CHAPTER FOUR Carlos

"If that's you apologizing, I don't forgive you...."

I smiled the moment the image of her angry face leaped back into my active memory. I still remembered how she steadied her stand in front of me and decided to look straight into my eyes as though we were running an interrogation session.

Seeing her heated up for this chapter, I decided to get in more by leaning on the locker.

I smirked after I noticed the frown that swiftly spread all over her face. She sure thought I was leaving and I knew I got her by surprise. I looked at her from head to toe and back assessing every bit of her. She looked like a vampire. Yes.

I don't mean to be rude, but she really looked like a vampire. Her skin was pale and almost white. Her eyes shinning as though reflecting light.

And why was she wearing a hat??

I don't know....

She was the humane version of Draculaura, a cartoon model from my little sister's movies.

"People like her often get purposely drunk, sling furniture off the balcony just for the joyous hell of it. And when the police get involved, a few bucks are able to silence them and before you know it, we're back to square one... Ridiculous Fools...",

I recalled my voice flaring and burning in rage.

All of a sudden seeing and hearing her made me lose my cool. I thought she was cute but I couldn't understand why she was acting like a psycho bitch!

Kris teamed up with her and I knew this was a losing battle. I turned to Draculaura, and she had her lips pouted as though sorry although I knew she was being sarcastic. Regardless, what she said still took me by surprise.

"Your girlfriend does that? This remorse I see in your eyes sure seems to go down a long way. You know -- as a matter of fact, now you have my attention, what happens next? They commit suicide by throwing themselves off the balcony?? Is that what she did?? Oooo...am sorry...when's her death anniversary? Maybe I might get an invite..."

What??

She stared at me boldly and watched me swallow hard not knowing what to say. From the way she was looking at me, I could tell she knew very well that she hit a nerve with those words. Fortunately for her, I had gingerbread for breakfast and I wasn't ready to have it puked all over her.

"Jenny...",Kris fristed the name and turned to her. So that's her name Jenny...nice. All my efforts were worth it knowing that my mission was completely complete.

It all started last Saturday. I was in my room when

I suddenly heard my mother's voice call from downstairs followed by my little sister's. They were loud than my alarm and I literally buried my head under my pillow. I heard them scream again and I groaned and rolled to the other side. I could hear their footsteps thudding over the wooden stairs and I immediately rushed and jumped off, hitting my forehead against the nightstand. And to think of it, it happens everyday.

"Carlos!!!", My mother knocked on the door and I let out a moan.

"Am up mom, quit it!"

"There's someone here....uhh...Alex?", She seemed unsure and my eyes quickly widened. Alex!!

I quickly opened my curtains and neatly tucked the corners of my bed sheets into the headboard. I wish I could take my time considering this was a Saturday but I was late.

Alex asked me for a favour. To come along with him as he visited the city's gym complex. I was wowed at first because between me and Alex, I was the crazy fan of bodybuilding and even dreamt of having my own gym one day. Although, after I deliberated on his idea, I knew it had something to do with a girl and I automatically agreed.

"One second...", I screamed barkling my belt and opening the door. I grinned and they all looked at me shocked. I know. I was the guy who would wake up at 7:45am and find myself early for an 8:00am class.

I left my bedroom door open so that they'd see the inside on my room. It was clean, neat and mostly sparkling. I was so proud of myself. I jogged down the stairs and into the living room where I found Alex seated on the couch with his legs crossed like a woman.

"Why are you all dressed up?" I asked right after I assessed him from head to toe. To begin with, he had his hair gel pressed. What was going on? He was wearing a peachshirt and a black tie which went well with the descent pants he was wearing. He had a polished maroon moccasins.

"We're going to a gym complex remember?",he reminded me and he headed toward the door. The cabinets opened and closed in the kitchen, a familiar sound to my frantically busy working mother; probably making breakfast. I heard my sister ran after us but I shut the door before she could catch up.

"Exactly why am surprised by your dressing. You make me feel underdressed in a black T-shirt and ripped jeans. Darn...you I feel like your bodyguard", I chirped as we got into his car. I noticed the smirk on his lips and started the engine.

