Chapter 2: The Confrontation

The eminence of dawn cast a fiery luminance throughout the room. The scorching rays stirred Lucas awake from his sanctuary of escape. Coincidentally, outside a shadow crept closer and closer towards his door, then its tide halted momentarily. It's squirmed for a while unsure of the purpose of its approach.

The spawn of darkness, a reflection of his sister, hastily retreated afterwards. Lucas sighed, relieved. The impending conversation awaiting him weighed on him.

'I guess she also feels the same as me. The guilt is killing us. We need some time and space apart. Later we can sit down and talk when our thoughts are straight.'

He stood up from bed as he stretched his muscles to ebb the tension away. The scent emanating from his body was revolting prompting him to take a shower. The concert of water drops orchestrated a symphony of harmonic melodies, easing his awareness into a meditative state.

The crystalline water purified the evidence of his indulgence accrued at the previous night. The fatigue lingering in the crevices of his muscles dispersed, alternately strengthening the harmony between his mind and body.

Donning his shirt and trouser, he grabbed his bag pack and headed out for school. The enticing scent of bacon dampened the negativity festering in him when he encountered his parents. His father sat at the kitchen table with a newspaper at hand, purposely ignorant of his son's approach. The petite figure of his mother dazzled around the kitchen preparing breakfast. The absence of his sister didn't surprise him since she was similarily avoiding him.

"Good morning, Lucas." his mother greeted him as she passed a plate of bacon. Martha Analde, age 40, wife to Richard Analde, and a mother of two. Natalia inherited most of her traits. His sad excuse of a father likely used all his luck in his lifetime to score such a beautiful woman.

He took a seat at the kitchen counter, pouring himself a glass of milk. His eyebrows arched in retrospect of her suspicious behaviour. Pleasantries were a foreign concept between him and his parents considering their current dynamics in their vague relationship. She was only kind to him when she wanted something.

'Why can't you just go straight the point, mother? A veil of hypocrisy doesn't suit you?' he mused thoughtfully. The chunks of bacon lost its allure in his eyes, and he pushed it aside. The milk was enough, it was untainted.

"How have you been doing lately?" she inquired as she leaned on the counter across her son. Lucas frowned then stood up in resignation. Displeased by her charade, he took his leave. Martha realised her error and decided to end her charade. She asked, "Have you spoken to Natalie lately?"

Her amiable tone morphed into the indifference he was accustomed to. He felt more comfortable engaging with people when they are in their true selves. Lucas decided to barely satisfy her curiosity, "Something happened last night. She broke up with Alfred."

"What happened!" she exclaimed in shock. They knew Alfred very well; he even dined with them occasionally. He was like a son they never had.

"I think it would be more appropriate if she confides with you. It's not my place to tell." he said his last words as he departed. Their suffocating presence induced him to escape from their clutches.

The autumn leaves drifted away like a dream in the wake of his speeding form. He cycled his bike faster in pursuit of the meandering wind's tail. Its playful mirth brushed against his skin. He savoured the surreal experience showering him with serenity. He wished he could preserve this state to the end, but he knew it was fleeting as a mote of dust. The journey of life is like a feather drowning in the artic winds, whose whispers invoke death by its callousness.

Arriving in school, he chained his bike securely, then checked today's schedule, then packed the necessities at his personal locker. Before he closed it, an item caught his eye. A bracelet gracefully weaved in beads and thread, with air of austere simplicity, containing a hint of artistic intent. It represented sentiments of a relationship that he previously, and still held dear. Bitter feeling welled up in him as he thought of the owner.

'Was it worth it, Deborah?' He muttered inwardly as he held the bracelet.

Someone was staring at him intensely. He turned instinctively and his eyes met with the girl he was mulling about. Situated at few lockers away, Her expression was stoic, betraying no emotions. Since that day, she cut him off coldly without a word. He wondered how frail their bond was. 'I did nothing wrong, it was your fault.'

Suddenly his view was obstructed by a familiar, but reprehensible figure. A face that made girl's swoon and a chiseled body, making lasses wet their panties. Alfred stood in front of Deborah, a bit too close for comfort. Lucas frowned confused by his intentions. He expected Deborah to throw a fit since she held pure loathing towards this particular man. She never wanted anything to do him, but her current behaviour threw Lucas off guard.

Alfred embraced her intimately in public, scoring an uproar from the spectators.

