January 25th. Thursday, 5:57 PM.
"Why do you think he called you?" Ray asked as they approached the building.
"I don't know", Malakai replied, hands in his pockets. "I've got an idea, but I hope it's not that".
Malakai and Ray went through the automatic doors and went inside the building. They both scanned their IDs and got through the barriers. Malakai had been inside here once before, but this was Ray's first time, so his eyes were switching from left to right, looking around the place.
"This place is empty", Ray said, noticing the empty halls.
"This place is basically abandoned", Malakai replied. "Only the second years use it".
They continued to make their way inside the building until they reached the room. They could hear music being played halfway down the hall.
"Did you get invited to a party?" Ray asked, raising a brow.
"Maybe", Malakai replied.
Malakai opened the door, and the two slowly stepped into the room. Every head nearby swivelled towards them. All of them are giving weird stares.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" Ray quietly asked Malakai, feeling intimidated by the eyes and not feeling welcome.
"Yeah, I've been here before", Malakai said. "I don't know why they're looking at us like that though".
Malakai walked further into the room, turning his head, meeting the eyes that met his, while Ray kept his head low. Malakai went up to a guy close by and asked,
"Yo, do you know where Micheal is?".
The guy's expression sharpened instantly. He didn't answer straight away. Instead, he looked Malakai up and down. He wasn't sure who Malakai was or why he was here.
"Why do you wanna know where he is?" the guy asked back.
"He called me to come here", Malakai said.
"Really? How do you know Micheal?" the guy asked, not letting up so easily.
"I can show you my call log if you want", Malakai replied, not bothered.
The guy could see that Malakai wasn't intimidated at all. His posture eased a little, "He's sitting at a table down there", the guy replied, pointing towards that direction.
"Aryt, thank you", Malakai said before following his directions and walking away. "Bro's acting like a bodyguard", he quietly said to Ray.
Ray glanced back at the guy who was still watching them. "Was it really okay for me to come with you?".
"Yeah", Malakai shrugged. "Why wouldn't it be okay?".
"I don't know your friend", Ray said. "He might want to talk about something private".
"Nah, don't worry", Malakai replied, not thinking that deeply about it. "I doubt it's anything private. There's like forty people here".
They reached a rectangular table near the back. It was the kind of table you'd see in a common room. Six seats, three on each side. Every seat was taken, with people also standing around it. Micheal was sitting in the middle with a friend on either side of him.
Malakai casually walked up to the table, "Yo, you good?" he said, walking up to Micheal and offering his hand.
"Yeah, I'm good", Micheal replied, shaking Malakai's hand with a calm smile. "How you been?"
"I've been aryt", Malakai said, shaking the hands of everyone else at the table. He slightly recognised one of them, but the rest he didn't know.
Micheal's gaze slid to Ray, "You brought a friend", he said, putting his hand out.
"My name's Ray. Nice to meet you", Ray said, shaking his hand.
"He was with me when you called me", Malakai said. "I told him to come with me, and I wanted to show him this building. You don't mind innit?".
"Nah, it's fine", Micheal replied. "Let them sit down", he told his friend sitting opposite him.
The guys didn't question him. They stood up, taking their drinks off the table, and let Malakai and Ray sit down. Malakai took his seat and was comfortable, but Ray was a little nervous with how many random people were around.
"Aryt, why did you call me?" Malakai asked, getting comfortable in his seat, "Are you gonna give me advice?".
"Advice?" Micheal repeated, lifting his eyebrows. "What advice do you want?".
"Any advice", Malakai shrugged. "What advice you got for this challenge?".
"I haven't got any advice for your challenge", Micheal replied, slightly shaking his head.
"Why not? You did this challenge last year no?" Malakai asked, confused. "Where did you hide your device last year?".
"Haven't you hidden your device?" Micheal asked back. "You must've, it's already past the time limit", he said, checking his watch.
"Yeah, it is", Malakai said, nodding.
"What advice do you need then?" Micheal asked, his smile wider, amused. "Anything I tell you will be useless".
