A girl in a blue blouse and short skirt was looking into a telescope while biting her lower lip. She must be staring at something interesting. Beside her were two girls, waiting for their turn to look into the telescope. Not far away, Cade was drinking a bottle of water. It drizzled down to his Adam's apple which made the girls gulp and whisper about his sex appeal. His sweat shimmered through the heat of the sun when he removed his jersey uniform and exposed his bare skin. He was alone at the basketball court, training to be one member of Mchalmmond basketball team. Though enrolment was just around the corner, he wasted no time and developed his skills so he could have something to brag about.
Some of his former classmates at Westgate High came to play with him. They were having some fun when the ball rolled toward Jerich, the Campus Weirdo. They gave him the nickname because he was an outcast and was silent all the time. He wore a gray hoodie and had an unwelcoming vibe.
"Hey, Jerich! Pass the ball!" one boy said.
Jerich got the ball and gave it back to them.
"Why don't you join us?" Cade asked.
"I'm sorry. I don't like outdoor games. It will only drain my energy," Jerich replied, avoiding eye contact.
"What are you? A robot?"
"How could you turn down the offer of the coolest guy in school?"
"Hey, guys. It's okay. I'll give an incentive. If Jerich plays with us, I'll give him 50 dollars," Cade said.
"Fifty dollars for his time? What a lucky man."
Cade pulled out some cash and waved it at Jerich with a cunning smile. "Are you in?"
Jerich looked at the money closely before grabbing it from his hand. Cade gazed at his classmates with the you-know-what-to-do look on his face. They responded with a fist bump.
Jerich didn't know how to play basketball. He was skinny and frail, while the others had firm muscles and were taller than him. They kept on bumping him on purpose, pushing him around like a punching bag. He was ignoring it when at last he fell to the ground. His pants were tattered because of the impact.
Cade approached him. "Are you alright?" He lay his hand and helped him stand up. "Not really."
"I'm sorry. It's part of the game. Focus. Okay?" Cade said and tapped his shoulder.
They continued the game. Jerich took Cade's advice on a serious note and avoided all physical contact. He was carried away until he hit Cade's jaw with his elbow before a slam dunk. Cade stumbled while massaging his jaw.
"What did you do? That's foul play."
"Yeah. You hit him on purpose after Cade gave you some money."
"You don't have any shame, do you?"
Jerich tended to Cade with guilt all over his face. "I'm sorry. It was an accident."
"Don't touch me," Cade said in a haughty tone. He began hitting Jerich's chest with the ball. Everyone surrounded them and formed a circle to cover the scene. Cade was uncontrollable. Jerich ached in pain as the ball kept on bouncing on his head.
"Stop it," Jerich pleaded.
"How dare you, a lowly person, hit my face? Who gave you the power?" Cade's eyes were burning in fury.
"I'm... I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Jerich's lips trembled.
"I assure you that," Cade said and hit his face with the ball one last time. Blood dripped from Jerich's nose before he collapsed.
When Jerich woke up, he was already in the hospital. Cade sat on the chair near him while reading a book written by Mark Manson.
"Why are you here?" Jerich asked.
"Because I'm your friend, remember?" Cade said as he closed the book.
"Friend? You tortured me."
"Oh, come on. You're exaggerating. You hit me, so I hit you back. Isn't it fair?"
"No, it isn't. You made fun of me. You and your friends bullied me."
"Bully? I am not a bully. I reached out to you because you were alone. Don't talk as if you have lots of friends because you don't have one except for me."
Jerich clenched his fists. "I don't need your pity. You deserve to get punished. I'll sue you."
"Go on, friend. Try it." Cade went closer to his face and whispered, "You'll lose your scholarship if you sue me."
An old man came and hugged Jerich. "What happened to you, Jerich?"
"Grandpa. I'm fine."
"Tell me what happened. Who did this to you? Are they the bullies you've been talking about?"
Jerich glanced at Cade who had a threatening look on his face. "N-no. Some drunkards made fun of me."
