Beads of sweat formed on Cade's forehead. The soft whisper of the wind awakened him. His surroundings became clearer. He was inside a small wooden room with a single bed and a cabinet. It was claustrophobic. His eyes roved around, searching for his friends. He gazed under the bed. And there, Theo and Stan lay with blood on their faces. Cade's heart palpitated as if he had seen his worst nightmare.
"No..." he uttered.
Cade reached out to them and fell to the floor before realizing his hands were tied. The icy-cold tiles smooched his cheek. He stayed there close to Theo's body. Cade studied Theo's facial features, seeking a sign of life. His face was serene, like a divine. In one glance, no one would think he had made dozens of girls cry.
Theo was the most annoying person he had ever met. He tends to be in trouble most of the time, but he would put on a smile even with bruises all over his body. His uniform may get ruined from his gang fights, but his victorious smile remained. Though he was a warrior under Cade's command, Cade hated it-seeing him injured with a collection of scars.
"I'm okay, Budd," Theo would say after a broken leg.
"This doesn't hurt much," Theo would say before lung surgery.
"This won't kill me," Theo would say before a heart transplant.
Theo was the toughest person he knew, and he loathe the side of him who pretended to be fine. But no matter how much he irritated him, none of it matter when he's not ready to detach from him yet.
Cade sobbed while looking at his cousins who were with him since childhood. A life without them would be a life not worth living.
Cade silenced when Theo blinked. He muttered a curse under his breath. Stan chuckled like a chipmunk.
"What the-"
"We got you!"
"That was epic!"
"You fooled me?" Cade asked.
"I'm sorry, Cade. But we don't regret it," Theo said.
"How could the two of you laugh in this situation? Psychos."
"My head was hurting for a while, but I'm fine now," Stan said.
"That's not the point. Do you understand what's going on?"
"Dude, your reaction was priceless. You looked like Romeo when Juliet faked her death," Theo said and burst out laughing.
Cade had a deadpan expression as he said, "Can we move on now? Because my hands hurt. For the record, I am not as stupid as him."
"No. There's no moving on. We will lock it in our hearts," Theo replied.
Stan slithered out from under the bed while Theo rolled over. They helped each other untie the knot around their wrists. Cade then peaked at the window.
"I don't know where we are, but we are in a remote area. No houses, cars, people," Cade said.
"Someone's coming. Go back to the original position and pretend to be helpless," Stan said.
The door opened and revealed a middle-aged man who looked like an average goon in movies-strong facial features, tattoos, except he was chewing gum.
"Hello boys," he said.
"What do you want from us?" Stan asked.
"There's no need to ask, Stan. It's money, the root of all evil," Cade said.
"At least pretend not to know, Cade. That's what they do in movies."
Cade scrutinized the man's appearance, "Besides, his face tells me he lacks the money to afford proper hygiene."
The man smelled his armpit unconsciously.
"Look at his beard. It's humongous, like the jungle. Do you think a lion lives there?" Cade added.
The man caressed his beard.
"His nails. Does he even cut them for ages?" Cade commented, looking so disgusted.
The man stomped his foot at last. "This is kidnapping! How dare you insult me when your life depends on me!"
The boys compressed their distance to protect themselves.
"Call your parents and tell them I need 195, 158. 30 dollars in exchange for your lives," the man said as he handed a phone to them.
"You'll get nothing. Dad doesn't care about me," Cade said.
His green eyes dropped to the floor like clean dollars printed at the mint.
"You'll do what I say or I'll shoot you," the man said as he pulled out a pistol from his pocket.
Theo stepped forward. "Go on. Shoot me. Don't give me the chance to live or you'll regret it."
The man pointed the gun at him. But before he could pull the trigger, there was a loud thud approaching them. As the man turned behind him, the door got destroyed by a powerful force and it blew him away.
"Antoine? What are you doing here?" Cade asked.
Antoine got rid of the dirt on his suit. "Young Master! Are you doing fine?" he said while checking Cade's body. The man stood up and wiped the blood on his forehead.
"Who is that?" Antoine asked.
"The kidnapper."
"Oh," Antoine lay his hand, "Let me introduce myself. I am Antoine D'aureville, Cade's butler. I am open for negotiation to avoid more damage."
"Are you kidding me? You need to pay for what you did to me."
"So, how much is your peace?"
"Only death is the price."
"Then death it is," Antoine said and positioned his long leg before striking the man's head with his foot.
Stan and Theo were in shock.
"Dude, he is my type," Theo murmured.
Antoine didn't stop there. He sat on top of the man and broke his arms who did nothing but scream.
"Antoine, that's enough. Don't kill him," Cade said.
"Of course not, Young Master. To live is to suffer. I shall not let his soul rest."
Theo approached Antoine with admiration visible in his eyes. He bowed his head and said, "Master, please teach me the art of violence."
"You might want to change the word into 'the art of combat.' It is my pleasure, young man. But I hold no title and I don't deserve to be called a master. I am only a humble servant of the Robertson."
Antoine sprinkled some money on top of the man's body before helping the boys leave the area. He also gave them something to wear.
