Chapter 6 (2012)

Pearl

If my father ever finds out that I’m outside of school waiting for the school’s bad boy, I might get killed or sent to an asylum. Maybe if I tell him he was Anderson’s only son, I would be punished and grounded till my grandchildren graduate college, right? 

“Right?” I asked Lyla who was beside me. I knew I was thinking out loud with the dreadful look on her face. 

“You need to calm down Pearl. I can’t calm down if you don’t calm down and the way you’ve been imagining all sort of horrible things is scaring me, alright?” Lyla asked, her voice shaking already. 

I nodded, swallowing hard. 

“Where’s Lyla by the way?” She asked me. 

“I told her to go home and lie to mom that I’m still in school, studying with friends for an assignment. If the two of us waited behind, mom will find out that something is wrong and if she finds out, we’re dead, really dead,” 

Lyla didn’t get to say anything else and neither did I when a motorcycle revved as it moved closer to us from inside the school’s premises. I held on to Lyla’s arm as beads of sweat began to appear on my face. We knew it was Lucas, he was the only person in school who used a bike, no one else dared to. His family is rich, influential, and prominent and as a result of the amount of money his father sponsors the school with, no one could particularly say anything against him until when necessary, and when I say when necessary, I mean once in a blue moon. 

His bike stopped in front of us and he removed his helmet, scrutinizing the both of us. 

“Go home,” He suddenly commanded. I didn’t believe my ears, I didn’t believe he would want me to leave just like that. Lyla held my hand and we began walking away together. 

 “I’m not talking to you, Augustus” He suddenly interrupted us. We both stopped and shared a look. 

“What?” I asked. 

He snorted. “The other girl should leave, you are staying,” 

 “I’m not going anywhere,” Lyla protested as she held on to my hand. 

“Fine! Either she leaves or I leave,” To others it might sound like the best option, telling him to leave would be the best but to those who know Lucas Anderson very well knows the second option is more like a death sentence. 

I tried removing my hand from Lyla but she stopped me. 

“I’m not leaving and if you want, you can leave,” She said, directly at him. I know Lyla is fearless but I never knew she could go against Lucas like that. I thought we all feared him, didn’t we? 

“Lyla,” I called out, trying to caution her. 

Lucas removed his phone from his pocket and pressed some buttons before placing the phone in his ear. 

“Henry, call your sister and tell her to mind her fucking business, or else we’ll have a serious problem,” 

Who’s Henry? I wanted to ask but as soon as my eyes met that of Lyla, she looked away and when she looked at me back, she had an apologetic look on her face, and almost instantly, her phone began ringing. 

All I knew was she didn’t say anything but listened to the person on the other end of the line and afterward, she removed her hand from mine. 

“I’m sorry,” She apologized. 

“You should go, I’ll be fine and if I end up dead by tomorrow, you’re the only person that can make sure I get justice, alright? My hope is in you now, Lyla. Tell my parents I love them,” 

“Did you hit your head somewhere as a child?” Lucas suddenly interrupted our moment. His eyebrows were raised as he looked at me as if I was crazy. He snorted and looked away. 

Lyla glared at him. 

“Call me when you get home,” 

“I will,” I promised. Lucas didn’t say anything until Lyla had left. She had waved a cab down and waved at me before leaving with a guilty look on her face. 

“What do you want from me?” I asked when I couldn’t bear the silence anymore. 

“I need a can of soda,” He replied. 

I stared at him in disbelief. 

“Sorry?” I wanted him to say it again. 

“Are you deaf?” He asked. 

“No, I’m not. I just need to hear it one more time so it won’t sound as if I heard I need you to get me a can of soda,” He smirked.

“You heard me right, Augustus. Get me a can of soda at a store and meet me back here,” He demanded. 

“That’s insane,”

 “There’s another option if you don’t want to do that. I can tell you to go home right now…” I was beginning[Ma1]  to have a bit of hope as he said those words. “So you can meet me at your place explaining to your father how you destroyed my jacket,” He finished his stupid words, dashing every bit of hope in me. 

“You’re evil,” I spat.

“That’s why I’m called Lucas Anderson. Leave before I changed my mind,” 

I glared at him for more than ten seconds before deciding to leave. “How many can of soda should I get?” I demanded. 

He raised a finger with a smirk still plastered on his face. I wish I can give him a hard knock on his head and watch that smirk get replaced by pain but I know that will only come to pass if I wake up tomorrow morning as The Rock. 

The walk to the store from the school gate took five minutes. After I got the can of soda, I got myself a bottle of water and a biscuit since I still needed to walk the same distance back to the school gate. I paid at the counter with the last of my weekly allowance which was equal to the bus fare for that week. 

I groaned as I walked out of the store angrily. I got angrier when I got back to the school premises only to find out that Lucas Anderson was gone. He was gone, like vanished. I stomped my feet against the ground as I groaned in frustration. My phone suddenly beeped with a message from an unknown number. 

*Let the hunger games begin*

L.