Alex Bayly looked at him with shock. "You've been sitting here since the school period ended, haven't you? Why didn't you come to call me?" It's freezing out here, isn't it? Why would you...?"
Alex Bayly couldn't understand why he would sit in the cold and wait for her instead of coming to inform her or stay with her.
"I thought, you also felt I was a cold murderer, I didn't know if you will still allow me to stay in your house?" Azrael Herrington spoke in an accusing tone.
Alex Bayly was shocked by his response and openness. He said exactly what was on his mind and there was a little bit of overfamiliarity in his tone, like they were on the same level or something.
Alex Bayly was stuck between calling him out for not having a respectful tone and apologizing for not giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Although she didn't involve herself in the gossip, she didn't exactly stick up for him either.
"I'm sorry Azrael, I had a lot on my mind. I truly didn't believe you did that out of spite or because you're a murderer, I truly felt there was something else not seen. I'm just sorry I didn't speak up for you." Alex Bayly apologized.
She then started to wonder why she apologized. Normally it's none of her business but due to some weird and unknown reason, she felt the need to make this boy happy.
There was something about this boy that leaves her continually hooked.
Like honey to a bee or the scent of food to an ant, she couldn't explain her connection to him. She quickly fought that feeling and went back to her stoic state.
"Let's go home," She said dryly.
Azrael was stunned by her sudden switch. Like the switching off of a light bulb, she was back to her expressionless state.
The pair walked silently to the car pack where they both entered the red Honda car.
Alex Bayly switched on the ignition after placing her books on the back seat. She reverses out of the car pack and started to drive towards the gate.
As they approached the gate, they started to slow down.
The security personnel by the gate looks inside the vehicle and notices Azrael sitting in the front passenger seat.
"Miss Alex, is he related to you?" He couldn't help but ask as the car came to a halt.
Alex Bayly knew how gossip starts in the school. It usually starts with a nagging suspicion by these jobless gatemen, then it grows into rumors spread by word of mouth and on social media.
Before you know what's going on, the innocent rumor would have gained wings and flesh and turned into something uncontrollable and extremely polished to the extent that it becomes almost undeniable.
If she didn't find a good explanation or excuse for their coming to school and going back home together, it might blow out into an unstoppable rumor.
"He is my sister's son. My sister isn't in town so he is staying with me till she returns" Miss Alex makes it up expertly.
The gate security personnel looks from Alex to Azrael and tries to compare their facial features. They were both extremely good-looking.
Azrael was very handsome, while Alex was a stunning beauty that was turning heads, and that is beside her extremely enticing bodily 'features'.
Although they both are good-looking, they look nothing alike and this puzzled the gate security personnel the more.
'Maybe he is adopted' The gate security personnel concluded. "I'm sorry about the fake rumors they spread about your nephew. I'm sure he is a good kid" The gate security personnel said as he remembered the crazy rumor that he was involved in, that was passed around about Azrael and how it was finally resolved.
The gate security personnel was one of such people who passed around the most unreasonable aspects of the rumors. He was the one who added the fact that Azrael was a cold-blooded murderer who was caught sacrificing girls for pleasure, when the truth came out, he hid his head and started acting innocent.
Azrael knew about what he did but was too lazy to care about one gate security personnel somewhere.
Tired of this awkward situation, Azrael decided to do something.
Joining in the act, Azrael Herrington looks at Alex Bayly and pouts, "Auntie, we are getting late, can we go now..."
Alex Bayly was caught like a deer in headlight by his act. He was so natural.
"Oh you're going somewhere," The gate security personnel asks when he heard that.
"It's almost 5:30... we need to get home, we have a science exhibit by 7" Alex Bayly joined in on the lie.
"Oh I'm so sorry" The security personnel runs to open the gate to allow them to pass through.
Normally, Alex Bayly used to sometimes pass time with the gate security personnel since she has nothing to do at home, the gate security personnel has gotten used to their usual chat and he was expecting her to get down from the car at some point and talk for a while before leaving.
But for the second time that week, she was going on without spending any time chatting, it bothered him that something was changing. He was always of the opinion that Alex Bayly had feelings for him since she sometimes spends time with him, but with this change, he wasn't happy with the changing tide.
If he knew the true identity of Azrael Herrington he would probably buckle up and find ways to separate them.
Alex Bayly drove out of school and was immediately heading home. The drive was silent with Azrael occasionally looking toward Alex Bayly's face.
Alex would catch him staring and he would look away.
After he few minutes, he would be staring again and Alex would catch him staring and he would look away.
It got to a time she just had to ask "What is it Azrael, Why do you keep staring at me like that? You also did that in class, it really distracted me today?" She spoke while concentrating on the road.
"Miss Alex, can I ask a question?" Azrael spoke like he was going to choke on the words.
"Hmmm" Alex Bayly responded with a nod.
"Can you... Can you..." Azrael Herrington found the question hard to say.
"Just spit it out already, what is bugging you?" Alex Bayly spoke exasperatedly.
"Can you love someone younger...?" Azrael let out with such difficulty, like it took all his strength to speak.
~sshhhhhhiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnn~
The car screeched to a halt as Alex Bayly slammed the brake abruptly to show how the question affected her. Thanks to the seatbelt, without which, Azrael would have slammed his head on the dashboard or worse the glass screen.
She truly didn't know how the conversation escalated to this extent, and while she was pondering on how to respond, she found a group of individuals outside the car pointing guns at the car.
She tried to look closely and she discovered that the leader of this group of touts is none other than Jude Greystone.