Karl was excited to meet Richard at the mall the next day. He had been looking forward to it all night, thinking about how he could help his friend.
He arrived at the mall at 6:00 A.M. sharp, looking around for Richard. He spotted him standing in the corner, his eyes fixed on Karl.
As Karl approached him, Richard's expression changed. His eyes narrowed, and his face twisted in anger.
"Help me?" Richard spat, his voice venomous. "Do you even know what that means?"
Before Karl could respond, Richard punched him hard in the face. Karl's head spun, and he felt a warm trickle of blood running down his cheek.
"How dare you touch my diary without my permission?" Richard shouted, his eyes blazing with anger. "Who do you think you are?"
Karl was shocked and hurt. He had never seen Richard like this before.
"Richard, stop," Karl pleaded, holding up his hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
But Richard was beyond reason. He punched Karl again, and again, each blow landing with precision and force.
"You're good at everything, because you were blessed," Richard spat, his voice trembling with rage. "I was cursed by my parents. I have 39 curses on me."
Karl was horrified. He had never heard Richard talk like this before.
As Richard turned to leave, Karl called out to him. "Richard, wait!"
But Richard just turned back and punched Karl again, this time with even greater force.
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Karl bleeding and broken on the ground.
Karl watched as Richard disappeared into the distance, feeling a mix of emotions: shock, anger, and sadness.
He realized that he had underestimated the depth of Richard's pain and suffering. He had thought that he could help his friend, but now he wasn't so sure.
As Karl struggled to his feet, he knew that he had to find a way to help Richard, no matter what it took.