A/N: This chapter is a literal trainwreck lmao. I'll eventually come back and pull this out of the wreckage but you can continue reading at your own risk. Hope it doesn't kill the story but I just needed to POST or it'd be another 6 weeks. :')

Shit's about to get heavy.

* * *

Getting rejected by Jude Caster was something of a gut punch for me, but I couldn't exactly let that show. He was a monumental clown, so it had a certain effect on my ego. The guys all laughed their asses off after he stormed off, but despite that initial shock, I couldn't help but wonder if there was something deeper causing this sudden shift in his attitude. He acted like I was a celebrity before and yet pulled a one-eighty just like that. Something felt wrong.

Despite his greater attempts to avoid any sort of contact, his consciousness of me only made our eyes meet that many more times. It was a little funny to watch him grow red with embarrassment before hastily looking away, but I also couldn't help but wonder why he struggled to detach himself from me so much after such a grand exit.

When the final bell rang, he actually managed to avoid my eyes as he threw his bag over his shoulder and darted out of the classroom. Charlie and Ben were chatting, and I felt one of them say my name as they slapped my shoulder. I watched Jude make a right turn out the door and guessed he was headed for the front school gates. I barely glanced back and apologised to the boys before grabbing my bag and shot out after him.

He stopped at the school pick-up zone and I watched him walk towards a white wagon pulling up in front of him. The driver's door swiftly opened, and a familiar man jumped out and raced to the passenger side to open the door for Jude. He was a fairly shredded muscle-head wearing tight slacks and a wife-beater shirt. He wore a beanie despite the warm weather, too. I wracked my brain trying to remember who, but his chivalrous act of opening the door and fastening Jude's belt for him rang a few alarms for me.

Adults didn't do that for us, right? We weren't babies or toddlers. My mum would probably go off her chops if I tried to get her to act like my chauffer and spoil me like that. The thought made me chuckle, but the sight in front of me wiped the smile from me immediately. The man reached his hand to Jude's cheek and stroked it just once with his thumb, offering a concerned smile before closing the door and hopping back into the driver's seat.

I yanked out my phone from my pocket and brought Jude's name up quickly.

Who u with and where u going? I texted him. I could see his head lower as he saw my texts, then watched him glance out the window as the wagon started pulling out. I realised I probably wouldn't get a response that quickly, so I quickly hit the call button and pressed the phone to my ear. I saw him looking down at it again as the car pulled out and drove off, but it only rang a few times before reaching his voicemail. He rejected my call.

"Damn it, Jude," I muttered, stuffing my phone back into my pocket. The car turned and disappeared from sight before I realised that I could have at least taken note of the number plate in case something went wrong. "Fuck, I should've gotten a photo."

"Of what?" Goose asked from behind me. I glanced back to see him approaching me with his mouth stuffed with food.

"Do adults open doors for teens and put their belts on for them?" I asked, turning back to the street I just watched Jude disappear from.

"Maybe if they're a young master and it's their chauffer, assistant, or bodyguard," he casually answered. He really loved his movies and video games. "Why's that?"

"I may have witnessed something shady," I said, feeling tension build all throughout my body.

"The guy he drove off with?" Goose asked. "Wasn't that the church pastor up on stage with Josh Caster on Friday?"

I looked at Goose's ruddy face in disbelief. "You saw him?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said, mid-chew. "I came over just as he was getting back in the car."

Well, maybe child-focused chivalry was some sort of sub-culture within Jude's religious cult, or maybe that pastor had a very particular taste in altar boys. I didn't feel the least bit comfortable leaving that man unchecked, so I needed to gather all the resources I could find to snake my way into their routine. Jude was already so brainwashed and vulnerable; I didn't even want to think what else he could be susceptible to. His brother was already a creep, he didn't need it from a leader he trusted, too.

Not to say that this was definitely the case, but... it didn't hurt to be sure.

When I thought about it, Jude really seemed to have some bad luck of the draw. Not that I knew much about his mum, but she seemed pretty intense and borderline abusive just from that one encounter. His brother had a fetish for him, and his church leader was potentially a paedophile. Did he have a dad? A stepdad? Anyone around him who may not be a little fucked up? It's no wonder he was the way he was.

