FIXated

Get into Trouble III

After hearing what Antonio just bragged, Raphael laughed softly while shaking his head in disbelief. This was the third time in a row Antonio had proclaimed it as they exited the cafeteria.

Unbelievable. He swallowed that horrible concoction like a champ.

Admittedly, he appeared unfazed, despite the mystery meat looking suspiciously unappetizing beneath the tomato sauce. It was revolting in his sight and had caused the loss of his appetite, but it seemed like Antonio had been trying his best to convince him to take on the challenge next time.

“Please… I am not doing that once again.”

Alexis retorted at Antonio. “Dude, you’re tripping. I swear that was disgusting.”

“Believe me. If I didn’t puke it out, then it’s good, unlike this guy here…” Antonio declared, snickering as Raphael felt him nudging his side.

“Right…stop. I believe you then.”

As their group turned into the next hallway, climbing up the stairs back to their class 2-C, still chatting about lunch specials, another figure came rushing from the distance, waving her hands at them.

Her outrageous purple locks tied in a messy ponytail fluttered and bounced with every movement. The band shirt tee and dangling belt accessories on the side of her skirt stood out against the Academy’s uniform.

“Antonio!” She called out loud.

“Oh, hey! Feyline!” Antonio excitedly gestured in return upon recognizing her. “How’s the meeting?”

“Antonio! I am taking you with me!”

“Wait…What—?”

Without further explanation, Feyline grabbed him by the arm, pulling him straight away from the group as she dragged him alongside her while he tried to squirm and break free.

“Fey, where are you taking me? Girl, you need to drop me the details first.”

“No time. You better get your ass moving!”

“Okay. Okay. Chill.” He reassured her, but she yanked him more. “Welp, I’ll see you guys later!”

Antonio flailed his arms at them like a desperate attempt to say goodbye before he got pulled into the next corridor. Raphael sighed before turning to Alexis, who stood there and let out an awkward laugh.

“Well… Raphael, got anything to do?”

“Nothing really. You?”

“Probably just going to read a book back in the room.”

“Okay. Let’s head back.”

The two of them walked together, passing by several classrooms— mostly empty, save for a few students hanging around the back. Surprisingly, the hallways were quite peaceful, with no crowds loitering around the lockers or blocking the path.

Raphael halted, stopping on his tracks. A slight discomfort in his abdomen sent signals in his nerves, triggering a state of urgency.

“Hey, um… Alexis.” He called him from behind. “Actually, I have to go to the bathroom.”

Alexis glanced at him with a smile, nodding once. “Mmm, sure. You don’t mind me going ahead?”

“Yeah, it’s no problem. I’ll be right back then.”

“Sure, see ya!”

Raphael bade goodbye to him before turning around to trace back his steps towards the nearest bathroom in this area. He found one at the end of the hall.

Once he entered, his footsteps echoed against the cold tiled floors, disturbing the silence. A cold, soft breeze from the exhaust blew past him as he walked by the rows of sinks. The mirrored walls reflected the stalls in the background and his image passing by quickly, heading towards the urinals.

No one else was inside except him.

When Raphael reached the spot, now standing on one of the rows of urinals at the end of the room, his trousers loosened, sitting on his lower hip after quickly unzipping with his fingers. Then, he exhaled deeply, feeling that release from the pressure as a stream of liquid spewed from his crotch.

That’s a relief... Guess this is the consequence of chugging down bottles of water during lunch.

Before Raphael could finish his business, he heard another set of footsteps entering the bathroom, accompanied by two voices booming against the walls, casually spitting vulgarity without a filter from every sentence. It startled him, but he kept his focus, thinking it was nothing more than students like him doing the same purpose.

“Dude, that was fucking amazing! Views are racking up quick in just a few hours.”

“Of course.“ The other man snorted. “They deserved this.”

“I can’t wait to see that bitch, Tanya’s face. She must be fuming!”

There was a sense of familiarity upon listening closely to their voices— a raspy, growling tone, while the other had a more confident, soothing tone.

Their footsteps continued marching forward, hearing it approaching in his direction as the tiles vibrated with each step. A hand tapped on his head, ruffling his hair into a mess, while another hand clenched his shoulder on the other side, feeling his fingers digging into the fabric of his uniform.

