November 11th. Saturday, 2:02 PM."Huuuuh haaaah huuuh haaah huuuh haaah".
"CATCH HIM!!!"
"Shit!" He pulled out his phone while running and scrolled through his contacts. He picked a name and called them.
Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!
"Hello?".
"Yo Delilah!".
"Malakai? What's up? Why does it sound like you're running?"
"Listen imma come to your dorm. Just open it when I knock".
"Okay?"
"Your dorm number is 146, right?"
"Yeah".
"Aryt safe".
"By-".
Welcome back. You're probably wondering why Malakai is running again. It's been 11 days since the Halloween party, but Malakai is still being chased. Well, everything supposedly cooled down. There were talks about a boy messing around at the Halloween party among students in the higher years. But no one knew who it was. People assumed it was a stranger not from this academy, so it blew over. However, there were agreements that if they did find the boy, they would reveal who they were, and nothing was said about what would happen after, but it was kinda obvious what they were hinting at. Anyway, Malakai had no knowledge of this. He lived his life the same. Nothing weird or unexpected happened. He checked his shoulders when he was around the second and third years, but everything else was normal. No one around him knew about the party except for the people he told, who were Ray, David, Tanisha, Maria and Delilah. Other than that, no first-year knew. Not even Ryan, which was surprising. Malakai expected Ryan to approach and interrogate him about the party, but it seemed like he was clueless. Ryan didn't approach Malakai at all, which was nice. He still got dirty looks from other students, but he could handle them. He'd been getting dirty looks ever since he came to this academy.
So why was Malakai getting chased? His accent ratted him out.
Malakai was walking around campus. William was feeling ill and told him to buy some groceries, so he went without complaining. He liked walking around; it was peaceful for him. While he was out, some people bumped into him. Yes, they bumped into him. It wasn't his fault, but they got pretty pissed that Malakai was in the way... When he wasn't. They started shouting at Malakai, but Malakai stayed silent. He had no reason to take the piss out of them and cause a scene. It was only after they had finished he finally said,
"My bad. I'll be careful next time", he was the bigger man and apologised.
"That voice", the guy said, squinting his eyes and trying to remember. "IT'S YOU!" It didn't take him long to remember.
Malakai's London accent sold him—an accent that stood out when everyone else had an American accent. Malakai didn't realise they were the same people; he wasn't paying attention. He realised they were the same people after they remembered him. It was too late.
That is how we are here. Malakai running to Delilah's dorm to hide. He was almost there, running down the corridor, trying to find dorm 146. Looking left and right at each door number he passed until he reached 146. He stopped in front of the door and knocked countless times. Delilah quickly opened the door, and Malakai rushed in.
"What happened?" Delilah worriedly asked, closing the door.
"Some guys were chasing me", Malakai replied, catching his breath.
"The same guys from the party?" Delilah asked.
"Yeah, I think so", Malakai replied, removing his hood.
"You said you covered up. How did they recognise you?"
"They didn't recognise my face. They recognised my voice", Malakai said, taking off his shoes.
"Were you by yourself?"
"Yeah", Malakai replied. It took a few seconds for Malakai to start breathing normally again.
"Why did you come to my dorm?" Delilah asked, walking away from the door.
"Why would I go to my dorm? I'm not gonna set myself up", Malakai smiled.
"So, you're setting me up?" Delilah joked. As soon as the joke landed.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Both Malakai and Delilah's faces dropped.
"Quick, grab your shoes and go to my room", Delilah quickly whispered.
"You don't have to answer it", Malakai quietly replied, calming her down.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"It's better if I tell them myself you're not here. It'll be more suspicious if I don't answer", Delilah said. "Quick go", she ushered Malakai away. Malakai got his shoes and went into Delilah's room.
Delilah composed herself before going to the door. When she was ready, she went to the door and opened it.
"Hello?" She greeted with an attitude and a straight face.
"Hey. Uuuhh, does a short guy live here? He has a big scar on his nose and black hair", the guy said, looking out of breath.
"What?" Delilah replied, looking pissed off. Remember, Delilah has a resting bitch face.
"It's just that guy came running to this building, and I saw on the security cameras downstairs that he ran up this corridor", the guy said, feeling slightly intimidated.
