Many days passed, and things at school began to change in ways no one could’ve predicted.

Blake didn’t stop acting like a bully entirely, but something had definitely shifted. He wasn’t beating anyone up anymore, not like he used to.

He would still glare, still throw around threats, but the violence that usually followed was… gone. For once, Blake kept his fists to himself.

The school buzzed with whispers about what had happened. Some students were relieved, while others were simply confused. But most of all, they were happy.

A lot of them had grown so used to living in Blake’s shadow that this sudden change felt like a miracle.

"Did you hear?" Jason asked one day, dropping into the seat next to Ash in the cafeteria, his voice dripping with excitement. "Blake hasn’t beaten up anyone in weeks. Just threats now. No one’s gotten hurt!"

Lucas stood next to the table, across from them, grinning. “It’s all thanks to that mysterious guy. Whoever’s behind those notes is a freakin’ genius. They’re totally inside Blake’s head.”

Ash’s face remained neutral, but inside, he was reeling.

‘Can they stop this? It’s not like Blake has stopped entirely.’

“Right? I bet Blake’s scared out of his mind,” Jason continued, practically bouncing in his seat.

“The guy- whoever he must be watching him 24/7. I mean, the timing of those notes is perfect.”

Lucas smirked, leaning back. “I’d shake that guy’s hand if I ever found out who he was.”

Ash gave a small, awkward laugh, trying to play along while hiding the fact that the ‘mysterious guy’ they were fanboying over was, well… him.

It wasn’t long before Ash saw Alex practically running towards him with his tray.

Alex joined their table, plopping down with his tray and giving Ash a knowing look. “Hey, Asher.”

“Hey.” Ash nodded, grateful for the distraction from Lucas and Jason’s enthusiastic speculation.

Alex shot them both a look, then leaned in slightly toward Ash. “You’ve noticed it too, right? Blake’s been quieter lately.”

Ash nodded, keeping his face carefully blank. “Yeah, it’s been a lot more… peaceful.”

“I don’t know who’s behind it.” Alex said quietly, “But it’s working. Whatever they’re doing, it’s got Blake all twisted up.”

Ash felt a small swell of pride in his chest, though he didn’t show it.

It wasn’t much- just some carefully placed notes to remind Blake that he was being watched, that someone was out there waiting for him to slip up. But it was enough to make a difference.

Whenever Blake would start acting like his old self, intimidating students, throwing his weight around, Ash would leave another note.

Sometimes he’d tuck it in Blake’s locker. Other times, he’d slip it into Blake’s desk or drop it near his seat in the cafeteria. Each note was just enough to keep Blake on edge, to remind him that he couldn’t get away with it.

And it was working.

Ash would watch from a distance as Blake found the notes, his face paling ever so slightly, his movements becoming a little more cautious.

He never knew where the next note would come from, or when.

He just knew they would.

Ash glanced over at Blake’s table now. Blake was sitting there, looking tense, his eyes darting around the room as if expecting someone to be watching him.

His lackeys were laughing at something, completely oblivious to Blake’s inner turmoil.

Ash couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction. He wasn’t strong enough to take Blake down with his fists.

But maybe… maybe this was better.

As long as Blake stayed in check, Ash would keep playing the game.

And so far, he was winning.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash was in his room, later that noon, scribbling down notes for Blake, he had to leave them in his locker, his doorstep, his desk, his bus-seat, his cafe-seat.

‘I can’t stop right now. I’ve to keep Blake on edge.’

Ash, after writing, plopped on his seat, and stared at the midnight-blue wall paint.

He felt different, nowadays, while writing notes to scare Blake off.

Sure, it was working, but….Ash felt a bit too attached to it.

‘I wasn't expecting it at first. It had started out as something simple- an act of self-preservation, really. I couldn’t stand by and watch Blake terrorize everyone anymore, so I took a risk, slipped Blake a note, and hoped it would rattle him enough to make him stop. And it worked, almost too well.’

