Parity - 12. Maverick - "Funnel Web"

Tuesday, February 6th

Maverick stood, watching the flow in front of him. He was naked as the day he was born, staring as the hot water gushed from the showerhead to the grainy tiles below. No, he decided. Fuck showering. He turned to the mirror and looked at himself. A sponge bath it is, he concluded. He had a boyfriend. He couldn't smell like body odour. He soaped up his body with the shower pouffe he often used and wiped himself down, applying a generous amount of deodorant and cologne afterwards. After fixing his hair, dressing and skipping breakfast, he used his spare minutes in the morning to begin a game of chess with his sister. Sometimes they would start in the morning and resume when they got home.

"Maverick, come on!" Ember tutted at him, taking his knight with a simple pawn. Shit. How the fuck could I have been that stupid? That would be like him losing a fistfight to that pipsqueak Rain. Pfft.

"Shit," he scrunched up his face. "I'm still muddled."

"I know you are," Ember smiled over at him. "You're still playing well, but you're distracted. What's going on? Do you remember things yet?"

"Somethin' here, somethin' there," he shrugged back at her. It was not a lie. He did have memory loss from the blows to the head on Friday. He didn't know what happened or who did it to him. He forgot names and places and events. Days, months and years of information just gone. When Veikko came to see him the following morning, though, Maverick knew he was special. He didn't remember why, but he knew it. His every instinct told him so. Veikko filled him in on a few things. Who attacked him, what happened earlier that day, their spending recess and lunch periods together in the 11-A homeroom and so on. Maverick, hard as he tried, did not remember these things.

"We better get going," Ember looked at her watch. She was one of the only people in the world under the age of sixty who wore a watch. "C'mon. Are you going to be okay today?"

"I'll be fine," he smiled at her. A hollow smile. "You don't need to worry about me."

A few minutes later, Maverick was waiting by the front door for his brothers and sister. Escorting kids to school. What the fuck? Why are they my problem? Ember arrived first, then Rain. Maverick didn't even want to look at Rain. His very presence... ugh. Where the fuck was Leaf, though? What was taking him so long?

"Are we going?" Rain asked meekly, and Maverick's eyes glared down at him.

"We're waiting for your stupid brother," he snapped, and Rain's colossal round eyes bugged in confusion. Ember looked at him strangely too. What?

"Wolf goes to primary school," she explained. "Mum drives him. It's just the three of us that get the bus."

"Why? What? Leaf goes to Peatsland, doesn't he?" Maverick furrowed his brow. Leaf and Rain were twin boys. The four of them were born in fairly quick succession. Maverick, Ember, Rain and Leaf. Rain was in Eighth Year, so Leaf should be too. "Does he go somewhere else?"

"Leaf?" Rain asked sadly. Oh, I've forgotten something, haven't I? He scornfully frowned down at Rain as the boy began to tear up.

"No, Mav," Ember shook her head. "Leaf's gone. Don't you remember? He's been missing for nearly two years."

"Leaf? Our brother?" Maverick felt something in the back of his mind. Was Leaf dead? "What happened to him? When did this happen?"

"We don't know," Ember answered with a sad sigh, grabbing Rain's hand and walking ahead with him. "He's just gone, Mav. He went out eighteen months ago, and we've never heard from him again."

"I hope he comes home soon," Rain added with a shaky voice and a sniffle. Oh, god. Spare me.

Maverick strained his brain. C'mon. Think. What do I know about this? I know something. I'm sure of it! C'mon. What if I was involved in some way and I don't remember? What else have I been doing that I don't know? For the first time, Maverick felt a twinge of something in the pit of his stomach. Was that worry? Fear? Something weird.

-

"Nothin'," Maverick shrugged nonchalantly, not once breaking away from the psychiatrist's keen gaze.

"Nothing?" Dr Gregory Dalton asked with an amused expression on his face. "There's nothing in the world that scares you?"

"Nup. Why should it?" Maverick screwed up his face, fluffing his straight, neon green hair with his left hand. "Seems like a waste of time."

"So you're telling me that in your whole life, nothing has ever frightened you? Made you feel uneasy? Triggered that adrenaline in your chest?" Gregory was fascinated, and Maverick was enjoying the attention he was receiving.

"Maybe once in a while," Maverick thought on it. "Sometimes I get that rush. I like it."

"So you do get that fight or flight response?" Gregory confirmed, and Maverick nodded.

"Sure," he leaned forward. He liked talking freely about himself to this man. This man who found him so interesting. "It's always to fight, though. Never flight."

