Chapter 3

Gabriel's

"Thank you very much, Everyone! I hope you enjoyed our performance for tonight!" And again, he flashed his sweet smile showing how overwhelmed he is by the crowd's loud cheer for their band. Even Mike did not hold back and cheered for them loudly. "We hope to see you all again tomorrow night. Again, thank you." they are all about to get off the stage but the crowd stopped them.

"Wait!" One of the audience shouted. The vocalist was the one to look at him and smiled as if he's waiting for the next thing he would say. "Aren't you going to introduce yourselves, first?" The guy asked and I couldn't be more thankful to him. Cause I also want to know what's the vocalist's name. The whole crowd agreed and cheered for them again. I looked at the vocalist and he seemed to feel a bit uneasy. 

'Hmm. A private person, I see.'

His bandmates talked to him as if convincing him to introduce himself and he seemed to have no choice and nodded nonchalantly. And so, as he faced the crowd again, he flashed his dazzling smile enough for the girls and some guys to swoon over his charms and I can't help but to look at his lips and even his eyes that's been narrowed after smiling and I can't take my eyes off him. It's like I'm being hypnotized.

"U-uhm, since you asked for it, I-i'm going to introduce myself as well as my band mates." He said and Mike laughed even if there's nothing funny with what he said. "This guy's name is Mark." He first introduced the drummer and we all clapped for him as he bowed in front of the crowd. "Our guitarist's name is Cole." The boy who seemed to be the youngest member smiled at the crowd and also bowed. "And our wonderful bassist's name is Troy." He last introduced the bassist. And he did the same. Then, the crowd fell in silence as we all waited for the vocalist to introduce himself. I don't understand why I'm having difficulty in breathing as I wait for him to finally say his name. But my heart raced to the nth power when he looked around before directing his gaze at me. 

"And my name is Maze."

I hear most of the girls screaming at the top of their lungs and even some boys that for all I know isn't straight as a ruler.

Maze. 

His name's Maze.

I can't help but smile as I think of how contradicting his name was to his personality. His tough appearance plus his cute name is making me smile. 

Maze's smile faded as he saw me smiling at him. He then looked at his band mates and they all nodded at each other before facing the crowd once again. But this time, he didn't bother to look at me.

"Again, thank you, Everyone! And good night!" That was the last thing he said before getting off the stage with his band mates. 

Maze's

"Maze!" Top was about to go beside me but he stopped as he saw me packing my things. "You're leaving already?" He asked and Mark, Cole and Troy are the ones who answered his question by nodding. "Aow." I smiled as I shook my head before checking if I had put all of my things in my bag. It wasn't really surprising that I want to leave after performing. I'm not really into parties. And it's obvious that Top is just pretending to be shocked and we all know very well what will happen next. "Can't you just stay for an hour, Maze?" And there, Mark was the first one to laugh because of what Top said.

And he seemed to be confused with our reaction but we're kind of expecting what he just said. Even Mark and Cole had a bet about it and the reason why Mark is laughing is because he won a hundred bucks bet.

"You lost, Cole." Mark said while grinning from ear to ear and Kokliang had no choice but to give him the money. 

"Aow, did you just seriously made a bet for me?" Top said and the youngest snapped at him. 

"Can't you just let Maze leave early as he please, Top? You're so predictable when it comes to your best guy." Cole said as he shook his head while Troy, Mark and I laughed at his loss. 

But Top just shrugged before looking at me with pleading eyes. 

"C'mon, Maze. Can you stay for an hour? Please?" He said and I looked at him before smiling. 

"You know that tomorrow is the start of my classes, right?" I asked him.

"But it's the bar's first night! It's also the premier launch of you guys as a band. Might as well stay for a little bit more and celebrate with us. Right, guys?" He tried having my bandmates on his sides and I looked at all of them. Troy and Cole nodded while Mark just shrugged, cause he also knows how introverted I am. "Majority wins! You'll stay for an hour!" Tong said snapping his fingers as if he won the lottery and I winced. 

'Here we go again, Maze.'

I nodded nonchalantly and I can see how happy Top is and I wonder why. 

"My juniors are all dying to meet you! Especially you, Maze!" He said excitedly before pulling me closer to him and he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and I forced a laugh. Seems like Tong had forgotten how I ought to limit the people that I'll be acquainted with. 

Then I remembered that he mentioned the name Gabriel a while ago before he introduced our band. I can't help but to feel hesitant since there's a big possibility that Gabriel the cheater is one fo his juniors. But before I could even ask him, he already pulled us out of the backstage and I swear, I nearly cursed Top when I saw where we're heading to.

None other than Gabriel and his friends' table.

