Revolt: New Haven

VI. Fear

The following day arrived, and early in the morning all the Gifted students had made their way into homeroom for the morning. Dai and Lena sat in their respective seats in Jack North's classroom, for the first time in a long time. However, Lena noticed the empty seat in front of her, and behind Dai.

"Hey," she said.
"Hm?" Dai asked.
"Have you seen Max?"
"Yesterday, yeah."
"No, I know you saw him yesterday. Did you see him today?"
"Oh, no..."
Silence.
"Thanks, by the way," Dai said.
"For what?"
"For yesterday. I know you splashed his brother to distract him."
"You guys just seemed really uncomfortable," Lena shrugged, "I did what I thought had to be done."
Dai chuckled.
"So, where did you guys go? Did you talk to him?" she asked.
"Tried to, whatever is bothering him, he's finding it difficult to open up about. I gave him my number so we could talk about it another time."
"Your number...?" Lena asked, then groaned, "I should probably do that."
"You wanna know what's crazy, though?" Dai asked.
"What?"
"When I put in a new contact for me, I saw that the only other contacts in his phone were... his family."
Lena sat back in her chair, running her hand over her head, "For real?"
Dai nodded, but their conversation was cut short when they noticed Max enter the classroom.

He entered the aisle and gave Dai a small smile as he passed him, Dai smiling back at him.
Max then took his seat between Lena and Dai upon setting his backpack down by his desk.
Lena looked at the back of his head for a moment, then an idea came to her. Pulling out her phone, a moment of hesitation came over her.

After a brief moment, she took a deep breath.
"Hey," Lena whispered.
"Hi," Max whispered back.
Lena then offered her phone over his shoulder.
Max took it and saw it was opened to a 'New Contact' screen.
"So we can plan to hang out properly," she smiled.
Max blinked, looking back at her, an uncertainty in his eyes.

"Welcome to winter term, everyone!" their homeroom teacher Jack North said as he stepped up to the front of the class.
Max looked forward, then back down at the phone.
A moment later, he handed it back to Lena, who took it and saw that 'Max💛' was now a new contact.
Lena felt a smile cross her face as Mr. North began with the morning's agenda.

🥀

The morning's classes passed by uneventfully. By the time afternoon rolled around, Dai made his way to meet Luke in their dorm. As he did, he noticed Kai exiting the building with Judith, hand-in-hand.
Dai blinked as he approached them.
"Dai!" Kai said eagerly.
"Hey..." Dai replied.
"Hey, yeah, you remember Judith, right?" Kai asked.
"Hello!" Judith greeted, the sun glinting off of her glasses.
"Yes, I remember Judith," Dai said, "What are you two up to?"
"Well, we decided to take this opportunity to go on a date," Kai said, "Y'know... since the whole Bolt thing prevented us... to..."
"Yeah..." Dai nodded.
"The new rules may prevent us from going off campus without submitting a formal request," Judith said, "But we can make-do here on campus, right?"
"Right!" Kai nodded, "We'll have as much fun as possible. Anyways, I'm glad I ran into you. I probably won't be back 'til evening... if not sooner."
"Okay..." Dai said, "Have fun, then."
Kai playfully punched his shoulder as he and Judith walked past, holding hands as they began to talk.
Dai watched them go, a funny feeling burning him now.
He shook it off and made his way inside.

Upon reaching his dorm room, he opened the door to find Luke and Aria sitting on the small couch by the window at the far end, ceasing conversation when Dai's presence was made known.
"Oh, Dai!" Luke waved him over, "We need a second opinion."
"Yes," Aria huffed, "Please."
Dai sighed as he closed the door and set his backpack down.
"What is it?"
"Aria totally thinks Majora's Mask is the best Zelda game so far," Luke explained.
"Which it IS," Aria huffed, "You like Four Swords Adventures."
"Which is SUPERIOR," Luke harrumphed.
Dai blinked, "Um... what?"
"Breath of the Wild releases in two months, so we're discussing which Zelda game released before it is the best Nintendo has made," Aria explained, "And Majora's Mask is a CLASSIC."
"Four Swords Adventures is far more enjoyable," Luke huffed, "Thank you very much."
"Anyways," Aria grunted, "Dai, which is better; Majora's Mask or Four Swords Adventures?"

