A flock of birds soared across the sky, returning to their home somewhere across the horizon.
Jake Donovan watched as the birds flew out of his sight. A gentle hand landed on his shoulder as a figure, dressed fully in white kneeled next to him.
If he was a man to believe in Heaven, he would have taken her for an angel. But Jake knew he, of all people, would never deserve a place in Heaven.
“Mr. Donovan, time for your medication.” She handed him a glass of water and some pills, of different colors, of different purposes.
26 years old Jake Donovan, a young man who needed a wheelchair to move about, took it without any protest, without any hesitation.
After all, he had been doing it for the past two years. Ever since the HIV virus conquered his body, he had been sitting in this crappy wheelchair.
Sure it was the best wheelchair money could buy, but he would rather be able to walk than be pushed around, by a woman none less, in a wheelchair.
And ever since then, he had to consume five different pills, every single day of his miserable life, to keep him alive.
Oh yes, his life was not the best a man could get. But he used to have it all. He had money and love, everything a man desires. And like any other man, he desired for more. And in the end, he end up with nothing.
---
A group of students was sitting at the stairs leading to the main hall. They were facing the car park, obviously waiting for someone.
The boys were playing a mini game of soccer, passing the ball around just to prove who can kick better than the other. And the girls, well, they were doing what girls best do, chatting.
Their wait proved worthy when a blood red MV Agusta’s came into sight. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing. Obviously, this man is far more important than any other person in the group. They stood up and then, whistled and roared at the sight of the brand new 2008 MV Augusta.
The helmet was taken of and the well-sculpted face of 17 years old Jake Donovan was revealed.
“Birthday boy!” The group of students split into half to allow the owner of the voice to pass through.
Jake placed his helmet on the seat, walked over to his best friend, and took his hand. They did some sort of a secret handshake, a notable sign to show that they were bonded, not by blood but by their brotherhood.
Alexander Valentine is a man of brawn, charm, and talent but sadly his brain is the size of a peanut-literally.
He labeled himself as a daredevil, a risktaker. And Jake labeled him as fun.
Alexander was ‘The Man’ in campus. He decided what’s cool and what’s not cool. He held the best parties and had an amount of girls swooning over him that would make a shame out of Brad Pitt.
He may not be the teacher’s favorite straight A student, but he was the captain of the school’s soccer team. And that is a bonus mark for him among the ladies.
“Happy birthday, bro! This is my gift to you.” Alexander stepped aside and a beautiful brunette stepped forward.
“Happy birthday, Jake.” She greeted sweetly, gave him a hug and landed a kiss on his cheeks.
Jake blushed furiously as the brunette disappeared into the crowd.
“I see mommy and daddy got you a nice present.” Alexander took out a cigar and lighted it up.
He eyed the brand new Agusta’s and whistled. The crowd also took time to appreciate the beauty of the Agusta’s which cost near to a quarter million dollar.
“Yeah. Dad saw it at a road show a week ago during his travel to London. It was a limited edition.” Jake announced proudly.
Jake may not be as cool as Alexander but he sure was richer than him. And also richer than any other students in Arcadia High.
“Very nice.” Alexander praised and Jake found his ego and pride fueling up.
The ring of the bell took the group of students by surprise and they all spun around on their heels, heading for their own classes.
Alexander swung his hand around Jake’s shoulder and they both headed for class.
“Hey, there’s a party tonight at ‘The Rave’. Maybe you can show off the bike?” Alexander asked as they entered their class.
‘The Rave’ is the hotspot for parties and illegal racing for the youths of Arcadia High. Living in a boring and secluded town such as Arcadia, their only source of entertainment were parties and racings. And none of it was legal.
Jake had been dying to attend such parties but was never invited. And when you were not invited, you will never be allowed to join the fun.
Jake nodded in agreement and Alexander smiled in delight as he leaned back in his chair.
As Professor Edward Milton discussed with the class about one of Shakespeare’s greatest work, Macbeth, Jake went down memory lane.
He glanced at Alexander as he remembered their first meeting two years ago.
It was raining briskly and yet, the boy in jersey number thirteen won’t stop practicing. He was trying to master a new technique that he saw the team’s star player did during the game last week.
“Whoa!” He shouted to no one as he missed the ball, due to frustration and lack of concentration, and landed on the ground with a sickening thud.
He moaned in pain and winced as he tried to get up. And failed miserably since the ground was too smooth due to the falling rain and pooling mud.
When he opened his eyes, a hand was stretched at him. He looked at the man standing next to his laying form, a look of pure honesty and pure sympathy was on his face. He felt thankful and shameful at the same time.
Nevertheless, he took his hand and the man helped him up.
Jake smiled and thanked him, in a low whispery tone. As if a simple thank would have hurt his alpha male ego.
“Valentine, Alexander Valentine.” He stretched his hand out towards him, offering his friendship.
His eyes widened. He could not believe it. The team’s captain slash star player slash ladies man is offering him his friendship.
“Jake Donovan.” He took his hand.