“Oh, Raphael K.? Isn’t it pure coincidence seeing you here?”

A man’s laugh followed after, coming from the other with a tight grip on his shoulder. Immediately, Raphael recognized them from the corner of his eye.

White cap, blonde locks, and that charming smile on his face, and on the other side, a man in a pink-dyed buzzcut with tattoos on his upper arms.

Great… of all the people….

Why does it have to be them?

“Seems like that frickin’ luck is on our side today, Mikey,” Flipper responded. “Remember what we asked in return, eh?”

Raphael sighed. “Of course… and I am still not interested.”

“Bet you have seen our latest release today or heard about it from others.” Flipper insisted, hovering his breath closer to his ear. “What do you think?”

“Ah… um. Maybe not.” Raphael shrugged his shoulders, pretending. “Is it that popular?”

“Check the stats.”

Mikey shoved his phone into his face as if what he just said affected his ego, showing him the recent video’s analytics, which had now gained thousands of views and likes in a short span of time.

“By the end of the week, we’ll reach a hundred thousand.”

“For real. We are not fucking kidding, bro.”

Raphael furrowed his brows, seeing the numbers on the screen changing every second, still increasing, though Mikey could be exaggerating his numbers. He was impressed by their efforts to gain such attention, but that didn’t change his mind.

Why are they so persistent? He knew that they were trying to convince him to get recruited for the next video.

“We got the viewership and the fame, even a fair share deal, so why won’t you join?”

“Like I said… not interested.” Raphael reiterated. “How many times do I have to tell you?”

Spoiler

[collapse]

Mikey crept in closer, wrapping his arm over his shoulder as he leaned into his ear for a whisper. "You and Sylvia looked really close in that garden last Friday, am I right?"

Sylvia….? Garden?

His eyes widened, and his fingers trembled in realization upon mentioning that incident with her. How did he know about this?

But he kept his composure as he clenched his fist. “You’re bluffing, aren’t you?”

“I got eyes everywhere, Raphael.”

Mikey tapped his back hard. "Well then, if you don't want me to spread rumors about it, I will see you this Friday, okay?"

Showing their success rate wasn’t just to brag but a threat. Now that made sense to him as the extent of what they were capable of.

This was not a joke.

Raphael lowered his head and muttered hesitantly. “Can… I…think about it?”

“Sure, sure. No pressure.” Mikey reassured him. “But remember what is on the line.”

Despite him saying those words to reassure him, that still ended on a threatening note. It was clear that he had no other choice but to say yes, whether he liked it or not.

He heaved a deep sigh and responded, giving in to the pressure.

“Fine…what is this all about?”

“Finally!” Flipper exclaimed. “Bro, it’s super easy. You’re just gonna sit there and read some lines. I swear that’s the easiest buck to make.”

Easy, they say? That sounded too good to be true. He turned to Mikey, whose grin had appeared wider on his face. “And…Does this have anything to do with Sylvia?”

“Bingo. So, you did watch the video! How else would you have known?” Mikey teased him, but that didn’t faze him.

“Why?”

His voice dropped low as the smile on his face disappeared. “You can say… for revenge.”

Revenge. That was an interesting answer. Although he had no idea what was going on between the two, it seemed like a serious situation for them.

“Anyways, I assure you, man. Nothing bad is going to happen. Just as Flipper said. Sit, read, and record.”

Flipper nodded eagerly. “Ah, yes, yes! Besides, it’s Sylvia who we are after. “

That somehow reassured him. If he had nothing to do with all of this, then it was nothing to be worried about. Just say a few words and done. Even if the profit splitting was a blatant lie to lure him, it didn’t matter to him, so long as they would stop pestering him.

“Okay. I get it.”

“Well then, I’ll see you on Friday!” Mikey tapped his back once again. “Same place where you and Sylvia had that sweet moment.”

Raphael bit his lip hard upon hearing him mention that once more, but he muttered under his breath in reply. “…. Fine.”

The two men let go of him, releasing their grip on his shoulders, giving him the space that he needed for some time now. Then, they left the bathroom as their voices disappeared in the distance.

Is this even the right thing to do?

For a moment, he recalled what his uncle had told him. Stay out of trouble… but what if he could not escape from it?