Rick and Bella exchanged a glance before looking at Quinir.
"Quinir, Go back to your Room, we will take care of it."Bella Said softly.
Rick gave Quinir a reassuring smile."It's alright.Go on."
Quinir pursued his lips and went back in.
Rick and Bella also returned to their own room.
Rick gently took of Bella's hands ," I'm going to Quinir's school tomorrow. I'ii register him."
Bella nodded silently, wiping away the tears gathered in her eyes..
" I just didn't expect my brother to be so shameless," she whispered."After everything they put him through.... and now he's favoring them."
Rick pulled her into his arms and patted her back soothingly.
"Let them be," he said calmly."We'll handle them later."
He paused, thinking.
"I'll try asking for an advance payment. We can use it to clear the remaining debt... and with Quinir's registration coming up, it won't go to waste."
Bella tightened her grip on his shirt, her voice trembling.
"I just don't want Quinir to suffer because of us."
Rick's expression hardened Slightly.
"He won't," he said firmly."Not while I'm here."
Back in his Room Quinir got freshenup and sat on his bed thinking something
'what was that Earlier? something was not right.' he thought to himself.
What was that earlier? Something was not right, he thought to himself.
He could still remember the metallic taste on his tongue.
Quinir frowned and thought to himself, 'it must be the stress.'
He rubbed his forehead and stood up, walking towards the window.
Everything looked normal.
Quinir rested his hand against the window frame.
For a moment he closed his eyes, the moment his did he felt like something warm stir deep inside his chest.
Not pain.Not exactly noticeable but like something is calling out to him.
Quinir's eyes opened immediately.
"what..." , the feeling just vanished as quickly as it appeared.
He frowned again and was deep in a thought. Probably 'I'm too tired' is what he thought to himself and turned off the lamp and lay soon on the bed thinking about that his uncle and aunt said.
He had never resented anyone before .
But tonight...for the first time he understood what a resentment felt like.He drifted off into his sleep while thinking what measures he can take to resolve the issue.
A faint glow appeared for a split second near his chest. Too faint to notice.
The next day.
The small apartment was already awake before the sun fully rose.
Bella stood in the kitchen, packing Quinir's lunch in a small metal container.Her moments were calm but her eyes were slightly swollen from the night before.
Rick was arranging something over the phone with his boss early in the morning.
Quinir stepped out of his room after getting ready of the school.
Bella immediately forces a small smile.
"You're up early."
Rick looked at him for moment , then placed his cup down.
"Don't think about what happened yesterday,"Rick said. "Just Focus on school."
Quinir just quietly looked at his father and nodded.
Deep inside, he knew things weren't that simple.
Still, he smiled faintly.
"Okay."
He packed the lunch box his mom gave him and went to school.
The walk to the school takes him like 20 minutes.
It gave him time to think.
Vanessa's threat. Nova's disgusting smirk. Quinir frowned slightly.
while he was deep in his thoughts, he reached the school.
Students filled the entrance, laughing, complaining, scrolling through their phones.
Quinir blended into the crowd quietly.
He had never been the type to stand out.
"Yo, Quinir!"
A voice suddenly called out.Quinir turned around.
A boy jogged toward him.Tall.Yellow Messy hair.Always talking.
This was one of the few people in school who actually talked to Quinir regularly.
"You look like you fought a ghost last night," Drake said.
Quinir raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to be an insult?"
Drake grinned.
"No, that's my way of saying you look dead tired."
Quinir sighed.
"Didn't sleep well."
Drake leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"Did you hear the news?"
Quinir instantly knew where this was going."About the scholarship?"
Drake nodded quickly while nudging him with his arm.
"Half the school is talking about it."
Quinir stayed quiet.
Drake continued excitedly.
"Jackson Private High! Do you know how crazy that is? No one from our school gets invited there."
Quinir shrugged slightly.
"It's just a school."
Marek looked offended.
"Just a school?? That place is basically a launch pad for future CEOs."
Quinir didn't respond.
He had already heard enough about that school.
More than enough.
The two of them walked into the building.The hallway buzzed with noise.
Students rushed between classes.Lockers getting slammed.
Someone laughed loudly near the stairs.
But as Quinir passed through the corridor
A few whispers followed him.
"That's him."
"The scholarship guy."
"Seriously?"
