Brzzzt, that was the vibration of his phone, he picked it up and saw an unusual disturbing message.
It said, "Today in one year, you will die."
Felix frowned as he read that message and it unsettled him a bit. He had many enemies as his father was a criminal, but none of them ever had his private phone number, he had a work phone after all. He deleted that message and went about his way.
Today was his sixteenth birthday, so someone messaging him he is going to die on his seventeenth was just distasteful. There was nothing special about the seventeenth anyway, he could have understood if he was murdered in two years but his seventeenth? Unlogical.
He wanted to look a bit better than usual it was his birthday after all, not that it mattered to him anyway. He didn't have any friends or rather, couldn't have any, his father was special in that department.
His father had a job that most, if not all people wouldn't consider legal. He was an underground drug lord, or in more modern terms a mafioso. That is what he would lead underground far away from the police. Above he had a nice security company, taking a blow if anything should come up 'illegal'.
Standing in front of his wardrobe Felix thought about what to wear, he couldn't let his gorgeous emerald-green eyes shine as they would be hidden under some hoodie. No one would see his face as he would be wearing a mask, in his father's terms Felix grew up too handsome. It wouldn't even be a lie, as something like this really happened. It was in seventh or eighth grade, he walked to school and some idiot purposely threw a sticky drink all over him. His mask was of no use anymore and his hoodie was soaked, he cleaned himself up in the bathroom and when he came out the other students were ready to laugh at him, but they didn't realize how handsome Felix was with his charming green eyes, his soft brown curly hair and of course the slight muscle that eroded under his shirt. He turned from the weird outcast to the popular guy in school in minutes. When his father caught wind he had to change schools, after all, he will be leading the underground organization "The Spades" someday, meaning he had to keep a low profile.
Shaking his head from these memories, he took a nice dark blue addidas hoodie and some dark jeans. He looked for his white college jacket, but couldn't find it anywhere.
Felix went searching downstairs, in the living room, for his white college jacket, when his father came in and gave him something.
"Here is your lunch, don't forget the meeting in the evening," his father said and gave him the paper bag with disgust. Felix was surprised, to say the least, his father gave him lunch?
To test out the waters and to see if his father had been switched, "Yeah I will be there. Have you seen my jacket? I'm pretty sure I left it here somewhere. "
His Father looked at him annoyed, "As if I would know. Solve your own problems, it was difficult enough to give you that lunch." He walked away.
Felix sighed and thought, 'Sad life, I hoped he was abducted by aliens and switched out. Guess not.' Felix went back upstairs into his room, put his lunch in his schoolbag, and conveniently found his jacket in it. Slipping on his jacket, he felt a lot warmer than before. His father liked it cold in the house, always saying the heating made him sweat too much.
Making sure he got everything, Felix left the house and walked to the bus stop. He pulled his hoodie over his head and into his eyes. He got bullied because of his eyes when he was younger, other kids said he looked like a sissy. Felix loved his eyes, but memories associated with them not so much.
The bus stop was just down the street, at most ten minutes away. Felix saw the bus stop and it looked like always. A little glass house and in it were exactly six seats. On the right side of the glass house was a beauty product poster, while on the left was a blackbird sticker. Not only were there the people he would see every day, like the old woman, three elementary school kids, and the young lady with the red hat. No, there was also the young officer in his twenties, whom he would see every two weeks. How he knew he was an officer, he looked at the straight posture, the muscles under his jacket, but that didn't have to mean anything. Felix also knew that he was most likely an officer who was freshly released from his training, judging from his young image. This young officer had dark brown focused eyes, a neat haircut, and a little scar on his left eyebrow. The biggest indication was that Felix once saw his badge that fell on the ground because he was searching for something.
Felix was to lie if he said this young officer wasn't attractive. Since the day he met his history teacher, who was also in his twenties, Felix knew girls weren't for him.