"There are stairs at the other end of the corridor. He probably ran down there", Delilah replied, pointing down the corridor.
"Um, my friends are looking on the other floors, so if he is there, we will find him. But I have to make sure that he isn't here".
"He doesn't live here. I live here with my roommate. Who. Is. A. Girl", Delilah bluntly replied
"Oh, but I asked someone else, and they said they heard a door open around here", he said, looking down the corridor. "So he must be around here".
Delilah kissed her teeth. "Yes. He tried to come in, but I told him to fuck off", Delilah replied, trying her best to shoo him away.
"Look, we really need to talk to him", he persisted. "He did something to me and my friends".
Delilah sighed, "If you're that sure he's in here. Why don't you come inside and check!" She said, sounding pissed off.
If any guy got an invitation to enter a girl's dorm room, they wouldn't hesitate, but this invitation wasn't too tempting. No matter how pretty Delilah was, her mood scared the guy.
He stepped back, "Maybe next time", he nervously smiled.
"Tch. Never in a million years", Delilah said, harshly closing the door.
After the door closed, she let out a deep breath. She looked at her hands, which were shaking a little. Nevertheless, she was proud of her performance. After she calmed herself down, she went to her room to let Malakai out. She opened the door and saw Malakai lying on his back on her bed, holding one of her animal plushies.
Malakai looked towards the door, "Are they gone?" he asked.
"Y-yeah", Delilah replied, taken back by what Malakai was doing.
Malakai pushed himself up from the bed, "I would never have imagined you to have plushies", he said, throwing the toy lion he was holding back to its place.
"S-so what?" Delilah said, a bit embarrassed.
"Nothing. You only have two anyway. If you had ten or something, then I would be questioning what other personalities you have", Malakai replied, getting up from the bed.
"Did you do something weird?" Delilah asked, thinking he did and looking around her room.
"Nah, I didn't do anything", Malakai replied, shaking his head and walking to her.
"How can I be sure?".
Malakai sighed, "Fine. I took one of your sexy lingerie", he casually said.
"H-huh. I don't have any sexy lingerie", Delilah replied, looking at him flustered.
"There's your answer", he said, walking out of the room. "I didn't do anything".
"I don't believe you", Delilah said, walking out of her room and closing her door.
"Fine, you got me. I made love to one of your plushies", Malakai replied, smiling and holding his hands up like a criminal.
Delilah laughed. After that joke, she knew he didn't do anything, "dummy".
"What did they say?" Malakai asked.
"It was one guy, and he said they wanted to 'talk' to you", Delilah replied, doing a quotation mark gesture when she said the word talk.
"Then what did you say?"
"That you weren't here".
"And he left that easily?" Malakai questioned, thinking that was too easy.
"I was kinda acting like a bitch", Delilah replied.
"You mean you were being yourself", Malakai joked.
"Shut up". Delilah tried to kick his leg, but Malakai dodged it.
Click!
Another door opened to their left.
"Delilah? I heard the door open and close a lot of times. Who came?" Akari asked, coming out of her room. "Malakai? Why are you here?".
"I needed help from Delilah for something", Malakai replied. Another figure appeared behind Akari. A bigger figure. "Jason? Oh shit yeah, you two are going out", Malakai said, remembering.
"Are you two going out?" Jason asked, pointing at Malakai and Delilah.
They both looked at each other. "Naaaah", they both answered, shaking their head.
Delilah noticed Akari was dressed up, "Are you going somewhere?" she asked.
"We're going on a date", Akari happily answered. "What about you two? Are you going to stay here?".
Malakai remembered something, "Oh shit. I was supposed to get groceries", Malakai said, putting his hands on his head. "Willy's gonna be pissed".
"You needed help getting groceries?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Imma lie and say yeah", Malakai replied. Jason could tell Malakai was involved in something, but didn't pry further.
Suddenly, Akari's face lit up. "I got an idea. How about we go on a double date?" She excitedly proposed.
"But we're not dating", Delilah quickly replied.
"Silly. It doesn't matter, while me and Jason go out on our date, you two can go out and get groceries", Akari said.
"Isn't the point of a double date that both the couples go to the same place?" Malakai replied.
"Don't ruin the idea!" Akari playfully shouted. "Okay, how about we all go to the same place?" she proposed.
