Days had passed since Johnny came around the truth about Dylan's family. He had intended to keep it to himself all along since Mr. Javier had informed him that it was a secret. However, he thought it wrong to keep that kind of information a secret from his only true friends—Madison and Jerome. It was even a lot more difficult to keep it a secret when he discovered that the three of them could go on a secret mission to uncover what actually happened to Mr. Barnett.

Johnny couldn't accept that Mr. Barnett disappeared. He might have been abducted. However, by whom and for what reasons? Or, did Mr. Barnett perhaps run away? He had tons of reasons to run away. Having to keep a son that's not actually his would actually be infuriating.

"So, you are saying that he disappeared in the library?" Maddie asked while imbibing a little amount of her espresso.

"Keep it down," Johnny said, as he looked daggers at the other students who were staring and snickering.

"This is meant to be a secret," Johnny added, whisperingly.

"But, how is that even possible? How could he disappear?" Maddie quizzed, still entirely confused.

"Well, we will have to find out,"

"Hi guys," Jerome said as he dropped his tray on the table and plopped down on the only unoccupied chair around the table.

"Hi Jerome," Johnny beamed.

"Well, what have we been talking about?" Jerome asked, taking a bite of his muffin.

"Things that have nothing to do with you," Maddie sassed, glaring at her twin brother.

"Come on, you guys have been this way since lately. What's up with you both?" Johnny asked, dropping his milk shake back to the tray.

"That's how you care," Maddie said taking her face closer to Jerome's in a way that seemed very girly and stupid, yet unfriendly and hostile. "Jerk!"

"Come on, Maddie. Why are you being this way?" Johnny asked, genuinely concerned.

"Spare the lecture for someone interested, Johnny." Maddie lifted herself from the table rather huffily and stepped away from the table.

She has never been that way. At least not to Johnny. He had always known her to be mostly a cheerfully loving lady. Of course, there were those such times when she would go cold and sore which is inevitably part of an average human's existence. Such times were mostly caused to be by those darned nerd-haters who had no respect for ladies at all and would go to any extent to cause Maddie to become bent out of shape. However, an outburst was never actually common with her.

"What's the matter with her?" Johnny asked without taking his eyes away from the slender build of an auburn-haired girl who was quickly walking towards the exit of the cafeteria.

"Johnny, I want to start by saying I am sorry." Jerome's awkwardly low and remorseful voice tore Johnny's gaze away from his fleeing twin sister.

"What are you apologizing for?" Johnny asked the blonde as he fixed him with an even profound worried gaze.

"For all the time I have put you off with my annoying attitude," Jerome replied, his head dropping low. The tray seemed a better view than the person he was rendering apologies to.

Johnny extended his right towards Jerome until their hands met. That, considering the number of eyes on them, was one very jerry-rigged thing to do. Johnny didn't mind nonetheless. They had said very terrible things about him, so the very least of the things that would bug him would be the scuttlebutt that he was having a love affair with Jerome.

"You don't have to be doing this." Johnny spoke with compassion that he didn't know he could ever muster for a male. "We all have our errors."

~~••~~••~~

Classes were over. Everyone could finally get themselves home.

That was what Maddie had planned doing. She had remained hidden from Johnny and Jerome the whole day. Not because she was still vexed about anything, but because she knew she had acted very stupid earlier. Had Jerome not been there, she never would think of walking away from Johnny. Not when there were many things that have been coming to her mind to do with Johnny.

Well, she mumbled to herself as she continued walking her way out of the doors of Springview High School, the damage has already been done.

There was no point going back to search for Johnny who she had begged not to lecture her. He must be very well annoyed with her right now. So much so that he might never speak to her again. Yeah, she totally deserved it. She tugged at the straps of her school bag and continued strolling out of the school with several students.

"Maddie!" Someone called behind her. A voice she would recognize among ten thousand boyish voices. A voice which had a very pleasingly familiar lilt to it which she mostly enjoyed hearing.

Without a moment of hesitation, she turned and saw Johnny running towards her. Leap after leap, he was approaching her, happily. A smile that stilled Maddie to the spot spread across Johnny's face as he made a stop in front of her. What had gladdened his heart?

"You are being a bad girl," Johnny said when he stopped in front of Maddie. The smile still wouldn't go off. Hence, Maddie's confusion. Was he happy or teed off?

"You weren't going home, were you?" Johnny asked, fixing her with a questioning gaze.

"N-no no. Not really," Maddie replied, unsteadily.

"Could we wait a bit for Jerome to catch up?" Johnny asked, his smile deepening.

Mentioning Jerome was not a wise deed in any case. If at all Maddie would learn to behave better, then she would have to do that in Jerome's absence.

Johnny, seeming to read through her grim silence, divulged, "He actually apologized to me. He feels real bad, Maddie."

"What?" Maddie asked, her eyes widening a bit. "Jerome Becker apologized to you?"

"Yeah, he did."

