The school's bustling locker room greeted me as I entered on Monday, the sea of students parting to reveal Crissie at the center. Clad in her grey cheerleader outfit, she seemed to command the attention of everyone present.

Feeling the weight of the situation, I made my way to the balcony. It was a secluded spot, tucked away and seemingly forgotten by the student body. The side elevator nearby remained unused, its unassuming location providing me solace. As I stepped onto the balcony, the open sky greeted me with a sense of calm. Sitting on the floor, I allowed myself to bask in the tranquillity, gazing up at the above expanse.

"Dante," a voice called out behind me.

Turning around, I saw Micheal approaching.

"Mind if I join you, man?" he asked.

I nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips as he settled beside me. It had been a while since we last spoke, with Micheal's responsibilities as class president and his recent involvement in various clubs keeping him occupied. I was surprised he had discovered this hidden spot.

"It's been too long since we had a proper chat," he remarked.

"Yeah," I agreed, a sense of camaraderie settling between us.

"You knew about this place?" he inquired.

"I stumbled upon it myself," I admitted. "Discovered it after serving detention..."

"Detention?" he repeated, eyebrows raised in surprise. "You don't strike me as the type."

"Mrs. Carillo tried to recruit me for the mathletes club," I explained. "But math isn't my cup of tea, and I didn't see the point in joining."

I paused, reflecting on the memory before continuing.

"Even my mom wasn't keen on the idea," I added. "And when I refused for the second time, things got heated. Accidentally snapped at her."

Micheal let out a soft chuckle.

"Nobody messes with you, huh?" he remarked.

"I guess not," I replied with a shrug.

"We'll keep that in mind," he grinned.

We shared a moment of laughter. The bell rang at that moment.

"We'll catch up later, dude," Micheal said, extending his hand for a handshake.

"Sure thing," I replied, returning the gesture. "See you around."

With a nod and a smile, Micheal headed off, leaving me alone on the balcony. The moment's tranquillity was shattered by the realization that I had English class next—an ordeal I dreaded more than anything else. Well, maybe not anything else, but it certainly ranked high on my list of least favourite subjects.

As I turned to leave, a familiar voice called out to me from behind.

"Dude, you skipping class?" Micheal's voice rang out.

I turned back to see him standing there, his expression quizzical.

"I thought you'd already left," I said, surprised by his sudden reappearance.

"Nah, just checking," he replied, flashing a grin before disappearing from view.

Shrugging off his question, I returned inside and into the English classroom, determined to face whatever trials awaited me. Despite my best efforts to arrive early, Mrs. Shell, our English teacher, couldn't resist making a playful comment about my punctuality.

"Dante, early for once?" she teased as I took my seat.

"So are you," I retorted with a smirk, earning a chuckle from some of my classmates.

Mrs. Shell approached, perching herself on the edge of a nearby table, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"That was a bit cheeky, don't you think?" she said, her tone playful.

"I call it as I see it," I replied, meeting her gaze unflinchingly.

Before she could respond, the rest of the class began to trickle in, prompting her to switch gears and focus on the lesson at hand. But not before delivering a parting shot in the form of a whispered challenge.

"Let's see who aces the quiz today," she said, a sly grin playing across her lips.

Rolling my eyes at her antics, I settled in for what promised to be another eventful English class, determined not to let Mrs. Shell's jibes get the best of me. After all, I'd faced worse than a pop quiz in my time.

Mrs. Shell distributed the papers, and I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. English was hardly a challenge for me, yet she insisted on making it seem so. Still, I tackled the quiz with the same determination I approached every task, albeit with a hint of reluctance. As I finished, I couldn't resist the urge to express my frustration, channelling it into a defiant fist thumping against the table.

"You really ought to consider fostering a more supportive environment for your students," I remarked pointedly.

But before I could finish my thought, Mrs. Shell cut in mockingly.

"Struggling, are we?" she quipped.

"Hardly," I shot back, meeting her glare with steely resolve as I gathered my things and exited the classroom.

Outside, Crissie's cheerful voice cut through the hallway, and I turned to see her approaching.

"Hey, Dan!" she called out. "Guess who got invited to the cheerleading team?"

"Let me guess, you," I replied, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

"Correct!" she exclaimed, her face beaming with pride.

"Congrats," I offered sincerely as she walked past me, already bubbling with excitement.