And that day, he had taught him how to do the trick. They trained until it was only the glow of the moon that shone upon them. And Jake did master the trick before they left the field.
A clearing of throat and yet, Jake was still in his own sweet world. Whispers, giggles, and chuckles began to fill the class.
Another clearing of throat and a “Mr. Donovan?” from Professor Milton remained unsuccessful.
It was not until a nudge from Alexander that jerked him back to reality.
“What?” He asked audibly as the class roared with laughter.
“It seems that you were very fascinated with the story that it took you back through time, Mr. Donovan.” Professor Milton teased him and again the class laughed.
Jake glanced at Alexander and silently thanked him for his effort to not laugh. Nevertheless, his shoulder was moving up and down frantically in his attempt to not laugh.
“I’m sorry, sir.” Jake apologized.
“It’s okay, Mr. Donovan…”
He was about to sigh in relief when Professor Milton continued.
“Why don’t you recite the poem on page 76 for us, Mr. Donovan, since you were so fascinated by it?”
And he stood up with his shoulders slumped, as if the burden of the world had just been placed on his back.
As he continued, the room was continuously filled with laughter. Obviously, Jake Donovan was no Shakespeare and would never be a fan of his after that day.
---
Madison Donovan’s baby blue eyes glanced from her husband to her only son. Pogue Donovan saw his wife’s worried glances but took no further action.
Something weird was going on with their son. Lately, or particularly since two months before his birthday, their son was behaving out of character.
His expenditure had increased but Madison took it as normal for a growing teenage boy. Besides, it was not as if they could not afford it.
Not to mention, his night activities also increased. He began to leave home after twilight only to return home after dawn. Madison tried to talk to Jake but she ended up hurting his feelings. Ever since ‘that talk’, she never mentioned anything about his active involvement in his night activities. She could not bear to break his son’s heart.
He had also been hanging out with a new crowd lately. And despite his parents’ disapproval, he continued to befriend Alexander Valentine.
Madison did not trust Alexander. Somehow, the boy spelled ‘trouble’ with a capital letter ‘T’. But her son had taken an immediate liking and Madison couldn’t help but approve of her beloved son’s choice.
As for Alexander, as far as he was concerned, Jake was on his journey to become an adult. He needed space to think and to adapt. As long as Jake did not do anything to destroy his image as the charismatic and successful businessman in Arcadia, he had nothing to worry about.
“So, honey…” Both Pogue and Jake looked at Madison.
“Jake,” And Pogue silently returned to his dinner.
“You like your birthday present?” She had asked, her dinner remained untouched.
“Yeah. Thanks a lot.” And with that answer, he drank his water, wiped his mouth, and stood up.
Just as he was about to exit the dinette, his mother asked, “Where are you going?”
Jake smiled and walked back towards his mother. He gently kissed her forehead and headed to the main door.
“It’s Friday, mom. I always hang out with Lex and the boys on Friday. Don’t worry, mom, I’ll be okay. And don’t wait up for me.” He said over his shoulder.
SLAM!
The door was slammed to a close. And soon after that, the roar of an Agusta’s could be heard leaving the Donovan’s estate.
Madison sighed heavily as her shoulder slumped as if the weight of the world had just been placed there.
How could she not be worried of him? She was his mother and he was her only son. Her baby boy, her Jake.
“He’ll be fine.” Pogue told her as he took her hand in his and squeezed her arm in an attempt to comfort her.
Madison smiled; a sad smile it was.
---
“What took you so long?” Asked the rider of the yellow Ducati parked next to his red Agusta’s.
“Sorry. My mom’s been asking a lot of questions.” Jake answered as he flashed his thousand watt smile.
“Oh… Mommy’s boy.” The rider teased and evaded a playfull blow from Jake.
“Stop it Lext, It’s not funny.”
“Of course it is. Maybe not for you but it is for me.”
“Ha. Ha. Very funny.” Jake replied cynically.
Alexander swung his hand over his shoulder and they walked side by side towards the crowd gathering beside the highway.
“Why don’t you take part?” Alexander asked him as they listened to the crowd placing their bets on the racers.
“Me?! Are you kidding me? This is dangerous, dude. I could get killed. Or worst, I could get caught and my parents would totally kill me.” He over reacted.
Alexander threw his head back and laughed.
“Come on, Jake. A one night race can’t hurt you. Besides, you’re in already.”“What?!”
“Racers, take your place!” A beautiful blonde announced from the starting line.
“Go!” Alexander pushed him lightly from behind and he stumbled slightly forward.
He hesitated but looking back at Alexander, he could hear the words already, “Mommy’s boy, mommy’s boy… Wimp… Nerd… Scaredy-cat… Chicken… All work and no play make Jake a dull boy…”
He shook his head as a determined face masked his nervousness, and walked towards his bike. He swung his legs over it, put on his helmet, started his engine, and rode to the starting line.
He tapped his fingers nervously as he waited for the blonde to kickstart the race. He looked at his competitors. They were all eight of them altogether and he bet his father’s billion dollar assets that he was the only newbie among the eight.
