From Nothing to Norton

Chapter 14 Double Beanie Trouble

Motivated by the overwhelming memories of Drax that flooded his mind while staying at the mansion, Newton made the decision to visit his old house for the day, hoping that the change of scenery would help him focus on school.

As Newton's classes concluded, Jeremiah Lee once again appeared on the scene.

This time, Jeremiah approached him without hostility, but Newton sensed something amiss.

Reflecting on the countless times Jeremiah had tried and failed to bring him down, Newton couldn't help but marvel at his own resilience, showing up for class each day seemingly unaffected.

Jeremiah had chosen not to involve his father's men this time, dismissing them as "useless."

Newton's suspicions intensified.

Jeremiah had made it a routine to attack him either physically or verbally, but today he seemed to let him off the hook.

"Newton, I'd like to come over to your house today. Unwanted guests have invaded mine. I'll compensate you for the day's work you would have done at the job site," Robert, who stood behind Newton, proposed.

"And I'm pleased that you took my advice. See how ignoring The Lee helps you steer clear of trouble?" Robert added.

"Sure, you can come to my house today. I hadn't planned on going out anyway; I'm not feeling well," Newton replied to Robert.

Leading the way out of the classroom, Newton remained vigilant, scanning for any signs of suspicious individuals or unusual movements.

He anticipated Jeremiah's typical malicious intent, but the path seemed clear until they approached their destination.

Suddenly, two individuals wearing beanies launched an attack on Robert.

Newton, a few feet away, heard his friend cry out in pain.

He swiftly turned around to witness Robert being roughed up by two members of the Beanie Mafia.

"You threatened to report me to the police for selling drugs," one of the Beanies exclaimed, striking Robert in the face.

"Why don't you mind your own business?" shouted another, delivering a punch to Robert's stomach.

In agonizing pain, Robert writhed on the ground. "Run!" he urged Newton, who quickly closed the distance. "Get out of here! I'll meet you at home!"

One of the Beanies contemplated rushing forward to attack Newton but hesitated upon seeing his imposing stature.

Both Beanies backed off, unwilling to risk a confrontation with an ordinary individual unaffiliated with the Mafia. In response, they brandished knives.

Seeking refuge behind Newton, Robert desperately pleaded with the Beanies to cease their assault.

Witnessing his friend's distress, tears streaming down his face and mucus running from his nose, Newton couldn't help but think, "This guy's a mess."

"Please... I beg you. Stop this. I'll pay you... Take my phone," Robert implored the Beanies.

Assuming a defensive stance he had learned from Kira, Newton positioned his hands protectively in front of his face, prepared for any sudden attacks.

"He's a Nort!" one of the Beanies exclaimed, alerting the other to Newton's identity.

"A big shot Nort," the second Beanie acknowledged, noticing the intricate details on Newton's ring, a recognizable symbol of a prominent member of the Nort mob.

Both men hastily retreated without daring to look back, their expressions resembling those who had seen ghosts.

Robert peered from behind Newton, witnessing the two assailants fleeing.

"How did you do that?" Robert asked, seeking an explanation from Newton.

"They don't know who I am, Robert," Newton responded, offering a reassuring pat on his friend's shoulder.

"Did your size intimidate them?" Robert inquired.

"Something like that," Newton replied with a mischievous grin.

Together, they made their way to Newton's house.

As Newton approached the door of his room, he noticed a small piece of paper hanging from the doorknob.

Stepping back to obstruct Robert's view with his large frame, Newton read the contents of the note.

"15th OF APRIL" was the sole message visible to Newton.

He flipped it over, revealing another enigmatic statement.

"YOU WILL KNOW ME."

Puzzled by the message, Newton folded the paper and discarded it into the nearby trash can.

"Is everything okay?" Robert inquired.

"Just a bird leaving its mark on my doorknob," Newton replied dismissively.

Opening the door, Newton entered his room, and the two friends engaged in a game of dice while conversing about their classmates and various other topics.

"What about Rhoda?" Robert asked.

"We broke up," Newton responded.

"...Okay. I had a feeling because I've seen her with a dark-skinned guy with dreadlocks. They seemed like a power couple," Robert commented.

Newton smiled, although a tinge of pain lingered in his eyes.

He remembered the hurtful words that same guy Robert described had once uttered over the phone. At the time, Newton had been broke and had nothing to offer Rhoda, but circumstances had since changed.

While he still held affection for Rhoda, another woman had captured his heart without ever speaking a word to him.

Suddenly, Newton's phone rang, breaking his train of thought.

"Hello," he answered, lifting the phone to his ear.

"Where are you, son? I've been extremely worried. I called you five times, but you never returned my calls," Mr. Norton's concerned voice reached Newton's ears.

Newton glanced at his phone and noticed "Five missed calls" displayed in the notification bar.

"I apologize, sir. I'm at my other house," Newton clarified.

"What do you mean 'other house'? Your house is here!" Mr. Norton's voice grew louder, causing Robert to overhear the conversation.

"Who is that?" Robert inquired, curious about the person on the other end of the call.

"It's nothing, Robert," Newton replied, attempting to downplay the situation.

"You have another house?" Robert probed, scanning Newton's face for any signs of deception before he hung up the phone.

"Robert, if I had another home, do you think my life would be like this? Would I still have to return to this rundown place?" Newton pondered aloud, expressing his frustration.

"No, Newton, but who was that person referring to when they mentioned another home?" Robert inquired, genuinely curious.

Newton let out a sigh, feeling exasperated by Robert's persistent questioning. He disliked that side of Robert, the part that never seemed satisfied until he had all the answers.

"Well, you see, Robert, sometimes I stay at the foreman's house. He has grown accustomed to me, so he called to inquire about my absence from the worksite and from 'home,'"

Robert, seemingly satisfied with Newton's explanation, didn't delve deeper into the subject. They spent the rest of the day chatting and playing games, passing the time until nightfall.

As exhaustion finally took hold of Robert, he drifted off to sleep, his mind at ease. Meanwhile, Newton remained awake, lying on his bed, consumed by thoughts of Drax.

In a desperate moment filled with hope, Newton mustered the courage to dial Drax's number once again, longing for a miracle that would bring them back together and allow him to hear Drax's unmistakable accent on the other end of the line.

Despite dialing the number twice, fate seemed unyielding as the calls failed to connect, leaving Newton with a sense of disappointment and longing.