16 The Squad

“What is this place for?”

The flat screen on the desk displayed the details of his health, weight, height, birth date, blood type, cholesterol level, blood pressure, etc. The female officer in a white gown like a nurse (white again!) had her mouth covered with a green mask. She complimented his good health with her high-pitched tone as if it was a surprising thing.

“What is this place for, Ma’am?”

She pulled his hand that wore the digital watch and explained how to use it. This damn device could record everything about its owner. If pressed the right button, it would show the data in a hologram including the recent time he smoked which would be the last record because that room had the smoke detector installed. Ben understood so well that this innovation destroying Alex’s heart.

“What the hell is this place? Can you fucking tell me?”

“Next! Mr. Alexander Volkov.”

The chair automatically moved with an instance and it pushed him out of the room by force. His question had been completely ignored and Ben lay down on the floor.

Ben massaged his. It took not a few minutes to wait for Alex. Until he saw a tall man walk gracefully out of the booth unlike him. A broad smile appeared on his friend’s face. “Amazingly healthy even you almost grow weeds in your lungs.” He imitated the woman’s soprano voice and they roared laughter.

“I asked her about this damn place and she ignored me,” Ben told him, walking and kicking the air. Both hands were in the pants pockets.

“Yeah, I heard.”

It was a surprise to see Alex turned back to himself, fresh and clean, not the drug-addicted and introverted daydreamer he was used to be. Ben was not sure if he should thank the smoke detector or not. At least, his best friend returned to the normal stage. He should be satisfied but when he asked about the change, Alex just said. “I met a new friend a few days ago.” Ben died to know who this new friend was because Alex kept it in secret. And when he had the secret, Ben could not sleep properly due to his curiosity and anxiety. He had an obsession to find who this friend was.

“What are we going to do?”

“Don’t you chase a girl?”

Ben rolled his eyes. “A lot of people are still inside the hall. Where can I get them? And I’m not that obsessive, man. Tell me who your new friend is.” He tried to make Alex say it once he could recall. It was like a mission.

“Guys, Wait!” Sarah appeared. Her interruption saved Alex in time.

The blonde waved at them cheerfully. She changed as well. Previously she was a dying rose, but now became a revived and blooming one. Recently, she got a new partner. No, not her soon-to-be boyfriend. Sarah did not intend to build a real romantic relationship with that Wade Miller boy, but it was a role-play to kill time. An interesting game for cavemen that still sounded civilized must be this one. Sarah said it was like going back to school time, befriending Wade’s peers, and enjoying hanging out with them. And though she insisted on acting, the woman unconsciously considered the relationship seriously and that was why he had never returned to find comfort with Ben again. Sarah kept the promise to Alex that she would keep her distance from him and she did it well. Certainly, it irritated him.

“What’s up, m’lady?” He greeted back.

“Let’s play Basketball. Ben, listen. Listen, first. I will introduce your guys to meet Wade’s friends. They’re really nice and funny. I can guarantee that. We can build a new bigger group. Not the way people keep away from us like today.”

We choose the right ones. “Couldn’t believe it! Lady Sarah gets a new squad with those young people. Do you and that boy become the real thing?”

She gave him a dagger look, “Of course, yes. Of course, not, whatever you think. I don’t care, but please remember that we have to socialize with other people. I try and it’s not bad. Think of school life. Now I have girlfriends to talk about girly things. We can’t live like this forever, alone.”

Ben remained undisturbed. “I saw you carry your precious cosmetics bags out of your room. Did you play dress-up with your girlfriends too? How old are you?”

“It’s her business,” Alex patted his shoulder with one of his hands covering his mouth as he yawned. Thought you sleep properly. “And I agree with her. You want me to get out of that room. Now, it’s time to build friends. Like she said. We can’t stay alone. In here, our surnames won’t attract people like the day before.”

Sarah snapped her fingers. “You’re back, Alex. Yes, that’s right. And about my girls, we talked about fashion and trends. They loved my treasures so we help each other do the make-up and create a new style. See? I have several new activities and friends. Who knows if I’ll be the fashion queen in this world? You two should do it too. It’s easier than you think.”

