TUESDAY
EMIRATES ACADEMY
Yesterday's fight was the talk of the school.
Every corridor.
Every classroom.
Every lunch table.
Everybody had an opinion.
Most of those opinions involved fear.
The moment Andre entered the room conversations died.
Students lowered their voices.
Some stared.
Some avoided eye contact entirely.
Others moved out of his way.
The whispers followed him everywhere.
"That's him."
"The one who beat Rufus."
"I heard he almost didn't stop."
"Even Carlos stayed out of it."
Andre ignored all of it.
Or at least he pretended to.
Then after a while Rufus showed up.
Then the whispers increased
"Can't believe he came to school."
"Damn I wasn't present at the fight but his face tells the entire story."
"If it were me, I won't be in school for a month."
The bruises hadn't faded.
His pride hadn't.
Then he gave the people whispering a mean stare.
Nobody said a word again.
Nobody laughed.
But it wasn't out of fear.
He could feel it.
The feeling was more of pity.
For the first time since joining the school
Rufus felt small.
And he hated every second of it.
Break time.
Andre sat alone beneath a tree.
Reading a book.
Marco and the others were on their way.
Until someone stopped in front of him.
Anastasia.
Andre looked up.
"...Need something?"
Anastasia hesitated.
Clearly uncomfortable.
Then finally—
"...Thank you."
Andre blinked.
"...What?"
That wasn't the response he expected.
Anastasia sat beside him.
"...For helping my brother."
A pause.
"... Helping him snap out of his crazy obessesion."
Andre closed his book.
Listening.
Anastasia looked down.
"...Rufus has been getting worse."
Her voice was quiet.
"Day by Day he was becoming more violent."
"...Angry."
"...Arrogant."
A pause.
"...Nobody could get through to him."
"Even me."
She smiled sadly.
"But after that fight?"
A small laugh escaped her.
"He finally realized he wasn't invincible."
Andre remained silent.
Then Anastasia looked at him.
"...You knocked some sense into him."
Andre almost smiled.
Almost.
"...You're welcome."
Then she smiled and walked away as Esmeralda was on her way to meet Andre.
She reached and gave him a stare
Andre looked at her and smiled
"Nothing serious."
"Hmmmm...ok"
A pause
"Well for the project since all u have are terrible ideas."
"I have come up with the most brilliant idea."
Andre adjusted as he smiled
"And what could that be."
Esmeralda sat close to him proudly
"Tacos."
Andre looked at her.
"...What?"
Esmeralda grinned.
"Tacos."
Andre stared.
"...That's your presentation idea?"
She pointed dramatically.
"Mexican culture."
"Food."
"History."
"Presentation."
A pause.
"We make tacos."
Andre thought about it.
Then shrugged.
"...Actually not terrible."
Esmeralda gasped dramatically.
"Did Andre just acknowledge my intelligence?"
"Neverrrrr!!."
She laughed.
He laughed.
Then the bell rang.
Students made their way back to class.
Andre stood up
"I wonder why Marco and the others didn't meet me here as planned."
Then
Suddenly.
A loud metallic screech echoed nearby.
Both of them looked up.
A large iron sign hanging from a pole had snapped loose.
The support beam twisted.
The entire thing fell.
Straight toward them.
Esmeralda froze.
Everything happened too fast.
Too sudden.
"ANDRE—!"
Before she could finish
Andre moved.
Stepped forward.
And raised an arm.
The iron slammed into him.
The impact echoed through the school.
People screamed.
Esmeralda stumbled backward.
Shock flooding her body.
The sign crashed to the ground.
Dust everywhere.
For a second
Everything became silent.
Then she saw it.
Blood.
Running down Andre's arm.
Dripping onto the pavement.
Her face went pale.
"Oh my God."
She rushed toward him immediately.
"Andre!"
"I'm fine."
"No you're not!"
She grabbed his arm.
Blood stained his sleeve.
A lot of blood.
Way too much blood.
Andre immediately pulled away.
"It's nothing."
