A/N: YES PROGRESS, FINALLY LOL. Even though this story went on for a pretty long hiatus last year (which it won't again, lol don't worry), there won't be more than three chapters left :P Anyways, for those of you who have watched the movie, you probably have started to notice that my plot is slowly starting to divert away from the original. I want to put my own spin on the story, and I didn't really care for how the movie ended things.
That being said, enjoy the longest chapter ever (13,000 words holy shit) Take care, and have a great day/night! and thank you so much for all the support. It really keeps me going :)
-Ella
Early November…
Arthur's POV:
Now that Alfred had Matthias's phone wired, it made our investigation considerably easier. We were still in the process of gathering evidence. So far, we hadn't figured out who the supplier was. The Dane's text messages were still very covert and didn't offer up much useful information.
What we did know was this: Matthias was the dealer. Surprisingly, Berwald, Lukas and Tino weren't actually making the drug. Instead, they used the chemistry lab to make the little baggies the capsules came in. The only science going on was them making those distinct cross-themed stickers that branded the drug as being sold by them.
Still, Alfred had done something right for once. Since I had become one of Matthias's right-hand men, it was about time that I carried my weight too.
I walked into the boiler room at lunch, alone, to meet with Matthias. I had agreed to start dealing drugs for him.
I blinked under the harsh red lighting and found Matthias languidly sitting in a lawn chair, the rest of his friends standing around him like bodyguards save for Lukas who was rather busy picking dirt out of his fingernails. Bella wasn't present. As far as I knew, she just hung out with the Nordic gang of drug dealers.
"Ollie, my man!" Matthias bellowed, and stood up from his seat. "You came!"
"Yeah," I grunted in an attempt to be manly. Emphasis on trying. "Why wouldn't I? I'm always looking to make some quick cash. So, where can I get my hands on that kush?"
"Kush?" the five friends cocked their heads to the side in confusion.
Sweat beaded on my forehead. "You know," I waved my right hand, secretly fanning myself. "The drugs?"
Damn you, tumblr! Those egalitarian hipsters had no idea what they were talking about! They just pretended to be cool!
Matthias cracked up with laughter. "You're so strange! Here, man," he turned to open a pencil-case on the table behind him. Inside, there were several plastic packets of the FMA drug. BINGO!
After closing it as if to verify what he was giving me, Matthias handed me the drug-filled pencil-case.
I let out an impressed whistle, for different reasons mind you, and placed the pencil-case in my backpack.
"I have high hopes for you!" Matthias grinned. He raised his hand for a high-five.
"Let's sell some drugs!" I reciprocated. I went for a fist-bump instead, only to correct my position, blushing profusely despite the generous application of foundation caked onto my face.
…
Smugly, I dumped close to 100 packets of the FMA drug onto Captain Vargas's desk.
Alfred stood next to me, morose as he had wanted to be more in on the action as opposed to standing on the sidelines.
Lovino raised a skeptical brow, thin hands pawing through the drugs. He held up several packets to the air and inspected then. When he saw that they were all real, he handed me a wad of cash to give to Matthias. This way, it would make it seem like I had sold the drugs rather than turning it into the police for evidence.
"Atta bastard, browzilla!" Lovino commended, still with a sneer on his face. Although, if you looked closely, you could barely see the wisp of a pleased smile poking at the corners of his lips.
"That's more fucking like it!"
…
Swaggering my steps to mimic how cool kids walked these days, I approached Matthias's locker, large wad of cash in hand.
I tapped the Dane on the shoulder and smirked cockily. "You gave and I present," I feigned a bow, and handed him the money.
"Jesus, Ollie!" Matthias exclaimed. "That was fast! Way to go!"
"Ooomph!" I yelped as Matthias pounded a heavy, albeit friendly fist against my back.
"I knew trusting you was a good idea!"
While Matthias and the rest of the boys triumphed in the sales revenue I had just made for them, Bella casually leaned against her locker.
I don't know why, but she was biting her bottom lip, glancing at me with steady, green eyes.
…
Alfred's POV:
While Arthur was busy bonding with the cool-kids-who-aren't-actually-cool-but-just-pretended-to-be, I decided to spend my lunch period in the chemistry classroom with my fellow nerds. They were totally my homies now.
I stopped before the closed-off chemistry classroom and knocked on the door.
"Password?" Yong Soo trilled on the other side.
"Hima is my senpai!" I declared boldly, uncaring to the weird stares I received in return.
Yong Soo opened the door of the chemistry classroom, a wide grin on his face.
"So, how's the wire tap coming along?" I asked once the door was shut.
Kiku looked up from his laptop. He was seated at a desk beside Eduard. "There's been some discussion of a meeting involving two mystery codenames. One is called Knife, and the other, Scar. I think Kohler is planning a large drug deal at the end of the week."
"Either that, or he's giving money to his supplier," Eduard added in, adjusting his glasses. "It's still pretty murky to decipher through their conversations. The grammatical errors are difficult to understand. I'm still trying to crack through it all. I also have my suspicions that they're a lot smarter than they're playing themselves off to be."
I swung a leg over a desk and sat on the edge of it. "That's perfect! As long as we're getting somewhere, that's all that matters. Heck, maybe now we can get all the evidence we need to lock those environmentalist jerks up. Thanks, little dudes. I promise all your efforts will be worth it in the end."
"You're still going to get us dates to the Winter Formal, right?" Yong Soo ogled at me, lips pursed in a pout.
I ruffled the Korean's hair. "Of course! So, now what?"
"Well," Kiku grinned slyly. It unnerved me quite a bit. "We still have forty minutes of lunch left."
"And we can always come back to the tap later, as the texts are recorded automatically…" Eduard trailed off.
Everything fit into place when Yong Soo procured a bottle of Pepsi and Mentos from his backpack. "Let's prank Principal Fritz!" he cackled.
A wicked smile spread across my face. "Yo! Y'all just keep on surprising me! Hell yeah, I'm so in! I hate that guy!"
Role Model, Smole Model. If these kids wanted to have some harmless fun, then so be it. After everything they've done for me, I so wasn't about to be a stick-in-the-mud.
Next thing I knew, Kiku had his hoodie drawn up, well-prepared to put our prank into motion. He snuck into the office when the secretary wasn't looking. The rest of us stood outside, stifling our giggles as we waited to run for our effing lives. I had to be extra careful with Yong Soo, and took the extra precaution of clamping a hand over his mouth. He was the loudest of us all.
A pop, scream, and satisfying fizzle later, and we were all sprinting for the chemistry classroom.
Principal Fritz, who's white blouse was now stained brown, came scrambling out of his office. Everyone in the hallway "ooohed" in painful reciprocation when he slipped and fell straight on his ass.
"Get back here, you little arseholes!" Principal Fritz screamed. He was too furious to filter his mouth in front of the other students.
"Sir, are you all right? Do you need any help?"
"Fuck off, Henrique! No one likes you! You peaked in middle school!"
Henrique teared up.
Meanwhile, Principal Fritz frothed at the mouth. Kiku had somehow managed to get the bottle to land directly on the principal's desk.
"Run! Run! Run!" I urged. The soles of my converse squeaked and skidded as we turned into the Science wing.
"Take cover!" Eduard opened the door of the chemistry room, waving us forward.
SLAM!
I shut the door of the chemistry room, having had to practically drag Yong Soo inside so that he made it to safety in time. Principal Fritz stormed right past us, unsuspecting that he had been bested by a rag-tag group of dorks.
When we had all caught our breaths, we burst out laughing.
"Man!" I said, wiping away a tear. "Is that what it's like being a nerd in high school? Sign me the hell up! That was awesome! I love this science shit!"
…
Arthur's POV:
How to be relatable, by Arthur Kirkland.
Lesson #1: Do illegal shit that has a 99% of you getting fired, or killed, or both.
Armed with spray-paint cans, I led Matthias into a remote part of the police station's parking lot. Lovino was reporting to his grandfather today, which had left his cruiser wide open to be vandalized.
I still needed to be accepted by the populars, all right?! Besides, after all the insults I've been subjected to in the Hump Street project, this was merely just karma materializing itself.
