After The End: Alex Rider FanFiction

~Chapter Seventeen~

Mack's (POV)

"Why we're you afraid of that group in the arcade?" My hands pause underneath the running water.

Turning my head, I stare over at Alex who's still washing his hands like he didn't just ask a question.

Did he?

Never in the five days I've known him, have I heard him ask a single question.

Not one.

I continue staring at him, my mind not comprehending.

   Flapping my lips around, I try forming an answer that seems to be stuck somewhere in my mouth. "I-I'm not afraid of them." I harshly say, squaring my shoulders as I try to make it seem like the question doesn't bother me.

But it does.

He turns his head, dark emotionless eyes staring straight into mine. "Then why we're you avoiding them?" His voice comes out dead serious, a shiver running down my spine at how dangerous he suddenly sounds.

I try holding his unwavering gaze, not wanting to back down.

And as I'm staring into his eyes for the split second I can, I notice something about them I'd never noticed before.

His eyes look.....wrong.

That's the only word I can think of to explain it.

They look like they've seen, witnessed, and experienced way too much for his short span of life.

There's no emotion, no nothing. Just darkness. But as I'm staring into them, I suddenly catch a glimpse of something unexpected, the hair on my arms standing up.

Cold.

Scarred.

Broken.

Hate.

My breath catches in my throat.

  Darkness.

Not able to look anymore at what's starting to become a horror show, I tear my gaze away, heart hammering in my chest.

That was....uncomfortable.

  Sighing, I let my shoulders drop.

Might as well tell him something.

I run a hand through my hair. "You could say the leader of that little....parade, doesn't really like me."

That's an understatement.

I grab a couple towels from the paper towel dispenser, drying my hands off.

I can't tell Alex the main reason I was avoiding them was because....of Alex himself. Because I opened my big mouth.

But they forced me.

You see, that little 'gang' is the schools' bully and his little pack of minions.

Somehow they'd already caught-wind that there was a new kid in town.

And knowing that I'd personally met this 'new kid,' they cornered me at the Fourth of July picnic while everyone was busy packing things up to leave.

Said they wanted some information on him, some leverage.

Knowing it was either get a bruised rib, or tell them something good about the person I was jealous of. I told them the one solid thing I knew at the time.