Chapter 4. On your own

Eve blinked flabbergastingly up at him, he couldn't believe what he did. This wasn't the part of his plan to live here peacefully, he wasn't supposed to do something so outrageous just after a few hours of his arrival here. He could feel the sharp gazes gawking at the back of his neck which left him trembling. 

"B-But he was going to s-stab him," Eve let out in a hushed voice, he didn't feel safe speaking when so many eyes were on him.  

"And?" River whispered with a scowl, he didn't care about the students who were drowning them both under their gazes, whispering about them. He is not afraid of any of them because they are afraid of him. But he understands how wrong Eve was; it was against the rules of this school. "That's their problem."

The blond on the other side looked at them with death in his eyes. He stood up after one last punch to his victim, throwing him away and started walking like a maniac toward Eve.

The audience, who were enjoying the ongoing drama, gasped. Watching him getting nearer, Eve felt like his time had come, witnessing his death approaching him. 

When River saw the terrified look on Eve's face, he turned back. He acted instinctively and quickly blocked Eve becoming a shield before the bully boy could get his hands on him. 

"Back off Dexter," River exclaimed in a dangerously serious tone. "Only touch him if you don't want your hands attached to your body." 

Eve gulped, he couldn't see River's expression but his tone alone left him shaking and making sure that he wasn't kidding. He felt quite overwhelmed upon encountering this River for the first time. Which means he was clearly going easy on him on purpose, and Eve would have been grateful if his heart wasn't filled with apprehension.

Dexter laughs as he surrenders his hands and tilts his head.

"Is this your new boy toy?" Dexter leaned in and looked River in the eyes, not scared by his threat, but sure as hell intimidated, which he didn't let show on his face. "Did you get rid of that sissy of yours already? Did he know you got yourself a new plaything? Can I have him if you don't want him anymore ugh!-" Before he could finish, a solid punch landed on his mouth, shutting him up. Eve gasped behind River. 

River's nostrils flared in agitation, jaw clenched in rage. He seemed like a wild animal ready to pounce on his enemy. "Don't take his name from your filthy mouth," He fumed, trying not to let the anger hover over his brain but he had already failed. The punch was just a warning. "And could you talk from a little far, your breath stinks."

The students snickered loudly, washing Dexter with humiliation. He gritted his teeth and glared at them while blood came out from his mouth, but that didn't stop the laughter.

"Oh, you think you did something, huh?" Dexter threw a punch back which was caught by River before it could land on his face. 

"I don't think I did something, because I don't have to do something to insult you," River's lips curled up into a smug smile. "Your mere existence is enough for that."  

The laughs multiplied tenfold, which only made Dexter even more infuriated. They both heard a soft chuckle at the back of River, Eve quickly slapped a hand on his lips. 

"And that was your best comeback?" Dexter was enraged, yanking his hand back. "Do you really think you can insult me?"

"I wasn't insulting you, I was tolerating you," This time River leaned into him and whispered, "Now get out of my face before I completely lose the little temper I have because I haven't eaten anything yet which is not a good sign."

They were of the same height but Dexter unknowingly gulped. Three more boys come running to his side, hushing in his ears. 

"Boss, let's go!" One of them said, but Dexter did not waver.

"Come on, boss. Try to understand, if Alpha gets to know about it he will torture us by drowning in the pool again," The other nagged as he shuddered to death think about the last time. 

"Fuck off, do you think I'm scared of that bastard?" Dexter said, looking straight at River. 

'Yes,' They wanted to say but trailed off, "Leave it boss, let's just leave for now." 

"Do I need to throw a stick for you to run away now?" River said cheekily. 

"Fuck you!" He spat and peeked at the back where a certain little sneaky puppy was hiding. "We'll meet again, newbie."

Eve flinched at his voice and shrinks further into River's back.

Dexter left bitterly with his gang with the promise, and the crowd returned to their own gallivanting.

River took a deep breath and turned back to Eve, where he found him innocently looking up at him with apologetic and ashamed eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked and Eve feebly nodded. 

"Y-Yes, thanks to you," Eve said, feeling lucky as he tossed the beating he was sure he would be getting. "I-I'm sorry."

"It's fine," River let out with a sigh and smile. "There are so many things you need to learn. Come on now, cheer up a little. Let's go and eat. I'm so fucking hungry."

Eve made an effort to smile back and followed his new friend, for whom he was extremely grateful. In order for Eve to successfully get his food in line and settle down at a table, keeping to his promise, River made sure that no one would bully him or attempt to make derogatory gestures.

Eve didn't dare to look at other tables and ate in small bites, while his new bodyguard looked as if he hadn't eaten in days and kept wobbling down his food. Eve's stomach growled, but he couldn't tell if it was from hunger or uneasiness.

"Every one out of five students has a red batch here so stay far from them," Eve's face snaps up at River's advice. "As you can see, wearing the batches is compulsory because they'll decide your future here, whether you're capable of giving a fight or gonna be eaten alive. There are three colours of batches: yellow, red, and black."

