Akari had an advantage. Unlike Kayla, she wasn''t near the floor, so she could go straight for the rolling ball. Akari, careful and as quick as she could, manoeuvred to the ball. Kayla quickly got up and went after Akari. Despite Akari having a few-step advantage, Kayla was already close behind her. Luckily, Akari was right next to the ball. All she had to do was reach down and grab it.

    She didn''t.

    She was too worried about Kayla behind her and accidentally kicked it. Her brain was working faster than her body. She wanted to swoop down and collect the ball in one smooth motion, but her body took a step too many and kicked the ball by accident before she could reach down. The plastic ball rolled again. It continued to roll towards the door.

    "Oh no..." Akari muttered as she watched the ball exit the room.

    Kayla was still on the move. She swiftly moved past Akari and was on course to get the ball. At this rate, Akari was not beating Kayla to the ball. Kayla had already gotten ahead of Akari and was closer to the door. Out of desperation, Akari outstretched her arm and grabbed Kayla''s arm. She just about managed to grab ahold of her forearm and tag along with Kayla. Akari wasn''t trying to drag Kayla back. She didn''t have enough strength to do that. Akari wanted to be dragged along with Kayla. Kayla waved her arm around to shake off Akari.

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    It didn''t work.

    She couldn''t shake her off just by shaking her arm. She had to slow down. Kayla turned around, and as soon as she did Akari let go and tried to make a break for it to the door. Both of them were close to the door, but Akari just had to go straight. Whereas Kayla had to swivel as she turned around. The two of them wanted this ball, and it was evident. An exhausted Akari was battling this much. She didn''t even know how she was doing this, but she was.

    Akari made it to the door, but so did Kayla. They both squeezed through the door, causing each other to fall on top of each other in the corridor. They immediately got off each other and looked up to find the plastic ball. What they found was Justin picking up the plastic ball from the floor in front of them.

    "You''ve got to be kidding me", Kayla said, annoyed and breathing heavily.

    Justin didn''t waste time. After seeing the two girls, he turned in the opposite direction and ran. He didn''t need to, though, because both the girls weren''t going to chase him.

    Kayla breathed out, kissed her teeth and went on her way. She speed walked to the next room she could find. Another L for her. She had no time to sulk about it. She had to keep going. It was frustrating, but moping about it would waste time.

    Akari, on the other hand, was standing still. She looked down the hall at Kayla speeding away. She couldn''t believe what happened. She did all of that and didn''t get anything. She tilted her head up, closed her eyes and thought,

    "I wish this challenge would end already".

    "Jason, who would you rather have got the ball. Kayla or your girlfriend?" Ash asked, pulling one of his dreads.

    Jason stared at the screen and thought carefully about the question before answering.

    "My girl".

    "Huh? You would let your girlfriend steal points from you?" Ash asked, thinking he was saying that to sound nice.

    "Yeah. Dillon''s found a lot of balls last round, and Kayla can find more", Jason replied.

    "Damn homie. I respect it", Ash said. "So this is what love does to a man. I need that shit, dawg", he joked.

    Jason continued to stare at Kayla''s camera angle, but his mind wasn''t focusing on what was on the screen.

    "I''m sure she''s tired".

    "You lot wanna know what happened when the camera''s turned off?"

    "What?"

    "I''ll tell you lot now if you want".

    Malakai was still bored. The headache was gone, so he was still just sitting in his chair. He couldn''t think of anything to do, so he asked that question. It would kill some time and cure his boredom.

    "Yeah, everyone wants to know", David eagerly replied. "Delilah, Mally is going to tell us what happened when both of you turned off the cameras", he let her know.

    "Oh, okay, if you need to tell me something, just say my name", Delilah replied.

    "Go on, Mally. What happened?" David asked, wanting to hear the answer.

    Malakai smiled and took a moment,

    "I was going to have to sit out for the rest of the challenge".

    "Huh!?" David said, surprised. "Why?"

    Everyone in the class was asking the same thing with the same expression.

    "I swallowed a bit of smoke. I was dying innit", Malakai exaggerated.

    "Dying? We saw you coughing, but was it that bad?" David asked, taking him a bit too literally.

    "Heh, nah. I''m joking innit", Malakai replied, smiling. "I was coughing a lot, though".

    "How were you going to sit out for the rest of the challenge then?" David asked, confused.

    "Mr White saw I was coughing a lot and said he was gonna come to our safe zone to check if I was aryt", Malakai replied. "Then he came in and said I was gonna have to sit out of the challenge, but then I convinced him I was fine".

    "How did you convince him?"

    "I just talked to him innit".

    David rolled his eyes and shook his head. A classic Malakai response.

    "I know you talked to him, but what did you say?".

    "What did I say?" Malakai repeated. "What did I say?..." he rhetorically asked, looking up at the ceiling. "I don''t know, you know. I forgot".

    "How did you forget?" David asked, not understanding.

    "I don''t know", Malakai replied. "I just told him I was fine innit. And I am. I haven''t coughed since".

    "Can you still sit out of the challenge if you start coughing in the next round?"

    "Probably", Malakai replied, shrugging his shoulders, not taking it that seriously.

    David face palmed.

    "Mally, you better be okay", he told him like a teacher.

    "Bro, I can''t control my body. If I start dying, What can I do? It is what it is innit", Malakai replied. He was taking the piss to annoy David and the rest of the class.

    David knew what he was doing. He''d been friends with Malakai long enough to know when he was taking the piss to trigger people. Hearing this news was big for the class, but the reaction wasn''t big at all. Hearing that their representative was going to miss the rest of the challenge was massive news, but most of the students brushed it off like nothing happened. It was mainly because Malakai looked like he was fine, so it didn''t look like a big deal. But if they saw how bad Malakai was coughing and how serious Mr White was, the class would''ve had a more urgent and worried reaction. Also, how Malakai told them the news made it seem like it wasn''t anything significant. Malakai made it sound like it was a simple conversation between him and Mr White, but only Delilah knew how serious that conversation was. The class wasn''t worried about Malakai''s potential to sit out for the rest of the challenge because he sounded fine. David, however, was a little troubled by what he had been told.

    "David, the guys that went to search for map pieces are coming back", Benjamin said. "Delilah should probably go back now".

    David checked his phone, and the round was almost over. He looked at Delilah''s camera angle and saw her walking down a corridor. She wasn''t in a room, so it was a good time to tell her.

    "Delilah, the round is going to end. You might as well head back", David told her.

    "Okay", Delilah replied, sounding glad. "I''m happy this round is ending, to be honest".

    "Finally, man", Malakai said after hearing what David said. He went over the door and opened it so Delilah could walk in.

    "One more round and it''s over", he mumbled.

    Malakai thought back to the previous rounds. He''d gone through a lot in this challenge. In the first round, he found a paintball gun. In the second round, he shot Dillon. In the third round, he chased Ryan and failed to shoot him twice. Then, he was on the verge of being kicked out of the challenge. Finally, in the fourth round, he shot Destiny. He felt a whole lotta emotions. Joy, excitement, disappointment, annoyance, frustration. He didn''t expect to go through this much. He didn''t know what awaited him in the final round, but he could feel a little pressure. He knew he had to perform.

    Delilah came speedily, walking into the room with a plastic ball in each hand.

    "Two?" Malakai said, kinda expecting more.

    Delilah closed the door behind her.

    "A lot of the rooms have been searched", she replied. "I don''t think there''s many plastic balls left".

    "But then, what about the last round?" Malakai asked, watching Delilah walk past him. "They''re gonna send everyone out. If there''s nothing to search, what''s the point?".

    "You''re going to have to go into other safe zones", David interrupted. "If they disabled the safe zones this round, they''re definitely going to disable it next round".

    Delilah didn''t want to hear that. David was right, and she knew that, but hearing it out loud was scary. Delilah went over to the locker and put the two plastic balls she got inside. She also picked up the plastic balls lying around and put them inside, too. After hearing what David said, it made her worried about someone coming into their safe zone and stealing everything they had. She wanted to hide everything, but the locker was the only place to hide them.

    "Next round is going to be chaos", Delilah said, closing the locker and keeping her hand on the door.

    Malakai went over to the table and picked up his paintball gun. He looked down at it and gripped the handle. Malakai grinned and thought,

    "Chaos. That''s what I like".

 Chapter 107 - Start Of The Final Round

    "How are you feeling?" Delilah asked.

    "I''m calm", Malakai replied.

    Calm can mean good/alright in UK slang. Malakai has used that word a lot around Delilah, so she understood what he meant when he said that.

    "Is your head hurting?"

    "Nah, not anymore. I laid down a bit during the last round, and it worked".

    "You slept on the floor during the round?" Delilah asked, looking at him.