Middle school is always a place to find out more about oneself after all. His history teacher was eye candy, his voice was like abrosia and that smile made Felix's knees weak. He couldn't even tell how often he dreamed of his teacher's ember eyes looking at him. Dreaming about going through that honey blond hair of his teacher, while his teacher would pin him against the table, smiling gently as he...
Anyway, Felix knew then for sure he was attracted to boys or rather men. He didn't know why either, but men just seemed more mature than boys his age. They seem more reliable, like they could protect him when something went wrong. Loving Felix deeply for who he was and not just a fling. He had seen so many girls getting their hearts broken by some stupid immature boy, he didn't want to be one of them. Felix once dated a girl, but it was only because his father made them be together. Even though they were then broken up by his father, because his father coincidentally found out his "girlfriend" was cheating on him. Even though the coincidence, was Felix on an alt account, it thankfully broke them up.
Anyway, Felix was standing about two meters away from him, so he could look at him without being noticed.
Today was different, the cute guy was coming up, holding out a hand to Felix, while smiling, "Hello, I caught you staring at me, the name is Terrence. Terry for short, you could have just asked for my number, you know?"
Felix's expression was indifferent as he took Terry's hand and shook it while saying one word "Felix." Terry smirked and Felix took back his hand.
Terry then continued in a cocky tone, "You could have also taken a picture, I wouldn't mind it." Felix mentally rolled his eyes and thought nice to look at, but a cocky bastard on the inside.
Felix said, "Maybe you wouldn't mind but the law would because taking pictures, without having the consent, of the other person could lead me to serious problems. Right Officer?"
Terry looked surprised and asked, "Ho-?"
"Your badge fell down the other time."
Felix interrupted him. Terry had a confused expression but still went into his pocket to get a piece of paper and a pen. Felix frowned a bit, but still observed what Terry was doing. When he was finished scribbling something on the paper, he folded it and gave it to Felix. Who took it with a still confused expression.
Terry just smiled and said, "My number. Please use it." Then he winked at him and got into a bus that had just arrived.
In the end, Felix was just standing there, holding a piece of paper, and thought, 'Never in a thousand years would he text such a cocky bastard.' All the while said cocky bastard was sitting in the bus, with a sharp and very focussed look, and in his hand, a remotely shot photo of Felix holding a cup of coffee.
Felix just went about his day with nothing going on, the meeting in the evening was just about some new shipment, that had to be handled with care. His birthday is seemingly forgotten by everyone. Which is no surprise, Felix knew it would be like that. Even when his father's birthday would be celebrated far and wide, Felix's would just be unnecessary. After all, he is just the successor for "The Spades", not for Sterling Industries.
Sterling Industries, a great security company, protects people, hardware, and software. Most of them not even know that, his father kills more people than he protects with his security firm. As the underground business is a secret and shouldn't be known or heard about so should his birthday. Felix always felt a bit pressured, he didn't want to take over the drug and weapon export imperium his father had built. He had to though, someday and the thought of that made his stomach turn.
...
After a week, Terry had not received one message. So on the next day, Terry went to the bus stop and immediately when he saw Felix, he smiled. Felix also noticed Terry, in his mind, he remembered that he was originally supposed to call him. Thus Felix just waited for Terry to come over. Terry noticed that Felix didn't make a move to come to him.
Terry with the smile still on his face, walked to where Felix was, "Good Morning!" in an awful cheery tone and continued, "Is there a reason why you did not send me a text? Or is it that you simply changed your mind?" He said with a light chuckle.
Felix gave Terry an unimpressed look and answered him,
"I simply didn't want to call or text you."
"Fair point"
Felix didn't answer, so Terry looked a little awkward.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Not even a minute later, he with the same smile on his face, asked, "Well okay, I honestly thought that after you were staring at me, you might want to go on a little date with me?" Felix stared expressionless at Terry, so much so that Terry got a little uncomfortable.
After staring at Terry he sighed and said a simple, "No."
