Chapter 6: Double Trouble

Jon met Melissa outside her classroom as planned. They then made their way to the cafeteria.

After settling down, Jon walked to the counter to order their meals.

Moments later, Raphael entered the canteen.

"Here you are Mel," spoke in a sweet and gentle tone as he walked towards her.

Melissa groaned internally, "Not again! This guy is more annoying than a fly."

"Who are you having lunch with?" Raphael looked around the place.

Melissa wished she could slap Raphael in the face. She refused to answer his question.

"Why are you so annoying?" she shouted.

Raphael looked hurt, "I just want to be friends with you."

"Why are you trying to get close to me?" Melissa confronted Raphael. "What do you want from me?"

"Why do you not believe me?" Raphael quizzed. "I come from a respectable family."

Melissa tried to wrap her head around what Raphael said, "He really thinks the world revolves around him because he is born in a powerful family."

After a few moments, he spoke, "I know I am really handsome but you do not have to stare at me for so long."

He smirked and casually stroked his smooth auburn hair.

Melissa moaned and rolled her eyes, "How many times must I repeat myself before you will understand?"

She took a deep breath and slowly said, "I cannot be bothered with you. Leave me in peace and hang out with your group of friends."

Raphael was taken aback. He initially assumed Melissa was playing hard to get. Now, it seemed that she was adamant about rejecting him. That had never happened before.

While Raphael was recovering from his state of shock, Jon walked back to the table with the lunch he ordered for Melissa and himself.

Just as he near the table, one of Raphael's gang members stuck out his foot and Jon tripped over it.

"Ah!" the food flew in the air and landed on Raphael's head. The entire cafeteria fell silent.

Ha, ha, ha…

Melissa laughed out loud. "I think you look really handsome now."

Raphael was livid as he yelled, "Who did this?"

He turned and saw Jon rushing toward him.

It occurred to Raphael that Jon might be the reason for Melissa's hostility toward him.

Raphael grabbed Jon by the collar, "Why are you messing with me? What did you say to Mel?"

Jon was in a daze. He had no idea what had happened between Raphael and Melissa.

"Leave him alone," Melissa cried as she shoved Raphael away from Jon. "He did not say anything."

Raphael was taken aback by Melissa's reaction. He glared at Jon intensely, "Watch out!"

He then left the cafeteria in a huff to clean up.

Seeing that Raphael had left, Jon patted Melissa's shoulder and comforted her, "Never mind about him. I will buy another meal."

---

Jon beamed as he handed Melissa a hot dog, her favorite snack, "We should tuck in. I am starving."

Melissa smiled and nodded as she took a bite.

While having lunch, they made small talk.

Jon asked, "Are you free to train with me after school?"

"You know I am still grounded, right?" Melissa replied forlornly.

"Oh yeah," Jon absent-mindedly responded. "You should not have sneaked out in the middle of the night to queue for your favorite boy band's tickets."

Melissa glared at Jon, "You do not have to rub it in!"

"Oops, sorry!" Jon grinned.

"You better be," Melissa punched Jon in the arm. "It is their first concert in our town but I cannot go for it."

After having their fill, they went to the school's field to take a stroll.

Whoosh…

A boomerang swiftly flew past and nearly missed Jon's head.

"What was that?" Jon turned and saw a flash of auburn hair.

Bam…

Jon stepped backward from the force of the punch on his right cheek.

"Stop! What are you doing?" Melissa ran in front of Jon. "Are you crazy?"

She gazed wide-eyed at Raphael who stood holding a boomerang.

"Serves him right for causing me trouble and bad-mouthing about me to you," Raphael icily stared at Jon who was recovering from the sudden attack.

Melissa was so frustrated that she wanted to cry. She did not know how to resolve this double bind.

Although she did not wish to obey Raphael, she also did not want Jon to get hurt—especially not because of her.

"You should pick on someone your size Raphael," Jon calmly called him out.

"Ha, ha, ha…" Raphael laughed out loud. "Who do you think you are?"

Wham…

Raphael punched Jon in the stomach.

"Why are you standing in my way?" Raphael was enraged. He repeatedly punched and kicked Jon.

"Stop!" Melissa tried to shove Raphael away but was pushed aside.

Jon grabbed the opportunity to retaliate by pushing Raphael.

Knowing that he was unable to defeat Raphael or reason with him, Jon flew away.

"Since you have the guts to challenge me, come here to fight me!" Raphael gave chase.

"Catch me if you can," Jon flew as fast as he could to the school's administrative building, where the teachers were usually at.

Although he had a head start, Raphael was quickly catching up.

"Master Shi is in front of us," Jon saw that the principal was making his rounds in school during lunch. "Raphael will not dare to do anything silly in front of him."

However, Raphael was too caught up with chasing Jon to notice his surroundings.

Just as he was preparing to throw his boomerang, a deep voice bellowed from afar.

"Hold it right there!" Master Shi's voice sounded extremely familiar to Raphael.

Both of them abruptly stopped their mid-air chase.

"What are the two of you doing?"

Raphael turned and saw their school principal, Master Shi, walking toward them.

Jon's plan to find the school principal for help worked!

"What is going on?" Master Shi crossed his arms while he looked quizzically at Jon and Raphael in turn.

Both of them stayed silent.

"If none of you will explain what happened, both of you will serve detention," Master Shi firmly laid out the consequence.