    "I didn''t sleep. I just laid down", Malakai corrected her. "This was after Destiny came here. No one else came, so I was good".

    Delilah smirked, "David told me you shot her shot her so quickly. You barely gave her a chance".

    "You should''ve heard him. He threatened to shoot her again in the same place", David joined in.

    "Really?" Delilah said, looking at Malakai surprised. "You didn''t even threaten Dillon like that".

    Malakai kept quiet.

    "How he said it, too, was so dark. He sounded evil", David added, laughing a little between words.

    "What did he say?" Delilah curiously asked.

    "Haha", David laughed. "Move, or I will shoot you in the same place, and this time, I''ll make sure the bullet goes through your skin and into your stomach", he continued, doing his best Malakai''s impression.

    Delilah started laughing after hearing David''s impression of Malakai. The saying was also funny to her. Hearing it without the correct atmosphere made it sound nerdy and wannabe edgy. It was cringe.

    Malakai was cringing after hearing that. He remembered himself saying that. When it happened, it didn''t sound cringe, but looking back at it, he found it cringy. He didn''t know why he said that. He was locked in when it happened. He didn''t say it to try and sound cool. It just rolled off his tongue naturally, which was kinda worrying for Malakai because who thinks of and says cringy dialogues in certain moments so naturally? This was a sign that Malakai watched too much anime.

    "Aryt. Aryt. It ain''t that funny. At the time, it sounded cold", Malakai said, wanting to stop Delilah and David''s laughter and defending himself.

    The rest of the class was doing their own thing. Some were listening to what was happening while the rest were talking amongst themselves. Their moods had gotten a little better from the last round. They hadn''t forgotten what Malakai did, but they couldn''t be sour about it forever. And after hearing that he nearly got taken out of the challenge, they had a little sympathy for him, even though the reason he nearly got taken out was his own doing. He was their representative, after all. They had no choice but to support him despite some not wanting to.

    "We''ve got seventeen plastic balls. That should be a lot of points, innit", Malakai said, changing the subject.

    "It should be, but at the same time, it might not be a lot", Delilah replied. "The points inside might be low numbers. Like all of them could have twenty or less".

    "But we might have the ball that has five hundred points", Malakai said, planting that possibility in her head.

    "I wish", Delilah replied, not believing they did. "You did say we''re going to win, so I''m expecting no less".

    "Yeah man, don''t worry", Malakai said, leaning back in his chair and smiling like he usually does.

    Malakai was smiling, but on the inside, he was feeling a little nervous. This was the first challenge where something was expected of him. In the first four challenges, he had fun and somehow succeeded in all of them and ended up in first place. He was having fun in this challenge, but the thought of performing weighed more into his mind than the previous challenges. He couldn''t have fun and win in this challenge. Or maybe he could if he wasn''t thinking about winning as much. On top of that he made it worse by saying they would win. He added unnecessary pressure to himself. He was confident he could pull through, but the doubt was lurking in the back of his mind. It was all his fault, so he couldn''t complain. His mind still thought about the shots he missed at Ryan. He wouldn''t be feeling this pressure if he had just landed one. He sacrificed points for the class to hurt Ryan, and he didn''t even hurt him. He had to make back what he lost for the class. That was the pressure. Plus, he didn''t want to take an L before the winter break.

    Screech!

    "The fifth and final will start soon".

    It was time for the final round.

    "Here are the rules for this round. Both students will be allowed out of their safe zones, and all safe zones will be disabled. So you can go into any safe zone you want, and you will not be punished".

    That was what everyone was expecting.

    "It doesn''t stop there, there''s more. In the last round, a lot of students struggled to get plastic balls, as nearly all of the rooms had been searched. You''ve probably noticed that this break was longer than the other breaks you''ve had. That is because more plastic balls have been placed around the building. The plastic balls were easy to hide, thanks to the mess you''ve made in the rooms already. Therefore, the rooms are untouched, so you will not be able to figure out which room has a plastic ball and which one doesn''t. All of you have an equal chance to find multiple plastic balls. I will remind you that no punching is allowed if you encounter another player. Pushing and shoving is allowed to an extent. I know some of you will want to defend your safe zones, and that is fine. But you cannot assault each other doing so. Finally, this round is thirty minutes long. This is the final round. This is the last chance to get as many points as you can. The round will start shortly".

    The speaker turned off.

    Malakai and Delilah looked at each other.

    "What''s the plan?" Malakai asked.

    "You''re asking me?" Delilah asked back, confused.

    "I mean, I don''t really know what to do, I can''t lie", Malakai replied. "Should I stay and defend our safe zone or run around and get more plastic balls?".

    Delilah thought about it for a second.

    "That''s a good question", she said, touching her chin. "I don''t want our safe zone to be vulnerable, but I want to get a lot of points. Having you stay here will protect our points, but we miss out on a lot of points. They''ve added more balls, too. You could probably find like five or more".

    Malakai got up from his seat.

    "Play it safe or risky", he said. He knew what he wanted to do. "David, what you saying?"

    "Hmm, I don''t know", David replied. "This is up to you guys. I don''t like the idea of our safe zone getting robbed".

    "Me, too", Delilah replied. "Isn''t there a way to monitor our safe zone?"

    "Nope", Malakai replied, shaking his head and looking at Delilah. "Actually, wait", he had an idea after looking at her. "Why don''t one of us take off our camera vest and leave it here. Then, if someone comes in, David can tell us".

    Delilah looked down at her camera vest. "Can we do that?" she asked, sceptical if that was allowed.

    "I don''t know. Can we?" Malakai asked, looking at the camera in the corner of the room to get an answer.

    Screech!

    "No, that is not allowed", Mr White informed them.

    The speaker turned off.

    "Damn, that was quick", Malakai said, he thought he had found a loophole. "It''s either risk it or play it safe".

    Delilah stood still, looking at the floor and contemplating what to do.

    "What do you want me to do?"

    Delilah looked up at Malakai, surprised.

    "Why are you asking that?" she asked.

    "With this, I can defend this place easily, so it''s up to you, innit", Malakai said, holding up the paintball gun.

    "Why me?" Delilah asked. She thought Malakai would''ve decided himself and then explained his reasoning.

    "I can''t really choose to defend this place or not. I don''t know. It doesn''t feel right for me to pick what I should do", Malakai replied. "Normally, I''d do what I want, but I can''t decide right now".

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    "That''s a lie", David said in his ear. "You wanna risk it, but you''re not trying to be selfish".

    Malakai grinned. David knew him too well. He wanted to risk it, but the smart choice was to defend the safe zone. He also still felt guilty for the third round, so he thought it wasn''t his place to decide.

    Delilah saw his grin. She''d seen this grin many times. She''d only known him for four months, but this grin was seen a lot. And whenever Delilah saw it, it weirdly encouraged her. It was like the grin was saying,

    ''Don''t worry. I''ve got this''.

    That grin was on his face right now.

    Play it safe or risk it? Delilah had her answer.

    "Malakai, you can do what you want. Just make sure you get a lot of plastic balls".

    Malakai smiled with all his teeth showing.

    "Aryt, don''t worry, innit", Malakai happily replied like he knew that would be the answer.

    David kept quiet. He had the option to choose, and he couldn''t. He didn''t like the idea of the safe zone getting robbed, but he also didn''t like the idea of Malakai being stuck in the safe zone when he could run riot. If Malakai was to turn up for a round and perform at his best, it would be the last round.

    "You cool with this?" Benjamin asked, thinking it was weird he didn''t take charge.

    "Delilah decided", David replied, leaning back away from the mic. "If I wanted one option over the other, I would''ve said so, but I couldn''t decide".

    "It looks like most of the class wanted Malakai to stay back", Ray said, peeking at the dissatisfied faces around the class.

    "I don''t blame them. Most people take the safer options in most cases", David replied. "Only an idiot would choose the risky option".

    "They can say they wanted the safer option, but deep down, they wanted to see the risky option", Lucas said.

    "Well, they''re getting what they truly wanted because we''re getting the risky option", David replied.

    "Everyone''s going to watch this idiot risk it for our class".

    "Can everyone get ready. The last round will start shortly".

    "Aryt".

    Malakai walked to the door and stood beside Delilah, who was already there.

    "Don''t be an idiot. No stupid shit", Delilah told him, turning her head and looking at him.

    "Yeah, yeah. I know", Malakai replied like he''d heard that a hundred times. (He probably has).

    "We winning this?" Delilah asked, raising her eyebrows

    "You already know. We''re winning this", Malakai confidently replied, holding out his fist.

    Delilah smiled and fist-bumped him. An extra confidence boost for her.

    "Aryt, let''s go".

    BEEEP!

    The fifth and final round started.

