As the trio arrived at Rachael's house, they discreetly made their way to her bedroom, seeking seclusion from prying eyes. The risk of her parents stumbling upon them in the living room was too great, and they couldn't afford to arouse suspicion.
Once inside, Christina settled onto the bed and swiftly double-tapped her Lav, attempting to establish contact with Mike. "Mike, are you there?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. However, the silence was deafening.
Undeterred, Christina repeated the process several times, but each attempt yielded the same result: nothing.
"Perhaps we should give it some more time," Stefan suggested, his brow furrowed in thought. "As Djuma said, Mike is safe, his supposed son couldn't harm him anyway."
Rachael's expression darkened, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "Are you serious, Stefan?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising. "Stop spouting nonsense!"
She rose from her bed and approached Stefan, who sat on the plastic chair beside her. "Do you honestly believe Mike is safe with his son? Do you think Djuma's world would be secure if Mike falls under his son's influence?" Rachael's tone was incredulous.
Stefan's gaze dropped, his face pale as the gravity of their situation sank in.
"And what about Mike himself?" Rachael pressed on, her words dripping with urgency. "What if he's possessed by Jran? Have you forgotten the risks?"
Stefan nodded slowly, his eyes widening in realization. "Dammit... I was a fool," he muttered, his voice barely audible.
Christina's voice broke the silence, her tone measured. "I only agreed with what you said earlier. Let's wait for a while and try again. If this Lav is as advanced as Djuma described, it should connect me to Mike once he's awake."
Rachael's curiosity was piqued. "Awake? What do you mean by that?" Her eyes locked onto Christina's.
She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I just assumed he might be asleep or... something. What else could be blocking our connection?"
Rachael and Stefan nodded thoughtfully, their faces reflecting their shared concern.
Rachael settled back onto her bed, her expression somber. Stefan, however, sought to lift the mood. "Are we going to stay depressed like this until we try again?" He let out a deep sigh, his eyes scanning the room.
"Shouldn't we do something fun to lighten the mood?"
Christina's gaze snapped back to Stefan, a spark of interest reigniting in her eyes. "That's a great idea. You can start."
Stefan shrugged, unsure. "Start with what?"
"Ummm..." Christina's thoughts whirled, and then a mischievous grin spread across her face. "Tell us how you and Mike met and became best friends."
Stefan's hands rose in a defensive gesture. "That's a long story, guys."
Rachael leaned forward, her enthusiasm was palpable. "I absolutely adore stories, especially the long, winding ones," she said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Now, come on, Stefan, share it with us. Don't be shy."
Stefan's shoulders rose in resignation. "Whatever," he began, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
"It all started during our first year of junior high school, when I met Mike. From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew we'd get along famously. Back then, I was quite the troublemaker – always getting into scrapes and fights because I refused to back down from bullies."
Stefan's expression turned reflective, and he let out a deep sigh before continuing.
"It was a sunny day after school, and Liam and his friends had cornered me in the alleyway. They were demanding I pay up for Liam's cellphone, which I'd accidentally smashed during a previous altercation. The thing was, I hadn't started that fight – they had – but they wanted me to compensate them."
Stefan's voice took on a resolute tone. "I was determined not to give in. I'd rather face them down and risk getting beaten than pay for something that wasn't entirely my fault. I've never been one to back away from a fight."
Christina's eyes narrowed, her expression solemn. "I remember Liam," she said, seeking clarification. "Wasn't he that boy who acted like a psychopath? The one who got expelled along with his friends?"
Stefan nodded, his gaze drifting into the past, a careless grin plastered on his face. "Yeah! Of course, you of all people must really remember him. People used to call him your boyfriend, you guys' behavior was so alike that—"
Christina's expression transformed from relaxed to raging in an instant. She sat up abruptly, her eyes blazing with warning. "If you die here right now, nobody would find out, do you know that?" Her voice was low and menacing.
Stefan's grin faltered, and he gasped, shifting uncomfortably on his chair. "I'm... aware, why are you—"
"If you're really aware, then you'd think twice before getting on my nerves. Especially now that I'm hypersensitive about Mike's unresponsiveness," Christina cut him off again, her anger palpable.
Stefan's eyes shook as he stammered, "I... I'm sorry."
However, Christina's gaze still lingered on him, icy and unyielding.
"You don't have to threaten me like that, you're so scary!" Stefan exclaimed.
