Chapter Text
FRIDAY – 11:30 PM
The flow of the music dragged him along the corridor, which was packed with young, euphoric souls completely stripped of any inhibitions; the lyrics of the song echoed off the walls, drowning out every single thought in his mind at that moment.
The fumes of alcohol were taking effect, turning his limbs into a heavy mass incapable of standing straight, yet highly effective at putting aside—if only for a short while—all the pain he had gradually accumulated. Perhaps that was the beauty of being so young, so reckless… letting go without thinking about the consequences, living every second without asking too many questions.
This was what resonated in his head as he sat inside a cold bathtub, surrounded by his younger brother and three guys he had known for only a few weeks. He picked up the blunt offered by the others, brought it to his lips, and inhaled deeply. Tilting his head back against the chilly wall tiles, a laugh escaped him right after one of his mates started coughing from inhaling too much smoke.
“Fuck, mate! Where did you even get this shit from?” Jonas exclaimed once he had recovered; the room was enveloped in a cloud of smoke, shut off from the rest of the world, which was far too busy letting go in the other rooms to think about them.
“You likin’ it, yeah? I knew y’all would,” Jude laughed, passing the blunt to his brother, Jobe.
It had been a month, or maybe more… or probably less, but that didn’t matter, since Jude and his family had moved to a new city, causing his life to change radically too. It hadn’t been a problem, really; Jude was convinced that life was a machine in constant motion that couldn’t be stopped, so the only thing he could do was jump on and ride along with it, accepting whatever followed. Changing houses, leaving his old school and his friends behind hadn’t been excessively painful. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Even the people surrounding him at that moment would be temporary; leaving them wouldn’t be hard if the machine of Life moved too far ahead for everyone to keep up. And maybe that was fine, just like that, with no demands. No expectations.
“This music is shit, it’s making my bloody ears bleed. Aah! I should go downstairs and punch right in the face whoever is putting these songs on,” Kylian complained, huffing as another Katy Perry song kicked in in the background, provoking feminine shrieks from downstairs.
“Really curious about what you would play. Mh… let me think for a second…” Jude placed his fingers under his chin, pretending to think deeply. “Ah! I’ve got you! You would definitely put some shit from the ’60s on because ‘this is real music’,” he mimicked Kylian, “and make people run because you would definitely piss them off.” A smirk formed on his face as he looked Kylian in the eye, watching his offended expression at his mate's words.
Everyone else laughed, causing Jude to bite the inside of his cheek to hide a smug smile. He didn’t find Kylian particularly likeable, though he recognised he was a good person. Every time he had the chance to wind him up, he took it, always winning.
“Fuck off, Jude!”
“But you can’t deny it, mate,” Ewan said, fiddling with the empty beer can in his hands and looking at his friend with a smile.
“By the way…” Jonas completely diverted the conversation, trying to avoid a potential brawl inside the bathroom, “I’ve heard that Victoria is finally single. That dickhead is no longer with her!”
Jude raised an eyebrow in confusion. Even though he was fitting in well with the group, he still had a lot of catching up to do to fully understand the boys’ conversations.
“Who’s Victoria? Someone you fancy?”
A blush began to spread across Jonas’ face, making him look away from his mates as he started rolling the blunt between his fingers.
“Victoria’s basically Jonas’ wife at this point! He’s been in love with her since he was like ten? Or maybe eleven,” Ewan laughed, patting his mate on the back, making him blush even harder, which earned him a timid “Screw you”.
Jude kept his eyes downcast, retreating into his own thoughts. He didn’t know how long he had been shut in the bathroom with the boys, but he didn’t mind; after having a few too many drinks, talking to faces he’d never seen before, and dancing to songs he didn't know, he needed a bit of quiet, to isolate himself from the rest of the world.
He let the conversation keep flowing, listening and laughing every now and then. Even though he still felt like an outsider inside this new bubble and didn’t want to risk getting too used to this new reality, he still let himself be carried away by the moment, closing his eyes for a brief second, deluding himself into thinking he could step off that unstoppable machine for just a moment.
