Chapter 10 - Crash

“Hey, the guys are having a little meet up to celebrate later, wanna come?” 

Mick stared at Mum in surprise. As far as he knew, this was the first time Mum had approached him and talked without the others present. He had been on his way back to class after lunch the day after the Live Show, when the chubby boy had caught up to him.

“Oh, um, of course. Where are you guys meeting up? Your place?” Mick asked. He’d still haven’t been over to Mum’s place, not that he was dying to go. Things were still cool between them, but Mick had felt a slight improvement, being in the same band and going through the Live Show and all.

“Oh no…it’s going to be right here after school. Classroom F,” Mum said. Was that a glint in Mum’s eyes he saw? 

Classroom F was a weird place to meet. It was always dark, quite secluded and it faced the field, which was probably why they chose it in the first place. 

“Oh, sure thing. See you!” Mick said.

“See you,” Mum said, with a smile. 

Well, maybe he was warming up after all, Mick thought. He had made plans to meet Om at the club room after school, but Om wouldn’t mind waiting another half hour or so, Mick was certain.

***

Right after school ended, Mick made his way to Classroom F, but it looked empty and, as usual, quite dark. Was he too early? He entered the class and sat down and was just about to pull out his phone when a voice addressed him from behind.

“I’m so glad you’re here, Mick.”

Mick jumped at the sound of his name, startled. There was someone in the class, after all, but it wasn’t Mum or Loy or any of the rest.

It was a bespectacled 12th grader named Mode, one of his most avid stalkers who sought him out almost every day whenever he could. He'd started off by befriending Mick on Facebook, which was a huge mistake on the younger boy’s part. Mick then caught him frequently staring whenever he was around. Lately it had escalated to "bumping" into Mick during breaks and inviting him to have meals together, which Mick always declined politely.

What’s he doing here? Mick thought nervously, looking around for his friends. He stood up, ready to leave but Mode came around and blocked his path to the classroom’s only door.

“Hello, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Mick said. His eyes darted to the entrance, hoping that someone - anyone - would come.

“Didn’t expect me? You’re the one who told me to meet you here,” Mode said with a laugh. “Look, I even brought you a gift to celebrate, like you asked for." He dangled a gift bag in front of Mick. "Don't you want to know what it is?"

Mick stared at him in confusion. I asked him to meet here? He shook his head dumbly.

"Come on, no need to act shy, Mick. Even though that's what I like about you,” Mode’s smiled, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He stepped closer, making Mick shrink further back onto the desk behind him.

"N-no, I think you must have been mistaken, 'p. I didn't ask to meet you here," Mick gulped.

"But your friend told me you did. He said you were too afraid to ask me personally, which is just so cute," the older boy said. 

"Which...friend was this?" He had a suspicion in his mind, but he wanted to hear from Mode himself.

"The chubby one in your year, he's in your band? I loved your performance, by the way, I have it on video, would you like to see it?" Mode pulled out his phone eagerly. "I specifically ran up to the stage so I could focus on you."

"That's ok, 'p, we had many friends record it for us, too," Mick said hastily, his fear forgotten momentarily as anger replaced it. Dammit, Mum! You purposely set this up! There was no meet up with the rest, was there?

"Friends? You mean friends like Om?" A flash of irritation crossed Mode's face, but it passed just as quickly, and he smiled yet again.

"I know all about my rival, you know. He doesn't care about you, Mick. If he did, your band would have definitely been in the top three, like your friend said. He said you were devastated," Mode reached out a hand and put it on Mick's shoulder. He was right in front of Mick now, and there was nowhere for the younger boy to move. "If I was the judge I'd have made sure you got top marks, Mick."

"P'Om would never let his feelings get in the way of his judgement," Mick said hotly, shrugging off Mode’s hand. Mode's features clouded in anger, and Mick knew he'd said the wrong thing. 

There was a crunch of something shattering as Mode flung the gift bag to the floor, and grabbed Mick's shoulders with both hands, gripping them tightly enough to cause pain.

"You're such a cruel, cruel, boy, Mick! You're so gorgeous but you have no ing idea of the effect you have on people do you? You act all innocent but you go around accepting gifts and food from other people, but why not me? What does Om have that I haven't got? Do you want money? I'm rich, too!" He said through gritted teeth, shaking Mick’s shoulders.

"P'Mode, please control yourself!" Mick said desperately. "I don't know what you mean, I've never led anybody on. I haven't accepted anything from anyone! Don’t believe everything you hear," he squirmed himself out of Mode's grip, making ready to leave.

"What about you and Om?!" Mode caught him by the elbow. "Everyone's talking about it. You guys have already done it haven't you?" He hissed, narrowing his eyes in anger.