"Really?" Gregory shifted in his chair. "There's nothing you'd ever run from?"

"Nah, man! Why? I like to feel alive!" Maverick explained with an honest grin. "What's the fuckin' point otherwise?"

-

"Hey!" Ember shook him, and he came out of his trance. Shit, did that really happen? Did I tell some old guy about my deepest secrets? What else did I tell him? "Are sure you alright? You didn't come home from hospital too early?"

"Oh fuck no," Maverick shrugged her off and led them towards the bus stop, fighting to keep in control of his mind. Stay in the present. That's what matters now. "Any more time in there and I'd neck myself." He could have stayed for observation another day or two, but he discharged himself as quickly as he could against his physician's advice. It was the most boring place in the universe. There was no stimulation. No way to have fun. Nobody to play with. Funny that they thought the solution to Dom Faye's suicide attempt was to lock him in a place that makes you want to commit suicide. Serves him right for using my gear to do it, fucking pussy.

Ember and Rain were born relatively close to each other, and they were good friends. She was his superior in every single way, yet she wasted her time and talent on him. Maverick watched them with intrigue on the bus. He sat away from them and observed the way he asked a million questions and she knew the answers to all of them. Cute. He wished he had his memory back, but hard as he tried, he could not remember some things. Many things. What did happen to Leaf, anyway? What drove Rain and Wolf apart? Last Maverick knew, the Rain, Leaf and Wolf were inseparable. Born in the same five years, they'd grown up as best friends. Now Leaf was gone, and Wolf despised Rain. Maybe Wolfy finally realised how worthless and irritating Rain is. Smart kid.

Peatsland Academy. Maverick did like it, he supposed. He wasn't quite sure. He did not have to be here. He completed Tenth Year, so his mandatory learning years were now behind him. He had his reasons for continuing into VCE years, obviously, or he wouldn't have agreed to do so. He had money. Lots of it. Cash and drugs. He had a lucrative trade, but that was in danger of turning up on its head. Everything important - his sketchbooks, computer, drug supply and money were locked in his cupboard, but he did not have the key. He had no idea what happened to it. He needed to get in there, not waste his time at the hospital. He'd turned his room upside down, but the key wasn't there. It had to be here at school.

"Em," Maverick paused before the three entered the building together. He blinked. Shit. I've forgotten. "Where did I get beaten up? The fourth-floor toilets, yeah?"

"That's where Edward Jensen found you," Ember put her hand on his shoulder. He didn't like it and shrugged it off. "Why do you ask? Are you okay?"

"I'm curious," he looked at her and smiled. "Tell me everything you know."

"Mav, nobody knows anything about what happened," Ember's eyes locked onto his, but they quickly looked away. I'm intense to look at, Maverick thought, remembering a session with Dr Gregory. Funny. "You know that."

"Where did Eddie find me? Was I awake or not?" Maverick snapped at her, losing the smile as quickly as he found it. "C'mon!"

"There's no need to be such a dick," Ember snarled in an angry response, taking Rain's hand and leading him towards the building. "I can't believe I keep thinking you can be a good guy. I hate you sometimes."

-

"You seem to enjoy manipulating people," Gregory observed, his wrinkled, olive-tinged face leaning against his chin. He relaxed in his chair, and that made Maverick feel more at ease. "Do you try to manipulate me?"

"Would you know if I was?" Maverick challenged him, raising an eyebrow. The two of them stared at each other.

"I'm a highly educated professional with three decades of experience," Gregory chuckled after a short while. "My pride wants me to say I would, but in practice... I suppose I wouldn't know. What do you think?"

"I dunno, to be honest," Maverick answered without missing a beat. "I reckon you see right through everything I do or say, but that cuts both ways, aye. You're talkin' me like a friend 'cuz you know I like to take advantage of people. You look me in the eyes 'cuz you know I like a challenge. Even if what I say is boring as batshit, you pretend it's interesting 'cuz you know I like attention."

"There's no fooling you, is there? I also see the way you try to change the subject," Gregory smirked at him, and Maverick smirked right back. The man understood him. Well played, Greg. "Come on, Maverick. Throw me a bone. Answer this for me. You're a brilliant young man. Why do you spend so much of your brain power and time manipulating people?"

"The same reason I do anything," Maverick responded, taking a few moments to think his answer over. "It feels good."

