As Leonard made his way back home from school later that day, the weight of the day's events pressed heavily on his mind. He had spent most of the afternoon replaying the scenes that had unfolded at school – the audacious bravery of Edgar, and his attempt to steal from the principal's office. Leonard couldn't believe the audacity of it all. How could Edgar think he could get away with such a reckless act? "He's so dumb," he chuckled. Lost in his thoughts, Leonard's steps became automatic as he walked down familiar streets, passing by houses and trees that had become part of his daily routine. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows, and the gentle breeze rustled the leaves, carrying a faint scent of impending rain. As he neared his own street, Leonard's thoughts were still swirling, and he was taken aback when he felt a chill run down his spine. It was as if an invisible hand had touched him, leaving a trail of unease in its wake. He shook off the feeling, attributing it to the ee
Helene walked briskly into the cozy living room of the house. Her normally serene face was etched with a mix of concern and disappointment. Leonard lost in his thoughts on the couch, looked up as the door clicked shut. He had a feeling of what she wanted to say and he wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it. His standstill remained, he didn't think that he and Madame Diane could ever be friends because long before he even got here, he knew how rude and wicked she was to them and he couldn't understand why his mom couldn't see it. "Leonard," Helene's voice held an unmistakable edge, "I just had a conversation with Madame Diane." Leonard's heart sank as he understood the gravity of his mother's tone. He sat up, his eyes widening slightly. He knew he had crossed a line earlier, but he hadn't expected his mother to be this angry and he didn't understand why. Didn't she see that Madame Diane was a wolf in sheep's clothing? If there was one thing Leonard knew, it was that Madame Diane cou
With a heavy heart and a sense of remorse, Leonard walked up to his mother, his steps heavy with the weight of his recent behavior. He had been disrespectful and rude, allowing his frustrations to spill over onto the one person who cared for him the most. As he approached her, he could feel the knot in his stomach tighten, anxiety mingling with his desire to make amends. His mother was seated by the window, a book in her hand that she had undoubtedly been reading to distract herself from their recent altercation. She looked up as he approached, her eyes a mix of concern and curiosity. Leonard cleared his throat, his voice wavering slightly as he began. "Mom, I... I wanted to say I'm sorry." His mother closed her book, setting it aside, and looked at him with a mixture of surprise and warmth. She could sense the sincerity in his voice, the genuine remorse he felt. Without a word, she stood up, her arms open wide. Leonard hesitated for a moment, his pride warring with his need to ma
It was during lunchtime as Daniel walked Leonard with an air of excitement mixed with concern. The chatter of students filled the cafeteria as they found their seats, but Daniel seemed eager to share something important. Leonard looked up from his tray of food, curious about his friend's demeanor. "Hey, Leonard," Daniel began, his voice slightly hushed. "You won't believe what I heard. I was walking past the teacher's lounge, and I overheard Mr. James talking to Mrs. Johnson." Leonard leaned in, intrigued. "What did you hear?" Daniel's eyes widened as he relayed the news. "They were saying that Edgar, you know, the school bully, is going to be sent to court and judged!" Leonard's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Edgar had been a constant source of trouble, making the lives of many students difficult. The news was unexpected, yet Leonard couldn't help but feel a sense of justice prevailing. "Really? That's... quite something but honestly, it serves him right." Daniel nodded, lookin
After the close of school that day, the boys went their way but deep down in his heart, Daniel was not happy. He couldn't believe that Leonard called him his friend but yet, he was keeping things from him. It just felt to him that Leonard couldn't trust him with a secret and he felt hurt because he didn't expect that from him. "I don't know what he is hiding but I will find out what it is," Daniel said. The next day at school, he was determined to ignore Leonard until he noticed and talked to him about what was going on. Daniel had thought about everything last night and he realized that he wasn't fit to be called his friend if he could keep things away from him. It was very clear to him that he had lied to the principal and if the older man knew about it, he would be very cross because what Edgar and his friends had done was a very bad thing. "Hey, man, ready for today." Leonard smiled. Daniel sighed, placing some of his books into the locker. It was very hard for him to ignore L
After class was dismissed, Leonard's footsteps echoed through the nearly empty hallway as he made his way back to the locker room. The fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting an eerie glow on the rows of lockers that lined the walls. It was a stark contrast to the lively chatter and camaraderie that had filled the classroom just moments ago. As he opened his locker and gathered his books, his thoughts drifted to the frigid relationship he had with Daniel. Once, they had been inseparable, sharing secrets, laughter, and dreams. They had weathered countless challenges, their bond unbreakable but somewhere along the way, the warmth had turned to ice, and their closeness had melted into distance. "I really don't know what is happening but I need to end this," he sighed. He leaned against the locker, his brow furrowed in frustration. He hated that they had become like strangers, each lost in their own world, no longer finding solace in the familiar presence of the other. The memor
Throughout the night, Leonard thought about everything his mother had said about mending his relationship with Daniel but he realized that she didn't know the main details about it. If she knew what he knew and also about Edgar's stealing, she would be appalled. Leonard didn't want to make her worried which was the main reason why he didn't want to tell her why he and Daniel were having a misunderstanding. "If she knows, she'll look at all of this in a new light and she might be worried," he muttered. Elsie was in the other room and he knew how much of a light sleeper she was. He felt sad when he knew the reason why because it stemmed from having to keep awake because she didn't know when her father would attack her. It was a very bad thing and Leonard hoped that one day, she could sleep with her two eyes closed. He hated having to think that she was living in danger and fear of her father returning soon. If he did, he had no doubt that he would do everything possible to get her and
The next morning, Leonard wasn't surprised when his bed was empty. He knew that Elsie wasn't so stupid as to remain with him till morning and she must have gone back to her room in the middle of the night while he was asleep. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. Today was another day, another school day in fact and he knew he had to get up but his body wasn't moving at that moment. He really wished he could sleep in because he had no motivation to even stand up from the bed. "I don't think I can go to school today," he sighed. If his mother came knocking, he would just tell her the truth. There were some days that he would want to go to school and other days, he would just wish he could skip it and today was one of those days. Just as he had thought, his mother came knocking. Soon, she walked in and one look at him told her that he wouldn't go to school. "No school today?" she asked. "To be honest Mom, I really don't feel like leaving this house," he said. "Okay then