He looked behind his shoulder and spotted Alexander among the crowd cheering for them. He gave him a thumb up and Jake smiled, even though he knew Alexander could not see it.
As cheesy as it sounds, Alexander’s presence boost his confidence. No, they were not lovers because, God forbids, he knew both of them were straight. Alexander had a long line of women to prove that and Jake has the love of one woman to strengthen his argument.
He concentrated back to the race. The blonde lifted her hands and everything seems to go slow motion. The cheering of the crowd faded, replaced by the sound of the engines of the bikes and before he knew it, he could only hear his frantic breathing and his faster-than-it-should-be heartbeat. A trickle of sweat travelled from his forehead down to his neck.
And when the blonde swung her hands down, the motion went so fast, that the background was a blur to him. And the cheering of the crowds as well as the sound of the engines of the bikes took over the sound of his breathing and heartbeat.
He took off without an effort and found himself in the third position.
“Not bad, Donovan,” He congratulated himself.
Before he managed to swallow in his pride, four bikes past him continuously and he landed in last place.
Jake looked at his speed meter. He was going his usual speed: 90 km/h. And obviously, it wasn’t enough.
He hesitantly added his speed and overtook a racer. He added another 10 km/h and overtook another racer. Another 10 km/h and he was back in third place.
Going at 128 km/h was not a pleasant ride to many people. In fact, it would be rather scary. But then again, Jake was no ordinary man. He liked to be the one who could do what others can’t do. He liked to have what others can’t have.
At 128 km/h, Jake felt so fast, he felt as if he was going to fly. And he was darn happy about it!
Soccer gave him satisfaction by tackling the ball from another player, heading towards the goal by evading other players, and finally the pleasure from scoring a goal. He never thought he could find any other satisfaction.
For the first time ever, he was wrong. This was better. At 128 km/h, Jake knew immediately, that speed is power and most importantly, it is pleasure.
“Woohoo!” He screamed into the night as he added his speed.
A few minutes later, Jake found himself in the air. His body was being thrown up and no, he was not involved in an accident.
He was being celebrated. A crowd had lifted him and threw him into the air before catching him and placing him on the ground back.
Alexander high-fived him and said, “Congratulations, bro. That was amazing, for a noob of course.”
Jake laughed as the others continued to bath him with pride. How could he not do so? He deserve it! His first race and he managed to get first.
“Oh yeah,” he thought to himself “This is the life.”
---
Jake was having a bad, no good, rotten day.
He was feeling like hell. He bet it has something to do with those cute pink pills with smiley face on it that he took with his alcohol last night at ‘The Rave’.
He had forgotten to do his History essay on the ‘World War 1’ and Professor Howlett was ‘kind’ enough to punish him by doing another paper on ‘World War 2’.
On the other hand, Professor Milton thought it would be funny to have him recite another poem, and this time it was from the infamous Romeo and Juliet play.
In addition to that, he was late for training because he slept in Calculus class and Madam Monroe was so outraged that she made him stay and finish a set of questions.
And, he broke up with his girlfriend of two years, Marissa Tomei. Well, it happened a week ago but he was still hung up about it. And today, he had to watch as that nerdy chess club president tried to ask her out for a date.
It was only a week and the whole school had found out that they had broken up. And men wasted no time in swooning over her again.
Marissa may not be the most beautiful or most intelligent girl in the school. But she stood up for everyone that was being discriminated for whatever reasons. She was spunky and it was easy to get addicted to her.
She was smart without being geeky. She was beautiful without being girlish. She was elegant without being a hypocrite. She was witty without sounding like a clown.
And she was his first love.
She had heard of him going to parties and hitting on other girls. At first, she trusted him and gave him the benefit of a doubt.
Until, some local paparazzi took his picture during a celebration party with his team and pasted it on the front page of the local paper with the title, ‘Town Heroes Go Wild’.
Their relationship was strained immediately. They began to grow apart. His ‘Book of Lie’ got thicker and her ‘Book of Trust’ got thinner. And one night, after she caught him at ‘The Rave’, getting high and flirting shamelessly with another girl, she broke up with him.
---
Marissa released the ball from the tip of her finger and threw it up in the air. She effortlessly swished her tennis racket and sent the ball across the court.
“Arkh!!!” Grace shrieked and ducked away from the ball.
“Rissa…” Grace pouted with her hands on her hips.
Marissa sighed as she walked across the court to collect the ball. Marissa couldn’t help but wonder how they ever become friends despite their huge gap of differences.
Marissa was sporty whereas Grace was elegant. While Marissa spent most of her time in court, Grace spent hers in the library. While Marissa was into technology, Grace was more cultured. And while Marissa was hanging out with her friends, Grace would be on a date with a hunk.
They were as different as the sky and the earth and yet, the two couldn’t survive without each other. They were the best of friends.
“Come on, let’s go release that anger at somewhere else,” Grace lazily threw a hand around Marissa’s arms and they walked out of the court.
