Chapter 15: The Breaking Point

The days following the disastrous dinner were torture for Lucas. Dimitri's persistent presence gnawed at him like a relentless parasite. Every polite attempt Dimitri made to connect only deepened Lucas's resentment. The new kid's constant shadowing turned Lucas's frustration into a simmering rage.

One afternoon, after a particularly infuriating series of encounters, Lucas decided he'd had enough. Every slight, every whispered insult, and every malicious glare had piled up, building a simmering rage within him that he could no longer contain. As the final bell rang, signaling the end of another oppressive school day, Lucas's mind was made up. He would confront the source of his turmoil directly.

The hallways buzzed with the usual chaos of students eager to escape the confines of the building. Lucas navigated the throng with purpose, his eyes scanning the crowd until they locked onto Dimitri. There he was, lingering by his locker, eyes nervously flitting around as if anticipating something. When their gazes met, Lucas held Dimitri's stare with an intensity that brooked no argument and motioned with a subtle tilt of his head for Dimitri to follow.

Dimitri, with a hopeful glint in his eyes that seemed almost pitiful, complied immediately. He fell into step behind Lucas, trailing him like an obedient puppy, eager to please. They walked in silence, the noise of the school fading behind them as Lucas led the way to a secluded spot behind the gym. This was a place he knew well, hidden from prying eyes and insulated from the sounds of the bustling school. Here, no one would see or hear them.

Lucas stopped abruptly and turned to face Dimitri, who nearly stumbled in his haste to halt. The hopeful glint in Dimitri's eyes had not dimmed, but there was a flicker of uncertainty now, a question forming on his lips that Lucas had no intention of letting him voice. Before Dimitri could speak, Lucas stepped closer, his slightly bigger frame somehow dominating the space between them with sheer force of will.

"Dimitri," Lucas began, his voice low but charged with barely restrained anger. "Do you know why I brought you here?"

Dimitri shook his head slightly, his eyes wide, a mixture of confusion and apprehension now clouding his features. Lucas could see the hope battling with fear in Dimitri's eyes and felt a dark satisfaction. He relished this moment, the power he held over someone who had caused him so much internal strife.

"You've been a thorn in my side for too long," Lucas continued, his voice rising with each word. "Your creepy behavior, the way you follow me, watch me... It's over. I won't tolerate it anymore."

Dimitri opened his mouth to protest, to defend himself, but Lucas cut him off with a sharp motion of his hand. "No. You don't get to speak. You don't get to explain. You've had plenty of chances."

The tension in the air was palpable. Lucas could feel his pulse quickening, the rush of adrenaline making his hands tremble slightly. He clenched his fists, willing himself to stay in control. He had to see this through.

Dimitri took a tentative step back, sensing the shift in Lucas's demeanor. But Lucas was quicker, closing the distance between them in an instant. He grabbed Dimitri by the collar, pulling him close enough that he could see the fear in his eyes up close. The satisfaction Lucas derived from this was almost intoxicating.

"You think you can just keep following me around? Watching me like some kind of freak? What do you want from me?" Lucas demanded, his voice a harsh whisper in Dimitri's ear.

"I... I just wanted to be friends," Dimitri stammered, his voice barely audible, trembling with fear.

"Friends?" Lucas sneered, shoving Dimitri away. "You don't even know what that means. You're pathetic."

Dimitri stumbled backward, catching himself against the rough brick wall of the gym. He looked at Lucas, eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears. The sight only fueled Lucas's anger further. How dare he play the victim now?

"You're not my friend, Dimitri. You're nothing to me. Less than nothing," Lucas spat, advancing on him again. "If I ever see you near me again, if you so much as look at me, I'll make sure you regret it."

The finality in Lucas's words left no room for doubt. Dimitri, now visibly shaking, nodded his head in silent agreement, too scared to speak. Lucas stared at him for a moment longer, relishing the fear he had instilled, before turning on his heel and walking away.

As Lucas turned to leave, a twisted sense of relief washing over him, he heard Dimitri's voice, small but clear, cut through the silence. "I thought you liked it when I watched you."

Lucas froze. His mind raced, replaying Dimitri's words over and over. The audacity, the sheer nerve of Dimitri to say something like that after everything. Slowly, Lucas turned back to face him, his blood boiling with a renewed rage that eclipsed anything he had felt before.

"You what?" Lucas growled, his voice low and dangerous, each word dripping with menace.