    The round was underway. More plastic balls have been added, so searching rooms that had already been searched was necessary if they wanted a chance to find something. Any room could have a ball. The students had to search the rooms all over again. The searches would be quicker as the rooms were already a mess, so searching a room could take less than 30 seconds. The students could breeze past rooms and go to different floors. But they still had to search properly so as not to miss anything.

    Luckily for one team, they didn''t have to search that hard. Ryan was running around with a tablet in his hand. Every safe zone had a tablet, but the tablet was useless unless you had specific item cards. For 1-B''s case, they had the tracker (UAV). On their tablet, they could type in the code on the card, allowing them to access an app. The app showed all the layouts of each of the floors. Not only that, it showed the locations of plastic balls and players. It didn''t show directly where the plastic balls were, but it showed which room they were in. The only thing inside the plastic ball was the point cards, so tracking the ball''s exact location was impossible. But a red dot on the tablet appears in the middle of the room a plastic ball is in. It also tracked players. The way it did this was via the camera vests. Inside the camera vests, there was a chip that was connected to the app, which tracked their movement. Like the plastic balls, the players also appeared as a red dot. So Ryan and Akari had arguably one of the best items, if not the best. However, it wasn''t that overpowered. It had UAV in brackets for a reason. That was because it was like a UAV in the sense that the red dots would appear for two seconds and then disappear and reappear two seconds later (Like a UAV in Call Of Duty). This wouldn''t be an issue tracking where a plastic ball was, as it cannot move on its own, but tracking players was a little tricky. They couldn''t rely solely on the tracker to tell them the exact location of someone, and another disadvantage was that if a plastic ball was taken from a room, the red dot would still appear on the tablet. This is because, as mentioned before, the plastic ball does not have a tracking chip inside. A tracking chip was placed in the room of the plastic balls, so unless someone takes the tracking chip out of the room, the red dot will stay in that room until the challenge is over. Ryan and Akari could go into a room with a red dot, but there could be nothing inside as someone had already found the ball in that room. Also, the app was a little tedious. It showed one floor at a time. If Ryan wanted to look at another floor, he would have to swipe the screen and go to that floor.

    Nonetheless, It was going well for them. In the opening minutes, they had a clear plan. Their safe zone was on the top floor. The fifteenth floor. The tracker showed one dot on the tablet, so Akari went to retrieve that plastic ball while Ryan went down a floor to get the three plastic balls that were tracked on the tablet. That was four plastic balls already secured for them. Ryan had two balls and was still searching for the third, while Akari went to the thirteenth floor. They were cleaning up. This was a massive problem for the rest of the classes because 1-B had this tracker for the rest of the challenge. The limit for the tracker was one round, and luckily enough, this was the longest round. Nothing could stop them.

    "FREEZE!"

    A loud announcement rang through the corridors.

    "Every player must freeze for three minutes! No player can move! If a player moves, they will receive a punishment!".

    Every player was frozen. This was an item.

    "Why now?" Ryan frustratedly thought, furrowing his eyebrows and balancing two balls in his left arm while his right hand held the tablet.

    "Which moron used this type of item at the start of the round?" Alexander thought. "Whoever used this has no brain".

    "This is deeeaaaaad", Malakai said.

    "Aww man, this is annoying", Nada said, standing on the stairs.

    Yep. This was 1-D''s item. This item allowed them to freeze everyone in the challenge for three minutes. The only people allowed to move were Dillon and Kayla. Everyone else had to stay still. If someone moved, they would get punished.

    Dillon was rushing up the stairs. He knew where he wanted to go. A place that was guaranteed to have a lot of plastic balls.

    The ninth floor.

    1-C''s safe zone.

    He reached the ninth floor and was immediately met with a frozen Delilah. She was near the stairs, but it didn''t look like she was about to go down them. She was holding one plastic ball.

    Delilah''s eyes widened. She knew straight away what Dillon was going to do.

    Dillon glanced at her and kept his quick pace when going past her.

    "Dillon, wait!" Delilah hastily called out. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

    Dillon stopped.

    "If you go into our safe zone, I''ll make sure Malakai hunts you for the rest of the challenge!" Delilah threatened, looking at the back of Dillon''s head. "And you''ll know he''ll do it".

    Hearing that was a pain in the ass for Dillon. Having someone with a paintball gun chasing you for like 25 minutes would be annoying, but he wanted points. He got shot already. He could take another bullet or two. It would hurt, but he knew it wouldn''t kill him, so he was fine with it hurting. He didn''t mind getting shot multiple times. That''s how badly he wanted to win.

    Dillon started to move.

    "I''ll tell you where 1-A''s safe zone is!" Delilah desperately said, raising her voice.

    Dillon quickly turned around and sped towards Delilah.

    "Tell me, quick", Dillon hurriedly said, staring at her.

    "Sixth floor. When you go down the stairs and reach the floor, take a right, and it''s near the end of the corridor on the right-hand side", Delilah quickly replied.

    "If you''re lying to me. I''m taking every ball from your safe zone", Dillon said as he dashed past her to the stairs.

    Delilah helplessly watched as Dillon went down the stairs. Luckily, Dillon didn''t take Delilah''s plastic ball.

    "Shit. Malakai might have to come back and defend the safe zone. It''s too early right now. I''ll make sure he does it when there''s 15 minutes left", Delilah thought, her heart beating fast.

    Dillon rushed down the stairs to the sixth floor. He took a right, went down the corridor, and kept his eyes on the right-hand side. No one was in the corridor, so Dillon didn''t have to worry about anyone seeing him. His eyes saw opened doors until one door was closed. He found it.

    Dillon grabbed the handle, forcefully opened it excitedly, and went inside.

    "Are you sure about this?" Sabrina asked.

    "You just told me going to 1-C''s safe zone was a bad idea. Why are you scared of everyone?" Dillon sourly replied, stepping further inside.

    Another reason why Dillon changed his mind earlier was because Sabrina also gave him her opinion. She thought making enemies of 1-C in the final round was a terrible idea and put the idea in his head that Malakai would continue to shoot him until he had no bullet left. If it hadn''t been for Delilah telling him where 1-A''s safe zone was, he would''ve still gone into 1-C''s safe zone despite Sabrina''s opinion.

    "I''m not scared of everyone", Sabrina replied defensively. "You''ve picked the worst two classes to pick on. 1-C has a maniac with a paintball gun, and 1-A is too strong".

    "It''s too late now. I''m already here", Dillon said, walking further into the room.

    Dillon took his backpack off while he got closer to the locker. He opened the locker, and three balls rolled out. The locker was overflowing with plastic balls. It looked like they had like eight more balls than their locker.

    Dillon unzipped his bag, wasting no time, and stuffed it with as many plastic balls as he could. The bag only had one pocket and could fit a lot of plastic balls inside. Dillon continued packing plastic balls until he couldn''t. The bag could hold eight plastic balls. He promptly zipped the bag up and put the backpack back on his back. Dillon scooped up five more plastic balls with both hands.

    As soon as he got out of here, he was going straight back to his safe zone to drop his haul off. Thirteen plastic balls. That was nearly as much as they had in their safe zone. This was the best start to a round they could ask for. He knew using this item at the beginning of the round was a good idea because everyone wouldn''t be near their safe zones. So he could steal from someone''s safe zone, and they wouldn''t know until they came back at the end of the round. Using it at the end of the round was the obvious choice, but Dillon was too impatient. He was desperate to use it. He thought his idea was the best, so he ran with it, and it paid off. Thirteen plastic balls.

    Dillon happily turned around, but his happy mood instantly deflated when he saw the sight before him. Someone was standing in the doorway.

    "What are you doing?".

 Chapter 108 - Tai Otoshi

    "What are you doing?".

    Dillon stared at Alexander. This was the first time they were actually looking at each other. Dillon had watched Alexander from a distance ever since he came to this academy. Alexander glanced at him a few times when they had that meeting in the library at the start of the semester but didn''t properly acknowledge him. Obviously, Alexander didn''t remember him, but this was the first time he acknowledged him, which was what Dillon wanted, but it was terrible timing.

    "How did he know I was here? There''s no way that was three minutes", Dillon frustratedly thought.

    "Leave those balls there and get lost", Alexander bluntly ordered him.

    Dillon put his hands up, dropping the five balls he held on the floor, making a mess. The balls rolled in different directions around the room.

    "I will", Dillon replied, with a pissed look on his face.

    "I can see your backpack. Empty out your bag".

    Dillon''s expression quickly changed to a smirk, "No".

    Alexander knew it wasn''t going to be that easy. He didn''t know who Dillon was, but he knew a guy who was built like Dillon wouldn''t listen.

    "You won''t leave this room with that bag", Alexander told him in a bored tone. He thought this was pointless.

    "Oh yeah?" Dillon replied, still smiling. "As if you could stop me", he said, walking to the door, taking heavy steps each time.