“Fashion queen and new trend?”

She curled her blonde hair. “If we have to live here, like forever, at least, I should be the influencer, not the follower. No matter which type of society, gaining power is always the best choice.” She clapped her hands together. “Oh yes, I know how to persuade you. There are two sweet girls in the group and I know you love to see them.”

“If they’re so sweet, you should not introduce them to this jerk,” Alex suggested, disapproving.

Sarah pretended to be alarmed by placing her palms on her chest. “Right…my mistake. Forget it, Ben.”

“Are you my friend?” He grumbled. Alex just grinned.

Ben gave them his boring face. They did not know he already introduced himself to one of those girls but had not taken any advance. Of course, he already knew whom Sarah mentioned, Little Bambi and Tessa the Liar Bitch.

“You really want to join that group?”

Alex moved his head up and down. “I don’t have anything to do in particular. Maybe we have to do something different from our routine.”

The woman revealed a big bright smile. “Cool. That’s the right decision. But we have to wait for the others. See you guys in the next hour at the basketball court.” Sarah turned around and moved away like dancing.

Alex and Ben exchanged their look with a knowing smile, agreeing that her liveliness revitalized the environment. Gracious, she was anyway; a blooming flower colorized the atmosphere.

Two men killed their free time at the cinema, watching a romantic drama movie but after ten minutes, Ben dozed off. He woke up because Alex shaking him.

“What?”

“The meeting,” Alex pointed at his watch.

“Why’re you so keen on it?” The amber eyes sighed and got up.

“Make friends, our mission!”

Both had visited the basketball court once. Ben and Alex did not usually play this kind of sport so they had no desire to revisit. At school and college, they joined martial arts, boxing, shooting, swimming, and tennis. Forgot the golf, they hated it. Their fancy for martial arts and shooting because being influenced by their childhood heroes. Especially Ben, he also collected weapons, both ancient and modern models.

The basketball court was floored with polished maple wood with the one-side grandstand. Six people were already waiting for them. All wore T-shirts and shorts or jeans. Alexis was sitting between Tessa and the boy with the red hair. When Tessa saw him, she narrowed her eyes and raised her chin. Ben gave a wink and an intimidating charming smile to the rival. For this reason, she greeted him with her middle finger.

“Hey!” Alexis waved. Instantly, his interest turned to this one. Ben almost showed his palm but as he saw her eyes fixed on Alex and he waved back, Ben’s eyebrows turned knotted. The girl waved at him too but more timidly.

“You know her?” Ben had no hesitation to ask and then everything was clear as if someone lit a fire in his head. “Oh, this new friend, right?”

Alex nodded. “Yes.”

“Oh, cool.” The know-it-all slyly smiled. “You didn’t tell me the new friend you mentioned is a girl. And you didn’t tell me or describe how lovely she is.”

Alex bit his lips. “I want to know what your brain is made of. And if you know why I didn’t tell you, this is the reason. You always have dirty thoughts.”

“Well, this is because I was born from lust and greed, not love.” He pulled Alex’s shirt. “Listen. Remember the girl I mentioned before. The one I tell you that freshen up the place. I mean this one, my little Bambi.”

“Oh, really?” Alex acted like he did not care. Ben narrowed his eyes more, eager to dig up the truth from him. Seeing his friend’s keen interest, Alex locked his neck and dragged him to trail Sarah.

“You can’t stop my investigation!” Ben whined even though Alex still locked his neck with his arms.

“You must.” Alex tightened the neck lock.

Sarah introduced Ben and Alex to the others. Ben already knew Wade who was Sarah’s fling. This boy still gave a black look to him even he hooked up with the blondie. Alexis, the lovely sunflower who looked livelier than the day they met at the club, smiled adorably at him. The boy with the red hair named Oslo was friendlier than Wade. There was the Thomas, Noel--Tessa’s brother, Tessa--his rival, and Minnie--Tessa’s sister who made him feel like talking with a seven-year-old girl in a teenage body.

“We have nine people,” Ben pointed out.

“It’s okay. Any team who sides with Alexis will have four members,” the redhead proposed the idea which sounded unfair but he agreed with it.

