2 #2
Jude had been saving half of his small allowance for quite some time now to get a laptop, especially for college, where it would be often used.
He sometimes did part-time jobs on weekends and some side hustles after school to add to his savings.
It was just unfair because all the things that Mitch would ask their parents for would always be granted, while Jude had to work hard to get the things that he needed, and now, she would only get the money that he had worked so hard for these past years.
Then again, what other choice did he have? No matter how hard he tried to defend his ground, Mitch would always find ways to get everything she wanted. After all, she was his elder sibling.
Jude shoved his thoughts away and focused on walking. Along the peaceful sidewalk, his heart almost sank when he realized something. He felt like he had lost all his blood suddenly when he looked at the time on his watch: “7:05”.
Panic immediately surged through him.
By the time he reached the school, he was out of breath, drenched in sweat, and on the verge of tears.
He paused for one second and took a mouthful of breath before he started to make his way to the back of the campus, picturing himself out already: Sky was holding his internal organs, leaving him lifeless on the ground.
Jude was trembling with fear as he marveled at the secluded area behind the school, out in the woods.
The sound of small dead branches from the surrounding Gmelina trees breaking every time he stepped on them felt like a crack of his own bones.
The place was eerily quiet; no one else was there, although he could hear a few insects buzzing somewhere, birds chirping, and crickets crying not too loudly from afar.
He turned his track carefully, searching to see if he might have stepped on some scorpions, a cobra, or some venomous snake. Snakes, his biggest fear.
And then, he saw him.
Sky stood leaning against an old tree, his side facing him. His right hand was in his pocket, and the other had a lit cigarette between his fingers. Jude wondered why he wanted to meet him there all alone.
Where are Julius and Kevin? Does he want to kill me in secret? Jude hardly gulped at his own thoughts.
From a distance, Jude noticed that Sky was only wearing the white long-sleeve top tucked into his dark blue pants, and his blazer was nowhere in sight.
He did not know why, but he thought Sky looked really cool from this distance, especially in their uniform, which really looked good on him.
It was like it was made for him in the first place.
It fit perfectly on his muscular frame. Though the fabric was crumpled and he had a lot of tattoos, he pulled it off effortlessly.
He had never really noticed that he had a good build—very masculine, with a prominent, well-defined butt.
Jude watched him sucked the cigarette as he lifted his head a little to blow the smoke into the air. He had never checked Sky out like this before, and in all honesty, Jude could not deny that Sky really looked hot this time.
Really? What am I thinking? Jude mentally slapped himself for his nasty thoughts and how he always crossed boundaries these days. He quickly withdrew his gaze before Sky could notice.
For the millionth time, he was debating whether to continue to approach him or run away.
Yet, he knew that the worst thing would happen if he ran.
Without wasting any more time, he stepped forward, wobbling.
With every step he took, he felt like he was about to faint.
He could feel Sky’s gaze land on him from afar, which seemed to pierce deeper and deeper as the distance between them vanished.
“You’re sixteen minutes late.” Sky’s voice was deep and hoarse.
The moment Sky spoke, Jude’s heart wanted to get out of his chest. His hands were shaking tremendously, and he was doing all he could to control them so the finished work would not spill onto the ground.
“What did I say yesterday?” he asked.
Sky detached himself from the stem of a big Oak tree and approached him. He threw the remaining cigarette on the ground, stepped on it, and crushed it with some force using the tip of his Tic Tac shoes.
“S-even s-harp,” Jude stammered, his heart climbing to his throat.
Jude was about to cry.
Sky walked to him slowly, and every sound of twigs cracking was like a broken skip of Jude’s heartbeat. Without warning, Sky grabbed his collar, yanking him forward.
“Are you aware of what time it is now?” Sky asked, tightening his grasp on the hem of Jude’s collar.
Sky was too near, his lips almost touching Jude’s nose. Jude, with all his resistance, tried to look to the side. The stinky air from his mouth made his face crease, but he immediately pushed it away before Sky could notice it.
“You know I don’t like it when people don’t follow me, yes?”
Jude struggled to keep his balance and was out of breath, yet he made sure all the things in his hands were safe.
“Y-es,” he answered.
“Then why came to me late?” Sky let go of his collar. “Huh? Tell me.” He poked his forehead with his index finger, making him step back this time.
Jude stared at the things in his hands. There was a second of silence, but it felt like an hour. Sky took a step forward, closing the gap between Jude’s face and his.
“Why are you late this time?” he asked. “Speak!” Sky snarled, making Jude almost jump off the ground.
Some of Sky’s saliva sprinkled on his face. The scent of the cigarette from his mouth fanned his face, sending a wave of allergens into his nostrils. He forced his sneeze to stay grounded. Moreover, Jude’s mouth went dry. He could hear his throat as he swallowed.
“I w-asn’t able to wake up to my alarm clock. I s-tayed v-ery late f-inishi—,”
“Then why the fuck did you sleep?” Sky cut him off. “Don’t spill your unreasonable reasons to me, faggot.” Sky said as he pushed Jude on his chest, making him step back once again.
“You do this next time, and I will kill you,” Sky warned sternly, leaving Jude speechless. “Give them to me now,” Sky said, referring to the schoolwork.
Jude obeyed immediately and passed each item with shaking hands. All of that was done without daring to meet his eyes.
Jude handed over the work for his exhibition first. Next was the essay paper, which already had a new sliding folder, followed by a plain white folder containing his science research, a proposal paper, and lastly, a large notebook filled with his Calculus assignment.
Once everything was handed over, Jude found himself with the habit of clasping his hands together, anxiously pinching his fingers, and digging some dirt into his nails.
“If you come to me late next time, prepare some Advil and painkiller patches because I’ll make you a punching bag hanging on one of these trees for my workout,” Sky instructed, and with that, he left.
Jude let out a relieved sigh. He was aware that Sky would not just leave without hurting him. Today, it was different. Sky simply left.
Later that day, Jude heard that Sky had not even participated in the exhibition. And when Jude was about to go out from the school gate after his last class, with his own eyes, he saw the artwork he had spent hours making tossed into the trash.
That was when it became clear. Sky had never cared about any of it. He had always been like that ever since. It had all been for one purpose—to make Jude suffer. And somehow, Jude had been foolish enough to think Sky might take academics seriously, at least in their last year of high school.