You're Picking Fights with Satan Himself
Starting runner race for the relays are being held today. Tyson waits for the race to start on the bleachers. Rei by his side.
They're watching a funny puppy video on youTube to entertain themselves while the track is occupied by another group of athletes.
Tyson laughs at the end, when the dog tries to leap over a chair and falls clumsily. Rei pockets his phone, grinning.
They watch the students in the grounds silently. The sun bright overhead. Birds chirping in the nearby trees.
"Tell me you were unable to get laid because of the small dick tweet," says Rei.
"No," Tyson shakes his head. "It's just me and my body." His gaze darts back and forth over the track. "I can't just go out and find a stranger to hook up with."
Rei wraps a thoughtful hand around his own chin. "Hmm, a shame. Has Kai gotten back at you yet?"
Tyson snorts, lifting an amused shoulder as he looks down.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you guys are making a big deal out of nothing. What's he going to do anyway, hm?"
"I take it he hasn't done anything yet."
Tyson holds his gaze.
A shadow suddenly falls over them as Tala walks up the aisle and takes a seat two benches down from theirs. Tala runs for their university too. He has one of the best times. It helps that he's built like a werewolf. Tall and lanky, with calf muscles that are so big they bulge noticeably outwards.
"Ready to bite my dust, Granger?" he sneers at Tyson when he sees him.
Tala is not usually one to initiate conversations with Tyson. They interacted once every blue moon when it was absolutely necessary on the track. Like when one of them pulled an impressive time or showed up for the team during a do or die situation.
But today, they are going head to head, to determine who runs first in the relay for the rest of the season. One of the ten top sprinters from their university will take the starting spot. And be trusted to give their team the biggest advantage in relay races.
For Tala to go out of his way to throw a snide remark at Tyson it must mean he's finally on their map. His existence is important enough for the Blitzkriegs to notice.
Tyson does not appear flattered. He gives him a slow, wry smile.
Tala scoffs and scoots around to watch the events unfolding on the track.
"How've you been sleeping lately?" Tyson nudges Rei to get his attention.
His friend shakes his head, brushing his hair back from his face. He puffs out a breath. "Like a demented man. My schedule's completely messed up."
Tyson grimaces and massages his nape. "Try drinking milk?"
"I hate milk."
"What did your therapist say?"
"More or less the same thing. Home sickness."
Tala twists toward them again, like a wolf that caught a scent of fresh blood. "Granger, you're aware that you're on Kai's shitlist, aren't you?"
Tyson regards him exasperatedly. He really isn't in the mood for spoiled brats today. "Yes, and I don't care."
"How can you not care? Since you so desperately wanted his attention."
"You wish. I never wanted his attention. I honestly couldn't care less about you and the rest of your lot."
Tala tut-tuts. The sunglasses atop his head glint. "Liar," he sneers. "You were going around the whole campus talking shit about him."
"That never happened," Tyson hisses. "I said something in his defense once and that was to my friend."
"You mean you weren't talking about Kai?"
"I-" Tyson starts, but he gets interrupted by a cool voice.
"Who's talking about me?"
Tyson's head swivels to him out of instinct but when he sees Kai's face he whips back around so quickly his neck almost snaps.
He keeps his mouth shut tight. Tala maintains eye contact with him as he answers: "Little Granger"
Tyson hears Kai chuckle, and he looks at him out of the corner of his eye. Sunglasses. Leather jacket. Perfect. Regret over what happened on the stairs washes over Tyson like a wave. He expects him to make his way down to Tala's row, but he stays in Tyson's lane.
Kai surprises him by lowering to the same bench he's sitting on, leaving just a couple feet of space between them. He props his boot up on the bench in front of him and leans back on the one behind him. A pinging phone in his right hand.
Tyson glances at Rei by his side, who meets his eyes and looks away with an amused smile.
He sits stock still for minutes, holding his breath, expecting something. Something bad. But when there is no further move from Kai, he relaxes. Moderately.
He cannot fully relax because they start talking. Tala and Kai. In Russian. And every now and then he feels the heat of Kai's eyes on him and he knows. He knows they're saying shit about him.
Big fucking deal.
Tyson leans forward, and props his elbows on his knees. Eyes on the ground. Where the athletes are jumping over hurdles.
"It's so hot today," he hears a woman's voice. Soft and throaty.