SATURDAY – 00:15 AM
“Haaland! Haaland! Haaland!”
The liquid poured quickly down his throat, leaving a pleasant trail of fire. He towered inside the crowded room, imposing his stature over everyone else. His chest moved uncontrollably—up and down, up and down—while a dazzling smile spread across his face.
He had drunk too much, yet he couldn’t feel the effects of the alcohol yet, allowing him to keep drinking endlessly, fueling the feeling of euphoria he was experiencing.
He was surrounded by his teammates, all boys he went to school with, who kept pouring disproportionate amounts of alcohol into his cup, passing the drinks to the young man.
Erling Haaland, eighteen years old, was everything his peers wanted to be: a handsome face, an athletic build, an engaging personality… there was nothing out of place with him.
At least, that’s what everyone believed.
A model student, a great friend to everyone, a talented player, and a caring boyfriend.
“Erling, darling, you should stop,” Isabel, his girlfriend, whispered softly, hugging him from behind.
“Isabel, don’t worry, everything is fine! Just having some fun, you should too,” Erling exclaimed, pulling away slightly, picking up another cup, and downing the liquid in one gulp.
“I just want you to—” and before she could finish her sentence, Erling was dragged away by his mates, leaving the girl standing there.
He walked by sheer inertia, without thinking about his next movements, dragged along by the music and his friends. Every now and then, he would bump into someone, accidentally hitting a shoulder or an arm.
They went out into the garden; some lit a cigarette, others kept drinking, while they sat by the edge of the pool to talk. It was an early October evening, the air cooling his slightly sweaty skin, and the religious silence of the night was punctuated by the notes of the music blasting from the speakers set up inside the lounge of the immense house.
Erling lay back on a sun lounger, strands of blonde hair falling onto his forehead, as his legs stretched out, finally relaxing. Noel, a mate of his, passed him a cigarette and a lighter.
He tilted his head back, exhaling a thick grey cloud up towards the dark sky, watching it disperse into the night. Everything was peaceful, everything was under control.
In the distance, through one of the windows of the house, he could see Isabel’s silhouette, her dark hair falling down her back, glancing at him from time to time. Beside her was her friend Victoria, who seemed immersed in a conversation that his girlfriend wasn’t really listening to.
He wasn’t the only one to notice the scene, which prompted a few comments from his mates.
“Fucking Vick! She’s finally single but she doesn’t let any man get near her,” Liam exclaimed in an annoyed tone, looking at Isabel’s friend in the distance.
“If you want a chance with her, I can arrange something for you through Isabel… maybe she’ll put a good word in for you.” A faint smile appeared on Erling’s face. Victoria was highly sought after as a girl, though he couldn’t quite understand why.
Not that she was ugly—quite the contrary. But he didn’t understand why all his peers were ready to go to war for her.
In fact, to be honest, most of the time Erling didn’t understand how his peers lost their minds over all these girls…
“Speaking of which…” with a cough, Noel drew attention to himself before continuing the conversation, “You know I love you, Erl, but I can’t understand how you can be with Isabel!”
It took just one look from Erling to make Noel compose himself immediately, though he still carried on with his point.
“Don’t get me wrong, she’s hot and she’s a nice girl, but mate… she’s like your shadow!”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean she doesn’t leave your side for a second. ‘Erling, don’t do this’, ‘Erling, don’t try that’, ‘Erling, where are you going?’. Mate, you have so many girls thirsting over you, girls who would be way less of a pain in the arse, and you seem not to care.” Noel’s words made everyone laugh, except for the person they were directed at.
It was true that Isabel tended to be a constant presence in Erling’s life, but she had never forced anything upon the young man, nor had she ever demanded anything that went beyond what was necessary. Perhaps that was the reason why their relationship worked well.
For Isabel, it was enough to receive a bouquet of flowers every now and then, a Sunday night dinner with Erling and his parents, and a few outings during the week. That was fine by Erling.
A perfect girlfriend to introduce to his family, who didn’t meddle too much in his private life and who was a beautiful presence by his side. He knew perfectly well how reductive that might sound, but it was all he needed.