Quinir ignored them.
Drake noticed though.
He scratched his head awkwardly.
"Looks like you're famous now."
Quinir sighed."Great."
They stepped into their classroom.
But the moment Quinir walked inside,
The noise suddenly dropped.
Several students turned to look at him.
Some curious.Some impressed.Some jealous.
And sitting near the back of the room,Three boys were staring at him with clear hostility.
Drake muttered quietly.
"Ah… great."
Quinir glanced at him."What?"
Drake leaned closer.
"You remember Rylan?"
Quinir looked again.One of the boys stood up slowly.Tall.Broad shoulders.Always trying to dominate the classroom.Quinir remembered this guy always bullies his classmates and uses them as his errand boys.He also Remembers that this guy hangout together with Nova, Nova is Rich so there are some lackeys of him who follow his around for some money.
He ignored Quinir before Quinir was almost teachers pet so he wouldn't do anything to him.
Rylan crossed his arms.
"So you're the genius cousin Nova was talking about."
Quinir met his gaze calmly.
Rylan smirked."That scholarship."
He walked a few steps closer.
"Jackson Private High, You really think you belong there?"
His friends snickered behind him.
The classroom grew silent again.
Everyone was watching now.
Quinir didn't react.
He simply replied calmly.
"I applied. They accepted."
Rylan scoffed."You know what I think?"
He leaned closer."I think you got lucky."
Quinir tilted his head slightly.
"Luck is still better than having to follow some one around for charity."
A few students laughed quietly.
Rylan's smile vanished.
His expression darkened.
"Oh?"
He cracked his knuckles slowly.
"Then maybe we should test how lucky you really are."
Drake whispered nervously.
"Quinir… maybe let's just - "
But Quinir was already punched by Rylan in the face.
His face was hit to the right.
Quinir clenched his jaw but stayed silent.
Drake tried to support Quinirt but quint stopped him.
Some students lookd excited. Some uncomfortable but at the end no one stepped in.
Ryland Leaned in closer. ' you should learn something, People like you don't belong in the places like Jackson Private."
Quinir's silver gray eyes stayed steady.
"You have nothing to do with it." said Quinir.
A few students gasped softly.
Drake muttered under his breath, "Oh no..."
Ryland's face darkened at Quinir's defiance.
Quinir just looked at Rylan's face calming not showing any fear at all.
Rylan's heart skipped a beat under Quinir's gaze but he brushed it off as something silly.
Drake finally snapped off and stepped forward.
"That's enough, Rylan."
Rylan looked at Drake lazily. "Oh? You are trying to play hero now."
Even though Drake is scared, he knew Ryland wouldn't do anything to him cause Drake's father is a Cop who is in Position.
Ryan Smirked. "Relax. I'm just having some fun."
Drake just scoffed at him while standing before Quinir.
He looked behind Drake at Quinir, " you should be grateful your cousin Nova told us not to go too far."
Quinir's eyes sharpened slightly.
So it seems like Nova instructed them.
School bell rang . Nova walked past Drake and while crossing Quinir he told while leaning closer, "If you're smart," he whispered, "you'll decline that scholarship yourself."
Quinir said nothing.
Rylan laughed and stepped back.
"Class is starting anyway."
He returned to his seat like nothing had happened.
The classroom noise slowly returned.
Students began talking again.
But many of them kept glancing at Quinir, who cheek is already a bit swollen.
Drake sighed.
He hung his arm around Quinir and spoke with teacher who just reached the door.
"Teach, I'm taking Quinir to Doctor, he just fell down. "
The Teacher saw it was Quinir and waved his hand to tell them to leave quickly to doctor's.
While Drake was walking Quinir to Doctor,
Quinir slowly pressed a hand against his chest. He just felt that warm feeling he felt yesterday in his chest again.
"What is this…" he murmured quietly.
Drake looked over.
"Huh?"
Quinir shook his head.
"Nothing."
They quickly went to doctor's clinic and treated Quinirs wound and went back to class again.
Quinir know this is far from over.
Rylan was the type who never stopped once he chose a target. He would keep pushing, little by little, until the other person broke.
And now that Nova had told him to deal with Quinir, things would only get worse.
Quinir sat quietly through the rest of the class.
His cheek still hurt slightly where Rylan had punched him, but the pain wasn't what occupied his mind.