Micheal, Malakai, and William reached the building Micheal had been telling them about. On the outside, it didn't look like anything special. The three walked through the automatic doors and scanned their student IDs to get past the barriers. Despite this building being on campus, only students could access it. For further information, the campus had all the shops and other buildings. The campus is open to everyone, including members of the public. The public can use the shops and restaurants if they want, and instead of credits, they use actual money. Then, there are the academy grounds, which contain all the teaching buildings and buildings used by the academy. These buildings are specifically for the students, so the public can't enter as they don't have a student ID. The three of them were on the other side of the barrier.
"This is why you told us to bring our IDs", William said, putting his ID back in his pocket.
"Yeah, there are no teachers here, so we basically run this building", Micheal replied. "The cleaners are the only adults that come round here".
The building looked clean, which showed that at least these second years weren't animals. They didn't cause hard work for the cleaners. The three continued to navigate through the building. Malakai noticed a wall with Polaroid images stuck on it. Many pictures showed parties, ceremonies, random moments and even individual students—a wall to commemorate memories of the second years.
"Did they spell your name wrong?" Malakai asked, pointing at a picture with Micheal's name at the bottom.
Micheal turned around and looked at where he was pointing. "Nope, that's how you spell my name", he replied, smiling, showing he had heard that question a lot.
"Isn't it supposed to be a e?" Malakai pointed at the ea in his name and made a switching motion with his fingers.
"That's how you would spell it, but the Irish way is how my name is spelt. My dad's Irish, so I'm half Irish", Micheal answered.
"You're half Irish?" William asked, carefully examining his face. "You don't look it".
"Na, I can see it", Malakai said, looking at Micheal. Being from the UK, Malakai had seen some Irish people. "But, I can only notice now because you told me. If you never told us, I don't think I would see it".
"My mom has pretty strong genes", Micheal said, walking ahead.
"Half Irish, huh? Explains why you drank a lot when I met you at the club", Malakai slipped in.
Micheal smirked; he didn't mind the cheeky remark. He knew Malakai was known for comments like that, so he smiled it off. If that was any other first year, he might have looked at them differently.
They eventually reached a room where noise was leaking out and could be heard from down the corridor.
"Sounds like a party", Malakai said as they approached.
"They're always blasting music", Micheal replied. "I don't think that many people are in there today". Micheal opened the door and entered the room, with the two following behind.
"Hey, it's Micheal!" someone shouted to get everyone's attention. Everyone looked towards the door and saw Micheal walk in with two shorter boys following him. It looked like an older brother bringing his younger brothers to a party.
"Who are the kids?" A guy said, walking towards him.
"They're first years. I wanted to talk to them, so I bought them here", Micheal replied, looking proud of who he bought in. More and more people started crowding around them.
"Wait, I recognise him", someone said. "He was the one that got into a fight".
"Yo", Malakai nodded.
"Oh yeah, I forgot. You're not from here", he said after hearing Malakai's accent.
"You don't need to talk to me, do you?" William asked Micheal before it was too late.
"Maybe", Micheal replied, not wanting to say no.
"I'll take that as a no", William picked up on that. "Imma do my own thing then".
"I like this kid. C'mon, let's go", a second-year said, putting an arm around William and taking him away.
"Yo Willy, don't drink anything. I ain't dragging you back home", Malakai shouted to William.
"Don't worry; I'll take good care of him", the second-year dragging him replied.
"You don't do anything to him as well. I remembered your face", Malakai smiled, pointing at the second year. The second year smiled and continued walking away. "Now what?" Malakai asked, looking at Micheal, who had a crowd around him.
"Do you want to play pool?" Micheal replied, pointing at a pool table.
"Sure".
The two walked over to the pool table and set it up with an audience surrounding the table. While Micheal was putting all the balls in position.
"How did you get that scar?" a pretty girl asked, standing near Malakai.
"I don't know. I woke up one day, and it was there", Malakai replied in a jokey way while using the cue chalk on the tip of the cue. He was more focused on his cue than the girl.
"Come on, tell me", she said, getting closer to Malakai's face.
Malakai placed the tip of the cue on the tip of her nose to stop her face from moving closer. "I was fighting a bear, and it scratched me", he smiled.
"Hey Malakai! You wanna stop flirting and start the game?" Micheal teased.
"I wasn't flirting", Malakai replied, walking away from the girl and to the end of the pool table. "You sure you want me to break?"
"Yeah, go for it".
"What rules we playing 8 ball?" Malakai asked.
"Yeah".
"Aryt", Malakai positioned himself and started the game. Hitting the white ball and breaking the triangle of balls.
DUN!
Malakai potted a striped ball. Malakai glanced at Micheal giving him a smirk, showing him he could play. Micheal reciprocated.
"Where are you in the leaderboards?" A guy asked before Malakai took his next shot.
"First", he nonchalantly replied, analysing the table to see which ball to pot next. All the people around looked surprised, and then they all turned to Micheal, who gave them a look of 'I told you'.
