When he heard the lock clattering, Isak knew this was his only chance. Using all his strength knocking down the guard at the door, he started running, more like stumbling with his eyes covered and hands cuffed in the back. The footsteps approached from all directions.
"Hey! The blond one escaped, catch him before Elias finds out! Don't let him ruin the auction!" Losing his sight, he did not know where the exit was. As he turned left at a corner, he crashed into someone. Tasting the blood in his mouth, he knew his nose was bleeding.
" Sorry, you okay?" A voice on top of him asked while holding his shoulder. He kicked blindly trying to strike that person's crotch with a bent knee.
"Wow, that was close." The guy chuckled dodging his attack while holding his ankle in a hand. Isak lost balance falling on the ground.
" Mister, I am really sorry about this, he is one of the auction items." A man chasing behind him, might be the manager, sounded extremely terrified talking to the guy, "Please go this way and the auction will start in ten minutes.
"Help me, please, help me!" Isak kneeled down while the guards trying to drag him back to the cell.
"Wait." Through the black stripe on his eyes, he could see a shadow lowering. Feeling the warm breath became closer to his face, Isak shivered fiercely. As a hand lifted his chin stroking his bleeding nose, he drew a deep shuddering breath leaning forward while burying his face into that person's palm.
"I'll buy him."
That was the last thing he heard before passing out.
Isak woke up lying on a bed not the cold cement like past two weeks.
His body went frigid hearing, "Hi, Isak. How you feel?" Slowly rotating his head, he saw a woman sitting on a computer chair typing. "Where am I?" He sat up quickly checking if his arms were tied. Moving his feet on the floor, he looked for the exit of the room. She smiled, "Relax, Isak. You are at Nissen's health center." While pointing at the school logo on the wall.
" Nissen" He repeated, slowly leaning back against the wall. Nissen was a private boarding high school for rich kids. How did he end up here? Seeing his confusion, the school nurse continued, "Your guardian just transferred you from Bakka.''
"Guardian? You mean Ms. Andem, the chancellor of Bakka?"
"No," She frowned while checking papers in a folder, "I know she had been your guardian since, I am sorry to hear that, your parents passed but it looks like you got a new one."
"A new guardian?"
She nodded, ''His name is not showed here since he signed a confidential agreement with the court. He would pay for your tuition fee and daily expenses,'' She handed him an envelope, "Here is an ATM card and 3000 cash. He'll transfer money to your account every month."
" Who brought me here?" Isak suddenly grabbed her wrist asking. Startled by his movement, she stuttered, "The police did, and they…they said you were kidnapped.''
His grasp loosened, "The police?"
"Yeah," Placing a hand on his shoulder, she said with a comforting tone, "Don't worry. You will be safe here."
After doing a full physical examination and filling in some paperwork, Isak was led to his dorm at almost midnight. It was an open double with an independent bathroom. He saw two backpacks placing on the bed closer to the door. He threw himself into the other bed beside the window staring at the ceiling blankly.
He was pretty sure the guy whoever saved him was not a cop. Then who was he? How could he find him? And if he did how could he ever repay him? Also, the new guardian thing was just so confusing. How could he have a guardian that he did not even know? Maybe he should call tomorrow to talk about it.
August 26th, 2016
The next morning, Isak woke up in extreme warmth and comfort under a heavy blanket that definitely not his. After taking a quick glance at the other bed, Isak was convinced he stole it from his roommate last night.
Sitting up, he was surprised to see his shoes were lined neatly on the floor. That was so weird since first, he didn't remember taking them off, and even if he did, he would never place them like this.
He got his answer when hearing the water running in the shower. Looking around the room, he noticed those two backpacks were unpacked and there were several sweatshirts on the chair. His stomach shifted uneasily as the water was turned off. Yes, he was nervous. He was never an outgoing person anyway. Quickly lying down, he pretended to sleep. That was one hell of a way of greeting his roommate he thought, kind of pissed at himself. About the same time, the bathroom door opened.
Isak felt his other senses became incredibly sharp after closing his eyes.
Although he always thought guys would not care how others smell, he was mesmerized by this scent. It was so light that if you inhaled deeply, it would be gone, but if you breathed in slowly, it seemed to linger on forever.
His heart beat faster hearing the footsteps stopped in front of his bed. His eyelashes trembled feeling the sweet and humid smell approaching. A cool knuckle grazed his neck as the blanket was pulled under his chin. He almost shuddered at the touch but he managed to stay still until dorm door closing. Rubbing his neck, Isak felt the coolness was still there. He inhaled slowly( it just smelled so good in here)trying to stop himself from wondering if his roommate was too nice to a stranger.
"So he is your boy, huh?" Mikael looked at Isak across cafeteria moving his food to the other side irritably as Even crossed his legs on their dining table.
"I am his legal guardian if that's what you mean." Even was doodling on his notebook.
" You bought him to be his guardian?"
"Why it sounds so weird when you say it?" Eyes still on his notebook.
"Because it's so fucking weird!"
Even kept drawing ignoring him.
Taking a deep breath, "Why did you buy him?"
"He is cute."
Another deep breath, "That's bullshit, Even! All those auction items are cute so some old sick perverts would spend a lot of fortune on them. Like you spent a lot on Isak, didn't you? How much did he cost?"
"Are you calling me an old sick pervert?" Even raised his eyebrows, finally looking up.
"Yeah," Mikael said without thinking, "Come on. Give me a number. How much?"
Even flashed a smile at him saying nothing.
Mikael scoffed, "Pfff, your smile does not work for me. Play it on g…girls…" He stuttered as Even leaned in. "Mikael?" "Huh?" He swallowed hard answering. Well, maybe he should admit that Even's charm worked on guys too. His breath hitched as Even's hand grazed over his shoulder, then- he saw his plate dropping on the floor in the corner of his eyes, "My Spaghetti!"
Five minutes later, Mikael sat on the farthest corner of the table staring at Even while eating some leftover pizza (there was no spaghetti left at the counter). If gaze could kill people, Even would have already died hundreds of times but...Mikael signed rubbing his sore eyes…the victim seemed to unaware that he had been killed.
Mikael decided to carry on the conversation that he was too interested in, "Why did you attend that auction anyway?"
" It was Chris' birthday. And he said that would be the best gift if I went with him."
Mikael remembered seeing Chris kissing a girl on his laps this morning, "All the auction items were boys right? When did he start to like boys?"
"I just assume he likes everything." Even packed his notebook in his bag.
"Did he buy anyone?" Mikael rolled his eyes.
"I don't know I left before the auction started. Are you done?"
As they walked out of the cafeteria, Mikael remembered, "I stopped by your house yesterday, and your dad said you moved out. Where do you live now?"
"School dorms."
"Single?"
"Open double."
"No way! With who?" Mikael could not imagine Even would ever live with someone.
Even tilted his chin towards the other side of cafeteria where Isak was sitting, "Him."