“That’s not fair! Look at Noel!” The girl pointed to the oldest who could be compared to a giant pillar.

“I don’t play,” Minnie said and moved to the grandstand. She was the kind of girls Ben had no desire to communicate with. She had many conflicts with herself, too ordinary and too weird. The dark aura around her glowed dimly as he saw it.

“Oh, come on Minnie, we can fix it,” Oslo shouted behind her back. “Look, can we invite him?” He pointed his finger at the boy with the silver hair who had just come in. He slowly moved to the grandstand and sat, watching them.

“Hey, do you want to play?” Oslo shouted at him. That jerk was about to move and then unmoved.

“Forget him,” Ben concluded. But when he glanced at Tessa and Alexis, two girls expressed the same deep regret. Women.

“Does anyone know his name? He’s really mysterious and so cute,” Tessa voiced her question. Those beautiful grey eyes still mused at that boy.

Sarah had invited him to join their group many times but the silver head answered them by walking away. Girls loved this type of character as he observed. Perhaps, his coldness and mysterious characteristics could charm the chic. Sadly, they were unable to notice that his front teeth were a little bit bigger.

“His name is Michael,” Alex and Alexis answered.

“What?” Ben and Sarah switched their eyes to him. It was the first time they shared the same suspicion. They were not surprised by Alexis; it was our friend who surprised them. Because Alex should be the last person whom they thought he knew the other people, apart from his nature, since he caved himself in the planetarium for many days. And in general, he never cared about anyone’s business.

“Man, today you surprised me twice.”

“I knew his name because of the health check-up,” Alex explained. “He was next to me.”

“And how do you know his name, Alexis?” Sarah asked the younger girl curiously.

“Long story but nothing to be curious, tell you later.”

“Wait, wait.” Oslo turned down the topic about that boy. “We have two Alexes!”

“Is that the problem?” Alexis asked. Her perfectly bushy brows turned knotted.

“For the game, yes,” Ben agreed. “You’re quick to see it.” He complimented the boy “Alexis and Alexander,” he murmured an idea. “Too long.”

“What’s your last name?” Wade asked Alex.

But the tall man groaned. “Why do I have to tell you?”

“Because you’re new,” Wade reasoned with him. “And I usually call my friend, Alex.”

“It’s alright. Just call whatever you want. Can we start the game now?” The girl hastened the others.

“Volcov, his surname was Volcov.” Sarah quickly solved the problem. “Don’t frown at me, Alex. I call you the same because I usually call Alexis not Alex. But for them, it’s really confusing to call you Alex.”

“But I sometimes call Alex and sometimes Alexis,” Oslo added.

“Please stop. Alex floods my brain already. I might call everyone Alex.” Noel interrupted. “Just call them whatever you guys are used to. Okay? Let’s play the game.”

All nodded when the big brother cut the conversation off.

“You’re Volcov!” Oslo was excited and pointed his finger at Alex. “I love your cars! I mean your products. I don’t have one but I hope to have one if I have money.”

“Ah…Thanks.” Alex hurriedly turned to the ball as if he was eager to play it.

The other looked at each other mumbling about Volcov’s business and products. Alex’s face turned red. When he saw Ben watching, he ducked his brow again, “What are you looking at?”

“Look at Mr. Volcov.”

Alex groaned louder.

“Okay, Minnie still insists not to play. Let’s Rock-Paper-Scissors!” Alexis called for attention. The girl was totally eager to play as fast as possible. He could sense it from those sparkling marvelous blue eyes.

They were divided into two teams, Alexis’s team including Noel, Oslo, and Sarah, and Tessa’s team including Ben, Alex, and Wade.

“Oh my love, we’ve never parted,” Ben not only teased his best friend but also tried to embrace him so he left many footprints on his pants.

Alex made a face like smelling something bad. He pushed Ben out but later laughed a little.

“One rule! Fair game! Superhuman power is not permitted,” the girl declared but did not make eye contact with any specific person.

“She knows too?” Ben stared at Alex, demanding to tell him everything.

“Yeah, she knows just mine, okay? Why must I have to tell you everything? You’re not my wife!”

“Because I’m your best friend.”