Rage boiled up in Mick. He'd never been this angry in his life before. He balled his fist, and would have surely swung it at the senior when someone else burst into the room.

"Mick! I've been searching all over for you!" Mum yelled, and came between Mode and him. "The meetup with the rest is this way, I forgot to tell you they changed the venue. Sorry p'Mode we're in a rush!"

He wrenched Mick's arm out of Mode's grip and hauled him out of the classroom as quickly as he could. 

"Run to the music room, quickly!" He muttered under his breath. "He won't dare follow us there."

Mick didn't need to be told twice. They ran across the deserted school before taking refuge in the empty club room.

"That...was...intense...” Mum’s hands were on his knees, doubling up at the effort.

Mick was panting hard as well, but he hadn't forgotten who had gotten him in that situation in the first place.

"What the hell, Mum! What did you say to him!" Mick asked loudly. He was done tiptoeing around Mum. He was done being nice to everyone, not when all that had gotten him was more trouble.

Mum looked nervous. He backed away from Mick, holding his hands up placatingly. "N-now, Mick...remember who just saved you from Mode the Mad."

"Is that what people call him? And you still tricked me into meeting him? What were you thinking!" Mick shouted. 

"I didn't think he'd go all creepy and actually lay hands on you!" He said. "It's a good thing I was keeping watch, wasn't I?"

Mick's eyes narrowed. "And just why were you keeping watch?” A horrible suspicion crossed his mind. "Show me your phone!" Mick demanded. 

Mum clapped a hand on his pocket. "You're really making me regret saving you, Mick!"

"Saving me from what?! I wouldn't even have been there in the first place if it weren't for you. Don't think I don't know you're the one who's behind all the online stalking and locking me in that toilet!" Mick said hotly, pointing an accusing finger at the chubby boy. “I knew it the day Heng and Loy told me you went off to MBK on your own!"

"You've - you've got no proof of that!" Mum yelled back.

"I don't need proof. All I have to do is ask Heng and Loy where you went that Saturday. I still have the pics you sent even though you deleted your fake profile!"

"They won't say a thing! They're MY friends not yours!" Mum said defiantly, raising his chin.

"Why are you doing all this anyway? What do you have against me? I've never done anything to you! Are you in love with Om?” Mick asked crossly, getting angrier by the minute.

Mum snorted derisively. "Don't lump me in with your kind of people, Mick. I'm not a gay! Om is like a brother to me. I just don't want to see him end up with someone like you!"

Mick reeled as if he were physically slapped in the face. That hurt a lot more than he thought it would. He stared, dumbfounded at Mum, who continued pressing his offense.

"You think you can just waltz into Friday College with your cute face and fake coyness and charm the pants off everyone? You know what Film told the rest of us the day you joined the club?"

Mick shook his head dumbly. He'd wanted to know for ages, but no one had dared to tell him.

"He told us no one was to lay a finger on you," Mum sneered. "He said you're special. You think just because you've got Film wrapped around your finger you can slack off in the club? And now it's not enough to have one Vice President you want to target the other? Who’s next? P’Noh maybe? You're disgusting, Mick!" It was Mum's turn to yell at him now.

Mick had no words to counter that. He felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. "I - I didn't ask for all this. I had no idea Film-"

"Shut up, Mick. Just shut up! You may have fooled everyone but you can't fool me. And when I make Om see the truth about you, he'll be just as disgusted as I am," Mum said coldly, taking out his phone. He showed Mick a picture of Mode and him, uncomfortably close, with Mode's hand on Mick's shoulder. It looked quite damning from that angle, and a cold fear shot through Mick at the sight of it. How many more pictures has he got in there?

The rage Mick had felt earlier boiled up once again. All the pent up frustration he'd felt, all the anger at the rumors he'd been subjected to came to the front. And it was all because of Mum. And now he was doing it again, this time he was going straight to Om. And Om was sure to believe him.

All rational thought fled Mick's head as he snarled, and with all his might, he shoved Mum. The other boy lost his balance and fell backwards, crashing into the furniture behind him and his head hit the edge of a table with a sickening crunch.

Mick stared in horror as blood began blossoming from a deep cut on Mum's forehead. 

Mum sat up, dazed, before he realised he was bleeding. He touched his head, and looked up at Mick. "What did you do?" He asked in a trembling voice.

The door to the music club opened, and the last person on earth Mick wanted to see came in.

"I heard shouting and a crash from the outside, what -" Om said before stopping mid-sentence. Mum was holding his head, blood continuing to seep through his fingers. Mick stood over him, hands covering his own mouth in shock.

"Mick? Mum, oh my god, you're bleeding! What happened?" Om rushed to Mum's side, taking his handkerchief out and pressing it against the wound. "Mick, get me the first aid kit in the corner! Mick?!"

Om looked up, but Mick had already fled.