"Over here!" I hissed as I ducked behind another police cruiser. Matching hoods drawn up, I waved Matthias forward.
The Dane tucked and rolled beside me, breathing wildly. "Fuck, if we get caught man…"
"You're dealing drugs, and you're worried about getting charged with vandalism?" I rolled my eyes at him.
Matthias swallowed. "Damn. You're right. Still, it'd be pretty freaking cool if we're able to pull this off."
"If?" I teased. "I think you mean will."
I stood up and strutted over to the targeted cruiser. I needed to assert my dominance if I wanted the teen to follow my lead.
Success! Matthias's footsteps thudded after me. "Oliver!" he hissed. "At least crouch down a little, fuck! They're going to see you!"
"Nah, I don't think so. We'll be fine. Trust me, mate," I mused, shaking the graffiti can. Truth is, I knew the officers were holding their weekly conference now. The cameras were also turned just the right way to allow us to do this without getting caught.
The can hissed as I sprayed "I like Spanish dick" onto the side of the cruiser.
This was only a rumour circulating around back at the church, but Eliza strongly believed that Lovino and Antonio were secretly banging each other. I knew this would piss off Lovino in more ways than one; it was the main reason why I was doing this.
That's what he gets for calling me Browzilla.
Matthias wheezed with laughter, and had to hold a fist to his mouth to prevent himself from being too loud. "You're a wild one, Walker!" he commended. "Weird even! But a good kind of weird, ja feel?"
"Ah, yes, being weird is certainly my forte," I murmured to myself.
Matthias added his own spin by painting a dick next to the words I had sprayed.
We smugly inspected our work for a bit, snapping pictures before having to leave in a hurry.
Lovino had spotted us from afar. He angrily rolled up his sleeves, no doubt ready to pound us into a ground of dust. Thankfully, our hoods masked our identities.
I had never run so fast in my entire life.
…
Lesson #2. Be a gentleman and flirt with dank (?) memes.
Once I got over the initial nerves of playing sports in front of people, I became one among the top players in our class's co-ed soccer team. I suppose it had to do with the encouragement of my friends, as opposed to the constant jeering I've experienced all my life.
Praise did wonders for a person.
Bella and I had also become quick friends. The timing of the season was weird, but it started in mid-October and ended in December. So far, we had a 5 wins and 0 losses record. I had scored ten goals as right winger, and Bella, who was just behind me and played striker, had scored nine goals.
Since the games occurred during class, Alfred never got to see any of them. He was too busy nerding it up in English with the Taiwanese teacher I strongly suspected had a crush on him.
Anyways, Bella and I were an unstoppable pair in everything we did, including sending each other these hilarious picture posts that were allegedly called memes. I say! Where were these things when I was in high school? They really spoke to you, more than a poem ever could.
Once we got tired of memes, I sent Bella a picture of my freshly ironed soccer uniform.
Arthur: Ready for the game next week?
Bella: Yes! We especially need to win this one! Scouts from other Universities are coming to watch it!
Arthur: Better psych myself up then *sends awkward picture of himself flexing in front of a bathroom mirror, his jersey unintentionally worn backwards*
Arthur: Like what you see?
Bella: Yes…but you know what would make it even better?
Arthur: What?
Bella: If I were there with you.
I dropped my phone, stunned.
Bella didn't have a crush on me…did she?
…
I skipped Friday's afternoon classes to go to the mall with Matthias and Lukas. We were shopping in Hot Topic, perhaps the most emo store imaginable.
Lukas went to the back where they kept a large stock of skull accessories.
Matthias joined me in pawing through the spiked belts and chokers section. He elbowed me in the rib-cage playfully, wriggling his brows up and down suggestively. "So, what's this between you and Bella I'm hearing about?" he questioned, blue eyes wild and just as untamed as his hair.
I choked, coughed, and spluttered all at once. "Uh! Nothing!" I stammered. "We just play on the soccer team together, that's all!"
"Ahhhh, don't worry about it, man," Matthias draped an elbow over the shelf. "If you two got the hots for each other, who I am to stop it?"
True to my role, I decided to just run with it. "I thought…I thought you guys were… you know…"
"Huh? Us? Nah!" Matthias waved a large hand at me, smirking. "I mean, we do bang each other sometimes, but it's not exclusive or anything. I don't believe in just sticking to one person. Not when we're so young, you know? There's so much to love in this world. I'd hate to be tied down."
"Oh," I hummed in thought. This guy was getting girls left and right. Meanwhile, I can't remember the last time I've ever managed to peak the interest of a woman. My life was a pathetic marathon of one-night stands, that and lots of gin to wash down the rejection I faced on the daily.
"Go for it. I think she likes you," Matthias encouraged. "You guys would be super cute together if you ask me."
"Yeah, maybe," I murmured.
"If you wait too long, she's going to move on," Matthias lectured before shifting his attention to a pair of ripped jeans. "Hmmm, this looks cool. I'm going to try this on," Matthias grabbed the jeans, and headed over to the change rooms at the back of the store.
"Sweet," I replied. It left a sour taste left in my mouth. This happened every time I used a slang word.
While Matthias and Lukas tried on clothes, I shuffled around the store. A familiar mop of blond shoulder-length curls, rimmed spectacles, and soft violet eyes stared at me from the front counter.
I made eye contact with the cashier. The red flannel shirt they wore was an immediate giveaway. It was Matthew Williams, a fellow recruit I had trained with back at the police academy.
We stared at each other for a few seconds, wondering if we were each thinking the same thing. I didn't exactly look like myself in my goth-like attire. Neither did Matthew. He was dressed a bit edgier than what I was used to seeing and had his hair slicked down with gel.
I broke our silence by walking up to the front counter. "Matthew, is that you?" I asked.
"Arthur?" Matthew smiled softly. "Are you undercover too?" he whispered in an even lower voice than before, crouching over slightly. His eyes roamed over the store, confirming that no one was there to watch or listen in on our conversation.
"Yeah," I said, furrowing my brows. "It's good to see you, lad! I haven't seen you in years. Wait, you're in Jump Street too?"
Matthew nodded. "Yes, sir," he answered politely. "I just joined up with Carlos." I winced in memory of the aggressive Cuban.
"We're here to investigate a prostitution ring," Matthew explained. "He's doubling as a manager in the food court. Vargas wanted ears in all corners of this place. Hey, are you still partners with Alfred?"
I pursed my lips. "Makes sense. And yes, we're undercover at Hetalia high, investigating the outbreak of a new drug. It's already killed a few students."
Matthew winced. "Yikes, I'm sorry to hear that. At least here, we don't have to worry about people dying. It's more like teenage girls are being blackmailed into trafficking their bodies. It's such a shame, not that I'm saying that the problem isn't any worse, eh? Say, have you heard any rumours from where you're stationed at? I know some of the girls from Hetalia High work here after school."
I shook my head to say no. Matthew hadn't heard anything about the FMA drug either.
After briefly catching up with each other, I swiftly pulled away from the counter when Lukas and Matthias exited the change rooms. I couldn't be seen talking to Matthew, otherwise that would draw up a lot of unnecessary questions I wouldn't be prepared to answer.
"Did you like the pants?" I asked Matthias.
"Yeah bro, they really show off my glutes," Matthias cockily replied. This earned himself an eyeroll from Lukas.
"Cool, cool," I shrugged, and casually stuck my shaking hands into my jeans.
Matthew and I refused to look at each other while Matthias and Lukas paid for their things.
All was swell until Carlos walked into the store. He was wearing a brown fast-food uniform.
"Kirkland?" the Cuban bellowed, brown eyes widening in disbelief. He had lost quite a bit of weight since the last time I had seen him. He now wore his dreadlocks down to fit in amongst the teens.
"Kirkland!" Carlos repeated again, louder since I hadn't responded.
I ignored him again. Matthew aimed a sharp look in Carlos's direction, not that it really mattered.
"Arthur Kirkland, you sly bastard! Is that you?! My, you haven't changed at all! You're just as scrawny and pathetic as I remember!"