    "I''ve got a brown belt in jiu-jitsu. I''ll incapacitate you in less than ten seconds", Alexander replied, sounding serious. He said it so smoothly that it sounded like a fact.

    "Brown belt?" Dillon scoffed. "I don''t know why you''re so proud. It''s not a black belt".

    Dillon didn''t know anything about jiu-jitsu, but like everyone else he knew what a black belt was.

    "I''m eighteen. The minimum age to get a black belt is nineteen. I''ll get one when I turn nineteen", Alexander said, unfazed. "Either way, I''ll still incapacitate you in less than ten seconds".

    "Heh, I''ll knock your lights out before you get the chance to put your hands on me", Dillon replied, confident he could beat him.

    He didn''t care what belt Alexander had in jiu-jitsu. He was confident if he landed one punch, he would win. One clean punch, and it was over.

    "Punching isn''t allowed", Alexander reminded him.

    "Then your ''brown belt in jiu-jitsu'' means fuck all", Dillon replied, mocking him.

    "Striking isn''t allowed in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It''s all grappling", Alexander coldly said. "Pushing and shoving are allowed within limits. So I can throw you to the floor and take that bag off you. And if you try and hit me, I''ll incapacitate you as self-defence".

    Dillon could feel Alexander''s confidence oozing. Everything Alexander said, he said it without stuttering or hesitating. It was pure confidence. Alexander''s confidence knocked his confidence. He could tell Alexander wasn''t lying. The look in his eyes portrayed arrogance, but his speech was confident. Dillon couldn''t compete with that type of confidence. He couldn''t even fake that type of confidence if he tried.

    Dillon didn''t know any martial arts. All he knew was how to throw a punch. That was enough for him. One punch won most of his fights up until now. His strength carried him.

    "Who says your jiu-jitsu is allowed?" Dillon asked, his smile disappearing.

    "No one stated it isn''t allowed, so I can still do it until someone says it is not allowed", Alexander replied, straight-faced.

    Dillon had no answer to that. He stared at Alexander, unsure of what to do next. Alexander took the opportunity to get closer as Dillon was lost in thought. Seeing Alexander get closer made Dillon instinctively walk towards him. He wasn''t going to wait for Alexander to walk in front of him. Their steps led them to become face-to-face with each other. Both of them were six feet tall, so they were looking eye to eye. It was like a boxing face-off. Neither of them spoke. They just stared at one another. Dillon didn''t like the awkwardness, so he broke eye contact first and tried to step away to Alexander''s right. Alexander sidestepped to his right and blocked Dillon. Dillon looked at Alexander''s cold, straight face. From the look, he could tell Alexander wasn''t leaving him alone.

    "Tch".

    Dillon outstretched his right arm and placed his hand on Alexander''s chest. Forcefully pushing him away.

    Alexander was pushed back, but before he became out of range, he quickly grabbed Dillon''s right sleeve with his left hand to stop himself from falling. He quickly pulled himself forward, swiftly grabbed Dillon''s shirt near the collar, bent his right knee forward, circled his left leg behind, kicked his right leg forward in front of both of Dillon''s legs and��

    BANG!

    "UGH!"

    Threw Dillon over his shoulder.

    Dillon''s fall was cushioned by his backpack filled with plastic balls. I say cushioned, but it actually made the fall harsher for his head because it snapped back harshly and bobbed back forward.

    The students in 1-D were shocked. It looked like the camera somersaulted, but it was Dillon getting thrown to the ground. Ash and Jason were speechless and watched the screen in awe. Everyone knew how big Dillon was, so seeing the camera get flipped over so easily was unbelievable. The classroom was silent. All the students looked at each other to check if they saw the same thing.

    Dillon was on the ground, speechless, processing what happened. It happened in an instant. He pushed him, and now he was on the floor. It made no sense. He didn''t know how he was in this position. He looked up at Alexander. Alexander was looking down at him, lying on the floor like he was trash. He was towering over him like he was his owner.

    Dillon didn''t want this humiliation. He shot up and got to his feet. His backpack was still on his back, and somehow, it sounded like all the balls were intact. How none of the balls popped was a mystery.

    Dillon nervously smiled, trying to brush off what had just happened.

    "Heh. You said you''re a black belt in jiu-jitsu. That was a judo takedown, not jiu-jitsu", he said, pointing at Alexander, knowing what he did as he''d seen it in a video before. He mistakenly said Alexander was a black belt because his head was all over the place.

    "When did I say I could only do jiu-jitsu?"

    Dillon felt his heart drop.

    "I''m skilled at other martial arts, but I''m best at jiu-jitsu. The move I did to you can be used in jiu-jitsu, but it''s mostly known to be used in Judo".

    Alexander used the Tai Otoshi on Dillon. Tai Otoshi is a judo throw that is hard to master and difficult to pull off, but Alexander did it effortlessly. Alexander was skilled in a lot of things because he had to be to impress his family and live up to their standards. He''d never gotten into a serious fight before, but if he did, he would have a lot of techniques from different martial arts to use. His arsenal was full of weapons. It would be really hard for him to lose a fight if he ever got into one. Well, the people in 1-A and 1-D wouldn''t start a fight with Alexander after seeing that, so Alexander being in a fight any time soon was unlikely.

    "You''re lucky there''s no striking. You''d be the one with their lights knocked out", Alexander arrogantly said, quoting him. "Speaking of striking, do you hear that?" he asked, putting a hand to his ear.

    Dillon blankly stared at him. All he heard was silence. He felt like he was being treated like an idiot. He didn''t want to answer to look stupid.

    "Silence", Alexander answered. "Meaning my throw was allowed".

    Dillon''s eyes widened.

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    "No announcement has been made to tell me off, so I can keep throwing you to the floor if I want, and I won''t be breaking the rules".

    Dillon felt caged in. It felt like he was suffocating. He couldn''t escape. He looked ahead, but there was no escape route for him. Alexander wasn''t built like him, but it felt like he was ten times bigger than him.

    "I don''t care what you do because it''s pointless", Alexander said. "If you used your brain, you would empty your bag and leave. But if you think you can get something from this, you really are stupid".

    Dillon didn''t want to admit defeat. He had eight balls in his bag. He can''t forfeit so easily.

    "I''m not letting you leave with that bag full", Alexander said, pointing at Dillon. "I''ll keep you here until the round is over, and you''ll be penalised for getting to your safe zone late".

    "You can''t keep me here", Dillon wasn''t thinking when he said that. His pride was talking.

    "I can".

    A cold and slow response that was filled with confidence and an arrogant look to accompany it. Dillon felt that response.

    "I''ll throw you to the floor over and over and over again. I''ll use a different technique every time to make you understand you have no chance".

    Dillon stood frozen. He wasn''t scared. He just didn''t know what to do. Well, he knew what he had to do, but he didn''t want to do it. It was weird because he would usually charge forward, not thinking, no matter what was in front of him, but something inside him was stopping him. Something inside him was telling him he couldn''t.

    "Dillon empty the bag", Sabrina told him. "You''re wasting too much time".

    The rest of 1-D was watching this embarrassing performance. A lot of them had lost hope now. They already accepted the loss even though it was still the beginning of the round.

    The rules for the students back at the academy were the same as in the first round. All of the students could go and search for map pieces. But none of the students went. Map pieces were no longer needed. Finding a map piece with dots was useless as more plastic balls have been added. No new map pieces have been hidden, so searching was unnecessary. Students could leave the classroom if they wanted to and chill wherever they wanted, but they had to be back by the end of the round.

    None of the 1-D students left the classroom. They all stayed to watch. They all watched one of their representatives take another L. Dillion''s reputation was already low, but now it was at rock bottom. He forced himself to be a representative, and this was the performance he gave.

    Dillon didn''t want to empty his bag. He stood there as if time had stopped. He wished time stopped.

    "Hurry up. You''re wasting your time", Alexander condescendingly said, glaring at him.

    Dillon snapped back to reality. "You''re wasting time as well", he replied.

    "I''m defending my safe zone. I don''t think it''s time wasted. My teammate is getting points. Your teammate is probably doing the same. But you''re here doing nothing".

    Nothing.

    It felt like a wave hit Dillon. That word rang in his ears. In this challenge, he has done nothing.

    "Tch".

    Dillon took his backpack off, unzipped it and started taking plastic balls out. One by one, he painfully removed them from his bag.

    One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.

    He left one ball in his bag hidden at the bottom. Dillon looked at Alexander''s eyes to see what he would say.

    "Are you hiding one in there?" Alexander asked, looking at the bag.

    "No", Dillon answered with a screwface.

    Alexander analysed his face. He knew he was lying. It was obvious.

    "Get lost".

    Alexander decided to let him have it.

