Electric Truth

3 DEREK

Another day of school, he thought, sighing as he got up. Despite Derek's usual exuberance, he didn't have much of a mood today. Especially when memories from the previous night came rushing back to him.

Just the thought of yesterday's event made him feel sick. If only he could turn back time and fix his mistakes. But no one was capable of that.

To forget, he began slowly getting ready for school. He tried to focus on normal activities, just to keep himself from dwelling on the situation that had occurred. He glanced at the clock, and his face soured. Not only did he feel like he might have overslept by about two hours, but he also had only thirty minutes to be punctual for school. It was all he needed to have another fifteen-minute argument with the teacher, only to end up in the principal's office anyway.

His school wasn't far away, just like everything else in this town. Or rather, "small town." Here, almost everyone knew each other, and his friends were friends from preschool, elementary school, and now high school. Although it had its advantages and disadvantages, most people his age planned to leave as soon as they finished school. Derek, for now, had no idea what he really wanted to do. He knew perfectly well that he didn't have the same opportunities as others, but if things were different, his thoughts about the future would probably remain unchanged.

He had already discussed this with his mom, and every conversation went the same way. He couldn't leave the city because it wasn't entirely safe for him. His dreams of college and becoming independent had to wait a little longer. Why? He didn't know the answer to that question, but he didn't want to argue with his mother anymore. She only told him to wait until his twentieth birthday, and then he could go wherever he wanted. After long arguments, he finally agreed to that arrangement. Better later than never, he thought at the time, and that was how he closed the topic.

He looked at the clock again, which confirmed that he had even less time now.

"Fuck," he muttered and started preparing for school.

As soon as his foot crossed the school threshold, a loud bell rang through the hallway. Furious, Derek started running towards his classroom. Unfortunately, the class he was rushing to was on the other side of the building. Hoping that somehow, he would manage to arrive before the teacher, he continued running, paying no attention to anything else.

On one hand, he didn't want another tardy mark, but on the other hand, Hunter was surely sitting in class. The boys had been friends since they learned to walk. They had never really argued about anything. Anyone who knew them was surprised by their friendship and how long it had lasted, despite Derek and Hunter having completely different personalities.

Derek was a calmer person who never got into trouble and was always ready to help. Since childhood, he seemed more mature for his age and understood things better. Full of charisma, positivity, and a great zest for life.

Hunter, on the other hand, was his opposite. No matter where he went, trouble seemed to follow him, and almost everyone who knew him couldn't say a good word about him. Most people simply avoided him, while others tried to befriend him, but with little success.

Both were as different as fire and water, yet their friendship lasted for many years. Until last night. Now Derek didn't know how to behave around his friend.

What they had witnessed couldn't be undone. Even now, Derek wasn't entirely sure if what he saw actually happened. And although he wished it was just a terrible dream, Hunter's gaze only reminded him that yesterday's situation was very much real. He would probably still be staring at his friend in silence if it weren't for the teacher, who didn't seem pleased with the boy's tardiness.

"Mr. Henderson finally graces us with his presence," the gray-haired man spoke out loudly, addressing Derek directly.

"Mr. Carter," he responded, trying to force a smile. "I apologize for being late, but..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the teacher interrupted him.

"I've had enough of you. Always late, as usual. You seem perfectly capable of setting an alarm on your precious smartphone, considering you spend hours on it during my classes and..."

"I can, but I forgot," he replied. This time he really forgot. He had enough of these arguments with Mr. Carter. Not only should the man have retired long ago, but he also always nitpicked every little thing. Derek tried his best to restrain himself and not worsen his situation, but fatigue was taking its toll. So he stood there and waited for the teacher to kick him out of the class and send him to the principal's office.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Hunter was trying to convey something to him. Though he attempted to ignore it, he simply couldn't. Not because he didn't want to, but because his friend was practically bursting with the effort to get his attention.

"...to the principal's office..."

He heard and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he thought, surprisingly happy. He didn't feel ready yet to confront the truth. So the news that he didn't have to stay in the same class as someone he had mixed feelings about genuinely pleased him.

Before the teacher finished his sentence, Derek was already by the door, marching out of the room as if it were on fire. Despite feeling guilty, he knew he shouldn't talk to Hunter for some time. The longer he postponed it, the more time he had to think about whether it would be better to pretend to be clueless and try to convince Hunter that it was all just a dream. If he pretended long enough, acting as if he had been so drunk that he hallucinated, maybe his friend would truly believe in such a turn of events.

It seemed like the most logical plan, but he had concerns that it was too implausible. They did consume enough alcohol yesterday to be slightly intoxicated, but not to the extent of completely blacking out the next day. He saw Hunter's gaze. With the number of messages his friend sent, emphasizing the need to talk, Derek understood that trying to convince him otherwise might not just fly. However, until he himself understood what they had truly seen, he had to at least give it a try.

Derek was also aware that he had to talk to his mother about all of this. If anyone could comprehend the situation, it was certainly his mother. Granted, he knew how much trouble he would stir up, but he had no other choice. She was his only hope for understanding.

But before facing his mother, he had something less important to take care of.

What do you think happened? It will be revealed in the next chapter! ^^