Sometimes Isabel could seem too attached to Erling, but it didn't bother him; now and then she would point out that he was drinking too much or that he might get into trouble, but to him, it wasn’t an issue. It was simply her caring for someone she looked after, something Erling envied her for.
“Are you telling me I should cheat on her?”
“Oh no, mate. You’re the one saying those words! I’m just saying that you’re kinda… well, you know… you probably deserve someone who doesn’t suppress your cheerful personality.”
“I’m perfectly fine this way, Noel. Thanks for the suggestion.”
An uncomfortable silence fell over the group, but Erling didn’t care; he had no intention of breaking the tension. He kept his eyes closed, tuning out the noise.
The minutes kept passing, the alcohol kept pouring, and the music kept playing. All until a deafening silence hit the house.
“The cops are here!” some kids started shouting, warning the guests.
People began to leave, complaining. Apparently, the neighbours had complained about the noise. Noel went inside to figure out what was happening, only to re-emerge in the garden shortly after.
/“They’re looking for drugs and alcohol, we should get going before it turns into absolute hell.”
Everyone got up, moving towards the exit. The lights started turning off and the police began searching inside the house, stopping kids every now and then to check them.
Everything was moving around Erling, except for him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the bathroom window open and some guys slip out stealthily, climbing down quickly by grabbing onto the large outdoor trellis and dropping onto the lawn. They all started running towards the fence, jumping over it. All except one.
Erling ran towards him.
SATURDAY – 00:00
“Open the fucking door, you hear me? Open the fucking door right now or I’m gonna beat your stupid ass, you fucking moron!” a male voice shouted outside the door, banging his hand frantically against the wooden surface.
The group had occupied the bathroom for more than an hour, having absolutely no intention of leaving, at least not until they had finished smoking.
“I need a piss! Please! Open the fucking door!” he continued to bang his hand against the door, earning laughs from the group.
“There are plenty of empty bottles left around, you can piss inside one of ’em,” Jude exclaimed, lighting the blunt between his fingers and taking a drag.
“You’re a dead man, got it?” the poor unfortunate soul behind the door shouted one last time before walking away.
The group burst into laughter, not because the situation was actually funny, but because the effect of the substance had now reached its peak, completely altering their perception.
At one point, amidst the laughter and the confusion surrounding them, Kylian began to belt out, completely out of tune, the lyrics of the song playing in the background:
“Sugar, how you get soooo fly?” he started shouting, closing his eyes and bringing his hands to his chest.
Jobe, Jude’s brother, burst out laughing and threw a crumpled ball of paper at Kylian, making him stop.
“Mate, you’ve given me chills, but not because I’m pleased.”
The boy’s singing, which had continued defiantly, was interrupted at one point by fresh knocks on the door.
“The bathroom is out of order!” Jude called out, leaning his torso slightly out of the bathtub.
More knocks against the door.
“Out of order!” Jonas shouted.
“Couldn’t care less! Open the door, I need a piss.” A female voice.
Jonas, Ewan, and Kylian froze, while Jobe and Jude looked at them in confusion.
‘Victoria,’ Ewan whispered, trying to hold back a laugh while Jonas went completely red in the face.
Before anyone could do anything, Jude stood up immediately to open the door, while a panicked Jonas started throwing empty beer cans at him.
Once he opened the bathroom door, Jude found two girls standing in front of him: one tall, with caramel-coloured skin and hair the same shade as her skin; a fringe framed her slightly chubby face, her eyes round and bright. Beside her was a slightly shorter girl, with milk-white skin and dark hair.
Pretty.
Jude thought, though he wasn’t particularly fazed by their appearance.
“Bathroom’s out of order, are you deaf?”
“Like I said, I couldn’t care less. Are you deaf?” the girl with the fringe retorted sharply, raising an eyebrow slightly.
That response made Jude smile a little. Behind him, his mates watched the scene with amusement, except for Jonas, who looked deathly pale.
Jude leaned against the doorframe, blocking the entrance to the bathroom. When the two girls tried to push past, he shifted further, shaking his head.
