Kingston Academy

FIFTY-ONE

   "I'm glad you came."

Mirren sat down across from Remiah Westworth inside the headmaster's office. The brunet frowned as he watched the man offer a large tray of his favorite sweets.

The vice-principal grinned at him. "What's that look for? You loved it when I gave you these."

"What am I doing here?" Mirren went straight to the point. "If you needed me for something then you could've texted me. I probably might not respond since I blocked your number a month ago for pissing me off, but you still could've texted me."

"Haha, you're such a jokester!" Remiah's smile grew a little wider. "Isn't this what we always do every year for the annual family event? Your grades have been improving rapidly and you don't sneak around in the dorms rooms as much anymore to hang out with those boy toys of yours. Tell me what you want and I'll happily buy it for you."

"This is stupid," Mirren grumbled. "You really just wasted my time here. I thought I told you not to bother me unless there was an emergency. I'm heading back to my dorm room, don't talk to me-"

"Son."

Mirren paused himself, having to look back with an offended expression. "What?"

"I know you may think we're just family on paper, but I really do care for you and want the best for you. I'm not a jaguar beastman, so I don't understand what you're going through, but I still want to be there with you in case you need to fall back on someone," Remiah spoke in a softer tone, watching Mirren slowly slag with a bit of apprehensiveness. "I want you to succeed in life, but your happiness is what I want the most."

In the years Mirren has been with the man, Remiah's never talked to him like this before. He was always too busy and wanting to stay with the headmaster that Mirren's never really heard of anything like this from the vice-principal. It was odd, too uncomfortable for Mirren and he couldn't say anything back.

He crossed his arms, contemplating whether or not to laugh in the man's face or to just leave. Remiah was someone he could never figure out, someone who's even more mysterious than Vasili.

"What the hell do you want from me?" Mirren bitterly asked. "You've never said anything like that to me before. Just tell me what you want and I'll just do it. Don't disgust me like this again."

Remiah sighed, already knowing it was hard for Mirren to trust him. He didn't blame the student, it was always like this between them. Still, he gave him a warm smile and just shrugged in the end. "I just want you to do whatever you want to do. If you need anything else from me then please don't hesitate to call me... when you've unblocked my number, of course."

"Whatever," the brunet grumbled. "I'll see you later."

On the way out of the office, Remiah quickly called out once more, "Do be sure to give Niven and His Highness the Crown Prince my regards when you see them. I'd tell the twins myself, but it seems they've disappeared."

Mirren didn't respond and simply walked on out, giving small nods to Caesar and Caspar before the guards returned themselves to guarding the office's entrance.

But even though he wanted to ignore that last statement with the prince, he suddenly thought about the Kingston Brothers. Remiah wasn't wrong about Levi and Simeon, the jaguar beastman hasn't seen those two in days. He wouldn't have concerned himself with the twins, but it was odd not to hear anything about them. It was like they really just vanished and left Niven to his own devices with the crown prince.

And it wasn't exactly false, Levi and Simeon were simply hiding. At least, that's what Levi thought as he walked through the hallways of his dorm building.