Atdonus High

Episode 13: The Two That Fell In Love

Middle of Who-Knows-Where

1 year ago

In Atdonus highschool

10:02am, a car was parked outside the school.

“You better not cause any trouble here?!” The guards warned.

“ ‘Kay.” Angela replied half-heartedly.

She hummed a song as she walked forward, guards surrounding her. Her wrists were handcuffed together as she walked, students giving her looks. Her song stung the air of silence, no one around her dared to speak to a criminal. Angela wore a simple white shirt that was dirtied and baggy pants that were also white. Her shirt exposed a few lines tattooed to her biceps and her barcode tattoo on her neck.

Angela walked confidently, wondering if she could find her soulmate in the school. She had already tried her luck in the prison, but none of them fit the criteria. She wanted to find him as soon as possible, she wanted to be able to give him all the love she could.

“Stop humming.” One of the guards told her.

“Why?” Angela asked.

“You’re disturbing the peace.”

“Nonsense.”

Angela gave a smile, passing the school building and eventually at the staff room where she received a few items, along with keys for her room.

10:58am, another car arrived.

“Get up.” The guard demanded.

Alex stepped out of the car. His hair was messy and he wore a similar outfit to Angela. He had a dead look in his eyes as he was pushed forward, his wrists cuffed together. Alex hung his head, not speaking a word. He was thinner than ever, practically all bone.

He got stares too, students curious as to who he could be. Alex was brought to the staff room where he received his items and key to his room. When he entered his room, he did not do a single thing, instead, flopping down on his bed, unmoving.

11:30am, at a meeting in the school.

“Why did you allow those two into the school? They’re a safety hazard.” One of the security guys said.

“They’re kids my age, what could they do?” Scarlet asked.

“They are murderers!” He screamed.

Scarlet covered her right ear under her half veil. She sighed and told him, “Shouldn’t kids like me have education? I’m giving them a chance to try and change, I believe the variety of people in the school can help. Besides, the new batch has more worrying people than them.”

The security guy hesitated, Scarlet staring straight into his soul with her one exposed eye. He gulped and asked quietly, “What if our students get hurt?”

“Then they get expelled.” Scarlet said simply. “The moment even one of our students fall victim to them, they are expelled for good.”

“What can expulsion do to murderers?”

Scarlet tapped her desk and flipped her notebook. She said while staring at the book, “They go back to their prison. They’re going to receive their punishments at 18 anyways, there’s a high chance that they will receive the death penalty. If they choose to waste their time in prison until that time, so be it. The only reason they’re here is because my father had the influence to do so.”

Scarlet stood up and walked past the security guy, out of her office. He asked her without turning back, “Then what do you plan on doing?”

“Hm?” Scarlet smiled slightly. “I’m thinking of putting them in separate classes. I also feel like joining one of their classes, after all, I’m a student too.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Scarlet left the office and walked towards the exit. She needed to go somewhere for a meeting, she would rather enjoy her time in her own school though. She simply sighed and walked off.

First day of school, a few weeks later.

7:34am, Angela walked into her class.

She looked around, trying to see who she was sharing her class with. At that time, most of the class was surprisingly there. A tall dude with a scary look sat at the back beside a blonde guy that was chatting. She went to her assigned seat and sat down. To her left was a girl reading a book, completely ignoring Angela. To her right, a girl was chatting to herself and laughing. She was bandaged from the neck down for some reason. In front of the girl who was reading, was a guy who was scribbling a few things onto a piece of paper.

Angela wore the uniform, the tie around her neck helping hide the tattoo on her neck. She, unlike when she was at the prison, was patient. She did not want to confess to everyone, instead, she would wait for someone to confess to her.

In front of her sat a girl who wore a half veil. The girl was looking at her notebook, reading and writing a few things down. Angela kept mostly to herself, unsure of what to do.

7:34am, Alex stared at the ceiling of his classroom.

It was the first time he had ever been to class, it felt weird, to have so many people around him. He wore the male uniform, the tie helping him cover his tattoo. People stared at him, no doubt thinking about his appearance. The number of gazes directed at him was uncanny, it made Alex feel uncomfortable. He had only gone to class because he was forced to, not to be stared at.

7:52am, Alex got out his seat.

His hair was poorly kept, he could see a few girls approaching him. He walked out of the class before anyone could approach him. He did not want to talk to his classmates, for all he knew, they had ill intentions towards him, he could never trust a stranger ever again. He refused to make the same mistakes as his parents.

Alex walked along the slightly crowded hallway, drawing more people’s attention towards himself. He looked around him before walking away, finally finding a place where he could be alone. Alex crouched in the gym room, in the darkness all alone by himself. His arms trembled as he remembered the events of his life.

Ever since that man entered his life, he could never feel the familiar warmth he felt from his parents. He could only feel the bitter cold of loneliness. There was no one there for him, no one that would love him the same.

8:00am, their classes started.