-

What are these memories? Why are they coming back to me? Hmph. Who cares? I have a key to find. Otherwise, I'm fucked. Maverick, left alone by his siblings, walked into the building. An Eighth Year's eyes bugged when she saw Maverick walking into the building, bruises and contusions on display, his eyes cold and angry. I'm still here, you morons. You can try to get me expelled, you can try to blackmail me or you can beat the shit out of me, but I don't give in. Never. He'd been pondering his reasons for continuing his studies earlier, and now he wondered if it had been to prove a point.

"Hey!" A voice interrupted him on his ascent of the beautiful white staircase, and he looked up. He smiled.

"Well, hello there, beautiful!" Maverick greeted Veikko, who was looking down from the fourth floor. "You waitin' for me?"

"Pfft, you wish!" Veikko put up his palm between them. "But it's nice to see you! Hurry up here, would you?"

"You can't get enough of me, can you?" Maverick smirked and slowly walked up the stairs to tease the boy who'd been driving him crazy. The boy he drove crazy. His boyfriend. Wow, I have a boyfriend. I did not see that coming a while ago. I bet Dr Gregory didn't either.

"MMM, you like to flatter yourself!" Veikko's voice chased him as he strolled casually up the square-shaped staircase. "Did you have a good night?"

"Oh, I had a pretty good one, yeah," Maverick snickered, making it to the landing between the third and fourth floor so the two could look at each other. "Made out with some hottie in the garden so their Mummy wouldn't find out. How 'bout you?"

"Mauled by some derro who stalked me at my house," Veikko's smile was pretty. Maverick liked it. He enjoyed knowing it was for him. Carlisle is mine now. The arse kicking delivered by McLeod ended up being a blessing in disguise as far as Veikko was concerned. It provided him with the older boy's heart on a plate. It was what Veikko needed to break past those iron defences finally. Empathy. The word rang in Maverick's ears.

-

"Wait, so you wanna experiment on me?" Maverick asked coldly, assessing the blue-grey eyes of the doctor in front of him. "Like some lab rat, aye?"

"Not a lab rat, but yes," Gregory answered, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. "I'm doing a lot of independent research these days, and I'd be thrilled if you and I could work together. I believe we've built quite a rapport, although I can understand why you would not feel the same way."

"See? You do get me!" Maverick's words were charming and friendly, but the glare in his eyes and underlying menace in his voice were present. There was no sense in trying to hide them from a man who knew exactly who he was. A man who studied people like him. "So spit it out, doc. What do you want from me?"

"In a nutshell, I believe you're a product of nurture rather than nature. I want to investigate and understand the roots of your antisocial personality disorder, and I truly believe that if you apply yourself, you can acquire the capacity for empathy. I want to help young men like you," Gregory summed up.

"No," Maverick replied quietly. "That sounds like the stupidest idea I've ever heard."

"Okay," Gregory raised his hands in submission. Heh. He's trying to win me over. No, doc. I call the shots here. Not you. "Do you mind if I ask why?"

"You think there's something wrong with me?" Maverick asked, annoyed and irritated. When Gregory was treating him like a person, an equal, he liked him. Now that the psychiatrist was talking to him like he was deficient or something, the teenager saw red. There's nothing wrong with me. "You think because I'm not like you, that means I have to be FIXED? I'm fuckin' amazing, mate. Why would I want to be like them? Like you? I can do anything I want - anything you don't have the guts to do. If you tried to fly in my orbit, you'd burn your wings and fall right back down to Earth. Empathy? Why would I do that to myself? That would be like tearing the wings off a butterfly. Fuck that! Blow it out your arse, doc."

-

Veikko did not greet him warmly the way Maverick believed he would. Instead, Veikko shied away from his attempt at closeness and slinked into an empty room. Okay. Amour it is. Secrets were something he'd always been good at. An affair sounded... exciting. The minute Maverick closed the door behind him, Veikko was standing up on his tiptoes and pressing his lips against his boyfriend's mouth. Maverick moaned softly into him and pulled him into a gentle, tight hug. His thoughts had been distracted lately. He had things he needed to remember. It wasn't pragmatic to be focusing so much on Veikko. So... why am I doing this? He recalled what he told Gregory. Because it feels good.

"What is it with you and making out at school?" Maverick asked when the two paused for breath. "First Dom, now me. What's your deal?"

"AHH wow, that's rude!" Veikko appeared to take offence. Maverick laughed. "If you'd rather I didn't, then you don't have to worry about it again, kay thanks bye."

