Caius once again approached their usual table in the cafeteria, his heart heavy with the weight of the previous day's interactions. It had gone well. They had tried to help him. But today his friends weren't at the student lounge and when he called he went straight to voice mail, he wasn't able to find them until lunch break. His friends were already seated, their expressions guarded. This took him by surprise. He was sure everything was fine. They were so caring just yesterday.
"Morning, guys," Caius greeted, his voice strained.
"Morning," Bianca replied, barely meeting his eyes.
Caius took a seat, trying to bridge the growing chasm between them. "Look, I know things have been weird since I told you about my family. But we need to talk about it. We can't just ignore it. And everything was fine yesterday what's wrong right now?"
Kial sighed, glancing at the others before speaking. "Caius, it's not that we're ignoring it. And yesterday was...forget It. It's just... a lot to process. Your family's history with the Panthers—it changes things."
"Changes things how?" Caius asked, frustration creeping into his voice. "I'm still the same person. My past doesn't define me."
"It's not just about you, Caius," Bianca said, her tone edged with tension. "It's about the danger that comes with being associated with the Panthers. We have to think about our own safety too."
Grayson nodded, his expression conflicted. "We care about you, Caius. But we can't pretend that this doesn't put us in a tough spot."
Caius felt a pang of anger and hurt. "So what? You're just going to abandon me because of something I have no control over?"
"We're not abandoning you," Penelope interjected, her voice gentler. "But we need time to figure out how to deal with this. It's not as simple as just being friends and pretending nothing's changed."
Kial looked uncomfortable, shifting in his seat. "We need to focus on keeping ourselves safe. And right now, that means putting some distance between us and anything related to the Panthers."
Caius clenched his fists, feeling a surge of betrayal. "I thought you guys were my friends. I never expected you to turn your backs on me when things got tough. You guys said you would help my dad. That we would do It together."
"It's not about turning our backs," Bianca said, her eyes filled with a mix of sadness and determination. "It's about being realistic. The principal's death, your dad's arrest, the gang connections—it's too dangerous. We have to look out for ourselves."
The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken words and emotions. Caius looked around at the faces of his friends—people he had trusted and relied on. The sense of isolation was overwhelming.
"Fine," Caius said, his voice tight. "If that's how you feel, then I won't bother you anymore. But don't expect me to just forget about everything."
He stood up, grabbed his bag, and walked away from the table. The sense of loss was profound, but so was his resolve.
As he left the cafeteria, Caius felt a mixture of anger, hurt, and determination. His friends' rejection was a harsh blow, but it also strengthened his resolve.
'It seems like running away from my family's past is impossible. So I will make the past a reality again'