“… So, now that you exactly know what I did to your girlfriend, as promised, it’s time to tell you what Harrison Storm did to our gang. It’s such a drag… But well, come with me to my room,” Reagan says, moving further ahead of me.   

“Reagan…” I mutter in a toneless voice, staring down hard at the floor.   

“What?” She asks, stopping on her track and turning around.   

“Drop me to my house…” I say in a strangely calm and even tone.   

“Hmm? Your house? What, too scared to hear the about the stuff that pushed your girlfriend to the edge?” Reagan asks, smirking.   

“Yes, I am. Take me home,” I repeat.   

“Hmm… Well, it’s true that there isn’t any point in telling you about these things— other than my personal enjoyment, that is. And honestly, it’s better if we can avoid meeting Chloe at all. Unnecessary risk, you see,” she says thoughtfully.   

I just listen to her in complete silence, but internally, my heart is thumping heavily and there is a loud ringing in my ears.   

“Okay then, you can go if you want, I have no work left for you today. Valerie will drop you home,” she tells me.   

For a few seconds, Reagan waits for me to say something, but when I don’t, she continues to speak with a frown.   

“You don’t seem much affected by what I told you, boy. Not to lie, I was hoping for an entertaining outburst including everything— shouting, swearing, name-calling… ending with an amazing punishment for you. But you ruined my fun,” she says, clearly disappointed.   

“…”  

“What, trying to give me the silent treatment? You are so pitiful,” Reagan says with a laugh.   

“…”  

“By the way, you don’t even wanna make sure that your girlfriend reaches her house safely? I thought you would want to stick to me like wart until I let her go,” she says.   

Again, I do not say anything.   

*Sigh*  

“You are no fun today… Fuck away to your house,” Reagan says, giving a slightly irritated sigh.   

 

 

 

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The ride to my house was very quiet— neither I or Valerie spoke to each other. I just kept staring out of the window, staring at the sun as it goes down the horizon, my mind completely blank.   

Though the entire way, the heavy thumping in my chest and the strange ringing in my ears doesn’t tone down in the slightest.   

“Me and Madam Reagan will pick you up and drop you to the school tomorrow morning,” Valerie informs me as I get out of the car.   

I give her a small nod before walking away.   

The moment I open the front door of my house, the maddening figure of my mother rushes out of the kitchen and thunders down upon me.   

“Caiden Black! How many times do I have to remind you that you are grounded!? You have to come home straight from school! No wandering around!” She says furiously.   

“But you don’t understand it at all, do you!? I think you clearly need some extra punishment! No dinner for you tonight and no pocket money until you are ground— wait, where are you going!? I am still talking to you!”  

Paying no heed to my mother, I walk towards the stairs and start climbing up. She continues to call me back for a few seconds before coming after me.   

But before she could reach me, I enter my room and lock the door shut.   

“Caiden, open the door! I won’t tolerate this kind of behavior!” Mother shouts angrily while banging the door.   

Ignoring her again, I walk towards my study table, sit down on the chair, and switch on the table lamp. After a while, my mother gives up on trying to make me come out of the room and leaves— it seems like she understood that something is wrong and I need some time alone.   

Once the silence has fallen again, for the first time since Reagan explained to me what she has done to Lily, I start to think…   

As Reagan said, unlike the earlier instances, I didn’t shout at her, I didn’t verbally abuse her— in fact, I show no specific reaction.   

But am I really not perturbed by what she told me?   

No, that’s not it. I am angry, much angrier than ever before.   

Now, the gang has not only broken Lily— they are even messing with her delicate state of mind to meet their ends. And by doing this, they are destroying the person whom I care about the most in this world.   

What if the damage they have inflicted on Lily is permanent!? What if, when all of this is over, she will never be able to return to how she was?   

What if I lose the happy and cheerful Lily that I knew forever…?   

As much infuriating as this thought is, it raises some more scary questions as well.   

When will this be over? Will the gang ever set me and Lily free? And even if they do, what will become of us after that?   

Today, Reagan made it clear with her actions, confirmed her earlier statement, that she will go to any lengths, abuse and use us in any way, to fulfill her goal. And thus, undoubtedly, even if me and Lily survive this ordeal, we will never be the same.   

And thus, there is a reason why I didn’t do anything today— no shouting, no swearing, no accusing.   

This is what I have been doing until now, but I finally understood that there no way these things will help us in any way. As Reagan said herself, it’s just another form of entertainment to her. I cannot achieve anything by just whining that life’s being really unfair to me.   

If things continue like this, nothing but a really dark future waits for me and Lily.   

Then, what should I do to prevent this?   

Complaining is futile, being sad and angry is just a waste of time, and asking for help is impossible…   

No, I know what to do, I have known it since a while ago— I was just too scared to act upon it. But now, after what I have seen today, I think I am mentally ready to take action.  

It’s finally the time to fight back…   

But how?   

My enemies have a lot of money, immense power, and great influence. Of course, I don’t have any of these things, I am nothing but a normal high school student.  

But well, thinking about this again, doesn’t this also make it clear what I have to do?   

I don’t have power, money, or influence. So, I just need to get them, right?   

Or, to put it plainly… take them from my enemies.   

No doubt, this may seem impossible to a lot of people.  

But I know that if I use the one and only thing available in my hands right now, this is possible— extremely risky and dangerous, but still, possible.   

And ironically, this is the thing I have been cursing and blaming continuously for the last few weeks— but now, it will be my weapon, the thing I will use it against the gang.  

My situation.