Eve carefully takes in his every word, bobbing his head as he continues.

"At the last is yellow; while I won't say they aren't dangerous, they aren't as dangerous as the red ones. As soon as you cross paths with red batch students, run, because they should be avoided at all costs cause they have undoubtedly done some screwed-up shit and are constantly looking for trouble."

"Then, what did y-you do that brought you here?" Eve scolded himself for not being able to resist his curiosity and asking River such a personal question. 

"Well let me recall, leaked my teacher's sex tape, sent a student into a coma, stabbed my dad two times but unfortunately he didn't die, and punched a cop," River laughed as if he was telling his life achievements and laughed more when Eve's face twisted in terror. "But I'm not here for all these things, my mom took care of everything for me, but she threw me here because I fucked my sister's boyfriend. And she loved her more than me. If you can call this fucked up."

Eve Scrunched his nose in disgust. 

"Why would y-you do that to your own sister?"

"Because we had a bet, who could fuck him first. And I fucking love challenges," River chuckled, filling his cheeks with more food. "So, it's not my fault she agreed too."

As the kids on a table in the far corner laughed and screamed menacingly, they became distracted. Eve's gaze darted down to their batches, and he noticed that the majority of them who were causing chaos were red batches, whereas yellow looked more decent in comparison.

"But, I'm not as bad as you, no?"

When Eve flinched in discomfort, River's gaze shifted slightly, as if he was trying to peer into Eve's soul. River slowly inserts the spoon into his mouth while maintaining eye contact, Eve's breath hitched in his throat as cold sweat formed on his temple. 

Eve stiffened uncomfortably in his seat as he tried to change the topic.  

"A-And the first, what about the black batch?"

"No one has a black batch except for one person. And that person is Alpha. You'll meet him soon," River smiled at him brightly with his dimples on display, as if telling Eve something with his eyes, but Eve was too overwhelmed after hearing that the most rumoured guy is the one with the black batch to notice that. "But that's about to change, he's going to have a company soon. Ahh, I can't wait to tell him about this. He's gonna flip so badly." 

River laughed but Eve didn't find anything funny, rather he paled. 

"Anyway, the worst of them all is the black batch holder. And this guy is the devil, pure evil, and devoid of conscience. He hits people without any mercy, which earned him enormous respect and popularity, and now he is at the top of the food chain. He's like a cold breeze; you never know when he'll come and when he'll go; he's so loyal that he'd give his life for his friends but so obnoxious that he can use the person closest to him as bait for his selfishness."

Eve didn't even blink as he listened to River. 

"Sounds a bit dramatic, no?" River chuckled. "I know but believe me he's so much worse than I described him."

Eve just nods because he doesn't know what else to say. 

"Anyways, let's put that aside," He looked straight into Eve's eyes making him forget his surroundings. "Who did you kill?" 

Eve's eyes widened in horror but couldn't muster the words. He choked on his own breath. "I-I-I-...!"

River felt bad for making the boy so uncomfortable and scared that he looked like he'll have a panic attack. 

"Alright, you don't have to talk about it," He said which calmed down Eve a bit. 

Eve doesn't even want to think about that unfortunate time of his past that lands him in this hell. "T-Thank you."

"No need, and I'm sorry for being a silly bitch," River said, and Eve noticed him casting a glance at a boy sitting two tables away. The boys smiled seductively at River, and he reciprocated the smile. Eve was taken aback when he recognised the petitely beautiful boy who had stopped his way a few moments before and said such despicable things. His other friends were also seated with him.

"Watch those fuckheads laughing there carefully, avoid them as best as you can. Although they look innocent they ran a whole harem in their little fuckland," He turned and looked seriously at Eve. "And you little motherfucker is a perfect target for them. So, don't go near them and never take a favour from them, never go anywhere alone with them. And please excuse my language, I could be a little aggressive at times." 

Eve, scared to death, bobs his head robotically, attentively listening to whatever guide River was giving him. He stared at Eve for a few seconds and the shy boy couldn't help the red coating on his cheeks. 

"And stop blushing all the time."

"It's not like I wanted to blush, I just can't help it," Eve looked away in embarrassment. "Then why did you smile at him?"

"Because I like to smile at people I don't like," River deadpan, finishing his food while Eve wasn't even halfway. "I'm glad that you are not like them, Luna." 

"And I'm glad that you're my roommate," Eve smiled genuinely. 

"Oh, my bed, it totally slipped my head to tell you," River dramatically slapped his forehead. 

"What?" Eve asked worriedly. 

"I'm not your roommate."  

"W-What?" Eve almost fainted at his words. 

"Didn't you hear me clearly when I told you my crimes?" River asked, amused by his reaction. "Did you hear me mentioning that I am a murderer? No, right, so how could I possibly be your roommate?"

Eve opened and closed his mouth and stuttered nonstop. 

"T-Then W-Who?" 

"Alp-!"

River started but was cut off by a familiar cold voice. 

"River fucking Bridger! You are so fucking dead!!"