'Ah, of course. What are the odds that Top the player is close to Gabriel the cheater? Tsk. Tsk.'

I frowned when I saw Gabriel smiling while looking at me directly.

'What the hell?'

"Guys!" Top exclaimed as we reached their table. "As promised, I brought Thoughts at Midnight with me!" Top was more on bragging when he motioned me and my band mates but I have to keep my cool even if I can feel Gabriel staring at me. 

Troy and Cole being a friendly person they are, waved at Tong's juniors while Mark smiled at them before offering a handshake. So I had no choice but to smile timidly before nodding at them.

"Hi, Mazw! I'm Mike! I am your first fan ever!" I looked at the familiar face of the short and pale guy. He was the one with the loudest cheer a while ago so I smiled at him before nodding. 

"Thank you." Is the only thing that I was able to say because Top wrapped his arms around my shoulders again so I looked at him as if warning him to get his hands off me. I'm not comfortable with skinship so he immediately removed it while wincing. 

"A-ah, hehe, by the way, Maze, Cole, Troy and Mark, these are my juniors from the faculty of Psychology. My favorite boy, Gabriel Solzeek Thornton, you can call him Gab." Of course, he first introduced the fairest of them all which is Gab the cheater. I'm not praising him or what but it's true that he's the fairest among all of his friends. I'm just interpreting my observation. But that doesn't also mean that I'm actually observing Gab. Whatever. He smiled at us and my friends are kind enough to return it to him but not me. Call me rude but I will never ever smile to a cheater. So I remained giving him my cold stare and he also looked at me straight in the eyes.

The staring game started and it feels like we've been both oblivious around our surrounding as we focus on each other's orbs. I can feel my heart beating faster and faster as I continue to fight his stares. I can see that he's trying to read me through my eyes and I can't help but smirk. 

People often say that eyes are the windows of a person's soul. And I can't help but to ridicule that old saying cause I know very well how to hide everything. I've mastered the art of hiding my emotions that no one can ever read me, even through my eyes. Unless, I let them. And I'm at this point in my life where I don't want anyone to read me. The more unpredictable I am, the less people who can stick around me. And my bandmates and Top is enough to keep me company.

I don't want any burdens. And having a lot of friends will be a big burden and I just want to limit the casualties. I'm the type of person who can't stay in one place for a long time. Not because I like traveling or some sort but because I don't have a choice. I'm running away and hiding from my past.

I'm doing my best to hide and not to be traced but I know that I can't stay here for a long time. But I also want to live a normal life while I'm still here. But not to a certain extent that I will let myself be friends and be close to a lot of people. I can't be emotionally involved with anyone. And so I had built my walls high and strong. That no one could ever break it. Not even a cheating psychology student like Gab. 

It was then I saw the guy frowning while looking at my smirking face. Top couldn't go on with the introduction since Gab and I are still staring at each other. And I smirked even more when Gab was the first one to break the stare and he even cleared his throat out of discomfort.

'One point for Maze.'

One of the things I learn on how to be distant with people is to piss them off. That's why I smirked again before looking at Top who seemed to be very confused same with my bandmates and his other juniors who just witnessed me and Gab staring at each other mindlessly.

"We've actually met a while ago." I said making Top and Mike frown. 

"But how is that possible?" Mike asked while his friends remained watching and waiting with what I have to say. 

"W-w-w-w-wait!" Top snapped and we all looked at him but he's looking at me while frowning. "You mean to say, that Gab is the 'not so interesting incident' that you bumped into a while ago?" Top exclaimed as if he couldn't believe what he just realized. I can see how Gab's hand turned into a ball of fist and his face turning red as if he's about to explode. 

'Guess, I hit it right in the bull's eye.'

And so to piss him even more, I flashed my sweet smile and face his friends, totally ignoring the fuming Gab. Then I looked at Top. 

"Aren't you going to introduce the more significant ones aside from the less significant?" I can feel Mark patting back as if that could stop me from being blunt but I didn't even bother looking at my band mates cause I am so enjoying this. I guess people had forgotten that karma is real. And I want to show it to this cheating bastard. It's fun to see that he's already fuming when in fact, we're just getting started. And this is level one.

"A-ah, yeah right, Top! We're also dying to meet the rest of your juniors! Right, Cole?" I can feel the uneasiness in Troy's voice as he tried to lessen the growing tension between me and Gab. And I smirked even more. I looked at Gab's friends and the are also confused with what's going on between me and Gab. 

"R-right. Uhm, this is Mike, Marvin, Barry and Kevin." Top introduced the other four and I smiled at them before offering a wai once again and they did the same. 

