You know that scene in a movie when the main character does something extremely stupid that he really regrets, and then it cuts to him waking up in bed, and he's relieved that it was all a dream, only for it to be further revealed that it was, in fact, all dream?
You remember? Wha- What do you mean you've never seen it happen in a movie? It's happened in tons of movies, alrigh- Oh, so now you're saying my taste in movies is bad because I mentioned a weirdly specific twist? Wow, yeah no, I'm su-
You know what? Nevermind.
Back to the topic at hand; that weird twist that undeniably - I'm absolutely sure - happens in a lot of movies? Well, that exact shit happened to me this morning.
"Ah, shit…" I sighed heavily, my fingers swiping through a barrage of text messages from concerned friends asking about my well-being.
"I guess that wasn't a dream after all.."
After sitting in silence for a few seconds, I got up from the bed, and headed towards the bathroom to rub one- I mean, brush my teeth and take a shower.
I had to get ready for school, after all.
And while I'm doing that, why don't you guys read a flashback of yesterday for a few seconds?
"What do you mean I'm already part of Trilokas?" I asked, my face a mix of confusion and surprise, struggling to process Anthony's revelation.
"Remember the kid you beat up?" Anthony asked, and I nodded emphatically. "Gavin Degrassi. What about him?"
"Well, he was actually part of Trilokas. And when you beat him up.." Anthony pointed his finger at me before continuing, "...His position automatically got taken over by you."
"You mean I took his place?" I asked, my mind trying to wrap around the unexpected situation. "So, Gavin is not part of Trilokas anymore?"
"That's what happens when a gang member loses to an ordinary student, like you." Anthony's response came with a casual shrug. "They don't want him anymore. But they want your ass. That's why they'll give you his territory as a trophy. To make you feel good, you know what I mean?"
My words came out stuttering and fragmented. "But- But I showed my d-"
"Doesn't matter," Anthony interjected, leaning forward. "You're the king of the class now, and we want you to embrace that role. Own it, because it's gonna help you get in deep with the other members."
"Dude, whatcha talking about? I'm- I'm not a bully." I attempted to explain, only to have Anthony slam his fist on the table, producing a loud noise. "Listen, assboy.."
I rolled my eyes at the insult and retorted, "Wow, you really need a thesaurus, because your vocabulary is sh-"
Anthony grabbed my collar and pulled me closer, shouting directly into my face. "You better cozy up to the Trilokas, or our country is going to be fucked!" Anthony's voice reverberated in my ears. "You hear me?"
".....How fucked are we talking about?" I asked, squinting my eyes. "Like a normal fuck, or like, double penetration?"
"How about triple? While being spit roasted!" Anthony retorted with a snort, releasing my collar, and I exclaimed, "Shit! That is pretty bad, not gonna lie." Pamela sighed and rubbed her temples. "Jesus Christ, what the actual fuck is happening right now…"
"Anyways," Anthony coughed loudly, clearing his throat before pointing at me once again. "Go to school tomorrow, and get close to Trilokas."
And that's the very reason I showed up at school today.
Alright, that's enough flashback for the chapter.
"Dude," Darren said, approaching my seat and giving my shoulder a friendly pat. "What the fuck went down yesterday?"
"What? My grand performance of public embarrassment?" I countered with a sardonic chuckle. "That was all Gavin's doing, though. Maybe you should be interrogating him instead."
"You know that's not what I meant," Darren clicked his tongue as he pulled a chair beside him and sat next to me. "I'm talking about the damn fight. How you absolutely wrecked Gavin's ass. Remember that?"
"Oh yeah, n-no, of- of course I do.." I stammered, forcing a fake laugh, although I don't actually recall the fight in its entirety.
"I still can't believe you fought Gavin and won. I mean, it's Gavin, and it's- it's you!" Darren seemed like he was having trouble forming words. "Yeah, okay, maybe stop emphasizing 'me' in your sentences? You make it sound like it's because of some miracle that I defeated Gavin."
"Yeah, sure," Darren shrugged with confusion, and I let out a long sigh before turning my gaze towards the rest of the class. "Is this how it's going to be from now on?"
"What, you mean the classroom?" Darren asked, and his gaze shifted towards our classmates. My class, which had been lively and talkative before the teacher arrived, had fallen silent the moment I walked in. It was like I had brought the silence with me.