The boy pushed past and moved to leave the room in a huff, but Maverick snatched him aside and pinned him to the wall next to the door, Veikko squeaking in surprise. The boy looked fearfully up at him, and that irritated Maverick. I'm supposed to be making him horny. Not scared.

"Let go!" Veikko demanded, but Maverick shook his head and smirked. I can win this. Easy.

"Not unless you say those words," he reminded him, holding the boy's wrists tight against the wall as he moved his face close and brushed his cheek against Veikko's. As Maverick predicted, Veikko did not honestly want him to stop or to leave him alone. He was defensive because that was who he was.

"You're a jerk!" Veikko whispered in his ear, putting up an attempt to struggle free.

"So tell me to fuck off then," Maverick's tongue traced a path from the boy's earlobe down to his collarbone. "Unless you like it."

"Hmph," Veikko snorted, but a tiny moan escaped him. Hahaha. I like this guy. He's so much fun.

"I like you, Carlisle," Maverick told him, pulling back and kissing him on the lips once more. "I thought you told me a week ago you don't play games. You weren't lying to me, were you?"

"Shut up!" Veikko kissed him back, and Maverick loved the feel of those soft pink lips against his. "You mess with my head, you fuck. You're the one who plays games!"

"We both stop," Maverick suggested, gently caressing his boyfriend's cheek. "How about that? Neither of us is... good at this shit."

"Okay," Veikko managed to smile, and Maverick let go of his wrists and held his hands. He wasn't sure how he felt about this. He didn't like affectionately touching people for the most part, but he loved it with Veikko. He was hot. He was sexy. He was... Maverick's.

"Go hang with your brother," Maverick grinned at him, remembering his mission. He had to find that key. "I gotta take a leak."

"Yeah, you are so never going into that bathroom alone ever again!" Veikko stopped him by pulling him back with his hand. "You literally got kicked around so badly you don't remember it! I'm coming with you."

"Ooh, so if my attackers come for me again, you're gonna stop 'em, are ya?" Maverick teased, but Veikko's scowl spoke for itself.

"Shut your stupid face," Veikko opened the door, letting go of Maverick's hand and walking towards the fourth-floor bathroom. "If either of us goes in there alone, Kellan comes out of the fucking ether and throws us around, so we're not gonna do that again."

"The balls on you," Maverick shook his head fondly as Veikko rolled his eyes. "Fuck, you're a hoot."

When the two got into the bathroom, Maverick did not remember anything as he was hoping he would. He'd been in here before, but whatever happened on Friday was a mystery to him.

"Tell me again what happened here?" Maverick asked Veikko, his black eyes scanning the stalls and the urinals in hopes of a shred of knowledge coming back to him.

"Okay so," Veikko ran his hand through his dark chestnut hair. Cute. "I was held up for recess on Friday. Mrs Daivari pulled me aside after class for a chat. I dunno, you ended up in here, and Kellan McLeod and his friends bashed you. I didn't see anything. Eddie was the one who found you."

"Right," Maverick was affording Veikko far more patience than he had his bratty brother and sister earlier in the day. "Do you know where he found me exactly?"

"Ahhm in that second stall I think?" Veikko pointed, screwing up his face. "I dunno. Why?"

"I'm just gonna have a look around. D'ya mind?" Maverick asked him, realising that his presence here was going to raise questions. "I might take a dump too, so..."

"Ahh, fucking feral!" Veikko put up his palm and immediately took his leave. Hehe. Too easy. "I'll see you at recess!"

The first thing Maverick did was look in the cistern of the toilet in the stall Veikko pointed him to. If he were found here, this would probably be where he stored the key. He smiled ear to ear when he saw it. The key to his cupboard at the bottom of the water tank. He went to reach for it, but something stopped him. He frowned.

-

"So, you've made it clear to me that you believe you're not afraid of anything," Gregory spoke softly, and Maverick sighed.

"Why do you keep comin' back to this?" The fourteen-year-old boy asked, fluffing his bright pink hair with his left hand. "You're always talkin' about this shit."

"You talk a lot about how much you don't like your little brothers," Gregory narrowed his eyes. "Rain, Leaf and Wolf."

"Rain?" Maverick's blood seemed to boil at the mention of them. "We're here to talk about me, doc. Not him! I'm so tired of talking about him!"

"But not Wolf and Leaf?" Gregory pointed out calmly, noticing that the boy opposite him was getting agitated. "Do you like your other brothers?"

"Who cares about Wolf and Leaf?" Maverick was getting exasperated and restless. He wasn't entirely sure why that was. Rain. He hated him. He hated him so much.

