As soon as Caius got home he did something he thought he would never do, he texted Bianca. Originally he wasn't going to be friends with anyone. That was the plan. He much rather preferred being all alone than getting mixed up with the friendship dramas. But for a reason, he didn't doubt Bianca's sincerity. He knew everything could change If she learns he is from the southside. One could understand she was a NorthSider just by looking at her clothes. He for a fact knows that NorthSiders HATE Southsiders. The feeling is natural of course but he isn't someone who would judge others based on where they were born.
Bianca
C: Hey
B: Hi?
C: I'm Caius
B: Wow, I didn't think you would actually text me!
C: Kinda bored
C: And as the only person I know here
C: ıts your job to entertain me
B: Of course your majesty
B: Do you require anything more
C: Kill the principal for me peasant!
B: Whatever you wish!
B: But anyway tonight with some of my other friends we are going to Moonlit Bistro. Wanna come?
C: Moonlit Bistro?
B: It's a pretty popular restaurant here.
C: Cool when are yall going
B: At 9 pm. We will meet there.
B: I will send you the location
C: Cool
Location send
C: Thx
B: No problem at all
'I guess weirdos find other weirdos. I should tell my dad I won't be home till late.'
Caius called his dad only for him to pick up even after 3 calls.
'Weird.'
"Click 1 to leave a voice message-"
1
"Hey Dad, I won't be home till late so don't wait for me. I know I was rude last night, sorry for that. I kinda made a friend. Please call me back"
For Caius, It wasn't strange for his dad to suddenly not answer calls. His dad did that sometimes. Whether they fought or not didn't mean anything, his dad did tend to suddenly disappear and come back all of a sudden. But this didn't lessen Caius's guilt even one bit. In his dad's view, he just had an attitude but If he knew about what he thought his dad would be so upset.
He knew he couldn't blame his dad for everything forever. Even though most things were his fault. He didn't fully know the reason his mom and dad divorced but there were lots of potential reasons. Of course, not all of them were his dad's fault as his mom did the same things too. Gambling, being an alcoholic, and drug addict, etc... Both weren't the greatest parents but they were still his parents.
Caius decided not to dwell on the absence of his father's response. He had a few hours before meeting Bianca and her friends at Moonlit Bistro and he wanted to spend this time organizing his last things.
Time flew by, and soon it was time to head to Moonlit Bistro. Caius changed into a casual outfit, hoping he wouldn't stand out too much. The walk to the restaurant was peaceful, the cool night air filled with the scent of pine and distant chatter from the town.
As he went inside Caius looked around carefully, a habit he had since forever. The interior was cozy, with mismatched furniture that added to its eclectic character. The walls were adorned with photographs and memorabilia from the town's history. Most of the photos were of people but one did stick out to Caius. It was someone's back, the person had a jacket, and in the back of the jacket was a panther.
'Probably a football player' Caius thought.
"Caius, over here!" Bianca waved him over to a table near the window. She was sitting with a group of friends, all of whom seemed welcoming.
"Hey, everyone. This is Caius," Bianca introduced him. The group greeted him with nods and smiles.
First to introduce himself was a blonde boy "Grayson"
"Penelope" the girl smiled, her brown eyes sparkling with curiosity.
The last person was "Kial" Unlike the other two nothing caught Caius's eyes about him.
"Nice to meet you all"
Bianca chimed in"Seems like your broken grammar is fixed."
"For now" Caius responded with a smile.
The conversation flowed easily as they settled into their seats, with Bianca at the center, she was extremely energetic and social.
Caius couldn't help but feel a bit nervous, but the friendly demeanor of Bianca and her friends eased his apprehension.
"Grayson is our resident sports expert," Bianca said with a playful nudge. "He's all about football and basketball."
"Don't let her fool you," Grayson grinned. "I'm pretty average. It's Penelope you should be impressed with. She's the one with all the brains. I'm a hundred percent sure she will own a very successful company in the future."
"Agreed and she better share her money with us!" Bianca chimed in jokingly.
Penelope rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I'm just a bookworm. Nothing exciting about that."
"And Kial," Bianca continued, "is our music maestro. He can play almost any instrument you throw at him."
Kial gave a modest smile. "I just enjoy making music. It's not a big deal. And throwing isn't really necessary"
"Haha funny guy" Bianca replied sarcastically.
Caius found himself warming to the group. They seemed genuine and welcoming, a far cry from the isolated life he had envisioned for himself. As they chatted, he learned more about Blackthorn and its quirks, the Northside-Southside divide, and the various traditions that made the town unique.
One of the things that surprised him was how none of them cared about the fact he is from the southside. With the principal's attitude and his dad's warnings that 'Northies don't treat us Southies nicely,' he expected them to be colder and mean.
"Have you explored much of Blackthorn yet?" Grayson asked, turning to Caius.
"Not really," Caius admitted. "I've just moved in, so everything's still pretty new to me."
"Well, you're in for a treat," Penelope said. "There's so much to see and do here. We should give you a proper tour sometime."
"Yeah, we can show you all the cool spots," Kial added. "There's this old record store that I think you'd like. It's got some really rare finds."
As the evening progressed, Caius found himself laughing and sharing stories with his new friends. He felt a sense of belonging that he hadn't expected to find so soon. Even though the thought of the Northside-Southside tension lingered in the back of his mind, he decided to enjoy the moment.
As they left Moonlit Bistro, the group strolled down the dimly lit streets of Blackthorn, the night air crisp and refreshing. The conversation carried on, light-hearted and filled with laughter.
"So, Caius," Penelope began, "have you thought about checking out the library? It's pretty amazing."
"No, not really," Caius admitted. "I've only seen the outside. What's so special about it?"
"Well, for starters, it's one of the oldest buildings in Blackthorn," Penelope explained. "And it has this incredible collection of rare books. The history section is my favorite. You can learn so much about the town's past there."
"Sounds like a place I need to visit," Caius replied, smiling. "Maybe we can go together sometime?"
"I'd love to!" Penelope beamed.
Grayson chimed in, "You know, Caius, we've got a football game coming up this weekend. The first game of the season. You should come and watch. It gets pretty intense and Northside and Southside actually team up to crush other school teams whether in the field or the stadium."
"Yeah, that sounds fun. I'll definitely check it out," Caius replied. "Do you play?"
Grayson nodded, "Yeah, I'm on the team. It's a great way to blow off some steam and bond with the guys."
"In short he likes aggressive stuff," Penelope said.
As they continued walking, Kial turned to Caius. "Do you play any instruments? We're always looking for new talent for our school band."
"Not really," Caius said, shaking his head. "But I love listening to music. Maybe I can be your number one fan instead."
Kial grinned. "Fair enough. We're practicing tomorrow after school if you want to drop by. We're working on some new songs."
"Of course, I will come," Caius said, feeling more at ease with each passing moment.
Bianca, walking a few steps ahead, suddenly stopped and turned around. "Hey, how about we all hang out at the park this Saturday? It's a good spot to relax and have some fun."
"Count me in," Grayson said.
"Me too," Penelope and Kial echoed.
Caius nodded, "Sounds like a plan. I'm looking forward to it."
As they reached the corner where they would part ways, Bianca turned to him. "I'm glad you came tonight. I think you'll fit in just fine here."
"Thanks, Bianca. I had a great time," Caius said sincerely. "See you tomorrow?"
"Definitely," she replied, waving goodbye.