Arabella Academy: Perfectly Imperfect

31. The Three 'Muskecheaters'

The trust of the innocent is a liar's most useful tool.

~Stephen King

***

Calvin made sure the food wasn't hot before feeding Maxwell. He was stark mad that afternoon. Stevens and the others had decided to go out to God-knows-where and left him alone in the bunk with a prisoner. To make his situation worse was that he was supposed to feed Maxwell since it was lunchtime. Clement was the one who usually did it and it mainly consisted of slaps, kicks and forcefully shoving the food into the mouth with the intention to make him spill the beans. However, Maxwell endured all those and Calvin felt nothing but pity for him. Luckily for Calvin, he was an optimist and saw the situation as an opportunity to properly feed the young man held hostage.

Maxwell was staring up into the ceiling when Calvin entered. Calvin then noticed that the man was crying. Maxwell, on noticing him, kept his eyes looking up. Calvin quickly put the food on the table and grabbed some tissues from the cabinet. He then took a chair and sat opposite him.

"It's okay Maxwell. It is normal for men to cry," he tried to comfort him. Maxwell rubbed his face over his shirt carelessly and faced Calvin.

"If you are here to torture me again just do it. You might as well kill me."

Calvin gaped at Maxwell's statement. "How could I?!" he moved the seat closer to him. "I disapproved of all of that. Did you see me here encouraging those barbarians to continue beating you up? No, you didn't. In fact, I have brought you some fries and chicken wings."

Calvin got up and went to take the plate from the table. Maxwell licked his lips on seeing his meal. He hadn't been eating healthy since he got there. Clement only gave him stale bread and a glass of water to get him through the day. He immediately wished that they would go wherever they went every day.

Calvin picked up some fries and fed them to Maxwell since his hands and feet were tied to the chair. Maxwell hurriedly chewed the delicacy with his eyes closed. Damn! He had gone a long time without eating fries. Calvin smiled on seeing Maxwell's face and got back to scooping more fries.

"More please," Maxwell pleaded, his mouth full as he struggled not to let go of the first chew. Calvin obediently scooped up more of the fries and continued feeding. He was done eating the fries in record time and soon he was eating the chicken wings. Calvin was trying to firmly hold the chicken wings in his hands while Maxwell viciously feasted on the meat. He was finally relieved when Maxwell finished the last wing but to his total surprise, Maxwell started licking the sauce off of his hands. Understanding his situation, he let him lick them until they had become almost as clean as they were before, with the exception of Maxwell's saliva sticking onto his hands. Calvin excused himself and once he was certain he had washed his hands clean, he went back to his chair opposite Maxwell.

Calvin scrutinised the man before him. He was fairly handsome for a youth, though he had some acne which didn't interfere with his looks. His blonde hair looked like it needed some serious combing, and his black eyes seemed to reflect the light coming from the bulb. Maxwell noticed Calvin staring at him and waved his head to get his attention.

"What's the matter?" He asked, unsure of what was in Calvin's head.

"Uh, nothing. Was just thinking about something," Calvin replied and hurriedly looked away.

"Don't tell me you poisoned the food?" Maxwell joked, although he secretly worried for a moment that they may have used the food to poison him.

"No way!" Calvin defended himself. "You are too young to die."