With a shrug, I decided to head to the library. It was a sanctuary of sorts, and I had a feeling Evie would be there. Sure enough, she was engrossed in a book when I found her.

"What are you reading?" I inquired, curious about the title that had captured her attention.

She hastily closed the book, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her features.

"Oh, nothing... just this boring book," she dismissed, attempting to deflect my interest.

"If you say so," I replied, though I couldn't help but notice the spark of curiosity in her eyes.

Evie moved to another shelf, her fingers skimming over the spines until she plucked out a thick tome on thermodynamics.

"What the hell are you reading?" I chuckled, genuinely perplexed by her choice.

"I don't even know something like that exists," I added, scanning the incomprehensible symbols on the first page.

"I don't know... it just seemed... interesting," she admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

I raised an eyebrow, impressed by her willingness to delve into such a complex subject matter.

"Do you even understand what you're reading?" I teased gently, genuinely curious about her grasp of the dense material.

"Yeah," she replied, her eyes flicking back to the pages before her.

The bell rang making me leave Evie in that library alone. 

Time seemed to fly by as I bid farewell to my classmates and headed home. By the time I reached my house, the darkness of night had settled in, and the quiet hum of the neighbourhood enveloped me.

Stepping into the warm glow of our home, I found myself alone, my parents having gone out to meet up with Uncle Abe. With a sudden thirst, I made my way downstairs to fetch a glass of water, the cool liquid a welcome respite after the long day.

As I turned to head back upstairs, a sharp knock echoed through the silence, causing me to jump in surprise. Peering through the peephole, I recognized the familiar face on the other side.

"Hello, mate," the man greeted me as I opened the door to him.

It was Will, the enigmatic grim reaper I had crossed paths with before.

"Hi," I replied, gesturing for him to come in and take a seat.

With a smile, he settled onto the sofa, his presence both comforting and unsettling at the same time.

"So, how's life treating you?" he inquired, his gaze probing yet friendly.

"Same as usual," I answered with a shrug.

"Any progress on your search?" he pressed, his tone earnest.

"Not much," I admitted. "I've ruled out Micheal, but the rest of my friends... I'm not so sure."

"I'm here to help," he assured me. "Close your eyes and focus on each of your friends."

I hesitated for a moment before complying, allowing my mind to conjure up images of each of my companions.

"I remember something odd about my friend Evangeline," I began, recounting the incident from earlier that day. "She seemed to quickly switch books when I entered the library... it struck me as suspicious."

"Interesting observation," Will remarked, his brow furrowing in thought. "Let's see what we can find."

Taking my hand, he examined the lines on my palm with a practiced eye.

"There are more lines than I remember," he noted, his gaze returning to mine. "Female, around your age..."

"How old is Evangeline?" he queried.

"She'll be fourteen in February," I replied, the realization sinking in.

"We can't be certain yet," he cautioned. "But it's worth looking into."

"I'll check on Evie," I affirmed, determined to uncover the truth.

With a nod of understanding, Will rose from his seat, preparing to take his leave.

"Well, I'll be off then," he said.

"Goodbye, Will," I replied, walking him to the door and watching as he disappeared into the night. 

Turning back to lock the door behind him, I couldn't shake the feeling that our investigation was only just beginning. The realization that Evie might be involved in my predicament shook me to the core. I couldn't afford to jump to conclusions, but I knew I had to investigate further. As I mulled over my thoughts, a knock on the door broke the silence.

Opening it, I was greeted by the sight of my parents, their faces alight with joy.

"Dante," my mom exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement, "I finally defeated your father in Scrabble!"

"You cheated!" my dad interjected with a playful smirk.

"Did not-"

"Did too!" he countered, a grin spreading across his face.

"Okay, but let's be real, even without cheating Dad would have lost," I chimed in, joining the banter.

"That's my son!" my mom exclaimed, enveloping me in a warm hug.

"Whatever, I'm off to catch some sleep," my dad declared, making his way upstairs.

As he disappeared from view, my mom and I shared a chuckle, the tension from earlier dissipating into the air. At that moment, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the comfort and laughter of my family amidst the uncertainty of my situation.

(...)

HI!!!<3

I decided to participate in the 8-chapter competition. Wish me luck! And sorry for rushing so much.

Question 3: What's a hobby you have been hooked into recently?

Mine is scrap booking, I recently got it as a celebration on completing my exams <3

Will share some scraps later :)