"I mean, they're just a little shaken up, that's all. And there's still time.." Darren replied while continuing to pat me on the back. "They'll eventually get used to you being the top dog."
Top dog, huh? I couldn't help but let out a short chuckle.
I only wanted to be a superhero, not an undercover vampire cop who has to bully people for the greater good. Now, I just feel like an outcast.
Well, at least Darren is still on my side.
I glanced at Darren, who had transitioned from patting me on the back to massaging my shoulders, and I raised an eyebrow.
"Darren…" I asked with narrowed eyes, and Darren responded while continuing to massage my shoulders. "...Yeah? ….You like that?"
After a few moments of contemplation, I decided to ask, ".... Why are you acting like my henchman?"
"What?! I'm not acting like your henchman. Why would you even think that?" Darren looked at me wide-eyed, a shocked expression on his face. ".... I'm more like your right-hand man-"
"Goddamn it, Darren! I don't want to be the top dog!" I exclaimed, and Darren clicked his tongue, dissatisfaction in his voice as he said, "Oh, come on! Why not? It's cool, man."
"Wha- These guys are literally scared of me, dude! How is that cool?" I said as I gestured towards the rest of the classroom.
"Well, like it or not, you're the top dog now." Darren shrugged as he spoke matter-of-factly, and I let out another sigh, "Well, fuck…"
WHAM!
Suddenly, the classroom door swung open, capturing everyone's focus.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" A blond-haired boy with a tanned complexion and pierced lips strolled into the room, accompanied by a small group of students. His eyes locked onto me.
Oh great, just what I needed – another problem.
"And who the hell are you?" I inquired, rising from my seat, while Darren sat back down.
"Hey, take it easy, man," the blond guy chuckled. "I'm Rafael Semedo." He approached me, extending his hand for a handshake. "I hold the top spot in Class 3C."
Observing his outstretched hand and his face, I deliberated for a moment before accepting the handshake. "Felix. Felix Wilczek," I introduced myself, my expression serious.
"Man, you're quite the cold one, aren't you?" Rafael laughed after releasing my hand. His smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a more serious tone. "You sure you want to be that standoffish with me? I do outrank you, you know. Who's to say I won't take your spot if you don't give me the proper respect?"
"Yeah!" One of his cronies shouted, followed by another yelling, "Show some respect!"
I glared at Rafael with a narrowed gaze, and he chuckled and playfully slapped my chest. "Ahahaha, nah, man! I'm just messing with you! Lighten up a bit! Don't be so serious!"
This guy...
Taking a deep breath, Rafael continued, "But I do want to discuss with you about cooperating with me. So…" His attention shifted to Darren, and a smile crept onto his face.
Rafael strode over to Darren and tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to turn and face Rafael with a mixture of confusion and nervousness. "Um, yes?" Darren responded, his voice wavering slightly.
Leaning in, Rafael smiled faintly and stated, "I'm going to need your chair."
"Huh?" Darren's expression shifted to one of shock and even greater confusion. "But this is my chair…"
"....hah…" Rafael took a deep breath, his smile fading. "...You see, this is why it's important to teach your classmates who they can talk back to and who they shouldn't." He turned to me, flashing a smile. "Because if you don't…"
Whoosh!
In an instant, Rafael pivoted back toward Darren and unleashed a swift punch, aiming straight for Darren's face. "Someone else might just teach them for you!"
Rafael's strike was unbelievably rapid. Swift enough that even its intended target, Darren, struggled to react in time.
Yet, while the speed might have outmatched a regular person's reflexes...
BAM!
"Huh?" Surprise registered on Rafael's features as he comprehended that my raised arm had thwarted his attack, and he mumbled, "How did you..."
WHAM!
Before Rafael could complete his sentence, he felt the world around him starting to spin. In an instant, a searing jolt of pain surged through his body, and he crashed violently into the wall behind him.
BAM!
"Funny thing is," I remarked, flexing my knuckles as I maintained my gaze on Rafael, who fell down onto the floor, visibly struggling to catch his breath. "For a brief moment there, I considered your proposition..."
The henchmen, who were acting tough just a second ago, now appeared more like startled kittens. "But you see," I continued, a hint of yellow gleaming in my eyes as I popped my knuckles, "I can't really get along with folks who like to beat up my friends!"