"Wouldn't we get in the way?" Delilah asked.
"I don't mind", Akari quickly answered. She really wanted this double date to happen. "Do you mind Jason?"
"… I don't mind", he answered after a bit of hesitation.
"Yessss!" Akari celebrated. "Delilah, come with me", she said, grabbing Delilah's arm.
"Huh?"
"You're not going out like that", Akari said, dragging Delilah to her room. Delilah was wearing a short-sleeve shirt and joggers, clothes people would normally wear at home.
"I don't have to look nice. Malakai isn't my boyfriend", Delilah desperately said, trying to escape. Even though Akari was small, with enough willpower, she was able to drag Delilah.
"You still have to look nice for me", Akari replied, emphasising the me.
"Wait, wait, nooo. Malakai help", Delilah's voice faded as she vanished into her own room. Malakai and Jason watched as the scene unfolded and looked at each other after it finished.
"Wanna talk over there?" Malakai said, nodding towards the couch.
"Sure".
The two walked over to the main area.
"Do they have drinks?" Malakai asked, walking to the fridge.
"They do", Jason replied, taking a seat on the couch. He found a small notebook on the side of the couch; he picked it up and started reading it. There was peace and quiet for a few moments until,
"How's life?" Malakai asked, scouting the fridge for a drink.
"It's good", he replied.
"You're in the top ten, innit?" Malakai asked as he wasn't sure; he didn't look at the leaderboard often.
"Innit", Jason mocked his British slang. "Yeah, I am. I'm tenth", he proudly answered.
"Heh. Remind me, why're you there?" Malakai said, finally picking a drink. He chose a pink drink that looked like a strawberry milkshake.
"Me. I led the team the whole time", Jason replied.
"I think you're forgetting the part where you were screaming like a bitch when I was driving", Malakai said, walking to the couch. He didn't sit on the couch; he didn't want to be that close to Jason. He found a small seat opposite the coach and sat on it. Malakai opened his drink and took a sip. The two of them were quiet for two minutes until,
"What's that?" Malakai asked, nodding at what Jason was reading.
Jason's eyes had been glued to the book the whole time. "Some random revision notebook", Jason replied. He closed the book and put it back where he found it. "Let me ask you something and answer honestly. Why are you here?"
"It sounds like you don't want me to be here", Malakai replied, enjoying the drink. "I pissed off a few people, and they were chasing me", he answered.
"What did you do?" Jason asked.
"I don't know, you have to ask them", Malakai replied, not wanted to tell him about the Halloween party. "It is what it is. Anyways, how's your girl?" he asked, wanting to move on and changing the subject.
Jason smirked. "Amazing", he replied, keeping it short and brief. "What about you? Where's your girlfriend?".
"I don't have one", Malakai answered, sounding free.
Jason scoffed, "You've got some cute girls in your class. Heck, you've got Maria Rodriguez in your class. You can't get better than that", he said.
"You sure you can say that with a girl bro?" Malakai replied.
"I'm just saying", Jason said, lifting his shoulders. "Isn't she already your friend? If she is, I don't know why you aren't shooting your shot".
"Yeah, she is, but I can't be her man. Not with this", Malakai said, pointing at the scar across his nose. "No chance. I'm too ugly. She can find herself a tall model, so why would she go for me? Plus, I don't even like her like that".
"True. That scar messes up your face. Even without it, I doubt she would go for you. You're short and have a few acne scars", Jason replied.
"Aye, I've got a skincare routine now. My acne scars are going, and my skin is soft now as well", Malakai said, touching his face. "But what you're saying is right though. I don't think we're a good match anyway, visually and chemistry-wise", Malakai smiled.
"What about Delilah? You two seem close".
"Naah. She's like my sister, and we're the same height", Malakai replied.
"Is that a problem for you?" Jason asked.
"Not for me. I wouldn't mind if my girl was taller than me. I'm not gonna lie. But I think Delilah would want someone taller", Malakai replied. "Are there any cute girls in your class?".
"Yeah, but I don't think you'd like them", Jason replied, thinking of who was in his class.
"Why?"
"Because of how they are. Then again, I doubt they'll like you".
"Damn, I don't think anyone likes me", Malakai said, slurping his drink.
