The Enemy Beside Me + The Liar Beside Me (Book 1 and 2)

B2 Chapter 5

KAITO HAS GENEROUSLY given Watanabe a chance to take the first exam in the hospital—or at his home—if he'll need more days to recover. It isn't unheard of, but it's also not common. So Alasdair isn't surprised that several students have found this decision quite unfair. It doesn't matter that they know Watanabe has been involved in a "car accident".

To be given leeway is a big deal to students at Yamato International School. In fairness to them, they were not given the full details.

Nah. They are simply a bunch of morons. If someone had to be hospitalised for that long, he would have immediately thought the person deserved their break.

'I don't wanna take the tests!' Jaxon whines as they near the library. 'Look at these problems! If you're telling me our tests will be like this, I'm out.'

'Relax. It'll be all a piece of cake.' Declan waves his hands around as though he is waving off the bad auras surrounding them. Alasdair doesn't believe in such a thing. Declan's family do, however. Their son doesn't necessarily follow every superstition he'd learnt from them.

Jaxon makes a face. 'Easy for you to say. You're quite intelligent.' With the papers blocking his view, he's almost bumped into a female student.

Instead of getting a slap or an angry remark, the girl bows and apologises. She must have thought Jaxon was older because of his height and the colour of his tie. Since their school doesn't follow the usual age groups, a lot of the senior students are younger than the Zone 1 citizens who are still junior.

Declan blows air from his mouth. 'What do you mean? I ain't like that.'

'Oh please. I never see you studying, but for some reason, you still get average marks.'

'And that makes you think I'm clever?'

'I'm only saying that if you'd take studying seriously...'

'Who are you? My Ma?' There is a short silence between them until they burst into laughter.

Alasdair lets them have their own fun until they near the entrance to the library. He shushes them and enters with light footsteps. If he were blind, he would've mistaken that the library was empty. It is packed today, but the students are as quiet as a dead mouse. A dead mouse is better than a moving mouse, is what he believes.

'I can smell the teen spirit here,' Jaxon whispers, exaggeratedly inhaling. 'Ah, to be young, wild, and free.'

'These kids have dreams,' Declan says.

'Well, do you?' Jaxon asks.

'Nah.'

Not wanting to waste time listening to their nonsense, Alasdair says, 'Let's find Noritaka. He's on the fourth floor.'

Jaxon groans. 'Please tell me the library has a lift.'

'What's wrong, Jaxjax? I thought you were strong,' Declan teases.

'Oh, belt up. Nobody likes climbing stairs. Not even models like me.'

'I never said anything about you being a model but okay...' Declan shrugs.

Once they locate the lift, Jaxon sighs in relief. Alasdair presses the number '4' and faces the blond. 'Speaking of modelling, whatever happened to the agency that has offered you a contract?'

Jaxon suddenly grows uneasy. He stuffs his hands deep in his pockets, balances his weight between the balls of his feet to his toes. 'Well, a lot has happened, so...' His eyes flit to the panel as though by doing that, they would get to their destined floor faster. 'But they're waiting for me. It's still all good.'