“You slept with my girlfriends.”

“Good intention.”

“Hey, those two, ready?” The girl called them from the central field.

“We’re coming!” Alex shouted back and took off his shirt.

“What are you guys doing?” Tessa yelled at them.

Ben took off his shirt too. Their outfits were not fit for the game so they undressed their top for flexibility. “Want to help me?” He invited her.

The girl in chestnut skin gave the middle finger the second time.

“Are you two enemies?” Alex asked when he witnessed the rivalry between these two. “She doesn’t try to hide her hatred toward you and you seem to have fun messing with her.”

Ben lifted his shoulders and smiled mischievously. Both ran to the field but Ben still had a mind full of suspicious ideas about the two Alexes. It was general for him to always be curious about his friend’s interest in the opposite sex. Every girl Alex liked, Ben would not hesitate to seduce them and prove that most of them lacked loyalty, that they should not deserve him. Sometimes Alex did not understand. Sometimes he did. When he succeeded, Alex might be angry at first. After that, he forgave. The loop was always like this.

The game started. Basketball was not hard. Moreover, it was fun. When Ben had the telekinetic ability to control objects, everything became simpler, but it was difficult when Alex prevented him to cheat, so it turned out that he also shielded him from the ball. How could they win when they fought against each other? The worse was Wade forgot to use his hands but feet. Several times Ben transferred the ball to him; he could not get it and then kicked it away to the other team causing many fouls. The heat of madness stirred up inside his head.

“It’s not soccer!” Ben scolded his teammate when Alexis and Noel made two scores for each and they still got zero.

“But he’s a soccer player. Don’t blame him,” Sarah defended her partner even though they were on the opposite side.

“I don’t care who he was or what he did before. You, big boy, use your hands!”

“Don’t call me big boy, shorty!”

“I’m just one inch shorter than you, are you blind or stupid?!”

They paused for a little while. The game continued. Ben swerved his movement as Alexis tried to block him. The girl was quicker than she looked so he swerved again and made her trail around him like a little puppy while his eyes surveyed Alex and Wade (forgetting Tessa, what she was doing was running and screaming when the ball came to her). Afterward, he decided to transfer the ball to Wade as none of the opponent team mingled around. The boy missed it again. Luckily, this time Alex got the ball before Oslo stole it and he shot. They got the first three scores.

“My team has only two players,” He mumbled, sweating.

Twenty minutes later, the blond jerk got upset when Ben kept giving him orders. “Stop being bossy. Stop giving me command!” At that exact time, he kicked the ball. Ben saw it fly directly to him.

The game paused when the ball stopped dead in the air. “What happens?” Noel’s eyes widened. He was amazed and gaped.

“I do it. He tried sending it to my face,” Ben confessed and the ball fell into his palms. “Next time you try to attack me, it will reverse to you. I promise,” he warned the boy.

“Hey, I know it’s just a game but you have to be nice to each other. You guys are on the same side! Wade, please?” Alexis compromised the two but her friend seemed to dislike the way she did. Everyone got stunned when Wade walked out of the field. Sarah was about to follow but Alexis stopped him.

“I’ll talk to him,” Alexis said and ran to her friend.

“He doesn’t like us,” Alex stated as he noticed Wade’s reaction to them. “Why? He dislikes you specifically, Why? Why do you love building enemies?”

He drank the water before answering. “I haven’t done anything to him. That boy is a jerk.”

Alex stole the water bottle. “And you must stop using your power. Try playing fairly. We can win without it. Remember? Socialize and build friends.”

“Being fair is not my regular habit,” Ben responded.

They waited just a few minutes, and Wade and Alexis returned without any more feud.

“It’s okay, guys. Let’s continue.” Alexis clapped her hands. Wade did not look at him but was focused on the game more. Alex patted his shoulder and they went back to the game.

Speaking about sport, he hardly saw it was just a game, the same way everyone said that it was just a game and not to be serious. In his eyes, they wore full warrior armor, knotting eyebrows, penetrating eyes, and strong determination. This was a battle.