    Dillon zipped his backpack and put it back on his back. He kept eye contact with Alexander as he walked past him. As soon as he made it past Alexander, he jogged out of the room and ran down the corridor. He had to find another floor to search. He wasted a lot of time and only had one plastic ball.

    Dillon got humiliated again. Once by Malakai and now by Alexander. Anger filled him, but he couldn''t do anything about it. His pride was taking hit after hit. He didn''t even feel like competing anymore, but he couldn''t quit. He had to see it through. The word ''nothing'' still filled his head. He had to finish this challenge with something. Dillon wasn''t aiming for first or second anymore. He was aiming not to come last.

    Back at 1-A''s safe zone, Alexander viewed the room. Plastic balls were everywhere on the floor. He couldn''t be bothered to clean it, but he quickly organised them into a corner. He didn''t want to waste too much time putting them back in the locker. He made sure that nothing was out of place before leaving the room. Alexander closed the door behind him and thought,

    "We''re lucky we''ve got that item".

    From one safe zone to another. Yes, another person found a safe zone. Someone from 1-E. It was Nada.

    Nada cautiously walked into the room. She was on a floor she wanted to explore the whole challenge. This was the first chance she had. The top floor. The fifteenth floor. Meaning she was in 1-B''s safe zone. She didn''t mean to find it. She didn''t have a special item or anything. This was accidental. She wanted to explore the top floor to see what it looked like and happened to find one closed door while the other doors were open. She was already carrying one plastic ball, but she would soon be carrying more if this heist went uninterrupted. It was going to be hard because she didn''t have anything to help her carry them, and her arms and hands were small, but she would try.

    "I wonder who''s safe zone this is", Nada thought. She went towards the locker and opened it. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her mouth gaped when she saw the amount of plastic balls in the locker.

    "Why do they have like ten balls?".

    Nada didn''t know whose safe zone this was, but she expected more than what she saw. She knew this wasn''t 1-C''s safe zone because Malakai told her it was on the ninth floor. Based on what she saw, she thought this was 1-D''s safe zone. The small amount of plastic balls blew her mind. The locker had eleven plastic balls inside, so Nada was only one off with her observation. 1-E had sixteen plastic balls in their locker, so Nada thought they would have roughly the same amount or more. She underestimated how well they were doing.

    "I feel bad. But, the game is the gameee ?" she said, upbeat, picking up as many plastic balls as she could.

    After grabbing as many as she could, Nada had four plastic balls in her arms. She only took three out of the locker because she couldn''t hold more. She had to find another way to carry more. She got one of the plastic balls and put it under her shirt. Nada looked down at herself.

    "Hehehe, I''m pregnant".

    She fit one ball under her shirt near her stomach. She shifted the plastic ball to the right and put another plastic ball next to it. Now, she had two plastic balls under her shirt near her stomach. With extra space on her arms, she took two more plastic balls from the locker.

    "It''s going to be hard to move with these here", she said, looking down at her stomach. "I''ll come back here after I drop them off".

    "Huh?!"

    Nada speedily turned around at the sudden sound.

    "Ryan?!" Nada said, surprised to see him.

    Ryan had a similar expression to Nada. He didn''t mean to make a sound, but he couldn''t help it after seeing someone unfamiliar robbing their safe zone. At first, he saw someone short and thought it was Akari, but then he saw the pink hair. That was what shocked him.

    "Why are you here?!" Ryan asked. That response came out automatically.

    He had four plastic balls in his arms with the tablet tucked in his jeans.

    "Why am I here? Why are you here?" Nada replied. "This is your safe zone? Why do have so little plastic balls?".

    "Shit, what''s her name?" Ryan thought. "She''s friends with Malakai. Fuck. Forget her name. I need to stop her".

    "Little? We have eleven plastic balls", Ryan said, slowly walking forward.

    "Eleven is so low. We have sixteen", Nada replied.

    "It was eleven before, but it''s fifteen now. I have four plastic balls here", Ryan said, still edging forward.

    "No, you''ve got ten. I''m taking five of your balls", Nada cheekily replied.

    Ryan kept a smile on his face, but inside, he was annoyed. She reminded him of someone he hated.

    "Can you please put them back?" Ryan asked. "I haven''t done anything to your class".

    "You haven''t, but we don''t have an alliance", Nada replied, lifting her shoulders. "Nor did we agree to leave each other alone".

    "We could make an alliance now", Ryan persuasively said, raising his eyebrows and still taking little steps.

    "Naaah, we already have an alliance with another class", Nada replied, shaking her head. "Huh, wait a minute? Don''t come any closer!".

    Nada realised that Ryan was closer than before. He was at the door, but now he was halfway into the room.

    Ryan paused for a second. "I just want to keep my plastic balls", he said, taking a step as he talked, hoping she would be distracted by his voice.

    "Woah, woah, woah", Nada said, sounding more serious. "Stop coming closer".

    Ryan''s smile was gone. He was straight-faced. He didn''t put an angry or annoyed face on. He knew a lot of people were watching. He had to stay composed. He couldn''t taint his image.

    "Ryan, just go towards her. She''ll get scared", Owen said, encouraging him, not understanding why he was stopping.

    Ryan looked at Nada''s small stature."He''s right", he thought.

    He took more steps and got closer to Nada.

    Nada saw the change in Ryan. Before, he looked clueless, and he was being cautious, but now it was like he knew what he was going to do.

    Nada had to do something. She quickly threw two of the balls she was holding in her right arm to the other side of the room. Ryan was still walking towards her. After seeing what Ryan was going for, Nada knew what to do. She went into her pocket and,

    POP!

 Chapter 109 - POP!

    POP!

    Nada pulled out her pin again and popped a plastic ball in front of Ryan. A card floated down to the floor near Nada''s feet. Ryan''s mouth hung open. He just saw a ball disappear in front of him. Out of everything he would''ve thought that would happen this wasn''t one of them.

    Nada saw the shock on Ryan''s face.

    "I told you not to move", Nada commented in an ''I told you so'' tone.

    Ryan stared at Nada with his mouth still open. He was trying to process what happened.

    "Now, let me leave with what I found", Nada continued.

    After hearing what she said, Ryan closed his mouth and furrowed his eyebrows.

    "No", he said, taking a step forward.

    POP!

    Nada popped another plastic ball, and another card dropped to the floor.

    "What did I say about moving?" Nada asked, tilting her head. "Your locker is behind me. I can pop every ball you here".

    Ryan''s facial expression turned to desperation.

    "Please don''t", Ryan begged. "You already have three balls".

    "This one isn''t yours. I found it before I came here", Nada replied, waving the only plastic ball in her hand.

    "Okay, but you took two, and you''ve popped two. That''s enough", Ryan said, trying to reason with her.

    "Hmmmm".

    Nada walked backwards towards the locker and kept her eyes on Ryan. She quickly and messily picked up two plastic balls from the locker and nestled them in her left arm. Her left arm had two plastic balls, and her left hand held one while her right hand had her sharp pin. Ready to be used when needed.

    "Stop!" Ryan raised his voice, showing his desperation and annoyance. He still hasn''t moved from the spot. He didn''t want to move and see another ball get popped.

    "I want to see how many balls are left in the locker, but I need to keep my eyes on you", Nada said. "Maybe I''ll keep fishing them out like thi-. Oh, my hands are full".

    Ryan was too scared to move forward. He desperately didn''t want to see more balls pop. Ryan barely knew anything about Nada, so he couldn''t have predicted this. All he knew was that she was friends with Malakai. It was clear she was friends with Malakai. His influence on her was evident because this was something Malakai would do.

    "What do I do?" Ryan thought. "I can''t go forward because she''ll pop the balls. Shit! I should''ve checked the tracker before coming back. I came back because my hands were full. Fuck! I could''ve been more prepared. Okay, calm down. You can sort this out. She isn''t Malakai. Malakai would''ve tried to run past me by now or worse. Why am I thinking about Malakai? Fuck! She reminds me of Malakai, that''s why!".

    The pure existence of Malakai lived rent-free in Ryan''s head. Anything associated with him pissed him off.

    "Ryan, run towards her. You need to chase her out of the room", Owen told him.

    Ryan hesitated. Unlike before, he didn''t instantly move when he was told to. He was overthinking everything.

    "Ryan, do it!" Owen urged him. "She''s in 1-E, and she said they have sixteen balls. Look how much we have!".

    "If I move, she''s going to pop them. It doesn''t matter how fast I am. I''m not going to make it to her", Ryan thought.

    "Ryan, we don''t have time!" Owen pressured him.

    "Fuck sake!".

    Ryan grit his teeth and charged forward.

    POP!

    POP!

    Nada popped two of the plastic balls on her left arm as soon as she saw the slightest movement from Ryan. After popping the plastic balls, she ran away from the locker to the two plastic balls she threw across the room earlier.

