"I'll see if I can hang out today. I scheduled my mental break down after class, but maybe I can push it back for a few hours," was the first thing Karmin heard when she walked into class two days later.

And honestly, same.

She spent the weekend catching up on her readings, threads away from an emotional breakdown, researching her Dad's procedure, and most importantly, formulating a plan to convince Maddox Knight to help her.

That was right. Today was the day.

She had seen him in class several times before, since he actually showed up for the most part unlike his buddy, Rhys. They never talked before, so Karmin's entire plan relied on her charm and sparkling personality.

Karmin was dressed to impress in a high-neck white top with a yellow sunflower dress on top, paired with white sneakers and bejewelled hair clips. She looked damn good and she knew it.

There was no way he could say no to her.

She ventured up the stairs, taking a seat in the second-to-last row like last time. Karmin smiled at Leo, and she hoped he would come sit with her, but he never did as he took a seat with his friends. Her smile faltered as she sunk back into her uncomfortable chair.

Disappointed, she took out her phone, scrolling mindlessly through her Twitter feed. A chuckle escaped her lips as she viewed the cake memes. People on the bluebird app were hilarious but just as unusual.

"Let's get started, everyone," instructed Winona.

Her eyes flittered to the time on the phone and realized it was five minutes past nine.

He didn't come.

What was up with this boy? The one time she needed him, he decided not to show up. The nerve.

Frustration engulfed her as she distractedly listened to her professor.

"For example, if protests are taking place for whatever social justice issue, whether it is for Women's Rights or the Black Lives Matter movement, the media controls the context, and most of the time, it is heavily biased. We must take back the narrative and show the world what is really going on, by using social media applications. Social media and protests allow people like us to fight against the powers that threaten to hurt us. If they don't hear our whispers, then we shout until they get the message. It is important to –"

The professor was cut off when the door slowly opened up, and in came two tall individuals. First came in Rhys with his usual aura of confidence, but the second person was the one who caught her attention. His black tousled hair was covered with the hood of his sweatshirt, but even then, Karmin could tell he was hiding a lean figure.

It was Maddox Knight.

"Sorry, we're late," he said with a not-so-shocking deep voice.

"That's alright. Go take a seat," the professor excused, continuing on with her lecture, but Karmin couldn't focus anymore.

Instead, her eyes trailed Maddox and his every move as he easily clambered up the stairs. When he got closer, she noticed his bright green eyes that mirrored sunlit meadows with a hint of misty rainforests. His skin was lighter than hers with a slight tan, and a defined jawline that was offset by a mauve-coloured bruise.

There was one word that came to Karmin's mind and it was handsome.

Her eyes met his briefly, but he looked away, taking a seat beside Rhys on the opposite side of the lecture hall.

The entire two hours, she couldn't help but glance over at him a couple of times. His head was down as he scribbled into his binder. She pondered if he was really listening intently and writing notes, or doodling stick figures.

She wondered why he was fighting in the first place. Did he need money like her, or was it for the hell of it? It was hard to tell with him. Maddox was such a mystery, and he rarely displayed any type of emotion. Unlike Rhys, he was quiet and reserved, rarely seen at parties.

Karmin tried stalking him on his Instagram, but it was private, so she moved onto Rhys's account instead. There were two posts of them together: one from their high school graduation and the other was at someone's house.

Never underestimate a girl and the power of social media stalking.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Winona speak.

"That's it for today's class. See you next week or not," she muttered, waving her hand. "I don't really care."

She was so busy thinking about Maddox that she missed the entire lecture.

Shit. What did they even learn about today?

However, it didn't matter when she saw Maddox and Rhys packing up and heading down the stairs. Karmin quickly shoved her notebook into her backpack and stumbled down, hot on their steps.

He was not getting away from her this time.

Her long legs moved fast as she kept an unwavering gaze on them. Karmin took larger steps, weaving through students until she was beside him.

"Hey, Maddox," Karmin breathed out.

He peered down at her confusedly, his brows crinkling. She then realized how much taller he was than her. Karmin wasn't short, but her head just reached above his chin.

She shook her nerves away and smiled. "I'm Karmin from Sociology class. Can I talk with you for a sec? In private?" she asked, glancing at Rhys momentarily.

