Chapter 31.1

 After the lunch break, Alina and Michelle returned to their lessons while Jason took Alice to his office and played video games with her till the end of the day. Finally, the bell rang and students rushed out of the classroom like a tidal wave. Most were heading for their lockers but Alina and Michelle traveled down to the high school entrance of the academy.

"Hey, you see Asami? She didn't come back to class after break," Alina asked Michelle who shook her head. "Hold on, lemme text her."

"Hey, you two," Jason was leaning on a wall with crossed arms, a smile on his face while Alice stood next to him. He raised an eyebrow and looked behind them when he noticed it was just the two of them. "Where's Emily?"

"Pourquoi? Vous worried for her?" Michelle asked obliquely, her voice was slightly scathing.

"Well yeah, she has a cold and didn't seem too keen on visiting the nurse," Jason said smoothly.

"Asami took her to the doctor's," Alina said after looking down at her phone. Asami had texted back, telling her not to worry about Emily.

"That's good," Jason said as all four walked to the school's gate. "Huh, lookie here. There's a bunch of kids hanging out at the gates."

The gates had a gaggle of schoolgirls crowding it and Alina frowned when she saw it.

"Huh, deja vu. Why does this seem so familiar?" She muttered to herself.

With Jason's aid, they got to the front and came across a man leaning on a car with his eyes closed. His dedicate but strong face was completely beardless; he didn't have a strand of beard hair making him look like a pretty boy straight from Hollywood. His lean but muscular figure was apparent from his jacket and his blonde hair and fair skin only appealed to girls even more.

"Whoa," Alina muttered with a raised eyebrow as he glanced up and down the handsome man's figure and Michelle's face changed when she noticed the former's interest in the man. "What a …"

"Complete ass," Jason finished and all three girls looked at him in surprise. "What? Look at him!"

Jason gestured at Raphael as he continued talking.

"What kind of dumbass leans on his car looking all cool in front of the school just after class finishes?" Jason asked rhetorically.

Uh, you? Alina and Michelle thought exasperatedly as they recalled how he first showed up in their school.

"And, goddamnit, he stole my thunder!" Jason added under his breath and Alina, who caught his grumbling, laughed when she realized why Jason was so annoyed. Indeed, she could literally see the jealousness dripping from his eyes as he glared at the newcomer.

The person in question, Raphael, opened his eyes and smiled at Michelle who, while disgruntled, smiled happily. She hurried to Raphael's side and hugged him and he patted her head as he spoke.

"How come you didn't smile like that when I showed up," Jason asked enviously. He saw how proud and happy Michelle was at seeing her brother and couldn't help but complain to Alina, who smiled sweetly at him before slamming her heel on his foot causing him to take a deep intake of fresh air.

"My pervert dad is amazing!" Alice, who was besides then, said with a bright smile in order to cheer Jason up. It was a great compliment, minus the pervert part and Jason wasn't sure if he should feel pleased or depressed at how Alice said it.

"Hey, sis," Raphael said with a smile that was replaced with a worried look. "Je suis désolé, I haven't been able to visit you earlier."

"No, it's ok, frère," Michelle said softly while shaking her head. "I understand that you were busy."

"Oh, ungh," Jason groaned ruining the moment the two were having. "This is too sappy even for me."

Alina rolled her eyes and Raphael focused on Jason instead. He walked up to the latter and sent a right hook straight at his face. Jason, expecting the punch, dodged it easily with a raised eyebrow. As Raphael lunged forward with the punch, Jason sidestepped him while reaching a hand towards him and quickly retreating. Right after, he placed the girls between him and Raphael.

"That was for…?" he asked Raphael while hiding behind Alina.

"For being an ass!" Raphael said through gritted teeth causing Alina to gaze at Jason subtly while he looked away with a curious gaze. Why was Jason having the strangest sense of deja vu?

Oh right, Jason thought sheepishly as he scratched his chin. That was Alina's reason too. Seriously, is there something on my face that's attracting all the punches today?

"Did you have to lie at the diner?! We all fucking believed you!" Raphael said grimly, causing Jason to raise his arm and gesture at himself with confusion.

"Have you met me? I've always been an ass and I've always lied. I think the only time I was ever truthful to you was when I told you I slept with twins!" Jason said smugly, unaware of Alina, Alice, and Michelle who sent Jason a look full of disapproval and disgust.

Right after, the latter two turned to Alina with an inquiring gaze; they were silently asking her if it was true and Alina shrugged while shaking her head, implying that he was still lying: Jason was merely playing Raphael again.

Raphael and Jason continued quarreling while Alina and Michelle continued their silent conversation.

Hey, is your brother usually …? Alina asked Michelle through a look.

Non, not at all. This is the first time he's acted like this. Your brother? Michelle shrugged and answered silently. She nocked her head towards Jason when she asked Alina.

Uh, no. I didn't think he had any friends. Guy friends. Alina shook her head.

Are they friends? Michelle asked silently while tilting her head sideways in confusion.

Huh, good question. Alina thought while tapping a finger on her chin. They both looked back to Jason and Raphael who were still bickering.

"Is there anything, anything, other than following orders that you're good at?" Jason asked Raphael.

"Putting up with you?" Raphael suggested mildly and Jason's face changed.

"I see what you did there," Jason said and Raphael shrugged his shoulders, implying he didn't care. "You stole my lines!"

"Alright, you two that's enough. Break up the catfight," Alina said as she and Michelle stepped up and stopped the two bickering children.

"Yeah? I'll stop once you get pretty girl here to back off," Jason said.

"What did you call me?!" asked Raphael, his eyebrows arched with anger. Sure, his looks were more on the pretty side, but he didn't appeared girly.

"Hmm? Oh, oh! Real sorry. That was a slip of tongue," Jason said with a provocative smile. "I meant boy, pretty boy. The I-look-like-and-act-a-teen pretty boy!"

Raphael was about to burst again when Michelle calmed him down. "Frère, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas? This isn't you."

"Désolé pour ça. He's infuriating and I-"

"Oh, he's infuriating. Wah wah," Jason interrupted Raphael and spoke in a high pitched voice, mocking him.

"I lose my temper around him," Raphael finished with gritted teeth, his glare aimed at Jason who childishly stuck his tongue out in retaliation.