Christina's warning was laced with venom. "Whatever, if you say that again, I might actually kill you for real."
With that, she lay back down on the bed, her anger still simmering.
Rachael, who had been quietly observing the exchange, intervened, her voice calm and measured. "You guys can kill yourselves for all I care. I'm more interested in how you and Mike became best friends."
Her words sliced through the tension, refocusing the conversation.
Stefan's expression turned incredulous. "Dammit! That's all you have to say?" He sniffed, still reeling from Rachael's nonchalance. "After hearing your friend threaten to kill me, you're still interested in how Mike and I became friends?"
Rachael nodded casually, unfazed by Stefan's indignation. "Of course, I'm dying to know. Why would I care about your little childish fight?"
Stefan rolled his eyes, exasperation etched on his face. "You're unbelievable, Rachael. I'm not in the mood to share any story right now."
Rachael's voice took on a menacing tone, her eyes glinting with frustration. "I think you have a death wish, Stefan. I might actually be the one killing you this afternoon if you get on my nerves."
Stefan's frustration was palpable, but Rachael's curiosity proved irresistible. "Now, tell me what happened. Did you guys get into a fight?" she pressed.
Stefan's face contorted, his voice rising in pitch as he began. "Obviously, I wasn't a pushover!" However, as he met Rachael's expectant gaze, his tone gradually returned to normal.
"Right, sorry about that," he said, clearing his throat. "Where was I? Ah yes, Liam and his friends… The fight was interesting at first, until I almost got killed. Liam and his gang broke my arm, and they weren't stopping there. They were trying to break my leg when Mike appeared. That was the first time I saw the other side of him."
Christina's interest was piqued. She sat up, leaning in, her eyes locked onto Stefan. "So, he fought them?" she asked, her curiosity hanging in the air.
"Of course not, he ran away," Stefan replied. "He didn't even look back. I've never seen anyone run so fast before – he dropped his school bag and vanished."
Rachael's face fell, her interest evaporating. "Shit! You just ruined everything," she grumbled, flopping onto her bed. "Why would he run when someone's in danger? I'm not interested in the story anymore."
Christina echoed Rachael's disappointment. "Forget it, the story's boring anyway. We're no longer interested."
Stefan's voice took on a persuasive tone. "But I haven't told you why he ran – there's a reason for it."
His words fell on deaf ears. Rachael and Christina remained unresponsive, their silence a palpable rejection.
Stefan's words broke the silence, reigniting interest. "He actually came back to my rescue."
Rachael and Christina sat up, curiosity etched on their faces.
"Did he... really come back to help you fight the gang?" Christina asked, leaning in, anticipation building.
Stefan shook his head. "No, he came back with an ambulance."
The girls' faces fell, their expressions morphing from excitement to disappointment. They glared at Stefan for a moment before hissing and lying back down on the bed.
"I knew it," Rachael muttered. "There's nothing good coming from listening to him."
Stefan rushed to defend Mike's actions. "At least he came back with some help. Some people wouldn't have come back. I get it that he was scared of getting into trouble, but at least he came back to save me."
Christina's whisper was laced with skepticism. "You're dumb. What if you'd died before he came?"
Stefan countered, "But I'm alive, thanks to him. There's nothing he would've done if he hadn't run. He'd have been beaten along with me."
The girls remained unimpressed. "Whatever, it's a boring story to begin with," Christina said, staring at the ceiling, her voice dripping with disinterest.
An unnerving silence followed, the tension palpable. Rachael and Christina lay motionless, their gazes fixed on the ceiling, while Stefan sat quietly, his attempts at storytelling met with indifference.
Stefan slowly rose from his chair, his senses heightened, scanning the room for any signs of danger. "You guys aren't thinking of killing me, right?" he asked, attempting to lighten the mood.
Christina snatched a pillow from the top of the bed. "Sit down, dumbass. We're not murderers."
Undeterred, Stefan tried again. "Let me tell you guys another story. It was during our junior year final exams, Mike and I—"
"Shut up!" Christina and Rachael shouted simultaneously.
Stefan's words were cut short, he sighed and tried again. "That's right then. I'm not usually talkative; I just wanted to—"
Again, the duo drowned him out. "I said shut up, idiot!" they shouted in perfect harmony.
The room fell silent, Stefan's attempts at storytelling thoroughly extinguished. He sank back into his chair, a chastened expression on his face.
"Alright then, let's remain depressed."