Camp Alpha (BoyxBoy)

{21}

Nate walked out of the room without looking back, walking down the tight corridor until he reached the main lobby. He then took a right and ended up in another hallway. This hallway was different to the one he had just walked down, this one was more open, a larger walkway with deep red painted walls. Artwork lined the walls in bright colours, and Nate somewhat admired them as he strode down the tiled floors. He hadn’t even noticed the artwork the last time that he was in the hallway, instead he had been chasing after an angry Brody.

That was his missed chance. He had an opportunity back then to show to his mate how much he trusted him, and yet he threw the opportunity out the window. He should have sided with him, he should have listened back then, and maybe things would have been able to turn out differently.

Yet, Tye and Jace would have still have been using him for his money, and so things probably wouldn’t have been that different.

All roads led here, he decided.

He arrived at the reception for Mr. Woods’s office. At the large desk sat the same man that had been there that morning, this time a phone was pressed against his ear by his shoulder and his fingers typed against the keyboard at the same time.

Nate slowly walked up to the desk, impatiently waiting for him to have a free moment.

The man hung up the phone after a few moments, his other hand’s fingers stilling on the keyboard and he looked up at Nate, ‘How can I help you?’ he asked in kind of practiced yet still genuine politeness.

‘Is Mr. Woods in his office? Would it be alright if I see him for a moment?’ he asked, hoping that the man sensed the slight urgency in his tone.

The man nodded, ‘Oh sure, he just walked into his office a few minutes ago.’

‘Thank-you,’ he told him quickly.

Nate walked past the desk to face the door and knocked against the wood. He didn’t feel any fear or worry as he waited for a reply from inside. Instead he radiated confidence, so sure of himself and what he ought to achieve in the next few minutes. There was no question of maybe. He knew what he needed to do, and he was going to make sure that he was the one who held the power. In this determination and power he sensed a bit of his father in himself. There weren’t many moments where Nate felt a connection to his father, but in this one he did. His father was strong and knew what he wanted, exactly like Nate in this moment.  

‘Come in,’ he heard Mr. Wood’s say.

Nate opened the door, taking a step inside.

‘Nate?’ he seemed surprised to see him. ‘What can I help you with?’ he asked as he sat up a little straighter in his chair.

Nate took a seat without waiting for an invitation to sit. Instead, he sat casually in the chair, one arm strung carelessly around the back. He had a plan, a good one at that, and he hoped that it went the way that he had intended.

‘I have a deal for you,’ Nate offered in a tone that seemed to toe the line of threatening and casualness at the same time.  

‘A deal?’ Mr. Wood’s posture changed, and his face hardened. ‘What sort of deal are you proposing Mr. King?’ he asked in a way that told Nate that Mr. Woods was somewhat worried about what he had to say.

Nate leaned back into the chair further, ‘I won’t tell my father one word about what happened today, including the fact that you tried to cover up a student’s injury for the sake of reputation, if you promise to never hide anything from the council again, and transfer Tye and Jace to another camp. Immediately.’

Michael looked taken aback, ‘I don’t understand what has changed since the last time we spoke only a little while ago.’

Nate tried not to let his emotions show on his face, ‘A lot has changed,’ he muttered. ‘These are my terms,’ he stated with resolve.