Episode 16

Bill decided this time to give his guy the time he needed to cool off, after hundreds of unanswered calls and messages, he thought it best to talk to him at lunch, fully aware he had messed up. Cameron had told him so, and after a long talk with his friend—the one who knows how to listen and offer hard-to-ignore advice—he realized his behavior had been utterly childish.

He chastised himself all night and particularly that morning when he couldn't go to pick up Jason. He had never felt this way before, so dependent, so in need of someone else's attention, his emotions a complete turmoil. Yet everything seemed to calm down when he sensed the fragrance and proximity of the person who for weeks had made him sigh a thousand times a day.

Bill left his motorcycle by the school and was surprised to see Trevor walking past him, not even looking his way, with a split lip and a thoroughly blackened eye.

"What happened?" he inquired with a nod of his head.

"Didn't Jason tell you?" remarked Jack as they walked deeper into the building.

"What?" Bill's heart raced when he heard that name from Jack's lips.

"Well, according to Nara, after the celebrations, Trevor went to get drinks and tried to annoy Jason."

"Is Jason alright?"

"Relax, he's fine."

"How do you know?"

"Because after my girl told me, I talked to the guys who were there." Jack smiled as he emptied his locker.

"They were impressed, Jason beat him up, and that bastard couldn't even land a hit."

Bill smiled, gazing at the ground.

"Hey, what's with that face, don't tell me..." Jack raised his eyebrows, amused.

"What?" Bill tried to suppress a chuckle.

"You are—" he pointed with his index finger.

"No way, what crap. Let's go to class. I'll talk to him at lunch."

"He still hasn't replied?"

"How do you know?"

"Well, I know everything, Brennan."

"You're such a gossip."

"No; I'm just a being who loves information."

"Yeah, right, we better get going. Today we have Biotechnology, and you know the old man hates you."

"Thanks, Brennan, for brightening up my morning."

"My absolute pleasure." Bill slapped his friend on the back, and they headed to class.

"I'm gonna hang you by the balls, Bill!" the girl with the unruly curls shouted across the cafeteria while Daniel held her back from landing blows on his friend.

"Magy, I have no idea what the hell's wrong with you." Bill put down his tray, still searching for Jason.

"He didn't come," Frank's voice, standing next to Nara, caught his attention.

"Why not?"

"Why? Seriously, Brennan, after you called him you really have to ask? Not to mention because of your stupidity, last night he had to defend himself from Becker's idiot."

Bill swallowed hard when he saw Magy's furious eyes on him—if they were daggers, this would be his last day.

The brunette looked over at Cameron, who was to the side, smiling with his characteristic calm until he caught his friend's irritated scowl.

"Hey, hold up, I didn't say a thing."

"Alright, let's be clear, I just happened to pass by and overheard the call."

"Jack, I'm gonna kill you!" Bill tried to go after his friend, who ran away behind Magy, still breathing like a wild animal.

"Coward."

"Don't you dare blame someone else, Bill."

"Magy, I know I went too far, but—"

"Bullshit," Magy snapped, freeing herself from Daniel's grip—he opted to let her go upon receiving her piercing glare. This beautiful woman, merely 1.60 meters tall, could be deadly when angry, and he certainly didn't want to be her target.

"Because of you," Magy pressed her index finger into his well-formed chest, undeterred, her desire to defend her cousin greater than her fear—"Jason is doing overtime trying to fix the mess from the fight with Becker, who you told, in your very words, was 'just another ass that you could claim.'"

"I'm going to kill Becker—"

"No need, Jason took care of him; he doesn't need your defense. Just don't mess up my cousin's life because I promise to grab your balls, chop them off, sugar coat them, and let the ants at them. Got it?"

Bill pressed his lips together, trying to hold back his laughter. Truth be told, his balls were at risk, though seeing someone so tiny against his 1.92 meters was quite the scene.

"Let's go, my sweet queen, leave him be," Daniel wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her petite body against his torso. Magy squinted her eyes and gave Bill a two-fingered warning, then turned to seek a kiss to calm her down.

"I'm going to find Jason today, and I swear I'll apologize."

"Sorry, Brennan, but that sweetheart is mine this afternoon."

"Nara, let's be clear, that boy is mine for the rest of these days."

"The truth is, I couldn't care less, Bill. He's agreed to go out with us, so you'll just have to grovel later." The redheaded woman took a sip of her drink, offering him a playful smile.

"Nara."

"Bill, we're going out with him; don't mess it up," Magy interjected, now comfortably nestled like a pampered kitten in her boyfriend's lap.

The brunette sat down frustratedly, pushing his tray away. He was angry, impatient, but the feeling that annoyed him most was one he'd never experienced with any girl before—jealousy, raw and unrestrained.

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