They were packing when Grace suddenly stopped and looked at the field. A figure was walking towards them. A determined face was fixed on Marissa.
“Umm… I’ll wait for you at the locker room.” Grace quickly stuffed all her things into her backpack and left the scene.
As she passed the figure, she managed a smile. The figure waited until Grace has left.
“We need to talk.”
“Don’t we all?” Marissa slung her sling bag around her and walked away.
As she brushed past him, he caught her wrist and stared intensely at her. Some would have been scared with his gaze; most would have looked away almost immediately.
But not Marissa Tomei, she was not scared of him. And he was definitely not scared of her.
A smile from her torn his heart apart and he softened his grip a bit.
“What you did was unforgivable. Sometimes, sorry is not enough.” She said, the smile never leaving her expression.
But, it was her eyes that gave her true feelings away. She was broken, disappointed, frustrated, and tired of hearing sorry. She was tired of him making mistakes. The sadness in her eyes was enough for him to release her of his hold.
Jake watched as she walked away from her. He turned, not willing to watch anymore. He kicked a nearby chair mercilessly and it flew across the court. He picked up the tennis ball on the ground and did the same. He let out a scream of frustration.
If he would have looked behind for once, he would have seen her froze in her track as a single tear fell down her cheeks. She wiped it away and run into the school building. She closed the door behind her with a slam and threw her back against the wall. She broke into tears and dropped on her knees.
---
Lately, Madison’s life is all about numbers.
Six months had passed since her son had dinner with them. Four months had passed since the family sent time together. And two months had passed since she actually, really had a talk with him.
And six weeks ago, his son announced to them that he had broken up with Marissa.
Madison knew was something was very wrong with her son. There were things going on in his life and he was not sharing it with them like he used to. And the break up had little to do with it.
Madison was disappointed when she heard that Jake was moving on from Marissa. She liked that girl. She was a good kid. She may not be the best candidate to become her future daughter-in-law, but she definitely made Jake a better man.
Now that Marissa Tomei was out of his life, Madison believed that Alexander Valentine will have a hold in his son’s life.
From her crouching spot at the garden, planting a new seed for her beautiful garden, she saw her son walked out of the house in a hurry.
“Jake!” She called out for him and jogged towards him.
“Yeah, mum?” He looked at her and smiled.
Yeah, he smiled. But that smile held a lot of secret.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to have dinner with Lex and the others, mum. Why, anything wrong?”
She smiled lovingly at him and held his arms.
“Why don’t you have dinner with your father and I tonight? It had been a while since we all had dinner together.” She asked him.
“Mum… I promised Lex already. Look, if nothing comes up, I’ll have dinner with you and dad tomorrow night, okay?”
Madison paused for a while thinking. Well, something is better than nothing. She nodded in agreement and watched as Jake rode away on his Agusta’s.
She stood there for a while, planning tomorrow’s dinner even though today’s dinner has not even been readied. She smiled as she decided to prepare Jake’s favorite food, spaghetti Bolognese, and also that sea cucumber soup he had expressed his likings for. It would be perfect.
Little did she know that Jake would never attend dinner the next night. He had forgotten all about his promise. And Madison was enveloped in her own sadness and disappointment as Pogue tried his best to cheer his adored wife.
---
Alexander watched from the bar as a few men walked up to Jake and patted his back as a sign of congratulations from winning the race. Jake turned and greeted them. And Alexander’s eyes narrowed.
“What are they doing here?” He murmured.
But he stayed put. He watched as those men chatted with Alexander, how his face became brighter at each word that came out of the men’s mouth.
Oh, he knew them. In fact, everyone in Arcadia knew them. They were among the members of the ‘Lucifer’s Triad’, the most popular gang in the neighborhood. The crossfire tattoo on their left arm proved that.
And no, not the devil, Lucifer. Well, maybe he is a devil, but not literally of course. Lucifer ‘Luke’ Dirkby is the founder and leader of the gang group. He established the gang right after he dropped out of Arcadia High. That was six years ago, after he burned down the school old gym when the Provost sacked him.
Alexander was not very pleased with Jake talking to them. They were very dangerous and not to be messed with. And do not let him get started about Luke. The man practically had his own rules that even the town sheriff did not dare to touch him.
Alexander frowned harder -if he could than he was at the moment- as one of them handed him a card.
“That’s it,” He muttered and gulped down his martini.
He cringed as the hot liquid travelled down his throat into his stomach. He walked towards the group and practically ignoring the others, he slapped Jake playfully from behind.
“Hey, buddy! Nice race!” He congratulated him.
Jake sneered as he placed the card in his pocket. Alexander suddenly noticed that the gang was looking at him with watchful eyes. He smiled and greeted them in his own ‘polite’ manner.
“Hey, dudes! What’s going on here?” Alexander asked.
He was nervous. After all, he was dealing with the Lucifer’s Triad.
They ignored him, taking him as a drunkard best friend who could never threaten their position.