Matthew facepalmed. "Carlos!" he mouthed. "He's undercover too, you idiot!"
Lukas looked at me skeptically. "Do you know him?" he jabbed a thumb in Carlos's direction.
"N-no!" I squeaked. "But I am about to give him a piece of my damn mind for yelling at strangers for no good reason!"
I ignored the confused expressions on the teens' faces as I walked forward to intercept Carlos at the front of the store.
"Ah! I knew it was you!" Carlos beamed. "How have you–!"
I clamped a hand over Carlos's mouth, and used the other to forcefully drag him to the side.
"What the fuck?!" Carlos protested, his voice muffled.
"Listen!" I hissed. "I'm on a mission right now!"
Carlos faltered, which prompted me to lower my hand. "You're not undercover, are you?"
"What part of me wearing teen's clothing and Matthew yelling at you to shut up did you not understand?!" I roared. "God, you're a fucking moron! You're going to get me killed! I don't know what these punks are capable of, and I'm not about to find out."
"Shit!" Carlos swore loudly. I grabbed at my hair in disbelief. That's it. This entire investigation was over. This time it wasn't even my fault.
"What do we do?!"
"Well for one thing you can shut up!" I seethed.
"Oh great, now they're getting suspicious," I whined. Matthias and Lukas were watching this encounter with wide eyes.
And then it hit me. There was a way of getting out of this; it also involved sweet, sweet revenge.
Carlos's expression became even more confused when I shed him with a devilish grin.
"Sorry, mate, you've had this coming for a long time now for what you did to me back at the academy. Now I have no choice if I want to get out of this unscathed."
"Arthur, what are you…OH!" Carlos grunted, and fell to his knees. I had just kicked him in the groin.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" I screamed. To make things even more dramatic, I jabbed an accusatory finger at the doubled over Cuban. "DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU PERV!"
Matthew looked like he wanted to duck behind the counter for the rest of eternity.
"What the hell?" Matthias deadpanned. He ran over to help. "Ollie, are you okay?"
"No, I am not!" I shuddered. "This…this man just tried to grope me. Then I panicked and kicked him!"
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Matthias yelled. "I'm calling the cops on this sicko! No one harasses my friend and gets away with it. It's 2017 for Christ sake! I thought we were over this bullshit!"
"NO!" I protested to Matthias's offer. "Let's just get out of here, NOW before they call mall security on us!"
"Okay, damn!" Matthias flinched at my raised tone.
Lukas had already left the store, abandoning us the moment he realized trouble was around the corner.
I spared Matthew one last apologetic glance as Matthias and I sprinted out of the store.
Matthew sighed in defeat. "You did this all to your self, Carlos."
"Go fuck yourself, Matteo," Carlos wheezed in response.
"For the last time, it's Matthew!"
…
Later that Friday night…
…
Matthias had invited me over. Lo and behold he lived in a mansion of all places. With his history of drug use/ dealing, and underage drinking, you would think he'd live in a financially poor home and not… well, this.
A butler accepted our backpacks and hung them up in the front room. His voice echoed across the spacious area. I had to squint my eyes to avoid being blinded from the shiny marble…everything.
"Pizza, sir? A joint…or two?" the butler asked.
Matthias shook his head. "Nah, Rod. I'm good. We just picked up some taco bell. We'll have the joints later."
"Speak for yourself," Lukas sighed.
"Very good, sir."
Matthias led us through the living room. It took us nearly ten minutes to reach the outside patio area in the backyard. Steam clouded the space, a ring of hot-tubs and jacuzzis still bubbling despite a lack of occupants. Laughter and the clink of glasses echoed into the night, coming from the tented lounge area where most of our friends were happily seated.
His backyard was heated, heated. I couldn't believe it.
"Wow," I remarked. "I never took you for a rich kid, Kohler. Why deal drugs if you have all…this?"
"His parents are shitholes who don't give him enough attention, that's why," Lukas snapped. "He's being rebellious to overcompensate for his lackluster childhood. Of course, he just had to drag me into this giant mess."
"We're besties," Matthias protested with wide puppy eyes. "We do everything together, Lu. It's how things have always been."
"What's that?" Lukas bit his lip, walking straight past Matthias. "Must have been the wind who just spoke to me."
Matthias shrugged as Lukas continued to ignore him. "He's just salty that we almost got arrested today."
"Must be," I smirked. "I still can't get over how big this place is. And to think that your parents don't even know how often you throw parties like this. God, it must be wonderful not to be given a damn about."
"Yeah," Matthias faltered. His shoulders slumped. "It's wonderful all right," he said rather bitterly.
"OLIVER!" Bella called out. She came skipping out of the lounge to greet us.
Matthias held out his arms for a hug, but much to my and the Dane's astonishment, Bella wrapped her arms around my neck instead.
"I'm so glad you could make it!" Bella whispered in my ear. She stretched on her toes so that she was at nose level with me.
"Yeah, well, I never let you down on my promises, now do I?" I mused, tilting up my chin. It looked like Bella was trying to kiss me, but I wasn't exactly sure.
"Get a room you two!" Matthias snickered, whistling.
Correction, she was trying to kiss me.
"Oh! Is that olive pizza? That's my favourite!" Thankfully, I turned my face just in time so that she had only pecked my now very red cheek.
Bella frowned and unwrapped her arms from my neck.
She settled instead for hooking her arm with mine, leaning in close as we walked into the lounge area decorated with enough fairy lights to light up all of Los Angeles.
Even if I was attracted to her and she was eighteen, Bella was still a student. I couldn't take advantage of her.
…
Alfred's POV:
I knocked on the door of the home address Kiku gave me, several take-out boxes from Chipotle in hand.
I nearly choked when Yao Wang opened the door, wearing a red bathrobe that was far too large for him. His amber eyes narrowed into cold slits as he swept back the fringe from his loose ponytail.
"Jones," he answered curtly. "It's been a while."
I bashfully rubbed the back of my neck and nervously gripping the plastic bag, pulling at it until the handle had nearly snapped. "Seven years, actually," I replied. "So, you're Kiku and Yong Soo's older brother?"
Yao wasn't very amused. Back in high school, I had bullied him quite a bit. Seeing him here now was a very unexpected surprise. Last thing I heard was that he had dropped out of medical school to provide for his brothers and younger cousins. He was a registered nurse now.
"And you're the undercover cop they're working with," Yao scowled, crossing his arms. The sound of night crickets chirping outside in the bushes compensated for our painful silence.
"Yeah, I am. I'm also, um, very sorry to hear about Leon."
Yao's expression darkened. "I knew it was a mistake sending him back to live with parents. It was a toxic environment for him."
I didn't know what to say.
"Tell me something, Alfred," Yao said. "If I let you into this house, putting aside all the awful things you've done to me in the past, I want you to promise me one thing."
"Of course, anything."
"You better make sure that no other kid dies from an overdose. That drug has already wreaked havoc in this family. Don't let it ruin another."
I nodded, smiling weakly. "I promise, Yao. My partner, Artie and I, we almost have this case under wraps. What your brothers and Eduard are doing is helping this investigation immensely."
"That's another thing I want to speak to you about. You may have bullied me in high school, but I won't tolerate any of your games in this house. They've been through enough. I want the best for them. I also want you to look out for them.
"You're putting them in a dangerous situation, and if I had it my way, they wouldn't even be in it. I know teenagers, and I know they'll do the opposite of what you tell them to do. My hands are tied; I haven't seen them act so animated in months. That's why, if it comes down to it, I want you protect them with your life. This is your mess, don't make it theirs too."
"Yao," I said, clapping a hand over his shoulder. "I'm a changed man. Yes, it doesn't change how awful I was, and truly I am sorry for that, but I can assure you that it's my job to protect lives. I won't ever put them in a situation where there's a possibility of them getting hurt. We're only doing intelligence anyway."
Yao stared at me hard, looking for any traces of a lie.
There were none.
Yao sighed and stepped to the side. "As much as I hate to say it, thank you. You've given them a reason to live again. Leon was a very close member of their group…"
"Any time, buddy," I nodded and entered the house, closing the door behind me.