“19-7” The little sister of Tessa announced. Ben got the ball and made three scores. “19-10”

“I don’t want to say this but that’s great.” Tessa applauded behind his back as though someone coerced her to do so.

And you just do nothing. His mind was unsettled when the team was going to lose to the other team who had no power.

Meanwhile, Alex dunked the ball and increased their team’s score to twelve. Ben wondered if he used the force. Anyway, regarding his unstable morality, it could be one or another.

And Alexis made twice three scores. What a girl!

“Our school team should have won.” He heard Wade saying this.

Ben and Alex put all their effort to increase their score. At the same time, Alexis and Noel also did the same until Noel asked for a time-out.

“I think we should change some members to play fair,” suggested he. Ben thought about liking this man. Although Oslo and Sarah were not potential players, compared to Tessa who was scared of the ball, and Wade who loved to make fouls, the counter team was perfect.

“Good idea, I trade Tessa for Alexis,” Ben instantly agreed and offered his teammate without a second thought.

Tessa scowled at him but Noel laughed, the way he looked at him made Ben feel like a child. I’m not your little brother, big man.

“Come on, Tess.” The brother urged his sister. Tessa showed him the middle finger the third time as a farewell before moving to the other team.

When Alexis became their team member, the game shifted. Noel might be big but when he lost the bests player to transfer the ball to him, he was not dangerous. For Ben, Noel was like an unmovable wall but if he could pass it, the path was clear. Alexis ran fast and her shooting was pinpointed. Moreover, Wade began to be useful when he started using his hands. The team’s score already was ahead of Noel’s team now. Ben felt cautious until Alex asked for a time-out.

“I think we should change a member. It’s not fair. I change with Oslo,” Alex blurted out.

“Are you insane?” Sometimes Alex’s unpredictability irritated Ben and it caused him a headache.

“It’s alright. I think we should end the game before Oslo passes out.” Alexis said. It was not an hour yet but the redhead gasped for air as if he needed an oxygen tank. Ben thought of a goldfish but this one was a red herring.

“Sorry, I’m not an athlete.”

“Alright, my team wins,” Ben concluded immediately, clapping his hands together. “We did a great job, man,” he offered a hand to Wade with a challenging smile. The boy shook it but in a very short time. He pretended to be well-mannered.

“Next time, can we just talk?” He heard the redhead ask while sitting on the floor.

His attention now focused on the girl. Alexis got sweaty and she was drinking water. Sweating, he was too. Ben imagined if they were sweating while doing the other activity, how it would turn out. He wished he could finish this task soon but there was a premonition warned that it was an impossible task. Alexis was a girl God created her to look so divinely beautiful even in the plain t-shirt and jeans without makeup. A tall girl had a very slender and healthy body, and the face of a living pretty doll with spontaneous blue eyes. Ben could not keep his eyes out of her. Until Tessa joined the girl. The environment became prettier. The two angels stood side by side. Even if he despised the older one, her pleasant appearance was not tainted by her bad behavior. Watching them together lifted the spirit. Ben was just a man who was fascinated by beautiful flowers. And if he could claim them both, he felt like he stood on top of the world.

“You two don’t look…tired” Alexis talked to him, noticing their superior human’s physical quality. And when those sapphires fixed on him, he quickly preserved the male gaze to himself.

“You’re the risk like Alex,” she mentioned.

“The Gifted,” he corrected her. Tessa jeered at him. Ben swiftly reacted, “Why? You don’t like to be the Gifted too?”

As she turned her stare at him, it seemed like he saw her grey eyes flashing in the light which was creepy and beautiful at the same time. “What are you saying?”

“I know you have the power too. You used it to block yourself from the ball. Your scream pushed it away. It’s the sound, right? I heard.”

Alexis switched her eyes from Ben and Tessa. “Yeah, the gifted, sound better, right, Tessa?”

Tessa did hate him. A Nazi feminist for sure, he judged.

“What will you do after this?” he asked the younger girl.

“Go back to our room and change our clothes. If you and Alex want to join our table, please come. You know, big group, I think it’ll be fun…Oh Geez!” She yelped when seeing her friend’s scary stare.

“Alexis!” Tessa did not like her friend’s idea.