“Well, Jake. Think about it, okay? We’ll be waiting for your call.” One of them announced and the group left.
Alexander let go a relieved sigh as he released Jake of his hold.
“What was that?” Jake asked with a frown.
“What?” He asked back.
Of course Jake wondered what that sigh was all about.
“Do you know who that was?” Alexander asked as his eyes glanced at the entrance.
The group was climbing into their car and with a screech sound, left the scene in a fleeting moment.
“Yeah, Kenneth Lee…”
“And the members of the Lucifer’s Triad.” Alexander cut him off before he could finish.
“I know… so?”
“So?! They are dangerous, Jake. What were you thinking? Talking to them is as if planning your own suicide. What do they want anyway?” Alexander saw the flicker of anger in Jake’s eyes but decided to ignore it.
“They want me in the triad.”
And he left him without waiting for a reply.
---
“Is this because of Alexander?” Kenneth’s question made him looked up from his seat opposite of him.
Jake had been doing a lot of thinking lately. Too much that he thought he could damage his brain. Or maybe his current dizziness was due to that new drug he was trying, crystal meth.
When Kenneth had approached him earlier last month, he had been pleasantly surprised. He had heard all about Lucifer’s Triad before and how influenced they were.
His father had mentioned them a few times during his business conversations; how they were using some of the warehouses to store some of the drugs and how they might be involved in some of the ‘John Does’ murder cases in Arcadia.
He was terrified, yes. But more than a year reigning as the street champ, he had learnt to become more open-minded and stronger. And he knew, a position in the triad would boost up his image among the racers and their faithful audience. And Jake couldn’t help but feel proud of himself.
Sad to say, he had caught Alexander staring at him in an uncomfortable manner. When he returned his gaze, he would look away immediately. Something was wrong and their friendship was at stake. Kenneth’s offer had increased the wall between them.
Jake was very disappointed with Alexander. He knew Alexander was jealous of him, of his success, of all the attention he was receiving. A year ago, it would have been him in his place, but fate took a twisted turn and Jake took over.
An audible sigh came from Kenneth and Jake straightened himself.
Was it about Alexander? No. Yes. Maybe.
“Come on, Jake. Can’t you see that Lex is holding you back? You can have everything you want but you still value your friendship over everything else. And how did Lex repay you? By being jealous and using your friendship to manipulate you.”
When Jake did not reply, Kenneth continued, “It would only be a matter of time before he would betray you out of jealousy.”
Jake drew in a sharp breath. He took his glass of beer and threw back in a single motion.
The darn thing about the whole situation was Kenneth was right. Alexander Valentine had betrayed Jake Donovan. He frowned as he was reminded of the bitter incident.
He did not come for a training session because he wanted to attend an important race. He had called Alexander and asked him to cover up for him. Alexander groaned and refused.
“Come on, Lex. Just this once, okay?” He begged.
Donovans do not beg but this was Alexander and he doubt Alexander would tease him for it.
“Once?! Jake, you’ve been missing trainings for the last few weeks. I had to cover up for you every single time. I am the captain of the team, Jake. I had to make the right decision for the team, not for you.” Alexander fumed.“Please, Lex. I would have done it for you.”“You know I know that. But this is not about us. This is about the team. The Jake I knew would never missed training, not for a race anyway. I don’t know this Jake.” His tone was one of frustration and disappointment.
“Please…”
And Alexander hung up.
He thought he would cover for him. But no… The next morning, he received a letter from the coach.
Due to your lacking of commitment to the team and the bad image you continuously give to the team, the administration had no choice but to take further action. A proposal to permanently dismiss your involvement in the team was approved by the team’s captain and was supported by the whole team.
“Alright. I’m in.”
Kenneth smiled, flashing a row of perfectly white teeth and a set of dimples appeared on his cheeks.
---
Alexander ‘Lex’ Valentine was a strong man. A very strong man and quick man. And he also had a black belt in judo.
He easily lifted the three-inches-shorter man from his laying position on the ground and slammed his back against the wall of the school’s tennis court building.
“What do they want with Jake Donovan?!” He asked the man.
The man, or should he say boy, was only 15 years old and haven’t even been tattooed as an official member of Lucifer’s Triad. But he had seen him going in and out of the old textile factory at the town’s outskirt; headquarter for the triad.
He had followed him in school the whole day and when he walked out of the tennis court building, he clasped his mouth shut from behind and dragged his skinny form behind the building.
There, he punched him several times in order to weaken him and scared him a little to get the necessary information.
The boy, Adrian Parker, had blood flowing out of his newly crooked nose. His eyes were the disgusting color of purple and there was a cut there, large enough to make anyone who saw it to feel queasy.
“Look, boy, I ask you a question.” He raised a fist and leveled it at his eyes to get the desired effect.
Adrian’s eyes widened and no sooner than that, wet his pants out of fear. He broke into uncontrollable tears. Alexander softened his hold on him out of pity.
“Must be another foolish teenage boy who thought he could get all that he wants by joining the triad.” Alexander mused.