"That's what you get for being a piece of shit", Jason told him like an older brother.
"It's fun though", Malakai replied, smiling. "I ain't really looking for love right now, so I don't care if girls don't like me".
"You're focused on winning challenges?" Jason asked.
"Nah, I just wanna have fun, I can't lie", Malakai replied. "Maybe I'll look for a girl next year. If my heart wants it", he mumbled the last sentence.
The conversation died for a bit. In their silence, they could hear the girls talking in the other room.
"What do you think about Dillon?" Jason asked, breaking the silence.
"Dillon? He's an idiot", Malakai laughed. "But he ain't a bad guy. I don't hate him. I don't have any negative feelings towards him, to be honest".
"Is there anyone you hate?" Jason curiously asked.
"I don't hate anyone. Hates a strong word, but I don't like Ryan", Malakai replied.
"Yeah, I see that", Jason nodded.
"Like, me and Dillon will probably be friends in the future. But I don't see myself being friends with Ryan", Malakai said, finishing his drink.
"Everyone loves Ryan. If you openly go against him, you'll be the villain".
"I don't care. I've been the villain since day one", Malakai grinned. Jason also grinned. "The thing is, your smart, so why are you acting like Dillon's bitch?".
Jason blew air out of his nose, "I guess it looks that way. All I'm doing is letting him take control. I don't want to be the class leader", Jason replied, leaning back on the coach. "It's too much work".
"Was he pissed that you were in the top ten and he wasn't?" Malakai asked.
"Not really. He didn't congratulate me. Only Akari and some of the guys in my class did", Jason replied.
"Did you want a congratulation from him?"
"I don't know. It would've been nice", Jason said, looking up at the ceiling.
"He's too prideful. I think once that pride is gone, he'll be fine", Malakai replied, looking out the balcony window.
"Is that when you'll be friends? When he loses his pride?" Jason asked.
"That'll be the only way we'll be friends", Malakai answered. "Might need to destroy that pride myself", he smirked.
"I think you're already destroying it", Jason quietly smiled.
Click!
"We're ready!" Akari announced, walking out of the room. Delilah shortly followed. She wore light blue ripped jeans, a white tank top and a grey loose cardigan.
"Don't you think you overdressed? We're just getting some groceries", Malakai said after seeing Delilah's outfit.
"Shut up!" Delilah embarrassingly replied.
"No! You're not getting groceries. You're coming with me and Jason", Akari reminded them, waving her arms. Akari looked at Delilah, "We might need to add some make-up", she said, clearly having fun dressing up Delilah.
"What? No!" Delilah replied.
Malakai stood up from his seat. "She don't need make-up, she's already pretty", he said, intervening to stop them taking longer. That comment made everyone look at him; he said it so casually. "I feel left out, so I wanna dress up too", he said, walking towards Delilah's room.
"Your outfit is fine", Akari said, looking at Malakai's black cargo pants and white designer hoodie.
"Naa, I think I need to add more", he said, not wanting to get noticed again. "Do you have any accessories?" he asked Delilah.
"Yeah, I do", Delilah answered. Then she saw what was in his hands. "You drank my strawberry milkshake!! I was saving that for later!!!" She frantically said.
"I didn't. There's some left", Malakai replied. As he approached, he handed her the bottle.
"IT'S EMPTY!" Delilah shouted. She tried to throw the bottle at Malakai but he already ran into her room.
"Those two. They're like a married couple", Akari said, shaking her head, seeing Delilah run after Malakai.
After a few minutes, Delilah and Malakai left the room. Malakai came out without his hoodie on. He had a blue Chelsea shirt on (football team). This shirt was under his hoodie. He also came out with a pink beanie that covered his hair and only showed the tips. He also wore a matching pink scarf around his neck and covered his nose. So, like the ski mask he wore for the Halloween party it only showed his eyes.
"Why're you wearing a pink beanie and scarf?" Jason asked, looking at his outfit.
"This is the only colour she had ", Malakai replied.
"Why are you covering your face?" Akari asked, looking at his outfit.
"I don't wanna be seen with her", Malakai joked.
"Hey!"
"Ow!" Delilah elbowed Malakai's stomach. Malakai didn't dodge her attack this time.
Akari skipped to the door excited,
"This is going to be fun. This is my first double date".