Chapter 6 - The Bikers

Morsons High. First Grading Period.

TWO days before the exam week. Hero started to worry about whom to copy in the upcoming exams. The teachers were keeping a close eye on his group because of the bullying complaints that were brought up to the admins so he could not force his classmates to cheat.

"Why don't we just ask your girlfriend for help?" Miggy suggested.

"Huh?" he asked, curious as to whom Miggy was referring to.

Before his friend could answer, Dana walked past them.

"Well, speaking of the she-devil," Miggy whispered.

They followed Dana to the library as silently as they could. They grabbed some books and sat down next to her. But Dana was busy taking down notes that she did not even bother to glance at them.

Minutes later, he could no longer stand it. He was like a demon melting inside the church. He went outside and decided to wait there.

His minions followed him.

Upon looking at Dana, he realized that his friends were right. They needed her if they wanted to pass the exam. It's their last year. It would be embarrassing if his group would not be able to graduate.

His friends got bored and went home first. He chose to stay and wait for her.

It's almost dark when Dana came out. "Hey!"

Dana stared at him. "Were you waiting for me?"

"Don't be scared. I mean no harm. Are you done for today? Can I walk you home?"

"You've been mad at me since the first day we met, and now you've waited for me just to take me home? Are you planning to get back at me or something?" she asked in an accusing tone.

"No, no. I'm here to make peace. I know we've been on bad terms so..."

"But I don't know if I can trust you."

"Then why don't you try and see for yourself?"

"Okay?"

Dana hesitantly agreed for them to walk home together. For quite a while, he remained silent and tried to figure out how he would open up the conversation about asking her help for the upcoming exam.

"The truth is..." He spoke embarrassedly at last, "My friends and I need your help, you know, in the upcoming exams next week."

Dana stopped walking and looked at him. Then, to his astonishment, she burst into laughter.

He scowled his face and was about to get annoyed, but later on, he was enjoying the musical sound of her laughter and her squinty eyes.

Dana stopped laughing. "We can have a group study this weekend at my house. I can be your tutor if you want," she replied.

His face lit up. "Really?" But then his reaction changed. "Are you sure about that? We're dumb people, just so you know. It won't be easy."

She just smiled at him.

They were only a few meters away from school when some Dixon guys surrounded them.

"Well, well. So this is why I haven't heard you fight these days." It was Liam again.

He hid Dana behind him. "Liam, haven't you had enough from last time?"

"Oh, come on! Are you afraid your girlfriend will see you get beaten up?" Liam mocked.

"I am not in the mood to fight you. Let's do this some other time," he said before pulling Dana and passing Liam.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me when I'm talking to you!" Liam said angrily, grabbing his shoulder to face him before punching him in the face. He fell to the ground in front of Dana.

"Hero!" Dana cried. And before she could run to him, the other guys held her in both hands. "Let go of me!" she squeaked.

"How dare you! Let go of her!" he ordered authoritatively when he got up. He angrily rushed to Liam. The two of them fought against each other, but Liam's group came to help beat him up.

"Hero! That's enough, please!" Dana was crying at the heartbreaking sight. Then she began shouting on top of her lungs, "Somebody, help us! Please, help us! Help!!!"

Liam got pissed off and slapped Dana with the back of his palm to silence her.

"Liam, you piece of sh*t! How dare you hurt her! I'm gonna kill you!" Hero swore furiously.

Liam stepped on his head. "You shut up! Don't get so cocky when you're alone! You can't beat me," he said proudly.

"Who's alone?"

Out of the blue, Hero's friends appeared. They surrounded the Dixon guys.

"You, jerks! You will pay for what you did!" Lance declared and ordered his comrades to attack. They came rushing in and crushed their opponents.

Hero immediately rescued Dana. "Are you okay?" he asked, checking up on her like a worried boyfriend.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied.

He saw the bruise on her face where Liam's hand landed on. He caressed it and immediately hugged her. "I'm sorry. You got hurt because of me."

