Watch Me: Study You.

Ryker's face fell,

"Uhm... Well I'm sor--" Ryker was murmuring when Kyle cut in.

"Just shut up." He scoffed and continue,

'Sorry' ain't gonna buy me my stuff back now.

You should be sorry for yourself... I mean, you know what people gonna see when you walk home?

A tattered rascal!"

Kyle mocked him.

"My problem. Isn't it?" Ryker asked, and Kyle winked.

"Cool, do not bother then.

Besides, you think I'm gonna walk home?

Wait, because I told you I walked all the way here?"

He asked him, as he stepped backwards towards the tree, but Kyle just held his gaze as his back came in contact with the oak. He crossed his legs, folded his arms and continued.

"Well, I digress but I'd appreciate it if you'd give me an audience now. I'm here to say my apologies but you also owe me a thanks."

Kyle squeezed his face. "What the hell, man?!"

"Thanks for wha--?"

He was forced to hold back his remaining utterances as Ryker held his right index finger in the air.

"An... Audience!"

"Fine! Suit yourself." Kyle grimaced as he walked up to a bike, raised it and kicked down the bike stand, and then sat on it.

"I'm not convinced you already know what happened to the Emperors and that you know... I did them, but have you considered the good in this for us?" Ryker asked him.

Kyle made a confused face.

"Us... Who's us?"

"Look, don't pretend you don't understand me.

I know you don't want to join the Emperors gang, perhaps you were forced to, I watched you closely many times enough to know.

You don't seem like one who would gladly join and cooperate with those kinda... Nah man... it's like you're in it against your will.

Just like me, too, it must have been very hard on you."

He unfolded his arm and continued with a serious face, moving away from the tree.

"Trust me, I felt trapped and threatened too, but I'm not one to just dance to someone's tune that easily... I mean, let's not be a man of straw. Bro."

"Are you done?" Kyle drawled.

Ryker smiled reassuringly. "Yeah."

He looked up at Ryker, his face looking unfriendly. "Yeah?"

"You know what? If you ask me to summarize all you've just spat out in one word, I'd say 'bullshit!'

I didn't advocate for your betrayal to the Emperors, besides did I complain to you?

Hiding behind the Emperor's shield and following Jude's order helped me... at least to achieve more than I expected.

But you... A man of steel, right?"

Ryker nodded assertively, anticipating Kyle's comment.

"What has it earned you? This!"

He said mockingly, pointing to the Ryker's tattered look and his bruises.

"A recurring cycle of senseless violence, tainted personality and an unwanted title. Isn't it?"

"Don't get this all wrong bro, Doesn't the Emperors has oppositions too?

As a matter of fact, the police and the whole community even, are theirs.

I mean... everyone does bro, mine is just ostensible."

He took a few steps towards Kyle and continued in even tone.

"You need to know one thing. You see, this crime stuff is not really a good thing.

There are many things involved that make me find it intolerable, personally..."

"Yeah, of course you don't need to tell me, I knew." Kyle interrupted him, switching to ad hominem criticism.

"You sure will find it intolerable when you have a family there for you, a nice home in one of the best Balltown's private residential area.

Even though you don't work, and crime doesn't suit your taste, but you need something, there are people you could go to. I don't know how rich your family is, but at least Robert and his friend are an evidence.

I have seen them a few times in Ludbriggs' seaside restaurant and few others places, and from what I have noticed, I always wondered why you chose to live a street life, it's not like you don't have enough, or you're a beggar or something..."

"Ahem!" Ryker interrupted him.

"Don't get the wrong impression bruh, you don't know me, don't talk like you know anything about my life, you know... If you want to discuss that, it's a different case but don't jump to conclusions."

Suddenly, Kyle cackled with a loud derisive laugh

"You hear that?

I laughed in Spanish!" He taunted whilst Ryker snorted in disdain.

"We may not have been getting along, you know... And that's because I hate to associate with troubles, unlike you.

But to be very candid with you, I know you, Ryker.

I really do.

You said you were watching me to draw those conclusions about me huh, but you have no idea how much I did you too.

You watched me bro, but I studied you.

In fact sedulously. Which is why I wonder why you chose to lead such life when you've got the potentials most guys our age envy... Perhaps a lot!"

He sat up from the bike and struck a new pose, rolled his fingers into fists and deposited it in his pockets, his weighted supported by the fixed and static motorbike as they stared at each other intently.

"I'll digress now, because I need you to see reasons why, even if I know nothing about your family, I'd make you see reasons why I believe my assessments might not be right, but not wrong either."

Kyle brought out his hands from his pockets, hugged himself with them and crossed his legs as he engrossed himself in the conversation.

"Three years ago, we could hardly make enough money to keep the wolf from the door.

But my though enigmatic, but diligent Granny is doing her best to feed us, until she lost her sight, and we haven't much to feed not to talk of seeking medical attention, we did seek help though but none seems obtainable.

Too little to till, and oversee her small farmland. We were starving in the home that has lost the vibes of livelihood itself.

Granny sold her farmland, and for a short period of time, we were able to ward off the trollocks of hunger.

After about roughly ten months, you could guess what happened again... haha"

Kyle's left hand disengaged from the arm folds to wave off the fly buzzing and hovering before his face, and then he clicked his tongue.

"What job can I work at?

Or tell me, what significant privilege is there to avail for a twelve-year-old boy from this negligible avenue?

I'm looking more frail and malnourished each day passing. Granny's health status getting more and more retrogressive. We had to start begging on the streets so we could have something to eat.

But her senescent languid began to defile her will and intentions."

Ryker, who at first, seemed very interested in what Kyle has to tell him, was now astoundingly dumbfounded by the boy's narration.

"Ah. Bro! What are you saying? This sounds like old tales from the middle ages. Are you kidding me?

Don't you have other families, distant families, or friends or neighbors--" Ryker halted on mentioning neighbors, "Uhm sorry, I forgot it is an insular here, but... What the hell man?!"

"Well, I haven't finished talking. You wanna hear me out now?"

He sneered.

Ryker stammered "Oh I'm... I'm sorry. Of course, of course... Continue!" Prompting Kyle.

"I had to continue our routine and report home at the end of the day.

And after a year or so, I had become acclimatized to the begging scheme and it scopes.

Then there came a time like that. For like two days, I was so unlucky not even one person could look upon me with pity and say 'take this dime'.

By the third day, I was so weak, I can remember vividly how my intestines were twitching and churning painfully.

"Get away from here, you this unfortunate bedraggled pauper!

Don't contaminate my wares... brat."

The old and mean lady who is in charge of the stall took off her shoe and threw it at me, so I gave up and crossed to the road, I sat opposite this particular stall I was hoping to grab whatever I could as soon as the woman direct her attention to somewhere else and run as fast my legs could carry me.

I got many chances, but I was very afraid, not after I had seen many people caught stealing, got punished like an animal, and disgraced like a martyr.

Paranoia soaked me with nervousness. I would not dare to touch anything in a bid to steal it.

I stood there longing for what I couldn't have but then, someone sat beside me on the boulder I was sitting, he open a plastic bag and bring numerous food items and drinks and stretched out his hands for me to take.

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