Moments after benjamin left, Beatrice voice cut through the silence, her tone laced with sarcasm. "I think that last message was intended for you specifically, Henry. Creating sexual scandals here and there shamelessly."
"What is the fun in hiding the fact that I can fuck anyone I want?" Henry shrugged shamelessly with a mocking grin. "At least I don't have to pretend like I'm decent in front of the public eye, when I'd go around paying young handsome celebrities for a night cause I look older than my age." He scorned at Beatrice with mirth.
Henry's word caused a significant sense of shame on Beatrice, her pupil dilated, the veins on her forehead bulge and she snapped. "Fuck! How did you…" She clenched her fist trembling in a muderous rage.
Seeing Beatrice's mortified expression, Henry laughed derisively stirring more surge of rage in her.
Christopher grit his teeth—silently glaring at Henry, he really thirsted to speak, but he held back aware that Henry always had answers to their insults.
Still filled with amusment, Henry stated. "Well, since you have nothing more to say I should attend to more important matters." He turned to walk away, but halted his track as Christopher's voice cut in.
"How'd you plan on winning this challenge though? You have zero knowledge so where'd you expect to start from?" Christopher said in a stern voice a glare still fixed on his face.
Henry fell silent for a few seconds. He thoughtfully rubbed his chin before walking up to Christopher. He leaned closer to his ear, his hands in his pocket, a grin apparent on his lips, he said. "Right now, you're worrying about the wrong things aren't you?"
Realization crossed Christopher's face, his lips pursed—his pupil dilating mortifyingly in silence.
Henry had unknowingly found out Christopher has erectile dysfunction.
Christopher and Beatrice knew not to speak any further.
Henry stood up right and chortled out a throaty laughter of amusement before walking out of the room.
Moments after Henry exited the room, Beatrice cut in yelling in intense frustration.
"Arrgh! I fucking hate that bastard!"
"I'll make sure that bastard fails." Christopher Said, his lips trembling, his fist clenched in fury.
— — -
At school Henry's path crossed with Glen but Henry continued on his path with a deliberate air of indifference, disregarding Glen's presence.
Glen's gaze trailed after Henry's figure, his expression filled with dissatisfaction.
It immediately sparked curiosity in Charlotte as she noticed while approaching Glen and walked up to him concerned. "Glen, don't tell me you got used already." She enquired.
Glen raised his arms in a defensive manner, he shook his head. "No, that's not it…" His shoulder slumped with a discontent expression. "It's…rather complicated."
"Glen, wake up before it's too late, nothing would come out of dating Henry." Charlotte said in a stern and unfaltering tone before she walked away.
Glen stood there despondently, his thoughts jumbled.
— — -
During lunch, Glen's glimpse fell on Henry sitting alone in the cafeteria, he saw it as an opportunity since his friends had not arrived yet. He walked up to Henry with his lunch fidgeting nervously. "C-can I sit with you?"
Henry's eyes turned to Glen, noticing the expectations in his eyes, he let out a simper smile. "You didn't need to ask."
Joy crossed Glen's face and he immediately sat down.
But it was an instant regret.
Glen's discomfort was discernible as he attempted to eat, the whole time he casted furtive glances at Henry, his demeanor reeked of hostility, his eyes seemed to convey a deep seethed irritation like he was harboring an unrelenting anger.
His absent mindedness hindered Glen's ability to break the silence, he sat there instead fidgeting.
Realization suddenly registered on Henry's face, his attention shifted to Glen who sat there clearly fidgeting anxiously like he had a lot say.
"My apologies, Glen. I got immersed in my thoughts for a moment." Henry said faking a warm smile.
Glen's voice imbued with anxiety as he said. "It seems you have a lot going on in your mind today so I shouldn't have disturbed." His eyes glanced around the cafeteria. His tension became palpable when his eyes fell on Henry's friends walking into the cafeteria. "Ah, Henry I think I should get going." He stood hurriedly.
