3

"Since you won't challenge Kristan, your other option is to quit your squad."

"What? Exit my squad… that…"

"You're unwilling?" she raised an eyebrow.

He looked so reluctant to do this.

"Xenia, isn't there any other choice? Besides, you play games too. Have mercy on me."

"Third option. Show your butt right now to the school and fart. Make sure it's loud and stinky."

As she said this, she already took out a handkerchief from her bag.

"I can't. I'll just take option 2."

"See? I gave you a nice option and you complain. Now you've gone back to the one you're escaping from. So tragic!" she mocked. He didn't pay attention to her. Instead, he took out his phone and clicked on the MLBB app. When it was done loading, he hurriedly nullified the advertisement banners and did as he vowed. He left his squad!

After doing this, he sighed heavily and showed the evidence that he'd fulfilled his promise to Xenia.

"Good. My lips are zipped. So now do something for me. Apply to join our squad. From now on you'll be our secondary jungler."

"What?" he exclaimed in utter disbelief.

"You want me to…" Xenia wanted to walk away with the intent of announcing, only for him to pull her back desperately.

"No, please don't announce. I'll do it." he sighed in defeat.

*****

Minutes later...

Both returned to Romilly, who was clarifying something to a girl from their class.

This girl's called Elena. She's not too brilliant but very hungry for knowledge and has a sharp mouth when it comes to debates.

"You guys are done?" Romilly asked, wearing that ever-pretty smile.

"Yes," Xenia replied. Then she added:

"Um, Romilly, there's something about Weston you must know. It's a very... intriguing fact."

"Oh. What is it?" Romilly was now interested.

Weston's face paled. Hadn't he already done her the favor? Why was she… going back on her words so soon? Where was the integrity?

"Um, there's nothing that fascinating about me. I'm a nobody." he laughed nervously.

"Um, Xenia I also need to have a word with you in private," he quickly took Xenia back to the same corner.

Now he looked more troubled than ever.

"Xenia, didn't I already do what you wanted? Why…"

She interrupted him.

"I did promise to keep my lips zipped but there's no padlock fastened. Since it's like this, the zip might just open and the… you know, secret flies out of my mouth?" she said with casualness.

"Xenia!"

"You're raising your voice at me? Are you my parent?"

"I…" he sighed before continuing:

"I'm sorry for raising my voice. But… okay. I-I've done what I could to… 'zip' your lips. Then, what else can I do to lock it with an unbreakable padlock and also keep the key to myself?" his tone seemed like he was about to wail.

"You want to know?" she asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"Yes!" he nodded energetically.

"Kill me."

"What?" he nearly wobbled.

She was requesting him to end her life? For what reason?

"Please, what other option is there for me?"

"You're willing to do anything to get me to keep the secret?"

He nodded eagerly.

"I'll do anything, Xenia. So long as it doesn't transgress school rules and it's not evil in itself."

"You're not only selfish but dare to be fussy. Alright, I'll meet your requirement this once. Gimme a pen and notepad."

He hastily took out the demanded things from his bag and handed them to her with quivering hands.

"Oh, have some backbone, will you?" she chastised and he nodded quickly.

She shook her head and giggled before taking the notepad and pen from him. She told him to turn around and he heeded.

She then started scribbling on it until the bell rang. She closed the notepad and handed it over to him.

"I'll keep the pen. I forgot to bring mine. You're a loved kid, surely, you must have a super generous fan girl or something."

He nodded nervously and turned to depart.

"One more thing. Give the notepad to Logan. Let him grace the Maths teacher before he begins his lessons. Am I clear?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Swear on your eyesight that you'll not open it."

"I… I swear." he turned around and ran into the magnificent building.

The school's name is 'Shifter high'. As its name suggests, any shifter of good behavior and outstanding qualifications was welcome here.

The school has been around for many centuries and only the elite of the elite can come here. Though in the last 100 years, some are able to use connections to get in. Xenia, for example, is here because of her father's position as Gamma of the largest wolf pack out there in there.

Still, in here, there are ranks. The A and B classes of each grade here contain the best students. C and D contain the 'average students. But the average ones can easily defeat geniuses of low-ranking schools out there.

Xenia sighed and walked back to Romilly.

"What did you do to him? He seemed tense."

"Well, I told him to instruct me how to dance and he started shivering."

"Really?" Romie raised her eyebrow.

"Ok. You win. It's not that. It's something else but I can't tell you now."

"I hope it won't cause a fuss," Romilly warned.

Xenia nudged her bestie's elbow and chuckled.

"Don't you know me? If I want to cause a ruckus, I'd do so by myself. The game will start soon."

"You're thinking of that MCL thing?"

"Em… it's a secret. You'll know later, Romie. Let's go in." she wrapped her hand around Romie's shoulder and they walked into the school building.

