Kisses after midnight (WICKED #0) | ✓

4

JAY COULD FIGHT BETTER than Mateo thought. The kind of experience you only get from fighting on the streets was visible in his every move and he spun around, his leg hooking around Mateo's neck. Mateo caught the blow easily though and when Jay tried to push harder to get the kick through, he just smiled and grabbed his ankle harder. Once he made eye contact, he pushed his elbow down on it, hard.

He had to give it to Jay. Though it probably hurt like hell, the kid didn't even flinch, just stared him straight in the eye as he pulled his leg back. The girl behind him called out for him to stop, but the words only fell to deaf ears as Jay stumbled forward. His limp was clear, though he tried to keep it from showing as he clenched his fists.

Mateo was just thinking how to end the fight the fastest when the girl grabbed Jay by his arm, before throwing it over her shoulder as she tried to support him.

"Don't put too much weight on it," she said.

"You should listen to her," Mateo said.

"You should fuck off," Jay spit out.

"Nice," Mateo grinned.

"Not nice, Mateo," Chase called out," they can't just speak to you like that."

"It's fine, Chase," he said," the winner is clear here."

"Bullshit," Jay said as the girl tried to pull him away," I can still take you down easy."

"Calm down," Mateo laughed," you can't even support yourself."

Jay pulled himself away from the girl then, anger dancing in his eyes as he rushed at Mateo. He already was ready to fight the new kid when the girl jumped on his back, causing both of them to crash to the ground.

"What the hell!" Jay called out, voice muffled against her sleeves, which she had wrapped around his neck to protect his head.

"I had to do it, Jay," she said," you were going to do something dumb again."

"You better listen to her," Mateo said.

"Sahar, let me go and I'll fuck him up."

"That was a horrible argument."

Jay was scowling and Mateo looked down to his place on the floor, an amused sparkle in his eyes. He was just about to leave, his boredom for the situation already rising up, when someone shouted his name. The voice alone caused a fuzzy feeling to spread through his chest, like it always did. When he looked up, his knowledge was confirmed.

"Nena," he smiled.

Gabriela looked pissed off, the principal for some reason following closely behind as she headed towards them. Once she took in the whole situation her mood seemed to worsen, not even bettering when she stood still in front of his wide smile.

"What's got you all annoyed?" he asked.

"Please don't tell me those are the Athena students," she said.

He frowned, unsure what she was talking about, but the principal answered.

"Unfortunately I think they are," he said, before glancing at the two," Sahar Dirani?"

"Ah, yes, hello!" Sahar said with a happy wave.

She seemed to be completely ignoring the fact that she was still sitting on Jay's back, the poor guy just laying down with a scowl. He could have easily thrown her off, but the fact he chose not to made Mateo respect him just a bit more.

The principal's eyes wandered to Jay then, curiosity in them.

"And you're the famed Jae-Soo Ryder then, I presume?" he said.

"Fuck off," Jay said.

"That's a yes," Sahar said.

Mateo raised an eyebrow at the whole spectacle. Sure, both of them had been wearing expensive clothes, but he hadn't expected them to be from Athena, one of the most snobbish schools there was. What were they even doing here?

A frown creased his forehead then as he thought about their names. Ryder rung a bell somewhere, though he didn't know where he had heard the name before.

"Is your father ambassador Ryder?" Gabriela said, answering his question before he could ask it.

It was almost like she had hit him. Jay's glare was intenser than ever as he practically jumped up, Sahar already haven gotten of. Mateo was standing in between him and Gabriela within a second, a hand on Jay's chest.

"Calm down there," he said, the threat in his voice clearly audible," we wouldn't want your other ankle to get sprained too."

"You sprained his ankle?" Gabriela frowned.

"Perhaps," Mateo said as he gave her a cheeky smile.

She rolled her eyes, before trying to push him aside.

"He isn't going to hit me, Mateo," she said, before looking at Jay for confirmation when Mateo didn't budge. "Come on, tell him."

"I wasn't," Jay spoke up reluctantly.

"Then what got you so riled up, huh?" Mateo said, still not moving as he looked Jay in the eye," what was your plan after jumping up? Go on, tell me."

Jay seemed like he was done answering him, his eyes already having grown as cold as they were before while he stared back at him. Before Mateo could even resort to violence, Sahar spoke up.

"He was just going to storm away," she said," trust me, I may not have known him that long, but I've seen him do it multiple times already when he gets angry. He likes being alone."

Mateo stared at Jay without breaking eye contact, the brief flash of emotion through the new kid's eyes confirming Sahar's words. Once he determined the guy wasn't a threat to Gabriela, he let the tension flow out of his shoulders, allowing Gabriela to finally push him aside.

"Now now, boys," the principal said," let's all calm down." When he saw that none of them made a movement to attack the other, he waved with a pleased smile at Gabriela. "I came here to introduce you two to Miss Ruíz. She's one of our best students, if not the best."

"Ah, hello Nena!" Sahar smiled," that was your name, right?"

"She's called Nena?" Jay frowned.

Mateo was quick to intervene, shaking his head as he spoke up.

"No," he said," don't call her that."

"But you called her that," Sahar said confusedly," isn't it her name?"

Mateo chuckled, his arm sliding possessively around Gabriela's waist as he answered.

"No," he said," she's called Gabriela. Nena means baby girl. Only I can call her that."

"And he calls me that because he's stupid," Gabriela said.

"She means lovely," Mateo said as he flashed his teeth in a wide grin.

"Anyway," the principal said, smoothly ignoring their whole conversation and continuing on," Gabriela here will help you through your brief time at St Joseph. She'll make sure you'll be on your best behavior and out of here in no time."

"Gabriela will?" Mateo said amusedly.

"Yes, Mateo," she said," and the whole task will probably just be me keeping them away from you."

"If they're supposed to not be close to me," he said," they sure have chosen the wrong person for the job. I can't stay away from you after all, Nena."

"You two are sweet together!" Sahar smiled," that's adorable."

"We aren't together," Gabriela said, though Mateo kept quiet.

"Well," the principal said as he slapped his hands together to get their attention," are we going back inside? You should get that sprain looked at."

"Aren't you going to punish him for this?" Jay said confusedly, waving around at the guys who were either knocked out or limping away around them.

Mateo laughed, before slapping Jay amicably on the shoulder.

"You are not at Athena anymore, new kid," he said," remember that."