Chapter 5 BEST FRIEND 5

FRIEND BACK 5

Alex sat quietly in the car as Timothy, engaged in a heated discussion with Amaya drove them home. He got down immediately they drove into the compound, not waiting for the engine to stop. Alex trudged into the house, shutting the door behind him. He headed straight to his room, seeking solitude. After locking the door, he stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water wash away the tension.

As he stood under the stream, his mind began to wander back to Kaiden. What was it about him that drew Alex in? He couldn't shake the feeling that Kaiden was an entire different something all together, normally he wasn't supposed to care, but why was he caring now.

Just as Alex started to relax, he heard the door creak open.

"Alex, honey, how was school?" Charlotte, asked.

Alex quickly turned off the water and grabbed a towel. "It was fine, Aunt Charlotte."

Charlotte smiled warmly. "Good. You know you can come to me if anything's bothering you, right?"

Alex forced a smile, coming out of the bathroom. "Yeah, I know. Thanks."

Charlotte set down a tray with steaming food. "Dinner's here. I made your favorite – chicken parmesan."

"Thanks, Aunt Charlotte," Alex said, genuinely grateful.

Charlotte's expression turned serious. "Alex, I know it's been tough since your parents passed away, but I'm here for you. If you ever need to talk..."

Alex nodded hastily. "I know, Aunt Charlotte. Thanks."

Charlotte's eyes lingered on Alex's face before she smiled and left, closing the door behind her.

Alex let out a sigh, feeling guilty for lying to his aunt. School wasn't fine – it was confusing, especially with Kaiden's arrival.

He sat on his bed, replaying their encounter. What had come over him? He couldn't explain the trance-like state Kaiden induced.

"Kaiden or whatever your name is, I don't know what you are but I'm going to avoid you tomorrow," Alex vowed. As he laid on his bed, his thoughts shifted to Chris. He needed to apologize.

Alex grabbed his phone and texted Chris: "Hey, man. Sorry about earlier. Can we talk tomorrow?"

He hit send, hoping Chris would forgive him and reply but the opposite happened, Chris didn't.

Alex settled into bed, and his mind drifted back to Kaiden, he didn't know why the new guy was taking over his mind and thought. He hoped their paths wouldn't cross again soon.

The next morning, Alex was the first to be done with dressing and breakfast and he waited for Timothy outside. He didn't reply Amaya's early morning taunts and faced the road. Immediately they arrived at school, he got down and rushed into the building, looking for Chris. He spotted him by their lockers and approached him.

"Hey, man, I'm really sorry about yesterday," Alex said, sincerity etched on his face.

Chris raised an eyebrow. "What's going on with you, Alex? That was really weird."

Alex shook his head. "I don't know. I just lost my head. It won't happen again."

Chris studied Alex's face before nodding. "Alright, apology accepted. But don't ditch me like that again."

Alex grinned. "I won't."

As they walked into class, Alex's smile faltered. His desk was in shambles, trash scattered everywhere. The class erupted into laughter immediately he stepped in.

"Looks like someone's unpopular," a classmate snickered.

Chris frowned. "Who did this?" He thundered, looking at each and every one of them.

No one answered.

"Answer me you bunch of idiots!" He cursed and made to walk forward but Alex stopped him, his face burning with embarrassment.

"That's enough Chris, it's not worth it."

Just then, the door swung open, and Kaiden walked in. The room fell silent as all eyes moved to him.

Kaiden's gaze swept the room, his eyes locking onto Alex's trashed desk. "Who did this?" he asked, his voice low and commanding.

Again, no one answered.

Kaiden's eyes scanned the room, his gaze lingering on each face. Then, he pointed at a burly student, Tyler, known for bullying Alex.

"You," Kaiden said. "Apologize to Alex."

Tyler's eyes widened, but to everyone's surprise, he rose from his seat and knelt before Alex.

"I'm sorry, Alex," Tyler muttered, his voice barely audible.

The class stared in shock. Alex's eyes met Kaiden's, and he felt a shiver run down his spine.

Kaiden's eyes seemed to glow with an otherworldly red light, hypnotic and intense.

"How did you...?" Alex whispered.

Kaiden's gaze never wavered. "Just making sure justice is served."

The classroom remained silent, unsure what to make of Kaiden's authority. "If you do a thing like this again, I'll murder you!"

The class gasped, that was a threat to be conscious of, Alex didn't know why Kaiden had so much control over the students.

"I won't," Tyler trembled. "I swear," he trembled.

"Get out!" Kaiden ordered and Tyler scrambled away.

As Tyler retreated, Alex turned to Chris. "What just happened?"

Chris shrugged. "No idea, but Kaiden's definitely not normal."

Alex's eyes drifted back to Kaiden, who now sat calmly, his eyes returning to their piercing blue.

But Alex knew what he saw – that fleeting red glow.

What was Kaiden's secret?