Next day
Emirates Academy
As usual the hallway was as noisy as ever.
Students buzzed moving here and there.
Andre walked with Maria, Marco, Misheal and Hugo.
Marco leaned in.
"…So are we ignoring the fact that you almost ended someone's life yesterday?"
Andre just looked at him and gave him a scary grin.
Hugo smirked.
"I'm still wondering if we should be friends with him… or fear him."
Maria elbowed Hugo.
"Shut up."
Marco pointed dramatically.
"He's right! One more punch and he would've unlocked a new crime category!"
Andre sighed.
"…You're loud, keep your voice down."
Misheal walked in behind them.
"Dont pay attention to him. He's just jelouse he is not the main character of yesterday's event."
Marco clutched his chest.
"What did I ever do to you ?!"
Hugo smirked and hugged her.
"I was starting to wonder if you ran off with another boy."
Marco gave a disgusted grunt
"Oh please do your romance somewhere else not in front of me."
Andre smiled
"He is still trumatized that he doesn't have a girlfriend."
They all burst into laughter
Marco clutched his chest again
"Nice one. The serious guys first joke was on me, that's really nice."
Then the noise shifted.
Students parted slightly.
"She's here, the cold stone queen is here."
Esmeralda smiling widely.
Walking toward them.
Marco whispered:
"…And here comes the trouble maker."
Hugo added:
"If she's here to argue, I'm not really in the mood."
Esmeralda stopped in front of Andre.
"Mmmm...hi guy's."
Marco opened his eyes in disbelief
"Is that to us or there is someone behind us."
Esmeralda exhaled then smiled.
"Don't take this overboard, I'm just here to say thankyou to you guys especially you Andre."
Hugo smirked
"You are very welcome. Now if you don't mind we have classes to attend. Right guys?"
Misheal jumped in quickly
"That's right."
But she completely Ignored them.
"Can we talk alone." She said looking at Andre
" Why will I talk to you alone."
Esmeralda arranged her hair
" Don't try to be difficult all I want is to talk to you."
Maria spoke suddenly.
"Well you can talk here. We were all there when the incident happened"
Silence.
Marco leaned back slowly.
"…Oh this is getting good."
Hugo pulled him.
"Shut up and watch."
Esmeralda's gaze shifted to Maria.
"…I'm not here for a confrontation but you should know that this doesn't concern you."
Maria didn't back down.
"It concerns him."
A pause.
"…So it concerns me."
A pause
"I meant to say us."
Esmeralda's eyes narrowed slightly.
Not angry.
Interested.
"…I see, well Andre what do you say."
Andre looked between them.
"…Where do you want us to go?" he asked.
Esmeralda let out a smile
" Phewww, you are so impolite you should pick where you want to talk besides you are the man here."
Andre gave her a dead look
"What ever game you are trying to play I'm not interested so get on with with."
Maria jumped in again
"Andre she's not serious, let's get going."
"I guess she's not." He turns and starts walking away.
Esmeralda shouted
"Basketball court is 10 minutes. I will be waiting."
Marco whispered:
"What got into that one."
Hugo chuckled
"Could it be that our badass hero won the cold stone queen's heart."
Misheal scoffed
"That will be so sweet but I don't think so, I think she's up to no good."
Basketball court
Esmeralda stood at the middle of the court.
" Who does he think he is to keep me waiting."
"Im here," A voice said behind her.
Esmeralda's eyes flickered.
"Didn't they teach you thats it's not right to keep a lady waiting,"
Esmeralda spoke again.
"You are 15 minutes late?"
Andre didn't look at her.
"I was having a moment with my friends."
Esmeralda's voice sharpened.
"Is that why you kept me waiting."
Andre turned fully to her.
"Yes. Are you upset about it."
Silence.
Esmeralda took a deep breath in.
"I will let it slide this time, don't do that again ."
"I will, if I am privileged to meet you again."
Esmeralda looked at him confused.
"Thats by the way. The reason I called you here is because I want you to be my friend "
Andre stared deep into her eyes.
"That's unlike you, so I decline."
"You what? Nobody turns me down, never "
Andre looked at her from head to toe
"Well then, let me be the first."
A pause.
"What an interesting sight."
Carlos stood with his boys.
Watching the whole drama.
"She's talking to him now," Kelvin said.
Carlos' eyes light up.
"He's the hero let him take some hours of glory. The Esmeralda I know is a devil, I'm pretty sure she wants him to be her lap dog"
Buck frowned.
"Thats sick?"
Carlos' voice dropped.
Cold.
" The world isn't what it seems right."
Carlos approached Andre
"Hey mate."
Silence.
"Comon mate, let go of the past let's move on like men…"
A pause.
"I never considered you an enemy."
"The feeling is mutual, let's have a drink later to bond a bit."
"I decline."
Henry looked uneasy.
"Who the hell do you think you are."
Carlos smirked.
"Let it be Henry, he's a friend now "
Carlos looked at Esmeralda and blew her a kiss
"Hi sunshine."
She looked at him and gave him a frown instead
Carlos laughed loudly
"Seems like I'm not welcome here, so see you later mate."
(Behind the court)
Hugo peeping from behind the court.
Marco dragged him back
"…Are they flirting, why are they so close to each other?"
Hugo pulled him back.
"let me see?"
Misheal whispered:
"You dummies if Andre catches us we are done for ."
The Founders Meeting
The conference room was silent as men of power sat at a round table.
Mr. Sergei sat upright, fingers interlocked.
Across him
Mr. William leaned back like he owned the room.
Maxim stood behind his father.
Calm on the outside.
Still burning on the inside as his eyes were fixed on Pacho who stood at the opposite direction.
Quiet.
Avoiding everything.
"This partnership will build a siege on all buisness men who are outside Spain, so I want you all to know that this will take discipline and determination to the extreme" Mr. Sergei said evenly.
His gaze flicked briefly
To Maxim.
Mr. William smiled.
"Then perhaps your household should reflect that first."
The air tightened.
Mr. Sergei leaned forward slightly.
"What point are you trying to prove or maybe perhaps your sons lacks self-control."
Maxim gave a faint smile .
Mr. William chuckled.
"Oh, my sons are perfectly under control."
A pause.
He glanced at Pacho.
"…especially this one."
Pacho's fingers clenched.
Mr. Sergei's voice dropped.
"Control without direction is just Stupidness."
The two men locked eyes.
A silent war.
The meeting ended
But no one felt like it was over.
Outside
The doors opened.
Mr William was with his son smiling as they walked to his car.
Then
"PACHO!"
Everyone turned.
Rihanna.
Running.
No hesitation.
She reached him
Wrapped her arms around him tightly in a hug.
"…I missed you," she whispered.
"And I'm hungry so I thought about you and I was wondering if you would want to go on an ice-cream date"
Pacho froze.
"Mmm.. sure, I will pick you up by 4pm."
Then slowly hugged her back.
Maxim's eyes darkened.
Rihanna pulled back then looked at Pacho
"You know, you are the worst like I literally asked you out but you are the one saying you will pick me up."
A pause
" But anyways I love you."
Then she kissed him.
Right there.
In front of everyone.
Silence.
Mr. William smiled.
Slow.
Victorious.
He looked at Mr. Sergei.
That look said:
"Checkmate."
Mr. Sergei didn't react.
But his eyes…
Hardened.