"If there's someone out there who follows this bodyguard science, then they'd definitely think am your bodyguard...", He grinned.

His most loved devilish grin. I could see his face heat up and horns prominent on the sides of his forehead. How did I end up with this devil? I thought as I looked outside.

It took us an hour to get to the complex and I got fed up by the smell of car, so much that I wanted to puke. It was 11 in the morning and the realisation to missing breakfast woke the cat in my stomach as it started rumbling.

"Come on....",he called and I ran after him. Alex was half Italian, half Malaysian. He had the Asian dark hair, red skin juice combined with a husky rough but sexy deep voice that made him seem older for his age. He was awfully tall and had a somewhat Italian accent and in just one conversation you'd immediately tell he's from la Repubblica Italiana; as they put it in italy.

We paced up to the section that had a vast collection of treadmills and some more sofisticated sport equipment. I stood on the wall and peeped down as I noticed some people playing indoor soccer. Some were playing volleyball on the other side of the hall. Who plays volleyball indoors? Amateurs!

I rushed to the huge glass window and saw a huge swimming pool with a number of people I deemed to be too much. Although, I totally understood. The sun was up and scorching, definitely a cold bath would come in handy.

"Carlose....", Alex tapped my shoulder and I turned to him. Carlose, yeah right. That's what Alex called me. I got tired of correcting him and just went with it.

He gestured for us to leave and I raced down the stairs with him.

"How'd you find it? Did that go about to what you wanted???",

"Almost.... we're ten minutes late, they just left...", He jogged down the stairs and I followed.

We went out of the building and Alex stopped while looking around. Who was he looking for?? Did he forget he dragged me without making it known to me exactly what we're doing here? I didn't even have breakfast but did he care?

"Man...am hungry....",I groaned after I noticed he was busy looking around, ignoring me. He tapped his wristwatch and kept on groaning each time he looked around. He was worried and to say I've never seen him this worried before. It's like he was late for a science class with a minute and was running late for a makeover. What was going on? I looked around the place to get a glimpse of what he might have been looking for but I got nothing.

"Hey...am seriously hungry....", I followed him in the sun and beckoned him. He turned around to face me and shielded me from the sun with his massive height.

Without arguing, he took out a 100 dollar note from his pocket and handed it to me. He pointed to a nearby snack parlour and went back to his business. I chuckled and left. This love virus hit him hard. I knew Alex too well to think he came here to meet a gym star or a heavyweight champion. He was startled and obviously disoriented. He literally gave me 100 bucks just like that when he could've even spare me a cent. Wow...Who was this girl??

I raced to the snack bar and got a red-strawberry sippin frapuccino. I was so hungry for it and sure wanted to get a feel of it in my mouth. I wondered just what it would taste like. I licked my lips and received my change. I was about to take a sip when someone pushed me. I felt someone behind me and I knew my imposing would get me in hot soup.

"Hey Mister...watch it....you're going to spill your milkshake over my girl...", The guy behind the counter fired at me. I turned and again, I felt a light push and all my milkshake went dancing all over a woman. I got mad. Who was it that was busy pushing me? I turned around and saw Alex. He was beckoning me when his gaze was somewhere else...what?

My attention turned back to this woman....girl??. She was wearing a burgundy gym attire and a baseball cap. After I spilled my milkshake all over her, she slowly lifted her cap to look at me.

One look and I think I liked her.

She had short hair, as long as her shoulders and lightly curled. It was brown from the tips but changed colour to what seemed as ombre. Man, she looked hot.

I looked back at Alex to give him an earful but I quickly titlted my head back. I took a moment to study her and I found myself whistling. Whistling...why was I whistling?? Darn...I pinched my fingers and tried not to think about it. She was still looking at me desperately and I knew what she was waiting for.

Although before I could, my lips became glued to eachother and my tongue got stuck to my ceiling. What??

My eyes drifted down her body and unwillingly stopped at her legs.

Carlos...what are you doing?? My conscience screamed and I quickly pinched my thy. I came back round and I could feel bound to a spell. Someone was doing black magic on me.