Tyson lifts his gaze to watch Julia set her handbag next to Kai and sit down on his other side. Her long legs and smooth skin glistening in the sunlight. "When will you run, Tala?" she asks, combing all of her hair over her shoulder, so her neck can catch some breeze.
Kai tosses something to Tala, again in his own mother tongue, and Julia sighs. "Can you guys not talk in your beloved language when I'm around? I can't understand you."
Tala snickers. "Sorry. We have another ten or fifteen minutes left."
They are here to support him. It's not something they do often.
Kai clears his throat and turns his attention on her.
Then starts talking to her in a language Tyson still cannot understand.
He thinks it's Spanish. It has to be. How many languages does this guy know?
"(in spanish) Why are we sitting here?" Julia wonders.
"(in spanish) Look over my shoulder, who do you see?" asks Kai.
Tyson catches Julia peering at him. She smiles when she locks eyes with him. For a second.
"(in spanish) Who is he?"
Kai sighs. "(in spanish) Remember that girl you met in my house last Friday?"
Julia rearranges her platinum locks. "(in spanish) I've met so many of your girls, Kai. You can't expect me to remember all of them?"
"(in spanish) That one you said had flat hair."
Her hands pause as she recollects. "(in spanish) Ah! The shorty."
"(in spanish) Yes." He cants his head in Tyson's direction. "(in spanish) Her boy friend who loves her."
A gleam enters her eye as she remembers something else as well. "(in spanish) Wait wait wait wait, he's the one who punched you at the party."
Kai nods.
"(in spanish) He's in love with her? How do you know?"
"(in spanish) Why else would these fuckers get in my face?"
Julia giggles. Her laughter chiming like bells in Tyson's ear.
"(in spanish) Are you intimidating him?"
"(in spanish) He almost broke my nose. I can't let him walk free. If I do, the others will think they can do the same and get away."
Tyson and Rei exchange confused and curious looks as the conversation continues.
Julia steals a glance at him, then says to Kai, her tone turning sly: "(in spanish) He's not bad to look at. Kinda has a boyish charm, don't you think?"
Tyson feels Kai's gaze on the side of his face. Then hears him say a word with a scoff that sounds incredibly demeaning to him.
"(in spanish) Doll-faced." Kai turns back to the ground with a smirk. "(in spanish) He bites though. Feisty little rabbit."
Julia keeps looking at him. Staring almost. Her hair falling like a curtain as she leans forward to do so. "(in spanish) Mmm, I take it back. He has such kissable lips. Kai," she pinches his sleeve with excitement as she breathes a requests, "(in spanish) I bet he's innocent as hell. Corrupt him for me."
Kai smiles humourlessly behind his sunglasses. "(in spanish) Find another target, Julia. He's mine."
Julia huffs, miffed. "(in spanish) You're not doing much with him."
"(in spanish) The bait's already been laid. He'll fall for it before the day ends. I'll have him hook, line and sinker."
Tyson bites his lips, staring down at his hands wondering why the hell he never considered learning Spanish. He could've eavesdropped into these assholes' conversation without them knowing. Like a suave spy. Shit. He missed his chance.
He knows they are talking about him. They keep looking at him. And Julia's voice drops entire octaves at certain times like she's extremely excited about a piece of gossip. What lies is Kai telling her now?
"(in spanish) The little nose is driving me crazy."
"Julia" Kai warns her, his tone dropping so dangerously Tyson cannot help but look at him. Julia has her hand on his shoulder. His jaw appears tense. Kai notices his gaze.
"Something catch your attention, Granger?" he tosses provocatively, finally in a language he understands.
"No" Tyson looks away.
They fall silent after that. Julia's hand slips off Kai. Defeatedly.
There's an intense five minute race that demands all of their focus on the ground. And Tyson forgets the Blitzkriegs' presence by his side by the end of it.
Rei shows him another funny cat video.
And he laughs. Eyes crinkling. Teeth flashing.
He feels Kai staring at him.
His grin disappears.
He hears Julia whisper something to Kai and him shutting her down again.
"(in spanish) Dimples? Holy shit, how is this guy single?"
"(in spanish) Keep your claws to yourself, bloodsucker."
It's a close one, but Tyson manages to pull ahead at the last moment, and crosses the 100m mark faster than everybody else.