"Why should we change our clothes?" Cade asked.
"We need it later, Young Master. Dump those fancy suits. We can buy more of it."
Antoine dropped them off one by one at their homes. Antoine faced their parents and told them the same alibi. Stan and Theo's parents were convinced. Cade's heart had a rapid thump when they arrived at his house. His father was the toughest person to deal with.
"What happened?" Mr. Robertson asked.
"They were kidnapped, Sire," Antoine said while bowing his head. He avoided eye contact when talking to his boss.
"They?"
"Including Theo and Stan, Sire."
"That's odd. I had talked to my brothers-in-law, Mr. Carline and Mr. Burton. We agreed to lock them inside the house as a punishment for their misbehavior in school. And now, you are telling me that Cade was abducted in our own mansion? How is that, Antoine?"
"My apologies, Sire. It was my mistake. I saw a kitten outside. It was begging for food and shelter, so I took care of it. I was out for a few minutes and lost my sense of duty. Please punish me, Sire."
Mr. Robertson examined Cade's appearance. He was wearing his pajamas. If he tried to escape, he must wear something luxurious.
"Here's the proof, Sire," Antoine said and gave his phone to Mr. Robertson. There were some photos of the kidnapper and the boys while tied.
"How did you find them?" Mr. Robertson asked.
"They used Young Master's black card in a fancy restaurant, so I followed the kidnapper who was spending the money."
"Antoine, there was only a single kidnapper in the photo. The bill shows the foods were for 6 people. Can you explain that to me? Let's check the CCTV cameras in the restaurant for me to believe you."
Antoine was speechless. He couldn't outsmart Mr. Robertson who knew his son more than anyone else.
"Dad! They kidnapped me. He almost killed me! Now, you only worry about the truth? I can't believe this. Let me tell you the truth. You don't care about my safety. Your only son," Cade blurted and rushed to his room.
"Cade! Come back here. We're not done talking."
Mr. Robertson went upstairs. "Cade, open the door."
"No way, Dad. I don't want to talk to you."
Cade covered himself with the blanket as soon as the door opened.
"Son." Mr. Robertson sat on the bed. "Everything is for your own good."
"No, Dad. The only person who loved me was Mom. But she's gone. I love her more than you."
"That's not true."
"It is. You only care about your business meetings and celebrity gatherings. The people don't even know you have a son!"
"We already talked about this."
"Yes, and I have no choice. Keeping me in secret is like disowning me, Dad."
Mr. Robertson caressed Cade's back. He was never good at expressing his affection to his son. "I'm sorry, Cade. Let me make it up to you."
Cade thought for a moment and a bright idea popped inside his head. He uncovered himself and said, "If you are truly sorry, let me study at Mchalmmond High School."
"Mchalmmond? The one in New York?"
"Yes, Dad. It's an elite school. I want to be there."
"Okay. That's not a problem. Wish granted."
Cade smiled from ear to ear. "Really?"
"Yes. But I want to know why you want to study there."
Cade stared dreamily at the wall. "It's Mchammond High School, Dad! It has an excellent reputation. Graduate students have a higher employment rate and they have the best facilities!"
Mr. Robertson nodded. 'My son is now thinking about his future. He has changed. I think he is ready to go out there.'
"I'm glad to hear that, son. You've grown up. What else?"
"You know what's the best part? It's exclusive for the elites, which means I don't have to mingle with beggars. Everyone is cool there. They are my people," Cade said in triumph.
Mr. Robertson's brows crossed. "What do you mean?"
"I like the idea of social stratification. In Westgate High, my allergy emerged."
"What allergy?"
"I'm allergic to poor people, Dad."
"Is that a thing?" Mr. Robertson was getting hysterical.
"Yes, Dad. I had goosebumps every time they surrounded me. They have the power to awaken my mysophobia."
Mr. Robertson shook his head. "Son, I cannot allow you to transfer to Mchalmmond High School."
Cade was taken aback. "What? I thought you'll grant my wish."
"That mindset of yours will not do you any good."
Cade threw some tantrums. "But Stan and Theo will be there!"
"Oh, your wingmen. It's odd that they don't have the same mentality as yours. I commend them for that. You should be more like Stan."
"You should be more like Stan's father. Maybe he brought him up well."
"Cade," Mr. Robertson's voice became deeper, "show some respect."
"How does it feel, Dad? To be treated the way you treated me."
Mr. Robertson gazed at him, filled with regrets. "I may have not given you the love you wanted, but I am still your father."
"Dad, I am not the perfect son you wished to have. I cannot be one. But I am still your son. Unless I am adopted."
Mr. Robertson stood up in surrender. "This conversation is pointless. If you want to study at Mchalmmond High School, persuade me."
Cade dropped to the bed as his father left. His eyes darted to his collections of Marvel superhero figurines and said, "Can't you save me from this plight?"
Like a message from above, a paper plane landed on his chest. "What's this?"
He disassembled it and read what was written on it. The letter put a grin on his face. He crawled towards the window and saw Stan and Theo hiding behind the bushes, waving at him.