Never Judge

"Why are you rushing?" Fred asked Al as class ended.

As part of his deal with his father, Al had to get to the gun range an hour after class. This posed an issue to him since he would normally walk with Cara Jao to the bus stop.

He was keeping an eye on her and trying to befriend her, so far she was still acting quite warily around him.

He couldn't help but wonder if Cara had been told by her father to stay on guard.

How little faith did the man have in the Mafia for him to think that they would send a child to befriend his daughter?

"I have a family thing later." Al said as he gave the same excuse as last time.

"Why does your family have so many events? It's not like you're some rich upper class family, your dad is just an employee at the Reyes Group." Fred grumbled as he followed Al.

Al stopped and sighed. He was getting more and more annoyed with Fred's contant complaints.

"Just go with the others, Fred." He hissed, clearly angry that his friend was complaining so much.

Al also didn't take it lightly that Fred was insulting his family.

While it wasn't true that they weren't rich, he still took it as an insult. What right did his classmate have to ridicule his family?

"Did I say something wrong?" Fred asked, worried that he had offended Al.

"Just go." Al hissed as he dismissed his friend.

From where he stood he could see Cara walking out of campus.

Starting a few days ago, she would wait for Al and they would then take the bus together. It seemed that today she waited for too long and thought Al wasn't going to show up.

"Cara!" Al called out as he started running towards her direction.

Cara didn't turn around, instead she kept walking towards the bus stop.

"Cara!" Al called out again as he got closer.

This time, Cara heard him and turned around. She gave a small smile before her expression turned serious again.

Al couldn't help but feel like he had accomplished something.

Cara had never shown any interest in becoming friends with him, she had none.

"You're late." She pointed out as Al jogged over to her.

She looked at him from head to toe as he panted, trying to catch his breath.

Of course Al wasn't really tired. It was all an act.

With all the rigorous training he had to undergo as the future king of the underworld, he was very fit.

"Fred wouldn't leave me alone. Let's go." Al pulled Cara towards the bus stop, just in time to catch the bus that was about to leave.

"Why are you in such a rush?" Cara grumbled as they found their seats. "First you're late then you rush me. You're lucky that I'm hang out with you."

Al looked at Cara and froze for a moment.

"Why would I be lucky that you are hanging out with me?" He asked as he laughed at her words. "Are you someone important?"

Cara frowned, clearly insulted by Al's question.

Of course she was important, she was his target. Her father was someone that had crossed the Dean Family Mafia, not everyone could manage to do that and walk away.

"No." Cara bitterly said as she turned her attention to the road as they bus passed the community around their school.

Al sighed as he looked as his friend. He knew what he said was insulting, but he had to make it seem like he knew nothing.

"My dad warned me about making friends." Cara suddenly told Al. "But, you're different, I think you are like me."

"Like you how?" Al asked.

"You and I both have secrets. We both live very far from school, so what are you hiding, Al Reyes?" She questioned as she looked Al in the eyes.

Al laughed, making her blink in surprise.

"Don't think too much into it, Cara." Al told her in a deep voice. "My family lives and works in a rich area, we are servants, there are no schools around that we can afford."

Al smiled as Cara observed him.

It was obvious that she had been taught some tools of the trade.

"Alright." Cara said with a nod as they continued the rest of the bus ride in silence.

After a while Cara fidgeted next to Al, making him turn to her and look at her curiously.

"Are you alright?" Al asked as he observed Cara's body language. Obviously she was anxious about something.

"I told my dad I made a friend." Cara said as she refused to look at Al. "He was mad at first, but later on he said he wanted to meet you."

Al froze in his seat, he knew that if Cara's father met him, the man would use his resources to look into Al's family history. 𝗳r𝗲𝙚w𝐞𝚋𝘯𝚘ѵ𝗲l.𝑐oｍ

He needed to make sure that even a man from the underworld wouldn't be able to discover that he was the son of Raymund Laurence.

"When?" Al asked. He needed time to speak to his father about meeting the family of his new friend.

He also needed to hide the fact that the man was a traitor to the mafia.

"Next weekend? I need to give my dad a heads up that you are coming over. Plus I guess he'll ask for your name and other details." Cara shrugged as if asking for that information was normal.

"Give me your phone." Al said as he heald out his hand.

Cara gave it to him as he had asked and Al typed and saved his number. He also gave himself a missed call so that he could save hers.

"Well, this is my stop." Al said as he looked up and noticed them approaching where his bodyguards and river would fetch him. "Here."

Cara smiled and took back her phone.

"I'll see you tomorrow, friend." Al teased as he quickly got off.