Tala groans, dropping on the track and wiping his sweat on his shirt. Tyson slows to a stop beside him. "May be next time," he says with a cocky grin.
Tala peers at him without lifting his head. He gives a dry laugh. "Darlin', you're going to cry before the day ends." He rises to his feet, staring at something in the distance. "Savour your small victory while you can," he whispers before sauntering off.
Tyson watches him go as the other competitors congratulate him. "Get us that gold, Champ!"
He sees Kai and Julia getting up and dusting their rears like the bleachers were too dirty for their expensive asses. Julia's gaze roams over Tyson's body once like she is memorizing his lines.
Want a piece, Princess? he thinks.
They meet up with Tala on the ground and leave with him after a couple of minutes.
Kai's smoldering gaze finding Tyson once more before they're gone.
What the hell are they planning?
Tyson dials Hilary. "You okay?" he inquires as soon as she picks up.
"Yeah. Why're you asking? How'd your race go? I'm so sorry I couldn't be there." He notices Rei walking towards him.
"It's all cool. I won."
"I knew it. We have to rendezvous at the auditorium later. And don't forget, Karaoke bash after. Bring your pals."
"I cannot bring my pals but I can bring myself. If that's still okay with you, breathe."
Hilary laughs on the phone. He grins at Rei when he claps him on the back and congratulates him.
He's talking to an actor, Mystel, about the production as the crew take a break from rehearsals. He's behind stage one, red curtains on his left as he chats and catches up with the lead.
The theatre club has been arranging this year's massive opening show for the past three weeks. Hamlet again, but with a 'surprise twist' as Hilary tells him. She's playing Ophelia, and is ecstatic about landing the role.
She'd slacked on practice because of the Kai thing, but now that she has finally snapped out of the obsession, she's going all in for the play. She even made Tyson stay up and help her learn lines two nights ago.
She still owes him for that. She's currently somewhere at the back, changing out of her costume.
Tyson's sniggering with the actor when the stage manager, Robert, pulls him aside with a serious expression on his face.
But then again he always looks serious. So, Tyson's not overly concerned.
"Look," says Robert. "I wouldn't usually get myself involved in this kind of stuff but I really care about Hilary, and you. That's the only reason why I'm telling you."
"Telling me what, Rob?"
"Kai came in here earlier and I saw him talking to Kiki." Kiki's the stage help. "He handed him a pen drive he said was from Sergei."
"Sergei?"
"Sergei edits our theme videos. But he's never sent Kai with the work and I thought I was the only one who found it fishy, but Kiki suspected something was up too." Robert leans toward him. "So we checked the disk. Tyson, it's a video of Hilary. Our staff advisor took the drive from us before we could watch the whole thing. The advisor works for Kai and it's with him. Tyson, if he plays it during the show.."
"What video is it?" Tyson asks with his heart in his throat.
Robert's face looks miserably pinched as he says: "Kai films some of the girls, Tyson. It's a rumour," he tries to calm him when he sees the horror on Tyson's face. "It's a rumour. But just from what we saw so far when we checked the drive..."
Tyson rakes his hands through his hair. Tears threaten at the corners of his eyes.
"I just don't want to take any chances," says Robert.
This is it. What Tala said was going to make him cry before the end of the day. This is it. Kai's going for Hilary because she's Tyson's weakest spot. He knows Tyson cares for her more than he cares for himself. He's going to ruin her in order to ruin him.
"Who's the advisor?" he asks in a whisper, his head still reeling from the shock of the news.
"Boris"
Tyson nods. Of course it's Boris. Boris worked for Kai's parents before they installed him in this college.
"What am I going to do?" he asks Robert at a loss.
"Go to him," he suggests. "Go to Kai and talk to him."
"You think he'll see reason?"
"I mean apologize. Grovel at his feet if you have to. It's Hilary's neck on the line."
Tyson stares at him, his heart aflame. A lump in his throat.
He sees Kai's cruel face in his mind. He sees Hilary's sweet one. He has to save her. No matter what.
He'll do it.
He'll do whatever he has to keep that video from seeing daylight.
"Tyson! Get your ass over here now! It's karaoke time!"
"I'll be right there. Just give me a half hour."
"Urgh, where are you?"
At Satan's house. Saving your honour.
"Just...outside," he says as his gaze moves up the front of the three storeyed house. "I'll be there soon. You guys can start without me."
