The Twisted Fool || A TMF AU Fanfiction.

Prologue - An Unlikely Alliance

As the bell rang, Sean waved his goodbye to his friends in the Music Club. Making his way around the corner of the hallway and to his locker, he sighed. Today was particularly tiring. Exams and rehearsal draining his energy, Sean slumped against his locker and closed his eyes for a brief moment. Footsteps approached him, and Sean opened his eyes to see Drew standing before him. What? Why was he here? Sean narrowed his eyes. It had been years since he was alone with the boy, and now he was standing before him. Repressed memories of the past flooded his mind, concealing his initial thoughts. Sean stood up a little straighter and turned, about to walk away when Drew spoke. "Sean. Wait." His tone was cold, which was never a good sign. Sean froze and stared ahead blankly, his shoulders stiffening. "If you're here to harass me, it's not going to work." He mumbled, glancing sideways at him. "Harass you? No, No...that's not what I came here for." Drew replied slowly, his hand in his pocket. "I came to talk business." Sean's eyes narrowed further. "I have no business with you. That ordeal has passed." Drew chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "Just listen to what I have to say. You might want to hear the information I have to share." He said smoothly, looking Sean in the eye. Sean lowered his gaze and sighed, nodding towards him slowly, urging him to continue. Drew's gaze became serious, darkening as he opened his mouth. "You may not have heard, but Matthew has returned to Rosemeadow." His voice lowered as he paused. Sean's eyes shot open, wide in disbelief. He was back? No, No...That couldn't be true. Sean stiffened further, his throat suddenly feeling dry. "...And what of it?" He whispered slowly. Drew raised his head. "He has plans. Plans that involve you and I once again." Sean glared, his hands balling into fists. "He better not involve me in any more of his shit." He growled lowly, gritting his teeth. Memories of his manipulation and chaos bubbled to the surface of Sean's mind. Drew nodded slowly. "I feel the same. So, I have a proposition for you." Sean raised an eyebrow silently, now curious. "Go on." He ordered quietly, frozen in place. He didn't entirely trust Drew, but he'd much rather take his word than be pulled into more torture from Matthew. Drew smiled casually, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "This right here is a letter he sent to one of his allies. It includes the plans he has. These plans include manipulating you and your older brother, Finley, was it?" He began, holding the paper between his fingers. Sean widened his eyes. Why would Matthew include Finley? Drew continued, pulling a small journal from his hoodie pocket as well. "The point is, I think we would both benefit from each other's help. If you agree to aid me in getting rid of Matthew and his plans once and for all, I'll leave you and your little freak friends alone for good. How about it?" Drew waited for an answer, gazing up at Sean curiously. Sean paused, thinking it over. If they succeeded, Matthew would be gone, and his friends would be left alone. But he still didn't entirely trust Drew. He weighed his other options, but it came down to very little. Sean bit his lip nervously and sighed softly, making a final decision. "I accept. But, this doesn't mean I trust you." He warned, his eyes narrowed. Drew raised his hands and shook his head. "I don't expect you to. But keep in mind, either we help each other, or we become victims of his torment once again." Drew made a good point. Sean huffed and crossed his arms. "And how do you benefit? You used to be on his side." Sean asked warily, suspicious of his intentions. Drew smiled. "I don't have to deal with him anymore. I stopped working for Matthew a long time ago, Sean. If you help me, he will be gone for good." Another good point. Sean grunted softly in agreement. Drew held out the journal and paper to him. "Take these, they have the information you need. I'll provide updates of his plans and movements to you, and you think of ways to counter it. Seems fair, right? I'll go along with whatever you plan or decide. But we have to be discreet about this, so be careful." Sean nodded, taking the journal and letter and placing them in his bag carefully. "Right...I'll get back to you through text once I go over these. However, there's still something I must ask. What about my brother?" Drew thought for a moment, crossing his arms. "Go ahead and let him know about Matthew, but don't tell him everything. We can't have him freak out and sabotage this." He whispered, wary of students passing by. "Anyone here could be one of his little friends, spying on us. So again, be careful about this." Sean nodded and looked around before he spoke again. "Mhm. While I go over this and think, you have to promise to leave the club alone in the meantime. I won't tell them anything about this in return." Sean hummed, gazing down at the boy. Drew nodded. "I promise." He muttered, showing no sign of other intentions. Sean let out a sigh of relief. "I'll get back to you soon. It's best if we meet in private from now on." Drew shrugged and stepped back, looking casual once more. "Right. I'll be seeing you around, then. And remember, Matthew is a twisted fool. It won't be easy to evade him," Drew warned. With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Sean to sink into his thoughts. Did he just make a deal with his friends' bully? Even if he and Drew had a hidden past together, Sean still wasn't sure this was a good idea, even if he was doing it for his own good and the sake of his friends. And the only thing Sean could think of to get rid of his worst enemy was to take physical action. No, that would make him even worse. Sean sighed, once again slumped against his locker.

Maybe he was the twisted fool, with a clouded mind.

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