"So Wolf doesn't bother you at all. And neither does Leaf, in spite of him being Rain's identical twin brother," Gregory nodded with a satisfied smile. What's he so fucking smug about? "It's only Rain."

"Yeah, I'm sure you have a point, so why don't you skip this psychiatrist time-filling bullshit and get to it?" Maverick hissed angrily, and Gregory cocked his head.

"I'd like to try something, Maverick. Just a small experiment. Do you mind?" The doctor asked, leaning forward and resting his spotted hands on his kneed. "Nothing big. Just something small. What do you say?"

"What?" Maverick asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "What do you have planned?"

"I'm going to do something and see how you react to it, okay?" Gregory explained gently, and Maverick looked him up and down. "Don't worry! I won't hurt you."

"Go for your life, then," Maverick played with his hair and used his tongue to play with his lip piercings. "It'd be the most interesting part of the day."

Gregory nodded and instructed the younger boy to close his eyes. Maverick did so and waited. After a few seconds, he felt something splashing against his chest and face. Wet. Fury, horror and madness all shot through his entire body and the boy saw nothing but red when he opened his eyes to see Gregory holding a water bottle.

"Cunt!" He screamed, looking down in panic at his wet shirt and leaping out of his chair. "You fuck!" His eyes, full of rage, locked on to Gregory's. The older man immediately pressed the panic button under his desk.

-

I need that key. I can't get it. Shit. Why? What is it about water? He hovered his hand above the water in the cistern, but he couldn't bring himself to touch it. He didn't understand. He wasn't afraid. He did not feel afraid. His senses weren't heightened, and he did not feel that rush he loved so much. He just... couldn't do it. For nearly two minutes he stared down at the silver key at the bottom of the tank. What was I thinking? They must've bashed me so badly I wasn't thinking at all. In the cistern? I hate water! He did applaud himself for remembering to hide his key in the first place, though. Where else could he have put it? If someone else had it and opened his private cupboard and found some of the things he had in there... he'd be in deep shit. No. As Maverick pondered getting Veikko to retrieve the key for him and finished concocting the least humiliating lie he could think of, someone came in. A Twelfth Year fellow called Nico with blond hair, blue eyes and the kept the ridiculous moustache. That's a stroke of luck!

"Hey man," Maverick, having been pretending to use the toilet the whole time, unlocked the stall and caught the blond man's attention.

"Uh, hi?" Nico looked left and right to establish his confusion. Men's room etiquette was to keep one's mouth shut.

"My friend put my key in the cistern," Maverick thought on his feet. He was good at that. "Can you help me out? I'm a germaphobe and don't wanna put my hand in there."

"You know that's clean water, right?" Nico talked to him like he was six years old. Maverick felt a flash of red, but he kept himself calm. He needed the key. Nico could get it for him. Once he'd succeeded in doing that, he could kill the fucker any time he wanted. For now, get the key.

"Yeah, but... I can't, y'know?" Maverick looked sadly down at his hands. "I'd be washing 'em all day and shit. It'd drive me crazy. Please, man?"

"Yeah, no probs," Nico, in all of eight seconds, marched in and plucked the key out before replacing the lid. "Dunno why they didn't put it in the bowl though if you're such a germaphobe." Nico went to hand it over, but Maverick couldn't touch it. Not yet. He had to sell his lie the best he could and the performance was not yet over.

"D'ya mind wiping it down or something first?" Maverick pleaded, flipping his blue hair and looking as miserable and downtrodden as he could.

"'Course," Nico used the hem of his shirt to do it, and Maverick smiled inwardly. Idiot. "You alright? You're the guy who got bashed here, right?"

"How could you tell?" Maverick asked sarcastically, taking the key from Nico and putting it in his pocket. Nice and safe. "Thanks, man. That's a whole lot of hassle I can do without."

Without so much as a handshake, wave or even another look, Maverick moved on, and all thoughts of Nico vanished the moment the guy was of no further use to him. He made his way back to the 11-B homeroom. A few people were there. Maverick didn't speak to them. He never had much to say to the rabble. They existed and he was okay with it. He brought out his burner phone. The cheap, prepaid mobile he used for the other side of his life. The one he kept a secret. She was expecting an update as soon as possible. Maverick didn't know her real name, and she didn't know his. He was Atra, short for Atracidae and she was Latro, short for Latrodectus.

