The Puppet Show

"My brother is dead!"

Nayeli's words sent shivers down my spine. I pretend like I was shocked in front of everyone. I knew the injuries were life threatening but still, to hear that the injuries dealt by Aphrodi killed her brother. That is something I would never accept if I was in Nayeli's shoes. She was not lying though, her brother really is dead. Her eyes were filled with tears when I took Bambi away from her. She broke down crying before me.

"Please! Give her back. I need to take something back from him. Aphrodi must suffer! Please!"

Wheez! WHeez!

Bambi was breathing so heavily, I could hear her wheezing. She trembles more than ever. "Victor! Let her go" Nayeli said walking towards me. She pulled out a kitchen knife out of her clothes. I turned my attention to Bambi while Nayeli charges at us. "What are you to Aphrodi?"

"Little sis"

"I see, I can't let you die then" I reassured her safety with me. I proved my worth by stopping Nayeli in her tracks and taking the knife away from her. "Hmm, what to do now" I wondered. The best thing to do is call the police. Suddenly I'm starting to be glad, I pried into Aphrodi's business. If I didn't, Bambi might have been dead now. Nayeli outclass Bambi in physical strength, she could not fight back if I wasn't here. I looked around and decided I am going to place hidden cameras in this alley. Anything can happen here without the people's knowledge.

Later on in the evening, after bringing Bambi safely to Aphrodi's hotel room. I accompanied Nayeli to the hospital where her brother was staying. Her brother was called Iro Horohoro. What she said really was true, her brother is dead but if she's smart she would have seen the injuries her brother received are nearly healed. Aphrodite killed him is what the doctor said but I'm skeptical about it. Wasn't he being treated at the hospital for a week? Dying all of a sudden just seems too weird. The metal pipes should have been pulled out days ago. Nayeli saw my puzzled expression so she told me. "They said he was poisoned. Aphrodi had every intention to kill them so it has to be him" she said starting the waterworks again. Them?

"Your brother's friend is dead too'?"

"Yes he is"

"What a day".

"What now? Are you going to defend Aphrodi again?" she asked curiously.

"No, I never defended him. I was just not attacking him like you guys were. I tried asking him why he did what he did but no dice. I'll try again. If I like his response then he'll get away with these deaths. If I don't like it, I'll have to imprison him"

"Victor, you're talking like a person with authority. What's up with that?"

Oh right, I slipped up a second ago. I don't have any authority, that's the story I am conjuring. All Star Academy only accepts the best students across the globe. I am an no exception, I was accepted because I am talented at a specific field.

"Anyways, thanks back there. You stopped me from killing someone. Iro's death was such a shock, I panicked. Then I got an anonymous message that Aphrodi's sister will be alone in the same alley where my brother was hurt. I acted upon my rage and tried to kill her" Nayeli said ashamed of her actions.

"Don't mention it. I'm sorry about your brother" I told her.

Knowledge is power, anything and I mean anything that rebukes this statement should not be trusted. Having information on the people around you gives leverage to do all sorts of things. With the right intel, a person can easily blackmail or control certain situations better. Knowledge also means it is hard for you to be fooled by anyone. Because of information I gathered, I am currently using multiple people as puppets in a show. By the end of today, everyone will be in ok terms. Aphrodi and Nayeli won't hate each other as much, I'll gain a better relationship with them too.

"Nayeli, before you call the police on Aphrodi. Let's have a chat with him first"

"Chat about what? About how he killed my brother"

"Yeah that and also some other things. Don't you want an apology from him? Plus you don't know Aphrodi's reason for what he did. You have a right to know" I said convincingly. She eventually got persuaded to Aphrodi's hotel room. The two of us stood before his door once again while I press the buzzer.

Ring!

The door immediately opened with an angry man charging Nayeli. He pushed her against the wall and began choking her. Aphrodi was in a bad mood. Bambi must have told him how Nayeli planned on going killing her.

"So you're planning on adding one more to your kill count. You're a bold one" I tried calming him down. He let go of the girl shocked by my words. He did not want to believe what I said. "Kill count? So Bambi was telling the truth when she says the seniors died. But why? They should have been recovering" Aphrodi said in the midst of his confusion. He held his head puzzled about the situation.