    Ryan ran to the locker and faced away from it so his back faced it to defend it. He watched as Nada picked up the two plastic balls on the floor. He could still chase her but wanted to keep the locker safe.

    Nada had three plastic balls in her arms and two under her shirt. She put her pin back in her pocket and looked up to examine the situation. Ryan was positioned near the locker, and she was further away from the door. If she ran towards the door, Ryan could cut her off. If she wasn''t holding anything, she would back herself to outrun him, but if she ran like this, she would get caught.

    Nada kept her eyes on Ryan to make sure he didn''t move.

    "If I run and he chases after me, what will happen?" Nada thought. "He''ll probably snatch two balls from me or more. If he comes too close, I can''t pop any of the balls because I''ll be running", she analysed the situation in her head. "I''ve come this far. I can''t lose everything now by doing something silly".

    Nada got no help from her classmates. Marcus had been telling her to run out of the room way before she popped the plastic balls in front of Ryan, but Nada did her own thing. Right now, Marcus was silent because he didn''t know what to tell her. All he was going to do was watch what was going to happen. Whatever Nada did, he would accept it.

    Nada moved her eyes from Ryan to the door and then back to Ryan.

    "Hmmmmm. Yolo".

    Nada dashed to the door and didn''t look back. She didn''t want to look back. She kept running. She couldn''t tell if she was fast or not, but she was going as fast as she could. Nada made it out of the door and continued to run a few feet down the corridor. After feeling like she had run far enough, she finally turned her head to look behind her.

    "He... didn''t chase me?" Nada said, bamboozled, expecting to see Ryan in the distance. "Guys, what happened? Did he chase me?" she asked her class.

    "How are we supposed to know? We can only see in front of you", Marcus replied.

    Nada looked down at her camera vest,

    "Oh yeah", she said, realising. "I kinda wanna go back and check what he''s doing".

    "Don''t! Just go back to our safe zone and drop off what you''ve got", Marcus quickly intervened. He was worried Nada would actually do that if she wasn''t stopped.

    "Right. I should do that", Nada replied, fighting her curiosity.

    She speed-walked towards the stairs and thought,

    "If I find Malakai, I should tell him about this. Then we can both raid that safe zone and take everything. Ryan can''t stop us? Malakai has a paintball gun".

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    Nada couldn''t contain her smile at the exciting thought of the two of them raiding 1-B''s safe zone.

    "This is too fun".

    Ryan, on the other hand, wasn''t having that much fun.

    Four of his class''s plastic balls popped in front of his eyes. They had eleven plastic balls in their safe zone, and he bought back four plastic balls, but Nada popped four. Not only that, she took four plastic balls. Therefore, the calculations ended with 1-B having seven plastic balls in their safe zone at this time.

    Ryan stared at the near-empty locker. Seven plastic balls in the final round. Ryan felt like they''d already lost. This felt unrecoverable. He''d been defeated by a girl in 1-E. Ryan thought they''d get first place because they had the tracker, but now getting first place was a joke.

    "How did I mess up so badly��" Ryan thought. "How? How? She''s in 1-E. If I can''t handle someone from 1-E, then how am I supposed to compete with ''them''? Why? Why is this happening? I thought I was good. I thought I was talented... But with every challenge, someone showed me up. It''s like back then".

    "Ryan, Akari is bringing back three balls", Owen said. "You need to keep going. Staring at the locker isn''t going to fill it up. We can come back from this. Just focus".

    Owen had to say this because he was on the mic. Whether he meant it or not didn''t matter. Some words have to be said for someone to listen. Owen, this whole challenge, has thought Ryan has played the game wrong. He often wanted to say something on the mic and tell him to do something different, but he trusted Ryan. Everyone trusted Ryan. It worked out, too, until Ryan was faced with a challenge head-on.

    (Being chased by Malakai doesn''t count).

    Everyone in the class was dejected, but none of them blamed Ryan. It hurt knowing that they couldn''t get first place. It was still possible but highly unlikely, so everyone wrote that possibility off. The thing everyone in the class was worried about was getting last place and the least amount of points. At this point, they didn''t mind third place. Overall, this challenge didn''t go the way the class thought it would. On paper, Ryan and Akari looked like the second strongest before knowing the challenge, but now they were the second weakest. It wouldn''t be ridiculous to say they are the weakest.

    "Is this what you meant by this challenge is too much for him?" Luke asked, slightly turning his head to Lorenzo.

    Lorenzo nodded.

    Luke could see that Lorenzo''s gaze was fixated on the screen. He was leaning forward in his seat with his left elbow on the desk and his left hand covering his mouth. He started focusing when Ryan came face-to-face with Nada. Before then, he was lazily watching because he thought Ryan had control over things until he didn''t.

    "Yawn. Do you still think we''re not coming last?" Luke asked, remembering what Lorenzo had said earlier.

    "We won''t. Ryan''s got this", Lorenzo replied, sounding like he usually does and not looking at Luke.

    Luke yawned.

    "He doesn''t look or sound like it, but he does care about his friend. I''ll stop asking him questions. He probably doesn''t want to talk to me right now", Luke thought.

    "Yawwwnn".

    "I''m tired". Luke smiled. "But, I want to watch what happens next. I want to see if Ryan''s got this".

    Lorenzo was barely blinking. That''s how hard he was watching the screen.

    "This isn''t good, but he can come back from this", Lorenzo thought. "I don''t even want to know what he''s thinking right now. It can''t be anything positive. I don''t blame him. Everyone at this academy is amazing..".

    That thought alone made Lorenzo a little depressed. Just thinking about everyone he''s seen and comparing them to himself. It was a reminder of how pathetic he thought he was.

    "I guess we both need to change. At least I''m not alone with that".

    Ryan put the plastic balls in the locker, turned away, and looked at his feet. Four cards were on the floor. Two of them were facing upward. The numbers on them showed,

    ''46'' and ''15''.

    One decent scoring card and the other low scoring. It could''ve been worse. One of them could''ve been a three-digit number. The other two cards could be a three-digit number, but he didn''t want to check.

    Ryan shook his head. He took the tablet out of his jeans and checked the tracker. He scrolled to each floor and saw which one had the most red dots. He had to go for it. He had to keep going.

    "I knew there was a plastic ball here", Malakai said, picking up a plastic ball he found behind a bundle of folders.

    So far, Malakai''s round has been smooth sailing. He hadn''t seen anyone, and he''d already found two plastic balls on his floor. He didn''t have them on him now because he had dropped them back in his safe zone. He returned to his safe zone to check if anyone was nearby or if it had been raided while they were gone. Luckily, their safe zone was untouched, thanks to Delilah stopping Dillon at the start of the round.

    Malakai went up a floor while Delilah went down, so Malakai was on the tenth floor. He found it weird how no one was around. He heard movement, but he didn''t bother investigating or going towards it. Also, he couldn''t afford to investigate and mess around. He had to perform this round. And to be fair to him, he was. Just over ten minutes had passed for this round, and he found three plastic balls.

    "Aryt", Malakai said, turning around.

    He started to move to the exit until someone jogged in.

    ...

    "Malakai".

    Malakai looked at the person, confused.

    "Yo?" he replied. "Were you looking for me or something?".

    "No, but I found you", Kayla replied.

    Kayla came into the room. She didn''t mean to bump into Malakai, but she did, and this time, she wasn''t scared. She had a goal. She knew what she wanted. She wanted revenge.

    Kayla was carrying nothing but noticed Malakai was holding something.

    "Give me that ball", she ordered, pointing at it.

    "What?" Malakai replied, raising his eyebrows.

    "You heard me".

    Malakai stared at her serious expression for a moment.

    "Hahahahahaha".

    He started laughing.

    "Shuuuushh", Malakai told her. "Get outta here man", he said, quoting a meme.

    Kayla''s face stayed stern. She didn''t care what Malakai had to say.

    Kayla waited for silence.

    "Are you done?" she coldly asked.

    "What do you mean am I done? Why are you still here?" Malakai asked back. "You know I ain''t gonna give you this", he said, holding up his plastic ball.

    "I don''t care. If you''re not going to give me it, I''m taking it from you", Kayla replied.

    Malakai smiled. "Go on then", he said, unconvinced. "I''ll just run past you".

    "You''re not going to shoot me?" Kayla asked, nodding to his paintball gun. "Heh, no", Malakai replied, smiling ear to ear, not taking her seriously.

    "You''re not worth a bullet".

    Kayla was unfazed by his taunts until that last sentence. That comment ticked her off. Not once this challenge did Malakai take her seriously. He didn''t see her as competition.

    "Fuck you!" Kayla aggressively said, rushing towards Malakai.

