The Theory Of Knowledge (And How To Lose All Your Friends)

Chapter 7: No Monsters, Just Monstrous Acts

Jayden was a shell of a man - it felt like his existence was covered in insects sucking out all of his life force. That sadness and fear he had experienced once again turned into unspeakable anger. He knew what he had to do, and this time, he wasn't going to make the mistake of misjudgment. He would come prepared, and he would have his retribution.

The next morning, Peicheng had basketball training. Jayden waited outside the sports Centre entrance, ready to strike. He could see the ruffled mess of the bush he had been forced down the previous night, his desperate squirming doing nothing but disjointing the leaves, scattering bark like a child throwing a tantrum over its dinner.

Before long, Jayden heard footsteps. Unrelenting, harsh footsteps. Revenge had showed up on his doorstep and he was about to accept the package.

Peicheng recognized his face, "Jayden TEE, I'm gon' kill-"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence before he was struck in the face by a brass knuckle concealed in Jayden's sleeve. In shock, he put his hand to his bleeding cheek, but this was a mistake, as Jayden followed up with another blow, followed by another, and another, and another. Peicheng landed a few punches and kicks on Jayden, but he had the advantage over Peicheng's immense strength.

Peicheng's attacks grew weaker by the second, which Jayden noticed. He shoved the boy onto the pavement - the pavement he had been shoved onto himself the day prior. Peicheng coughed up blood and opened one of his blackened eyes, uttering "I... kill you..."

"No, it's time for me to kill you."

Jayden wrapped his hands around Peicheng's neck with his knee on his chest. A series of coughs and gasps were heard, but not by anyone other than Jayden, and those sounds were met by nothing but satisfaction.

After a long struggle, he stopped kicking, and Jayden let go of him, his hands and shirt splattered with the blood from his face. The pool of blood slowly oozed into the bark, as Peicheng's eyes were locked in a ghostly staring competition with the blue sky. Jayden's expression was concrete; he had long before undergone his metamorphosis into an unfeeling machine, his unhinged persona only existing to bring life into the room, only now it brought death. Jayden rolled his cold body into the bushes, concealing from sight with the dark, flaky bark.

⁂

Jayden stumbled into the Goodfellow Quad bathroom. Blood had tainted his formals, so he buttoned up his blazer and hoped that it would hide the crimson stains. The red elixr was visible on his hands and arms from the brawl - he rinsed them in the bathroom sink, which had muesli bar wrappers and orange peels littered within. Despite his efforts, Jayden's longsleeved formal shirt had the red markings clearly present on the ends, like scarlet flames dancing on the edge.

He knew he needed something stronger to clean himself, but it was 8:30am by now, and students were pouring in. Jayden's mind was racing as he moved himself through the current, trying to find the janitor's closet and praying he didn't run into anyone he knew.

Unfortunately, his fears were realized as y/n manifested themself from around the corner outside the ICT room. He froze as a concerned expression swept across y/n's face.

"Your hands-"

"I know."

"Know what?"

"It- it's, uh, complicated."

"Did you have a fight with Peicheng? I know you were mad at him, but this looks bad..."

Jayden started to hyperventilate, with his lip vibrating with every breath. He knew that y/n had realized what had happened when they recoiled.

"Oh my God - you killed him?"

"It wasn't because of-"

"Why would you kill him?! Why would you do something like that?!"

"You don't get it, I was trying to-"

"Trying to protect me? Peicheng didn't mean any harm - he was just different, just like you. So yes, I do get it: I get that you're a total psychopath - you're a monster!"

"I..."

"Don't talk to me. Leave me alone!"

And with that, y/n turned heel and ran far away into the distance. Jayden stared at his bloodstained sleeves and hands - residue still remained in the crevices in his palms. His breaths became sharper and sharper as he stayed in a despairing stare down the path y/n had taken off on.

Jayden's emotions took a ferocious hold of him once again, and he turned around and ran. He ran past the Goodfellow Quad. He ran past the school gates, and across the street. He ran until he arrived at his apartment a quarter of an hour later. He ran until he collapsed in a pile on the elevator, with quivering limbs and a heaving, palpitating chest. As it ascended to the 6th floor, he stared at the ceiling with the same hopelessness that had encircled him last night like a vulture - only now they had returned for seconds. The redness on Jayden's sleeves and hands seemed to besmirch his soul more and more as he shut his eyelids. His reddened fingernails felt like talons and his dry lips like a rabid muzzle. I really am a monster he thought in an unstable frenzy. The elevator doors opened, and he got off his knees, and escaped to the inside of his room, returning to his eternal cage.