"I don't know. I just wanted to see what you would've said", Malakai replied with a smirk. "Aryt, seriously, what do you want?".
Micheal briefly glanced away to look at the people around him. Then he looked down at his hands resting on the table.
"You know I've got the challenge tomorrow", Micheal calmly said. "I have to find your year's devices". He lifted his gaze back at Malakai. "And I remembered... I beat you at pool".
Malakai didn't blink and kept his small smirk.
"And you owe me a favour", he finished.
Michael didn't say anything else. He didn't need to. Malakai knew what he was getting at.
Malakai stared at him, waiting for Micheal's face to break and tell the punchline.
The tips of Malakai's lips curled ever so slightly more, "Heh. You serious?".
Ray leaned towards Malakai, "What favour is he talking about?" he whispered.
Ray had no idea what Micheal was on about as he wasn't there when he played Malakai at pool. So Malakai owing Michael a favour was new news to him.
"You serious?" Malakai asked again. "Don't tell me you're asking what I think you're asking me".
"That was the deal", Michael said, lifting his shoulders. "You owe me a favour".
Malakai didn't like how Michael was dancing around what he wanted. "Aryt, I owe you a favour", Malakai said, his smirk fading. "What do you want?".
Everyone standing around was quiet. They all wanted to hear this conversation.
"I think you already know what I'm going to ask", Micheal said, still with the calm smile on his face.
"I don't", Malakai said, shaking his head, coldly staring at him, purposefully raising the tension. "Say what you want innit".
Micheal's calm smirk broke into a smirk, knowing Malakai was pressing him.
"I want to know where you hid your device".
Malakai's face broke into a full smile, showcasing all his teeth, while Ray's eyebrows furrowed and his mouth frowned in confusion about what he just heard.
"Hah, where's the camera?" Malakai asked, not taking him seriously. "This is a prank innit".
Michael kept the smile on his face, "Nope. This is no prank. I'm just cashing in on the favour you owe me".
Malakai took a look around him. He noticed there were more people surrounding the table than before. Guys and girls were watching this. They were all around the table. Both Malakai and Ray were blocked in.
"Micheal… I thought we were friends", Malakai said seriously, but with a tinge of playfulness.
"We are", Micheal said without any hesitation. "But you owe me a favour".
Malakai blinked, realising this wasn't a joke.
"A favour yeah?" Malakai smirked again. "What do you think my answer is?".
"I'd think you're a man of your word", Micheal said simply.
"You think I'm gonna tell you where I hid my device? You think I'm going to throw away my points?" Malakai asked, looking at Micheal, who kept the same face the entire time. "No, I'm not telling you", he flatly said, shaking his head.
"Malakai, you owe me a favour", Micheal repeated with the same calm voice.
"Bro, why would I lose points for myself?" Malakai asked, sitting up straight, getting slightly irritated by his tone.
"It's not your choice. A favour is a favour", a guy standing nearby harshly cut in.
"Who's talking to you? Shut up man", Malakai said, furrowing his brows at him, shooing him with his hand.
"What did you say?!" the guy shot back, stepping forward.
"Calm down", Micheal quickly said. "I don't want anyone to fight".
Ray sat awkwardly watching it all. He didn't know Micheal, but he didn't like him from this first interaction. He didn't like the people crowding closer either. Now he was really feeling like he wasn't supposed to be here.
"Micheal bro", Malakai seriously said. "Are you actually asking me to tell you where I hid my device?" he genuinely asked.
"I need to get points too", Micheal said. And you owe me a favour".
"What kind of favour is that?" Malakai asked, leaning forward. "I thought we were cool. I thought the favour was gonna be something light".
"We are cool", Micheal said. "I just wanna see if you're a man of your word".
"So this is a test?" Malakai scoffed. "You wanted me to say yes, and before I told you, you would've said I'm joking this is a test".
"Maybe", Micheal shrugged with a smirk.
Malakai shook his head. "You brought your whole year group here. This ain't no test". From Micheal's reaction, he could tell it wasn't a test.
"I didn't bring anyone here. Everyone came here to chill by themselves", Micheal replied. "All that happened was I remembered we've got the challenge tomorrow... and you owe me a favour".