"I killed someone. That can't be true"

"Be in denial all you want. You killed them" I said in a jokingly manner that should not be taken seriously.

"Then why isn't the police here yet. I'm not stupid you know. I bet someone is framing me" Aphrodi sounded confident with his claim. At least I know he isn't a fool to simply believe it. Everyone else seems to accept Aphrodi as the killer. No one wants to investigate in the matter so the quickest way to deal with it was to pin it on Aphrodi. The injuries Aphrodi gave Iroh were gradually getting better. Him dying from the injuries that were fading away, just thinking about it makes me want to grin. I looked over at Nayeli who truly believed that Aphrodi killed her brother.

"Wow"

We all sat around Aphrodi's dining table. Aphrodi, Bambi, Nayeli and I sat down in silence. I initiated the conversation by saying "Aphrodi is not the culprit" the person I was really addressing was Nayeli. "Liar! I'm sure it's him" Nayeli shouted as she took out her phone. She showed a message from an unknown number. The message says "Aphrodi killed your brother. His sister will be alone in the alley way where your brother was injured. Avenge him if you want".

To think Nayeli would just listen to a person who she doesn't even know. If I were to receive a message like that I would have taken it with a grain of salt. The person who sent the message must have known Nayeli's personality and how she would react to a message like that. "Victor would match this requirement" I thought speaking in third person. Bambi raised her hand and showed us a message as well. Message sent by a stranger.

" Let's meet up in the alley. near your school around 2pm. Be late and your brother is toast"

With these two messages before us, we could no longer deny the presence of a mastermind. Someone definitely played the two girls into meeting. "The person who sent you these messages is the real culprit" I said strongly.

Aphrodi agreed with me. "Yeah must be. The culprit wanted us to divert our attention from him or her by fighting eachother. Nayeli causing conflict towards me and me doing the same to her".

Nayeli still hated Aphrodi for his actions. "Even if you didn't kill Iro. You still injured him for no reason".

SLAM!

Aphrodi slammed his hands on the table. "They had it coming" he stated.

"What!? Take that back!"

"I hurt those guys because they were awful. Everyone is just full of shit these days aren't they. Just looking at them makes my skin crawl. Have you seen what it's like for someone like me. Rocks to the face, brooms pushed down my throat, always finding my belongings in the fish pond. The worst part are their screaming, why are they screaming at me all the time!? Did I do something wrong to them!? What I don't get is y'all who pick on others always look surprise when the victim retaliates. Do you honestly think I wouldn't snap and go wild one day. All being a good little boy does is cause me more pain. In short, Fuck your brother"

...

"What goes around comes around. I am no longer the person I used to be. Anything I do to anyone is what they fucking deserve!"

Aphrodi's sudden outburst had me lost for words. He and I are similar in so many ways. Being bullied in the past, only difference is that he went on a dark path. He got tainted by the people who engulfs him in the darkness. That would have happened to me too, not gonna lie.

"Alice". My mind drifted to her.

Nayeli went silent, whatever argument she had was no longer with her. Aphrodi made sure to let out all his frustration in his little speech just now. The reason why Aphrodi resorted to such cruel behaviour was being he is tired of bullies. Aphrodi is at the point if someone rub him the wrong way, he'll do the extreme. Nayeli knows deep down that her brother was a bully so there was nothing more she could have said.

Especially since there's a chance Aphrodi is not the killer. "Now, would you guys mind waiting here for a while. I have a family member who could be of great help right now. I'll have him narrow our suspects" I reassured everyone.

"What does he do?" Bambi asks.

"Lots of things, Hacker, Administrator, Architect, Info Broker and much more. A jack of all trades" I told her. I went out in the halls and made a call.

...

"Don't forget now. You'll be there for at least seven years"

.....

"I don't want to hear your complaints. Do as I say or else the deal is off"

.....

"Bye"

When I ended the call I began to wonder why I chose this harsh and tedious way to restore my image. Sure I didn't have any before the incidents occurred but still. I went back to the living room where I saw Bambi, Nayeli and Aphrodi chatting. It looked like a small talk. Nayeli and Aphrodi who were just in bad terms are now not biting at each other. Massive improvement indeed.