Before Maddox had the chance to reply, Rhys spoke for him. "Of course, he can. I'll meet you outside, dude," he winked, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly.

Maddox rolled his eyes and gestured with his arms to the set of metal doors that led to a stairwell.

Karmin heaved the door open and he followed closely behind. The stairwell was luckily empty with only the sounds of muffled chatter from the large window behind the railings.

He leaned against the wall, looking at her curiously as she played with the clips that pushed her hair back from her face. Silence flooded the room until Karmin gathered the courage to say something.

"Look, I'm going to get straight to the point. There's no point in beating around the bush, so I'm just gonna say it. Just come right out and tell you," she exhaled sharply, playing with the hem of her dress. She had never been so nervous to talk to someone before, but then again, they never determined the fate of her father's future. "I know you partake in specific activities that some might call...illegitimate. I might go as far and say possibly unlawful.

Maddox raised his brows in question. "Do you know what 'straight to the point' means, because this isn't it," he retorted shortly.

"I know you take part in the illegal fight clubs," Karmin blurted.

Was that straight enough to the point for him?

His entire laid-back demeanor went rigid as he straightened out his shoulders and stood up straight. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied calmly, no type of concern or surprise evident on his face.

"Yes, you do," she pushed, feeling her confidence return. "I heard Rhys talking about it in class on Tuesday. There's no point in lying."

"Fucking Rhys. All he has to do is keep his mouth shut," mumbled Maddox to himself. "If I was and I'm not saying I am, why do you care? You an undercover cop or something?"

"No, not at all." Karmin offered him a wide smile and took a few steps closer to him. "As a matter of fact, I want you to get me into those fights," she responded, excitement clear in her tone.

Karmin was expecting the words 'yes' or something along those lines to leave his mouth. Even a nod would have sufficed, but instead, he laughed right in her face.

"You're joking, right?" he chuckled, showcasing a smile that Karmin would've thought was beautiful, but now it just irritated her.

She was not going to let him get to her. Just smile and continue.

"I'm not joking," she said smoothly, her smile wavering slightly. "I really want to enter the –"

A set of stomps were audible as a girl marched down the stairs, talking into her phone loudly. "I'm just going to spend all of his money and then dump his pathetic ass," she remarked, chewing on her gum obnoxiously.

If it was any other time, Karmin would've rooted for her, but she tapped the railings as she impatiently waited for her to walk out the doors. Once the girl was finally gone, her gaze settled back onto Maddox.

He lazily moved his eyes back to her, a slight look of amusement crossing his face as leaned back once again, staring at her through hooded eyes.

"As I was saying, I really want to enter the fights, and I need your help for me to do that," Karmin finished.

"You want to fight?" Maddox asked slowly, his eyes traveling down her figure, taking in her dress, bright smile, and shiny hair clips.

If it was anyone else, Karmin would've felt highly uncomfortable, but his gaze was more analytical instead of unsettling.

He tilted his head contemplatively. "No," he concluded, pushing himself off the wall and making the move to leave.

Karmin instinctively stepped forward, grabbing his arm lightly. "What, why?"

His glance flickered to her hand wrapped around his bicep and shook it off. "You seriously don't think you would stand a chance, right? The fights are brutal and there is no way a girl like you will be able to survive them."

"A girl like me? What does that mean?" Karmin demanded, her voice soft but dangerous.

Maddox faltered slightly at her tone but didn't stand down. "I mean look at you," he said, gesturing at her outfit. "There's no way you know how to fight."

She stepped forward and stood on her tippy toes until her face was mere inches away from his. "What does me looking good have anything to do with my fighting abilities?" Karmin sassed.

"I...um...you know what I mean," he hesitated, stepping back a little.

"I really don't. Please enlighten me," she questioned, pointing at him.

Her charming and nice approach was thrown out the window, so there was no going back now.

"Look, it's not happening," and with that, Maddox walked away, leaving her in absolute disbelief and disappointment.

She watched him leave, but Karmin had no plan of letting this go.

Cue Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice.

I'll be back.

***

Author's Note:

Hi everyone!!

What are your thoughts on Maddox? He is very different than our beloved Parker lol!

I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, so please vote and comment if you did

Until next time – m.k.t