"Hi, Sir. My name is Cade, his best friend," Cade said and lay his hand. The old man held him tight with gratitude. "You are the only friend Jerich has introduced to me. I am glad to meet you. Thank you for staying with him."
"You can count on me, Sir. I'll take care of him," Cade said and winked at Jerich who was controlling his rage.
When Cade came home, he found Antoine in the kitchen wearing an apron.
"Is that for dinner?" Cade asked.
"Yes, Young Master."
"You rarely cook. What's the event?"
"It's Lady Marmalade's birthday."
"Happy birthday. Wait. What?"
Lady Marmalade walked on the kitchen table and brushed her head on Antoine's hand. "She knows." Antoine smiled and rubbed her belly. Cade rolled his eyes. "How did you know it's her birthday? Does she have a birth certificate? Were you there when she was born?"
"No. But I decided to set today as her birthday."
"She's a cat, Antoine. A stray cat at that. It's either no one wants her or he was abandoned."
"Young Master, when I found her she was dirty. She had some cuts all over her body."
"Why would you take home a filthy, poor thing? Aren't you disgusted?"
"If you found someone who's lost and injured, what will you do?" Antoine asked, while chopping some onions.
"She's lost and injured because she's weak. She's suffering because of her inferiority. She deserves to be lonely," Cade replied.
"So, you think she's weak? How about I tell you something interesting?"
"Go on." Cade picked one slice of apple from the bowl and ate it.
"Loneliness does not make you weak. Loneliness is for the strong. Lady Marmalade is not weak. She is strong enough to be lonely. No one else has the courage to be lonely but the strong."
"Nonsense," Cade said while munching some grapes.
"You know what's bravery?" Antoine said while slicing some meat.
Cade had a mile-wide smirk on his face. "You're talking to the bravest person on Westgate High. Someone who tramples every person blocking his way. I planted fear in their hearts so they won't think of touching me ever again."
"That's weakness, Young Master. I'm talking about strength. Making someone fear you is a weakness. Real strength lies by making someone trust you, not fear you."
"That's what makes you lower than me, Antoine. Your absurd belief."
Antoine had a striking way of looking through Cade's deep, viridescent eyes. "I know one step of becoming stronger. It's when being alone doesn't make you lonely."
Familiar footsteps gathered Cade's thoughts back. Mr. Robertson was approaching him.
"Antoine. Do you need anything?" Cade asked.
"Nothing, Young Master."
"But I want to help. I'm so bored. And I like Lady Marmalade," Cade said in a loud voice, enough for his father to hear him.
"You do?" Antoine asked with doubt.
"A lot," Cade emphasized.
"We need some ingredients for the cake."
"Alright. It's coming right up!"
"But the maids can do it."
"Antoine, please," Cade insisted.
"Be careful. It's already dark."
Cade was humming as he passed by his dad.
"Where are you going?" Mr. Robertson asked.
"To the supermarket to buy some stuff for Lady Marmalade's birthday."
"Oh. That's new."
"Anything else?"
"Nothing. I was about to check on you. You may go now."
One of their servants rushed to Cade. "Young Master, it is not suitable for you to carry some food from the market. You hated the smell of the place. I remembered how you slapped me with a fresh fish because it stinks and—" Cade closed his eyes, almost in a panic, and gestured the maid to shut up. His father was still behind them as they spoke. The maid immediately zipped her mouth and bowed her head.
"Josephine, I have nothing to do. Classes are over and I'm not the type who slacks around," he held her shoulders, "plus, it's for Lady Marmalade. You know how much I love animals, especially the poor ones. I care for them as much as I care for the beggar." Cade hugged her for the first time and wiped some fake tears.
"What's wrong, Young Master?"
"I'm sorry. I can't help to sympathize with them. They struggle to eat three times a day while I live a luxurious life. Josephine, I can not live the same as before. My heart is shattered each day when I think of them."
Josephine looked at him as if she had seen a ghost. A person she hadn't met before. His actions were contrary to what he had always been—rude and apathetic. She thought that if a snake could shed its skin, her master could change too. In a split second, she had hope of having a peaceful life with the Robertson.