Yao yawned. "I better get ready. I have a late-night shift at the hospital," he said, turning to leave the front room. "Oh, and they're in the basement."
"Hey," I called out before Yao could climb up the staircase. "You used to be a secretary, right? You're still good with print and paperwork?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well, if you're ever looking for a job with better hours, I can put in a good word for you, just like I am for Yong Soo, Kiku, and Eduard. The force is always looking for civilian personnel. I heard a desk job just opened up recently in Human Resources, actually. I can get information on it if you like.
"You don't have to worry about your brothers, Yao. I've already informed my boss of their skills and he's agreed to let them work on more intelligence operations. If they choose this path, their futures are all set out for them. You won't have to worry about putting them through college or any of that bullshit. They're geniuses. I mean, geez. Just yesterday they hacked into the FBI's website. Oops! I wasn't supposed to tell you that," I chuckled nervously.
Yao's eyes crinkled at the corners. It was the closest thing to a smile that he was going to give me.
"I would love that, Alfred. I'll get one of them to give you my email address, that way you can contact me about the job. Anything is better than working at the hospital. Aiyah, I feel like a forty-year-old man and I'm not even thirty yet! And yes, I'm well aware of their skills. I try to remain ignorant of it, though. I really don't want to know what they're doing so long as they're not harming anyone."
"Ahaha! Great! I'll make sure to do that!"
Moods high and bouncing like a jittery puppy, I bounded downstairs into the basement. I found Kiku, Eduard, and Yong Soo huddled over a ring of couches in a pitch-black room save for the light the flat screen TV gave off. They were playing Mario cart.
I flicked on the light switch. This brought about a round of groans and a strange hiss from Yong Soo.
Grinning, I held up the bag of Chipotle. "I come bearing food!"
"About time," Eduard rubbed his temple. "The wiretap is all ready to go."
"Excellent!" I boomed. "Let's take down that spiky-haired asshole!"
…
Arthur's POV:
I readjusted my earpiece for what must have been the fiftieth time and re-crossed my legs. Alfred and his band of nerds could hear everything that was being said at this get together.
I had spent most of our time lounging outside on the patio avoiding Bella and her advances. It was difficult having to explain to her that no, she couldn't sit on my lap, even playfully. I had lied and said that I was still bruised from yesterday's soccer practice.
"Artie!" Alfred spoke into the earpiece. "Can you hear me? Everything's good to go. The cameras are in place, and that pompous butler is in a completely different wing of the house. Matthias's laptop is in the beach house. If you can, use that USB Eduard gave you to gather more information."
I couldn't respond for obvious reasons.
As of now, Matthias was entertaining everyone by blowing out fancy smoke clouds from his bong. Even I could admit, it took talent to do something like that. Unfortunately, I couldn't pin the teens for the smoking and underage drinking just yet. I had a far more fatal drug to focus my attention on.
I stood up from my chair and excused myself to the washroom. As predicted, Matthias told me to use the washroom in the beach house by the pool, as the mansion was large enough for me to get lost in without having someone who knew where they were going.
The moment I closed the door of the beach house, I let out a deep breath. "All right I'm in," I told Alfred. "Where exactly is the laptop?"
I turned, kicked off my sandals, and nudged them aside. "Never mind," I murmured. "I can see it."
The laptop was charging on the marble countertop in the kitchen. I wasn't surprised to see that the device had a marijuana-print covering.
"Are you sure this is legal?" I asked as I took out the USB stick from my pocket. No response.
"Better hurry, dude," Alfred instructed. "You can't be gone for too long."
"No shit, Sherlock," I scoffed.
"Who are you talking to?" Bella giggled and poked her head into the beach house. The sleeves of her oversized hoodie hid the delicate hands that playfully gripped onto the doorframe.
"FUCK!" Alfred cursed. "She walked right through the cameras blind spots!"
"AGH!" I panicked and dropped the USB. Before the Belgian could see anything, I swiftly kicked it underneath the fridge. "Nothing, ah, I was just checking the time."
"Don't you have a phone for that?" Bella revealed her infamous cat-like grin.
"Well, um, you can never be too sure," I stammered. "We should probably go back to the others now…"
I moved to walk past Bella, but froze when she grabbed my wrist. "How about we stay here for a while?" she purred. "It's been a while since it's been just you and me. Call me crazy, but I feel like you've been avoiding me all night. Let's chat!"
"Oh fuck, she's flirting with him!" Alfred half-panicked, half-cackled. "Watch, he's going to choke, he always does. Beats me why this chick is still interested in him after all this time."
I blushed, both furious and flustered. I couldn't stop twitching.
"Avoiding you? What? Me? No!" I exclaimed. Soon afterwards, I began to cough uncontrollably.
"Yup, his pussyitis just acted up! What did I say? Kiku, you smug little bastard. You're paying for the Chipotle next time."
Worried, Bella helped me sit on a couch nearby. She even went so far as to get me a glass of water. I choked again when her thighs rubbed against mine.
"Jesus, Ollie. Are you coming down with something?" Bella said. She placed a hand over my forehead. "You feel fine…"
"Huh, oh, it's the steam. It's not good for my asthma."
"Doesn't steam help people with asthma breathe?"
"N-Not when you're allergic to everything? God, is it getting hot in here or is it just me?! HAHAHA!"
"Nope, just you," Bella winked. I think she licked her lips.
"Topic change! Topic change!" Alfred ordered. "You can't lead her on."
I cleared my throat. "So?" I squeaked. "Are you ready for next week's game?"
Bella groaned. "Ollie, we're trying to have fun here, it's Friday night for crying out loud. I'll worry about that next week. Please, I can't think about how many scouts are going to be there. It just makes me so nervous!"
As if wanting comfort, Bella leaned her shoulders against mine. The smell of her perfume pricked at my nose; it was sweet, reminding me of some sort of pastry or treat you would find at a bakery.
"All right, all right," I chided and playfully bumped shoulders with her. Unfortunately for me, she bounced right back to her original position. "I get it, really I do. We won't talk about University or how hopeless our futures are."
Bella giggled. "You're always so sarcastic and pessimistic."
"Sorry."
"Non! I love that about you," Bella smiled. A dreamy sigh escaped her lips. "That's just it, right? You're a freshman, and then the next thing you know you're graduating. I know we're only two months in, but senior year is going by so fast. Heck, the winter dance is almost here."
"Uh-oh," Alfred deadpanned. "She brought up the dance on her own. You know what that means…"
NO! I don't know what that means! Could someone please explain to me this nuanced garbage that is dating?!
"Oh yeah," I remarked, and oh so brilliantly. "That's coming up in a couple of weeks, yeah? Are you planning on going?"
"Oui," Bella replied. "I just wish someone would ask me."
"Hasn't Matthias?"
"This guy," Alfred guffawed. "He's a Sherlock when it comes to solving crimes, but give him a map to a woman's heart, and he'll end up in their stomach."
"Well done, Alfred-san," Kiku commended. "It looks like my tutoring has really helped with your use of language."
"Thanks, bro! I'm trying. Now shh! It's getting to the good part."
Bella vehemently shook her head. "Matthias and I… we're not really together anymore. It was fun while it lasted, but I'm looking for something more, I don't know, permanent."
"I see."
"Can we switch the topic real quick?"
"Sure," I replied. Bella always carried our conversations.
"You're getting involved with the dealing, right?"
"Yes."
"Oh, okay. That's what I thought," Bella fretted. "Look, Matthias is a great guy and all, but I just don't want you to get hurt or anything. There's some dangerous people he's involved with who wouldn't be afraid to stab you in the back if you crossed them first," she warned, and then poked me in the ribcage for extra dramatic effect.
"No worries. I don't plan on continuing this for much longer, just until we graduate," I lied.
More like until we arrest those jerk friends of yours.
"Good," Bella said seriously. "Because I've seen some things I'd rather not have to remember, but still have anyway. Loyalty is very hard to find these days, I'm afraid. I mean, I try to stay out of it, but I've seen Matthias drop several guys."
