Chapter 1
The boys from the Greenfield High School football team headed to the locker rooms. The place was full of noise; the young athletes were overexcited, buzzing about the 3–1 match they had just won.
“Boys, this was our best match ever! Daniel made everything so smooth as captain,” Luke shouted. Michael smiled, feeling happy. He thought a victory like this could unite the boys. Michael was known as the "good one"—a polite, studious boy who wanted to succeed in life. He had thick, light-blond hair and big, normal, blue-grey eyes. His face was symmetrical and handsome.
“Boys, let’s go party for this!” Jackson yelled, throwing his hand up. Most of them agreed, except for Jason. Jason was the serious one. He wasn't exactly an outsider, but he had a dangerous edge. He had dark brown hair and a powerful, athletic build.
He and Michael had been friends since primary school. But over time, they had stopped playing together. Michael had started to become a bit rebellious and "dangerous," yet in Jason’s eyes, he remained a good person. Deep down, Jason knew Michael’s heart hadn't changed, even if his path had.
“Hey, Jason. How are you?” Michael approached him. “Maybe you wouldn’t want to talk with a person like me—the person I’ve become.”
Jason stood as if stunned. “Michael... I wouldn’t reject you no matter who you are. I accept your choices, and I leave it to you to decide what is right for your life.”
They stood in silence for several seconds.
“Sometimes I wish I had someone to stop me from the paths I take,” Michael admitted, looking down and rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Because I know they aren't good for me. I need someone to guide me, someone who understands who I really am. I’m tired of just drifting.”
“Okay...” was all Jason said at first. Then, he spoke up. “Hey, I have an idea. Do you want to come over? We can talk on the way, and then at my place, we can eat and watch something. Do you agree?”
Michael thought for a few seconds before answering, “Yes, I want to.”
Jason was a little nervous. He wasn't entirely sure what Michael had turned into. Michael was now a leader of a gang, known for fighting and acting nasty toward his classmates. Looking at them, they were like opposites: Jason had smoky blonde hair and grey-blue eyes with a face that radiated honesty. He was a kind, gallant gentleman and an excellent student. Michael, meanwhile, had dark brown hair, dark eyes, and a hardened, muscular look.
While they were leaving, a boy named Christian tried to snatch a cigarette from Michael’s mouth. Michael reacted instantly, striking Christian on the side of the head.
“Idiot,” Michael muttered.
“You jerk!” Christian reached out to punch him, but Michael caught his hand with a powerful grip, staring straight into his eyes. “Get out.”
Christian backed down and left. Jason watched, then signaled to Michael. They got into their cars—Jason in his red car and Michael following in his white Audi.
They arrived at Jason’s house in a quiet, pleasant neighborhood. Inside, the house was bright, filled with warm autumn light and white walls.
As they walked through the living room, Michael froze. He saw something—or someone—that stopped him in his tracks. “This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” he thought.
He was staring at Lorraine, Jason’s sister. She had gentle features and straight, auburn-blonde hair. She looked like someone out of a classic novel.
Jason noticed the look and pushed Michael lightly. “Hey! What are you doing?”
“What? I can’t look?” Michael joked, a sudden burst of positive energy appearing in his voice.
“If you’re eyeing my sister, I don’t know…” Jason warned, looking worried.
“I didn’t even know you had a sister,” Michael said with a surprisingly broad, cute smile. “Thank you.”
“Let’s go to my room,” Jason sighed. Michael followed, but his mind was racing. “That was the most angelic thing I’ve ever seen. I have to know her.”
In the bedroom, Jason lay on the bed while Michael looked at the gadgets on the shelves.
“So, Michael, what’s really happening with you?” Jason asked.
“Let’s just say I’m having some trouble with my family,” Michael replied with a crooked, ironic smile. “You become like the people you spend time with, Jason. I let people know me by what they see on the outside, while I see through to who they are on the inside.”
“Mhm, that’s very deep, Mr. Philosopher,” Jason joked.
“I’m not kidding,” Michael said, giving him a playful, mock-angry look.
Jason went to the kitchen to get some popcorn. While he was gone, Michael tried to find the bathroom, wandering through the maze-like hallway. He passed Lorraine’s room and caught another glimpse of her. He forced himself to look away so as not to seem rude, eventually finding Jason in the kitchen.
Back in the room, Jason tried to offer some real advice. “Michael, these things shouldn't define you. I want you to like yourself again. I’ll be here for you. I still want us to be friends.”
Michael nodded, but their conversation was interrupted by a loud thud at the door. Jason ran over to find Lorraine standing there.
“I dropped my book,” she said shyly.
“That must’ve been a heavy book,” Jason teased. “Sounded like it weighed five kilos.”
“Ha ha, very funny,” Lorraine rolled her eyes and left.
Shortly after, Michael decided to leave. He insisted on walking himself out. In the hallway, he ran into Lorraine again.
“Hi, my name is Michael,” he said, extending his hand.
“Nice to meet you! Will you be coming here often?” she asked with a sweet smile.
“Why? Do you want to see me often?” Michael teased.
“I was just curious... if you and Jason are becoming close again,” she replied.
“You’re very kind. We’ll see each other. But I have to dash now.”
As Michael drove away into the darkening evening, his phone rang. The name Jonathan appeared on the screen. He answered and heard a deep, heavy voice.
“Come to the underpass at 32 Main Street right now,” the man warned. “If you don’t come... things will go bad.”