Dana shook her head when she released her. "It's not your fault." Then she stared at him. "Your nose is bleeding."

He felt his nose. Blood was running from it. Dana immediately took a tissue from her bag and wiped the blood. She also cleaned up some part of his face.

He just stood there, staring at her angelic face and feeling lost again with that familiar irregular beating of his heart just like when he first saw her. Dana noticed him and stared back into his eyes. Suddenly his world stopped turning.

"Ah, Hero?" Miggy interrupted. They both turned to him awkwardly.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"The opponents are gone. We can go home now," Miggy announced.

"Right. Thank you, guys!"

"Thank you very much," Dana echoed.

"Come on! We'll take you home," he said, holding Dana's hand. She didn't refuse.

**

Present...

FRIDAY. It's Cas-U's Charter Day and that meant no class for the students. Hero decided to help his aunt instead of attending the school event.

"Won't you get reprimanded if you don't show up in school?" Belen asked him.

"The main event will be tonight. Besides, I have no part in today's activities," he explained.

"Really?" Belen didn't sound convinced yet she did not complain having him nonetheless.

Nine o'clock came. His aunt informed him that she had to go somewhere to run some errands and would come back sooner.

A few minutes later, Max entered from the exit door leading to the house kitchen. She asked for Belen.

"She went out and will come back soon," he replied.

She stared at him, not convinced by what he said.

"Auntie is not here. Eat now or help out."

Her eyes narrowed at what he said.

He pretended to ignore her, but he was secretly having fun seeing her annoyed reaction. He found it amusing.

Max took a plate and scooped up some rice from the stainless rice pot, then she put a piece of fried egg and a slice of ham on it. Finally, she went to an empty table and ate quietly.

He had just finished washing the dishes when a couple of motorcycles arrived and parked beside the eatery. He immediately recognized Oro Street Riders' denim jackets.

The Bikers were their regular customers. Many of them worked in the bus terminal and the construction site nearby. They usually came in groups of not less than ten bikes. But the main problem was, other customers got scared of their presence because of their frequent fights and immediately left or would not eat in the restaurant anymore.

"Hey, Hero! How are you, man?" greeted Cardo, one of the porters at the terminal.

As much as he hated them, he had no choice but to put up with them. "Hey! I'm good, thanks. Are you going to eat?" he replied. It was not lunchtime yet, and it was unusual for them to come around this time.

"Oh, no. Maybe later. We're just paying our visit," replied Harry, a construction worker in an apartment in the next block.

"To Red Eagles?" he asked mindlessly. He was aware of the so-called "clashing tradition" of the three big groups during Cas-U Charter Day when they would meet and fight.

Many of them graduated from Cas-U, so they visited the campus during Charter Day while wearing their gang signatures. However, after the activities, another big event was going to happen outside the campus. No one knew where and when the clashing would happen. Others said it was merely a coincidence. But over the years, it had become a "traditional coincidence." And a lot of people were looking forward to this event.

Before someone could answer him, a tall guy in his late twenties stepped forward and sat on one of the seats in front of Max with his back on her. It was Vince, the group leader. "I heard you are studying at Cas-U. Didn't the Red Eagles recruit you?" he asked, shifting the topic.

"Me? Oh, no! Besides, Auntie will only scold me when she finds out I joined any gang," he replied with a little laugh to shrug off that eerie feeling coming off from Vince's voice.

"I see," Vince said plainly.

Max stood up after eating. She drank her water and turned to leave using the front door.

"Hey, wait!" he called her.

She stopped and turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"Where are you going? Auntie might be looking for you."

She just stared at him but did not respond. Then she turned her back on him.

"I didn't know you had a sister," Vince commented.

"Ah, he's not my sister. Uhm...She' the daughter of that big house," he explained, pointing to Max's house. It was too late when he realized how talkative he'd got.

"I see," Vince said, uninterested. He looked at his wristwatch. "It's time. Let's go!"