“Present!” Angela said enthusiastically.

“He’s not here today.” One of Alex’s classmates told the teacher.

They were similar, too similar. They were both murderers waiting to receive their punishments. They both had their lives ruined by someone else. Despite the difference in appearance, personality and lives, they both aimed for a similar thing. So it was not surprising what happened during their first encounter.

One month after school started for them, Angela was walking around while humming. It was after school, not many people were around and she just found it comforting to have the place to herself. Angela paced around, wondering when her soulmate would show up. She looked around for something fun she could do when she saw a sign directing her to the gym room. She snapped her fingers and smiled. She wanted to enter and see what she could play around with, maybe she could jump rope or play with a ball.

She walked there quickly and quietly, opening the door. She had a big smile on her face, but the smile was replaced by a look of confusion when she saw who was in the room. Angela saw a person lying down on the mats for gymnastics, gently snoring in his sleep. He had a peaceful expression as he slept, already entrancing Angela. He wore a simple t shirt along with shorts. Long white hair flowed below him, on his back and over him, reflecting the dim sunlight that streamed through the window of the room.

Angela stopped in place, looking at him. She crept up to him, not making a sound as she observed his face. She was convinced, the person was a girl, but what was a girl doing in the gym room?

She squatted there, noticing something. The person’s sleeve was pulled back slightly, letting Angela see two black lines tattooed on his right bicep. She recognised it and adjusted him slightly, checking his neck and seeing a barcode tattooed on his neck too. Angela stared at him, her mind racing, unable to process that another criminal was also in the school.

5:38pm, Alex woke up.

He had been in a rush, he needed to get out of his room before the guards get mad, so he left in the clothes he slept in. He had laid down in the gym room, wondering what he should do before he unknowingly fell asleep.

He woke up and saw a girl staring directly at him. He simply got up without saying a word, ready to leave. The girl kept her eyes on him, making him think about why she was there in the first place.

“What’s your name?” She asked.

Alex ignored her and left, closing the door behind him. He walked a few steps before he heard the door open behind him. Before he knew it, he was tackled to the ground, his knees and elbows hitting the ground. Surprising even to himself, he could not feel any of the pain.

“I asked for your name!” Angela demanded, standing over him.

Alex tried to get up, but his knees and elbows were scraped and bleeding. He simply continued lying down, giving up. He whispered, “Alex.”

Angela smiled and gave him a thumbs up, “Now that I know your name, we’re going to become good friends.”

“Huh?”

He was lifted effortlessly onto Angela’s back l as she carried him to receive some treatment from the infirmary. The nurse there saw Alex’s tattoo and hesitated slightly, but helped him when Angela glared at her.

Afterwards, Angela and Alex parted ways. Angela felt like she made a new friend, Alex felt like a new trouble was added to his life. Alex thought she was annoying, Angela thought he was a girl.

That was their first encounter, subsequently, she would visit Alex in the gym room. She made herself so much of a presence that Alex managed to get used to her. Angela felt calm around Alex for some reason, she played it off as having fun with a friend.

Alex did not bother to wear his school uniform, it was too troublesome, so he constantly showed up with loose shirts and shorts. Angela would visit him in the gym room where no one else would go to. Alex was so occupied with Angela that he could not think about the death of his parents and his eventual demise.

Three months after school started, Angela asked Alex, “Who did you kill?”

She was afraid of how Alex might react if he was asked that question, the reason for delaying it for such a long time. Alex stared to the side, his expression blank, his eyes staring into the distance. He tilted his head and muttered, “I poisoned...”

His eyes became wide as he clutched his head. Angela rushed to his side, regretting that she had asked such a question. Alex looked up at Angela as she held him in her hands. His pale eyes were blurry with tears, tears rolling down his cheeks. He hugged Angela, trying to remind himself what the warmth of an embrace felt like.

“Never mind then.” Angela told him. “Doesn’t really matter whether you tell me or not.”

Alex did not move, only shaking slightly. Angela looked at his face and whispered, “Why would a cute girl like yourself...”

Alex looked away and told her, “I’m not a girl... why do people keep mistaking me for one?”

Angela’s eyes widened as she got up. She excused herself and ran off, leaving Alex on the ground of the gym room. She ran as far as she could, to the furthest corner of the school, facing a fence. The fence separated the school grounds from a forest. Angela paced around, fidgeting with the tie of her uniform. She thought about things, kicked a few things and thought more.

It was obvious to her. Just like all the other guys, she had fallen in love with Alex. She tried to calm herself down, she was to love everyone equally, until she found her soulmate.

She was determined not to confess to Alex, she refused to go through the heartbreak of finding out the person was not her soulmate. Angela looked at the clear sky and whispered, “Why?”

The next day, she went to class, acted like normal. She saw a few boys who interested her previously, but she could no longer pay them any attention. She was only interested in Alex, but wanted to stop her habit.