"What do you mean by drop?" I inquired.
"Oh, you know," Bella shrugged. "One sub-dealer tries to take more of his share and ends up ripping Matthias off. That always earns you a good group beating."
My heartbeat increased. It was unnerving to me how casually Bella mentioned this.
"Are you guys recording this?" Alfred murmured. "This is good stuff, Arthur. Keep it up, bro!"
"Hai!"
"Daze!"
Noticing that I had grown rather quiet, Bella perked up. "Sorry if I just scared you, aha! I know you would never do something like that, I was just giving you a heads up! I'm only worried."
"Thank you," I said genuinely. "That's very nice of you."
"Of course, any time. Okay, topic over! What were we talking about before again?"
"Don't say dance. Don't say dance," Alfred urged.
"Um, I think we were talking about the Winter Formal?"
"Oui! Oui, we were!" Bella chuckled. She faltered suddenly. "I really don't want to go alone…"
I swallowed heavily. I couldn't stand seeing a woman upset, no matter the reason.
"Dude, if you want to ask her, it's all right. It fits with your cover."
"Didn't you say he would choke?" Eduard asked.
"Yeah, he probably will. Just giving him his options."
I opened my mouth to speak. "W-what about Berwald? Maybe he'll ask you?"
Bella gave me an 'are you kidding me?' look, begging for me to take the hint I wasn't keen to acknowledge.
"So…" I whistled.
"So…" Bella repeated.
Alfred had had enough.
"Dude, just ask her!"
I halted. Should I? Memories of me failing to ask Shelly to prom resurfaced, prompting both an internal and external cringe. I was one snide comment away from having a full-on panic attack.
"Hey, hey, Arthur, listen to me," Alfred urged again. "You're fine. This girl clearly likes you, so you don't have to worry about being rejected. Besides, it's not like there's anything romantic going on. And believe me, I've seen you when you're drunk. You're some Casanova when you're not constantly feeling anxious. Hell, I actually get jealous from time to time. Use those fancy words to bag yourself a date… You've got this, I'm right here with you, buddy."
Thanks, Alfred.
"Hey… Bella?"
"Oui?" Bella leaned closer.
"Do you maybe think you would want to, uh, go to Prom?"
"I would love to!" Bella squealed. She excitedly pulled me into a hug.
What.
"Congrats man, you did it!"
"Uh, great…" I mumbled.
"He's going to faint, watch," Alfred said, the wince audible in his voice.
My heart sank when Bella bent down to kiss me, closing her eyes.
The only response I could think of that wasn't inappropriate was to playfully tap the tip of her nose.
"Bomp! Ahahaha! Got your nose!" I teased.
"Woops. Here's your twenty back, Kiku."
Bella's eyes fluttered open again. The disappointment was pretty evident on her face, but she smiled anyway.
"You Walkers sure are strange," she sighed. "Speaking of which, we have a bet going on. Matthias thinks you guys aren't biologically related because of how different you are from each other, looks and personality wise. Is that true?"
I grinned, basking in the euphoric feeling of being accepted for once. "Oh God no, the half-brother thing is just a lie to make him feel better. He was actually adopted. Figures that his family abandoned him on the side of the road," I rambled. "I would have done the same thing if I had a child that obnoxious."
Bella laughed, which caused me to laugh because of how cute she sounded.
I was completely unaware of how much I had just angered Alfred.
…
Alfred's POV:
I ripped out my earpiece and threw it on the floor.
"Man, what the fuck?!" I spluttered. "I give him a pep talk and a minute later he bad mouths me!"
Eduard and Yong Soo gave me pitiful looks.
"There, there," Kiku chided. He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder as I sat on the foot of his bed. "At least you have us."
"True. It's nice to know that you guys have my back now that it's already been stabbed," I remarked bitterly.
Kiku brought me into a hug; something he very rarely did.
"Dude, your hair is so soft. Bowl cut for the win," I sniffed.
"You're overcompensating to hide your own sadness, aren't you?"
"Y-yeah!" I blubbered, and then proceeded to break down into ugly sobs.
…
Arthur's POV:
The following Saturday, Alfred and I were in the work area of the church, shuffling through paperwork.
Well, at least Alfred was. I was a bit preoccupied with texting Matthias.
"Dear god!" I chuckled lowly to myself. Matthias had just sent me yet another hilarious meme. Seriously, these things could cure depression.
Alfred turned to glare at me. When that didn't work, he slammed down his papers. "Could you focus?" he snapped. "You can be popular later," he said, and raised air quotes with his fingers.
"Exactly what I was going to say," Lovino growled.
Alfred and I both straightened; I was so caught off guard that I dropped my phone.
"What's this?" Lovino said. He was holding a packet of the FMA drug in his hand.
"The FMA drug, sir, ahem," Alfred answered.
"Well no shit!" Lovino growled, dropping the packet onto my desk. "What I want to know is why this was found at another school! You've failed to stop the outbreak, and you still have no leads. I'm this close to firing you two, I swear to fucking God! If this drug continues to spread, I'll assign someone else to the case," he threatened, thin lips curled into a sneer.
"Actually, Captain, I'm working on a lead. I've tapped into one of the dealer's phones, and apparently this Friday he's meeting with some sketchy person who goes under the codename 'Knife'," Alfred intervened.
"Do you know if they're the supplier?" Lovino asked.
"No…?"
"Then don't fucking waste my time! Get off your fat asses, and close this case, god damn! Everyone else here but you two morons are already on their second assignment!" Lovino snarled. He spun around to angrily shove off everything on the desk behind him.
Antonio was close to tears. His tomato print mug was now beyond repair. "Oh stop your sniffling, I'll buy you a new one," Lovino bashfully rubbed his head, biting his tongue in light of the emotionally-fragile Spaniard.
"Really?"
"Si, really. And Carriedo?"
"Yes, Lovi?"
Lovino reached over to ruffle Antonio's hair. "Good work on that Moonshine bust. I'm… proud of you."
Antonio's eyes sparkled.
…
I followed Alfred out of the church, unnerved as I took note of how angry he was.
"Alfred, what's gotten into you? It's not like we haven't been lectured by the Captain before?" I asked.
"It's not that, Arthur!" Alfred stopped abruptly. I had to catch my step to avoid walking into him.
"Maybe if you'd get your head out of the clouds and stop messing around with Matthias all the time, we'd already have this case wrapped up. I'm busting my ass all day running through hours of audio and text messages, and then you're just…"
"Just what?"
"I don't know," Alfred ran a hand through his hair. "Living it up? You're enjoying this case way too much, Art. You have to remember that you're not a teenager anymore. I should be the last one telling you to do your job."
I paused, and after a moment's silence, the pieces fell into place. Alfred wasn't really angry at me for hanging out with Matthias and his friend group; jealous maybe, but definitely not angry.
What I had said to Bella about him must have really hurt his feelings.
"Alfred…" I started. "You know I didn't mean what I said last night. I was only saying what she wanted to hear."
"Yeah, well, you didn't have to be a total jackass about it, now did you?"
Alfred stormed over to our shared car and shut the driver's door with a sense of finality.
I didn't bother to pick a fight with him. Instead I let our trip back home remain silent.
He had a point.
…
The following Friday
…
Alfred's POV:
Bored, I cupped my face. My elbows hurt from leaning on the desk the whole class. Ms. Mei was doing a class reading of Hamlet, and surprise-surprise, I wasn't listening.
Instead, I was on the look-out. If Matthias's texts served correct, then there would be some sort of drug deal going on today. I tried telling Artie about it, but lately he's been really full of himself. He didn't believe me when I had told him that Matthias was going behind his back. Believe me, the two weren't as close as my stubborn partner would like to think.
Matthias was a snake, and I was determined to prove this.
Lost in my thoughts, I kept running the codenames 'Scar' and 'Knife' through my head. The texts alluded that these were separate people from the Scandinavian group of friends. If so, I was really onto something.
Maybe I could finally get out of this hellhole.
"Psssst!" Kiku whispered. He was frantically pointing outside the classroom's window.
