Master Madness: Campus Chronicles

Chapter 8: Tensions Rise

This person, who was often mocked and despised in the past, suddenly seemed larger-than-life. No one dared to shout at him or boss him around anymore; instead, they kept their distance with respect, feeling uneasy inside.

Faced with the change in his classmates, Donny acted as if he hadn't noticed. He didn't show off or settle scores with those who had bullied him. He just sat quietly at his desk, lost in thought, because he had no time for those matters now. The urgent task was to figure out how to deal with Felix's retaliation. He couldn't afford to be expelled, no matter what!

Smack!

Donny's shoulder was tapped, and a chubby head leaned in from behind. "Donny, the rumors can't be true, right? Did you really beat up Felix, the senior year's little bully?"

This chubby guy was named Billy, who sat behind Donny and was arguably his closest friend in class.

Donny tilted his head to glance at Billy and silently nodded, not saying much. To him, it wasn't something worth bragging about.

"Wow, I didn't see that coming. You usually seem so mild, but when you go wild, you're fierce!" Billy looked at Donny in surprise, but then he became a bit worried. His squinty eyes glanced around as he whispered, "If that's true, you better be careful. Don't be fooled by Felix; even though he usually does some despicable things, he still has quite a bit of influence in this school. You might not know, but his uncle is our dean, Mr. Sullivan."

"I know, Mr. Sullivan wants to expel me now," Donny said quietly. He didn't hide anything from Billy because this chubby guy had always been sincere with him, often looking out for him and sharing benefits.

"What? That's harsh!" Billy exclaimed, startling the nearby classmates who turned to look. He then lowered his voice with a wry smile and said seriously, "This is going to be tough. What a rotten family, really bullying people too much!" Billy was indignant.

Donny's expression turned cold as well, and he said in a frosty voice, "It's not going to be that easy to expel me!"

"Hey, hey, I notice you're a bit different from before?" Billy stared at Donny with his small eyes, incredulous that such bold words could come from him.

"People do change!" Donny replied.

"Alright, you've finally grown a spine. No matter what, I'll support you. Do you need my help with this? I can't promise much, but I can make sure you stay safe," Billy said mysteriously.

Donny looked at Billy. This guy was usually very low-key, besides having more pocket money than he knows what to do with, he didn't seem to have any other special traits. Could he have some big connections?

Shaking off his thoughts, Donny felt a bit tempted, but he didn't want to be indebted for such a big favor, so he shook his head and said, "No need, I'll handle the trouble I caused myself!" With that, Donny stood up and left the classroom.

Arriving at the playground, he sat on the stone steps, soaking up the warm sunlight, and his thoughts raced again. Honestly, he didn't know how to resolve this, nor did he know how to avoid being expelled, but he didn't want anyone's pity or help out of sympathy.

Perhaps due to the eagle's bloodline he inherited, even Donny's inner self was undergoing a subtle transformation. The eagle's pride and indifference were beginning to manifest in him. He was proud; he would be the one soaring in the sky, never someone so lowly and weak as to need others' charity and help!

Now that he had undergone a tremendous change, if he couldn't handle this small matter, wouldn't his abilities be a joke?

"Whoosh!" Just as Donny's thoughts were drifting, a gust of wind whistled past his ear, and he instinctively tilted his head as a dark shadow flew towards him. It thudded against the stone steps behind him and bounced away.

"Hey, nice reflexes!" A cold voice came, "Are you the Donny who put Felix in the hospital last night?"

Donny first looked at the basketball bouncing nearby, then raised his eyes to look at the newcomers. He saw a few high school students surrounding him, each tall and imposing. Leading them was a student in a white shirt whom Donny had never seen before.

"Who are you?" Donny's eyes narrowed, sharp, as if emitting a cold glare that made it painful to look directly at him, genuinely startling the other party.

"I'm asking if you're the Donny who put Felix in the hospital. Why the hell are you wasting time?" The leading teenager grabbed the basketball and threw it at Donny again.