********

Weston sat anxiously in his seat in class B1.

The Math teacher, Mr Asher Robbins, has just entered. Everyone rose and saluted him. He acknowledged them before they sat down again.

However, before he could initiate his lessons, Weston put up his hand.

"Yes, Weston?"

He was the teacher's favoured student. How lucky Mr Asher felt to have this genius in this class!

"Um, I have something to read to you. More specifically, Xenia Anderson wanted Logan to read a letter to you. She wrote it on my notepad and I swear, I don't know what's inside. She seemed timid when she approached me today."

"Nervous?" the teacher raised an eyebrow. That's unlike her. The Xenia in his memory was a bad egg! Now she's written a letter for him out of the blue?

"She also beseeched that you don't become emotional until after the letter is read out totally. She hopes you can have a change of heart about her."

"Okay, Logan, take the notepad from him and read it out loud." Mr Asher commanded.

The student named Logan seemed unwilling but he still did so albeit with a frown. He hates being told what to do.

Upon taking the notepad from Weston, he walked to the front of the class and turned the next page of the notepad.

What he saw made his expression change. It took much effort for him to remain calm. He started reading.

"Dear, Maths teacher, how are you doing? I had a bad dream that you were still teaching Maths even though your period was over. I also had another dream where you turned into a donkey and a tag was placed around your neck that read 'Piss on me and your rotten luck in life will change for the better. Only need half a dollar from you'. I wanted to skip over but you insisted that I should pee on your donkey self. I saw how disgustingly pitiful you looked, so I turned around and farted in your mouth. Since then my luck's changed for the better. I also had another dream where you got run over by a truck. People came to pack your remains but they surprisingly saw that although your flesh was missing, your skeleton was still okay and you were twerking. Gosh, it was a funny yet eye-opening sight. From these dreams, I've learned that in real life, you're a paper tiger. Your pants are so big because you don't wish to show us your skinny feet. I understand and won't let anyone know. And also you're willing to be a stepping stone for others to step on to the path to success while you remain in the abyss of doom. Sigh. What else can I say, happy eternal years of teaching Maths, Mr know all, Weston. May you succeed in math. I don't want to learn from you anymore. Timid soul!

After Logan finished reading it, the Maths teacher and Weston's faces were twisted.

'The Math teacher in the letter clearly referred to Mr Asher. How dare she add me at the end of the letter? My reputation's ruined!'  Weston thought in fear.

His classmates were having a hard time holding their laughs. The entire content of this message was to say that Mr Asher would not make it in life and he as the sidekick, would follow suit. His body trembled from anger.

'Xenia!" he screamed in his mind. If she were to appear now, tearing her into a thousand pieces would not satiate his anger.

"Logan, gimme the notepad." Said Mr Asher and Logan did so.

Weston watched as the Maths teacher tore it to irrecoverable bits before throwing the pieces into the trash can.

He then told Logan to go sit at his seat before sighing.

"Weston, remain standing. From now on, be sure to stand up whenever I'm present. Your punishment lasts for 2 weeks."

"But Sir…" Weston wanted to protest but the teacher interrupted him.

"Three weeks." the teacher had added an extra one more week. He decided to just keep quiet. If he tried to talk again it could be extended to 2 months. He used to view some people in this class as oddballs but now he was the main oddball.

Mr Asher resumed his lesson like nothing happened, even wearing the familiar smile and showing the passion he had for this subject.

Everyone was enjoying this lesson except Weston.

"Xenia, just you wait. I'm gonna kill you. I'll kill you." he swore in his heart. His face was terrible to look at during the whole lesson.

When it was lunchtime, everyone came out of the class happily chatting. But a certain someone gave one the impression of an upcoming storm. He headed straight for class A1.

He found Xenia and her bestie chatting and laughing. He stormed over to where Xenia sat and hit the desk hard, startling Romilly, who gasped.

"Xenia. What's the meaning of this?" he barked.

Xenia turned to look at him and sighed before rising from her seat.

"Weston, what's with you? Why did you suddenly come to disrupt our peace?"

"You… You wrote rubbish in the letter."

"I didn't. It's your handwriting that's used, by the way. Oh, I forgot to tell you, I can mimic others' handwriting. And yeah, Logan made a mistake. The one he was supposed to read, he didn't read it. I stated in the first letter that it shouldn't be read out. The second one was to praise the Math teacher and the school's magnificence."

"You…"

"Weston1…"

"Just you wait." he stormed out of the classroom.

Xenia shook her head with a sigh and focused back on her friend, who gave her a querying look.

"What? Why that stare?"

"Xenia, you caused a ruckus that involved the math teacher and Weston?"

"It's not a big deal." Xenia shrugged and Romilly shook her head.

"What exactly did he do to warrant this scheme of yours?"

"He cursed me. He questions my ability and this is what he gets."

Romilly sighed.