“We need to pee,” the dark-haired girl said in a firm tone.
“You can pee, but on one condition…” Jude smiled cockily, looking at the two young girls in front of him. “Who’s Victoria?”
Jonas began to cough loudly, while the other three boys burst out laughing. The girl with the fringe raised her finger. She was the famous Victoria.
“Why?”
“Okay, Victoria. I’ll let you and your pretty friend pee only if you agree to this condition: you have to kiss the prettiest of us. Your choice.” Jude had a plan in mind and a sadistic smirk on his face.
Victoria said nothing; she leaned in slightly to look at the other boys, while her friend kept repeating to her, “Are you serious?!”
“May I suggest your beautiful boy Jonas?” Jobe leaned forward slightly, looking Victoria in the eye and pointing at the poor lad, who was now completely crimson.
Jude kept smiling by the door, standing firm while the two girls looked at him. In the background, the shouts of the youngsters scattered across the house echoed.
“Sorry for Jonas, but I’ve already made my choice.”
“And who’s the luck—” Jude didn’t finish his sentence before Victoria’s lips pressed against his, leaving a faint aroma of Coca-Cola and cherry on the boy’s lips.
It was unexpected. Jude would have preferred to die right then, he would have preferred anything over receiving that kiss from Victoria. The girl pushed him aside slightly, making room for herself and her friend, then shut the bathroom door.
“Have you dropped a bomb in here? What is this smell?” the friend had a look somewhere between annoyed and disgusted.
“Would you mind…?” she pointed to the toilet, gesturing for the boys to look away while the two girls did what they had to do.
As tempting as it was to sneak a glance, the boys were gentlemen and averted their eyes, pretending to look at nothing.
“By the way, you didn’t tell me your name,” Victoria called out, capturing Jude’s attention.
“Jude.”
“Like Hey Jude. I like it.”
Once she stood up, Victoria approached the door and, before opening it, turned around.
“Bye, Jude, see ya!”
“Victoria, wait!” Jude stopped her, making her turn back. “You ain’t that pretty anyway for my good boy Jonas.” Everyone burst out laughing, including her, as she paused to look at them.
Suddenly, the music stopped abruptly, throwing the partygoers into a roar of protest.
It all happened fast. Behind Victoria, a boy appeared, his eyes wide with panic as he said:
“The cops are here! If you have anything on you, get the fuck out. Immediately.”
The boys looked at each other. The blunts were still in their hands, a couple extinguished on the floor, and a baggie of weed was stuffed inside Jude’s trousers.
“Shit!”
From that moment on, it was pure chaos.
SATURDAY – 00:15 AM
The boys immediately opened the bathroom window, taking Victoria’s advice. It was the only way to avoid the cops, the only way not to get stopped and searched. If they caught Jude and the others, it would be the end of them.
They began to climb down one by one, using the outdoor trellis for support; the bathroom window wasn’t that high off the lawn, so it wouldn’t be too dangerous. Victoria’s friend had gone down to look for her boyfriend, while Victoria stayed by the door to warn them if anyone came.
“Jude, hurry up! They’re going upstairs and the dogs are here.”
But Jude was waiting for Ewan to climb down; Jobe and all the others had already made it over the fence. Once his friend began to lower himself, Jude did the same.
Slowly, he started to swing his legs out, but the moment he looked down, a violent wave of vertigo hit him. The distance to the ground suddenly felt like a bottomless abyss. A suffocating knot formed in his throat, and his chest tightened so hard he couldn't draw air. The alcohol, which until then had made him feel invincible, now turned against him, making the entire garden spin in a sickening blur. He still had one leg hooked over the windowsill when heavy, authoritative footsteps and a harsh shout echoed right outside the bathroom door.
The police.
Panic seized him. If they caught him with the weed, his life in this new city would be ruined before it even began. His hands trembled violently against the cold brickwork.
“Jude, c’mon!” Victoria hissed frantically from the doorway, trying to hold the handle to buy him precious seconds.
But Jude was paralysed. His fingers felt completely numb, frozen by terror. The world was spinning too fast, the darkness below swallowing his confidence.