Malakai had no smile on his face anymore. He was straight-faced. He blocked out all the background noise and focused only on Micheal.
"I ain't telling you where I hid my device", he clearly told him.
Micheal's calm expression stayed, "That expression", he thought.
"It doesn't have to be yours. You can tell me where someone else's device is", Micheal said. "I just want points".
"You want me to snitch on someone else's spot?" Malakai asked, narrow-eyed.
"If you don't want to tell me your spot, then telling me someone else's spot is your best option", Micheal said.
"I don't know anyone else's spot", Malakai said, shaking his head. "I haven't watched anyone else. I've focused only on mine".
"Then your spot is the only option", Micheal said.
"I'm not going to tell you", Malakai firmly said.
Micheal smirked after seeing that cold expression from Malakai. He leaned back in his seat and exhaled. "So you're not completing the favour you owe me", he said. "...At least I know what type of person you are now".
Ray had his fist clenched under the table. He was getting annoyed watching this, but he couldn't say anything because he wasn't involved. And he thought if he did try to get involved, Malakai would stop him. He knew Malakai wouldn't want him to say anything. Ray was good at controlling himself, but he wanted to defend Malakai.
Malakai stared at Micheal for a long second.
"You're a dickhead", Malakai said with a bit of venom.
The people around could feel the sting in those words. Malakai wasn't saying it lightly. Ray turned his head to Malakai and could see that just by his side profile, he was pissed.
"Tryna use me", Malakai continued in a low voice. "You think imma listen to you?".
"Micheal's not in the wrong", another guy standing nearby cut in. "I was there when you lost that pool game. You shook on it. The winner gets a favour".
"Aryt, calm. I owe him a favour", Malakai replied with his hands up. "But that's slimy. The guy is asking me to sabotage myself".
"It doesn't have to be you", a guy sitting next to Micheal said casually.
"I told you I ain't snitching on someone else. That's peak (sad)", Malakai said.
"You can snitch on someone you don't like".
"I told you, I don't know where anyone else's spot is. I didn't watch anybody".
"What about your friend's?" another guy said, nodding to Ray.
"Shut the fuck up man. Don't get him involved", Malakai quickly shut him down.
"Mally, calm down", Ray quietly said, sensing how close this was getting.
Micheal's eyes moved around the room. He could feel the shift. People leaning in. Voices rising. One wrong sentence and everything could go left.
"Okay", Micheal said calmly. "If you're not going to give me the favour, I'll just find it myself".
"You ain't finding it", Malakai confidently said.
"You sure about that?" Micheal asked.
"No one's finding it", Malakai said. "You ain't taking points off me".
"Why don't we make a bet?" Micheal suggested, seeing his confidence.
"What? To see if you find my device?" Malakai said.
"That ain't fair", Leon said, sitting beside Micheal. "Micheal might not find yours, but he'll find someone else's".
"Bro, no one in your year group is finding my device", Malakai said, not liking how condescending everyone was sounding.
"You challenging all of us?" a guy standing near him said.
"Yeah, fuck all you", Malakai said, looking at him. "You're all sucking his dick", he pointed at Micheal.
The room erupted.
Shouts. Laughter. People yelling over each other. The volume spiked. Guys were crowding the table, trying to get their say in Malakai's face.
"Mally, don't provoke them", Ray said. Even though he said that the damage was done. There was no turning back from this.
"Someone's brave", Micheal smirked. "Sounds like we got a bet". He tilted his head. "What should the punishment be?".
"You decide innit", Malakai asked, screwfacing him. "You're choosing your own punishment".
"The saying is pick your poison!" someone in the back shouted.
"I'm not a fucking poet", Malakai replied.
Micheal smiled right in his face, then turned to the crowd. "What should the punishment be?".
"Make him your bitch!" someone shouted.
"Yeeaahhh!" A chorus roared back.
No other suggestions came through, so Micheal turned to Malakai again, "You heard them", he said calmly, raising his shoulders. "If your device gets found, you'll have to listen to whatever I say", he said, putting it into nicer words.