“They’re Sarah’s friends. She wanted them to join us. Why are you so objective?” Alexis explained. He looked for Sarah but she was gone with Wade already.

“You.” Tessa pointed her finger at him. “If it’s not because of Sarah, I would not let you join.” And she turned her face to the girlfriend. “You can befriend him but don’t fall to this ugly wolf. I warn you. He just needs you on his bed.”

While listening to her complaint, he searched for the boy with silver hair. He was gone and Ben did not know when. They completely forgot him.

“You guys are like cat and dog.” The girl shook her head as if she was the mother of him and Tessa. “What did he do to you, Tess?” The girl also questioned him through her eyes. Ben shook his head. Deep down, he thought he could tell.

The girl with the dark hair glanced shortly at him and walked away, leaving Alexis perplexed. “Tess? Wait!”

“Honestly, I don’t know what I did to her too,” he said. His eyes wandered around to find that Alex was chatting with Noel and Oslo about the previous competition. Talkative today? He was sure that Alex avoided answering his questions. Forcing him, to tell the truth, would be worthless, he decided to change his mind. Ben was waiting for a long time to have a private talk with this girl; it was time to grab the moment.

“About your invitation, Yeah, we love to hang out with your group.”

“Awesome. See you at dinner!” She was about to go.

“Wait! I’m going with you.”

“I’m going back to my room,” she reminded him while wrapping the tiny towel around her neck. “You don’t wait for your friend?” She jerked her head at the talkative Alex.

“Just forget about him. That’s my way too,” he lied, picking up his shirt and placing it on his right shoulder.

They walked down the long corridor heading to her room. He started the conservation with basic topics, how was she? What did she do back there? Until they talked about the dormitory, “I hate this place,” she blurted out.

“Very honest reply ever.” When secretly observing her, Ben found that she had very long eyelashes. “So do I.”

“What do you think about the health check-up?” asked she.

“No idea. Just checking? How do you meet Alex?”

What did I just ask?

It was weird. Ben suddenly lost interest to make a move. It was as if the time was not proper for flirtation or because he was too curious about their relationship more than anything else.

“Oh, three days ago, at the planetarium.”

“What did you do together? I mean what you guys talked about?”

She turned her face to gaze at him, forcefully.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“Nothing. Just feel odd that you’re really interested in our talk. You can’t see your face but it’s very serious.”

“Well.” He tried to make a good excuse. “He caved himself in that room many days. I’m very worried and then he decided to get out. Therefore, I thought, perhaps, it’s because of you.”

“I see but it’s not because of me. He can figure it out by himself,” she replied with a comfortable voice tone.

Ben stared into her blue eyes. Then, she revealed a soft smile. “You don’t believe it? It’s true. We were just talking philosophy.”

“What? Philosophy?”

Her thick brown made a knot. “Descartes, Aristotle, Sartre. Do you know them?”

“Of course, I know…you guys were only talking about this topic, really?”

“There are other topics but we mainly talked about this. Your friend has a profound knowledge of this field. It’s really impressive. I mean, at first, I thought he was just a troll.”

Her natural storytelling made him laugh. “Yeah, he’s a bookworm and he’s more knowledgeable than his look. Let me guess, you thought he was a troll. He annoyed you?”

“Yep, he emitted the smoke to my face.”

Ben burst out laughing. “That’s him.”

“If there’s no smoke detector, I think he might keep annoying me. Anyway, we talked a lot, yes, philosophy is the main topic but it’s also about the world, people, and this place. I understand why he caved himself in that room.”

“And?”

Alexis stopped her pace at once. Her eyes seemed more serious. “The life without a goal, without determination, without hope, it’s sad. It’s sadder when you realize your situation. It’s the saddest when you realize your situation and are incapable of fixing it.”

He kept listening. A bit hurt inside, Alex needed someone to talk to but he always neglected what his best friend felt. Ben knew wholeheartedly what kind of this self-tragedy caused everyone but he thought it was better to neglect it. Perhaps, if he stayed with Alex and talked or if he had not denied it, was it possible that Alex might be recovered sooner? And it would be Ben who could take him out.

“How can he realize that he should not stay like that?”

