Blue had just turned fourteen and was about to
graduate.
The sky was draped in heavy gray clouds, as if even
the weather was reluctant to celebrate a day so full of expectations. The old
school building, its bricks worn and faded, groaned with every passing breeze.
Inside the hallways, hurried footsteps and anxious whispers echoed against the
damp walls. But out in the back courtyard, silence reigned—a heavy, uneasy
quiet, broken only by the dry whisper of wind dragging dead leaves across
cracked pavement.
"So, what dress are you wearing for graduation?" Leny
asked.
He was Blue's only real friend—his most loyal
companion, the one who swore he'd give his life for him without a second
thought.
"I can already picture you in the most beautiful
gown," Leny added, his smile playful and teasing.
They stood in a forgotten corner of the yard, under a
dead tree that had never once blossomed—an unintentional symbol of defiance.
The ashen sky cast a muted glow that highlighted the sharp contrast between
Blue's pale skin and his ink-black hair.
Blue shot Leny a glare that made a shiver crawl down
his spine.
"Since when do guys wear dresses to graduation?" Blue
replied, his tone icy.
"And why does it matter? Nothing should stop you from
looking fabulous on your big day, darling," Leny replied, flipping his hair
with theatrical grace.
Blue snorted and turned to leave, but before he could
take a step, he noticed Leny gazing at the sky, his brows knitted ever so
slightly.
"What now?" Blue asked.
"I don't know…" Leny muttered, still staring upward.
"Don't you feel like… something's off today?"
"Yeah, off because I have to deal with you. Come on,
before you start with your doomsday drama."
Drama queen, Blue thought as he walked away, leaving
his best friend behind.
"Wait, Blue! I was just kidding, bro!"
Leny sprinted after him, down the narrow hallway where
faded posters peeled from the walls and damp stains crept across the ceiling.
The fluorescent lights flickered, but nobody paid much attention—just another
day in this old, tired school.
That day, everything came down to the final exam—the
one that would decide if they graduated or not. The classroom felt more like a
prison than a place of learning: tall, dusty windows, wooden desks carved with
names and crude drawings of generations past, and an air so thick it seemed no
one had bothered to ventilate in weeks. Outside, the wind howled against the
panes, making them quiver like frightened glass.
Luck, of course, was not on Leny's side. The seating
was assigned, and his spot was far from Blue's, which meant no chance of
cheating as he usually did.
"Hey, Blue," Leny whispered, his face a picture of
pure desperation.
Blue ignored him. He knew Leny never studied—why
bother when he could just copy?
"You're on your own this time, sweetheart," Blue
whispered back, flashing a wicked grin.
At those words, Leny's expression went from helpless
puppy to roadkill, then to something worse—as if a truck had run him over, the
bridge collapsed, and a grandmother landed on top of him for good measure.
"All right, class, ready to begin?" the teacher asked,
pulling a stack of papers from an old metal cabinet, rusted with age.
A loud creak groaned from the ceiling beams. A few
students looked up, but the teacher didn't pause. Leny was breathing so heavily
he sounded like a woman in labor, sweat dripping from his hair, his shirt
plastered to his skin. The ceiling fan barely turned, pushing around hot air
without mercy. Meanwhile, Blue just watched him and chuckled under his breath.
He'd spent the whole night studying—his eyes ringed with dark circles, hair a
mess, and that manic grin that made him look downright unhinged.
"Yes, ma'am," the class replied in unison… all except
the guy giving birth and the lunatic laughing at him.
The teacher handed out the exams, and when Blue got
his copy, he felt calm—confident that every sleepless hour would pay off… until
his eyes met the first question.
"OH, YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" he roared.
The room fell into a tomb-like silence. Outside, even
the birds seemed to stop singing.
Nothing he'd studied was on the test. His confidence
shattered in an instant, replaced by sheer panic. Blue darted his eyes toward
Leny, who was already staring back, frozen in horror. He wasn't alone—every
other student had turned to gape at the outburst. Blue was supposed to be the
smartest in class. If he was doomed, what hope did the rest of them have?
"This is the end!" someone screamed before leaping out
the window.
(Relax—it was only the first floor. He landed in the
garden and just sobbed among the daisies.)
The tension was so thick the teacher started searching
for answers on an AI app, but even that couldn't save them.
Leny knew there was only one way out of situations
like this: liberation. He gave Blue a solemn nod, like a soldier about to make
the ultimate sacrifice, then closed his eyes. Blue frowned, confused—until the
sound hit.
A blast like a trumpet from hell, followed by a stench
so vile it could've been brewed by a thousand skunks. The classroom shook with
the glory of Leny's catastrophic fart—a seismic event that rattled windows and
souls alike.
"Class, we're postponing the exam," the teacher
announced, fleeing with her nose pinched.
Blue stared at Leny with awe and pride. That's my boy,
he thought.
When everyone finally stumbled out of the classroom,
Blue rushed to his friend.
"You okay, man?" he asked.
"Did you see that?" Leny coughed. "I… set myself
free."
"Yeah, buddy. You're a hero," Blue said with a grin.
"My purpose is fulfilled… now let's go," Leny
whispered, collapsing dramatically against Blue's chest.
Blue scooped him up and carried him out like a fallen
warrior. The hallway, once cheerful with graduation posters and streamers, now
reeked like a chemical disaster zone.
Yet Leny looked up at Blue with eyes shining brighter
than diamonds.
"No reward for the brave?" he asked, licking his lips
playfully.