My eyes travveled back to hers hoping to apologize for what was going on but from the expression on her face, my state was totally speaking a different language.

A minute longer and she'd definitely have me chopped alive and served for lunch. I wanted to leave but suddenly a wave of anger took over me. Why I was angry, I still remained ignorant to.

"Watch were you're going miss...", I hissed and span around. Alex was standing at a distance. When did he get there? He was right behind me a while ago...what was going on?

I walked to him and he was still busy doing his thing and in what seems like a flash, he turned to me and smiled.

"cAn wE gO?", he grinned again and this time the corners of his eyes cringed giving him the rich man look. He had his hands in his pockets and his shirt wrang to his elbows. His tie was loosened and his hair a bit ruffled.

I raised my eyebrows. Not to his capitalised vowels as he spoke in his Italian accent but to the turn up of events. Something was very fishy here....I span back around to the girl whom I'd spilled my milkshake over and she was gone. I wondered if her name was as beautiful as she was...

Seeing her in school on the very first day was a day well spent. I purposely walked close to where she was and after her sassy attitude welcomed me, I decided I'd play along this game

'Jenny' I smiled as a memory of Kris mentioning her name replayed. I arrived to class and took a seat. We were having our semester briefing by the head mistress as the principal was hosting the same in another dorm. It was almost eleven and I looked around, noticing half of the students were asleep.

On the very first day of school. I groaned and turned left to look at Alex. He was long gone than I was. I couldn't blame him. Our head mistress had a very overly soft voice and it gave her the chick tone. More over, she was a recovering dysplexic patient and reading her speech would surely take two hours when planned for thirty minutes.

I walked to the hallmonitor and took my hall pass. It was infuriating to know that rules enforced right form the first day of school.

Really?

We are in school not jail. And then make it worst, the penalties for minor offences seemed extreme and I just couldnt tolerate it all.

I literally can't walk around without a halloass during working hours or else I get community service.

So much for being in Westwood. I used to admire this form for the past two years as I was a Ferrous Tiger for the past two years in a roll. I wanted something new and Ceramic Bear was not in my options.

It felt too feminine and Westwood was the coolest deposited not having an been animalized.

I walked past the hallway and outside my dorm. I wanted to go find Jenny.

I knew this was totally wrong timing but I couldn't rest. My heart was literally beating out of my chest like it'd burst through my mouth.

She echoed in my mind and I didn't understand what was going on with me. I took the cape and went to two floors beneath.

I arrived in at my destination and got somewhat impressed.

The walls were painted a shade of pink and the huge post really did a good job giving it away.

The words were in bold calibri and am sure to font size 72.

Two bears; one holding the first letter C while the other held the last letter S, creating a mesmerizing image of this dorm. CERAMIC BEARS.

Now that I saw all this, I began regretting not panting after it. It wasn't just a pretty pink princess castle but also a damn looking masterpiece burning with intense passion.

The place was quiet for a recently opened school, it was almost as though there were no students. I quickly removed my Westwood Hallpass and tossed it in my pockets. I was here at a wrong time and the last thing I would wish for is being charged for trespassing.

I controlled myself not to go about comparing the place to Westwood and focused on my mission because definitely that would last me a whole day. Discoveries were totally my thing. Totally!!

I walked around the campus and came to a minor gym complex in the back yard.

They have a gym in CB?

That's so unfair!!

All we get is a huge pitch and they get a gym? Great, it might do me good if decided to peep in the Ferrous Tigers territory too to make sure if my operation get a gym in Westwood would be worth it.

I started to hear minor chatterings and realised only a bunch of highschool teenagers would be responsible for that. I ran to were the sound came from and I really hit the jackpot. The whole Ceramic bear team had gathered around a mini shop getting a break after a tour around the dorm I believe. I began my mission and looked around for Jenny.

I dropped the plan to ask around as I didn't think she'd already made any friends. I walked close to the counter but I barely had any chance.

There was pushing and fighting like kindergartners at lunch fighting for the bathroom. This was humiliating.

I decided to take the overpass to the back only to end up in the same tangle just on the opposite side. I groaned and hissed. Seemed like all the imbeciles in the school had been enrolled to this dorm. Definitely... I was about to turn back when a glittering darkness caught my attention. This time, I didn't bother do a double take as I was scared it might get blown away by the wind.