Alex, on the other hand, still went to the gym room. He wore his school uniform, sitting by himself and thinking about his past, the regret building up. His head hurt, he was in pain as he kept thinking about it. Rage towards the man that scammed his family kept building up. He almost paid Angela no mind, almost forgetting her.

For the next few weeks, Alex was left to build up stress while Angela stopped visiting him.

At least, until Angela’s curiosity got the better of her. She walked up to the room and took a deep breath, hesitant as to whether she should go for it.

A loud crash sent her pushing the door open, shouting, “What’s wrong?”

Alex laid there, a few equipment on him as he passed out. A few equipment had fallen on him after a random outburst of frustration, knocking a few things. He was unconscious as Angela brought him out, holding him in her hands.

Her heart was beating fast, her mind racing as to what she should do.

“Why won’t anyone love me properly?” Alex muttered in his sleep.

Angela’s heart skipped a beat. She hugged Alex close and carried him out of the storage room. She noticed several things, he was thin, much too thin. He was easy to lift, probably only 40 kilograms heavy. Angela brought him to her room and laid him down on her bed.

Alex woke up to the smell of food. He looked around, in an unfamiliar territory. Angela perked from the kitchen and told him, “Just wait there a moment, I’ll be done with the food soon!”

Alex did as he was told, just staring at the television Angela happened to have at their place. He stared at the screen and tilted his head, wondering why her mirror was so weird. Angela brought a plate over to Alex, hands on her hips as she proudly presented to meal.

“Stir-fry chicken with bean sprouts and potatoes and rice.” Angela told him.

Alex held the spoon, looking at Angela. “Why are you giving me this?”

“You’re so thin, you should eat more.” Angela joked, sitting beside him. “Besides, I just felt like you needed it.”

Alex ate while Angela looked at his face expectantly. He told her, “It’s not as good as the food my parents bought...”

“I figured.” Angela shrugged.

“But it tastes good...” Alex muttered, making Angela lean closer to him.

“Could you say that again?” She asked, smiling cheekily.

“I...” Alex hesitated. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel... Am I supposed to cry? Why does this food feel so warm?”

Angela laughed and patted him on the back. She whispered, “Because I made it with love.”

“Huh?” Alex asked, having not heard her.

Angela jumped onto her feet and asked Alex, “You wanna leave?”

“Where?”

Angela pointed out of the window, showing the city outside the school. “Where else? To a park.”

Alex agreed not fully knowing what Angela was talking about. The next day, while the guards were switching shifts, Angela and Alex ran through the front gate, successfully leaving the school. Alex never felt anything like it, it was exhilarating to do it, he felt... alive.

As promised, Angela brought him to a park, the sun setting and not many people even around. Angela walked around, pointing at random things and joking around. Alex laughed genuinely, he genuinely had fun. For the first time in his life since that man entered it, he was able to smile and laugh normally. His long white hair flowed freely in the dim light of the sunset, reflecting the faint orange light.

He looked at Angela who smiled at him, the lighting illuminating her. His face felt hot and his heart was beating faster than usual.

At some point, when the street lights turned on and the sky turned dark, Alex and Angela were seated on a bench, alone. The night was quiet, not much sound except for the occasional breeze. Alex stared at the night sky, not being able to spot many stars due to light pollutions.

“Did you have fun?” Angela asked.

“Yes.” Alex replied without looking at her.

“Does it feel weird to be with me?”

“No.”

“Does the fact that I murdered people disturb you?”

“No.”

There was a minute of silence between the two as they stared at the sky, not a single other soul around them. Alex’s white hair reflected the moonlight, Angela just stared at the sky, trying to gather the necessary courage. She took a few deep breaths. Alex was different from Nate or the other prisoners, Alex was unique. She felt like Alex was her soulmate.

“Would dating me creep you out?” Angela asked, holding her breath.

“Not at all.” Alex replied.

Angela paused, her heart beating furiously. She wanted to turn and hug Alex, but restrained herself, the mood was not quite there yet.

“But I murdered people.” Angela told him.

She needed to confirm something, it was the bitter truth, she wanted to be absolutely sure. She continued, “All the people I killed used to be in a relationship with me... I’m a bad person, aren’t I?”

There was another few seconds of silence.

“What a coincidence.” Alex replied. “I’m a bad person too.”

Angela looked at Alex. Alex was already looking at her, his eyes were no longer aimless, he was looking at her. He was determined, he wanted to be with her. Angela felt a few tears roll down her cheeks, she tried to rub them away. Alex reached out and rubbed her tears away for her. He also had tears.

“I caused the death of my family... I’m a murderer too, would you also accept that part of me too?” He asked, his voice shaky.

Angela hugged him close and whispered, “Of course I will.”

Of the number of times they left the school, the only one that was not recorded was the one where they went to a park. They were not caught leaving or going back, they had gotten away perfectly fine. Alex and Angela dated, Angela was assured, she had finally found her soulmate.