Dimitri, emboldened by a mix of desperation and a misguided belief that he was misunderstood, took a step forward. "You never told me to stop," he said, his voice trembling yet defiant. "I thought you liked the attention."

"Liked it?" Lucas hissed, his face inches from Dimitri's. "You think I liked being stalked, being watched like some kind of animal?"

Dimitri nodded, his eyes wide but still hopeful. "Yes, Lucas. Your eyes light up when you see me watching. And you leave your window open every night. You know I'm there, and you never close it. I thought that meant you wanted me to watch."

For a moment, Lucas was stunned into silence. The idea that Dimitri had interpreted his actions this way was both infuriating and baffling. He had never closed his window because he hadn't cared enough to notice Dimitri's presence. The thought that his indifference had been misconstrued as encouragement made his blood boil even more.

In an instant, Lucas was upon him. The veneer of control he had managed to maintain shattered completely. He grabbed Dimitri by the collar again, but this time there was no restraint. He slammed Dimitri against the brick wall with a force that knocked the breath out of him.

"You thought wrong," Lucas snarled. "You think I liked being stalked, being watched like some kind of freak show like I'm not normal?"

Dimitri struggled to breathe, to form words, but Lucas didn't give him a chance. With a primal roar, Lucas threw a punch, his fist connecting with Dimitri's jaw. The impact sent a shockwave up his arm, but Lucas barely felt it through the haze of his fury. He hit him again, and again, each blow fueled by all the pent-up anger and frustration he had kept buried.

Dimitri tried to shield himself, his arms coming up to protect his face, but it was no use. Lucas was relentless, each punch a release of the dark emotions that had been festering inside him. He didn't stop until Dimitri was crumpled on the ground, bruised and bloodied, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

He threw Dimitri to the ground and began kicking him mercilessly. Each kick was fueled by a dark, sadistic pleasure that surged through Lucas. He reveled in the power he felt over Dimitri, the thrill of dominating him completely.

"Stay down, you piece of shit!" Lucas growled, his voice a dangerous whisper.

Dimitri curled into a ball, not fighting back. His submission only fueled Lucas's rage. He grabbed Dimitri by the hair and yanked his head back, forcing him to look up.

"Look at you," Lucas hissed, a twisted smile spreading across his face. "You're nothing."

As he held Dimitri's head, Lucas noticed something that made his blood run cold—Dimitri's expression. There was no fear, no anger. Instead, Dimitri's eyes held a strange, almost admiring look, as if he wanted this, as if he was inviting Lucas's brutality.

Lucas's grip tightened on Dimitri's hair, pulling harder. "You think this is a game?" he snarled, his voice dripping with disdain.

Dimitri's lips parted, a faint, almost seductive smile playing on them. The sight of it sent a jolt of something dark and thrilling through Lucas. He felt a twisted satisfaction at seeing Dimitri like this, broken and submissive.

Lucas's heart pounded with a mix of anger and something more sinister. He didn't want to stop. Each punch, each kick, each pull of Dimitri's hair made him feel more alive, more in control. He was intoxicated by the violence, by the sight of Dimitri's bloodied face and the sound of his pained gasps.

Just as Lucas raised his fist for another blow, he felt hands grabbing him, pulling him away. "Lucas, stop!" Leo shouted, his voice panicked. Mark was there too, struggling to restrain Lucas.

"Get off me!" Lucas snarled, trying to shake them off. But Leo and Mark held firm, their faces pale with fear and concern.

"You're going to kill him!" Mark yelled, his voice shaking. "Enough!"

Lucas's chest heaved with labored breaths, his eyes wild with fury. He looked down at Dimitri, who lay motionless on the ground, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. The sight of Dimitri's battered body, coupled with the desperate expressions on Leo and Mark's faces, slowly brought Lucas back to reality.

Lucas yanked himself free from Leo and Mark, his heart still pounding. He took a step back, his hands shaking. The thrill of violence faded, replaced by a gnawing emptiness and a creeping sense of dread.

"Get him out of here," Lucas muttered, his voice hollow. "Before I finish what I started."

Leo and Mark exchanged worried glances but quickly moved to help Dimitri. Dimitri's eyes met Lucas's one last time, and despite the pain, there was that same unsettling look.

Lucas turned away, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The line had been crossed, and there was no going back. As he walked away from the scene, a part of him reveled in the darkness he had embraced, while another part felt a deep, unsettling unease.

The thrill of violence had awakened something within him, something he wasn't sure he could control. And as he headed home, the realization settled heavily on his shoulders—this was only the beginning.