"You freaking bastard!" Brett shot out clutching the phone tightly between his fingers and I swore at any moment he would have crushed it effortlessly with rage. If that sight wasn't warning enough, I probably dismissed the fact that there was steam streaming off his entire physique.

"Just how many times do I have to tell you dad, gosh you're so stupid... I did what you said fake smiles, and shit, be friends with everyone, became the student council president, what next, huh? Make me run for Miss Congeniality? Everyone loves me!"

If it were any other person, I’d laugh along with that. But who knew the following words I heard next was a beautifully strewn combination of curses.

I can understand that a busy person will snap, but admitting to fake smiles, and being friends with everyone? How much of the kind gestures and smile did he fake in front of me? Was I really annoying? A mere fly?

I didn’t even realize that the conversation they were having was on speaker mode because the next thing I knew another voice can be heard aside from Brett’s.

"People who classify themselves as popular usually never are! It’s called narcissism, ever heard of that, son?" the person on the other line hissed, and I had to admit he was right, I thought laughing silently

"Shut up ignorant buffoon!"

"I don't like your tone kid should I write you a detention note? You do know that what you're showing me right now is just lowering your chances."

"Come on dad you're so childish I mean seriously who does that these days?"

"Oh sigh, how can you look a lot like me yet fail to inherit my courtesy? It must have run in your mother's genes I guess, tiss-tiss."

"You don't know anything about my mother you bastard." Brett hissed.

"I thought you well how can you be like this?"

"Whatever, he snarled, "I'm hanging up!" and the dead tone on the other line was the warning signal. I should have run when I had a chance.

Brett flipped his phone close jabbing it back into his back pocket.

I still had a chance to run, if I were just fast enough to react and move my butt out of the scene of the crime I might emerge out of this unscathed. But I didn’t. I was a fool, I know.

Taking in a deep breath, Brett gained his original composure and I took a step back, stepping on some pebble, I don’t know, which made a scraping sound on the tiled floors below.

He whipped his head back in an instant, shooting a glare my way.

I flinched. Run damn it. But to my dismay, I couldn’t. It was as if his gaze had the power to keep me glued in place.

"I'm sorry..." I stuttered forcing my stupid legs to move back, he, however, was quick. My back hit something hard, and his arms slammed across the wall keeping me caged in place.

"Pai-ge..." he hissed, his glare threatening to cut me into shreds. I felt like a deer, wide-eyed as my predator left me with no escape.

"Yes?" I croaked nervously. He closed in and in an instant, it all changed, the jolly persona he wore around everyone else, was swallowed alive by his nasty second half, like a shapeshifter stripping his old skin.

"Why don't we have a little chat..." his voice a mix of husky and the screeching of rubber tires on asphalt.

"I didn't see anything, nothing at all!" I panicked, he, however, didn't seem to buy it, of course, he didn't, I didn't believe myself either.

Screw my life, I wished Jason were here to save me.

"You suck at lying," he snorted, "don't you dare try to lie to me, it's obvious, I knew you saw everything!" he shrieked, the veins on the corner of his forehead pulsing as if it were ready to implode.

"I'm so unlucky..." he sighed slightly tilting his head as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. I caught sight of black studs clinging onto his ears. I never really realized it, but now I did.

Also at times like these, I wished I wasn't short, he was tall, he was attractive in his own way especially with the firm built of his chest and I wasn't looking on his open chest intentionally just to be rubbed in the fact that I was in major trouble. But it was so hard to resist when it was just right in front of you, I'd only dreamed of Jason's chest and Jason alone... not this, and to make it worse, he had a tattoo!

Things weren’t looking good for me as the clock ticked. I could care less if he had a tattoo, but a tattoo like that, god please help me when I mean it.

For once, I thanked myself for listening to Jason’s lectures and it wasn’t because I loved to hear him talk, it was because the subject was genuinely interesting, and that dragon tattoo, the one Jason had shown over the projector for us to analyze, it was the tattoo that Jason told us identified the largest underground syndicate to date!

"You're in a mafia?" I shrieked because honestly who would have guessed? I could not believe anything I was seeing, thinking, hearing right now, it's just so mind-boggling, my head was literally spinning.

"You're clever." He pursed his lips, “but not so much to have stuck your nose where it doesn’t belong”

"I was right? I'm dreaming right please tell me I'm dreaming!" I whined slapping myself. It was wishful thinking, I know, but it doesn't hurt to believe this was all a dream right?

If I punched myself or told myself to wake up, maybe I’d find myself utterly embarrassed, swimming in my pool of drool, but at least I wasn’t buried alive right?

Wrong.

"Apparently you're not..." he retorted leaning forward as he tucked the raven strands of my hair behind my ear. When he got the response he wanted, he took a side step, this time crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall next to me.

"The Boyce clan is one of the largest mafia clans of its generation. I bet you never imagine such a perfect family had some dark secrets to keep, huh?"

Again, who would have guessed, I for one didn't really care until my life depends on it, like right now.

