2 CHAPTER I

Mountain Side High has a large green yard with trees shading the grassy yard and tables and benches neatly lined up. The tables and benches are used by Mountain Side High students to gather in the shade of the trees, avoiding the occasionally raging sunlight. Each tree is "inhabited" by a certain group of students with a certain unwritten territory. Aidan Reid is used to take a sitting position that is somewhat hidden from the others. He hates crowds. Sometimes, he looks down on people who live by the recognition of others. He is not very sociable, especially with most teenagers who deem social media or social status important. Aidan Reid has an invisible wall that he builds around himself, with only certain people he allows to enter. One of those people is Joshua Dawson, a tall young man with a slender figure, one with a casual nature.

Joshua Dawson is ten inches taller than Aidan, even though Aidan himself is slightly higher than the average of Mountain Side High students. Unlike Aidan who has a calm and quiet demeanor, Josh appears more friendly and open. However, he also does not socialize much with Mountain Side High students. Many of Josh's friends are from outside of his school, mostly from rather suspicious places that Aidan himself doesn’t want to know.

They met two years ago, back when they were fifteen years old. By coincidence, they were both involved in the elimination of “ghoul” that disturbed one of the food stalls in the suburb. The events they experienced together gave birth to a close bond they share today.

Josh lives alone with his uncle, an old ‘yeger’. Aidan heard the story about Josh's parents only from the young man's uncle, while Josh himself never talks about it, Aidan never asks. As usual, that afternoon they sit together, enjoying food. Aidan takes out two lunch bags. His mother always prepares two lunch bags, one each for him and Josh. Mrs. Reid always makes Aidan brings lunch for Josh, the woman wants to make sure that her only child and his only friend do not lack of food.

Aidan puts a laptop on the table. While it is booting, he looks into the lunch bag and takes a large sandwich. Chewing on the sandwich, Aidan begins to surf for interesting things from the internet. They both often look for stories that do not make sense from local news, hoping to stumble upon interesting things for their hunting object.

"Anything interesting?" Josh puts his head on Aidan's shoulder, looking at the computer screen.

Aidan shrugs, trying to brushes Josh's head aside. "Seriously? Josh, take your head somewhere else, unless you want to confirm what others think of us."

"What did your mother prepare for me?" Josh asks, ignoring Aidan’s protest.

Aidan throws the other lunch bag to the side.

Josh raises his head and opens his lunch bag. He takes a big bite of the sandwich. "Your mother is the best. Give her my warm regards," he grins broadly.

"Come visit us. She has been asking about you for the past few days. What problem are you dealing? It seems like you disappear often, this week."

"A minor problem." Josh puts his arm around Aidan's shoulder. "Why don’t you come with me this evening?"

"What kind of problem?" Aidan is getting suspicious.

"You know, right, that I’m working a part-time job at a Retirement Home?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Matt, you remember him, don’t you?" Josh asks. "Supposedly, he comes to work in the Retirement Home on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while I am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. However, this week he did not show up. Inevitably, I covered his shifts. I wonder what happened to him. Maybe he got a job with bigger money, who knows? Therefore, I need your help."

"What kind of help?"

"Obviously, to take over for Matt." Josh looks at Aidan. "Come on now, the pay is not much, but sometimes the old folks like to give decent tips."

"So, you took advantage of those old people?”

"Tips, they gave tips. It is their right to give us extra money and it is our right to accept the money. So?"

Aidan stares at the laptop while stroking his chin.

"Look, if you feel that accepting tip from them is cheating, you can always reject it," Josh adds.

"All right, but only for a while. Okay?"

"No problem!" Josh answers happily. "This afternoon, I'll introduce you to Miss Wilde, she's the Chief Superintendent at the Retirement Home, a woman in her late thirties, single. Surely she will like you, Aid."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Aidan asks doubtfully.

Josh just smiles meaningfully.