The High School Bad Boy
Chapter 57. You're Holding A Ticking Time Bomb.

STALINGRAD, GERMANY.

Ludovic opened the door to Max's room and found his son asleep. He walked towards the bed and shook Max's body under the blanket.

"Max," he called.

"Mmmm ...." Max muttering. He opened his eyes slowly, then changed his sleeping position and closed his eyes again.

"Never come home again?" ask Ludovic. "Today I didn't go to school?" continued.

"Hmmm .. I was suspended for a week." Max answered with a murmur. "Papa, there's a letter for you, please take it in my bag." He pointed to his bag lying on the sofa by the window. While his eyes were still closed.

"Discors? A letter?"

Ludovic immediately checked the contents of Max's bag and found a white envelope with the seal of the Jean-Baptiste Say High School logo.

"Love letter from school," chuckles Max.

Ludovic frowned as he read the contents of the letter in his hand. "You're making trouble?" asked Ludovic while sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Not really."

"Why is school calling me?"

"Just a little fight, Papa ...."

Ludovic pulled out a blanket that partially covered Max's face. He found a bruise on the corner of his son's lip.

The middle-aged man was pensive. He rests his arms on his thighs. Face glum.

"There's no need to be melodramatic, Papa," Max said as he pulled back the blanket.

"Non, non .. I was just thinking. Indeed, I have missed many events that have happened to you so far" Ludovic said.

Max clucking. "Then what do you want?"

"Je te promets (i promise), from now on, I'll be a good father to you."

"Oais, oais (yes, yes)."

Lodovic took a deep breath. Then pause for a moment.

"Max ...."

"Hmmm ...."

"Where have you been staying lately?" ask Ludovic.

"In my girlfriend's place."

Ludovic frowned. "Your boyfriend's parents don't mind?" tanyakanya.

"No, he lives alone."

"A kid your age lives alone?"

Max just sighed behind the blanket.

"Owh, is your boyfriend in college?" guess Ludovic.

"You're interrogating me, Ludovic?"

Ludovic. "I just want to know, Max."

"Hmmm ...."

Ludovic patted Max's leg. "Come, Max, wake up .. I brought raw meat from the store. Can you help me prepare dinner?"

"D'accord (okay)," Max replied lazily. Then pull up the blanket and get out of bed. Followed the Father out of his room.

***

JEAN-BAPTISTE SAY, SURESNES.

"Excusez-moi (excuse me), Miss .. salut (hello)."

Wulan raised her downcast face and stopped her steps when she saw a middle-aged man standing in her way.

"Ah, I'm looking for Master Teacher's room. Can you help me?"

"Sorry, who are you?" ask Wulan kindly.

"Je m'appelle (my name), Ludovic Guillaume." Ludovic extended his hand to Wulan.

William?

Wulan's hesitation grabbed Ludovic's hand and shook it.

"I'm Maximilian Guillaume's father, a student here."

"Ah, d'accord (oh, okay) ...." Wulan's chest rippled to hear Max's name called. At first glance he caught a smile Max on the lips of the man named Ludovic. His eyes are brown. Obviously Max's blue eyes aren't descended from him.

"Owh, you're looking for the Teacher Instructor's room?" Wulan gasped. "You just walk straight there, after passing through the Master's toilet, a few meters in front, you will arrive at the Teacher Instructor's room." Wulan pointed at the deserted corridor.

"Merci ... Miss ...."

"Exact, Wulan ...."

"Merci, Miss Laksana," Ludovic said, saying goodbye to Wulan.

Wulan nodded. He looked at the man's back and disappeared behind the Teacher Guides' room door.

He continued his steps out of the 12th grade building and across the school grounds and into the 11th grade building.

***

Wulan stepped out of a convenience store near her apartment with a large tote bag containing groceries she had just bought. It runs down a sidewalk that is quite crowded by pedestrians.

He felt that someone was following in his footsteps, who now seemed to have walked in parallel beside him.

Wulan turned her head and was surprised to find a thin-fringed man with a big smile that immediately made his hair bristled.

"Da .. mien?" terbata.

"Wrap (hello), Wulan," said Damien kindly.

"Last I heard you ...." Wulan's words hung up just like that and greeted the man's naughtiness.

"Yes, I'm here now." Damien shrugged his shoulders.

Wulan swallowed his saliva. He dropped his intention to ask for more details about Damien's detention at the police station. He can guess there doesn't seem to be enough evidence of the sexual assault Damien committed on Nadia. Don't they do it on the basis of liking?

"Comment ... ca va (what ... news)?" tanya Wulan.

"I'm doing fine. It's just, my life is a little hard right now." Damien. "All schools in France have rejected my job application."

Wulan's heart paled. He didn't know whether to feel sorry for Damien or not.

"It's complicated, Wulan," he chuckled. "I could have been in jail for a year. But because there's not enough evidence of sexual violence." Damien put emphasis on the word sexual while staring intently at Wulan. "I am free" he continued. "But the court ruled that I should pay Mrs Kareem the damages for dating her underage son." Damien exhaled his coarse breath. "It's expensive, Wulan. 150,000 euros. Can you imagine that?"

Wulan gulped back down her saliva. Damien told her all of that in a fiery manner. Was Damien trying to tell her that he could suffer the same fate as her? Or is he threatening her? Or insinuate?

"But what annoyed me the most was .. I had a hard time getting a job back. Either be a teacher or whatever." Damien's eyes pierced Wulan's heart. There's a flash of anger there.

"I'm .. sorry, Damien" Wulan said. "I wish there was something I could help ...."

Damien chuckles. "No need, Wulan. I just want you to listen to me. That'sthat's all. And also warn you ...." He smiled his slanted smile. "You and the bad boy ...." Damien leaned closer to Wulan's ear. "It's holding a time bomb" he whispered. Then walk ahead of Wulan who now only stands sculpting.

"Ah, one more .... " Damien turned his body around. "Everything will be more complicated for you because you're not a French citizen" he said. He pulled the corner of his lips. She rolled her eyes at Wulan, then walked away.

Wulan. His chest was pounding loudly. His body feels weak. He nodded his forehead which suddenly pulsed.

He took a deep breath to neutralize his chaotic feelings.

He immediately stepped across the street to his apartment building.

***

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