Surprised Terry didn't know what to say at first and when he finally got himself together he saw his bus driving away from him. Terry was so shocked he cursed and ran after the bus without saying anything to Felix. Felix just watched Terry until he was out of his sight and then returned to his phone. Even after a week, he was still with his thoughts on the message he received on his birthday. He was thinking, just who in the world would send him such a message and how they got his private phone number. He didn't take his private phone with him at all when he did jobs for his father, the only thing he took was the gun, a recorder, and his work phone.
Dying on the day he will turn seventeen, what would that mean for him? He wasn't like other kids who can't wait to have their first beer or their first intercourse experience. Felix already had his share of the bargain with alcohol and he can't go around parading his sex life when he has a father at home waiting for another mishap so he could beat Felix again. Or worse get him in the dog cage...
The only thing he would enjoy would be, to finally get his father behind bars and search for his mom. Even though he couldn't do that yet, he wanted to do that when he was eighteen. Besides seventeen isn't even that important of an age. So why would they bother?
...
While in his thoughts his bus came and since he didn't want to run after it, like the unfortunate person from before, he pulled himself out of his thoughts and got on the bus. With that, he went through school like every other day. But after school, he saw a familiar person at his bus stop. It was Terry and he was conversing with an older woman. That woman had shoulder-length platin blond hair, fierce emerald green eyes, a button nose, and thin lips, on an oval-shaped face. Her height was about 5'5 foot and she was slim. Felix could overhear their conversation since they were loud and knew they were instantly talking about him.
The woman screamed at Terry, "You spoke with him this morning and couldn't get a date with him. Because of that you missed your bus and were late to work. Now that we can finally interview him. You tell me that you don't know his school schedule?"
Terry looked really guilty, "I'm sorry. Lieutenant Sterling." Lieutenant Sterling just annoyedly rubbed her forehead. Felix saw and heard them, what they talked about wasn't very surprising. But the surprising thing was her surname "Sterling" and the more he thought about it and looked at her he finally got it.
That was his Mother, Amanda Sterling, standing there only a few meters away from him. Felix didn't understand why he didn't recognize her by her voice. It was the only voice that gave him security and comfort. The warmth of a family as she read him bedtime stories. The security of her saying that everything is fine when he told her that his body reacted weirdly in school, after seeing his new history teacher. The kind voice telling him everything is alright. Now she was saying everything in scrutiny and it was in no way shape or form, the feeling of home. Her looks had changed, her now shoulder-length hair was longer than before. Those same eyes as his once looked so full of love, full of fondness and now they're filled with anger and annoyance.
Felix's heart was thumping and he didn't know what to do at first. His mother, who left while thinking he was the same as his father. He felt not sure if he wanted to cry, out of sadness because he was abandoned by the latter or out of relief to have found her again. Maybe it was both, but he didn't want to appear sloppy in front of his mother. So he checked over himself before going to her and pulled his hood more into his face.
With slow steps, he made his way over, and as soon as his Mother saw him he tried to smile and said, "Hello mother" in a trembling voice. Even though he knew she couldn't see his face as he still had a mask on his face, sometimes people can hear a smile. Amanda Sterling looked surprised at her son, who grew up so corrupted by his father.
Remembering that, she steeled her heart, replying in a clear and authoritative voice, "Felix Sterling I will have to put you into custody. On the charges of illegal drug export." All the while Terry was so shocked he still had his mouth and eyes wide open and looked at Felix and Lieutenant Sterling alternately.
Felix's smile faded into a sad one, "Oh, you're here to arrest me."
Felix himself was surprised he had so much emotion showing, maybe it was because his mother was the only one he wanted to impress. Deep down he felt stuffy, like something was pushing down on his chest, something blocking his throat.
Terry snapped out of whatever trance he was in and said sarcastically to Felix, "Why else would she be here? A family reunion?"
Felix was back to his stone face as soon as he said that, " I can dream, can't I?" He sounded emotionally cold, maybe because a person unrelated to this family dynamic was talking to him like it would mean anything.