Her eyes widened.
"Nothing?!"
Blood literally dripped from his fingers.
She looked horrified.
Andre kept trying to hide it.
Turning away.
Avoiding her.
"It's already okay."
"What does that even mean?!"
He sighed.
"Esmeralda."
"No."
She folded her arms.
"You are showing me that arm."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"Drop it."
"Absolutely not."
The argument continued for nearly a minute.
People nearby were staring now.
Andre looked increasingly uncomfortable.
Then Esmeralda suddenly smiled.
A dangerous smile.
Andre immediately became suspicious.
"...Why are you smiling?"
"Nothing."
"...That's a lie."
She pointed behind him.
"LOOK!"
Andre instinctively turned.
For half a second.
That was all she needed.
She grabbed his wrist.
Pulled his sleeve upward.
And froze.
Silence.
Andre closed his eyes.
"...Damn it."
Esmeralda didn't answer.
Because she couldn't.
The blood was still there.
Fresh.
Staining his skin.
His shirt.
His sleeve.
But the injury itself
Was gone.
Completely gone.
No cut.
No bruise.
No swelling.
Nothing.
Perfect skin.
As if it had never happened.
Her mouth slowly opened.
Then closed.
Then opened again.
She stared.
Then stared harder.
Then looked at Andre.
Then back at the arm.
Then back at Andre.
"What..."
A pause.
"...in the world..."
Another pause.
"...am I looking at?"
Her brain refused to process what she was seeing.
"...Andre."
Andre sighed.
Already knowing where this was going.
"That's what I was trying to tell, you I didn't have a cut."
She pointed aggressively at his arm.
"I literally saw it happen!"
Andre looked down.
Then back at her.
Then shrugged.
"I got lucky."
"Lucky?!"
"Maybe it didn't really cut me."
"Then how do you explain the blood."
" You're just being dramatic."
"ANDRE!"
A few people walking nearby turned to look.
Andre rubbed the back of his neck.
Trying very hard not to smile.
Esmeralda folded her arms.
"You are lying."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm not."
The argument continued for almost five minutes.
Eventually...
Andre somehow managed to wear her down.
Not because she believed him.
But because his confidence was annoyingly convincing.
Finally she sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
Andre smiled.
"See?"
She pointed at him.
"Let's head to class."
Shopping District
Pacho was carrying several shopping bags as he walked through the crowded street.
Rihanna had given him an entire list.
A list that felt longer than the Constitution.
He sighed.
"I'm never agreeing to do errands again."
"That's adorable."
A familiar voice answered.
Pacho turned.
And immediately froze.
Carmen.
Standing beside a jewelry display.
Elegant as ever.
A small smile resting on her lips.
Pacho blinked.
"... You're Carmen right?"
She smiled.
"Yes, Mr Pacho."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Didn't expect to see you here."
"Likewise."
Her eyes traveled over him briefly.
Then she chuckled.
"You are looking good."
Pacho gave a weak laugh.
"I'm rich, I always look good"
She stepped slightly closer.
"...isn't that a bit arrogant."
Pacho nearly choked.
"...And don't you have a boyfriend to compliment?"
Carmen laughed.
The reaction clearly amused her.
"Relax."
She reached up and lightly tapped his cheek.
"You blush too easily."
Pacho looked completely caught off guard.
Carmen smiled.
Then stepped away.
"See you around."
Before Pacho could respond
she was already walking away.
Leaving him standing there confused.
A few moments later...
Carmen entered a black luxury car parked nearby.
The door closed.
Inside
Maxim sat in the back seat.
Watching.
Waiting.
The moment she entered he spoke.
"Well, how did it go?"
Carmen rolled her eyes.
"Damn, his guard is up."
Maxim smirked.
"And?"
She adjusted her hair casually.
"He's not exactly what you thought."
Maxim leaned back.
Thinking.
Carmen looked toward him.
"But you really should relax."
Maxim's smile slowly widened.
Unfortunately...
That smile usually meant trouble.