The return to Mr. Fry’s classroom was a silent walk. When Mitchell woke up, he had an unexplainable pain in the back of his neck and a passed out Nami next to him. Last thing he could remember… was a memory that was best left forgotten.
Moe told him that he’d been possessed and was a bit abrasive toward him at first, but after confirming that he was himself, Moe picked up the passed out Nami and carried her piggyback style.
With a bleeding head and bloody nose Mitchell was worried about Moe overworking himself, but his worries were shrugged away as he watched Moe’s wounds disappear. Leaving only the blood that had leaked from them.
Still recovering from the shock of it all, the memories the Puppeteer resurfaced haunted him. He thought that he’d long since buried them, but now they were all he could think about. He turned to Moe and asked.
“Nami mentioned that you aren’t cool with your dad. Is that true?” Moe raised a brow at him before turning back to the stairs in front of him.
“I am more than just ‘not cool’ with my dad.” Moe answered, letting the silence between them sit. The lights on the chandelier flickering as the tension grew thick.
“So, I take it you’re nothing like him then.” Moe stopped and turned to him with a furious glare in his eyes.
“I’m sorry I… I just have history with your dad.” Mitchell struggled to maintain eye contact with him.
“You and everyone in this school it seems.” He spat, before continuing in his path. Mitchell followed, feeling guilty for bringing it up. The silence between them now more pervasive than before. The echoes of their footsteps and stillness of the air chewing down at his guilty conscious.
“Your da---, Aha’med. H-He burned down my old home. If it weren’t for my dad, I probably wouldn’t be here right now.” Saying all that lifted a bit of weight off Mitchell’s conscious, but he knew he shouldn’t have brought up the conversation.
“Your dad, is he still alive?” Mohammed asked, catching Mitchell completely off guard.
“Y-Yeah…” He paused, considering his father’s current condition. “Of course, the encounter left him badly scarred.” Moe stopped his descent down the stairs, turning yet again to look at Mitchell with a determined flame burning behind his eyes.
“There’s nothing in this world I hate more than my dad, Mitchell. I hate him and everything he represents, so no. I will never be like him.” Moe answered. Mitchell’s lips perked up in a soft smile, almost relieved at the reassurance.
“I don’t blame you for what your father has done Mohammed. But still, I can’t help but feel a little afraid.” Moe’s face dropped at his statement.
“You’re terrible with words you know that.” He criticized, getting an awkward chuckle out of him. Moe’s expression softened, as he thought about Nami’s efforts to bring him back to school.
“I’m sorry for snapping at you, honestly I should learn to live with people comparing me to him.” Moe apologized. Mitchell ran up to Moe and patted his shoulder.
“You’re a good guy Moe, I can see why Nami likes you.” Moe rolled his eyes.
“I’m still struggling to see why she puts up with you.” His deadpan response got a chuckle out of Mitchell and soon they both were laughing, only to be silenced by Nami’s groans of complaint.
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Mitchell raised a finger to his lips and Moe nodded, both snickering at the situation.
“After all of that, she deserves the rest.” Mitchell said, brushing his hand over her hair which prompted a smile from the sleeping master.
“For someone with such a dead personality, she looks really cute in her sleep.” Moe commented, getting a side eye from Mitchell.
They continued their walk back to Mr. Fry’s class, the silence between them being more comfortable than before.
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Upon arrival at Mr. Fry’s class, they noticed a few guards in all-black, standing where the door used to be with Military grade SMGs. More guards stood inside the class with some paramedics checking on Maze’s condition and Mr. Fry was still unconscious with his hands cuffed. Amid all of this stood Principal Vander, his tall and lanky presence being more menacing than the guards with firearms.
“School ended 5 hours ago, Mr. Banks. Tell me why you three are still on the premises.” Mitchell struggled to answer, his presence weighing heavily on him.
“Mitchell and Nami stayed late after the Combat Club’s training concluded, and I waited on them since Nami is my only mode of transport for today.” Mohammed answered confidently. Principal Vander glared at Moe; his expression unfaltering.
“Excuse me, Mr. Binyam. I was speaking to Mr. Banks.” Vander reprimanded.
“And I’m answering for him.” Moe retorted, returning the glare the principal gave him. All Mitchell could do was look in astonishment between the two of them, surprised that Moe could stand up to him, and shocked that Principal Vander hadn’t already chewed their heads off.
With an annoyed sigh, Vander turned to Mr. Fry’s unconscious body as he got lifted by the guards. The background shuffling and cooperative whispers filling the silence of the class.
“This will be a headache to deal with and we’re only a month into the first semester.” Vander pinched the bridge of his nose as they escorted Mr. Fry out of the class.
“What’s going to happen to him?” Mitchell asked, finally finding his voice.
“If a scandal this big leaves the walls of this school, then we can forget about that number 1 spot. Conclusively I ask that you 4 keep what happened here a secret. I’ll allow you a week off school until I fix this mess.” Moe raised a brow before he noticed Chris sitting on his desk. His eyes hidden behind his brown curly bangs and his foot rapidly tapping.
“I needn’t say what you risk should this slip.” He calmly threatened, passing a glare at Mohammed before walking toward the exit.
“What about Maze?” Mitchell asked, seeing Maze being put on a stretcher. Her eyes staring, unblinkingly, at the ceiling.
“She’ll be checked in at Blue Heart Hospital, after given the clear she’ll be returned to her parents.” He continued his walk out of the class, not even giving the girl a second glance.
“But what about what she went through, aren’t you going to recommend her for counselling or a support group for people like her?” Mitchell called out desperately, searching for a shred of humanity in Principal Vander.
“Once she leaves this school then she won’t be my problem to deal with. Whether she deals with it or not, is not up to me.” Mitchell gritted his teeth in frustration as Principal Vander left the class. He was about to chase after him before being pulled back in by Mohammed. He seethed in anger, but seeing the look on Mohammed’s face he knew that going after him wouldn’t change anything.
He took a breath to calm himself as they watched the paramedics carry her body away, the dead look in her eyes not leaving her. Mitchell could barely look at her. Despite everything that happened between them, they were once friends. And seeing her in that state only drove a dagger through his heart. His fists clenching as he fought the urge to punch something.
“Did you see that.” Nami spoke up, for what felt like the first time that day. “The red stain on Vander’s collar.” Mitchell gave her a confused look after he wiped the tears off his eyes.
“I’ll explain everything when we get to my house, but he could just be the Puppeteer we’ve been looking for.” Mitchell’s eyes grew wide in shock. A shock that was soon replaced by a boiling bile of rage.
“Wait, can I come with you?” The boy, Chris, finally spoke up as he got up from his seat.
“I-I know you’ve been looking for the person behind this all and…” He paused, seemingly considering his options. “And… I know who took the video of the party!”
Shock was the only reaction the three of them could muster. The final piece they were looking for, that could tie all of this together, was standing awkwardly in front of them. After trading looks, they knew they were on the edge of a final breakthrough.
Moe and Mitchell looked at Nami who chuckled into Moe’s shoulder. “Looks like we’re having a sleepover.”