"Fine. Make it quick," Hilary hangs up.
There's no official party being held here today, but he hears music coming from inside. Tyson rings the bell and shuffles his feet as he waits for someone to answer the door.
The door opens after a couple of minutes have passed. Sergei's face pokes out. "No party tonight, fuck off," he drones before moving to shut the door on his face.
Tyson holds it in place with a palm on the wood. "I just need to talk to Kai for a minute."
"Yeah, he's not in the mood."
"Please, it's urgent," he lets some of his desperation slip into his tone.
Sergei stares nonplussed. Then he sighs heavily once before opening the door wider and stepping aside to let him in. "Don't take too fucking long."
Tyson enters the house quickly. The hall's bathed in shadows. Why do they never use proper white lights in this house? Are they all bats or something? Nocturnal beings.
He walks with Sergei, past the foyer, the pillars, and into the living room where the music is the loudest. The room is lit with dark purple lights. It smells of something strong and sweet. There's fog shrouding the people in the room further.
And a pole.
In the middle of the room, where there are couches arranged in a semi circle, at the center, there's a pole. And a barely clad figure hangs from it, their body contorted sensually.
Legs crossed at the top. Hands and hair almost touching the floor.
There must be about five to ten people in here. Tyson tries to guess.
Sergei brings him all the way to the center of the set up. And he can finally see everyone.
It's a small gathering. With a group of strippers. Tala, Ian and Bryan lounge with a girl on their arm each. Kai sprawls in the middle, strippers on either side of him. He's pulling on a pipe when he notices who had come in with Sergei.
Smoke pours out of his mouth when he removes the pipe from his lips. The low table in front of him is cluttered with food, drinks and joints.
Sergei leaves Tyson standing near the couches and goes to whisper in Kai's ear, his eyes on him.
A smirk quirks up his mouth.
Tyson gathers himself as Kai rises from the sofa and Sergei takes his spot.
He walks a few feet away from the group, Kai following him.
He stops and turns when he feels they're a safe distance from the others.
Kai slides his hands into his pockets as he considers him, a ghost of a smile on his face. He's wearing a white shirt similar to the one he had on the day Tyson punched him.
Tyson looks into his eyes. Searches for a hint of kindness. Finds none.
He takes a breath. "I know what you're planning to do, and I know that you're doing it to get back at me." He licks his lips. Kai's eyes glance down once, then meet his again. "But Hilary's innocent. She didn't do anything wrong. If you want to hurt me, hurt me."
Kai stays silent. To keep him talking. Spill everything he knows. Make a fool out of himself.
Tyson knows. And he walks right into the trap. Both eyes closed. "Don't play the tape tomorrow."
"And why should I listen to you?" he speaks at last. His voice cold. The purple light dancing over his face.
"Because-"
"You have nothing to offer me, Granger," he says. "Nothing to bargain with."
The corners of Tyson's lips tug down.
Yes, he does. He does. And it's not money.
It kills him to simply think of it. It feels a bit like signing his own death warrant but there's no other option. It's either his dignity or Hilary's.
"Please" he begs quietly. One last time.
Kai gives a soft snort. A slight shake of his head.
He finds this amusing.
Grovel, Robert had said. Grovel at his feet.
"Don't play the tape. I'll do anything." Tyson's heart rams against his chest as he says it. Sells his soul. For Hilary. "I'll be your bitch. For a whole semester."
A glint appears in Kai's eye. A slow, small smile curves on his mouth. "Careful what you're getting into," he warns. A promise to humiliate him to death hidden in his words.
It's madness. Kai will rip him to shreds. Leave him without an ounce of dignity intact.
"Anything" Tyson repeats, his pulse almost throbbing out of his skin.
Kai looks at him. And looks at him. And looks at him. Waiting for him to take it back. Say he didn't mean it. But Tyson would rather die than let someone expose Hilary's most vulnerable moments to the public and destroy her forever.
He will take a stake through his heart before that sex tape leaks.
Kai tilts his head. Tyson notices the crimson flecks in his dark irises. "Make it a year and we have a deal."
"A year it is," he concedes.
Kai nods. Thoroughly enthused.
Tyson's heart leaps for a moment. Hilary's safe, he thinks, before he realizes what he's done to himself.
That he has sold his soul to the devil.