I Am A Multibillionaire Dad

14

He looks relieved. He nods. “You're right. Friends are the ones who can deal best with each other.” He gives Weston another hard look filled with satisfaction before walking off with the other guys.

Friends? Santiago? What the heck are they talking about? Is there another Santiago in the campus? Weston tries to make sense of what they are saying but it just doesn't sound all that meaningful.

They must have said that to pacify themselves and make it less hurting that the boy they were supposed to be picking on just slapped their commander. The thought elicits a chuckle from Weston.

The boy…Weston glances at the boy. The boy isn't shaking now but he still looks scared.

“You're cool?” Weston asks.

“Those guys, they won't hurt you, right? They won't do something bad to you, right?” The boy asks, fear in his eyes.

Damn. Who sent a boy this young to college? Weston is tempted to ask the boy of his age but he doesn't. That might sound a bit rude of him, instead, he shrugs. “I'm not scared of them.”

“You're…why…how…how are you not scared of them? Are you…” the boy gasps and withdraws his hand from Weston's. “Mom said not to join any cult. She will be heartbroken if she ever get to know that I joined…please…don't…”

Weston chuckles at the boy's innocence. “Don't worry, I'm not into stuff like that.” He notices the boy sign in relief. “By the way, how did you come across those guys? You shouldn't be walking around in the night if you're scared of them.”

“I was looking for my friend. We came from the same town in California…his mom both warned us not to join any…” his voice cracks in tears. “We are here thanks to a scholarship, but…but…he went to a party…I heard people who goes to that party for the first time are recruited…”

“Listen to me, dude, your primary goal is to look out for yourself. Be safe first before you care about someone else, do you get me?” Weston says.

The boy glances at Weston, tears in his eyes.

“Don't walk around in the night anymore unless you can deal with those guys.”

The boy nods slowly.

“By the way, is this your blood?”

The boy glances at his clothes and shakes his head. “They poured paint on me.”

“Now, wipe your face and run to your dorm as fast as you can. Don't look back for half a second,” Weston says.

The boy wipes his face. “What is your name, sir?”

“Don't worry about my name, just go to your room.”

The boy nods. He runs in the opposite direction.

Weston watches the boy until he is out of sight. He spits out the gum in his mouth and walks toward his hostel.

He opens the door with his key, turns the knob and goes in. The lights are still on. Just as he is going to call Jose to ask if he is awake, the guy gets up from the bed.

“Where are you coming from?” Jose asks.

“Where am I coming from?”

“Yeah. This is…” he glances at the wristwatch. “Seventeen minutes and five seconds past two.”

“Well…” Weston smiles nervously. He really can't tell Jose he's coming back from Liam's party. That will make no damn sense. What the hell is he supposed to say now? Wait a minute…Santiago… “I am coming back from Santiago's dorm.”

Jose's expression seems to fall. “You're close with that guy?”

“Yes.”

“Very close?”

“Yes…very close.”

“Like, very very very very close?” Jose asks.

“Is there any difference to the ones you asks just now?”

“I mean, are you, like, close friends?”

“What's this all about?”

“Shit!” Jose kicks the bed. “Man, I…well…nothing.”

Why is everyone talking about Santiago? Wait a minute…that guy didn't cause a damn problem, right? He won't dare.

“Look, man, you don't owe your trust to no fucking body,” Jose says.

"What are you talking about?"

"Just saying you gat to stand on your feet. Even if you want to join any group in this campus, the Big Boys is the best one."

Weston chuckles. So this is where he's getting at? Invite him to his damn group?

"There are different sections in our group. You can ask around, we're not bad. As for me, I'm just there for protection."

"Protection?"

"Yeah." He nods. "One of these days, something is gotta happen and you will have to join some group. All I'm saying in essence is that you shouldn't allow anyone think for you, do your damn thinking yourself."

"Oh...thanks."

“By the way, I got you some hamburgers. It's in your cupboard.”

“Thanks a lot.”

Jose smiles. “I should catch some sleep so I can attend lectures tomorrow.”

“Have a nice sleep.” Weston sits on his bed. He rest his head on wall and brings out his phone. He stares at the picture of his daughter on his phone. A smile flashes across his face as he touches the phone's screen.

***

The next morning, Weston ascends the staircase leading to Weston's dorm.

“Good morning,” he says to a guy walking down the corridor.

Either the guy answers or his answer is not that audible, Weston has no idea. He walks to the door. It is slightly opened. He holds the door handle, about to let himself in, he hears Lorette.

“You're crazy?” He hears Lorette snaps.

“It's the only way—”

“That's total bullshit,” Lorette cuts in sharply. “Is that what we came here for?”

“Lorette, I didn't tell you so you could cut my throat off.”

“Tell me? When did tell me? Was I not the one who found out—”

“You can't tell nobody about this. Especially not Weston