----
Inside one of the alleys near the school.
George was standing there with his hands in his pockets,
and on his face that hellish grin that could only promise trouble.
His group surrounded him, waiting for what he would say.
George spoke, lifting his chin with arrogance: "Listen… I have a wicked plan today. I want to lure them somewhere far from the school… and beat them up badly."
One of the group members asked: "Who do you mean? Mikell… and that boy who was with him yesterday? Rocky?"
George smiled a devilish smile: "Yeah… I want to make them suffer. Especially Mikell… this is my chance to get rid of him completely."
One of them laughed and said: "Haha, that's great. That dog Rocky punched me in the face yesterday… I'll pay him back double."
Another stepped in, folding his arms: "Why don't we lure someone else too? I saw him sticking around Lavinia. I'd be happy to smash his annoying face."
George turned to him and said: "Who do you mean?"
The young man replied with hateful features: "Fred… from my class. I want to break his damned face."
George exhaled with boredom but then smiled: "Of course… I won't leave anyone without crushing them."
---
In the classroom…
Chaos still filled the place.
Lavinia was sitting on the floor, her knees pressed together, her eyes swollen from panic.
Suddenly, the door opened and the head of the department, Carla, walked in, with Karin behind her.
Karin stopped suddenly, and the juice box she was drinking from slipped from her hand, spilling onto the floor.
Karin shouted in shock: "Oh my God… what happened here?!"
As for Carla, her eyes widened with anger…
She immediately approached Lavinia, bent down to gently pull her up from the floor, and said: "Come on… stand up."
Karin helped her too.
Then it seemed they were both trying to pretend nothing had happened, to reassure the rest of the students who stood frozen in place.
Carla said in a firm voice as she looked at everyone sternly: "Come on… what are you doing? Help us clean up the classroom!"
Everyone started moving.
Even Lavinia bent down to gather scattered pens here and there, mumbling an embarrassed apology: "I'm sorry… it's because of me the classroom ended up like this…"
Carla stood in front of her and said sharply, though her eyes hid a gentle sympathy: "It's not your fault. Be strong. Honestly… I hate how you look right now."
Karin added, patting her shoulder: "Yeah, Lavinia… you're strong. Even when Mira dragged you into trouble, you weren't like this. Go back to being yourself."
Lavinia felt something warm growing in her chest…
The strength she had lost began to return.
She hugged them lightly and said: "Thank you… truly."
And after a few minutes, the classroom returned to normal… as if the storm that had hit it moments ago had never happened.
With evening approaching,
the school began to empty gradually.
Mikell was sitting in his seat, his head lowered as he read a message on his phone—
a message from George asking him to come to a specific address.
His whole body trembled.
He knew it was a trap… but he had no other choice.
It felt as if he had surrendered to his fate.
Lavinia approached him, looking at his swollen face with deep sadness: "Mikell… let's go home together."
He lifted his head toward her, and in his eyes there was something like a farewell.
He gave a brief smile and said: "I'm going to the field."
She grabbed his hand tightly, shaking her head: "No… don't go."
He gently pulled his hand away without looking at her: "Just… leave me alone, Lavinia."
Then he left, leaving her in the empty hallway.
When she tried to follow him…
he had already vanished completely.
She ran to the field quickly…
but he wasn't there.
Not even George.
She was about to leave when she bumped into Chloe, the club manager, and they both fell to the ground.
Chloe stood up quickly and said with concern: "Are you okay, Lavinia?"
Lavinia got up too, panting: "Please… have you seen Mikell?"
Chloe shook her head regretfully: "No… he didn't come."
A bitter, sympathetic look appeared in Chloe's eyes, as if she knew what was happening…
but she didn't dare say anything.
Lavinia left quickly, searching every corner, every street… but she couldn't find him.
She ran toward her home, her steps fast as lightning.
Her hair flying behind her.
Her nose reddened from the cold air.
All her mind was filled with was reaching the room…
seeing the album…
knowing what would happen.
---
On the other side…
Half an hour earlier,
Fred was leaving the school, surrounded by the girls as usual.
Suddenly, two students appeared in front of him; one was fat and the other heavily built.
The big one said in a low voice: "We want to talk to you."
The girls behind Fred froze, and one of them grabbed his arm: "Fred… don't go! Please!"
Fred smiled with fake confidence: "It's fine… I'll be okay."
But inside he was screaming: "Damn it… what do they want?!"
He even felt for a moment that he was about to cry.
He walked behind them, saying nervously: "Hey… what's wrong? Where are you taking me?"
The fat one laughed mockingly: "Don't worry… we just want to celebrate with you, right?"
His partner replied: "Yeah, don't be scared."
But fear was crawling through Fred's body so intensely that he felt he might wet himself from terror.
In another place, Rocky was walking down one of the streets.
A classmate from another school, Drake, joined him, and they began talking as they walked.
But suddenly, four students appeared in front of them.
One of them stepped forward toward Rocky and said: "Follow me."
Rocky replied angrily: "To where?"
The boy answered with an evil smile: "We want to talk to you."
Rocky turned to Drake, who was trembling like a small child.
He didn't want to put Drake in danger, so he gave him a confident smile: "Don't worry, Drake… go home."
Drake said fearfully: "But… what about you?"
Rocky laughed quietly: "Nothing will happen to me."
Then he followed the group.
Seconds later… he disappeared.
Drake looked left and right but saw no trace of his friend.
He began to feel guilty.
And he remembered something from the past when he used to be bullied.
He placed his hand on his chest and said in a broken voice: "What a coward I am… I left him alone!"
And he set off to look for him.
---
Lavinia finally reached home.
She was breathing heavily.
She ran up the stairs quickly, and on one of the steps she tripped and fell, but she didn't stop.
She kept climbing until she entered her room and shut the door behind her forcefully.
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