"Morning, big bro! How did you sleep last night?" Maya asked cheerfully as she plopped down next to him on the bed.
Travis raised an eyebrow, setting his cereal aside. "What do you want, Maya?" he asked, already sensing she was building up to something.
Maya giggled nervously, fidgeting with her hands. "Well... I know you don't really like people coming over to the house, but I already asked Mom, and she said she's okay with it. But she also said I should ask you... So..." she trailed off, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes.
Travis sighed, knowing exactly where this was going. "Who are you inviting?"
"It's just my two friends! Please, big bro!" Maya begged, clasping her hands together dramatically.
Travis sighed, unable to say no to her when she was like this. "Fine, bring them over. But they better not look at me or even breathe in my direction, or I swear they're leaving," he said, half-joking but still serious.
Maya beamed with excitement and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, big bro! I promise I'll do something nice for you later!" she said, squeezing him before letting go and practically bouncing out of the room with joy.
Travis smirked, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah, we'll see. Now go brush your teeth. You're gonna burn someone's nose with that nasty breath," he teased, pinching his nose dramatically.
Maya pouted, narrowing her eyes at him before turning around and walking out, not saying a word.
He chuckled, watching her leave as he took another bite of his cereal. "Alright," he muttered to himself with a grin. "Time to get my lick back."
....
Evelyn dropped them off at school, and just like before, Travis leaned in and kissed her on the lips. This time, she didn't overreact. She had decided that it was normal—it was just her son showing affection, after all. As she drove off to work, a wide smile spread across her face, happiness welling up inside her.
" I didn't think I'd get this close to Travis again, " she thought, her heart warming at the memory. " He's really becoming like the little boy I gave birth to not too long ago. "
Travis walked through the school halls, feeling the weight of countless eyes on him. He could sense the stares, whispers, and curiosity from everyone, but he brushed it off without a second thought. None of them mattered to him right now—he had one target in mind. Jack.
As he scanned the crowded hallways, his focus remained sharp. Suddenly, he spotted Hector, who was leaning casually against a locker, chatting up a girl with his signature smirk plastered on his face. Travis slowed his pace as he walked passed them.
" So you tryna fuck?" He asked.
Travis heard this while walking past Hector and stared at him for a second. Hector raised his head and saw Travis standing right beside him.
"Travis! Man, I didn't see you there. Hey, we'll talk later, alright?" he said, leaving the girl as he approached Travis.
"How are you? Heard you fought with Jack yesterday. And you lost. Hahaha, what did you think was gonna happen, that's what I'm asking," Hector taunted.
Travis, unfazed by the comment, simply walked away, leaving Hector talking alone like an idiot. When Hector noticed Travis had left, he looked around in confusion before running after him.
"Hey, I thought we were friends! Also, tell me, man, how did you manage to bag one of the two hottest girls in our year?" he asked, smirking.
Travis paused, glancing back at Hector for a moment. His expression stayed unreadable, and he raised an eyebrow. Without a word, he shook his head slightly, then continued walking, leaving Hector standing there looking confused and a bit embarrassed. When he caught up to him he replied.
"I don't know. They practically threw themselves at me, man. You should've heard them, giving me compliments left and right," Travis said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Alright, shut up. Didn't you want to check your powers? I can show you the place," Hector said, clearly trying to shift the focus.
"Nah, I'm not interested anymore. I already know. Now, where the hell is class?" Travis muttered, realizing he was lost.
Hector sighed and shook his head, thinking, " This guy's a nutcase. "
On the other side of the school, in the basketball court reserved for unawakened students, Ryan and his gang were on their knees in front of Jack and Kyle. Jack and Kyle were casually vaping and chatting.
"I heard you beat Travis up, Senpai. Congrats," Ryan said with a grin.
Jack glanced at Ryan, a smirk spreading across his face. "I basically did the job I asked you to do. I'm disappointed you didn't find him first. But it doesn't matter anymore."
"I thought maybe he'd be interesting," Kyle said, exhaling a plume of flavored smoke. "I guess I was wrong."
"Yeah, what a waste of time," Jack agreed, his smirk fading. "By the way, we don't need you guys anymore."
Ryan and his gang were immediately taken aback, their faces reflecting shock and confusion.
"Huh? But senpai, I thought—" Ryan began, his confusion evident.
Before he could finish, an invisible force slammed down on him from above. It was as if an unseen weight was pressing him into the ground with crushing pressure. The intensity of the force was overwhelming, causing him and his gang to collapse onto their knees, gasping for breath. They struggled against the unseen pressure, their faces contorted in pain and disbelief.
"He talks too much," Kyle remarked, exhaling a cloud of flavored smoke. "Also, the Deadz already found a new member. And he's useful. Unlike y'all."
Ryan and his gang, still pinned to the ground by the invisible force, could only watch in stunned silence as Jack and Kyle turned their backs on them, leaving them to struggle in their newfound predicament.
When Jack and Kyle reached a certain distance, the oppressive force vanished abruptly, allowing Ryan and his gang to gasp for air and regain their bearings. They lay on the ground, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as they struggled to shake off the disorientation and lingering pressure.
Ryan, still panting heavily, stared daggers at Jack and Kyle's retreating figures. Anger bubbled within him, the humiliation of their dismissal burning like a fire in his chest. " I hate them, but I can't do anything. I'm too weak, " he thought bitterly.
He stood up and sighed" Let's go guys. Class is about to start."
TO BE CONTINUED