I turned to spot what Kiku was looking at. Matthias and Lukas were hurrying across the school's baseball pitch, hoods drawn up and shoulders slouched. Lukas stuffing a wad of cash into Matthias's backpack was what clued me in to what was going on.
The drug deal was about to go down.
From what I could tell, it seemed like they were heading for the parking lot. They weren't doing this on foot, so I had to move fast.
I shot up from my seat and gave Ms. Mei some bullshit excuse. I needed to reach Arthur in time so that we could follow those two jerks and get all the evidence we needed to charge them.
…
Arthur's POV:
This was it. The big day Bella had been waiting for all season. Scouts from Universities all across the country were coming to watch today's soccer match.
Bella was a nervous wreck. She needed a scholarship desperately. It wasn't that she couldn't afford expensive fees. In fact, from what I heard, her older brother was filthy rich. It was Bella's grades that were the problem.
She wasn't stupid or anything, but she wasn't exceptionally sharp either. She got average grades and wouldn't stick out all that much in her applications if she didn't have something like an extracurricular to rely on. That's why getting offered a spot on a sports team was a very much-needed asset for her.
I didn't even take two steps out of the boy's dressing room before I was forced into a hug by the nervous Belgian. "Ollie, I can't do this!" she whined, and buried her head into my chest. "I'm going to fail, I just know it! I always play worse when I'm nervous!"
"Come now," I chided. I awkwardly rubbed circles into her back. The red ribbon that she had tied up in her hair tickled my nose. "That's certainly not the right attitude to have in a time like this. You're the second leading goal-scorer in the league, next to me of course," I teased.
Bella grudgingly shoved me in the chest, muffling out an incoherent protest. She wasn't amused by my joke.
"My, my, what am I going to do with you?" I sighed. "Bella, look at me, love."
Bella followed my instructions, green eyes wide with doubt.
"You'll be fine. Those scouts are coming here knowing that you've already kicked a lot arse. They'd be crazy not to offer you a placement on their team. Besides, I'm here. We're a dynamic duo! You know I'll play my heart out and pass the ball to you like I always do. That's my job as a mid-fielder. You're a leading striker, Bella. It's about time that you believe in yourself and start acting like it."
Bella pulled away from the hug. She rubbed at her eyes. "You're right," she sniffed. "Thank you, I really needed that. You always know the right things to say, Ollie, even if you do come off a bit narcissistic."
"I'm only trying to motivate you," I teased. "I'd be more than happy for you to prove me wrong and to become the top goal-scorer."
"Watch it, Walker. I just might do that," Bella grinned.
"Feel better now?" I asked.
"Oui, a lot better."
My heart swelled with pride. A few weeks ago, this girl was a complete stranger to me. Now I was rooting for her to succeed. She had her whole future laid out in front of her, and I was watching it all unfold. If only I had received this much encouragement when I was younger. Who knows where I would have ended up.
Either way, it didn't matter. Bella deserved everything the world had to offer.
"Good, because I know you're meant for bigger things, my dear. This shitty high school has nothing on you. Ten years from now you'll be looking back on this dump and laugh at how far you've come."
"Don't you mean we?" Bella countered. "I mean, you did say we're a team, and we are going to the Winter Formal together…"
Topic change! Topic change!
"Oh! Tsk! Tsk!" I tutted, bringing out the motherly side in me I never knew existed until now. "Your ribbon's loose. Here, allow me to fix it."
Bella rolled her eyes. She was annoyed that I wasn't a very touchy or openly affectionate person – there was an obvious reason for that.
"Oliver?" Bella murmured. She sighed softly as I re-tied the ribbon in her short ponytail.
"Yes, love?"
"Can you promise me one thing?"
"That depends. But please, do go on."
Bella chuckled. "This scholarship, it's really important to me. Just promise me that you'll play your very best, okay?"
"Of course, didn't I already promise you that?"
Before Bella could respond, Alfred came skidding into the hallway we were standing in. "Oliver! Can I borrow you for a minute?"
"Allen, I'm a little busy right now," I responded dryly.
"Oliver," Alfred repeated, teeth gritted. "It's really important. There's a knife in the home Ec. classroom."
I froze in recognition. Alfred had a lead.
Bella cocked her head to the side, glancing at Alfred, myself, and then back at Alfred in confusion. "Are you guys speaking code?" she asked.
"Ah, um, Bella, I'm sorry, dear, but I have to help Allen with something…it's really important!" I stammered and took a step forward.
Alfred was very jittery in his movements, bouncing from foot to foot. We didn't have a lot of time.
"What?!" Bella spluttered. "Ollie, you can't leave," she pleaded as she grabbed my wrist. "The game starts in thirty minutes. What if you miss it?"
"It's okay! I'll be back in time. Tell Coach Lud that I'll only be missing warm-up. Now, I'm sorry, but I really ought to go."
"OLLIE!" Bella called after me as I broke into a sprint, following Alfred out of the physical education wing. My cleats clacked against the tiled flooring. It took an immense amount of effort not to slip and fall.
"I'm sorry!" I called over my shoulder. "I'll be back! I promise!"
Bella grabbed at her hair. "I can't believe him!" she seethed to herself.
…
Once Alfred informed me of what was happening, he refused to stop rubbing in my ignorance.
"What did I say, huh? And you were skeptical about the wiretap!" he fumed, thrusting open the school's doors with a large slam.
"You can be petty later!" I growled. I pointed towards the Mercedes Benz leaving the parking lot. Matthias and Lukas were driving off to an unknown location. All we knew was that they had a ton of money with them – the monthly revenue they had gained from dealing.
"Fine!" Alfred snapped.
We hurried into the car. I hadn't even closed the passenger door when Alfred began to back out of the parking spot.
"Relax, will you?!"
"Oh, you're the one to talk!" Alfred scoffed. Carefully, he followed Matthias and Lukas from a safe distance.
The drive wasn't long, perhaps ten minutes at most. Our pursuit halted when the Mercedes Benz entered Twinkle High's parking lot.
"They're getting out," Alfred remarked. He parked the car at the side of the road.
"Let's follow them then," I replied, and stepped out of the car.
Alfred complied. We quietly followed Matthias and Lukas, guns hidden in the jackets we were wearing. We could never be too safe since we had no idea what it was we were walking into.
Matthias and Lukas stopped at the side of a series of vacant basketball courts. There were several dumpsters lined up near a brick wall that made the area smell fishy.
"No fucking way," Alfred gaped. "It's those punks from the mall."
I pressed myself next to Alfred. We were using the dumpsters to hide ourselves from view. Carefully, I poked my head around to see this sight for myself.
Alfred was right.
The two blonds we had failed to arrest at the mall a couple of months ago were conversing with Matthias and Lukas. There was the short and choppy-haired one wearing camouflage pants, as well as the taller one with a distinct blue and white scarf, gelled-up hair, and a scar on his forehead.
The choppy blond looked like he was in high school, but the man in the scarf looked like he was in his later years of college.
"Damn, you're right," I grunted. "We need to get closer."
Carefully, Alfred and I scuttled further behind the dumpsters so that we were within hearing distance of this transaction.
"Knife, Scar!" Matthias merrily greeted. "Boy, do I have some cash for you. Business is booming!"
"We'll see about that," the choppy blond snapped.
"Idiot," Lukas scoffed. "They don't care about that," he said, pulling out the wad of cash from Matthias's backpack. "This is all we have for now. One of our sub-dealers, a new guy, is likely to bring in more revenue by the end of the week."
My stomach sank. I could only pray that my involvement in this ring wouldn't bring about any hostility, otherwise I could very well be in danger.
The choppy blond accepted the wad of cash and pawed through it with a thin, gloved hand. He didn't seem to be very keen on conversing.
"So, do you have a new batch for us to cook?" Matthias chirped, oblivious to the tense atmosphere around him.
That confirmed it! Whoever Matthias and Lukas were meeting with were the suppliers. They gave out the drug raw – it needed to be cooked before being distributed. Lukas, Tino, and Berwald cooked the drugs in the boiler room, Matthias dealed them, and Emil spread word about it.
