Jock Next Bed (BL)
Chapter 90: Influence

Chapter 90: Influence

As Chris sat in the cold, sterile room at the police station, he maintained an outward appearance of nonchalance, though inwardly his mind was a whirlwind of disbelief and frustration. The accusation against him felt like a bizarre twist in a story he hadn’t signed up for. He couldn’t help but suppress a bemused smirk, half-expecting someone to jump out and yell, "Gotcha!" at any moment. But he knew that was not going to happen.

Ash had just proven he was that kind of guy from high school who used their parents’ influence to do as they pleased and used it to bully people. And well, Chris had a reputation for bullying the bullies.

His fingers idly drummed on the metal table, his thoughts drifting back to the recent events that had unfolded like a series of unexpected plot twists.

The annoying thing about this was that he could not do much right now on his own. And he wouldn’t want to go deeply into this because it would mean he would have to talk a whole lot if he decided to open his mouth. But for Sky’s sake, he had to keep his mouth shut while waiting.

The door swung open, and his train of thought was interrupted by the entrance of a stern-looking officer, accompanied by Rachel. A spark of gratitude flickered within him at the sight of her, and he couldn’t help but marvel at her ability to command attention and assert her authority with unwavering determination.

Rachel wasted no time in launching into a fervent defence of Chris, her words laced with a no-nonsense attitude that seemed to rattle the officers. Chris would have thought she was a lawyer or at least was studying law if he didn’t know her already. He comfortably leaned back in his chair, his lips quirking up in an amused half-smile. He had to admit that Rachel’s fiery determination was a sight to behold.

That was when he remembered where Rachel had come from. Her father hadn’t been a simple man.

He was beginning to wonder why she hadn’t come in with the Dean as he had asked her, but not long after she entered, the Dean’s presence graced the room, flanked by a lawyer and another police officer.

Both strode in with an air of authority that seemed to permeate the very air. Chris raised an eyebrow, his nonchalance wavering for a split second. Well, this was taking an interesting turn.

The Dean wasted no time in asserting his influence, his voice carrying a tone of stern professionalism as he addressed the officers. "Gentlemen, I believe we can swiftly resolve this matter. I have reviewed the situation, and I can assure you that Mr. Owen is innocent of these accusations."

Chris watched in mild astonishment as the Dean’s words seemed to hold an almost magical sway. He exchanged a bemused glance with Rachel, his earlier amusement now mixed with a sense of awe.

The lawyer accompanying the Dean chimed in, presenting a succinct and compelling argument that dismantled the accusations against Chris, which surprised him a bit since they didn’t exactly know what had happened that day.

Just remember: after serial killers fear Lawyers.

The officers looked torn. And it was obvious that it was because of the people involved in this case. They had to go against one of the parties. Fortunately, it was easier to choose sides when the other party was not present.

They appeared to begrudgingly accept the situation, their stern expressions softening slightly as the weight of the situation shifted.

Within moments, the tension in the room seemed to dissipate like a dissipating fog. The officers acknowledged the Dean’s intervention and assured Chris that the matter would be resolved without further action. As they left the room, Chris couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief. It was as if he had stumbled into an elaborate courtroom drama that had been swiftly wrapped up in a matter of minutes.

So without even saying a word at all, Chris left the police station with the others. He apologized to the Dean and sincerely thanked him, also explaining that he hadn’t done what he had been accused of. He did confess to having punched Ash. Twice. And assured him Ash deserved it.

The man took it lightly, waving off his apology and reminding him to always let him know whenever he was in trouble.

After the man left with his lawyer, Chris turned to Rachel, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "You were great back there. Are you sure you are really Rachel?"

Rachel rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "I need to know what exactly happened between you two."

He scratched his head. "It’s complicated. But like you already know, I punched him in the face for being an asshole, and if I knew he would be this much of a bigger asshole, I would have beat the shit out of him."

"Woah!" Rachel exclaimed. "Now I also feel like beating the shit out of him too."

Chris laughed, appreciating the fact that she did not want him to delve into details.

Rachel was in the middle of telling him she needed to hurry back to her dorm when a familiar voice called out Chris’s name. They both turned to see Sky and Rain standing there. Rain was the one who called him. As for Sky, his usually calm demeanour was slightly ruffled. Seeing them out of the blue made Chris a little surprised, and his heart unsurprisingly skipped a beat, especially at seeing Sky. However, he couldn’t suppress a grin at the unexpected sight. "Well, this is quite the party, isn’t it?" he quipped, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Sky’s expression shifted from concern to a reluctant smile as he walked closer to them, while Rain moved faster and embraced him, taking him aback.

"I was so worried! The son of a bitch really has guts."

Chris’s hands hung loosely as he just remained still. He looked at Sky, who was just standing there with his hands inside the pockets of his jacket. His lips were pursed. Another thing Chris noticed was that his nose ring and earring were gone.

It was crazy that he was in Rain’s arms while he was busy observing her brother.

Sky came closer, tapping his sister to break the hug, and when she pulled away, he reached for Chris’s chin and gently held it, turning his face to both sides.

"How are you? Were you hurt?" He asked with concern.

Chris looked at him intensely. He didn’t want to admit it, but he missed him.

He smiled a little and held the hand on his face, dropping it gently.

"I’m fine."

The two of them continued to stare at each other until Rachel, who had been forgotten by all of them, decided to intervene and clear her throat.

"Ehm... I guess I should be leaving?" She said, bringing both their attentions back to her.

Both siblings turned to her, the look in their eyes similar. They looked surprised to find her standing there.

"When did you get here?" Sky asked curiously.

Ouch!

"Are you sure you aren’t blind? Because she has been with me here." Chris explained.

"Oh! I heard you came here with the Dean! You are such a sweetheart for being able to pull strings like that for your friend." Rain said earnestly, causing Rachel to smile in embarrassment.

Words do spread really quickly!

"Thank you for coming first." Sky chipped in quietly.

"Uhm... it’s fine. I mean... Chris is my friend." Rachel said in an embarrassed tone.

"It doesn’t matter. Thank you. You can go ahead. I’ll drop him off."

"Don’t be rude! We should drop her off." Rain suggested.

"No! It’s fine. I can go myself—"

"No, no. We are going to drop you off. I’m heading to the dorm. I believe you are heading there also. We should go together; come on." Rain implored her and linked arms with her, both heading towards the familiar truck.

Sky turned to Chris, speaking quietly. "I should have also hit him more. I’m sorry you had to go through this. I will handle it."

"This is not your fault." Chris reminded him. "And now I kinda understand why you were trying to stop me from punching him."

Sky didn’t say anything.

"Why did you come? Isn’t coming here or associating with an ex-convict bad for your reputation?" He said it lightly, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Sky chuckled softly before saying a quiet, "I... I don’t know."

"You don’t know?"

"I was here before I realized it. I mean... we." He gestured at where the truck was parked. "Rain was worried about you too."

Rain was worried too. He said ’too’.

"So... you were worried about me?" Chris pointed it out with nonchalance as he began to head towards the truck, where Rain and Rachel were both chatting outside.

Sky looked at him in disbelief and spoke in a serious tone. "You’d be blind or maybe stupid to not have seen that already."