Chapter 48 - Do You Live by the Beach
The two walked into a Northern-style diner. Big portions, great taste.
They ordered two dishes. One meat, one veg.
Mila got a huge bowl of rice. Luna only got half.
Luna had a bowl of wontons that morning and wasn't very hungry yet.
Mila kept her head down, shoveling rice while chatting. "Rory signed up for the four-by-hundred relay. I bet she's going for the prizes."
Kingsley Prep's sports meet always had generous prizes. Gold medal got a phone, silver a tablet, bronze a reading pen. Plus all kinds of random extras. Practice workbooks, tests, fountain pens, highlighters. At the very least, snack gift baskets.
"Hayes signed up for the men's four hundred."
"Most events are filled up. Only the men's five thousand has no takers."
Luna took a sip of water. "Makes sense. Other events are quick. You might even look cool doing them. Five thousand is a pure endurance grind."
They were eating and chatting when a surprised voice came from behind Luna. "Mila."
Mila looked up. Seeing who it was, she quickly grabbed a napkin, wiped her mouth, and cleared her throat. "What are you doing here?"
From that sequence alone, Luna could guess who it was without even turning around.
She looked back. Sure enough. Derek and a few guys had just ordered from the owner and sat down at the next table.
Derek knocked on the table. His seat was separated from Mila's by just an aisle. "Why won't you look at me?"
The guys around him started jeering.
In school, besides holidays, nothing got people more excited than hyping up someone's love life.
Mila's ears were so red they could drip blood. "I'm eating."
Derek drew out a long "Oh." "Fine. I guess food is more attractive than me."
They barely finished the meal. Mila dragged Luna and bolted.
Meanwhile, at Lincoln High.
Lincoln High was different from Kingsley Prep. The cafeteria had only two floors. Tables were uniform eight-seaters.
After eating, students went straight back to the classroom to nap at their desks.
Chloe was a day student. She could go home at lunch.
Chloe got home with a dark face. The house was empty.
Her father had recently found a job at a delivery logistics company. Her mother was working as a cashier at the supermarket downstairs.
Not a single hot meal at home.
Chloe had no appetite either. She tossed her school uniform jacket on the couch, went to her bedroom, and collapsed on the bed.
She stared at the ceiling, miserable.
Today in class, nobody had talked to her except Mia. And at home, her parents had barely spoken to her these past two days either.
Her mother used to make breakfast for Chloe every morning. At lunch, she'd have a big feast ready on the table.
She'd gotten used to that life. Now the contrast was overwhelming.
She hugged a plushie, bit her lip, hesitated for a long time, then sent Leo a message.
SleepyCeCe: [Are you not going to talk to me anymore either?]
Leo didn't reply for a long time.
She bit her lip, sinking into disappointment, then sent a message to Top Donor.
SleepyCeCe: [Brother, when are you coming back?]
She waited a few minutes. No reply.
At that moment, in an abandoned elementary school two blocks from Lincoln High, a crowd of people stood around.
The sky was dim today. Overcast and gloomy.
The wind was strong. Leo zipped up his school uniform jacket. His blonde hair was whipped into a mess. He squinted, hands shoved in his pockets.
"Leo." Ryder ran over quickly, holding a lighter. "Got it."
Leo dug a cigarette out of his pocket, clamped it between his lips, took the lighter from Ryder, shielded it from the wind with one hand, and lit it.
A boy with a shaved head leaned over. "Leo, might have to wait a bit longer. The kid's not here yet."
Leo's patience was running thin. His phone had been dead for a while. He turned to Ryder. "What time is it?"
Ryder checked his phone and reported immediately. "One twenty."
"Ten more minutes." Leo held the cigarette between his fingers, blew out a smoke ring. The gray-white smoke was quickly scattered by the wind. "If he doesn't show, I'm leaving."
"Don't." The shaved-head guy clicked his tongue. "You don't know how cocky this kid is. A freshman. No respect. He needs to be taught a lesson today."
Leo said, "Not my problem. I haven't eaten."
The guy clicked his tongue again. He was a senior. If Leo wasn't such a good fighter, he'd never lower his head like this. "Fine, fine, fine."
Right as he finished, an arrogant motorcycle roar blasted from the entrance.
Leo's eyebrow twitched involuntarily.
A silver-gray, vaguely familiar motorcycle sped toward them, kicking up a trail of dust.
"Crap, this kid is really cocky." The shaved-head guy cursed.
The bike stopped. The boy planted his long legs on the ground, pulled off his helmet with one hand. His hair was a light mint green, almost blue-tinged, blown back by the wind.
He had striking features. Even with his hair a mess, his looks didn't take a hit.
Leo narrowed his eyes. Something about this guy was familiar.
Ryder recognized him first. "Damn. It's this kid."
He pushed up his sleeves, stepped out first, and challenged. "What are you doing here?"
Xander raised an eyebrow. One hand rested on the handlebar. "Wild chicken. Stop adding scenes for yourself."
"Shit." Ryder knew this kid was cocky, because his mom was pretty cocky. But he'd still underestimated the level of cockiness from this ugly green-hair.
He thought of his mom, moping and depressed these past few days. He clenched his fist and glared at Xander. "You're just as shameless as your mom."
The faint smile on Xander's face vanished completely.
He looked at Ryder expressionlessly, voice thin and cold. "Say that again, if you've got the guts."
Normally, Ryder would've backed down.
But thinking about his mom secretly crying at home, his fear melted away.
He gritted his teeth and repeated it. "I said, your mom is a shameless, ugly mistress!"
The shaved-head guy was dumbfounded. He instinctively looked at Leo. "What? Your boy has a personal beef with him?"
Leo hadn't expected this. He quickly snuffed out his cigarette.
Just as Xander hopped off the bike and raised a hand to throw a punch, Leo grabbed his arm, fast as lightning.
Xander clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"What?" He stared at Ryder. "You called your owner in?"
Ryder's temper flared. "You really are just like your mom. Filthy mouth."
Every trace of playfulness disappeared from Xander's expression.
"Ryder, you can talk trash about my mom behind my back all you want. Just not in front of me."
His arm tensed slightly, about to break free from Leo's grip.
But after a long struggle, he couldn't get loose.
"?"
He looked at Leo. "Bro, do you live by the beach? Why do you care so much?"