❝The priceless galaxy of misinformation called the mind.❞
— Djuna Barnes
No matter what happens and no matter where, you always find a person who's easy to break. Right now, that person was Sam.
It wouldn't have had much effect, but I was sure that it would make Sam stop and think for a while. Sam was smart since he realised what I had done at that time but his only weakness was that he probably didn't think twice before doing things. I realised this after I saw his reaction - he wasn't a delinquent. He was a person who tried to use people by holding something against them. He wasn't as good at that, of course, which must've been the reason why he ended up getting a black eye.
Sighing, I sit on the empty area with seat walls. There's no one in this area right now since the club activities must be wrapping up. I take out my phone, seeing many notifications. On top of them was Zack's, which reminds me that I've been ignoring his calls all week. It did make me feel a little guilty but I can't bear to answer his questions right now.
I go through everything that has happened till now.
As far as I know, Asher has made his first move against me. He's done that since day one but he has no idea that I know. I'm in the process of making a move but unlike him, my move is not targeted towards a specific person.
"Didn't expect you to find you alone right now," I hear someone's voice from behind me. I realise that it belongs to Reece, who's standing a little far away from me. I tilt my head and meet his eyes, silently asking him why he is here at the moment.
"I didn't expect you to be here either but I guess life is full of disappointments." I look around. "Where's your side hoe?"
"Who?" he asks, sitting down.
"Cammy."
He laughs but there's a hint of nervousness there. "She, um, is not exactly in a great place right now."
I raise my eyebrows. "What happened?"
"You didn't hear about it?" His voice sounds genuinely surprised as if there's no way I wouldn't have heard about what had happened. Before I could say anything or ask about what the situation is, he just laughs and stops me before I even begin. "Guess you're not as inclined on rumours as I've heard this years' first years are."
I shrug. "Everything I've heard is from my roommate or one of her friends. What happened to Cammy?"
"I don't know exactly. For now, all I know is that it's a rumour."
I sigh, leaning back and closing my eyes. "Just how many rumours go around this school," I mutter under my breath. Since there aren't any people around, he hears it clearly and scoffs, leaning back as well.
"Trust me, you've just started out, Lee," he says, the nickname giving me shivers. He's looking ahead of him, a hint of a strong emotion behind his eyes. Sadness? Fear? Anger? I can't figure it out. "They get worse and worse every time."
My eyes rest on him and my face relaxes. When I speak, I even notice my tone unintentionally softens. "Has someone ever... spread a rumour about you?"
He looks at me and our eyes meet for a moment before he looks away and shakes his head. "No. Not yet, at least."
"Not yet, huh?" Looking away, I suddenly felt cold as the wind blew. I look up at the sky - it really did look like it's going to rain tonight. I let out a small shiver and clutched my arms. I was still wearing the grey tank top and shorts. The only difference was that I had put on a red shirt over myself. "Well, I hope it never goes that way for me."
His eyes find their way back to me. "You're cold."
"Isn't that crazy?"
"You should get back inside the dorms before you catch a cold." He stands up. "You're really dumb to wander around right after your classes without changing."
I roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
I get up from where I am sitting and stretch myself. I grab my bag and sling it across my shoulders. "See you later, Reece," I say to him before beginning to walk towards the dorm complex. I really don't want to go back to that crowded area right now. Just a minute after I've started to walk away, I hear Reece's voice again.
"Hey, Harley!" he calls out. I turn around to face him. "If you could, would you help her in this situation?"
"Help who?"
"Cammy."
I had expected this answer. It was quite obvious and as to his question, I didn't know whether I would or not. I don't like to meddle with things that don't benefit me. However...
"Are you asking me for help in this situation, Reece?"
He bites his lips and looks around. There was a desperation in his voice, one that made me feel superior. He finally nods but the reluctance is more than obvious.
I scoff, turning to face him. I walk back towards him, stopping just a few steps away from him. "And what will I get in return?"
He swallows. "You won't help anyone if you don't get anything in return?"
"Isn't that obvious? Of course I won't," I admit. "There's no reason for me to meddle in second year affairs. I already have more attention than I need. I'm not gonna ask for more."
"You don't even know what the rumour is," he whispers.
"What difference would it make if I knew? I'm not interested in things that don't matter to me. This matter seems to be something only the seniors are involved in. I'm certainly not going to trouble myself with this."
"Alright," he finally says, "But if you ever feel like knowing what this is all about, find the Vent Wall. I don't know whether the first years are aware of it but just... find it. You'll know what this is about."
He walks past me, and I hear his fading footsteps which suddenly stop, indicating that he just stopped.
"Just so you know, Harley, rumours about you will spread soon enough. I don't know how many of them will be true, but I'm damn sure they will." He pauses. "You're going to be the center of everything that will happen around here for a while. And there's no way you can avoid it. Because even if you deny it, you really have messed with the wrong person here."
He resumes walking and I feel a ting of anger rise through my mind. I would've said something but I didn't because there wasn't a point in saying something and ruining the acquaintance. I don't want to do that with him just yet.
Asher's the wrong person, huh?
In the past week, I had learnt one thing - Asher Hale's influence over this school went beyond an outsider's imagination. People were intimidated by him and it's clear that the only reason he's reached there is by climbing over the secrets that crumble a person.
I think I already have an idea about who spread the rumour about her.
I just need a slight confirmation.
My hands itch and I feel like something is crawling under my skin. I let out a sigh of frustration and run a hand through my hair.
God, I need to find the vent wall.