    Malakai smiled and moved forward. He quickly walked to the end of the table placed in the middle of the room and waited. Kayla was on the other side of the table.

    "What now?" Malakai asked, raising his shoulders.

    "You''re going to hide around the table?" Kayla asked, making herself big.

    The position she was in was good. If she stayed there, Malakai would have to pass her on whatever side he decided to take. However, if Kayla decided to chase Malakai around the table, Malakai would escape. She had to wait at the end of the table to trap him.

    "So what? You''re going to stay there the whole time?" Kayla asked, trying to aggravate him.

    "Don''t worry bout me", Malakai replied, smirking, not taking the bait.

    "I need to run past her", Malakai thought.

    He looked at Kayla and quickly analysed her. Kayla was a little taller than Malakai. She was 5''6 like Malakai, but she was closer to 5''7 than Malakai was. She wasn''t overweight, but she was plump. If Malakai had to guess, she probably weighed the same as him or more at around 60kg (132lb). Malakai didn''t have many girl friends, but Kayla was different from all of them. Despite the differences, he was still confident.

    "She won''t do nothing. If she grabs me, I can deffo get out. She won''t be able to hold me. I ain''t gonna shoot her. She''s talking big, but I don''t wanna shoot her", he thought.

    Malakai was about to move, but someone else walked into the room before he did.

    Malakai instantly got an idea,

    "Let''s try something".

    Malakai threw his plastic ball towards the door at the person standing in the doorway.

    "Yo, catch!".

 Chapter 110 - Delulu

    "Yo, catch".

    The plastic ball landed in a pair of hands.

    "Huh?".

    "Say thanks to Nada for me", Malakai said, giving a nod to Justin.

    Justin didn''t know what was going on. Malakai randomly threw a plastic ball towards him. He didn''t know if he should run away with it or wait by the door because it felt wrong that he had this plastic ball. He got it too easily.

    "Justin, he''s paying us back", Marcus told him. "Nada gave him a ball in the second round. He''s returning the favour".

    Justin awkwardly observed what was happening in front of him. Malakai was at one end of the table, and Kayla was on the other end. Kayla was side-eying him but didn''t seem too interested in him. Justin expected someone to be running at him, not whatever this was.

    "I should leave, right?" Justin quietly asked Marcus.

    "Yeah��" Marcus slowly replied, also confused about what he was seeing through Justin''s camera. "I don''t know what their problem is, but you don''t need to get involved".

    Justin listened to the advice and went on his way. He didn''t say anything to Malakai or Kayla. He left without saying a word to either of them and managed to get a plastic ball. That was the easiest plastic ball he''s gotten in this challenge. He wasn''t complaining, but the whole situation was odd.

    "He''s gone", Malakai said, looking at the empty doorway. He looked back at Kayla. "You''re not gonna chase after him?"

    "No", Kayla replied, staring daggers at him.

    "Look at my hands. I don''t have the plastic ball", Malakai said, lifting both his hands to show her and feeling awkward by how Kayla was staring at him.

    "I don''t care", Kayla curtly replied and screwing her face.

    Malakai didn''t like the expression she was making and her attitude.

    "Bro, why are you still here?" he asked. He didn''t understand what she wanted. "You said you were gonna take the ball from me. Look, I don''t have it no more".

    Kayla kept the same face.

    "It''s not my fault you decided to throw it to him", she replied.

    "You''re acting like I was forced to throw it to him. I wanted to give him that ball", Malakai said so she didn''t get the wrong idea.

    "Okay? I don''t care", Kayla replied, shrugging.

    Malakai gave a confused look, "What kind of response is that?" he thought.

    "Aryt, tell me what you want then?" Malakai directly asked, not beating around the bush.

    Kayla didn''t answer.

    "You want an apology?" Malakai asked.

    Kayla didn''t answer.

    Malakai took that as a yes.

    "Aryt then. I''m sorry for taking your plastic balls and pretending to shoot you. Hahaha", Malakai said, finding it funny and laughing at the end.

    Kayla didn''t laugh.

    "Haha", Malakai noticed he wasn''t getting anywhere like this. "Okay, genuinely, what do you want?" he seriously asked.

    "Revenge", Kayla concisely answered. "I want to ruin your chances of winning".

    Malakai looked at her funny. "Heh. Revenge?" he rhetorically asked. "You''re acting like I killed someone you loved. All I did was take a few plastic balls from you. I just did what I had to do for my class".

    "I don''t care. You ruined the challenge for me", Kayla sourly replied.

    "That''s the point of the challenge. Someone has to win, and someone has to lose. Not everyone can win", Malakai said.

    "I don''t care".

    "What do you mean you don''t care?" Malakai replied, tired of hearing that response. "Bro, whoever''s on the mic, help your teammate. She''s not alright in the head. All she says is I don''t care", he continued, pointing at Kayla.

    "Kayla, what do you plan to do?" Sabrina asked.

    Kayla didn''t answer.

    "Kayla, I know you''re trying to sabotage him, but this doesn''t help us either", Sabrina said.

    Kayla didn''t answer.

    Sabrina had been trying to talk to Kayla this entire time, but Kayla didn''t answer.

    "This hurts to watch, dawg", Ash said, sitting next to Jason. "Both our representatives are doing trash".

    "Dillon''s doing well now", Jason replied. "He''s got three balls in his bag".

    "You''re watching Dillon''s angle? I''ve been watching Kayla''s", Ash said. "Shit''s tragic. Malakai''s toying with her".

    "Nah, he''s not toying with her. But it does look like he''s in control of the situation. He looks like he doesn''t care what she does. He just wants to know why she''s doing what she''s doing", Jason replied.

    "Maaaan, you should''ve been a representative", Ash said, leaning back. "You would''ve done better than this".

    "Probably", Jason replied, slightly confident. "But, it''s harder than it looks. I bet a lot of people would do worse than them".

    "Are you going to shoot her?" David asked Malakai.

    "Nah", Malakai casually replied.

    "What are you waiting for then? Run past her", David told him, confused about why he was wasting time.

    "Aryt", Malakai listened. He looked at Kayla and told her,

    "Imma run past you now".

    "Why did that idiot tell her?" The whole of class 1-C questioned.

    Kayla furrowed her eyebrows, "Why don''t you shoot me?" she asked, expecting Malakai to use his paintball gun.

    Malakai furrowed his eyebrows, "What? Bro, why do you wanna get shot? Are you a masochist?" Malakai asked, confused. "Are you that hurt I didn''t shoot you?".

    "No. But, I''ve now realised that you''re scared to shoot me", Kayla replied, smiling, trying to taunt him.

    "The fuck?" Malakai reacted. "That''s the dumbest thing I''ve heard".

    "I don''t see any other explanation as to why you haven''t shot me", Kayla said.

    Malakai let the moment marinate for a few seconds.

    "Let me get this straight. You''re hurt I didn''t shoot you, and now you hate me. But if I shot you earlier, you would still hate me now because I shot you", Malakai replied. "Women��" he face palmed. "You lot are not human, man. You lot are a different species".

    "My point still stands", Kayla smugly said.

    "Your point?" Malakai replied. "Bro, I don''t know who you think you are, but I told you. You''re not worth a bullet. None of these bullets have your name on them".

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "Sounds like a bunch of bullshit", Kayla said, feeling like she was getting to Malakai.

    "Oh my days, man. This women''s delulu", Malakai mumbled.

    Malakai loved to take the piss, and this was an excellent opportunity to go back and forth with Kayla and argue for the fun of it, but he didn''t have the time.

    Malakai took a deep breath in and exhaled,

    "Fuck this".

    Malakai made his move. He dashed to his left and ran along the left side of the table. Kayla saw him suddenly run and shifted to her right to block Malakai. Malakai saw her moving in front of him to block her. He smiled. This position was perfect for him. He raised his arm and aimed his paintball gun. Kayla saw Malakai''s expression. His smile was identical to the one she saw in the second round, and he had those crazy eyes, plus, she couldn''t miss the paintball gun aiming straight at her face. Malakai continued to close the distance and kept his aim locked on Kayla. He was aiming straight at her forehead, right between her eyes, and when he was close enough.

    "Haha!".

    PAP!

    Kayla''s body shuddered, but she felt no pain.

    She didn''t get shot.

    Malakai switched the gun on safety before he started running. He pretended to shoot Kayla to distract her and run past her. It worked. Kayla''s panicked reaction made her close her eyes for a quick moment and stop focusing on Malakai. In that little moment, Malakai had the chance to dash past her.

    Kayla had all the talk, but when the gun was pointed at her, she crumbled. However, it wasn''t over yet. She failed to grab and stop him, but there was still a chance to hurt him. Malakai hadn''t completely run past her, so Kayla turned around and erratically swung her right arm towards Malakai''s face. Similar to how Akari swung her arm out to her in the last round.

