Homecoming Shadows

Chapter Sixteen: Good old Justice and the Movies

May 2005, Asheville

Ned, the best student in Grade 12, was staring at a paper on his desk. It was unlike any other he'd seen before. His usually perfect, A+ was replaced with a bold, red D-. He blinked, shook his head, and looked back down at the paper. The D- was still there. For the first time in his life, he had received a bad grade—not just any grade—a bad one.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brent, the class bully, shoot him a smirk.

"Hey, Neddie the Nerdy! What's that? A D-?" Brent howled with laughter, his cronies echoing his cacophonous sound. He sauntered over, snatching Ned's glasses off his face before he had a chance to protest.

Ned blinked, his clear view of the classroom hastily replaced by a blurry amalgamation of colors and shapes. The laughter seemed to gain in volume and hostility, echoing cruelly around the room. Unfamiliar tears welled up in his eyes, but he stubbornly blinked them away, retorting, "Shut up!" The laughter abruptly ceased, replaced by an eerily ominous silence, before roaring back twice as rowdy and dismissive.

Ned stood there, disoriented and humiliated, as his glasses sat mockingly in Brent's hand. Amid the fuzzy surroundings, one distinct figure materialized in front of him. Her blonde waves of hair and angelic eyes belonged to April—the prettiest girl in school.

Suddenly, a stern, commanding voice rang through the commotion. "Everyone! May I have your attention for one moment?"

Miles Prescott, the school's most feared and respected personality because of his connections and dark rumours around his persona, stood at the front of the classroom. He reached over, smoothly placing Ned's glasses back onto his face. A smirk played on his lips as he turned back to the startled crowd. "Can I have everyone's attention, please?"

Miles' eyes scanned the room, showcasing his disgust at the immature scenario unfolding before him. He gave Brent a pointed look, "What a waste of a human material!", he scoffed, leaving the room in a stunned silence.

From her spot at the back, Ruby watched the exchange with an intrigued expression. Miles, catching her eye, beckoned her to follow him. Not used to such attention, Ruby took a moment to process, but then stood hastily, following in his wake.

Just as the classroom door closed behind the unlikely group, laughter and whisperings filled the room again. The resident partygoer, Chad, turned towards April. "You up for tonight's party?"

Ignoring Chad's question, April darted out of the room, following the others without a moment's hesitation.

"Freaks," Gina, a girl from the third row said, popping her bubblegum as she watched them leave. The aftershock of the events had the entire class chatter. But, somewhere amidst the stunned silence and suppressed excitement, Ned felt a sense of justice he'd never experienced before.

Ruby

Rain was pouring relentlessly, bathing the concrete with relentless cold drops. Each tap against the metal canopy of our school's porch echoed with a certain melancholic beauty, as if nature were providing a soundtrack to my life. Under that canopy, waited Miles - the brooding rebel who existed in my life as a source of intrigue and mystery.

In his dark jeans and hooded jacket, he appeared to be in harmony with the mood of the day: somber but brilliant. He stood like a solitary outpost against the storm, observing the rhythm of the rain.

I approached him, feeling the sudden rush in my pulse as I drew nearer. It was always this way with Miles. He had an aura about him that pulled me in, defying logic and reason.

"It was very nice of you, standing up for Ned," I said, trying to gain his attention.

He turned slowly, his chestnut hair glistening with droplets of rain, his expression serene yet unreadable.

"It was nothing," Miles shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes still focused on the ceaseless downpour before him.

There was something about his modesty that made the air surrounding us even more intriguing. We both stood there enveloped in a silence so profound, it almost seemed deafening. The quietness was suddenly broken by Miles who turned to look at me.

"Ruby, can I ask you something?"

Suddenly transfixed by his gaze, I turned to face him as well.

My mind was slowly but surely wandering into the forbidden territory of admiring his sharp features - his sparkling green-grey eyes, his rejuvenated skin and most of all, his alluring lips. An electrifying thrill jolted through me as I looked at him, my heart fluttering with a confusing blend of nervousness and anticipation.

"Yes?" I finally found my voice, gently licking my lips as my gaze dropped inadvertently to his bright lips again.

An awkward silence gripped us as he declared, "I'm only gonna ask this once... If your answer is negative, I'll just disappear from your life. Alright?"

My bewilderment was evident as the wave of uneasiness washed over me.

"Miles..." I managed to speak his name in a barely audible voice, my eyes unintentionally wandering to the side.

"Here you are!"

Suddenly, our personal bubble was burst by a bright voice echoing behind us. Our heads turned simultaneously to find April, the queen bee of our school, standing with a cheery smile on her face.

"Do you guys want to go to the movies tonight? Star Wars: Episode III just came out!" she suggested. Her enthusiasm dampened a bit at our shared look of confusion. Quickly regaining her composure, she added with an encouraging smile, "I can ask if Ned, Daria and Cay would like to come too! Just the six of us!"

Miles appeared indecisive while April anxiously awaited our response.

"Sorry, not a fan of the sci-fi movies..." He confessed.

"Oh, sure!" April quickly chimed, "We can watch literally anything else! Dad owns the movie theater in town - I can get us free tickets."

The possibility of watching a movie later that evening seemed exciting.

Nodding appreciatively at April's generous offer, I blurted, "Sure!"

Miles gave me a confused look.

"That sounds like a perfect plan for tonight, April," I assured her before adding, a hint of mischief dancing in my eyes, "...My answer is positive."

A wide grin spread across April's face before she ran off.

Miles threw me a smirk, looking slightly amused, "...Did I hear it right, Ruby?"

"I like the movies, yes." I tolerated the smirk, returning one full of grace, before running into the rain.

The night was set for adventure, and I could hardly wait.