Devon reached his locker, neatly placing his books inside before selecting a textbook to delve into, closing the locker with a resounding slam. To his surprise, Glenda stood before him. It had been a week since their breakup, and a lingering silence had defined their interactions during that time.
With a gentle smile, Glenda spoke, "I understand you might be upset about our breakup, but I hope you're not avoiding me out of spite. We're still friends, aren't we?"
Devon, wearing a puzzled expression, responded, "Huh?" He wasn't certain if she had posed the right question.
Exhaling, Glenda continued, "You haven't spoken to me since that day, Devon, and I've been trying to figure out why. I believe you're not the type to act childishly just because I chose to end our relationship. I still value our friendship, and my being with Jensen shouldn't alter that."
Devon turned his gaze away, suppressing the simmering rage within him, exacerbated by the increasingly grating sound of Glenda's voice. Releasing a deep breath in an attempt to quell the rising anger, he finally looked at her, his expression shifting into a glare. "You…"
"You're unbelievable, Glenda," Parker interjected, appearing from behind Devon as he overheard the conversation. He draped his arm over Devon's shoulder and continued, "I'm not even sure if you hear yourself. You're not a friend anymore, so just stick with Jensen's crew."
Glenda, displaying annoyance, rolled her eyes dismissively. "I wasn't talking to you, Parker."
Raising an eyebrow, Parker chuckled. "Yeah, well, you're talking to me now, right? Just go away, Glenda. Don't be a glue."
Glaring back, Glenda retorted defensively, "I'm not a glue!"
"Then off you go to meet your boyfriend. Stop bothering my best friend; you've done enough of that. I'm actually happy he's free, isn't that right, Devon?" Parker concluded with a triumphant grin.
Devon let out a sigh and gently took Parker's hand off his shoulder. He turned to Parker and said, "Excuse me."
As Devon walked away, Parker glanced at Glenda with a sigh, a sudden seriousness overtaking his expression. "Maybe you should consider not triggering the bomb buried within Devon, Glenda. You know him as well as I do. It would be in your best interest, as well as his, to keep your distance," he advised, shaking his head at her before walking away.
*****
Devon occupied a corner on the rooftop, engrossed in the book he held in his hands. Page after page, he delved into the captivating narrative, finding solace in the words on the pages.
Suddenly, his tranquil reading was shattered by a series of voices. Peeking out from his secluded spot, he observed Jensen, Dave, and Lance bullying one of their classmates, Mike, who he recognized.
"Please, I'm begging you, Jensen, please stop this," Mike pleaded as they callously pushed him closer to the rooftop's edge.
"I'm begging you, please, Jensen," Dave taunted, delivering a swift kick to Mike's stomach before callously pushing him headlong to the ground.
Squatting down, Dave raised Mike's bloodied face to meet Jensen's gaze. "This bastard thinks he can be free from us, Jensen. He dares to report us to the teacher. What do you think we should do to him that he would never forget?"
Jensen sneered maliciously, seizing Mike's neck and exerting a relentless stranglehold, lifting him off the ground. In a deranged tone, he declared, "Do you honestly believe you can break free from my control? I have everyone in the palm of my hand! Without my father's investments, this damn school would be nothing! No one dares to cross me, not even the teachers!"
With a sadistic satisfaction, Jensen intensified his grip on Mike's neck, reveling in the sight of his struggle and the desperate gasps for breath.
Lance, growing uneasy, interjected, "You need to ease up, Jensen! You might end up killing him!"
"Stop being a wuss!" Dave retorted, observing the distressing scene with a disturbing sense of satisfaction.
Witnessing the brutal strangulation of Mike, Devon was overcome with disbelief. He observed the reddening of Mike's face as he desperately struggled for breath, and it became apparent that Jensen showed no intention of stopping.
"That maniac is going to murder him!" Devon muttered to himself, rising from his seated position, driven by the urge to intervene.
"Jensen, that's enough!" Lance pleaded, attempting to halt the escalating violence. "You might end up killing him!"
Jensen's teeth were clenched as he maintained a lock on Mike's gaze, the distressing sounds intensifying his irritation. "If I kill him, it'll be a demonstration that I can and will get away with it." With renewed determination, he tightened his grip, observing as Mike's eyes closed, and his hands dropped to his side.
"He's dead," Devon exclaimed in shock, drawing the attention of the onlookers. "What the hell do you think you're doing, you bastard?!" Devon yelled at Jensen in a fit of rage.
Jensen released Mike's lifeless body to the ground, his attention now turned to Devon. "You've been here?"
Devon's gaze flickered between the alarmed expression on Lance's face, the nonchalant demeanor of Dave, and the malicious countenance of Jensen. He was gripped by disbelief, questioning if he was supposed to witness such a gruesome act.
Jensen had just intentionally taken a life, and the atmosphere became overwhelmingly unsafe for Devon.
Backpedaling cautiously, Devon prepared to escape. "What you did... how about I pretend I didn't see it?"
"I highly doubt that, Devon," Jensen retorted with a sneer.
Suddenly, Dave, who had been wielding a sizable stick, swung it at Devon's head, rendering him unconscious.
(Flashback over)