“Alright, alright!” The boy shouted.
Alexander let go of him and he fell onto the ground as his cries grew louder.
“Money! They wanted him because they needed his money, okay? Now will you please let me go?” He cried.
Alexander sighed as he combed his beach blonde hair back with his fingers.
“You must not tell anyone of this encounter. If anyone asks about this,” he pointed to the bruises, “Just say you fell, hard.”
And in a matter of seconds, Adrian scrambled on his feet and scattered away, out of sight.
Alexander stood there for a moment before he let out a scream of frustration and punched the wall. He heard his fingers cracked and felt the pain soaring throughout his body.
Feeling a gaze on his body, he turned around and found herself facing Marissa Tomei, Jake’s ex-girlfriend. She hated him and he hated her.
She accused him of her unsuccessful relationship with Jake and he just dislike a perfect, daddy’s little princess like her.
Tears were forming in her eyes and Alexander fell on his knees.
“It’s my entire fault.” It was a whisper, but she could hear the words clearly.
She walked towards him, fell on her knees and hugged him. And both of them shed their tears, for the mutual friend they were both losing.
---
Jake screamed in triumph as his Agusta’s passed the finishing line. Another victory, another beautiful night.
As he got off his bike, the sight of two familiar figures arriving caught his attention. As he made his way towards them, he swallowed some pills and drank his beer in one gulp.
Ahh…
“Jake?” The recognizable voice of his ex-girlfriend greeted him.
He did not answer her but instead, looked at Alexander.
“What is she doing here, Lex?” His tone was raised and his face flushed, with anger and also thanks to the pills.
“We need to talk, Jake.” Alexander answered him and took a grip of his arm with his left hand.
Jake noticed the bandage on his right knuckles and wondered for a while. When he was pushed through the crowd, he forgotten all about Alexander’s bandaged knuckles and proceed to try to break loose but he was too high and too weak to free himself of Alexander’s hold.
“Let me go, let me go.” He screamed through the sound of the blasting speakers.
Alexander thought things were going well. Marissa insisted to come with him that night so that she could have a say in the matter. They would talk some senses into him. He also promised Marissa that he will turn over a new leaf and help Jake do the same.
But, Alexander was dead wrong. Kenneth Lee appeared with three of his goons and stood in their way.
“Lex…” Kenneth said his name with disgust.
Kenneth had always hated Alexander. Luke had eyes for the boy a couple of years ago. Luke liked the boy because he saw potential in him to become a triad leader. But Kenneth wanted the position to himself. Lucky for him, Alexander had no interest in joining the triad.
“Kenneth.” Alexander nodded.
The crowd noticed the tension between the men. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and started to gather around them. Even the volume of the music was lowered to enable the others to listen to their arguments.
“Let go of the boy, Lex.”
“No. You step aside, Lee.” Alexander took his stand.
His alpha male ego would not let him walked away just like that. He had a reputation to look after.
“We’ll hurt you, Lex. I swear we will. Luke might put you under his protection but I am sure he would let me do this. Good ‘ole Lex, threatening a member of the triad.”
Alexander flinched but did not move.
“I can beat you.” He said with pride.
True. But his right hand was practically no use at the moment. So, you can call him bluffing.
Kenneth threw in a laugh and his men did the same. And the crowd murmured and whispered.
“Four of us against you? You’re dead meat, Valentine.” Kenneth explained.
Alexander flinched again. He had long released Jake of his hold and was disappointed when he stood behind Kenneth’s gang.
Suddenly, a gentle hand landed on his shoulder. He turned around instinctively and was surprised with the stern look from Marissa. He had forgotten all about her!
“No.” She said, confidently and proudly.
Alexander’s shoulder slumped in defeat. And Kenneth laughed.
“Go home, Valentine. Your ‘wife’ calls you.”
Alexander fisted his left hand but took no further action. Marissa held his arm and they walked away side by side.
“Marissa?” Jake’s voice made them paused.
Alexander looked at Marissa. Her face was down but he could sense the tears forming in her eyes.
“Let’s go.” She said and a trickle of tear fell onto the ground.
And Jake watched in anger as his so-called best friend walked away with his ex-girlfriend.
“Backstabber.” He muttered.
---
Madison’s face showed no expression where as Pogue frowned harder as Alexander finished his story.
After dinner, two surprised visitors knocked on their door. Madison hesitated in letting them in but Marissa proclaimed that it has something to do with Jake.
Pogue immediately told her to let them in and so she did.
At the moment, Alexander and Marissa were both silence as they waited for the lovely couple to say something.
Madison looked at the young man’s face. He was a handsome blonde with grey eyes and thin lips. This was her first time she met him after Jake had brought up his name during dinner about a year and half ago.
“It’s entirely my fault, sir. I shouldn’t have introduced him to my life. I shouldn’t have told him to race. I should have stopped him before he started taking the pills, the alcohols. I should have thrown away those cigarettes before he placed it in his mouth. It’s my fault. I am so sorry.” Alexander shook his head and placed his face in his palm.
