The teenage boy, no more than thirteen or fourteen, had none of his usual swagger tonight. There was a
seriousness in his voice, a determined look in his eyes.
“Alright then. If | ever let Lessie down, you can beatup and tossout, Fair enough?”
Zachary could sense the boy's sincerity, so he didn’t brush off the promise. Instead, he gave it real consideration
and answered just as earnestly.
Dinner was nearly over when a low rumble of thunder echoed from the sky.
“Looks like it’s going to rain,” Xander said, glancing upward. The clouds were black and heavy, blotting out
everything.
“We'd better not overstay,” he added.
“Yeah, school’s tomorrow. Take an umbrella when you leave, or you'll get soaked,” Xander said, remembering at
the last moment that Monday was just around the corner, and shelving his earlier thought of asking Alessia to
stay the night.
“Grab one for me, would you?” Alessia said. She didn’t say who she was talking to, but Six immediately shoveled
down the last bite in his bowl, set it aside, and headed for the front porch.
Just as the two of them slipped out, another clap of thunder rolled by, and then the rain began, a gentle drizzle
at first, quickly swelling into a steady downpour.
1
Six sat on the doorstep, watching raindrops splash into the yard, pooling into little puddles across the flagstones.
His gaze grew distant, as the rain picked up.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe sky had darkened, and the rain turned heavy. A boy-maybe ten or eleven-cracing into the alley, water
splattering over his already battered sneakers. The soles, long worn thin, finally gave out.
He looked at his ruined canvas shoes, then glanced back over his shoulder. With a huff, he ducked into the
shelter of a crumbling brick wall, deciding to wait out the
storm.
Sitting down, he tugged off the shoes and inspected them. No fixing them this time. He set them aside, then
peeled his soaked hair from his forehead and yan’ ‘his oversized T-shirt over his head, using it to towel off as
best he could. Afterward, he just stared at the rain, lost in thought.
Lately, it had been raining almost every day. Rainy season, people called it. He'd
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been caught out without an umbrella more times than he could count. Now In the corner, he shifted until he
found a spot that was halfway comfortable planning to nap until the rain let up-If only life would let him.
But peace was never his to keep. Frowning, he got up, grabbed his shoes, and followed the voices echoing down
the alley.
“Con, princess, just send us a little cash and we'll let you go. You're from Aristocrat Academy, aren't you?
What's a few bucks to someone like you?”
“Yeah, have a little mercy, princess. | haven't eaten in three days,” the blond-haired guy said with a sneer,
sharing a look with his buddy before both of them burst out laughing.
They'd cornered a girl in a crisp, upscale school uniform. One after the other, they taunted her, their snickers
grating and mean. The girl held an umbrella, her face shadowed and unreadable.
“Hey. What the hell are you doing?” the boy called out, rubbing his head, his patience already worn thin.
The two thugs startled, but when they saw who it was, they relaxed. “Oh, it’s just Six. Orphan boy himself.”
“What do you mean, orphan? His mom just ran off with sother guy, that's all.”
“Yeah, exactly.”
Their jeering was loud and cruel, and, Six’s face darkened.
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“Psycho,” Blondie spat, but he kept his distance.
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“He's the one who clocked you?” his friend said, sizing Six up with open contempt. “Seriously, kid, mind your
own business and scram.”
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That was enough to push Six’s
temper over the edge. He nurses
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Alessia tipped her umbrella back just a little, her eyes meeting Six’s.
“Just keep walking straight and you'll be out of here,” Six said, his voice steady, The two thugs bristled, growing
even more annoyed.
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