"Hey what's up buddy." One of Henry friend Rick said loudly as they approached his table.
"Oh great! isn't this the weird fellow from the other day?" One of the female amongst his friends remarked in a disparaging manner as she took notice of Glen.
Glen hung his head low nervously.
"Hey, scram while I'm still being nice." Henry's friend Rick said to Glen curtly, his jaw clenched in displeasure.
Glen picked up his tray to leave but halted at the sound of Henry's voice.
"Sit back down Glen."
"Huh?" Glen's eyes widened concerned. He swept furtive glances to Henry's murmuring friends who were extremely puzzled by Henry's behavior. "I…" Glen parted his mouth to speak but his words faltered. He hesitated not wanting to disregard Henry's order before his friends. He sat back down—his heart thumped and fixed his gaze onto the table to avoid the perplexed glares from Henry's friends.
Lebrun who was there the entire time cocked his brow incredulously. "What the hell?" He mumbled.
"How about you all scram now?" Henry said to his friends beaming a simper smile, his chin rested on his fist.
The cafeteria had gone quiet, concerned about what was happening.
Still Disdained, Lebrun mumbled under his breath once more. "What the hell?"
Henry let out a simper smile and continued. "I hope I didn't stutter when I made my statement."
His friends were at a loss of words from Henry's action. They had no choice but to exit the cafeteria.
Lebrun instead sat down with Henry and Glen trying to understand what was going on. His cold glance swept across Glen causing him to avert his eyes awkwardly. "Henry, did something happen?" He enquired still skeptical.
Henry chortled out a throaty laughter. "Right now I'm in a shitty mood, I don't need those loud fuckers around me."
"Hmmm…" Lebrun's eyes narrowed contemplatively at Henry, caressing his chin in a thoughtful manner. "Well." He continued as he stood up his cold gaze glanced at Glen causing him to shrink even more. "Let's talk later then." He tapped Henry's shoulder as he walked out of the cafeteria.
"Why are you so tensed Glen? Did you see a ghost or something?" Henry whispered to Glen with a playful smile.
"Thank you.." Glen whispered his fingers fidgeting nervously.
Henry's brow creased. "Thanks for what though?" He enquired.
"…never mind." Glen said forcing a smile.
Curiosity etched into Henry's face. "He grabbed Glen's cheeks softly. "Come to think of it, I've never seen you actually smiling."
Glen's face flushed as he locked eyes with Henry's at that moment, sparking a mix of embarrassment for him.
"A genuine smile would really look good on you, don't you think?" Henry said thoughtfully as he let go of Glen's cheeks.
Glen rubbed his cheeks, the warmth of Henry's fingers still lingering on his skin. He whispered. "Maybe…"
— — —
The following day. Every corner of the school Glen walked by he heard hushed whispers and felt piercing gazes from his peers, he hadn't yet realized how much of a target he'd become from the cafeteria incident.
As Glen turned to a corner His eyes fell on Henry's friends hurdled at a spot, their eyes glaring at him from a distance with pure disapproval. It was clear he was the topic in their lips. His perturbance only grew and he made as much deliberate effort to avoid any sort of encounter with them.
— — —
The next day, during lunch Henry's friends walked in on him having iced coffee in their lecture hall, his gaze was fixed on a spot below his sitting position.
Their eyes instinctively followed down his line of sight landing on Glen smiling with Charlotte while they had indistinct conversations. The beheld scene sparked annoying and curiosity within them.
Why has this guy caught Henry's attention? Is something going on between them?
— — -
As the night drew, Glen bid Charlotte goodbye as her taxi departed and continued his way to his evening part time job on foot.
His thought trailed off for a moment and he abruptly felt a hand grab his shoulder from behind, he jolted back to reality and immediately turned, his eyes locking onto a figure. his heart thumped; it was Lebrun, and three other of Henry's friends.