Terry flinched at how fast he changed facades, Lieutenant Sterling just said, "Come to the car, I think you know your rights right? I don't have to tell you them right."
Felix smiled coldly questioning her, "From the point of the law, you would be obligated to, wouldn't you? What if as soon as we are at the police station, I say that you brought me there without telling me my rights? You would have to let me go wouldn't you?"
Lieutenant Sterling's brow ticked and she sighed annoyedly, "Mr. Felix Sterling you have the right to remain silent when questioned by the police. The right to hire and instruct a lawyer and the right to be told about the availability of duty counsel and legal aid. Happy?"
Felix smiled coldly while walking to the car, "Very." Then he sat himself in the back seat of the car.
Terry looked at Lieutenant Sterling, "Why is he so docile? Shouldn't he resist?"
Lieutenant Sterling looked at Felix who was looking out the window, "I don't know, but we will find out." Then they both got in the car and drove to the station. While driving Felix who once looked out the window, now had his sight on the review mirror.
Looking exactly into his mother's face through the review mirror, he asked, "Before you left what did the 'I'm disappointed in you' really mean? Did it mean that you were disappointed that I possibly knew of the organization and didn't tell you or was it something else?"
Lieutenant Sterling made big eyes and looked for a short time in the review mirror, "Yes, exactly what you thought of." Her voice was calm no ripples could be heard and yet Felix hoped for that emotional reaction.
Felix, then for a flickering moment had a sad look in his eyes, "I see, so it was. You shouldn't go betting anytime soon. I didn't know anything about it until I was 12 years old. You know a year after you left us, left me, with him."
His mother looked relaxed, but as Felix's eyes slightly focused on the hands of his mother on the steering wheel he could see them trembling and clenching. HE smirked which luckily could not be seen under his face-mask. They didn't say anything until they were in the station. Lieutenant Sterling bit her lip and had a guilty look on her face, the whole time that was left driving to the station. Felix couldn't see it, he only focused on the hands of his mother and her ever-changing posture. The car ride had been surprisingly silent.
...
At the station, Felix just walked in, he behaved just like a normal civilian if it weren't for the two people at his back making sure he didn't escape, his hood over his head and a mask covering his mouth and nose. They brought him to the interrogation room and cuffed him to the table in case he tried to escape, although he didn't look like it.
Lieutenant Sterling looked at her son, "Terry and I are going to tell someone you are in here, but don't think you can escape there will be two guards in front of this door," before going out with Terry. Felix looked at the camera in the corner and very visibly got himself out of the handcuffs. Taking a metal paper clip out of his cuff, as he bent it how he needed it and picked the lock.
He scoffed while thinking, 'Really? Do they think this is my first Rodeo?' He didn't stand up. Thinking back to when he had to stay in the police station for three days straight, back when he wanted to run away from home. Forgetting the cold interrogation room and long talks with officers as to where he lived, he went into the back of his backpack and pulled out the USB stick he had always had with him. The one where all his fathers's illegal business is on, as well as the evidence that he helped the police often and did not kill or kidnap anyone. Felix put exactly that USB stick on the table, just waiting for the two to come back. Thinking about why they didn't take away his backpack, what if he had explosives in them? What if he just bombed his way out?
Bored Felix took the USB stick in his hands and played with it a bit. When he heard the door open he looked up and smirked. Lieutenant Sterling and Terry walked to the other side of the table, sat down, and opened a folder. In that folder were pictures of Felix with some of the clients from his father. As well as with some people who are now in the Witness Protection Program.
Terry smirked and asked, " So what were you doing with these people? The first bunch looks very evil and the other one was kidnapped. Looks really bad doesn't it?" He sounded smug, very sure of himself and how this interrogation would go. Lieutenant Sterling looked at the USB stick and wanted to grab it, when a man came through the door. It's more like he almost broke the door while coming in. That man, Felix immediately recognized as the Lawyer his Father hired. So before his Mother took the USB, he quickly took it in his hands and hid it in his fist. Lieutenant Sterling frowned upon seeing that.