"What class are you in?" a girl asked.
"1-C".
"How?"
DUN!
Malakai potted another ball. "I don't know", he shrugged, looking at all of them. They all had so many questions they wanted to ask. How was someone from class C first on the leaderboards? "Yo Micheal", Malakai called out. Micheal looked at him. "Let's do a wager. Whoever wins this game gets something".
"Like what?" Micheal was interested.
"How much credits you got?" Malakai asked.
"Like ten thousand".
"Aryt, a thousand to however wins", Malakai said.
"Only a thousand?" Micheal replied, not expecting a low amount.
"Bro, I've only got a thousand five hundred", Malakai said with his arms out. "I'm broke". He got a few laughs.
"I'll give you some credit if we go on a date", the pretty girl proposed.
"I'll think about if I lose", Malakai smiled, not taking her seriously.
Micheal scoffed, "Okay, deal", he agreed. "But remember, I brought you here to ask you something. Not just to play pool".
"What's stopping you? I'm right here", Malakai replied, walking around the table to take his next shot.
Some of the second years looked at each other after his response. "This first year is a little cheeky", someone quietly said to Micheal.
"I know, but I don't mind. He knows how to have fun", Micheal replied. "So, Malakai. What happened in the challenge?"
DUN!
Malakai potted another. "You can call me Mally if you want", he said. "A lot happened. Uhhh, we drove a car, answered some riddles, looked for a key in a house, climbed a net to get a code and opened a safe", Malakai quickly summarised. "I say we, but I didn't do any of that. I just drove the car", he said before taking his next shot.
TAKT!
"Shit!" he missed his shot.
"You missed, I finally get to play", Micheal said, looking at the table and seeing Malakai had four more balls to pot. "All of the things you said didn't show up on the livestream".
DUN!
Micheal instantly potted a ball. "I did see you fight", he said, looking at Malakai, who was messing about with his cue.
"You saw? How?" Malakai asked.
"A friend was on the academy app and saw a livestream going on. He clicked on it and saw what was happening. He told me, and I secretly watched the livestream while I was in class", Micheal replied.
"You watched it in class?"
DUN!
"Yeah, every other year had classes", Michael replied. "I only saw the end of your day. I didn't see the part when you brake-checked another team."
"Did anyone see that part?" Malakai asked everyone. Everyone shook their heads. "No one saw it. So, it didn't happen", Malakai smiled.
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"You don't need to lie. I think everyone here can tell you're not normal", Micheal replied.
DUN!
"Why're you tryna make me look bad?" Malakai replied.
"I'm not. I'm just saying what you did", Micheal said, smiling, knowing exactly what he was doing.
"What happened after you brake checked them?" Someone asked Malakai.
"Nothing", Malakai replied, shaking his head. They stopped their car, and that was it. No crash happened. I drove away after I brake-checked them; no one got hurt", he continued.
"What happened in the fight?" another person asked.
DUN!
"Nothing. A fight didn't happen. The guy grabbed me and tried to punch me, but I dodged all of his punches", Malakai replied.
"I saw it. You were laughing like crazy", a guy commented. Malakai smiled and looked away guilty.
"Why didn't you swing back?" A girl asked.
"I didn't wanna", Malakai replied. "I wasn't angry at him, so punching him makes no sense".
"Malakai, it's your go", Micheal told him.
"Huh?" Malakai looked at the table; he didn't notice Micheal missed his shot. "You potted four balls? You're kinda good", he said, walking around the table.
"I'm alright. There are people here better than me", Micheal replied.
"Yeah, like me".
DUN!
Malakai potted. 'Ooohs' rang around the table after that shot. It was a good shot, which got the reaction it deserved. The game was close, and Malakai had the advantage.
"Was the challenge fun?" Micheal asked him.
"Yeah, I guess. I only drove the car, but I still found it fun", Malakai answered. "I'm not gonna lie; you should've asked someone who actually did the challenge", he replied.
"I'm not friends with any other first year", Micheal said.
DUN!
“What a loner”, Malakai joked.
"I wouldn't call Micheal a loner. Everyone likes him", someone said.
"Everyone likes him?" Malakai said in a doubtful voice, pointing at Micheal. "I know two people who don't".
"Who?" Micheal asked, wondering who he was talking about.
DUN!
"Remember in the library when we first met. Those two guys that were tryna scare me", Malakai reminded him.
"Oh, I remember", Micheal remembered. "Yeah, I don't know those two too well. I can understand why they wouldn't like me", he said.
"Who are you talking about?" Some of Micheals's friends asked.
"I don't know their names, but I know they're from 2-E", Micheal replied.
DUN!
"Huh?" Micheal looked at the table and Malakai only had the black ball left to pot. "When did this happen?" Micheal rhetorically asked, looking at everyone.
"You might lose", someone whispered to Micheal.
The shot Malakai had wasn't an easy one, but it was doable. The black ball was quite central, positioned near the top right. It wasn't close to any hole.
CLACK!