Dai just blinked once again.
"I... I don't know...?" he said, "I've never played any of those games."
"You WHAT?!" both Luke and Aria blurted out.
Dai just shrugged, "I was never that big on gaming."
"Ugh," Luke groaned.
Aria just laughed, "Well, I know the truth. So that's all that matters."
"The TRUTH?!??" Luke burst out, making Aria bust a gut even further.
"Oh," Luke remembered, "By the way, Kai-"
"Is on a date with that girl Judith," Dai finished, "I know."
"Oh," Luke looked blankly at the floor for a moment.
Dai just sighed and went over to his bed, collapsing on top of it.

Luke and Aria exchanged a look.
"Everything okay?" Aria asked.
"Not totally," Dai sighed, "This stuff with Max and... other stuff... it's all just too much."
"I know I always feel overwhelmed at the start of a school term," Luke sympathized.
Dai then felt his phone buzz. He checked it, seeing an Instagram notification.
From Alana's account.

Frustration brewing within, Dai grunted and dropped his phone on the bed beside him.
Luke looked worriedly at him.
"Hey, uh, Aria," he said, "Mind leaving us alone? For a sec?"
"Oh, um... sure," Aria said unsurely, "I should... check up on Raina anyway."
"Talk to you later?" Luke asked.
Aria smiled, "Sure."

She then got up and headed out. Once she closed the door behind her, Luke came over and laid on Dai's bed next to him, hands behind his head.
"So," he began, "What's eatin' ya?"
Dai paused, considering whether or not he should open up.
"Come on," Luke said, turning to look at him, "You can tell me."
Dai just gazed up at the ceiling, until finally, he decided to speak.
"I'm worried about Max..." he said, "But also... Alana just started reaching out to me."
"Your... ex?" Luke asked, "Why?"
"I don't know!" Dai exclaimed, "She says she 'misses' me, as if she doesn't remember what happened!"
Luke paused.
"What... did happen?" he asked, "The details are still fuzzy to me."
Dai sighed, and considered his words.

"...It started out good, y'know, like always," he said, "We met in middle school, and right before high school she asked me out. Me, not having been in a relationship... said 'yes' with enthusiasm. It was going well, until..."
"...Until what?" Luke asked.
"...Whenever I came to her with my insecurities or... present issues... she made it seem like she was the only one I could trust," he said, "Or made it about her. Whatever suited her. She... even tried to make it seem like my family was against us being together... which... they were... but not for the reasons she told me."
Dai had to pause, feeling tears coming.
"...I didn't know she was manipulating me at the time... controlling me..." he uttered, "Kai and Raina both had to convince me... they apparently had arguments with her when I was not in the room... and she was the only one I spent quality time with for months..."

Luke scooted over and wrapped an arm around Dai comfortingly.
"How'd it end?" he asked.
"...After they told me what she's been saying and doing... that I didn't realize what was really going on... I broke it off," Dai sniffed, "It... hurt. She tried to convince me not too and that they were 'brainwashing' me."
He paused.
"I've been afraid ever since," he finished.
"Afraid of what?"
"Of giving my heart to someone," Dai said, "Of trying... going on dates and stuff again... 'cause... what if the same thing happens again?"
Luke paused.
"You'll never know until you try," he advised, "Besides... not everyone is like her, Dai. You gotta give people a chance."
Dai didn't answer, he just grabbed his phone and looked at the notification.

"Maybe..." he admitted, "I just don't know why she's reaching out now. She has a boyfriend."
"Someone who plays with people like her is probably never satisfied with what, or who, she has," Luke guessed, "You didn't deserve that."
Dai sighed and just dropped his phone on his chest.
"It's whatever, I guess," he sighed.
"It's not whatever, dude," Luke retorted, "It's like I told Jace that one time: You deserve better."
Dai just took a deep breath, Alana and Max both on his mind.