Chapter 3 Three

Those eyes were rebellious. Just like mine. I felt as if I was seeing my reflection in whoever he was. Who is he? Why those eyes? Why that warning?

Even though he didn't say a word, I read him through because he is no different than me, actually more dangerous. It's righteously said a rogue always recognises the other rogues. Not to befriend them, but to prove who is more powerful, Charlie thought reminiscing about his little encounter with Alan Rush.

"Charlie! Where are you lost? Why aren't you eating?" Henry pulled him out of his reveries.

"It's nothing. Just something is on my mind," Charlie said.

"What?" Jacob asked.

"Nothing, just some random things," Charlie said and started stuffing food in his mouth.

"Let's go to the Square after classes. I plan to find out who that mysterious person is?" Daniel said.

Everyone nodded and finished their lunch.

***

Don't come to me. Don't approach me. Get lost. I don't want to talk. Talking is just a waste of energy and time. Just go away, Alan thought, putting his head down when Sing came closer to him. He hid his head in the temporary well of his hands.

"E-Excuse me! I am Sing. You are in our team for the art project. We will have a group meeting. Can you give me your phone number?" Sing asked Alan, who was pretending to be asleep.

Go away. Just don't disturb me. I will do the project alone. Why isn't she going away? Ah! How do I reply? What should I say? She is a girl. I must be respectful.

"Excuse me!" Sing tapped on his shoulder.

He jumped up all of a sudden, gathered his stuff. He looked straight into her eyes and said, "I will do the project alone. Don't disturb me from now on." He didn't want to be rude but when he is confused about how to react he generally reacts with an impassive face that makes him look disrespectful. Not that he deliberately did it, it just happened. He walked out of the class.

"Huh? Huh! What the hell was that? He is... Aaah! Fine! Do it alone!" Sing shouted.

Useless! All this is just so useless. I wish I could dig a hole and bury myself in it or a better idea. I wish I had a shell like a snail. I would crawl whenever I wanted and then hide in my shell when people approached me. Alan kept on thinking when he bumped into a typically tagged bad boy.

Ah! That hurts! Blinds! Can't even see and walk, Alan thought massaging his forehead.

"Can't you see and walk?" Henry said.

"Charlie! Are you ok?" Jacob asked.

"This boy! Let me handle him," Daniel walked angrily towards Alan.

Here they go again. Bullying the weak. Huh! I hate such people. Minding everyone else's business except their own, Alan thought.

"Let him go. I am in no mood to fight," Charlie said.

Useless! All this is just useless, Alan didn't say a word and walked outside the college.

"Charlie! Why did you let him go?" Henry asked.

"Was there a reason to beat him up? From when have we become bullies? Remember, I just don't mind until something that's against my value is triggered. Let's go to the Square. I don't want to waste my time on trivial matters and let that boy who sneaked in our area escape." Charlie said and all of them set off to the Bermuda square.

Alan didn't have a painting class that day, so he headed straight to his house.

"Hm. Are you sure you saw someone? It's almost midnight and no one has come," Henry said, lying on an old, discarded sofa that was brought by them in their Square.

"I think it could be a ghost," Daniel said.

"Ghost my foot! I said it was a boy, so it was a boy. I will find out who he was," Charlie snapped.

"Probably, he just came here once and might not come again," Jacob said.

"By the way, how did your parents allow you to stay out?" Charlie asked.

"Well. I said I will have a group study at your house tonight," Henry said.

"Exactly! I said the same thing," Jacob said.

"Me too," Daniel said.

"What! And I said I am going to Henry's house," Charlie was pale as if blood dried in his veins.

"What! My mom is a good friend of your father. What if she calls him?" Henry said.

"I think we should go back before our parents catch us," Jacob suggested.

"What! Why? We aren't doing something wrong. We are just at our secret hiding place. What's wrong with that?" Charlie said.

"Charlie, don't be stubborn. Your father can allow you to go out on your will, but our parents are conservative. Papa will break my legs, if he finds out that I am not studying, instead of waiting for someone whose existence is a question." Daniel said.

"Let's go! Charlie! Go to your house. Come on now! Don't be stubborn..." Henry pushed him out of the square. Just when they reached the exit, the phones of all four of them rang at once.

They looked at each other horrified. Gathering a lot of courage, they looked at who was calling and were astonished to see that each one's father called them.

"Gone now! It's all over. My parents won't even let me meet you guys for ages," Henry said.

"My father will break my legs," Daniel said.

"My father will scold me and no money for a month," Jacob said.

"Huh! What is there to be afraid of just telling them the truth? Tell them you were with me at Bermuda square," Charlie said looking at them, not able to understand why all of them were so worked up.

"Bro. You go. We are not as daring as you. We can't even open our mouths in front of our parents. Guys, I am going. Bye," Daniel hopped on his bike and headed towards his home as soon as possible. Henry and Jacob headed back home as well.

Charlie dared and picked up the call, "Yes."

"Where are you? Come back home you punk! I will block your credit card if you don't come within half an hour," his dad shouted and hung up.

Call ends.

Huh! What a headache! Why does he always block my card? Huh! I hate this man.

Charlie parked his car in the parking area of his house, which was a multistorey building.

The guard at the reception of the house called the main hall of the apartment, "Sir! Young master is back and is heading to his room."

"Ok," his dad hung up.

"Just let him come. His wings have grown too long. I will cut them into pieces," Blake Swift, Charlie's dad, got up from the huge, imported sofa that occupied the entirety of the first floor of the building.