Devil on the Rooftop [Book 1]

Chapter 89 - Khaleel -

Growing up, I never really had a relationship to look up to. I never got the chance to watch my parents swoon over one another because mom died while I was still a baby. I knew how much my old man loved her, hell, he had a shrine built in his study in her name. I heard him talk about her, and I could sense that she was someone really important to him, but the concept of love still escaped me. My old man had many lovers after mom passed away. I never met any of them because for dad, they weren't important. According to him, he already met and married his soulmate. He always said a real man was not defined by his title but by the woman who stood beside him. It was all so contradictory. If the woman beside him kept changing then what defined a man?

I definitely took after my old man. There was no room for my mom's personality when my his genes were so strong. I assumed that was one of the many reasons I was incapable of being more sensitive, and considerate.

I held my head over the table and finished rationalizing my feelings for Arisa Hoffman in the student council room. She must have casted some sort of spell on me, because why the hell would I be telling her she's worth all the trouble and hassle? Every time she was around, I just spoke without thinking, and said shit to keep her around longer. Okay, minus the whole wanting to date her in the future part. That was all true—I was interested, no. I had to admit to my feelings.

"You like her," I told myself.

It wasn't love, it was more like fascination. I was intrigued, curious—I had a taste and wanted more.

"You like her," I repeated. "You also liked Matilda."

I gasped, acknowledging my choice of words. They were past tense. "You liked Matilda," I assured myself. "You don't anymore, not the way you used to. Whatever, you care about Matilda."

I dropped my head on the desk. "So stupid," I complained. "What's the difference between caring about someone and liking them? Doesn't that shit go hand-in-hand?"

The school bell rang hard and loud. Lunch was finally over. I was supposed to meet up with Zander in an hour, but he said his mother wouldn't let him leave the house. So, we decided to wait until after school to confront Dobberman. That would give him lots of time to devise an escape plan. I was only killing time, rotting away in the student council room. The space had become more of a safety net, a sort of reflection centre.

Getting out of my chair, I walked out of the room, and shut the door. I made my way to the back entrance and climbed the stairs to the gymnasium doors. I only made it past the water fountain when I turned the corner and ran into Loyal. It was awkward to say the least. Seeing him made me think of all the shit he said about me not being good enough. It pissed me off. I tried to move past him so we wouldn't have to talk. He wouldn't let me. I tried to turn around and head back the way I came but he intercepted me.

"What do you want?" I asked dryly.

"This term might be my last year at Jackheights," he said assertively.

What the hell was he talking about? Was he trying to trick me into forgiving him with a sob story? Well, that wasn't my problem anymore. I was done dealing with his shit. "Since I've already wasted so much time trying to fight for things out of my league, I'm not sure adding your problems to the list would be productive."

Loyal sighed. "Khaleel, seriously."

"I'm being serious too, you dick-head," I retorted. "You want to talk when you got problems but as soon as it concerns Arisa, you get all high and mighty. What's the point of keeping an asshole like you around?"

Loyal's brow twitched a little. "Arisa is off limits. Nothing has changed in that regard."

"Nothing has changed?" I laughed, clenching my fists. "Did you even take a fucking second to be real with me and ask where my feelings were coming from? You just assumed stuff after that one kiss and started accusing me of shit!"

Loyal glared at me. "I didn't accuse you of anything, you forced her to kiss you, ergo you were out of line."

"So, one action decides what hill I'm going to die on?" Khaleel asked.

"That's how life works," Loyal lectured. "I didn't mind that you had feelings for her, she's a great girl! Of course guys are going to folly over her. I didn't mind having you as a rival either, I told you I was looking forward to it, but you cheated!"

"I didn't cheat," I argued.

"You cheated Khaleel!" Loyal yelled. "That day you were no better than Dobberman! You treated Arisa just as badly as that asshole treated my sister!"

My eyes widened. What the fuck? What the fuck did he just say to me? "You're comparing me to Dobberman?" I asked, feeling hurt. "You think a kiss is the same thing as what he did to Tommy? You're putting me in the same category as that fucking sexual predator?"

Loyal's face became stiff.

"You think that low of me?" I asked, ignoring the pains in my chest. "Wow, that's great. Good to know where you really stand, Wilson."