Marissa said nothing since she came into the house. Instead, she placed a hand on Alexander’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.
“What do you want us to say, Mr. Valentine?” Pogue broke the silence.
“I don’t know, sir. I thought you need to know what was really going on. When Jake and I grew apart since three months ago, I knew something was wrong. And I was right when a rumor about him joining the triad was spread around.” Alexander answered.
Suddenly, Madison broke into tears. Pogue immediately sat on the arms of his wife’s chair and comforted her.
“My baby…” She kept saying.
“What should we do know?” She asked.
And no one could answer her.
“Look, son. Why don’t you go back first and came over first thing tomorrow morning? Let us all talk to Jake. You too, Marissa.” Pogue told them.
“Of course, Mr. Donovan. We’ll be leaving now.” Marissa replied.
Pogue watched as Marissa’s blood red Porsche left the Donovan’s estate with both Marissa and Alexander in it.
He closed the door and leaned against it. His wife was still crying in the living room and she was getting louder every minute.
He massaged his temple lightly and stared up to no one in particular.
“Oh God, how could I screw up so badly?”
---
Jake watched as the red Porsche was engulfed in flames. His eyes were dragged to the two bodies, laying motionless next to each other on the other side of the road.
His eyes, which had shown anger, now showed guilt.
He had seen them drove out of the Donovan’s estate and had followed them. They went to a restaurant and had dinner. Jake’s eyes narrowed as Marissa took Alexander’s hand in his.
The sound of an Agusta’s leaving in a very hasty manner broke through the night and attracted the couple. But they did not see that it was him.
“Bro!” Kenneth’s voice greeted him from the other side of the line.
“I needed a job done.” He went straight to the point, his voice confident and hateful.
“Anything for you, bro.”
And he swore he could hear Kenneth grinned from ear to ear as he explained the details.
Two hours later, he was on his Agusta’s at a secluded corner and was watching as the whole plan went through.
Kenneth’s men had stopped the Porsche. Alexander, being a man hastily climbed out and faced their pursuers.
Juan -Kenneth’s most trusted man- wasted no time and punched him, breaking his nose. Jake’s grip tightened on his bike’s handle as Marissa’s concerned face came out of the Porsche.
“Stay in there!” Alexander had screamed at her and she went back in.
Jake must admit that Alexander was not bluffing about his black belt. But he proved to be an amateur when he was against five men.
As Juan’s friends held Alexander’s too-weak-to-stand-up body, Juan had opened the passenger’s door and dragged Marissa out. The feisty woman kicked and screamed.
In her attempt to release herself, she had kicked Juan in the balls and tried to escape. But Juan’s friend was too quick for her. He had caught her from behind and sent a blow from her, knocking her out of consciousness.
“No!” Alexander’s scream broke the silence of the night.
Juan and his friends had to fight him again and won, again. They threw the two bodies onto the ground and set the Porsche on fire.
Jake was satisfied. Juan showed him a thumb up from their position and he smiled.
Suddenly, Juan took out a .22 caliber and Jake’s eyes widened.
“No, don’t!” He screamed and ran towards them.
BANG! BANG!
Two gunshots pierced the cold night air in a deafening sound.
He was too late. Juan had shot them. Two bullet holes were visible on their shoulder even through the dark surrounding.
“I didn’t tell you to kill them…” He fell on his knees and cradled the two bodies.
Tears continued to flow out of his newly red eyes.
“We get the job done. ‘Done’ means gone, ver do.” Juan repeated the word ‘done’ in his mother tongue, Spanish.
And they left him, crying in the darkness, mourning for the lost of his best friend and his lover.
---
Jake was a changed man. His parents had sent him to Buckingham to further his studies and to let go of his clouded, dark past.
Seven years after that fateful night, he had a better life. In fact, you could say it was his best life.
He went back to school, got back his position as the midfield striker in the team and graduated with an excellent result.
And his parents were forgiving enough to help him cleaned up his mess.
They sent him to counseling to solve his inner conflicts. They paid hundred thousands dollar to clean his body of the poison we all know as meth and cocaine.
He testified against Lucifer’s Triad and all the top members were sent into prison. Arcadia was freed of its worst criminals.
As for Alexander and Marissa, they had decided not to press charges on him.
Yes, they lived.
He was quick enough to send them to the hospital. If he was a few minutes late, Alexander would have died and Marissa would have gone into a comatose state.
Alexander suffered from eight broken bones, a crack to his skull, and his knees suffered a heavy blow that they had to use a metal pin to repair it. He also had a few bruises, a black eye, and a broken nose.
Marissa suffered from a minor concussion but the gunshot was so close to her veins and she lost a lot of blood. She was also traumatized and refused to be in contact with anyone. Anyone but -Jake winced for a moment- Alexander. The doctor said perhaps because Alexander was there and had tried to protect her.
Jake, on the other hand, believed that she had fallen for him, hard. When Marissa loved, she loved with all her heart. He should knew, he was at the receiving end once.
