Chapter 2: His new found toy
747 Words
"I don't think it's right to bully people," Sofia said, completely ignoring his earlier question.
"Oh, really?" the boy replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Boss, looks like this girl's new in town," one of the boys snickered.
"Yeah," another added with a laugh. "She just barged into our business. Or maybe she's this i***t's girlfriend and came to save him."
Their laughter echoed around her.
Sofia felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead.
Stay calm... Don't let them see you're scared.
Even though fear was slowly consuming her from the inside, she forced herself to stand her ground.
"Is... is it because of money?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "If that's the case, I can help him pay you back."
She glanced at the injured boy before looking back at the one who seemed to be their leader.
Please don't let it be too much...
Maybe a thousand dollars?
She silently prayed that whatever amount it was, it wouldn't exceed what she could afford.
The corner of the leader's lips lifted ever so slightly.
"Actually..." he said, "you're right."
Everyone froze.
"It's because of money."
The bullies exchanged confused glances.
Even the boy lying on the ground stared at him in disbelief.
They all knew it was a lie.
"You don't have to pay them," the injured boy hurriedly said. "I can handle it myself."
The last thing he wanted was for this innocent girl to lose her money because of him.
'Young girl gets scammed trying to save a stranger.'
He could already imagine the newspaper headline.
"Shut up, dork."
The leader's cold voice instantly silenced him.
His imagination immediately shifted from newspaper headlines to prison cells.
I'm definitely going to jail...
"He owes us..." the leader paused dramatically.
"Two thousand five hundred dollars."
Silence.
Even the air seemed to stop moving.
Sofia's eyes widened so much that she forgot to breathe for a few seconds.
"T-Two thousand five hundred dollars?" she repeated in disbelief.
Surely he was joking.
There was no way someone around her age could owe that much money.
She waited for him to laugh...
To say, 'Got you.'
To admit it was all a prank.
But his face remained completely expressionless.
Not even the slightest smile.
Her heart sank.
She turned to look at the injured boy.
He didn't look starved or neglected. In fact, he looked perfectly healthy.
Then... why would he borrow so much money?
The boy on the ground, however, was beginning to believe the person standing before him wasn't human.
This guy is the devil himself.
Who lies with such a straight face?
His gray eyes were as deep and empty as an endless abyss, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Sofia took a deep breath before facing him again.
"W-Well..." she stammered nervously.
"Could you please give him some more time? I'll pay half of it for now, and he'll pay the rest later."
She forced a hopeful smile onto her face.
"I promise I'll make sure he pays you back."
The leader stared at her for a long moment.
No one dared to speak.
Finally...
"You two."
His voice was cold.
"Leave."
Sofia blinked.
Did she hear him correctly?
The injured boy looked just as confused.
"I said..." his voice turned sharper.
"Leave."
Neither of them waited for him to repeat himself a third time.
They ran.
Only after they were a safe distance away did Sofia finally slow down, placing a hand over her racing heart.
"Phew..."
"That was a close one."
She checked the time on her phone.
"Oh no!"
Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"I'm late!"
And on her very first day too.
She had wanted to make a good first impression...
Not arrive late.
Without another second to waste, she hurried toward the school.
Back at the alley, one of the boys frowned.
"Boss, why'd you let them go? We could've gotten some money out of her."
"Yeah," another agreed. "That girl would've paid if you'd pushed her a little more."
Another member of the group rolled his eyes.
"Are you two idiots? Do you really think Boss needs her money?"
The two immediately fell silent.
Their leader wasn't short on money.
Not even close.
The boy with the gray eyes continued staring at the road Sofia had disappeared down.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"Very interesting..."
His eyes glistened with amusement.
"This is going to be fun."
- Writer
