Carsten POV
The next morning, I woke up to find Mom and Kuya Nious already gone for their business trip. Another day of dealing with Haze and his annoying attitude.
I sighed and made my way downstairs for breakfast. Haze was already in the kitchen, grumbling about having to stay behind while Nious and Mom were away.
"I can't believe I’m stuck with you," he muttered when he saw me.
I chose to ignore him and started preparing a quick breakfast for myself.
Arnold Rodriguez, Mom’s boyfriend, greeted me with his usual smirk as I entered the kitchen.
"Good morning, Carsten." I barely acknowledged him, feeling a familiar sense of unease around him.
"Morning," I replied curtly, not bothering to hide my disdain. He was an unwelcome presence in my life, and I had no intention of pretending otherwise.
As I was finishing my breakfast, Arnold suddenly said, “I’ll drop you two off at school. I’ll send Haze’s car to the driver to pick it up later.”
Haze shot me a look of frustration. “Seriously? This is ridiculous,” he muttered, clearly annoyed at Arnold’s interference.
I sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. “Fine,” I said, trying to avoid a confrontation.
Arnold’s grin widened as he ushered us outside. “Let’s go, then.”
As we drove to school, Arnold chatted aimlessly, clearly enjoying the discomfort he was causing. Haze sat in silence, staring out the window with visible irritation, while I focused on trying to ignore the whole situation.
When we finally arrived at school, Arnold stopped the car and turned to us with that infuriating grin. “Have a good day, kids. Try not to get into too much trouble.”
I exited the car quickly, eager to escape from Arnold’s presence. Haze followed, barely acknowledging the man who had insisted on driving us.
“See you later,” Haze muttered as we walked toward the school entrance. I glanced back and saw Arnold still watching us, his smirk as annoying as ever.
As I entered the classroom, a bucket of red paint was suddenly tipped over my head, drenching me completely. The paint was thick and sticky, seeping through my clothes and covering my skin.
The entire class erupted into laughter as I stood there, shocked and fuming.
“Nice outfit, Carsten!” One of the guys yelled mockingly.
“Looks like you’re making a statement in red!”
I could feel their eyes boring into me, their amusement at my expense was evident in their smirks and chuckles. The laughter seemed endless, and the paint was dripping from my hair and clothes, making me feel even more humiliated.
Ignoring the taunts, I quickly made my way to my locker, hoping to find some solace. Luckily, I had an extra uniform there. I changed into it as quickly as I could, trying to avoid the smirks and whispers from my classmates.