Ash started to observe what was causing the way he felt attached to it. He took out a notebook, and wrote down his thoughts.

‘But now, as the days went by, I started watching Blake more closely. Every time I saw him, I began noticing things I didn’t before. The slight twitch in Blake’s jaw when he got nervous. The way his hands tightened around his backpack strap when he walked through the halls, as if expecting another note to appear out of nowhere. Blake was scared, and I could see it in every move he made.’

Ash’s pen knocked the surface of the notebook. His features looked…disturbed yet focused.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

‘At first, I told myself I was doing it for everyone else. Blake had made life at school unbearable for so many people for so long, and now that I had found a way to keep him in line, why not use it? Why not keep pushing? But the more I watched, the more I realized that it wasn’t just about helping others anymore. I loved seeing Blake tremble in fear. I was becoming…’

Ash’s eye twitched, not with satisfaction, but with anger. He wrote it down in his notebook with unease.

‘...Obsessed.’

As much as Ash hated to admit it, it was true.

The power, the control- it was addicting.

Every note he left, every time he saw Blake’s eyes widen in panic, it fueled something inside Ash.

He started planning his notes with more precision, waiting for just the right moment to deliver them when Blake seemed most at ease. The surprise, the fear, it was like watching a play unfold.

There were moments when Ash felt a pang of guilt, a brief hesitation as he left yet another note.

But those feelings quickly faded when he saw the results.

Blake wasn’t beating people up anymore. He wasn’t even threatening them as much. The entire school felt different.

Calmer.

Safer.

And if Ash had to scare Blake a little to make that happen, then so be it.

Ash found himself thinking about Blake outside of school. He would imagine the look on Blake’s face when he found the next note, the way his hands would tremble slightly as he unfolded the paper.

He started fantasizing about pushing Blake further, wondering just how far he could go before Blake broke completely.

‘I remember, one afternoon, while scribbling down another note, my fingers moved faster than usual. The message was harsher, more personal. I hesitated for a moment, staring at the words on the paper.’ Ash was writing the entire thing, fast.

‘Was I going too far?’

Ash was feeling a bit guilty, but wrote it anyway.

‘But then I remembered the way Blake had grabbed that junior by the collar, how he had laughed as the kid begged him to stop. And then, I wondered, Blake deserved this. He deserved to feel what everyone else had felt for so long.’

‘So, at the end, I folded the note neatly, slipped it into Blake’s locker, and I felt…satisfied.’

Ash’s brows furrowed, he was not liking where everything was going.

‘I wanted to stop,...but the power was too sweet.’

And as much as Ash tried to convince himself that he was still the good guy in all of this, deep down, he knew he was crossing a line.

‘But honestly the truth was, I didn’t wanted to stop.’

Ash scribbled the last thought and then read it again.

‘That’s it, Asher. You’re going to control yourself, and no more obsessions.’

He warned himself, and then threw the notes he had made for Blake.

‘I will do it, no doubt, but not overdo it. And, that is final.’ Ash thought and then went downstairs for a quick late night snack.

‘I am still a good guy. I’ll stop the moment I feel like I’m going too far. I’ll stop it.’

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three days passed, and Ash held back on the notes. He left only one, a vague reminder slipped into Blake’s locker, letting him know someone was still watching.

Blake’s shoulders eased a bit each day, no longer jerking at shadows or scanning every corner. For the first time in weeks, he felt like he was free to breathe. Students even noticed Blake's change- he was still gruff and threw around threats, but it was all talk.

He wasn’t grabbing collars or talking with fists.

Ash tried to focus on other things. His grades, Lucas and Jason’s fanboying and that small sense of peace he felt when he was just… normal.

But the thought lingered. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew this wasn’t over.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘One, two, Buckle my shoeee, Three, Four-’

Jason had been in a good mood that evening.

He was on his way to the gym.

The gym that evening was filled with its usual sounds: the clinking of weights, low grunts from dedicated lifters, and upbeat music to keep everyone motivated.

But Jason was already in high spirits, his own tune playing in his mind as he made his way toward the squat rack.