"AARGHH!"
He missed.
"Unlucky", Micheal said, walking past him.
"It's calm. So, what else you wanna ask?"
DUN!
Malakai didn't get a response. He only heard the ball being potted.
"You've lost, dude. You should've potted the black ball", a second-year told him.
“Wha?” Malakai turned to him.
"Micheals going to win now. He's playing serious", he replied.
"What do you mean serious? Wasn't he playing properly before?" Malakai asked, looking confused.
"Nope. He was talking the whole time. When he doesn't talk, that's when you know he's serious", another guy said, joining in the conversation.
DUN!
"Yo Micheal!" Malakai called out. Micheal didn't listen; he was too focused on the game. "Fuck. I'm going to lose a thousand credits", he quietly said. "Yo, I forgot to tell you something about the challenge", Malakai desperately tried to distract him, but,
DUN!
Only the black ball was left to pot.
"Looks like you lost kid", a second-year said, putting a hand on Malakai's shoulder. Malakai couldn't believe it. He had his hands at the back of his head while he smiled. All the girls giggled at Malakai while the guys sympathetically smiled at him. He was so close. Micheals's shot was similar to Malakai's but slightly easier.
CLACK!
Gasps everywhere. Micheal missed.
"wow", Micheal said, he couldn't believe it himself.
Malakai looked around at the faces covered in disbelief and then looked at Micheal.
"Did you miss on purpose?" He asked.
"No. I didn't", Micheal replied, sounding a little shocked. Malakai could tell he was telling the truth. Malakai walked around the table to get ready to finish the game.
"Wait, you said you forgot to tell me something about the challenge", Micheal interrupted him before he could take his shot.
Malakai smirked, "I was chatting shit".
"I should've known", Micheal replied, smiling. "Well, let me ask you something quickly".
"Go on".
"What was the higher-up like?
Malakai looked up at him. "Mr Miller? I don't know. Normal, I guess", he shrugged. "I didn't talk to him; I just saw him" Malakai didn't know how to answer, so he tried his best to give the best response.
"Oh", Micheal wanted more.
"Why have you never seen him?" Malakai asked.
"We have, but he's never been involved like that before. The most he's done is watch the challenge from afar", Micheal replied. "We've heard all the higher-ups stay behind the scenes and organise the challenges, but they're never there in person. So seeing one there was weird".
Malakai didn't get it, "it's not that deep. He's just an old guy. There's nothing special about him", he replied.
"Hah. Nothing special; any of them can kick you out of the academy if they wanted to", Michael said, feeling kind of happy with Malakai's response.
"They could kick me out, but they won't. I know they won't", Malakai replied, giving a smile. But it wasn't his usual smile, and Micheal noticed. Micheal knew this smile. Malakai only smiled like this in certain situations. Seeing that smile weirdly calmed Micheal down, but it also made him happy and sad at the same time. He couldn't put a finger on it, but if he had to explain why, it was probably because he was happy Malakai enrolled in this academy but upset because Malakai wasn't in the same year as he was. Having Malakai in the same year as he was would've been interesting. A person like Malakai was rare. One in a million, no, one in a lifetime.
"Good for you", Micheal said, smiling with his teeth showing. He stepped back from the table and let Malakai take his shot in peace.
All the second years looked at Micheal; they were surprised he smiled like that with his teeth out.
"You're going to let him win like that?" Micheal's friend said to him.
Micheal watched the pool table and saw how Malakai positioned himself.
DUN!
"It's fine, because I won".
DUN!
"FUCK!"
Malakai potted the black ball, but he also accidentally potted the white ball, so Micheal won. Malakai potted the black ball in the right middle pocket, but the white ball after colliding with the black ball travelled to the right corner pocket.
"You know you could've won if you hit the ball lighter", Micheal told him. "Actually, you could've won the whole game without me having a turn if you used less power on your shots".
"Yeah, but smashing it is more fun", Malakai replied, feeling slightly salty but not showing it.
"Risk taker, I should've known", Micheal mumbled.
"Tell me your details", Malakai said, pulling out his phone to transfer Micheal the credits.
"No need", Michael said, raising his hand. "I don't need any credits".
"But, we made a bet. I need to give you something", Malakai replied.
Micheal paused for a moment, "Okay, how about this? You owe me a favour", Micheal said.
Malakai screwed his face and looked away. It was clear he didn't like that proposal.
"You can't back out now", a second-year cheered.
"I ain't. It's just a bit painful to hear", Malakai replied. "Fine", he said, offering his hand to Micheal. Micheal smiled and shook his hand.
"What are you going to do now? Go home and cry", Micheal teased.
"Hah. What else you got here? I'll beat you at that", Malakai replied. "You brought me here; I might as well stay a while. Plus, I need to tell you more about the challenge. I only gave you a summary".
All the second year cheered; they all took a liking to Malakai. Micheal walked over to Malakai and put an arm around him.
"Seems like you're making more friends", he said to Malakai.
"I guess so".
It looked like the party had only started.