"I really didn't, of course, I didn't..." I stuttered again, I hated speaking, that's why I liked to stay in my own world, out of this one. I wish I could dream of Jason other than this nightmare if this really was a dream. How troublesome.

"Uhm... please wait..." my head is still spinning, "I need some time to take all of this in..."

So this was his real personality: cold, foul-mouthed, plain nasty… what a bastard... fooling everyone, befriending the innocent for his grand scheme…

What was I thinking? I gotta get out of here before I see my grave early; I'm so young to die! "Well whatever, I didn't see anything!" I wheezed ready to run for it and of course, he catches me. I wished I paid attention to mom's advice in taking PE more seriously. I just wasn't fast enough.

"Wait." He hissed clutching my uniform as I turned to face him, "Why do I have to be the student council president, why do I have to be mister nice guy to help pitiful weaklings like you? I even smiled at you, tried to show my best in front of you, yet this is how you'd treat me?” No one told him to, so it's his loss. “After all the kindness I had treated you with?" He locked the space between us so that I can't run away. He leaned down to whisper something in my ear, his expression deadpan.

"Since you know a lot about me, let me give it to you straight, I want to inherit the family business." I really didn’t really need to know that.

"I didn't ask for you to tell me straight, and what does that have to do with me anyway?" I yelped sobbing a little. "Can't you do it by yourself?"

"Because I can't!"

"What do you mean you can't?" I breathed "it's just a stupid family business right? What's so hard about that?"

"I need my dad's approval... but you see... it's not easy..." he goes on, one hand draped over his temples as if talking to me sucked the life out of him, " I'm perfect inside and out, I did everything, but it seems like he doesn't like me... I just don't get it."

"And again how does this have anything to deal with me?" I cut in rolling my eyes, unconcerned. He, however, didn't take my comment seriously and continued his ranting or whatever he was doing.

"I just don't understand him." He says and finally meets my gaze,

"Actually I think he's pretty normal compared to you..." I joked regretting every word I'm saying despite how humorous it sounded.

"Of course you won't understand! Although he made the group he's a fool for refusing to actually do the dirty job." his lips twisted in a grimace at the thought of his father. "Instead of lying flat on all of that money he donates them to charity, he's such an idiot!" he shrieked gritting his pearly whites.

I didn’t really know what to say. Thank you so much, Mr. Boyce, for being an angel who is helping the poor get by? At least I know he's totally different from his son, but still, he was from a mafia, the money he gives to those people is blood money, money gained from all means and when I mean means, I mean dirty means possible.

"As I was saying, if I was boss I'd keep all of them, commit crimes since this world is already sicker than it already is, people won't mind if I make some trouble here and there, I'd rub it all over his face and tell him to go to hell!" Brett boasted.

The future seemed bleak for this poor child. Full of hate and thirst for power, I wish his dad doesn't give him that position (whatever it was) he wants badly.

"I think he sounds wonderful…" I pitched in, thinking it was my turn to speak.

"I didn't tell you to speak!"

"Sorry..."

"Since your dying to know why I won't let you off, it's just that I can't, you see my father is keeping a close eye on me, with him disapproving of me joining in the business he wants me to act all nice and perfect in front of the people. It’s disgusting. After all, no one would expect the son of a mafia leader to be the student council president. Anyway, one of the teachers is his spy I just don't know who so I can't just let my cover get blown away by some…” he gave me a once over, “freak..." well that hurts.

"Hey, I'm not a freak!" I babbled, offended by his belittling.

"Now that you know my identity..." he took another step closer, bridging the gap between us. A finger pranced around my collar, made its way down my shirt and toyed with the top button of my uniform

"Please don't,” I whispered cringing as the button popped open, “I didn't mean too, it was an accident, I swear!"

"Has anyone ever told you not to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong?"

"I told you I didn't mean it!"

"Of course you did, you with your innocent little eyes, you're just like the others wanting my money. That’s what you like about me, right? Playing hard to get?"

"You're the one who persisted in helping me... Moreover, shouldn't it be the other way around? I'm the one obviously the one scared to death, removing myself from society so that I don’t get involved with psychopaths such as yourself!"

"Well you’re not wrong, but who’s the one sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong?”

Are we seriously having this conversation? I won’t tell anyone, and we all live happily ever after, case closed, why prolong this any longer? And then it hit me.

"Shouldn't you be scared of me since I know your secret? Why am I being threatened?" I beamed, feeling slightly victorious. "At times like these, when a person knows your deepest darkest secrets it usually means you should be nicer to them..."

"Really,” he faked a look of amusement, “that's funny... but I have other reasons..."

"I'm so confused now..."

"Of course you are..."

"What do you mean?"

"I also know your deepest darkest secrets, Paige, I saw your notes..."

I froze. "I knew it you were looking at my notes to check my answers, you really are a fake!"

He scoffed. "It just so happens that I saw you're drawings, not bad, but then again you are an idiotic low life, you're disgusting... how come you don't let others see your work?"

"What are you talking about?"

I gasped. There's no way. He couldn't possibly mean...