“Rebuild it.”

The girl smiled again but he did not understand. “Rebuild our new hope, our new goal, our new determination.”

“What is it? May I listen?”

“Of course, we build the hope to get out of here, to return to our own home.”

Her determined eyes reflected how serious she was. Strangely again, his thought abruptly unmoved when he considered those blue eyes, the deep blue recalled him to the place where Nat was buried and he began to feel empty inside.

“Ben?”

“Sorry. To get out of here? Do you guys really think like this? Do you think you can do it?”

“See the health check-up? It’s obvious that they have a plan for us. I’m sure of it. Now, all we can do is wait and wait until we can realize what they’re going to do to us. And then, we will know what we have to do.”

He made a funny sound from his throat. Yes, he felt amused by their ideas. “Sound rebellious even I don’t know exactly what it is.”

Alexis changed from the way he saw her for the first time. No blushed cheeks, no timid gesture, she precisely spoke her thought. What happened to his charm? Or was it because he did not use it? “…You know the way you talk to me right now and the last time we met is a little bit different. I can sense that.”

She poked her head to see him closer. “You’re a little bit different too, from the first day we chatted, Mr. Wolf.”

“What’s different?”

“Your interest.”

He knew what she meant. “He’s my best friend. I just want to know the reason for his change. That’s all.”

Apart from her face and eyes, her smile, counted as a great weapon, could spell a man. She smiled like whatever-you-want-to-say.

“You do think I’m a wolf because of your friend?”

“Anyone sees the wolf in your eyes.” The girl narrowed her eyes to stare at him. And Ben wanted to kiss her right away.

“I’ve never concealed myself.” He stared at her. After he received the answer, Ben still wondered if it was the right time to move forward. He perceived the energy of youth from this girl but his thought became slower. With this attractive smile and adorable facial expression, sometimes he felt like kissing her, and sometimes he felt like patting her head. Am I still Benjamin Rosier?

“But you don’t have to be afraid of me. I’m the classy wolf and not a womanizer. We can start to know each other just by talking.”

She pretended to think. “Hmm, what I heard about you is not like this. We can be friends, really Ben. Not the way you’re thinking, I really mean friends, not like Wade and Sarah.” She moved her hands to make a gesture.

“Rejection?”

She did not answer but beamed.

Ben smiled in return. “Is it because you like my friend?”

Her smile faded at once. “No,” the girl urged to reply. “I mean I like him but not like that. We’ve just met.”

Indeed, she might not feel it or they might not feel it but he could perceive romantic electricity between them. A sign of a spark that would turn into a melodramatic event, if it turned out like that, the will to bed with this girl could be accounted for the test. For you, Alex, I do it for you.

They stopped at the dead end. Ben just realized her room was at the end of the corridor. She primarily knew he lied with the purpose to talk to her in private.

“It’s good to have new friends. Really nice to meet you guys. See you in the cafeteria?”

“Sure!”

He was standing watching her went inside with an amused smile and then Ben sank into a bizarre emotion as if he was swallowed by the fog.

He had mixed feelings about the situation that occurred just a few minutes. He was not the one who tested her but also being tested in return but with a different objective.

Bambi

Benjamin Rosier had never thought too much about how to make a move but plenty of thoughts and questions popped up after talking with this girl. It was like he complied with the conservation and her rationality, thinking about the place, people, and his friend as if she planted a seed of her idea in his mind.

Ben turned to go back to his bedroom.

“Get something new?” Alex stood behind him with arms wrapping around his chest, cocking his brows.

“You follow me?”

“Don’t you see I’m standing here?”

Ben hugged himself, annoyed. “Were you talking philosophy with her?”

Alex nodded, “I’m lazy to explain to you. You always have a dirty mind.”

“But when people talk philosophy, they get to know each other more and more. No, no. Don’t tell me more.” He stopped Alex. “I don’t care. I don’t want to hear any more. But you already know I want her. I see her first but I don’t mind if she will fall for you or already falls for you. But if she falls for me, don’t blame me; it’s nothing like Sarah’s case.”

Oddly enough, Ben became uncertain if his speech still sounded like Ben Rosier or not.