"My cousin gave me a photo of who did it".

He entered Iro's room this morning. Plus that man was fired by Nayeli and Iro's father. Probably wanted revenge for his job" I explained to them. Aphrodi was skeptical about my claim. Naturally he doesn't seem to just accept people's words like how Nayeli and Bambi does.

In the end, around 5pm. I took the lead as the four of us searched for the real culprit. The one who killed Iroh. We eventually found him in a ramen shop out in the open. Police arrived to arrest him soon after Nayeli called them. Using this chance, Aphrodi made sure to ask the police many questions. Like if the man being arrested really entered the hospital this morning and how did he murder the victims so forth.

The answers he received satisfied him a bit since he stopped asking. The culprit name is Kevin Reinhardt and he poisoned the two victims. That pretty much wraps up the puppet show I hosted with Bambi, Nayeli and Aphrodi.

"Thanks for finding who killed my brother. I owe you one" Nayeli told me sincerely.

"No problem"

I moved on to ask Aphrodi "What have you learnt today?"

He was conflicted while saying this "I should be careful of my actions. I got accused of murder today because I went too far with the seniors. I'll find a less violent approach to deal with bullies".

That's what I wanted to hear. I would have walked the same path as Aphrodi if Alice had not spoken to me. Maybe I can be the light that keeps Aphrodi in line. If he lets me, that is.

Fun fact, Nayeli and Fugo are actually a couple in secret. They haven't made it official yet but they are madly in love with each other. As long as I stay in good terms with Nayeli, Fugo should leave me alone for a while. If Fugo leaves me alone, then his lackies will too I bet.

When everyone separated, I paid a visit to the criminal Kevin Reinhardt. The man I framed to be the culprit. He was locked behind bars in a police station, yet to go to real prison. When the man saw me, he was relieved. He kneed down and welcomed me.

"Good night, Victor sir. I did as you told. I'm getting imprisoned for seven years. Will you do your part of the deal?" the man asked curiously.

The desperation in his eyes was a sight to behold. This pathetic person who dares to call himself a father spent all the college fees his talented son needed to further his education. Kevin realized too late that his son is a genius and he regrets wasting all his money on alcohol and gambling. My family, mainly me decided I will help his son with financing up until he becomes a millionaire. It is not a hard task to do if I abuse my status in the family.

"Dont worry, your son's future won't be ruined. He has a bright future ahead of him however I must say you are incredibly brave. I never would have agreed to this deal if I was in your shoes. Imagine what your son will think of you when he finds out you're going to prison".

This whole day was scripted in my head since the beginning. Well, not the whole day but key events I have planned to happen. This is actually the first time I did something like this. Testing my capabilities is something I was afraid to do. That has changed now, if I want to be Alice's boyfriend. I need to stop holding myself back. Kevin asked me why I made such a deal with him.

"This morning I killed two people with liquid poison in order to spark a problem between two individuals. Nayeli and Aphrodi, Nayeli met up with Bambi because of the messages I sent the both of them. I made everyone think you're the culprit and not me. You were luckily visiting your grandma in the hospital today. I used you to hide myself"

"Why do all this?"

"Why? If you have seen the results you would understand. Nayeli and Aphrodi are not fighting each other anymore. In fact, after today they might even talk to each other. Nayeli understands Aphrodi's situation better because of the meeting I held in the hotel room. She will stop attacking him during class. As for my benefit, because I helped Nayeli with her brother's killer. She seems to start trusting me now. It's surprisingly easy how Nayeli is to manipulate. She listens to everything without thinking on her own. With Nayeli's help, I shouldn't be getting bullied anymore. I also wanted to give Aphrodi a little scare. Remind him that the anger he has towards humanity should not be constant. He will end up in prison with that state of mind". Kevin looked at me as if I'm some sort of creep. I seriously never expected things to end up like this. I thought somewhere down the line, I'd make a mistake in my judgement of characters but nope.

"No matter what, I can't let my love, Alice hear about this"