"The original bad boy doesn't fancy hanging on to his history."
7| The Underworld
Doubtful of Arsen's warning, I don't tell dad anything.
Since the diner's private property, no one can enter it without permission.
The night passes cautiously with me twisting and turning in bed for countless hours before actually falling asleep. As usual, Mom wakes me before she leaves and I hurry up getting ready. On my way, I encounter Arsen's gang hanging out in a side corner near the school gates. Most of them have a cigarette hanging out of their mouths. I see Arsen busy with a random girl, both of them exploring each other's face quite carefully. Turning away in disgust, I attempt to hurry.
"Yo Val, hold up," one of the guys call after me.
Afraid, I stop dead in my tracks. If I didn't, they'd attack me during school or worse, at the new diner. Pivoting on my feet, I meet everyone's eyes and pretend I'm a confident person.
"Yes?" I say, not knowing who actually called my name.
One of the guys, Leo (I remember him from Freshmen orientation where he smoked openly in the school auditorium) raises a slight hand to indicate he's talking. How does he even know my name?
"Were you at that Downtown Diner yesterday night?" My heart drums against my chest and I don't know how to respond. These guys are lawbreakers. "I feel like I saw you come out of that run-down place." What will they do if I say yes? For some reason, my eyes flicker to Arsen who has finally stopped, kissing and flirting with the raven haired girl.
Arsen's expression gives away nothing, but I see him shake his head slightly.
Is that a hint?
"No," I reply to Leo.
"You sure?" he asks again and this time, his friends sigh in irritation.
One of them teases, "You can't find any other way to pick up a chic?"
"Dude, out of the entire female population school, you chose Cruz?" Arsen asks as if I'm not even there. "The dainty flower? She can't even walk or stand without falling." My cheeks burn and all I want to do is slap the cigarette out of his mouth. The only reason why I fell in Gym class was because he swept me off my feet!
Leo rolls his eyes at the guys and gestures me to move on.
Jumping on the opportunity to leave the ruthless rebels, I speed down the sidewalk to the main building. These people are insane and falling into their messy lives isn't something I desire. As a matter of fact, I'm surprised to even find them close to school. On most days, they skip classes and don't give a damn.
I wonder how they'll pass.
Who cares?
The day follows through quite smoothly, elevating my dread every second. The gym class self-defense lessons are still in session. For our last period, Isa and Danie meet me in the girls' locker rooms.
"So, I was thinking we should go shopping for decorations," Danie says. "If your dad's cool with it."
"What?" I ask in confusion.
"For the diner, Val," Isa explains, "there needs to be more contemporary stuff or at least a more contemporary theme. WWII is definitely not trending nowadays."
Danie and I chuckle.
"Sounds valid. I'll talk to dad about it and see whether or not he wants to invest any more money into that lowly--I mean lovely place," I inform. Although I act chill about the plans, a part of me cools in relief at not going to that place, today. We'll simply spend time at the mall. As for dad, I probably should warn him about sketchy people hanging in the back alley of the diner.
"Your dad should've really looked more into buying a place in a more decent area," Danie says flatly. "No offense, though."
I shrug.
After the first-hand experience, I couldn't deny her statement.
The three of us finalize other plans and head out to the gym. Shockingly, the guys actually show up to attend the last class of the day. Our teacher gives them distasteful glares before telling us to get on the makeshift mats. Those serve as protection against the hard floor, in case anyone fell during these sessions.
"Gentlemen, get your butts off the bleachers and stand next to your partners!" Mr. Dexter, the rudest instructor snaps.
Us girls can't help but snicker.
Either it's the authoritative voice or the muscles of Mr. Dexter that force the gentlemen to comply with the order. Unfortunately, Arsen and a few of his friends are missing. The teachers pair the partner-less people in other groups, allowing trios. Luckily, I end up with Isa and her partner, Sean.
We still repeat the last class's lesson except this time, the instructors give loads of more advice and techniques.
Mostly, the class is boring.
* *
"Oh my god, that was an epic shopping spree!" Isa says in an exaggerated manner.
We dump the bags in the trunk of the car and relax for a few minutes. The entire evening after school wasted at the mall, shopping all types of decor.
"We should end it with ice cream. My treat!" Danie offers.
"I never say no to free food," I tell them.
"Never say never," Isa, our only Belieber friend, sings.
Danie and I grimace.
Nevertheless, we cross the street to an ice cream shop and order our favorites. I don't know about the others, but I ask for cookie dough. Since Ben's house is on the way to Isa and mine's, we establish to stop by to give him a surprise. Ever since the dirt biking accident, I haven't met him face to face.
Ben's younger brother, Brett, opens the door for us and frowns.
"Ben's--"
"The ice cream's gonna melt," Isa groans, ignoring the teenager. We rush past him to Ben's room and slam open the door, waking up our sleeping or resting friend. "Oops."
Ben groggily sits up to scrutinize at us.
"Hey," he says tiredly.
"Hiya. Sorry for disturbing," I mutter. "Oh well, we brought ice cream." We hand him the container with mint chocolate chip delicacy and plop down with him on his bed.
