Love Invitation

Nathaniel

I glanced at my phone, which was ringing, and of course it was none other than my mother.

Heavily I sighed, ended the call, knowing that she’s probably cursing my whole future.

“Hey Lockwood.” Someone called, and turning around, I spotted Tyler, waving at me, and subconsciously I inhaled.

“My pal…” he attempted to throw a hand over my shoulder but I was smart enough to have calculated his movements, immediately avoiding him.

Tyler chuckled, “Oh yeah, no touching.”

“Personal space is a concept you should study,” I muttered, sliding my phone back into my pocket, while sending him a glare.

Tyler is another insufferable pain in my ass but at least he comes with the fun part.

“Yeah? Is that part of your legendary CGPA recovery plan?” he shot back, falling into step beside me like he owned the pavement.

I adjusted my bag strap. “It’s called being intentional. You wouldn’t understand, since your parents literally spoil you.”

Tyler gasped dramatically. “Wow. Hurtful. I, Tyler Reyes, understand many things. Like how you signed up for that student tutor program like a desperate academic weapon. And if you had just asked for help, I’m sure I would have gotten my brother to pass you or something.”

I paused, staring at him, looking through the senseless boy, who only got this far because of his family name. Deep down I envy him. His elder brother is the vice chancellor and his family is among the founding families.

And with all this I still wonder why he chose to be friends with me. A guy who barely has his life hanging together.

“Oh stop giving me that look, I’m being serious, sometimes Nath, hard work doesn’t always pay.”

“Well that’s the only thing I have to offer.” I blurted, as I twitched my glasses, which still had a crack over the frames.

He exhaled, shaking his head, “You’re really something else.”

I didn’t reply.

“So what about Professor Leo?” He glanced back at me.

“He’s willing to allow me to retake the test.” My thoughts travelled to him, and I had to quickly dismiss them, clearing my throat.

He shook his head, “If it wasn’t for the fact that Professor Leo acts professional, I would have thought that he is romantically interested in you.”

“W-what.” I almost choked.

He grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “Relax, I said if. But come on, Nath, the man practically bends rules for you.”

“That’s not true,” I snapped a little too quickly.

Tyler raised a brow. “Oh? So he doesn’t let you retake a test he’s never allowed anyone else to retake?”

“That’s… different.”

“How?”

I hesitated, my mind scrambling for something logical, something that didn’t sound like I was making excuses. “Because my score didn’t reflect my actual capability.”

Tyler stared at me for a second, then scoffed. “You hear yourself, right?”

“It’s a valid academic argument.”

“It sounds like something you rehearsed in front of a mirror.”

I clenched my jaw. “I didn’t.”

“Mm hmm.” He smirked. “And I’m sure the way he looks at you is also purely academic.”

I stopped walking. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Tyler turned fully to me now, studying my face like he was trying to prove a point. “You really don’t notice anything, do you?”

“There’s nothing to notice.”

“Right,” he nodded slowly. “So the extra attention, the one on one explanations, the whole ‘Nathaniel, stay back after class’ thing completely normal?”

“That is normal,” I insisted. “I’m his student.”

“You’re one of his students.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out.

Because a small, annoying part of me knew Tyler wasn’t entirely wrong.

I looked away first. “You’re overthinking it.”

Tyler didn’t respond immediately, which was unusual.

When I glanced back at him, his expression had shifted less teasing, more curious.

“…Do you like him?” he asked casually.

“No! Heavens, what’s wrong with you? I have never thought of him in a romantic way, so get your fucked up thoughts out of my head.”

Tyler gave me a knowing smirk.

I pressed my lips together, “And besides I’m not gay.” The thought of it had a nauseating feeling in my stomach.

“Okay……” and the way he said it had me glaring at him.

“You really need to get that head of yours checked you know.”

“I’m just stating the truth Lockwood, and looking at it Professor Leo isn’t a bad guy you know.”

“Can you just stop it.”

He quickly raised his hands, surrendering.

Reaching the cafeteria, I immediately stepped backwards, allowing Tyler to order almost everything on the menu.

And though I should have just walked away, he had downright dragged me to accompany him.

“I hope you know you don’t have to act all uptight with me Nath, so just drop the strong independent look, and eat something.” He hurled, tossing his bag on the chair beside him.

“I’m not hungry.” I pressed my lips, unintentionally swallowing, and my mouth just had to water.

“I know, but it would be a shame to waste this food, and surely you don’t expect me to finish everything.”

I averted my gaze from the food, “Then you shouldn’t have ordered so much.”

He exhaled, leaning against the chair, “Can you just stop being a pain in the ass and just eat? Sometimes it’s not bad to ask for help, and I’m not judging you or trying to act like you’re a charity case or anything, so please just eat, and you’re still feeling feverish, it wouldn’t be good if you collapsed again and missed another class.”

