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Chapter 3

'Sorcery!' Lentus whispered, his brows furrowed as he thought over what had happened. Despite that, the person who was truly and indisputably confused wasn't called Tom Lentus. He was Ien Complicado. How has he managed to disarm an oversized boy, he hadn't the faintest concept, but the true and baffling thing was that Ien was quite certain that he had heard Lentus utter something else. Something ominous and highly impossible; Ien had heard Lentus utter these four words: 'He's just like me.' How could that be? Ien had no intention of being a big bully whom everyone fears, of being an oversized boy with no neck. Sure, Ien had yearned desperately for respect, respect for not only him but his entire existence. But becoming a giant bully and ruling over other people was just another wrong, mischievous, roundabout way to achieve what he'd always wanted. Words were that, to be simple, he had no intention of being the bad guy.

With all of this going on inside Ien's head, he had missed out Lentus dismissing his gang, a very rare thing that Lentus would do, not to mention never. Lentus's gang would call themselves 'The Living Death'; it was rumoured that Lentus had himself offered this name, and without a doubt the gang had accepted it immediately, without a question. And of course, Lentus was the boss of the Living Deaths. Need I mention that everyone feared him?

The audience, mostly first years (twelve-year-olds), followed the suit, walking back to the classrooms on the third floor, the Living Deaths among them. Whispers filled the corridors, bouncing off every corner it could find, until it became bored and found interest in the classrooms.

Once the corridors were cleared, Lentus grabbed Ien by the shoulders and dragged him out, down the spiral staircases and into the cafeteria. Ien managed to break free, while Lentus closed the doors, the windows, pulled down all the blinds, and dimmed the lights. Ien wondered where the cafeteria staff all went. Probably out on their breaks, shopping, doing adult stuff that Ien would never understand. He just hoped that one of the staff would suddenly come back, and send Lentus and Ien back to their classrooms.

'Open the doors. I'm not ditching,' Ien commanded, or, to be honest, squeaked. He didn't want to form another nemesis out of poor, old Miss Brigg. Miss Brigg had always looked small and tiny, timid and old. Poor Miss Brigg, this was her first year teaching at this school, and she had to handle Tom Lentus!

'We're not ditching, we'll just have a talk and go back to class late,' Lentus sneered. 'Goody-two-shoes.'

'Make it quick, finals are coming up,' Ien said impatiently, his voice coming back.

'So,' Lentus started, uncertain of how to bring his point around.

'So,' Ien repeated, tapping his feet.

'You know who you are? What you are?' Lentus asked, his right brow rising. Ien felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. What is Lentus trying to force out of him? Anybody can answer this ridiculous and unnecessary question! He's human!

'Is this a kind of joke? You're wasting a lot of my time, and I don't feel the need to continue this effing, stupid conversation.' Ien shouted at Lentus, and angrily, followed by stomps across the cafeteria and to the doors. He flung them open and stormed back up to the third floor classrooms, back to Miss Brigg.

'Wait!' Lentus cried out helplessly. 'Youre not human! Both of us aren't!'