Saving the Villain

The instructor didn't give further punishment to Cosette, Luke, Maxen, and Remo. But he had warned the four of them to behave. Their day went by without a word with Remo as the guy acted as if they didn't exist.

Sarah, Fay, and Amie, as usual, were so worried about them ‌that they promised Cosette they would be on the lookout next time. Sometimes, Cosette could not help but wonder if her friends were the good type or if they were already leaning on the wrong path.

When the school bell rang, Maxen and Cosette still followed the dramatic Luke to help him clean up and fix his apartment. Since Luke didn't have the money to pay someone to renovate his place, he 'reluctantly' accepted their offer.

As usual, even though it was a tiring day, they could call it a productive one. Cosette and Maxen left Luke's apartment a little late. Fortunately, Conrad was also late. Hence, they didn't need a long explanation for what they've been up to.

"Hey, can you stop screaming?" Cosette snapped her tongue in irritation, glaring daggers at her phone before placing it back in front of her ear. "What else do you need?"

"Why are you even asking me?" came out Luke's angry voice from the other end of the line. "Cozie, tell me the truth. Are you doing this because you actually want to take me home? Like a mistress?"

Her face instantly contorted. "Hello? I'm simply doing this because if I didn't, Maxen will!"

"Hah! Then why not let Maxen do all this? I mean, if your dad — I mean, if my dad hears you provided everything in my place, he'll mistake it as an indirect marriage proposal."

"Since when did helping become an indirect marriage proposal?"

"Ask my dad."

Cosette took a deep breath and breathed it out through her lips. She forced a smile to her face, shifting her phone to her other ear.

"Lucas Quinn, you can always say, 'no I don't need your help,' and I won't force you, alright? You don't have to say all this nonsense." She rolled her eyes, choosing peace over violence since the person she was still talking to was her dearest friend. "Do you know how much you can save if you cook your own food?"

"Well, yeah. That is if I can cook, but honestly, saving up money by cooking isn't what concerns me. But not burning this entire building."

"Oh, my god… I won't help you anymore." Cosette collapsed on her back, bouncing on the bed mildly. She was still holding the phone right in front of her ear, staring at the ceiling.

"Tsk. Who said you shou — ahh! Fucking rat!" Luke rambled on and on for the next minute before picking up the line again. "That's not a rat. That's a cat looking like a rat."

"Goodness… should I just hire a pest control?"

Luke, who went out of his apartment for some breath of fresh air, paused. "You know what? Just do that. I'd pay you back once I found a decent job."

"You will?"

"Yes. I just don't need these rats that are as big as cats as my housemates." Luke let out a deep exhale, resting his arms against the railings outside his apartment unit. "Goodness. This is a disaster."

"That's your decision, so don't complain."

"I know, and I'm not complaining. I'm ranting, that's all, but I know I have to suck it up, alright?" he shook his head, arching a brow, glancing at his phone. "By the way, I think this is the first time you called me around this time."

"Really?"

"You rarely picked up my call whenever I call you."

"Ahh… I sleep early. That's why." Cosette bit her tongue, knowing around this time, it was either she was having a late-night talk with Maxen or cuddling with him. "So, know that I'm staying up because I need to prepare for the things you need. The stove and kitchen utensils… a table too. What else?"

Luke shook his head. "I can just  —"

"How about a television?"

"What?" he scrunched his nose up.

"And some cozy bean bags."

"Oy, Cosette, what the heck are you planning to do with my place?"

"It'll be our headquarters!" the side of her lips stretched from ear to ear as she was getting a clearer picture of what Luke's apartment would appear like. "So Maxen and I, and even Fay, Sarah, and Amie can hang out there after school! Having a television will be nice for a movie date! We can also have group study, oh that's a good idea!"

"You understand I ran away from home, right?"

"So what? Does that mean you should live in misery?" Cosette rolled until she was lying on her tummy. "Luke, once your big brother figured out you fled home, he will surely search for you. Knowing your family's connections, it won't even take one hour to find you. Will you give him the satisfaction that you're miserable without your family's protection?"

"Cozie, don't make it sound like my brother is evil, alright? I fled home and you know the reason."

"Right… but still, he will force you to go back if he knows you're suffering."

Luke remained silent, pursing his lips into a thin line. He rocked his head, taking her point.

"Right," he muttered.

"So, let's just go with my plan! Since it's your place, I need your permission to decorate it. I mean, that's a win for you too," she proposed excitedly.

"Cozie, did you ever lose to anyone? I mean, did Maxen ever say no to you? Or your dad?"

"Why would they say no?"

"No wonder…"

"Luke, for your information, you are way worse than me just a few days ago." Cosette rolled her eyes, giggling as she grabbed the pillow. "Listen to me, Luke. What sort of design should we pick for the walls? And colors? If you asked me, I'd go with pink…!"

Cosette rambled on and on enthusiastically while Luke remained silent. As she proposed what sort of color they should pick, Luke glanced at the phone and smiled subtly.

'Did we ever… talk like this before?' he wondered, placing the phone back in his ear. His eyes softened, listening to her jolly voice as if she had all the energy in the world.

"Heck no. Don't even dare add anything pink," he butted in, sounding a little annoyed, like usual, but unable to hide the smile on his face.

A/N: I was very sick the other day and only got the energy to get up today. I still feel lightheaded, but hopefully, I get better and stronger. I miss writing this story, so I hope I'll get better sooner.