"Make yourselves comfortable," Ben says sarcastically.
"Already did, don't worry," Danie answers and laughs. He rolls his eyes but smiles at her. Isa and I exchange smug glances, knowing full well how much he adores Danie. Seeing our expressions, he gives a don't-you-dare-say-anything look. "By the way, why were you napping at six in the evening?"
"He was probably trying to dream about a special someone," I tease and eat my ice cream.
"Who?" Danie asks in surprise.
"Obviously me." Dramatically, Isa flicks her hair over her shoulder and nudges Ben, wiggling her eyebrows. "Right?" He laughs.
"Believe it or not, I was dreaming about bikes," he informs. Really? I can't help but condemn of his thought process. "Don't give me those looks. I know I made a stupid mistake. But dirt biking is cool as hell. If I still had my leg, I'd participate in today's race."
"Today's race?" I repeat.
"There's another race--a bigger one--happening in like an hour at the nearest park-jungle area," he confirms. "I have a friend who gives me the information about that."
"That explains why Arsen's gang didn't show up to any classes," Isa says randomly.
She's right about that. Maybe dirt biking's one of the reasons why Arsen and his friends skip school so often. Who knows? Since Ben acknowledged a race happening, my mind flew to the winner. At the last race, the announcer established that Arsen always wins. But why does he even participate? For money?
My ex friend has completely adjusted to the dark side.
Nevertheless, why am I even concerned?
"Whatever. Who cares?" Danie shrugs. "All I know is that the dirt biking cost you your leg, Ben. It could've been worse." The rest of us watch her drone on about the dangers of such illegal activities and how afraid she has been for Ben. Although her worry sounds legitimate, we can't help but smile.
In the near future, I can see Ben and Danie being a thing.
His feelings are obvious while hers are clearing up.
"You know what?" Danie snaps finally. All of us tense seeing her rage overtake her face, out of nowhere. "I don't want Arsen to win in the race, today! He needs to learn a lesson about sportmanship and humanity."
"What do you mean?" Isa asks on everyone's behalf.
"Let's steal his bike, so he can't participate," she grins evilly.
"I can't even steal a chocolate covered strawberry without getting caught let alone stealing a vehicle that none of us know how to drive," I say.
"Technically, I know how to drive a bike," Ben says, though seeing our eyes flicker to his broken leg, he adds, "Not that I'm of any use. You three shouldn't mess with those hooligans either." He sighs, putting aside the ice cream container. "Arsen's crowd isn't especially something to involve ourselves into. I'm damn sure they're connected to the underworld."
Underworld?
"Like Hades?" Isa jokes.
Ben rubs his temple and shakes his head. "Crime and other illegal matters."
"How about we kidnap his bike and return it after the race?" Danie suggests, still stuck to avenging our best friend. It sounds harmless, but after last evening's and this morning's encounter with Arsen, I'm not too keen on jumping to kidnapping. "C'mon, the worst that can happen is Arsen sheds tears."
Isa, Ben, and I scoff.
"Sign me up," Isa says excitedly. Though her ice cream has been long gone, she licks her any remaining bits in her cup. "Only to see Arsen's reaction."
"I'm in," I agree hesitantly. It's my turn to scare Arsen and frustrate him out of his mind, after all the dilemmas and scares he put me through. My ice cream pretty much melted during my busy chatting. What a waste.
"If you guys do anything like that, I won't talk to you ever again," Ben warns.
"Fine," Danie groans.
Isa and I exchange suspicious glances at our hard-headed friend who easily complied to Ben. On the contrary, Ben sits pleased by Danie's words.
Danie checks her phone and announces her mom's home, so she has to leave. Since she is our ride, Isa and I bid our goodbyes to Ben.
The three of us gather our stuff and reassure Ben we won't do anything stupid.
In our car ride, Danie keeps a steady control of the car while following directions to somewhere on her phone. Not even five minutes pass and I figure our driver isn't headed to drop us off.
"We're really stealing Arsen's bike, aren't we?" Isa beats me to the question.
"You guys really thought I'd listen to Ben?" Danie replies.
"Not really," I admit and Isa inclines her head in agreement. "So, what's the plan, Captain?"
None of us have any idea how these illegal dirt biking tournaments work. Therefore, our only preparation is to wing it. We head way out of the city. n the way, we pass through many different parks and even forest type areas, finding no suspicious activity. If it wasn't for a guy on a bike heading towards the middle of nowhere, we might have never reached our destination.
Thank you to the red helmet.
Danie parks in a makeshift parking lot with loads of cars in sight. Naturally, the race's conducted in a bizarre, uneven land area. My friends and I head in the direction we hear the announcer. A crowd has already formed and we realize the race starts in fifteen minutes! Danie, Isa, and I split up to find Arsen and his bike.
I shove my way through the mob of people eating popcorn, chips, etc. like barbarians.
Get some etiquette!
At a distance, I find that manager with the abnormal and startling blue eyes. I quickly hide behind a tree and watch him move towards a biker. The guy takes off his helmet and I'm relieved to see Arsen's face. I found him! Thankfully, he hasn't moved himself to the starting line just yet. I text Isa and Danie, briefing them about the current location of our target.