He was the captain of the football team and a talented one at that. His records in the county level spotting a top 100 in the MVP table standings. He was a figure of reverence from most of his peers. His every move was heavily scrutinised, thus his actions today provoked a sensation in school. They all knew he was Natalia's boyfriend but today his actions denied that openly. She was the past and the present intrigued them.

Lucas struggled to comprehend Deborah's intentions. Those amber eyes, shimmering like dripping drops of liquid bronze, regarded Alfred with utmost affection.

'Was she the one Natalia was talking about?'

His sister mentioned a blonde bitch previously, then the puzzles fit to place. Deborah's identity was clear as day, eliciting his profound disappointment.

'I thought you were better than this.'

Yes, he was sincerely happy for her decision to bite the bullet and start dating, though he never expected her to cuckold his own sister. He didn't want to acknowledge her excuse, if she even had one. He only had one phrase for her, "Were done."

With that last resolution he decided to vacate the scene, but the arrival of a certain person he was trying to avoid thwarted his escape. A crowd started forming sensing her approach.

The victim of this fiasco sauntered over, obviously Natalia. She spotted her brother, whom was currently studying the profundities of the floor. Amusement flashed in her eyes briefly, but disappeared seen the revolting creatures in front of her. The audience was out of her periphery of consideration. She stood in front of the scandalous couple with pure contempt etched on her face.

"So, you threw away a couple of bucks to replace me with a slut," she spoke to Alfred without filtering her words, provoking chuckles from the audience. Lucas almost choked on himself, he never expected such crass language from her. She was really, really pissed off, which was a boon for him. Yesterday's debacle fortunately wasn't the catalyst of her rage.

Alfred stood in an awkward position, the situation was spiraling out of his control. The spectatoring gossipers unnerved him more. He pleaded, "Can we talk, like somewhere more private?

"Oh, you have a problem with all this, "she asked with surprise while pointing at the crowd. "I thought you reveled in such events, where you get all the attention. What's so different about today."

"Nat, this is not the place, or time to make a mountain out of a molehill? " Alfred said while standing in front of Deborah in guard of the hostilities directed her way from different parties. Her attempts didn't amuse certain people, especially Natalia's friends and fans. She was a literal celebrity. Deborah was just a introverted rich girl who lucked out.

Lucas wanted to intervene, he relented afterwards. Deborah already made her bed, let her lie on it. Moreover their decade old friendship was a passing memory. He couldn't be her conceptual prince any longer.

Natalia directed her gaze to Deborah, she couldn't spot remorse dwelling on those eyes, but inscrutable hatred flickered within. Nat didn't remember offending her in the past, but she dismissed it, there might be a myriad of reasons that she didn't care about. With a judgemental attitude she spoke, "I used to wonder what my brother sees in you, though i've realised he's kinda stupid in this kinda of things. You hid it so well, but you couldn't deny your whoring potential. Right?"

Deborah just kept silent, but her eyes fleeted towards Lucas for a moment who was currently confused by the insult thrown his way. Natalie couldn't read her expression and body language, but she was glad one good thing came out of this whole fiasco. Her ex's true colours were revealed, who was quite relentless to enter her pants, but failed miserably. Additionally she could get rid of this scheming woman from her brother.

She took a good look at her female adversary with her hand on her chi,as she said, "Am glad you did what you did. Your a stain in my brother's life, a slut like you doesn't deserved him. From now, your just a whore in his eyes."

Deborah gave her an amused look, but kept her thoughts to herself.

Natalie expected a fierce retaliation since her words were scathing and humiliating, the mild response was uncanny.

'Somethings strange about this girl,' she thought warily.

At the mention of Lucas, Alfred expression turned frosty. He fished out his phone openly and spent a few minutes on it. Holding his phone in preparation of something.

He looked at his Ex solemnly and said, "Listen to me closely. We're going to end this mess right here right now, and your going to apologise to her," he commanded as he held

Deborah's waist closely, "and take back your offensive words."

Natalie observed him and the phone quizzically, she wasn't stupid neither was she a frail doll so she answered tauntingly, "Or what?"

Alfred sighed with resignation and tapped his phone. Lucas was already launching forward when he sensed something ominous. Everyone's phones received a group notification alert simultaneously. A nervous atmosphere surrounded the tens of students spectating as they accessed the video file, and shock was an understatement of what they felt as the content became clearer. Lucas was too late.

A video of Natalie's performing oral sex, played in 1,080p resolution. Natalie crumpled down to despair. Lucas stood frozen in disbelief, the inner demons he chained, bared there claws and fangs. Rarely he let his anger take the leash, but in this very moment, he unleashed his demons to ensue mayhem.