I saw her!!

Her acquiline skin glowing in the sun. She was wearing a hat and it was in the same position as it was in the morning. I doubt if she took it off. She was nearly seated on a bench like a princess. Her extremely lean legs crossed against one another in the jeans she was wearing, giving her the toned look.

She had a maroon leather top on and was paying attentive attention to whatever the girl sitting next to her was saying. Another red head like Kris.

She even wore glasses like Kris did, only that this one didn't have bangs.

They were happily sucking from their straws and smiling now and then. Something interesting seemed to be going on there.

Then, their gaze followed a sound which I didn't dismissed and noticed someone calling, a brunnete. The red head excused herself and Jenny smiled.

Left all alone, she looked like an angel. She inserted headphones on and connected them to the iPad she was carrying. Her head shook in rthym and I assumed she was into whatever song she was listening to.

I quickly fetched my phone and turned on the camera.

I couldn't let such a moment go. I had to capture it. I just had to. I convinced myself to do this and I was going to do it.

Before I could even take the photo, a huge man, say...6 feet; or even above towered over me. I took a step back and landed on what seemed hard than a wall. Odd...it wasn't there before. I turned around to find a replica of the huge man that was in front of me.

I swallowed hard as I looked at these two men simultaneously. I looked around and noticed I was completely surrounded.

Where did they come from?? Like robots, they talked in sync and I couldn't even pick up a thing from their conversations.

'Identity...'

'JuanCarlos Syed Jeffrey....'

'location...'

'Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada...'

'L.J.C...'

'None'

'Posed threat....'

'Zero...'

'Pending threat...'

'None...'

'Prospecting threat....'

'Impossible...'

"Probably just one of the admirers...", One man snapped from behind me.

'Yeah I guess, hold fire....do not disengage, suspect disqualified....', the one behind me talked on his phone and I could hear guns being held back. What was going on?

"Young man, I'd advice you to leave. Put your phone away or we break it...",

"What was all that crap about? Are you guys with the FBI or something? What's going on? Is there a criminal here in school? What did you mean by prospecting threat? Do I look like a threat to you?? I did not see all this anywhere in the student handbook. What's all this about??", I fired questions at him one by one and he made me look stupid in front of the entire school. One by one, the fuss started to attract students and they turned my way.

"Leave...or we break phone...", The man that immerged in front of me threated but I only smirked at him.

He snatched my phone away from me and despite it requiring a password, he managed to bypass it and went in.

After looking for whatever he was looking for, he looked at his friend and shook his head.

"Negative...", He snapped and threw the phone back at me.

"Everybody...back into position..."

I noticed as they single handedly left. I still couldn't understand what was going on. For a moment I was frightened. How did I become a smuggler overnight? I know I was full of surprises but not this kind. I was still in shock when my heart dropped to the floor after I heard a familiar voice. Her voice...

"Richie, what's going on he--", she trailed off after she saw me and then I figured it all out. They were her bodyguards. Wow....just wow...

"Well, well, well...what do we have here??", She clapped as she walked to me. Almost half the dorm was watching us now and I knew I had to play my cards right to get the last laughter. I was not in my home-dorm and getting humiliated here would be a sucker for life. She belonged here and am sure they'd laugh it off in a blink and forget.

"Draculaura, the rich brat...", I started as I steadied my stand and crossed my hands on my chest like she did this morning.

"Don't mind me saying but you look like a vampire...I mean what are all these bodyguards for? To top it up, you're wearing a hat...we can barely see your face...are you hiding from the sun???.."

"Ma'am....he was caught spying on you about to take a snapshot....", The huge man reported to her and I must say I first and foremost noticed the sly smile on her face.

Did he just call her ma'am? Who is she exactly?

"Job well done Richie...", She tapped his shoulder and walked towards me. I took a few steps back and unfortunately stumbled over a rock and fell on my butt. Ouch!! I wanted to scream but that would be extra humiliating. First the epic fall and now....what now? She stood in front of me and proved me wrong after I saw her squat.

