[Otto's POV - The second day of school]

"Just tell him no," I mumble to myself as I leave for school and pull the front door closed behind me. Yesterday evening, Alex helped me with one of my "typical" Thomas encounters, and to say that I've been turning the event over in my head all night, would be putting it mildly.

I don't know what to make of this Alex-boy.

Ever since I've seen him sitting high up in that tree, I've been having this feeling of dread. He just seems too good to be true. As if I believe that someone can be gorgeous, brave and kind. Nobody is that perfect!

Like, he just happened to pass by when Thomas had me cornered? Not that I think Thomas would conspire against me, but it's still strange! Something definitely doesn't add up. For example; Why was Thomas asking about Alex? I know that Jasper calls Thomas a big stalker-wannabe-boyfriend, and he does act jealous from time to time, but never like this.

Usually, Thomas only approaches me after I have started to get along with a boy. Then we have "a talk" and he tells me all these awful things about the boy in question. I'm pretty sure that he has "a talk" with the boys themselves too, because the boys usually stop talking to me afterwards.

But this time, Thomas approached me even though I hardly know Alex. And as things stand, I don't even like him.

So saying that Thomas approached me out of jealousy might be a bit of a stretch. Not to mention that "Thomas his supposed jealousy" miraculously vanished the moment Alex appeared?! The longer I think about it, the more I'm convinced that this whole situation doesn't add up. I feel like I'm missing pieces of the puzzle, but I can't put my finger on which ones I'm missing.

And I haven't even started about the strange electricity that courses through me every time I'm near Alex. At first I thought that my hormones where acting up, but I realised last night that I don't feel that electricity when Thomas, or even Jasper, touches me.

If it was caused by hormones, wouldn't that mean that I'd feel it when anyone of the opposite sex touches me? That brings me to the conclusion that the electricity I feel when Alex touches me, does not come from attraction, but from fear. I think it means that I subconsciously realised from the start that Alex is dangerous and that I'd better steer clear of him.

I don't know what causes it, but I've promised myself to be careful around him.

After all, it's not because Jasper gets along with him, that Alex truly is trustworthy. We've only met him twice. Time will tell, but I want to be there for Jasper, to sound the alarm, before things go wrong.

I sigh as the school gate comes into view. I'm already relieved that I didn't "bump into" Alex on my way to school, but considering that I purposefully left home later just to prevent that from happening, probably means that Alex would be at school already. And I have this foreboding feeling, that he will be hanging around with my friends.

This foreboding feeling is confirmed the very second I walk into the school gate. Not only is he standing with Jasper and Jessy, but also two other boys from our class. We rarely talk to them, so it surprises me to see them in company of Jasper and Jessy.

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Alex is the one talking animatedly, and everyone is laughing at his story, but Jasper is laughing the loudest of them all.

I feel so nervous to approach them that it's making me feel sick to the stomach. Why do they all look so happy? Am I the only one who's suspicious of him? Am I the odd one out?

No! I can't think like that! I decided that I'll watch over my friends. I can't chicken out now! So I clench my teeth and step into an open spot of the circle they're standing in.

"Good morning," I greet in general with a quiet voice, since the conversation is still going on around me. Sadly, it also means that my arrival goes unnoticed.

"Don't laugh so hard, Jasper! It's not funny at all," Alex complains as he slaps Jasper against his arm. "I'm telling you, if the damned game hadn't glitched I might have won the tournament. But because of it I got hit instead. I ended up in third place."

"Do you join tournaments often? What's your name?" Anthony asks excitedly. I've never seen little stars in his eyes like that before.

"From time to time. When I have time to kill. I usually game under the name BlackNight2," Alex answers all off Anthony's questions diligently.

"Black Knight TWO?" Xander stresses the number in his question and laughs.

"Yeah, BlackNight is the name my dad games under," Alex answers again and then, to my horror, notices me. "Oh! Good morning, Otto."

He says it with a friendly smile and the others start to repeat the greeting, even though Xander is yelling out another question that lands on deaf ears.

"Good morning, girl!" Jessy says happily as she comes over to give me a hug and joins my side in the circle. "Where have you been? You're never this late."

"Yeah, sorry. I had trouble waking up this morning," I say.

"Didn't sleep well?" she asks.

"Yeah... I've been... thinking," I say as I'm trying to decide of how much I can tell without worrying her.

"Thinking?" Jessy immediately follows up, but it is Alex's reaction that captures my attention.

"You have?" he asks, not even loud or demanding, but I'd almost heard him clearer than I'd heard Jessy next to me. Anthony and Xander start to snicker at his comment. Undoubtedly thinking that Alex is pulling a dumb blond joke.

"I have," I snap with an angry frown, even though I know he's asking about Thomas.

Alex blinks in surprise and then throws his hands up in a gesture that says; "Sorry I asked."

His reaction surprises me, and suddenly I feel extremely aware of the others around us. Watching me. Judging me. As if I'd singled Alex out to pick on. Had I reacted too strongly? I am acting on my dislike for him after all. Dislike the others clearly aren't feeling.

Suddenly, the need to flee is suffocating.

"I need to go the bathroom," I say hurriedly, scurrying off towards the toilets.

"Wait... What? Otto! I'm going to follow her," I hear Jessy say behind me, right before I reach the door to the toilets and dive inside.

[ Continues in the next chapter]