Maddie didn't want Johnny to see her astonishment, so she stiffened and banished the faintest hints of emotions from her. Johnny, she knew, was the inquisitive sort. He would want to know why she seemed very surprised, and she certainly wouldn't want to let him know that Jerome had never actually said sorry to anyone in his boringly cold life.

Jerome was not the type to permit emotions, but in Maddie's opinion: screw temperaments. A human, at certain times, should emote. There were conditions, Maddie believed, that determined when humans should actually go emotional. Of these conditions, the immediate environment should be a weighty determinant. One couldn't stay around mourners, and yet feel undisturbed. Such a person, in any case, would be considered heartless.

Even though a bitter truth, Maddie had to accept that she didn't like the idea of having such a heartless brother.

"I am sorry for how I..."

"I know why you did that. There is no need for the apologies," Johnny interjected, as he let his eyes become captivated by Maddie's sapphire ones.

"And what do we have here?" someone asked in a deeply throaty, threatening voice which Maddie never knew to belong to Johnny. So, who was darned enough to interrupt this exotic moment in which she was staring into the eyes of her beloved...

Not beloved, but what fiend was interrupting?

"Nerdy love birds," another throaty voice yet less threatening than the first jarred at Maddie's ears as she watched Dylan and his colleagues walk towards Johnny and her.

"Nerdy Johnny and his girlfriend," Dylan beamed evilly as he kept inching close to Johnny and Maddie. His malevolent companions following behind him with smirks that matched Dylan's.

They had no clubs in hand. They had no scissors or other dangerous tools that could send a quake behind a nerd's back. However, with their determined steps, and the hard, bloodthirsty glint in their eyes, Johnny and Maddie could only imagine doomsday.

Dylan stopped in front of Johnny, only about two inches stood between them. While Dylan's stare was that of an eight-hundred year old demon who had just been freed from hell for the first time, Johnny's was that of a chick who had just seen the gathering hawks in the sky.

"You know you can't hit him. Students are everywhere," Maddie reckoned; she felt that was the least she could do to buy Johnny some time to run away. However, the nerd seemed glued to a spot.

Maddie was right. Students of Springview High had gathered in groups, eyes on the nerds and bullies. Some had their phones in hand, ready to keep a record of any malevolent events which might take place. However, Dylan only gave Maddie a very slight recognition by whipping his head to her side. After a brief moment of dark consideration, he returned his eyes to where they formerly were—nerdy Johnny.

"Who do you think you are?" Dylan asked, a dark edge leathering his tone.

Johnny could only get his lips to part slightly and produce unintelligible words before Dylan continued. This time, he seemed to be making an announcement.

"This fool here made fun of me today!" He declared, his eyes didn't move an inch away from Johnny. All those students began murmuring, uttering words which Maddie couldn't hear but knew so well that they were nothing nice considering the looks on their faces.

"The principal was going to expel me and I thought I would honourably accept the expulsion without fear," Dylan continued, his voice getting harder and firmer.

"But this young fool wished to make fun of me. He spoke in my favour and spared my life."

There was no hint of sarcasm in Dylan's voice, but there were giggles from the groups of students that were around. Maddie found nothing funny with that. In fact, she found it stupid.

"He shoved me in the butt and made an open declaration that I can't do anything about it."

"How dare that scumbag?" someone asked from the multitude. Someone that Maddie didn't quite see. However, that question pepped up the furor and in a moment, the air was filled with expletives. Probably, they saw Dylan's itchiness to speak, so they all became silent.

Dylan grabbed Johnny's collar and in move that seemed quite swift and easy, Johnny was off his feet. Maddie would have loved to dive at Dylan, but she was totally helpless. Especially when Dylan's cohorts were staring daggers at her.

"We will have to see who is better with the fist. Ercken gym. 3PM on Tuesday," Dylan huffed.

"We have a fight!" a voice came through the crowd again as the students broke up in gleeful ballyhoo.

Dylan let Johnny go and made his way home. He had done what he felt he needed to do. What a terrible monster! Why is it so hard to live even a damn day without getting picked on by fellow students? Maddie strode, embarrassed, towards Johnny who was still on the floor. She was embarrassed about the fact that she had been of no use. Even midgets knew how to defend the person they loved, but she? She is been nothing, but a wimpy fool.

She bent down to meet Dylan's gray eyes. She could see the glints of mortification behind those cute orbs of his. She could see the fear for the coming trouble in his eyes. She could also see... anger?

While Maddie thought of how best to render her consolations to Johnny, someone emerged from the crowd and approached them; Jerome.

"Have you been hiding?" Maddie asked, her tone turning huffish. Probably, her glaring eyes dissuaded Jerome from telling a lie. He only fixed her with a revering stare.

~~••~~••~~

Hello sweethearts!

How much have you been enjoying the story thus far?

What do you think of Dylan's suggestion of a duel with nerdy Johnny? Do you think Johnny can surprise us all and vanquish his foe? I await your responses!

Thanks for reading. Please, vote if you enjoyed it!

Your feedback-anticipating author,

GShaquille.