"You were doing a good job standing there...shielding me from the sun....", I joked but she didn't laugh. She just kept on looking at me.

"For a moment I thought you were gonna stay up there, afraid of getting your knees dirty...as it is, I've added your name to the pampered pretty princess list. And just so you know, you're on number one....I mean bodyguards in school? That's just a shocker. You got me thinking I was international thief...."

"You really talk a lot of rubbish, don't you???", she asked leaning her face on her palm over her knee.

Her eyes narrowed at me like she could see through me.

How dare she??

The instant anger I felt almost choked me. I inhaled deeply before I managed to say anything.

"Why are you acting like a psycho bitch!", I screamed only for her to keep smiling at me.

She got up and picked her milkshake which she had spilled almost next to me.

What was she thinking? She threw the bottle next to my torso causing it to bump on a rock and splat the remaining milkshake on my shirt.

"Oooooo", murmurs from students in the background reminded me we had company.

They were paying attention all this time.

I could hear clips and I knew they were taking snapshots of whatever was going on. Total humiliation.

"Bingo.....that was for spilling milkshake on me", She wiggled her eyebrows as she stood up, turned around to leave.

Seriously were still on with the milkshake??

Get over it, bitch!! She had gone too far with her comeback.

Too far off and I couldn't let this one go. I spotted her next shenanigan — saw it coming — and so avoided being fooled.

In a fit of rage, I twisted my body to get up but unfortunately I sprained my ankle, lost my balance and landed my face on the milkshake she spilt.

What????

"I noticed you enjoy making pig impressions," She walked back to were I was, grabbed my hair and lifted my head to face her. What did she even mean by that?? I enjoy making pig impressions?? Did I look like a pig to her??

"...and that...was for not apologizing....", She shrieked and tossed my face back into her milkshake. My vision was blurred and I pushed away the leads of milkshake just to be sure this had happened.

"As Latimer put it ma'am, Flatterers and flibbergibs...", Her bodyguard which she constantly called Richie said as he made his way to behind her.

"You rock Richie. Pure delinquent...",she snapped at me as I shamefully watched her walk away. She resumed her seat and in less than a few minutes her two friends joined her and together they left.

'this will totally get me a lot of likes and followers on instagram'

'fame on the first day of school'

'tuck it in Jeffrey...the shame...'

'she's such a pro, is she a goddess? She totally got him. Revenge on your ex series...'

'too bad we didn't see her face....'

Satisfied, they all left after the clown show they got. And Jenny, she sure had a great time entertaining everyone at my expense all for a milkshake bash!! Does she even know it was an accident and I was equally sorry?

"Name....", a voice emerged from behind me reminding me of the security scan I went through not so long ago.

I raised my eyes to look at whoever this man was. I wrinkled my forehead in despair and am sure he saw through me, to retaliate my act, he raised his eyebrows in disgust.

"Carlos. Carlos Jeffrey....",I replied and bent my head down only to sink it in the milkshake. For the third time....!!!

"I believe...you belong to Westwood",

"Yes but --"

"Please report to the principal's office...you're being charged for trespassing and littering...."

"What???"

"Please report to the --",

"I heard you....it's just that....all this is a misunderstanding...",

"Are you or are you not in the Ceramic Bear compound within work hours??",

"I am but ---",

"Do you or do you not know what the student handbook says about --",

"Yes, yes I do....and I understand...---",

"Then you very well know am doing my duty....please cooperate...", He grinned and placed a trespassing tag around my neck.

This was really humiliating. I looked around to see if anyone was looking and God was I wrong, the entire dorm was eyes on me like the uprising young artist.

"But sir...hear me out...",

"Yes...in the principal's office, I will..."

"I can't walk like this. This is humiliating...how do you expect me to walk around after I've been tagged trespassing? I think you're hindering my rights here as a student...let's discuss this...",

"Am more than willing to listen to you---",

"In the principal's office...", We said it simultaneously and I rolled my eyes.

I followed him as he walked toward the group of touring Ceramic Bear students. I braced myself. I could do this. They all parted as I passed in between and all the way....to the principal's office!!!