“For fuck’s sake, not now!” he choked out, his teeth chattering. He had to move, but his muscles refused to obey.
Looking down through the fog of his own frantic breathing, Jude saw a figure appear directly beneath him. It was a boy with blonde, almost golden hair, and skin as pale as snow. He was staring up at him incredulously from below, his mouth open in an ‘O’ shape.
“Dude, what are you doing?” the blonde boy exclaimed, his voice laced with genuine concern.
“What do you think, man?” Jude snapped back, his voice cracking with fear as the heavy rattling of the bathroom door handle cut through the air. The police were bursting in.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
“Get down immediately, I’ll catch you!” the blonde boy motioned urgently, stretching his arms out. Jude shook his head frantically, gripped by the terrifying certainty that he would crack his skull open on the grass. “You’re not going to die, Jesus! Just hurry up already, I’ll catch you,” the boy urged, his voice a commanding anchor in the chaos.
From the other side of the fence, his brother and his mates watched him in agony, screaming at him to jump. Jude closed his eyes, forced a ragged breath into his burning lungs, and finally thrust his body forward, wedging his foot blindly into the trellis.
The bathroom door flew open. A policeman burst into the room, Victoria trailing behind him. The moment the officer's eyes landed on the window, he let out a booming shout.
“William! William! Come up here! This lad here is trying to escape!”
The sound of the law right above him shattered Jude's paralysis. Driven by pure, unadulterated survival instinct, he began to scramble frantically down the wooden slats. The officer leaned halfway out of the window, his voice roaring over the garden:
“Stay right there! Don’t try to move, do you hear me, boy? You’re in massive trouble.”
The sheer terror transformed into a wild surge of adrenaline. Jude found himself laughing hysterically out of pure panic, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. From inside the bathroom, a police dog began to bark furiously—they had found the stash.
In his desperate haste, still blinded by fear and laughing like a madman, Jude’s foot slipped from a rung of the trellis. He lost his grip.
The ground rushed up to meet him. His heart stopped completely, his ears rang with a sharp, deafening whistle, and he instinctively braced himself for the brutal impact.
But the hard ground never came.
When he opened his eyes, he was pressed against the chest of the blonde boy, who had managed to intercept his fall. Strong hands held him securely by his armpits, anchoring Jude’s trembling body as his breathing came in ragged, desperate gasps.
“You fucking scared me!” the blonde boy spat through gritted teeth, his own voice shaking slightly as he hauled Jude to his feet. “Come with me.” Without giving Jude a second to process the near-miss, the stranger gripped his wrist in a vice-like hold and dragged him across the lawn.
“What are you doing?” Jude muttered, his head spinning, his vision blurred by tears of pure adrenaline.
“I’m saving your poor arse,” the blonde boy replied fiercely. Reaching the perimeter, he used his own strength to hoist Jude up, while Jobe reached over from the other side, dragging him over the wooden planks.
The shouts of the police officers and the heavy panting of the dog were now directly behind them on the lawn, but Jude tumbled over the fence, landing in the dirt—safe.
Before turning to flee into the darkness with his group, Jude looked back through a gap in the fence at the stranger who had saved him.
The breath left his lungs completely.
The boy’s blonde hair fell in messy strands across his pale face. His cheeks were flushed crimson from the exertion, his chest heaving violently as he tried to recover. His lips were parted, gasping for air.
But what locked Jude in place were the boy's eyes: a piercing, intense ring of deep blue, dominated by massive, dilated pupils. It was a gaze that burned right through him—a chaotic mix of fury, adrenaline, and lingering worry.
“I’m in debt,” Jude breathed, before finally tearing himself away and running.
The freezing night air scorched his lungs, his strained muscles pushing his body to the absolute limit with every stride. They ran until the house was nothing but a distant echo. Finally, Jude collapsed against his knees, panting heavily, a nervous, exhausted laugh bubbling up from his chest.
As the other boys started swearing and laughing among themselves, still reeling from the madness of the night, Jude stared back at the dark horizon. Almost imperceptibly, he whispered into the wind:
“Thank you, blondie.”