"And if no one finds my device", Malakai shot back. "I'll make everyone here my bitch".
The room exploded again. The roof was about to come off.
"Hey, don't get them involved", Micheal said, raising his hand, grinning after repeating Malakai's words back at him. "This is a bet between you and me".
Malakai coldly stared at Micheal again for a couple of seconds. "Were you always like this?".
"Like what?" Micheal asked, confused.
"A prick".
Micheal laughed quietly and averted his eyes.
"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Malakai asked, wanting to leave. "Or is there more?".
"No", Micheal shook his head. "As I said before, I remembered you owed me a favour".
Malakai blew air out of his nose and smirked as he got up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "I can't wait for Monday", he said, staring at him.
Micheal didn't reply. He kept his same calm smile while keeping eye contact. Micheal did find Malakai's expression a little unsettling the more he kept looking at him.
Malakai and Ray stood up and turned to leave, but the crowd behind them didn't part.
"Move man", Malakai said, annoyed.
"Or what midget?" the guy in front of him sneered.
"Why you tryna act hard? Is it cuz there's girls here?" Malakai asked, trying to aggravate him. "You think I'm scared of you? I don't care if there's fifty of you here".
"Can you move?" Ray firmly asked, staring at the guy in front of him.
"No", the guy smirked.
He placed a hand on Ray's shoulder and tried to shove him aside. The guy's eyes widened.
Ray didn't budge.
The guy frowned and used a little more force.
Ray didn't budge.
"What are you doing?" Ray said, feeling what the guy was trying to do.
He swatted the guy's hand away and lightly pushed him. The guy stumbled back, almost losing his footing.
Everyone around looked in surprise, even Malakai was shocked.
"Let them go", Micheal said, standing up and stopping anyone from actually throwing hands.
The crowd parted and gave Malakai and Ray a path to leave.
"Malakai", he called out. "I still consider you a friend".
Malakai glanced back at him, "Tch".
He didn't even want to say anything. He just kissed his teeth.
Malakai and Ray left with everyone in the room watching their every step. The walk out of the building was a silent one. Malakai and Ray didn't say anything to each other. Both of them wanted to be out of the building ASAP.
As soon as they were outside, Ray exhaled as if all the tension in his body had been released. He glanced at Malakai to see his expression. He looked to be deep in thought, vacantly staring ahead.
"Do you think it was right for you to agree to that bet?" Ray asked.
"Huh?" Malakai snapped out of it. "Oh... Yeah. I'm going to win that bet anyway", he said, not seeming fussed about it.
"But if you lose, then that'll be bad for you", Ray said.
"Do you think imma lose?" Malakai asked with a little smile.
"Nah, your spot is too good", Ray said. "I'm just saying it will be bad if you".
"I know", Malakai replied. "If I lose, that'll be so shit. Cuz I've lost the bet and I've lost everyone's points. I might as well leave the academy at that point".
Ray let out a little laugh. "Why are you friends with him?" he curiously asked.
"He was a calm (cool) guy before. I don't know what happened to him", Malakai said.
"Did you do something to him?" Ray asked.
"Nah, I haven't spoken to him in ages", Malakai replied. "He didn't seem like a dickhead back then".
"It looks like you judged him wrong", Ray said.
"Probably... But everyone in his year group likes him, so I don't know", Malakai replied. "Maybe he's trying to play some mind games with me or something".
"Everyone is after you", Ray said. "I can see why you're DTB", he joked.
"Bro, it's not even DTB anymore. It's DTA. Don't trust anyone", Malakai smiled. His smile grew a little bigger after remembering something. "Bro, you sent that guy flying. You didn't even push him properly".
Ray shyly smiled, "I didn't mean to".
"I know you've been going gym, but I didn't know you were that strong", Malakai said. He squeezed Ray's arm. "Oiii. What's David feeding you?".
Ray laughed a little. "I can't let you guys protect me all the time. I need to show you guys I'm strong and I can protect you".
Malakai smirked, "You're older than me, and you're taller than me. But you're always gonna be like a little brother to me".