"Hey. Gabriel. Gabriel," Vicky hissed, leaning towards me so far her chair almost toppled over.

Despite ignoring her, she continued anyway. "Is it actually true? Did you pay Asa to beat Rolf up?"

"Oh my God, who would do that? What a dumbass," Lydia whispered, just loud enough so I could hear but the teacher couldn't.

I continued ignoring both of them, trying my best to keep my pokerface strong, while some of my other classmates snickered.

The rumour I paid Asa Jennings to sit with me and my friends during lunch and protect me spread like wildfire. As expected, the rumour both grew out of proportion and it didn't exactly made people in my class think better of me. Least of all Rolf, whose intense glares were even harder to ignore.

Landon wanted to know what exactly happened and spammed non-stop. Randall told me I was a dumbass for paying Asa and getting involved with him in the first place. Camilla was quiet.

Some people swore they saw Asa punch Rolf in the jaw before he ran. Others fabricated an entire brawl out of thin air. The second group were mostly people who weren't actually in the parking lot, yet, they still screamed the loudest.

It seemed to be a theme in the world today: the dumbasses who don't know shit scream the loudest.

The school notification tune screamed through the loudspeakers even louder.

"Gabriel Hill and Asa Jennings," a nasal, male voice droned. "Please report to the principal's office immediately."

The room went dead quiet for just a split second. The peace didn't last long, of course. Whispers followed me when I got up from my seat, then laughter as one of Rolf's friends stuck out his leg and made me trip.

The teacher, an old woman with dead eyes and no fucks to give left, didn't say anything to reprimand him. My parents had tried talking to her before, but she was of the 'boys will be boys' generation, and suggested my parents paid for boxing classes so we could solve our issues 'like boys.'

I actually went to like three boxing classes. Then I found out my parents wouldn't buy me a new gaming pc if I took those classes. I cancelled them faster than my brand new processor was.Faster than I exited the classroom, before anyone could trip me again.

I escaped the judging looks from my peers, only to be the recipient of more intensely judging looks from the principal. He'd had years of practice with dumb kids to perfect the narrowed eyes and disappointed mouth-corners look.

I'd almost start feeling guilty.

Almost.

"Uh, isn't Asa going to be here, too? Shouldn't we wait for him?" I asked when Principal Allen had me take a seat on a plastic chair, and shut the door behind me.

Okay, I didn't exactly want to face Asa since I got him in trouble. But I was going to anyway and it was better to do it here.

With a witness who was legally required to care about me somewhat if he saw me getting pummelled by Asa Jennings.

Principal Allen peered at me over the rim of his glasses."We'd like to talk separately to you guys first, Gabriel. Mostly, I wanted to talk to you first because you've always been a good kid. No detentions, no trouble. Exemplary. Yet, now we have reason to believe you paid another student to fight for you? Could you explain what happened?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. You not caring and saying 'boys will be boys' to fix issues.

There was a 0% chance Principal Allen knew my name or my record before today. I was a number to him just like every other uninteresting, run-off-the-mill student, yet he acted like he knew exactly who I was and that he was personally disappointed in me.

"I never paid another student to fight for me," I replied, carefully choosing my words so I was still telling the truth but not telling more than necessary. "And there was never a fight. Rolf ran off before anything happened."

"Yes, I suppose nobody got hurt in the end." Principal Allen scratched his beard. "However, Mrs. Evans saw you offer Asa Jennings money on the parking lot. You were goading him into attacking another student, am I right?"

"Goading him?" I breathed out through my mouth. "With all due respect, Principal Allen, if Mrs. Evans was there she can confirm nobody was attacked."

"Did you give Mr. Jennnings money, Mr. Hill?"

I squirmed uncomfortably. "Uh, no?"

Principal Allen let out a deep sigh. "Alright. Detention for a week because you've got a clean record otherwise. But beware we do not approve of such monetary transactions in this school, or students who involve themselves with it."

My blood suddenly ran cold when I realised I wasn't the only student involved in said frowned upon transaction.

"Wait, you're not punishing Asa Jennings for this too, are you?" My voice nearly squeaked.

"Mr. Jennings was also involved in this. If I punish you, I also have to punish him," Principal Allen said. "It's only fair."

"No no no," I hastily called out, raising my hands, palms facing Principal Allen. "Punish me twice. I'll have detention for two weeks. Just leave Asa be, okay? I did put him up to it. I'm horrible and bad, illegally paying people and it was all my fault."

Principal Allen was adamant on punishing us both. I got ushered out of the office still pleading for more detention. It must've been an odd sight for both the secretary, and Asa Jennings who was waiting against the wall with crossed arms.

Asa and I made eye contact for a split second, before I averted my gaze to the floor. I had to, because an electrical shock went through my body when I saw the dark glint in his eyes.

He was pissed.

He was going to murder me for getting him in trouble.

I was ready to say goodbye to this cruel world when I found Asa waiting near my car after school. He'd already seen me. I couldn't turn and run because my legs, which felt like wet noodles, refused to cooperate.

I laughed at Rolf being a runner when it came down to it. But I was a deer in the headlights. A deer with an unstoppable word waterfall pouring out of it and sweaty armpits.

"I'm so sorry I got you in trouble," I blurted, words almost blending together in one unintelligible mumbo-jumbo. I-I'll make it up to you. I'll make your homework for a month."

Asa blinked, his terrifyingly cold expression unchanged.

"Two months?" I tried. "Okay, three?"

I finally got a reaction - a millimetre raise of Asa's right eyebrow.

"No," he said. "I want something else. Come to my house after school tomorrow."

"O-okay, you got it," I weakly brought out, about ten seconds too late when Asa was already gone.

Why did I feel like I'd just gotten myself in deeper shit than I'd ever been in with Rolf and the Principal combined?