    Kayla''s right hand landed on Malakai''s face, barely. Without a second thought, she dug her nails and tried to hold him. Unfortunately for Malakai, Kayla had some fresh, sharp, light pink acrylics done last weekend. Her nails were doing more than scratching the surface.

    "Ayo! What the fuck!" Malakai exclaimed, moving his face away while running after feeling a sharp pain on the side of his face.

    Kayla''s nails manage to dig deep into Malakai''s skin and leave three nasty scratch marks on the right side of his face. One near his eyebrow, one next to his eye, and the last on his cheekbone.

    It didn''t stop there. Malakai kept running, so Kayla chased him. Malakai sprinted out of the room and took a left.

    "Shit! She scratched me!" Malakai said, feeling a little weirded out. "Yo, where should I go?" he asked David.

    ��

    "Yo! Say something!" Malakai hurriedly said.

    ��

    He got no response again.

    Malakai put his hand to his right ear. The earpiece was gone.

    "Shit..." Malakai said with his eyes widened.

    He turned around to look behind him, and Kayla was still pursuing him.

    "She made my earpiece come out", Malakai thought. "I need to go back".

    The distance between Malakai and Kayla rapidly increased due to Malakai''s quicker pace. Kayla couldn''t keep up. Malakai took a few quick glances behind him to check if Kayla was still chasing him, and surprisingly, she still was.

    "I need to spin back round and get that earpiece", Malakai thought.

    "Tch", he kissed his teeth, taking a left and going up the stairs. "I can''t hear you lot. I''m going round back to that room to get my earpiece", he told the class.

    Groans came from all around the classroom. He gave away a plastic ball, and he lost his earpiece. No one in the classroom could tell him off either because he didn''t have an earpiece.

    "What is he doing?" Lucas rhetorically asked, annoyed and shaking his head.

    "He''s throwing the challenge", Benjamin added, leaning back.

    "Guys, chill out", William said. "He''s doing good so far".

    "He''s right. It''s not his fault he got scratched", Ray added.

    "But how can a scratch make his earpiece fall out?" Lucas asked, not understanding how Malakai lost his earpiece.

    None of the people in the class saw Malakai get scratched because they didn''t have an angle on it. They heard Malakai say he got scratched, and they could tell from the crazy movement from the camera when he was running past Kayla. They could still hear what Malakai was saying because of the camera vest, but they could not communicate with him.

    "This is bad", David said. "He can''t hear what we''re saying, and we can''t tell him what to do. We''ve got no communication with him".

    "And he won''t know when the round will end or what Delilah is doing", Benjamin added more problems.

    "You''re worrying too much. He''s going to get the earpiece back", William said, defending Malakai.

    "And if he doesn''t?" Lucas asked.

    "Err, well. I haven''t thought that far", William replied. "But it''s Malakai, dude. He''ll make it work".

    "You have too much faith in that guy", Benjamin said, not having the same optimism.

    "Why shouldn''t I?" William asked. "When hasn''t he pulled through".

    "Many times. Remember when we used to play, and he''d say he''d win the game for us and didn''t?" Benjamin replied, giving an easy example of them playing that FPS game they liked to play.

    "Dude, I mean when it matters", William said.

    Benjamin looked away. He didn''t have a response to that. It was clear that Lucas and Benjamin were less optimistic than Ray and William. Usually, Benjamin would be on Malakai''s side, but he''d seen Malakai mess up too many times already. Even he was surprised by how much Malakai was messing up, he couldn''t defend him. Lucas always worries about stuff involving Malakai.

    "The round isn''t over yet. Let''s see what he can do", David said.

    David was on the fence. His heart wanted to have faith in Malakai, but his head was telling him that Malakai had messed up too many times for this to be okay. Giving a plastic ball away and losing the earpiece isn''t something that could be skipped over. If they ended up with the most points, this could be water under the bridge, but if they didn''t, most of the class would be doing more than blaming Malakai.

    Destiny was casually strolling around the building. She''d already found three plastic balls and dropped them into her safe zone. When she got to her safe zone, she was met with many of their plastic balls on the floor next to the locker. This wasn''t a surprise for Destiny, though, because she already knew they were there. This was because Destiny had an item. She had the cameras. In the fourth round, after she got shot by Malakai, she found an item card. The card had a code that could be used on an app on the tablet. That card allowed Destiny to have access to the cameras around the building. The only camera angles she didn''t have access to were the other team''s safe zones, but she had her safe zone camera angle. That was how Alexander quickly made it back to their safe zone and stopped Dillon. While frozen, Destiny checked the cameras and saw Dillon go into their safe zone, which led to her telling Frank, who then told Alexander. Destiny didn''t watch what happened to Dillon but was told what happened afterwards. From what she was told she was fairly confident that Alexander was doing fine. At the start of the challenge, she thought Alexander was slacking, but now it seemed like he was back to ''normal''.

    Back to Destiny. She was strolling around the building. Her pace has slowed down like most of the people in this challenge. At the start of the round, she was much more hastier with her actions, but now, she was resting a little. Conserving her energy in case she needed it later. Destiny kept walking into rooms and searched. She wasn''t searching with any eagerness. She was fairly confident that they had the most points, so her hunger to search dwindled. The repetition of the challenge was also boring her, and the bullet shot in the previous round dampened her mood. Alexander questioned her before this round started about the paintball stain on her clothes, but she didn''t want to answer him. She gave him short answers with a little bit of attitude. Talking about it embarrassed her.

    Destiny walked into a room, thinking nothing of it, but she saw something. Dillon crouched on the floor with his bag next to him. He was looking at the bottom shelf of a bookcase. Destiny couldn''t see what was at the bottom of the bookshelf, but it looked like a mess judging by the mess around it. The room Destiny and Dillon were in was small. The room didn''t have much inside, which was confusing for Destiny because she didn''t know what Dillon could be searching for that intently. That wasn''t the only thing she was thinking. She was also thinking about whether she could sneak off with Dillon''s bag. The bag was right there. It was in Dillon''s blind spot. If Destiny was quick, she could make out with it and go unnoticed, but she had to do it now because Dillon could stop searching at any moment.

    Therefore, Destiny had no doubt about what to do next. She quietly tiptoed towards Dillon. She made sure every step she took was soundless, and she kept her eyes on Dillon. Every movement she saw Dillon make made her heart race. Even the slightest movement of his hands scared her. Destiny got closer and closer, and every time she got closer, her heart raced more. She was scared her heartbeat was going to sell her out. Destiny could hear her heartbeat, so she was nervous that Dillon could hear it, too. That was the one thing she couldn''t make soundless. However, luckily enough, Dillon was too focused on whatever he was looking at. Eventually, Destiny got close enough to the bag. Destiny carefully lowered her hand and got ahold of the handle. She intricately held the bag handle at the top with two fingers and slowly lifted it up.

    "I don''t get what you''re trying to make me look for".

    Destiny froze mid-lifting the bag up. Dillon randomly spoke. Destiny was like a statue. She stayed completely still for a few seconds. She didn''t want to move because she was sure Dillon would notice her if she did.

    Dillon didn''t notice her.

    After those long few seconds, Destiny slowly moved away from Dillon. She made sure to keep her hand still. She didn''t want to move the bag around, so the bag made noise. She didn''t know what was in the bag, but she didn''t want to take that chance. Like the way she came in, she was making her way out. Silently.

    "Forget this".

    Dillon stood up and looked to his right. He didn''t see his bag. He quickly looked to his left. He didn''t see his bag. He turned around in a panic. He saw his bag, but Destiny was holding it.

    "What are you doing!" Dillon''s voice projected across the room.

    Destiny looked him in the eyes before she dashed. She was basically out of the room by the time Dillon turned around.

    "HEY!" Dillon shouted, chasing after her.

    The chase was on.

    Destiny was running like this was the first round of the challenge. The sudden excitement gave her a boost. Her legs felt weightless. She took a quick glance behind her and saw Dillon chasing. Dillon wasn''t the fastest, but seeing him chase her was still a little unnerving. Destiny could definitely outrun him, but in these circumstances, she wasn''t too sure. Her stamina wasn''t on the same level as her speed, and she had the tablet tucked into her pants (trousers). She didn''t know how good Dillon''s stamina was, but she knew she couldn''t continue sprinting at this constant pace. She had to come up with a plan to lose him. However, nothing came into her head. The only thought was to run.

    Destiny peeked behind her again to check the distance and saw that Dillon was closer than he was before. Without realising, her pace had decreased. That sudden boost was short-lived. She quickly looked ahead and tried to focus on running, but she saw someone ahead.

    Dillon saw the same thing she saw.

    ��OI, MALAKAI! STOP HER!��.