The Disolate Scion

Attack

Juelz's body bore a mosaic of bruises, with some areas displaying painful shades of purple and blue. Mrs. Samantha found the sight increasingly distressing. What intensified her anguish was the grotesque swelling that contorted Juelz's face, making him nearly unrecognizable.

Her emotions veered wildly between anger and concern as she turned abruptly, demanding answers with fiery determination, "What's going on at this school? How did my son get hurt?"

Juelz, trembling and fragile, addressed the assembled crowd, his voice strained, "I'm not Zak; I'm Juelz. It's all Zak's doing. He's the one who orchestrated this attack on me."

This revelation sent shockwaves through the crowd, inciting a cacophony of voices.

"Juelz?" At that moment, Zak emerged from the throng, his face etched with worry.

He gazed at Juelz and admitted, "Someone intended to ambush and harm me, but I overheard their plan. Fear overwhelmed me, and I sought refuge in hiding. They must have mistaken my brother for me, resulting in this terrible mistake. I'm deeply sorry; it's my fault."

With those few words, the crowd began to piece together the unfolding drama. Originally, Zak was the intended target of the assault, but due to a grave case of mistaken identity, Juelz had unwittingly become a victim.

Despite Zak's innocence in this matter, those around him started to censure him for not stepping forward and preventing Juelz's ordeal.

"What are you doing here?" Juelz locked eyes with Zak, his heart simmering with anger. "You're the cause of all this, yet you dare to feign sympathy."

"It wasn't my doing," Zak shook his head, looking flustered. "I'm completely in the dark about the entire situation. I was simply terrified and hid. I had no knowledge of who organized the attack."

"Then who was behind the threat on you?" The situation had escalated significantly, prompting both the class teacher and the guidance counselor to arrive on the scene. Upon hearing Zak's words, Zuri Mcleod inquired sternly.

Zak trembled, remaining silent and keeping his head lowered. He appeared profoundly frightened and even cast a furtive glance at Juelz during this tense moment.

Onlookers couldn't help but notice these telltale signs, sparking a multitude of speculations.

Eventually, the focus shifted to Juelz, who clutched Mrs. Samantha's hand tightly and implored, "Mom, don't let him reveal the person responsible. Make him leave, now."

Before Mrs. Samantha could react, Zak lowered his head and cautiously confessed, "It was Matthias."

Juelz tightly shut his eyes, clenching his teeth as he sent Terrence Rodriquez a piercing glare.

Terrence Rodriquez understood the unspoken message in that look and promptly dialed Matthias's phone. To their astonishment, Matthias was standing nearby, initially intending to discreetly observe the situation. Now, he was directly implicated.

"Are you the one responsible for this severe assault? Explain yourself."

Matthias simply shook his head, vehemently denying, "That's not true. I don't even know him. Why on earth would I attack someone I've never even met?"

"Zak has claimed it was you planning to assault him, but unfortunately, you ended up targeting Juelz," the guidance counselor asserted firmly, motioning toward Juelz, "Just look at the consequences of your actions."

Juelz? He had indeed fought with Zak, not Juelz. Why was Juelz even dragged into this mess?

Matthias, who had initially intended to dismiss the situation, now wore a puzzled expression as he examined Juelz, his confidence waning.

"Are you truly Juelz? How could you be mistaken for Zak? Weren't you the one who had Terrence Rodriquez find me to deal with Zak? What's with this charade, pretending to be Zak now? Are you playing games with me?"

Juelz was on the verge of an outburst after hearing this. This guy clearly lacked a functioning brain; he had just uttered all the wrong words. Now, he was utterly cornered, devoid of any opportunity to defend himself.

Initially, his plan had been to let Zak face public humiliation due to his injuries, but now everything had spiraled out of control.

Juelz couldn't fathom how he had managed to squander such a golden opportunity, ultimately sabotaging himself.

The tables had turned, and others began to point fingers at Juelz, subjecting him to humiliation and gossip.

"They're siblings, and they resorted to violence against each other? That's downright wicked."

"Did anyone else notice Mrs. Samantha's reaction? Why bring him back if she treats them differently?"

"Why, you ask? To avoid public scrutiny. If she hadn't brought him back, people would label her as heartless and callous, no matter where she went."

"So, Juelz orchestrated the attack on Zak, and he ended up being the victim. Quite the ironic twist, isn't it?"

Amidst the chaotic and harsh comments, Mrs. Samantha took a deep breath, struggling to contain her anger. She stood up, forcing a smile, and attempted to offer an explanation. However, she couldn't hold back when she glanced at Zak.

"Juelz is nothing like this," she dismissed the surrounding chatter, furrowing her brow, and insisted, "You must thoroughly investigate this matter. My son should not have to endure this beating in vain. If you cannot resolve it, then I'll have no choice but to involve the police."

The guidance counselor, sensing the shifting atmosphere, aligned with Mrs. Samantha and reassured her, "Please rest assured; we will conduct a thorough investigation. Matthias, come with me and provide a detailed account of the entire incident."