Pirate Assassin

Page 14

It was three weeks into the pointless 'battle' that the two groups were having. True to predictions, Zack's group of supporters had shrunk considerably. Many of them grew tired of all the constant bickering and just reconciled with the others. Some even turned around and condemned Zack for being, as one boy stated, "...a pissed off jerk who wants everyone else to be pissed off with him!" Others, simply realised that they didn't even know what they were fighting for. He slowly regressed back to the stage where he was shunned, and not by just his class since the news had spread to quite a significant number of people throughout the level as well as others. One major difference was that now, instead of being invisible, he was largely hated for starting conflict. Zack's anger still did not abate because one thing that Zack Ying held on to with a sort of warped passion, was a grudge. Not one had understood his inferiority complex or his hidden envy at Theo ever since, in his now twisted mind, he had left him behind in the dust as he rose to fame and even what was his inner circle of 'friends' now talked to him on a minimal basis. When that was over, they would walk off with their own friends and mutter to one another what a disturbing fellow Zack turned out to be. Mikaella could only watch helplessly. Every attempt she made to talk to him had ended up with him shouting angrily at her. Shouting! While normally she would have felt embarrassed, she now became scared; scared of Zack's increasingly erratic ways, scared of what kind of monster Zack was turning into. A monster which didn't care about the world around him, only the anger and the sources of the anger. She had only one option left and it didn't help at all that that was the option with the smallest chance of success. I suppose that's the only choice I've got, she thought grimly. She took out her phone and hesitated for a brief second, then typed her message and punched in the numbers. "Zack, we need to talk. Can you meet me......"

Zack walked quickly through the crowd at the mall. Stupid parents! He thought angrily. Always wasting time, and at his expense! How many times had he been reprimanded for tardiness that wasn't even his?! But of course, no one would believe him. They would just see a teenager who was making excuse and blaming his parents to get out of trouble. He was making conscious effort not to stomp through the walk way of the mall like some spoilt child. However as he turned round the corner to the Starbucks he was supposed to meet Mikaella at, his anger rose again, like a volcano about to erupt. Sitting at the outdoor table of the coffee shop, was Theo. He stomped to the table, pointed in his face and asked, "What the hell are you doing here?" Theo, with less fierceness, though his voice was strained as well, replied tersely, "I was called here. By Mikaella. She said she wanted to talk about you," He looked around and forced a smile. Zack realised that a lot of people sitting at their tables, as well as some who were walking past towards the mall entrance, were staring at them. Zack sat down quickly on the seat directly opposite Theo and made up his mind to lower his voice considerably. He was about to interrogate Theo further when his message tone rang.... at the same time as Theo's. They met each others gaze for a second then both read the same message sent to them. "Hey guys," it read, "sorry about lying to you but I didn't think you'd meet each other voluntarily. The fighting has gone on long enough. Please settle it here. I picked this place because I'm sure that you wouldn't want to make your fighting a spectacle, now would you? M," Zack could only just stare at the message with his mouth gaping open. Settle it??? How was he going to do that?? Theo, however, took it calmly and he seated himself more comfortably in his chair. "Well," he said with a wry smile, "looks like we have to settle this here and now. First off, what would you like to drink? The caramel frappucino here is a killer........."