I felt like he didn't choose to be this way. It's just how he ended up because of the people around him. That'd honestly fuck anyone up.

"Do you know any churchie's?" I asked Goose, who was happily gobbling away on two protein bars he'd opened on took bites out of at the same time.

"M'fy," he answered as best as he could with a full mouth. He swallowed hard. "Maybe," he repeated more clearly.

Then an idea came to me.

"That friends of his," I said quickly, remembering having met him in the gym storage room. "Christian? Tristan? Something like that. We exchanged numbers."

I pulled my phone out

"Yeah," Goose nodded. "Tristan Dela Cruz's religious but he's completely chill. He might know stuff that'll help you out."

Cars pulled into the pickup cul-de-sac by the dozen, with students teeming through the crowds to get to theirs. There was nothing left to see here, so I patted Goose's shoulder and thanked him as I headed off ahead of him and the others. I pulled out my phone and brought up Tristan's number, before hitting call and bringing it up to my ear. He answered after a few rings.

"Yo, Tristan here," he said in a pretty thick Filipino-American accent.

"Yo," I answered, trying to sound as casual as possible. "It's Liam... Petry. We met in the storage room with Jude."

"Oh, the soccer guy Jude loves watching play," he said with immediate recognition. I halted in my track and cleared my throat a little, feeling embarrassed by this sudden announcement. "Oh, I wasn't supposed to say that."

Act nonchalant. Nonchalant. Unbothered. Focused, flourishing, and in my lane.

"He really watches it for me?" I asked, immediately repealing my momentary mantra.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tristan replied quickly before clearing his throat. "Anyhow, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, um," his words had left me flustered for a moment there. I had to recollect my thoughts. "Are you familiar with Jude's church pastor?" I asked.

"Nah, man," he answered. "I only saw him for the first time on Friday. Seems cool enough though. Why's that?"

"Does Jude tell you about his church, and its events and stuff?" I asked, wracking my brain for common church groups I should know from the top of my head. "Like bible study groups and that sort of jazz?"

"I think their bible study group is every Wednesday," he said. "But you know I got dumped, right? He doesn't wanna be friends with me anymore."

"You and me both," I answered with a defeated sigh. If I wasn't so easily dismissed, I might actually be able to ensure he was safe right now. "So just bible study and youth groups that you know of?"

"I think they have movie and popcorn nights, but Jude mentioned the turnout is always pretty small."

"How small?" I asked. "Do you know when it is?"

"Like two or three people tops?" he said with uncertainty, as if wracking his brain for information. "That was with the old pastor though so I dunno about this new one, man."

"That's all good, man," I said. "I really appreciate that. Thanks and sorry for being a pain."

"Pay me back with a one-on-one match," Tristan said, and I could hear his playful undertone.

"You got it," I answered with a grin. Next weekend was our first national competition and Josh Caster was going to be competing with me. I'd have to make sure I was on my guard at all times around him since he really liked screwing with me on the field. Having one more practice buddy before Saturday didn't sound too bad at all.

"Oh, hang on I just remembered," Tristan said quickly before we ended the call. "I think the movie nights became Mondays since the new guy started. So it's probably tonight. They have a curriculum up on their website."

My stomach dropped. I'd have to find a way to attend tonight and see what goes on for myself. The thought of Jude being potentially alone with this guy sent chills down my spine. Until I knew for sure that this guy was safe, I'd keep doing my damned hardest to get close with Jude and earn his trust. I wanted to be someone he trusted. I wanted him to join me and the guys and find his place in a halfway normal crowd.

Well, as far as normal went for us anyway. But at least we wouldn't brainwash him.

"So appreciated, man," I said. "I'll shout you a fat ass meal after our game."

"Done bloody deal," Tristan laughed before ending the call. I slid my phone back into my pocket and burst into a sprint back home.

This feeling of panic was almost overwhelming. I had no real evidence he was in any danger, but just the prospect alone left me feeling terrified and helpless. What if he were really put into one of the circumstances I feared for him the most? I'd hunt him down to the ends of the earth to make sure he was okay, no matter what.

Even if he was fine, I'd still do everything in my power to ensure he stayed that way. This small, impressionable, delicate, sweet little guy. I'd protect him no matter what.

From his brother, his mum, his God, and himself.

Jude Caster, I just need you to be okay.