Brett Lightford was sixteen, and life treated him gently- at least for others.
He sat on a classroom bench, black hair styled just enough to look effortless, laughing louder than he should with the two people he trusted most. Brett had an average face, nothing striking, nothing forgettable- but his smile carried warmth. The kind that made people feel comfortable around him without knowing why.
He was soft-hearted, openly emotional, and painfully extroverted. Silence made him uneasy. Noise felt safe.
To his left sat Brian-same age, slightly darker skin, messy black hair streaked faintly with yellow. Brian talked with his hands, his mouth, his whole body. That was why everyone called him Loudspeaker.
"Bro, I swear I wasn't even yelling," Brian said, voice echoing halfway across the class. "My voice just does that."
A few students snickered.
"To you maybe," Brett laughed. "To the rest of us, it's a public announcement system."
Across from them sat Ruby.
Blonde hair tied loosely, soft eyes, and a smile that always seemed one second away from saying something she'd regret. She leaned slightly toward Brett whenever she laughed—subtle, but not accidental. Everyone knew Ruby was one of the prettiest girls in class.
Everyone except Brett, apparently.
"You're both idiots," Ruby said, smiling anyway.
Before Brett could respond, a sharp voice cut through the noise.
"Enough."
The room fell silent.
"Get on your desks," the old male teacher barked. "And let's start the class before I retire again."
Groans rippled through the room.
Brett sank back into his chair as the lecture began. Numbers, dates, theories—words blurred together. His eyelids grew heavy.
"Aaah…" he yawned quietly, resting his cheek against his palm. "These lectures are slowly killing me."
His gaze drifted toward the window.
Outside, on the dusty schoolyard, a small cat spun in frantic circles, chasing its own tail with absolute determination. It stumbled, corrected itself, and tried again.
Brett smiled.
"So focused," he murmured. "Dumb… but kinda impressive."
For a moment, the world felt lighter.
Then-
"TRRRIINNN—RIIING!"
The bell shattered the moment.
Chairs scraped, bags zipped, voices erupted.
Ruby turned to Brett almost instantly. "Hey, Brett—are you free right now? Wanna hang out?"
Before Brett could answer, Brian shoved himself between them.
"I'm free," he declared proudly. "Let's go to karaoke!"
Ruby's smile twitched.
"…Why every time," she whispered under her breath.
"Huh?" Brian leaned closer. "Did you say something?"
She froze, then laughed nervously. "Haha—no, no! Nothing. Karaoke sounds… great."
An awkward silence followed.
Brett scratched the back of his head. "Uh… guys, I'm really sorry. I can't today."
Ruby blinked. "Oh?"
"Family dinner," Brett said softly. "First one in a long time."
Brian waved it off. "No worries, man. We'll hang out next time."
"Yeah," Ruby added, trying to hide her disappointment. "Whenever you're free."
They walked out through the school's main gate together, their paths splitting naturally as they went home.
Somewhere Else
A room without windows.
Dimly lit. Quiet. Heavy.
A man sat alone in a chair, dressed in a black suit. Deep wrinkles carved into his face like scars time refused to heal. A cigar burned slowly between his fingers, smoke curling upward like something alive.
Knock. Knock.
"Come in," he said calmly.
The door opened.
A woman stepped inside. From a distance, she looked to be in her thirties. She wore a purple fur-lined jacket, black sunglasses hiding her eyes, her presence sharp enough to cut through the smoke.
"Sir," she said, voice low. "He's in town. Right now."
The man didn't look surprised.
"We might never get a chance like this again," she continued. "Should we move?"
The man exhaled smoke slowly.
"We've known each other for over ten years," he said. "If you believe the time is right… then do what you want."
A smile curved her lips.
"We won't disappoint you."
She turned and left. The door closed softly behind her.
The room felt colder.
Back to Brett
Brett walked briskly toward home, heart pounding—not with fear, but excitement.
"Finally…" he whispered to himself. "After five years."
He clenched his fists, smiling wide.
"I can't wait to see Mom's face."
His steps quickened. His chest felt warm. Happy.
Unaware of the quiet eyes watching.
Unaware that something long buried had begun to move.
The reason for his excitement-
Only Brett knew.
To be continued...