Chapter 2

Jacob

The red smeared across my locker wasn’t paint. Of course, it wasn’t.

I smelled and almost tasted the metallic tang of it. I knew that smell very well. It was the same smell from the night my parents died. My stomach turned.

The hallway was filled with students, their buzzing voices bouncing off the walls. Their fancy polished shoes clicked on the old marble floor, their laughter echoing through the ceiling. No one cared to glance at me or what was happening to my locker.

Typical private school. Everyone always seem to turn a blind eyes and mind their business here, until it’s time to bully someone.

I touched the substance, rubbing it between my thumb and pinky fingers. This was too thick for paint. Too real. Maybe a…

A low “tsk tsk tsk” sounded behind me. The voice and were all too familiar but I didn’t want to jump into conclusions.

“I see someone is desperate for attention.”

I knew that voice. I spun around immediately.

Daniel leaned against the locker next to mine, arms crossed, his uniform perfectly tailored to perfectly fit his broad shoulders and long legs.

The morning light shimmered in the hallway, casting a glow over him… his face, his neatly cut dark hair, his ocean blue eyes. He looked like he’d just walked out of a painting. Beautiful… and cruel.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, gritting my teeth and pointing at the red blood smeared on my locker.

Daniel smirked, slow and poisonous. “Oh, you offend me with your wild accusations, pretty boy. Stuff like these are beneath me.”

He closed my locker and stepped closer, his cologne so strong it almost left me breathless. He smelled heavenly… expensive.

“But if you really wanna find out who left you this… well, um, beautiful present, I’d start by asking ‘your dear lovely cousin and his friends.”

My face burned.

“Kenny?” There was no way.

But of course I wouldn’t put it past him. He was very fond of playing silly pranks like this. Thought it made him look cool in front of his little bat faced friends.

I watched sternly as Daniel pulled back, putting distance between us. His eyes glinted with amusement and mischief. “Meet me in Spanish after the last period. We have unfinished business.”

And with that, he was gone. Disappeared into the crowd like he was never there.

I walked into the Spanish classroom, but the room was empty. My gaze locked onto the teacher’s chair as the memory of what I’d seen the previous day hit me.

I strode toward it and halted abruptly in front of it. I stared for a moment before kneeling, burying my face in the seat. It still smelled like Daniel.

I was hugging the chair, inhaling his scent, when my eyes caught something… a tiny paper stuck to the armrest.

“Meet me at the library. Now.”

Without a second thought, I stood and made my way there.

The library was another relic on its own. Stained glass windows, high ceilings, specially carved wooden tables and chairs. The smell of old books filled the air.

I sat in the corner, my fingers tracing tiny circles on the table as my eyes wandered.

Daniel dragged the chair across from me, dropped into it, and tossed a book onto the table.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“A contract for you to sign.”

“What?”

“That’s homework, silly.”

“What?” I frowned.

“It’s just a bunch of algebra shit. Be a good boy and solve them for me.”

“I don’t have enough time for my own homework. I can’t help you.”

Daniel gritted his teeth and slid the book closer. “That wasn’t a request, pretty boy. And if you do good… maybe, just maybe, I’ll tell you who trashed your stuff.”

“I already know who did. What would that change anyway?”

“You think your dear cousin just smeared fake blood on your locker? There’s more.”

“I don’t care.”

“Even if it has to do with Mr. Richard?”

I stiffened as his expression grew dark, unreadable. “Finish this, charity kid, and I’ll tell you everything.”

My hands trembled as I took the book.

Later that night, I went to the chapel to think. When I walked in, I saw Daniel clutching what looked like a picture to his chest, whispering to it.

I hesitated, unsure whether to enter or leave. I stood there, watching, until finally I decided to turn back…

“Don’t leave on my account, pretty boy.” Daniel’s voice stopped me. He turned to face me.

“It’s fine. I’ll come back another time.”

“No, please. Stay a while. We do have unfinished business anyway.”

There he went with the “unfinished business” talk again.

I walked in and sat in the seat behind him. “Who’s he?” I asked.

“An old friend. He died a few years ago, even though it feels like only yesterday.”

“I’m… so… sorry.”I cleared my throat. *“Do you wanna talk about it?”*

“Why would I wanna talk about anything with you?” Daniel snapped, his anger sudden and sharp.

I’d known Daniel wasn’t all sunshine and roses, but this was the first time I’d ever seen him like this.

He stood abruptly to leave, but I spoke again. “I understand how you feel. So if you ever wanna talk…”

Daniel closed the distance between us in an instant, his face unreadable. A flicker of fear ran down my spine as I stepped back but the chair stopped me from going any further.

“I don’t know what you think is going on here, scholarship boy, but don’t you ever speak to me.” He shoved me back into the chair.

I sat there, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Was this the same person who’d stood with me in the hallway? The same one I’d spoken to in the library? Did I even know him at all?