Blue froze mid-step, face dead serious.
"What, are you two gay or something?" a girl asked
bluntly.
Blue dropped Leny like a sack of potatoes.
"Of course not!" he barked.
Leny groaned in pain, glaring daggers at him. When the
girl finally walked away, Blue knelt beside him.
"Sorry, sugar cube… you okay?" he whispered.
"NO!" Leny wailed. "Go! Leave me to suffer… with her!"
He hobbled toward the nurse's office, one hand on his
back, limping like a war veteran.
"Poor guy," someone muttered as they watched him go.
That afternoon, the exams resumed—this time, everyone
came prepared. Days later, the results were posted. Blue had the highest score
in the class, with Leny right behind him.
"AAAAH!" Blue shrieked, the sound so high-pitched it
could've come from a little girl. He was so overwhelmed with excitement that
everyone turned to stare.
"Aaaah!" another voice joined in, equally shrill.
This time, it wasn't Blue—it was Leny, who had just
seen his grade.
"Baby, we're graduating!" Leny cried, arms wide open
as he ran toward Blue.
"YES!" Blue beamed, embracing him like they'd just
survived the apocalypse.
"They're both insane," someone muttered with a smirk.
A week later, graduation day arrived. The auditorium
gleamed with golden ribbons and hanging garlands. A massive banner read:
Congratulations, Graduates! Blue appeared in a sleek navy-blue suit, his
jet-black hair perfectly combed to one side, a crimson bow tie adding a bold
splash of color against his pale skin. The girls couldn't stop staring—some
didn't even try to hide it, biting their lips as if he were a celebrity. But
Blue didn't notice. His icy blue eyes scanned the crowd, searching for one face
in particular.
"Hey, man," came a familiar voice from the throng.
Blue recognized it instantly.
It was Leny, stunning in a light turquoise suit that
radiated elegance. His wavy, chestnut hair cascaded like liquid silk,
shimmering under the lights—hair so flawless it belonged in a shampoo
commercial.
The ceremony began with solemn grace. One by one,
names were called, diplomas handed out. When Leny stepped on stage, Blue's
chest swelled with pride. The black cap settled on Leny's head like a crown of
triumph, and he tossed his tassel into the air with a radiant smile.
Then it was Blue's turn. As he took his diploma, their
eyes met across the stage—a silent exchange heavy with meaning. Every struggle,
every laugh, every absurd moment—they'd made it through together.
Afterward, the graduates moved to the ballroom.
Sunlight bled through towering windows, bathing the polished floor in a golden
glow. Fairy lights twinkled overhead, casting warm halos over the multicolored
dance floor. Paper flowers clung to the walls, gold balloons floated lazily,
and sequin curtains shimmered like stars.
But beneath the music and laughter, something felt…
wrong. A tremor, faint yet undeniable, thrummed beneath their feet. A whisper,
almost too soft to hear, curled through the room like a ghost of sound.
"At last, we made it," Blue said, his voice tinged
with relief—and a hint of something else.
"We've been through a lot," Leny replied with a small
smile. "Tell me… are you heading to college?"
Blue exhaled slowly, releasing air he didn't realize
he'd been holding. His lips curved into a tight, almost fake smile.
"My foster father says no. Apparently, he has… other
plans for me."
Leny froze, his face a storm of shock and sadness.
After all these years… does he really think a smile will keep me calm?
"I'm thirsty," Leny said coldly. "Want me to grab you
a drink?"
Blue lowered his gaze. "Sure."
Leny turned and walked away—though the drinks were
just an excuse. He needed distance, if only to hide the anger boiling inside.
Blue's passivity, his failure to fight for his own future, cut deeper than he'd
admit. Unlike Blue, Leny grew up in a home filled with love, freedom,
choices—everything Blue had secretly craved. And Leny had hoped, prayed even,
that one day his friend would choose his own path instead of living under
someone else's leash.
The warm glow of the ballroom suddenly seemed colder.
The music hadn't started yet, but the air was heavy, oppressive.
Then, a scream ripped through the room.
"What is that?!" a girl shrieked, her face chalk
white.
A snake slithered onto the dance floor.
"How did that get in here?" a teacher barked.
Panic spread like wildfire. The lights began to
flicker, one by one, until the entire hall drowned in blackness. The music
died. So did the screams. Silence fell—thick, absolute.
"What… what just happened?" Blue whispered, his voice
trembling.
No answer.
He fumbled for his phone, switching on the
flashlight—and froze.
The hall was empty.
"Hello? Guys? Where are you? Leny?!"
Everyone was gone. Vanished without a trace. Blue tore
through the room, checked every corner—nothing.
"LENYYY!" he screamed, the sound cracking with
desperation.
Blue stopped to catch his breath, when a sound
slithered through the silence—a dry, sinister rustle from the far end of the
hall. Slowly, he turned the flashlight toward the noise…
The snake was there.
It stood coiled and ready, its eyes glowing an
unnatural green, casting eerie shards of light onto Blue's pale face.
Are they supposed to glow like that? he thought, his
pulse hammering in his ears.
The glow deepened, hypnotic, pulling him in like
quicksand. He couldn't look away. Then—his phone rang. The sharp tone shattered
the trance. The snake jolted, its body tensing.
Blue snatched the call. "Hello?!"
Nothing. Only dead silence—then the line cut.
"This is insane," he whispered, his voice barely
audible over the pounding in his chest.
When he lowered the phone… the snake was gone.