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
In school, Daniel looked for Leonard and even though they weren't on speaking terms, that didn't mean he couldn't look for his friend. He had something important to tell him and he couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he told him. "Have you seen Leonard?" Daniel asked as soon as he got to the class. He was even surprised that he hadn't seen him since he walked into the school. Usually, he could always find him by his lockers or even by the class door, going over the timetable of the classes he had that day. "No." the boy said. Daniel knew him as James. He was a smallish-looking boy who usually kept to himself most of the time. He never really talked to anyone and Daniel realized that maybe he was just shy which was the main reason he hardly talked. "Oh, thanks," he said. He went in search of him, practically around the whole school and he was quite surprised when he couldn't find him. It was very odd to say the least because he knew that Leonard usually never missed s
At home, Leonard's heart raced as he positioned himself in the dimly lit living room, his grip tightening around the cold, sturdy handle of the knife he had grabbed from the kitchen. The anticipation was palpable as he crouched behind the couch, his eyes fixed on the entrance, ready to confront the unknown intruder. The soft glow from a nearby lamp cast eerie shadows across the room, heightening the tension that hung in the air. "I will destroy you," he murmured. As seconds turned to minutes, the weight of the silence pressed down on Leonard, making every tiny sound seem loud. He strained his ears, listening intently for any sign of movement, and then, in the midst of the stillness, a faint sound reached his ears – the unmistakable shuffle of footsteps approaching the door. His pulse quickened, and his breath caught in his throat as he readied himself for the imminent encounter. The knife he held felt both reassuring and ominous, a last line of defense against whatever threat await
In the dimly lit living room of the house, Leonard leaned over a laptop perched on the coffee table, his fingers tapping away at the keyboard. The tension in the room was palpable as they delved into the depths of the internet, searching for any information they could find about Elsie's father's mysterious gang. "Daniel, look at this," Leonard said, his voice a hushed whisper. Daniel, seated across from him on the couch, leaned forward to peer at the screen. The webpage displayed a series of articles and photographs, all highlighting the activities of a criminal organization operating in the city. Leonard's brows furrowed as he scrolled through the content. "This is more than just a gang. It's an empire," he murmured, his eyes narrowing. "According to these reports, they control everything from drug trafficking to extortion, and even political manipulation." Daniel's expression mirrored Leonard's concern. "This can't be a coincidence," he said, his voice low and edged with worry.