Isa goes first.
As in causing the distraction.
Observing at a twenty step distance, I understand nothing about what she's telling him. However, I do see Arsen turning on his bike as if ready to move on. She pretends to fall down in hysterics, but Arsen pays no heed.
Finally, Isa drops in his way.
Good grief, that drama ruins our plan because I clearly hear Arsen shout, "Get out of my way before I run you over!" The way his bike advances at Isa, she has no other choice than to bolt for her life.
My phone vibrates and I pull up to see a text from Isa.
I failed. Your turn.
Due to a time limitation, I rush towards Arsen and his bike. He's at the end of the line and away from the prying eyes. The announcer declares something about a delay, allowing extra fifteen minutes to pass before the actual race. Apparently, someone messed with all the technology. Seeing Danie walk out of the secured area told me it was probably her.
Great job.
I approach Arsen and stand in front of him.
Not even for a millisecond do I see surprise on his face. He's actually not sitting on his bike anymore, rather counting green notes in his hands. In fact, he continues counting. I clear my throat loudly to gather his attention. Behind him, Danie and Isa run up to the bike. They gesture me to keep him busy while they messed with the back of the vehicle.
"Do you need money?" Arsen asks. I shake my head vigorously. "Then get lost. You shouldn't be here."
"According to you, I shouldn't be anywhere," I reply icily.
"Anywhere dangerous," he mutters correcting me. That statement catches me off guard and I rapidly blink at him. "Not that it matters to me, but like I said yesterday, I always alert my enemies and friends alike."
How sweet.
Not!
"What category do I fall in?" I ask, stalling him. The girls mess with the back tire and jab at it with something. It's quite difficult keeping my eyes on the guy in front of me at the moment.
"Take a guess."
"Enemy?"
"Correct," he agrees unenthusiastically. "First, that crazy friend of yours was talking about someone dying and now, you came here to bother me. It's as if you want me to miss the race. Definitely my enemies."
He's smarter than I give him credit for.
I must stall him more, though.
"What?" I scowl. "But I've known you since we were six. How dare you call me your enemy?" Frankly, he offends me constantly through his words. Danie and Isa actually pause for a second to meet my eyes and I immediately feel compelled to slap myself in the face. Why did I say that in front of them? So much explaining to do, now. I clench my teeth and glare towards the tire. They catch on quickly.
Arsen's eyes are thankfully focused back to the bills in his hands.
"Cruz, you have sixty seconds to get lost. Otherwise, you'll be at home sitting with a broken bone," he threatens, "just like your friend." Didn't he have better things to do than tell me to piss off every time we met? He even ignores everything I have to say regarding our history. He should never run away from it.
When we forget our history, we're more prone to having repeats.
He starts to turn, but my friends are still sitting on the ground.
Intinctively, I slap his hand holding the money.
Most of them fall on the ground . . . on the opposite side as my friends. Inhaling sharply, Arsen crosses his arms and glowers at me. He looks like he's ready to murder me.
"Sorry, my bad," I say and crouch down to pick up the bills at a leisurely pace. Impatiently, he bends down and gathers the twenty and fifty dollar notes. "Where did you get all this money?"
"Why do you care?"
"I might start dirt biking too for college money," I propose. He snatches the money in my hands as if I'd rob it from him. "Never mind. It looks dangerous. I suggest you also don't part in it."
What can I say?
I prefer to alert my friends and enemies alike as well.
"Don't tell me what to do."
"Suit yourself."
Savagely grabbing the other notes, he stands up. He doesn't bother listening to anything I have to say as the announcer calls the competitors to the line the last time. Arsen hops on his bike and fixes his mirror. I flinch, biting down hard on my bottom lip. Danie and Isa are totally screwed. Funnily, I receive no shouts. That means, we are safe! The motorcycle turns on and Arsen leans forward to sweep me out of his way.
I stumble a few steps into the empty left side area.
Two hands grab me and take me away.
"You guys scared me!" I tell my friends who smile wider than Jim Carrey. There's a gunshot and the race begins. My entire face falls when I see Arsen speeding down the trail on his bike. "I thought you were poking a hole in his tire . . . ?" I whisper.
"That didn't work out," Isa says gloomily.
"But we did loosen the screw thing on the tire. Soon, it'll be out of air and bam!" Danie smirks. "Finally, the winning streak will be over and he'll learn a valuable lesson."
I know Arsen has done wrong things, but I can't help feeling bad for him.
Whatever.
He calls me his enemy, anyways.
Let's see how he much enjoys the what was going to be the most memorable first loss!
¤》¤《¤
A/N
Chapter dedicated to loveYJHD for supporting me on my other work along with this one. Thank you so much!
Long chapter, I know. I realized I fancy writing long chapters (over 2k words) in comparison to 2k limit. And I'm gonna start doing dedications. (Basically, I'll choose a reader from the comments section of the latest update and dedicate in the following update). I really appreciate the support, guys.
How was the chapter?
Do you think Arsen will lose?
Does he deserve this revenge?
If you like it, subscribe! Jk. A vote, comment, or share does the deed too XD