Lunch break arrived. After Mason left the classroom, "dling," a message popped up on Dennis's smartphone. It was from Daisy, asking him to catch up with her at the student council office because she had some work to handle there. As Dennis got ready to stand up, he suddenly saw Bella standing right beside him. He just shook his head and stood up; ignoring her completely, he walked toward the door, but Bella suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Wait!" Bella shouted.
Dennis immediately yanked his arm from Bella's grip so hard it startled her.
"Are you mad because of what I said to your wife yesterday right in front of you?" Bella asked point-blank.
Dennis didn't answer. He turned around, his face calm and indifferent, acting as if he had just met this girl named Bella and she wasn't his childhood friend. Seeing Dennis's detached expression while he waited for her to speak, Bella flinched. She opened her mouth but closed it again when no words came out. Dennis shook his head.
"Just drop it. Don't bother me. I have things to do," Dennis said flatly, calm and firm.
Dennis turned back toward the door, but before he could step out, Brad walked in and blocked the exit. Brad stared at Dennis, looked at Bella, and sized up the situation.
"What's going on here?" Brad asked.
"Nothing. Move, I'm heading out," Dennis answered firmly.
"Den... yesterday I was just mad at your wife. I thought you were someone else and that she was betraying you. I thought she was hurting you cruelly. I was honestly thinking about you yesterday; I was so angry I ended up saying things I shouldn't have. I'm not like that with you. I care about you. Because of the government program, I just couldn't be with you like before, you understand that, right Den?" Bella said in a soft voice.
"Huh... what are you talking about, Bel?" Brad asked, shocked.
Hearing Bella's words, Dennis snorted because what she said sounded like a script she had practiced, and he knew damn well Bella wasn't capable of being genuinely sweet to him. He knew she didn't regret her words; she only regretted getting caught because she hadn't realized he had completely transformed. Thanks to his talent manager, combined with the fact that he now saw Bella for who she truly was and of course he trusted that vision, her attempt to seduce him with words was transparent.
He knew exactly what she wanted: Bella wanted to regain control over him so he would remain her safety net. Back in his previous life, he probably would have obeyed her instantly and been kind to her again, because back then he had been desperate for a friend and was still waiting for Bella because he loved her. But now? Clearly, everything had changed.
He then shifted his gaze toward Brad, the man who had once made him miserable. Even though his memories were a bit hazy, he knew Bella had changed ever since she started dating Brad in his previous life—and in this world, they were married. Now, Brad looked furious after hearing Bella's words, staring at Dennis with a tightened jaw.
"Okay. Please move, Brad," Dennis said, calm and firm, looking him straight in the eye.
"So you're Dennis. I thought you were someone else. How did you change like this? Don't you dare try to get close to Bella, okay? She's my wife," Brad shot back.
"I said move. I'm leaving," Dennis replied.
"Don't get cocky, fatty. Don't think just because you changed your look that you can act like a tough guy. Don't think for a second I'm scared of you, you get me?" Brad said, shoving Dennis.
Brad was stunned when Dennis didn't budge at all. Back when he was fat, a shove like that would have sent him stumbling or cowering in fear. This time? Dennis looked at Brad, then looked down at his chest where Brad's hand was still resting. Then he stared back at Brad so sharply that Brad flinched when their eyes met.
"Take your hand off me and move. I'm not saying it twice," Dennis said calmly, but his voice was heavy now.
"Hah... and what are you gonna do about it, you fat coward?" Brad shouted, shoving Dennis once more. He had no idea he had just made a massive mistake.
Without a word, Dennis grabbed Brad's collar and swept his leg. Then, "blam," he slammed Brad into the ground, back-first. A loud thud echoed through the room. Brad was in total shock; he never expected to suddenly be staring at the ceiling, his chest tight and gasping for air while his back throbbed in pain. Dennis let go of his collar, stood up, walked right over him, and headed out without looking back.
Bella approached Brad, but instead of helping him up, she just looked down at him with cynical eyes and folded her arms.
"Hey... help me," Brad groaned.
"No way. You lost to Dennis? You're a pathetic excuse for a man," Bella sneered.
"Damn you, I'm your husband," Brad replied, struggling to get up slowly.
"So? What does you being my husband have to do with anything? Hurry up and get up. Let's go to the cafeteria, I'm hungry," Bella snapped.
In the end, Bella really did just leave Brad to struggle as he slowly picked himself up in pain. Her eyes remained fixed on the door, her expression fuming. It was obvious she was plotting something, the gears in her head practically grinding audibly as she thought.
***
Meanwhile, in the men's restroom, "splash," Dennis washed his face with water. He looked into the mirror, staring at his reflection with a serious expression, and washed it one more time. His reason was simple: he didn't want to meet Daisy looking haggard and gloomy, and definitely not flushed with anger. He had to make sure Daisy wouldn't start asking questions that might escalate into something horrific, because the six entities living inside her weren't all stable.
Once he was sure his expression looked safe, he stepped out of the restroom and walked down the hallway toward the student council office. When he arrived, he was surprised to see Gary and Jason leaning casually against the wall next to the entrance, chatting away. As Dennis approached, both of them turned to look at him.
"Yo, dude," Jason said, raising his hand.
"You're here too, I see," Gary noted.
"Yeah, Daisy said she had some business at the student council office... what about you guys?" Dennis asked, confused.
"I'm waiting for Olivia. We're going to grab lunch at the cafeteria," Gary answered casually.
"Same. I'm waiting for Kimberly. Just stay here and wait with us," Jason said, patting the wall next to him.
"Oh... okay," Dennis replied awkwardly.
Dennis leaned back next to Jason, hugging his bag. The atmosphere went quiet. Several female students—both seniors and juniors—who happened to walk by couldn't help but look at the three of them, giggling and smiling to themselves. This made Dennis feel more uneasy since he wasn't used to the attention at all, even though he tried his best to act normal.
Gary and Jason, on the other hand, seemed perfectly relaxed as if they were used to it, even though they weren't saying anything. Then Jason turned to look at Dennis, and then at Gary, since he happened to be in the middle of them.
"You two are the exact same height. I feel like the short one here," Jason remarked, trying to spark a conversation.
"Ah... you aren't short, man. You still reach my nose, right?" Gary shot back.
"True, but compared to you and Dennis... I'm definitely the shortest," Jason said.
"So what's the problem if you're the shortest? It doesn't matter. Besides, you're a sniper. A sniper doesn't need height," Gary countered.
"Well, at least we're talking now. We can't just stand here in silence like we're enemies. They say we're the core team representing the school for our year," Jason replied.
"Oh... you're right. How about after this, we all head to the cafeteria together? We can eat as a group," Gary suggested.
"I'm down. What about you, dude?" Jason asked Dennis.
"Oh... me? Okay... sure. I'm fine with whatever," Dennis answered, feeling nervous and awkward. "Man... this sucks. I really don't feel confident yet. Even though my look is way better and more positive than before, this awkward feeling just won't go away," Dennis muttered in his heart.
"Man, Olivia is taking her sweet time in there," Gary muttered, checking his watch.
"Just be patient, dude. But it's unusual for you to be eating with your wife; usually, you're hanging out with your minions," Jason replied, patting Gary on the shoulder.
"I made a promise yesterday," Gary replied shortly.
"Daisy and I actually brought our own food, but I'd better just keep my mouth shut," Dennis muttered inside his head, looking at his bag.
In the end, Dennis stayed right where he was. The three of them started talking about all sorts of things, cracking jokes every now and then. Dennis mostly just smiled and nodded along; even though there was a lot he didn't quite get, he did his best to stay part of the group.