Jake was horrified every time he remembered sitting in the middle of the road, cradling two bodies, in a pool of blood, most of it was Marissa’s.
Life was beginning to look promising for Jake. Until he was confirmed to be HIV positive.
Jake stared at the result and frowned. He tore it apart and held his head in his palms.
“You think this is funny?” He asked the cross hung on the wall of the church.
“You gave me my life back and took it away… Why? Why didn’t you just let me die seven years ago? Why now?”
He paused. “Guess what’s funnier? Oh yeah, I got HIV because I was trying to be a saint.”
Jake watched in horror as the Chevrolet flipped into the air after hitting the road divider and landed a few meters in front of him.
He braked his car and went out.
He was greeted by a sight familiar to what he had seen seven years ago. But this time, it was an accident and had nothing to do with him.
A woman’s moan of pain made him shook his head and he ran to the scene.
The Chevrolet was overturned, its front shield was shattered, and a woman was trapped inside in the driver’s seat. Blood was coming out of a big cut on her forehead.
A fire had started at the engine and Jake noticed that the fuel tank was leaking. It was only a matter of time before the car exploded.
He tried the door but it was stuck. He tore the window open, firmly grabbed the door and ripped it open. Thankfully, the heat from the fire had weakened the joints of the door.
Unfortunately, during his attempt, his palms were prickled by the shards of the window left on the side of the door. He was bleeding and it was painful, so painful that he screamed, causing the woman to wake out of unconsciousness.
He kneeled next to the woman and tried to unbuckle her belt. A hand stopped him and pushed him away.
“Ma’am, please let me..”
“No! Leave me alone! Let me die! Just let me die!” She screamed in a hysterical manner.
“No, ma’am. You had chosen the wrong night to die because I won’t let you. Now let me help you.” He said stubbornly.
The woman shook his head and cried.
“No, please… I don’t wanna live. I’m as good as dead.”
She continued to babble as he attempted to unfasten her seatbelt.
How ironic was that? The seatbelt, an item of safety, was the only thing standing between the woman’s life and death.
He caught a huge glass, some part of the shattered shield, laying nearby. He grabbed it and tried to cut the material of the seatbelt. His cut deepened with every friction but he ignored it.
And he succeeded.
“Don’t touch me! You’ll die!” She screamed and parried his hands away.
But he won’t let her die, not now, not here. She had cuts all over her fair skin and blood was flowing out of those cuts.
An explosion had startled them and threw him slightly back. He stood up immediately and with little effort, held the woman firmly and dragged her out.
She was too shaken by the explosion and was motionless in his hold.
He took her further from the car and just as they reached safety, the car exploded.
The woman was right, touch her and he would die. She had just found out that she was HIV positive and thus, tried to commit suicide.
That night, their blood had mixed together when he was trying to help her and he got infected.
22-years-old Sabrina Conwell, who had been dumped by her fiancé after finding out that she was HIV positive, apologized to him non-stop. She blamed herself for his condition. Eight months later, she died.
Her mother had found her in her room. She lay on her bed, in her wedding gown, and her hair and make-up done.
Somehow, she knew that she was going to die. And she died with a smile on her face.
Jake grinned. Sabrina was the only good thing that had happened throughout the ordeal. Although she was still hung over her ex-fiance, he knew that he had somehow opened her heart to love again. And he, he was very much in love with her.
---
Without realizing it, a trail of tears flowed down his cheek. With trembling fingers that were nothing but bones, he wiped it away.
As the nurse wheeled him back into the building, he was reminded of his past.
He glanced at the clock. It was 8.30 p.m. Jake looked out the window, over the lake and the ground of the centre.
The centre was set up to take care of people like him, people who suffered from HIV. His parents, the newlywed -Alexander and Marissa-, and Sabrina’s parents were his constant visitors.
He was satisfied with his life at the moment.
He wondered a while if he deserved a good life towards the end. He had taken so many wrong turns, did many bad things that were against Christianity.
Did he deserve sympathy from God?
His eyes fluttered in tiredness. He glanced at his night stand. There was a letter next to his radio clock. The clock read 8.45 p.m. Anytime now, Alexander would come into the room for his weekend visit.
Feeling peaceful, he closed his eyes.
There was a blinding light for a moment. When he opened his eyes, he saw Sabrina smiling at him. She mouthed him a ‘thank you’. He nodded and smiled in return.
Then he saw it. An angel, with brilliant white wings and a golden hoop on his head, was standing next to Sabrina.
“We’ve been waiting. Sabrina insisted to wait for you.” His deep, throaty, yet calming voice filled the white space.
And Sabrina smiled. She stretched her hand at him.
Smiling, he took it. Finally. Everlasting peace.
---
To dad…
Sorry for not being the son that you can be proud of.
To mom…
Sorry for breaking your heart.
To Alexander…
Sorry for being a completely lousy friend.
To Marissa…
Sorry for trying to destroy the happiness that you have found in Alexander.
Labels: scribbles on papers
