Meanwhile.
Leah and Kayden had arrived at the school gates. Kayden had gotten the gist of the situation.
The story went like this: One of Leah’s classmates had caught her boyfriend cheating, going to a hotel with another girl. She asked to break up, but the guy refused. At first, he tried to smooth things over, apologizing profusely, but the girl couldn’t forgive such a betrayal.
Eventually, the guy lost it. He didn’t just slap her; he beat her black and blue.
When Leah heard about this, she was livid. She went with some friends to confront that boy. Without mincing words, she demanded they break up. But the guy wasn’t a pushover. They’d gotten into a shouting match that nearly turned physical.
In the end, no punches were thrown, but a challenge was issued. The guy was a bit of a troublemaker with connections to local thugs, so he wasn’t afraid of a fight. He’d made a deal with Leah: if he lost the fight, he would break up with the girl and admit to being scum in front of the whole school. Leah had agreed on the spot, confident because she had Kayden in mind.
Kayden was her ace in the hole, her only hope. It was why she had been so eager to get on his good side the night before.
After hearing the whole story, Kayden couldn’t help but find it all a bit silly. But this was exactly the kind of drama kids their age lived for. If they didn’t act this way, they wouldn’t be teenagers. At their age, they acted on impulse, never considering the consequences. Leah might be a girl, but she had the spirit of a tomboy, all about loyalty and having her friends’ backs, no matter the cost. In ancient times, a girl like Leah would likely have been hailed as a heroine.
“Oh, by the way, Kayden,” Leah asked hesitantly, “did my sister say anything to you last night? She didn’t misunderstand what happened between us, did she?”
Kayden shook his head. “It’s fine. The innocent have nothing to fear. Just be more careful next time.”
Leah pouted, mumbling an “Oh,” and fell silent.
Instead of entering the school, they headed to a nearby park. This was where the fight was set to take place, a popular spot for student brawls. As soon as they arrived, they saw a crowd of onlookers, all acting like they couldn’t care less while gossiping excitedly.
“You think Ms. Adams really brought someone who knows martial arts? I heard she’s got this guy who’s a real fighter. They say he even beat up Matthew.”
“Which Matthew? The president of the taekwondo club?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. He transferred schools, you know. Word is, it’s because he pissed off Leah.”
“Bullshit! Do you believe that? Don’t you know what Leah’s like? Always runs her mouth. If she wasn’t so pretty, I would have put her in her place ages ago. Someone ought to teach her a lesson!”
“Teach her a lesson? How? Maybe you should seduce her and then ‘teach her’ in bed!”
“Ahahaha, now there’s an idea!”
…
“Hey, you know who Dillon brought?”
“Sure do. It’s Dominic. You know, the one they call ‘Dominant King’!”
“You think Leah stands a chance?”
“No way in hell. If she wins, I’ll eat my own shit while doing a handstand!”
…
“Leah, you’re finally here! I was worried you wouldn’t show,” a girl called out, rushing over as soon as she spotted Kayden and Leah.
The girl was a looker – tall, curvy, with a round face and big, sparkling eyes. She hadn’t quite blossomed yet – her chest and hips still had some growing to do. But anyone could see she’d be a knockout when she did. Birds of a feather flock together, after all – of course a pretty girl like Leah would have equally attractive friends.
The two beauties standing side by side were a sight to behold. More than a few heads turned their way.
Leah nodded. “Myra, what kind of talk is that? Of course I came. I promised I’d solve this problem for you, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. You can rest easy.”
With that, Leah gave Myra a playful pat on the chest.
Leah’s gesture looked confident and experienced.
Just then, a group of boys and girls hurried over, looking anxious. “Ms. Adams, what took you so long? We were so worried! Thought you might have chickened out.”
“Yeah, Ms. Adams, if you hadn’t shown up, we’d have lost by default. You nearly gave us a heart attack!”
“Oh, shut it,” Leah snapped. “Who said anything about chickening out? I would never do that. You can all relax now. The great Ms. Adams is here, and I’ll sort this out. I’ll knock Dillon’s teeth out!”
A tall, athletic-looking guy in sportswear and basketball shoes, with slightly tanned skin, stepped forward. His voice was gruff as he asked, “So, Leah, did you bring that fighting expert you were talking about?”
Leah shot him a withering look. “What kind of stupid question is that? I’m here, aren’t I? Of course I brought him. He’s right here! Let me introduce you all – this is my friend, Kayden. A true martial arts master. Once he makes his move, everything else is child’s play. Nothing can hurt him.”
She gestured towards Kayden, her tone haughty, with a hint of pride in introducing a master fighter. Her words weren’t an exaggeration – Kayden could indeed wipe the floor with anyone. But Leah’s words sounded like empty boasting.
The reason she introduced Kayden as a friend rather than her brother-in-law was simple – she had bigger plans for him. Plans that would soon become clear.
“What?”
“…”
Several people gaped at Kayden, looking him up and down. After a moment of scrutiny, Myra furrowed her brow and asked, “Leah, are you sure about this? Is this really the guy you said beat up Matthew and the yellow-haired guy? He doesn’t look as buff as Lowell. With that build, I’d worry about him just walking, let alone fighting!”
The story of Kayden thrashing Matthew had spread like wildfire, thanks to Leah. It wasn’t just her friends who had heard – most of the school knew about it.