"I'm not giving you scrap until the money is properly counted," the taller man leered.
"Aw, come on, Lars!" Matthias whined. "Why does everything have to be so formal with you? We're friends, aren't we?"
"You got the name?" Alfred asked me. I nodded. I had already started jotting this information down.
"We're business partners," Lars corrected. "And how many times do I have to remind you not to call me by name when we do deals like this? You never know who can be listening."
Lars, although unintentionally, glanced at the dumpsters Alfred and I were hiding behind.
"You just so happen to be friends with my sister, although I don't know why," Lars continued. "Speaking of which, you better be looking out for her. Neither Knife nor I gave you permission to let in a new guy. If he fucks up, it won't just be on his hands. This operation isn't dependent on you. You're disposable. You'd do best to remember that."
Matthias opened his mouth to speak, but Lars cut him off again.
"My safety is my sister's security. I won't have some cocky, careless prick ruin everything just because he's desperate for the praise his parents never gave him."
Matthias chuckled nervously. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But trust me. This guy is really good. And you know better than I do just how safe she is. No one's touched her, and no one ever will on my watch. That girl is more than capable of taking care of herself anyway."
Lars clicked his tongue, bored. "Of course, she is. I taught her everything I know on how to protect herself."
"Mhmmh! Yeah!" Matthias eagerly nodded his head.
Lukas suppressed a groan. "You're sucking up to him again," he strictly whispered to the Dane.
"The money's all there. We're good to go. Took you assholes long enough," the choppy blond scowled. "Unlike you losers, I actually attend my classes."
Lukas looked like he wanted to say something, but Matthias shook his head back and forth in warning.
"Go to your class, Knife. I'll deposit the money," Lars instructed. "If you keep being late, you won't set a good example for your sister."
"Don't tell me what to do. Just so we're clear, I'm leaving because I want to!"
"Bye Va –! Matthias faltered when Lars shot him a death glare. "Uh, Knife," he corrected.
Lars accepted the money from Knife, folding it into his trench coat. "You're getting on my nerves, Kohler. If you weren't so good at what you do, you would have been long dead already."
"…"
"That means leave, boy. And take that creepy mute sociopath with you. I'm sick of both of your faces. Oh, and here," Lars said. He handed the weak-kneed teens a draw-stringed bag that held the half-finished drugs. "Be useful and go make me some more money."
Matthias and Lukas offered no protests, wide-eyed as they scrambled back to their car.
Lars sighed. "Vash, I thought I told you to go to class?"
"I want to be there when you deposit the money."
"Are you saying you don't trust me?"
"And what if I don't?"
Lars chuckled. "You're learning, it's good to be suspicious of everything. All right then, but this is the last time I'm letting you do this. I'm serious. I want you to at least finish high school."
"Obviously I'm going to," Vash scoffed. His voice trailed off as he and his literal partner in crime walked over to the parking lot.
"Vash, his name is Vash," I muttered to myself, refreshing the new facts we had just gained. "He goes to Twinkle High."
"And the other guy is Lars," Alfred added.
"We'll have to do a background check on them once we get to headquarters, but for now we should probably trail them and see if we can get a license plate," Alfred said. He looked past the dumpster to confirm that the coast was clear.
"I like your thinking," I commended.
We waited until we saw Vash and Lars climb into a black mini-van before we hurried over to our own vehicle.
As always, Alfred was driving.
"They said something about a deposit," I said. I raised my phone to take a snapshot of the truck's license plate.
"Yeah, they're probably heading to the bank."
"No shit."
"Hey man, you were the first one to state the obvious."
"Oh whatever," I sighed. "We can't follow them for long, though. I have the game to attend, remember?"
Alfred pulled the car to an abrupt stop at a red light. His expression was incredulous. "Are you kidding me right now? We nearly have this case in the bag, and you're worried about attending a sports match?"
"I made a promise to Bella," I shrugged, meek-toned.
"You're unbelievable."
"I'm sure we have enough evidence," I protested. "Oh! Matthias just texted me. He said that Lars wants to meet with me. Oh…oh no…"
"Dude, this isn't good," Alfred tsked. "That's why we need to wrap up this case, now."
"We can wrap it up this weekend," I scoffed. "I mean really, do you even know what patience is?"
"Artie, I love you and all, but I'm this close to slamming your head against that dashboard," Alfred warned, pointing downwards.
His threat didn't register. "Just drive, you buffoon. I'm trying to load a meme."
Alfred glared daggers at me, but didn't say anything as the light had turned green.
We drove for another five minutes. I texted Bella, and told her that I might be even later than expected. I also texted Matthias and pretended that I was ecstatic to meet with Lars sometime when I was actually scared shitless at the mere thought of it. What if he recognized me from before?
Oh God, was this what being an angsty teen felt like? I had so many things to worry about! First, I was going to be late, and second, my data was slow. I just wanted to send a meme, god damn it!
Alfred had had enough. "For the love of God, could you stop texting?! We're in the middle of a mission. You know what? Give me that phone, now!"
"No," I huffed. I shrugged away from Alfred.
Since we were in a less busy street, Alfred was able to take his eyes off the road more leniently. "I said give it!" he said firmly.
"No!" I whined…I was becoming more and more like a teenager. What's next? A grunge phase?
"Give it!"
"Bugger off!"
Alfred slapped at my arm. In retaliation, I jabbed a finger at his throat.
"AGH!"
"UNNGH!
CRASH!
Alfred and I both jolted. We had just crashed into the bumper of the supplier's mini-van.
"Look what you did!" I accused.
"What I did? If you weren't fucking around on your phone, none of this would have happened!"
"That's it!" I threw my hands into the air. "We're going to die," I paused to check my phone. "And my meme still hasn't uploaded! I won't even get to see Matthias reply with another 'LOL'."
"I am seriously considering checking you into a mental ward," Alfred deadpanned, only to jump and bang his head violently on the car's ceiling when Vash pounded a fist against the driver's window. I hadn't even seen him leave his car.
"Hey, jackass! Roll down your window!"
"A-Artie, what do I do?"
"…"
"Artie!" Alfred squeaked. "He looks really angry!"
Vash aimed a swift kick to the side door, denting it. The entire vehicle shook from this action. "I won't repeat myself again, roll down your window. Don't make me do this the hard way. We won't call the cops as long as you pay for the damages and the time you just wasted."
Alfred and I looked at each other, like deers caught in the headlight.
"What's the problem now?!" Lars climbed out of the passenger's door. He was also holding a gun. There was not a civilian in sight to witness this. We were in a very sketchy part of town.
"So, it's the hard way, huh?" Vash growled. He reached into his coat to pull out a gun as well. "Fine then."
"FUCK IT!" Alfred spluttered into action, and stepped hard on the accelerator. He nearly ran over Lars, but the Dutch man was quick enough to leap to the side. "WE'LL OUT RUN THEM."
"WE'RE GOING TO DIE!" I screamed.
"Not if I can help it!" Alfred grunted. His cerulean eyes gleamed with determination.
Said determination didn't last very long as we both had to duck when Vash shot at our back windshield. Broken glass scattered in all directions.
"Drive faster!" I said, and had to duck to avoid being shot at again. I glanced at the rear-view mirror and saw that the mini-van was fast approaching on our heels.
Alfred drove onto an entrance ramp leading onto to the freeway. "Buckle up, because we're in for a bumpy ride!"
"Did you just quote Harry Potter?!"
"STOP TALKING AND START SHOOTIN'!"
With shaking hands, I pulled out my gun.
I just prayed that I didn't have to use it.
…
POV switch:
Coach Lud frantically paced up and down the sidelines, his previously slicked-back hair now falling into his face from many times of running his hands through it.
"Where is my co-captain?!" he bellowed.
None of the other teammates dared to approach Coach Lud when he got like this.
When it became clear that Oliver wasn't going to be there at kick-off (at the very least), Coach Lud reluctantly asked Henrique to step in as co-captain.
Bella stubbornly refused to accept this. She still insisted that Oliver would come eventually. He had promised her that he would be there, after all, late or not.
"He's going to come. I just know it," she muttered, still trying to convince herself that this was true.