I rolled my tongue through my teeth, knowing that he had already gotten me. Chewing my inner cheek, I cleared my throat……

Finally I picked a piece of French fries, and the taste immediately exploded through my taste buds. When last did I eat something so good?

Yeah I couldn’t remember

My phone dinged.

Immediately I picked it up, thinking that it must be a notification from the student tutor program about my assigned student.

A frown pinched through my glasses.

“What’s it?” Came Tyler’s question, stuffing his mouth with more French fries.

“A QR code?”

Tyler immediately leaned over, nearly knocking his drink in the process. “Move,” he muttered, already reaching for my phone.

“Don’t”

“Relax, I’m just looking,” he said, tilting the screen toward himself.

“It could be important.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

On the screen was a plain message.

No sender ID.

Just a black background and a single QR code in the center.

Underneath it:

You’ve been selected.

My brows pulled together. “Selected for what?”

Tyler didn’t answer.

Instead, he pulled out his own phone, opened a scanner, and hovered it over mine.

“What are you doing?”

“Finding out,” he replied casually.

A second passed.

Then his expression changed, frowning in thought.

“…No way.”

A strange feeling settled in my chest. “What?”

He didn’t respond immediately, eyes still glued to his screen.

Then he let out a low whistle.

“Nathaniel…” he said slowly, looking up at me like I’d just grown a second head. “What the hell did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything,” I snapped. “Just tell me what it is.” And for some reason I don’t know, panic kickstarted in my heart. My thoughts racing.

He turned the phone toward me.

A page had loaded.

Dark themed.

At the top, in bold:

ELITE BROTHERHOOD

“What is that?” I asked, my voice lower now.

Tyler let out a short, almost disbelieving laugh. “You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

He stared at me for a second longer, like he was trying to confirm I wasn’t joking.

Then he leaned back, dragging a hand through his hair.

“Okay… wow. This is” he shook his head, “this is not normal.”

“Tyler.”

“I’m serious,” he cut in, his tone sharper than before. “Do you even know what this is?”

“No, that’s why I’m asking you.”

He exhaled, glancing back at the screen.

“The Elite Brotherhood…” he started slowly, lowering his voice despite the noise around us, “Man are you sure you don’t know what this shit is?”

I gave him a blank look, before I shook my head. Or does it have something to do with Reina and her group? Are they perhaps setting me up for something else again?

He leaned closer, “Do you know how hard it is to get an invitation? Let alone getting noticed by them?”

“Will you just cut to the chase and tell me what this is all about?” I snatched my phone from him, giving him a deadpanned serious look.

“The Elite Brotherhood is a society… like how should I even say it.” He exhaled, like he was finding it difficult to explain, “Every year, they hold this recruitment, selecting people to join their brotherhood, and in return you get their protection, and free pass in the school.”

I raised an eyebrow at him, “And what do people offer then in turn for their protection?”

Tyler shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know, all I know is that it’s not easy to get an invitation from them. Like I heard once of someone who got killed just because he got an invitation from them, and people went after him so that they could use it.”

“That sounds really shady and illegal.” I blinked at the page on my phone, “And it sounds like something straight from a book. Society?” I chuckled, turning off my phone.

“It’s not funny Nath.”

“Well I have important things to spend my time on, and who knows it might just be a mistake, because I have no interest in joining or participating in whatever nonsense that is.”

Tyler’s mouth literally hung open, “Did you really just disregard them like it’s nothing? Dude, don’t tell me you aren’t going to honor their invitation?”

“I’m not.” I tucked my phone in my bag.

“Nath…..”

“Don’t push it Tyler. And why the fuck would I even go in the first place? I barely know what this is about, and it’s not like I had made my intentions known that I would like to join them? Instead of them sending out invitations randomly.”

Tyler dragged a hand down his face, clearly trying not to lose it. “That’s exactly the point. You don’t make your intentions known. They decide if you’re worth it.”

“And I’m deciding I’m not interested,” I shot back, “And where even your deal with me attending it?” I narrowed my eyes on him.

He sighed, “Nothing.” And just like that resumed his meal, casually changing the conversation into something else.

Finishing my classes for that day, for some strange reason it felt like I was being followed, like someone constantly had their eyes on me.

But then again it could just be my paranoia acting up.

Reaching the campus gates, I was about to take a cab, when another car pulled over, causing my brows to furrow.

The window lowered, it was Reina.

She fluttered her lashes, “Get in Nathaniel.”

I rolled my tongue, exhaling, as I looked around, wondering what this could be about.

Settling myself inside her car, I gripped tightly on my bag.

“A birdie told me that you received an invitation?”

My expression turned pale, “W-what invitation.”

“You’re a smart boy Nath, the dumbness doesn’t suit you.” She gave me a dead look.

My throat tightened.