Atra: < Found my key. Can get you the money by tonight. >

Latro: < Now. ASAP. >

Atra: < Can't. If I skip classes, they'll be on to me. First thing after school. >

Latro: < Now, kid. I'm not playing games. You're behind and that makes me nervous. I hate being nervous. It makes me impulsive. >

A threat? I don't think so.

Atra: < Cool it. When have I ever let you down? My memory is fucked but I found the key anyway and I'm bringing you the money tonight. I think I've done fucking well TBH >

Maverick was confident that he'd done well and handled that perfectly. In the end, although he worked for Latro, the two of them were in the business for the same reason. To make money. Maverick was one of her best workers. He was reliable. Missing his appointment with her on Friday was hardly his fault, and she was going to have to get a grip. I'm the one who got amnesia. What the fuck is she so upset about?

Latro: < You're right. Good job, kid. You know how I get. Just bring the money by tonight. Take your time if it's a tricky situation. I know I can count on you. x >

That's more like it. Maverick smiled. She was dangerous and had a scary reputation, but the two of them were peas in a pod. He understood why she was skittish - it wasn't like the two of them were selling at a lemonade stand.

"Oh. I didn't expect to see you back," Kellan McLeod interrupted Maverick's thoughts, and the younger boy peered through the blue locks over his face. A smirk crossed his lips, and he returned to his phone.

Atra: < BTW, I need you to do something for me. Someone's causing problems. >

Latro: < You need me to take care of someone? What's going on? >

Atra: < I'll tell you tonight, but I want them gone before they cause any more trouble. DW, I can pay. >

Latro: < Good. See you then, kid. x >

Kellan McLeod was by himself, doing the same as Maverick. Using his phone to waste time between now and when Homeroom period officially started. Maverick decided to go over and annoy him.

"You didn't do as good as job as you think ya did," Maverick taunted him, pulling up a chair next to him. Kellan looked at him down his nose and sneered. Maverick echoed the sneer, and the two locked their eyes together. "It was a good setup, though. I gotta give ya props. You got me hook, line and sinker with that one."

"I dunno what you mean," Kellan lied, but there was fear flickering behind his eyes. Maverick almost licked his lips. Like a snake. Like the Orochi. He could taste the boy's discomfort. His predatory instincts picked up on every trace of weakness in his target. He could see Kellan. He could see through him. Everything was in his eyes. Everything Maverick needed to know.

"I..." Maverick's face went blank and he looked confused. He looked to his left and his right, putting his fingers to his head. "I don't remember. I... I've forgotten!" He pretended to panic for a moment, then grinned and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'm a great actor, aye?"

"Then why the fuck are you in my face?" Kellan asked him. He looked scary. Threatening. But he was empty. It was a facade. Without his friends, he was but a worm. "You looking for another smack, are you?"

"I'm just sayin'," Maverick shrugged. He was enjoying this. He was lying, of course. His amnesia was not an act, but that didn't mean Kellan McLeod needed to know that. "You guys should be more careful. You didn't notice someone overhearing and having a look, did you?"

"You're so full of shit, Matsuda!" Kellan rolled his eyes and turned away. "No witnesses. We made sure of it."

"And you know why that is, don'tcha?" Maverick moved closer, keeping an eye on their other classmates. They minded their own business, but he did not want them to interfere. "Because I told 'em to keep quiet. If they blabbed, then you'd get expelled. You might even get arrested if I wanted to press charges. I dunno, McLeod. That'd suck for you if someone came forward and backed my word up that you were the one who kicked my head in."

"What? So you wanna try to blackmail me or something?" Kellan asked, but now the fear had eaten through his resolve and his voice shook. I win.

"That's not what I'm gonna do," Maverick reassured him with an unfriendly, menacing smile. "Just forget all about what happened on Friday, ya get me? My buddy's keepin' his mouth shut and you're gonna do the same. Mum's the word, ok mate? I don't want you kicked outta school or something." Maverick lowered his voice some more and put his lips to Kellan's ear. "I like my friends close, and I've had a lot o' time in hospital to make some special plans of my own. I wanna deal with you myself."

Maverick, making sure nobody was looking, slipped something into Kellan's hand and then kissed him softly on the cheek before leaving the guy alone. Kellan, confused and shaken by the younger boy's menacing words, looked down in his hand. A playing card. The Ace of Spades. He looked back up at Maverick, who gave him a smug smirk in return. Maybe my memory is failing me, but everything else is going to plan. I have my rooks and my queen exactly where I need them, even if my knights are nowhere to be seen.

I always win.