…
Arthur's POV:
"CHRIST, THEY'RE COMING!" I screamed, ducking once more as another round of shots were fired. Alfred weaved in and out of cars, careful not to put any civilians in the direct line of fire.
"SERIOUSLY THOUGH!" Alfred grunted as he jerked the steering wheel. "They're teens, not gangsters! Why the hell are they shooting at us for a busted bumper?"
"I'm more concerned about why you have fifteen luke-warm Big Macs in the place where I used to keep our insurance papers," I muttered.
"I get hungry, okay?! I was saving those for later!"
BANG! BANG!
Alfred reached out his window, and aimed a few shots himself. Judging by how they were still hot on our trail, he had obviously missed them.
"Arthur! Now's not the time to choke. SHOOT!"
"I…I can't!" I panicked. I had never shot at a living thing before. Alfred had it a lot easier because he regularly used to go hunting with his 'Pops'.
"Here goes nothing!" I rolled down my window and releasing a Big mac to the winds.
Success! The wrapper, combined with the grease, stalled our pursuers. They were forced to slow down to avoid a car accident.
BANG! BANG!
"What part of shoot did you not understand?!" Alfred hissed. He attempted to re-load his gun, but fumbled miserably.
"Shhh, one second. I have to tell Bella where I am."
"Soon that answer will be a morgue if you don't get your shit together!" Alfred screamed. He then moved to slap my phone out the car window.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" I spluttered. Honestly, I needed a new phone anyway. "Fine, I'll help."
I grabbed another three Bic Macs and let them loose. I was in a deadly calm state for someone who would likely end up with a bullet in their head.
"Arthur, why is your face so green?"
"The grease," I wheezed. "The smell… it's awful. It's all over my jersey too. Ungh…"
Without thinking, I placed my head outside the window and gagged.
BANG! BANG!
"Bloody hell, can't you just let me throw up in peace?!"
The answer to that question was a definite no.
The mini-van pulled up at Alfred's side. We were neck and neck.
Lars aimed his gun at Alfred while Vash drove. "You messed with the wrong people. Karma's a bitch, and so is this bullet."
"Artie!" Alfred barked. "I'm really going to need you to shoot!"
A jolt of energy surged through me – no one would ever jeopardize my partner and get away with it. I cocked up my gun, and aimed for Lars's head. Alfred leaned back in his seat to give me enough room to hit my target.
Unfortunately, I panicked for too long. This prompted Alfred to grab my gun with my hand still on it. He swiftly shot at the mini-van.
By the grace of God, Alfred successfully shot at their tires. The mini-van screeched and spun in a circle before crashing nose-first into the cement divider running along the middle of the highway.
"Drive, just d-drive!" I stammered. I leaned back into my seat, exhausted. "Get as far away from here as possible. Scratch that! I need to get back to school. The game has already started by now."
CRACK!
Alfred slapped my face, firmly, but not with the attention for it to sting. "What the fuck is wrong with you lately?!" he bellowed, voice still drumming with adrenaline. "We just almost got killed, and that's what you're worried about?!"
I fidgeted in my seat. "I promised Bella I would make it there on time," I murmured, head bowed like a child who had just been scolded.
"Do me a favor, and don't talk anymore," Alfred snapped. "I'll drive you back, but I've just about had it up to here with you and your whacked-out priorities."
This was one of those rare times where Alfred had fully lost his temper, so I listened to him without any argument. He honestly scared me when he became like this.
…
"Took you long enough," I huffed. I clumsily hurried out of the car. "I need to be somewhere and of course today's the one time you decide to follow traffic laws."
I began to sprint-hobble – remember I was wearing cleats, and they weren't meant to be walked on pavement with – towards the football pitch.
I stopped when Alfred grabbed my wrist. "Arthur, listen to yourself How many times do I have to tell you this? You're in too deep! You're not a teenager. This is just a job! But what do you know about that? I've been the one doing all the work here!"
Perhaps it was the near-death moment we had just had, or the pressure of the game, or a combination of the two, but I snapped and said something I knew would deeply hurt Alfred.
"You're just being a sore loser because you're the nerd this time. How does it feel, Alfie? The entire school thinks you're a blubbering idiot. That's how things should have gone in the first place. It looks like karma has finally come back to bite you in the ass."
"Man, fuck you!" Alfred shouted. "You don't know anything!"
"At least I didn't peak in high school," I hissed over my shoulder conclusively, leaving a more than fuming Alfred behind.
…
"Walker! Gott im Himmel! Where have you been? The first half is nearly over!" Coach Lud snapped. The purple vein in his temple twitched.
"It doesn't matter now, just put me on!" I begged.
Coach Lud nodded. He waited for the ball to go out before he cupped both hands over his mouth and hollered: "REF, SUB!"
The ref blew his whistle to indicate a pause in the game. "Henrique!" I called, informing the Portuguese that I was replacing him.
When I jogged onto the field, the stands erupted in cheers. "Go Oliver, go!"
Everyone was happy to see me but Bella.
"Bella," I mouthed as the ref blew the starting whistle again. "Please, I'm so sorry."
"Don't talk to me," Bella mouthed back venomously.
Uh-oh.
Bella ignored me as one of our teammates had passed her the ball. I ran down the sidelines, waving my arm.
"Bella, I'm open!"
Furious, Bella attempted to dribble through several players on her own. The fourth player managed to steal the ball from her. They booted it down field for their own striker to chase after.
Coach Lud nearly tore out his hair. The rival striker had a one-on-one break away with our goalie. "GET BACK! EVERYONE! GET BACK!"
It was already too late.
The other team had scored a goal. It was now 1-0.
As our team sullenly walked towards the center of the field to start with the ball again, I jogged over to Bella's side. "Hey!" I chided. "It's fine! We still have a half and a bit to score another two goals. I'm so sorry, Bella! Really, I am! I'll make this up to you, promise!"
"Don't!" Bella snarled. "Just don't. I don't want to talk to you."
"OOPMPH!"
I opened my mouth in retort but was quickly cut off when Alfred ran onto the field. He tackled me out of nowhere. He truly was a sore loser and couldn't let my insult go without retaliating first.
"What the hell are you doing?!" I screeched, struggling to block the punches Alfred threw at me. I was helplessly pinned to the ground.
"Doing something I haven't done in years!"
Alfred grunted when I kneed him in the stomach. I rolled over on top of him and started ripping at his hair.
"So that's it, huh? You're picking up right where we left off seven years ago?"
Alfred didn't respond at first. He punched me in the chin instead. "I'm knocking some god damn common sense into you!"
I didn't budge, refusing to yield. "Ha, as if. Don't you dare try to pull that bullshit on me. You can never just lose for once, can you? You always have to ruin things when they don't go your way. I… I hate you!"
Alfred faltered. "Come on, man. You don't really mean that… do you?"
"I–"
I didn't get a chance to respond. I had the wind knocked out of me when Coach Lud pulled me off Alfred. "Have you lost your mind, Walker? You just forfeited us the game!"
Meanwhile, Alfred was being pulled back by Principal Fritz.
"That's it! You two are both expelled. You've caused enough chaos in this school!" The red-eyed Principal leered.
As Alfred and I were pulled off the field, the ref ended the game.
The boos of the crowd triggered a lot of bad memories.
…
Miserable at having just lost my job, I kept my head bowed as I was escorted and eventually seated in the office's front lounge. Alfred was holding an icepack to his face, placed several seats away from me.
We refused to look at each other.
"Ms. Maes, you're not allowed in here!" The school's secretary called out from behind her desk.
Bella stormed into the office anyway. She stopped to stand before my slumped figure. I looked up to meet her furious gaze. Spots clouded my vision as she slapped me. Tears streaked down her face.
"How could you?!" Bella shrieked. "This was my one chance to get into a University and you r-ruined it for me! I don't want to speak to you ever again!"
My heart sank as Bella didn't even give me a chance to explain myself. She left the office without another word.
I slumped in my chair again and cupped my sore cheek.
Perhaps I was never meant for high school, after all.
To be continued…