"Shall we take our seats?" Troy asked them and they all agreed making spaces for us. But before I can even take my seat, Gab stood in front of me looking so angry. I saw how his friends and Top looking at the both of us worriedly as if it's already my doom's day. Cole and Troy also looked a bit worried while Mark is just staring at us, knowing that I can handle this situation smoothly.

"What the hell is your problem?" He asked me through gritted teeth and I pretended to be clueless and gave him a frown. 

"Looking at the both of us right now, I think people can clearly see who's the one with a problem here." I said sarcastically and he looked around. I know very well that not only his friends and my band mates are the ones watching us right now but also some of the customers since the next band will perform after 10 minutes more and they had nothing to watch but us and I must admit that this guy in front of me is really a head turner. So he can easily get people's attention. He seemed to notice a lot of people eyeing the both of us ao he glared at me before sighing. 

Gabriel's

'This guy is wicked!'

I glared at him as I saw a lot of people watching us. And I can't afford to make a scene since I've had enough of Jen's drama for tonight. And even if I want to get even with Maze, I can't afford to ruin Tong's wonderful night just because of his friend's arrogance. And besides, it's obvious that Maze had instantly became the crowd's favorite and picking up on him will not be a wise move as it can turn to ruckus. So I forced a smile before making a way for him to take a seat. 

He smirked again before walking pass through me and taking the vacant seat beside me. Not minding that we had to sit beside each other. 

'This man is something! I can't read him and most importantly, I can't fathom his personality!'

I can see my friends looking at me worriedly but then I forced a smile before nodding at them and they seemed to be relieved. I can't show them that I actually lost against Maze. I was never a loser. Not until Maze came. And even if I'm a bit hesitant to sit beside him, the fact still remains that I don't have a choice but to put up a facade and pretend that I'm not nearing to explosion.

And Top, being the entertainer that he is, managed to break the awkwardness, well, at least among the rest of my friends and the other three members of the band, and started to talk about random funny stuff making all of them laughed. I secretly observed Maze while pretending to listen with our friends' conversation and I can see how reserved he is. 

He's not really a drunkard and he's still with his first bottle of beer while listening to Top's jokes. But I can see that he's not laughing even at Top's funniest jokes. It's as if he doesn't have any humor at all. 

It was then he looked at me and I was caught off guard as he caught me staring at him. He smirked as he shook his head and gulping the beer. 

"Quit it, Dude." He said meaningfully before looking at Top once again and pretending to smile while all pur friends laughed at Top's joke once again. 

It was then a waiter went to our table carrying two buckets of ice cold beer. 

"Sir Top, one of our customers bought this for Sir Maze." I saw Maze frowned with what he heard and I can feel something growing inside me. I can't really explain it though, but I feel a bit upset because a brave ass man managed to make a move for Maze. Well, it's not as if I'm jealous or what. I'm just worrieycause that guy is about to face the biggest rejection from the arrogant Maze. 

"Who is that customer you're talking about?" Top asked and the waiter pointed at the table just three meters away from us and we all looked at the direction and saw Adan. A senior from the faculty of music, and just like me and Top, he also had a reputation when it comes to playing around. It seems that he decided to swing both ways after seeing how attractive Maze is. Tsk. Tsk. 

My gripped at the bottle of beer tightened when I saw him waving at Maze but felt eventually relieves when Maze ignored him and faced the waiter. 

"Tell him that I said thanks, but no thanks." Maze said as he stood up and looking at our friends but not me. Top is about to stop the waiter from leaving but he was interrupted by Maze. "I hope you guys had a great time. I shall take my leave now. Nice meeting you everyone." He said politely before looking at me while smirking. "I'll see you tomorrow." He said and I frowned. 

"And who said that I will come here to see you again?" I snapped and him and he laughed before looking at Mark who nodded at him before waving. 

"Take care. And yes, I'll see you tomorrow." It was then I realized that he's actually talking to Mark and not me. 

But why the fuck is he looking at me when he said those words?!

Is he really trying to piss me off?!

But before I could say anything, he already left me there. Dumbfounded and ashamed because of what happened. I followed him with my narrowed eyes, trying to calm myself down.

'Fuck. This guy is really testing me.'

I know for a fact that as a Psychology student, I should learn how to control my temper but I can't seem to hold it when it comes to Maze. It's as if everything he does has a big effect on me and I don't like it. He's pissing me off. 

And I am Gabriel Solzeek Thornton. 

I can't lose without a fight. The war has only started. I meed to make sure that I could get even. And I can't help but to smirk while thinking on how exciting this could get. 

'Get ready, Maze I hope you're up for a big game.'