This was supposed to be another productive workout session- and maybe a little sparring with his gym buddies later on.

He did workout there, sure, but he also did fighting practices with some gym members there.

He was going to the squat gear, when he spotted a familiar figure there.

Blake and his lackeys.

‘Loveeelyyyy’

Jason thought he should just go back but he absentmindedly listened to Blake talking.

“Yeah, I got another one of those freakin’ notes today,” Blake muttered, scowling as he pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and threw it on the ground. “Like clockwork now. Got one this morning, right at my locker.”

‘OOOH, he’s talking about my heeero, Imma gonna listennnn.’

Jason’s thoughts were more rhythmic and lyrical.

No matter how he talked to others, he’d always sing his thoughts to himself.

Maybe this was the result of his side hobby, other than fighting, Music.

He loved playing instruments at home, and was a bit too shy about it.

That’s why he kept his obsession to himself.

The gym buzzed with its usual activity as Blake lounged near the squat rack, surrounded by his lackeys, Liam and Carter, and three more of them, each listening intently as he recounted his latest woes.

One of his friends, a lanky guy named Vic, raised an eyebrow. “Man, that’s messed up. You tell the boss about it yet?”

‘The B-Boss?!’ Jason’s interest piqued.

The whole school knew Blake was the top of the food chain, or at least, everyone thought he was.

Blake had never mentioned answering to anyone before, and hearing him refer to a “boss” was as jarring as it was intriguing. Jason’s mind raced with curiosity.

‘Blake had a boss? Who could possibly keep him in check?’

Blake rolled his eyes, scoffing as he kicked the paper across the floor. “Yeah, I told him. You think he cares? All he did was laugh and say, ‘Handle it yourself.’”

His voice dripped with bitterness as he leaned back, crossing his arms. “Typical. Boss only steps in when things are ‘out of control’, or when he feels like slapping me around just for the fun of it.”

The others chuckled nervously, glancing at each other.

They all knew that whoever Blake was talking about had him under his thumb, even if he’d never quite admit it.

Jason ducked slightly behind one of the weight machines, listening closer as the conversation continued.

“So, who is this guy, anyway?” Vic asked, nudging Blake with a grin. “This mysterious ‘boss’ of yours who keeps you in line? You see, I’d love to meet that bastard.”

Blake’s face darkened slightly as he glanced around, his eyes flickering with a mix of frustration and caution. “It’s... well-”

‘Man, if I get to know who that boss is, I’ll drop the juiciest gossip in school. Oh yeah! Imma gonna listeennnnn.’

Jason took a step forward, accidentally bumping into a loose dumbbell on the floor.

The clink of metal echoed through the gym, and Blake’s head whipped around, eyes narrowing as he scanned the gym floor.

“Who’s there?” Blake growled, standing up and looking in Jason’s direction.

His lackeys followed behind.

‘Mannnn, Imma in big troubleee.’

Jason winced but forced himself to step forward, attempting to look casual as he walked into view. “Relax, Blake.” he said, trying to keep his tone light, although he was panicking hard inside. “Didn’t eavesdrop on your little therapy session. I swear.”

Blake immediately recognized Jason. ‘One of the weaklings’ bastard friend’, he’d call Jason whenever he’d see him alongside Ash.

And Ash had already made his face carved into Blake’s memory, too well.

Blake had found out later from someone that his name is Asher.

Blake’s eyes darkened, and a twisted grin spread across his face. “Therapy session, huh?” He stepped forward, sizing Jason up. “You must have a death wish. I’d suggest you tell me how much you have listened.”

Blake was internally freaking out and praying that Jason shouldn’t have heard that there is a boss, and he isn’t the real deal.

Blake actually didn’t even know who Jason was, but if he had listened to any bit of info Blake was blabbing to his lackeys, then Jason was important to him.

Jason straightened, meeting Blake’s gaze with a hint of hesitation, and continued, “Um, Duh? I listened to every woe you told your therapists?”