A Meal With Strangers

"Bullied? By them? I could say 'yes' but then again, they don't really bother me. But if I say 'no', I would be lying because they do 'bully' things." Zel had a contemplative look on his face as he thought about it in depth.

What was bullying and when was it accurate to say that someone was being bullied?

"Oh, I see. Nevermind I asked then, you seem to be doing a good job handling it. But don't make it a habit to let them do that to you, not if you think their actions won't bother anyone other than you." Leonard hadn't even touched his hotdog from when he first heard Ranton speak. Taking another sip of his drink instead, holding a contemplative look on his face.

"You don't think that you're the only one being harassed by those boys, do you?" He looked at Zel with wisened eyes, it was as if he was trying to see what kind of boy Zel was. He certainly had his expectations, but he knew he had no right to expect anything.

"I don't know. I never really checked." Zel acted his age when he found Leonard's stare headed his way. Acting too smart now would cause him to attract some unwanted recognition. It wasn't time for that yet.

But he did want to talk with this man truthfully, and he wasn't sure. He had no recollection about someone looking bullied in school, not from his current memories. This is one of those situations when a mind palace would come in handy.

"I see..." Leonard finally took a bite of his sandwich, looking tenderly at the sky while doing so. He leaned back, feeling that box on his backpack that felt so heavy now. The person he wants to give it to is right next to him, but he couldn't even hold a proper conversation with him. What a mess.

"What school do you go to?" Officer Lance was now quite curious about this so he intended to make some phone calls. If cases like these go unpunished, then there must be something wrong with him if he doesn't do anything about it.

Allowing bullying to happen to kids inside what should be a safe place like a school was like allowing criminals to roam free on the streets. Both were equally unresposible for all governing parties involved, and he wanted that problem fixed. Especially when the kid beside him was one of the victims, and the kid was one of the good ones. Would be a shame to turn a blind eye to his problems when he tries to solve other people's mistakes.

"Uhh... Not telling!" Zel took his final bite before standing up, not wanting to involve the nice Officer in this mess. He might be nice, and the way he was asking showed he had good intentions, but this wasn't something he should put his foot into. This wasn't a simple problem that can be solved by a regular cop.

"Oh, but I bought you a hotdog!" Having dealt with his own kids back home, Officer Lance tried to make the boy spill the beans with guilt. But his words weren't going to work with the boy who had already seen through his intentions.

"I don't think it's a good idea, Officer Lance. Not if you want to keep your job, maintain your current lifestyle and even feed your family." Seeing that Officer Lance was about to try once more, Leonard cut him off. His voice was cool and relaxed, with him fumbling about his backpack as if his words were the simple truth.

'What the heck?' His eyes weren't looking at Officer Lance with contempt, but it felt that way to Officer Lance. He was about to give Leonard a piece of his mind when he saw the object Leonard took out.

'A touchscreen phone?' Zel was shocked at what he was seeing, not because of the phone being touchscreen as that was available in the market three years ago, but because Leonard had searched for information on Ranton and his family in less than five seconds. The device in Leonard's hand was a piece of technology that was used commonly twelve years from now, but not at this time period. He doesn't even know if there was a database for that kind of information at this time.

"You see that man over there? That's one of the seven major shareholders of the tech company 'Linton Industries'. You ask people about him and his family and I guarantee that you'll be found dead in a month, if not earlier." Leonard had kept the same gentle voice as he spoke while eating his sandwich. The man placed his phone on Officer Lance's hands to let him get a better look, not minding his quirky reactions at all.

"300 million dollars?! Hmm... Owns three mansions across Kanada, two yachts and one island off the coast of the USM. Three families? Similar to the number of mansions he has, isn't it? How did you get this much information on him? Who the hell are you, Leonard?" Officer Lance didn't know what to say, or even what to make of what he just learned. He looked at Leonard with a whole new light as the bumbling idiot now proved to be quite mysterious.

"No one particularly important, but important enough to get that kind of data close to my person. I don't want to make you fear me Lance, just want a good man to stay alive and well." Leonard took his phone from Officer Lance's grip that didn't dare to keep it tight. Zel was on the side, looking at him with the same look most people do when they learn of the existence of people like him.

"Are you some kind of spy, mister?" Zel wanted to get more information on Leonard and tried probing him. But it seems that Leonard doesn't want to talk about it anymore. 

"Haha, I wish. That would sound pretty cool, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, I'm just someone worse off than him, but we're similarly kept under someone's thumbs." Leonard had just finished his sandwich and was about to take another sip of his drink, but when he did so, he found that he was just sucking in air. He raised the drink up to see if there was even a small pool left but there just wasn't anything inside anymore. Though frustrated, he continued speaking his thoughts.

"Only difference is, he's free to do as he wants, though, of course, within certain limitations. Meanwhile, I'm only kept around because of what I do, and can only have some time for vacations where I can do most things that people want." A reddened nose was drooping snot on Leonard's face while his eyes were already moist from his gushing tears. He made himself sound so mistreated, but was that really the case?

"..." Both Zel and Officer Lance didn't know what to say. They could see the fury and regret in Leonard's face but didn't have any clue on what exactly happened. Even if they did know, and they certainly didn't, they won't have a clue on how to reassure the man that everything would turn out fine.

"Sorry about that, it's been a while since I could talk to people. I got a little too emotional." He didn't even know why he was crying, as he had chosen this life for himself. Feeling sorry about his own life decisions merely showed that he was selfish. He even got to speak to Zel, which was more than he could ever ask for.

"You want some of my soda, mister?" Zel handed Leonard his soda that he bought a little while ago. He didn't really have to, but he just felt like making Leonard feel like someone's looking out for him. Even if it was just to help him quench his thirst, something he could fix by himself.

"Thank you, child. Ehem. Let's skip all that nonsense just now, it's not every day we get to speak with strangers while eating hotdogs. Wha-" Leonard turned the atmosphere around with his weirdly charismatic presence and kept the conversation going.

The three of them had quite the long conversation, even going to great lengths over what kind of hotdog was the best. It eventually came down to the conclusion that there was no 'best' hotdog, only delicious choices. Soon, the three were done with their meal and were now free to leave, but no one knew how to end it.

"Thanks for the meal, sir cop! It was delicious!" Zel rubbed his stomach while giving Officer Lance a thumbs up. He didn't really know why he was acting too young, but it was fun to do so nonetheless. It's not every day that you get treated like a kid, might as well act the part.

"No problem, kid. Keep those arms of yours strong! Maybe get into some sports, or something, you'd have one hell of a pitch if you decide to go for baseball." Officer Lance copied a batter's pose while swinging one away. He was content with his suggestion when he saw Zel's uninterested face and made a weak laugh.

"No, thanks! I'd rather be a boxer! Whoosh. Whoosh." Zel took a pose and shadow boxed in front of the two men who were surprised at the sounds they were hearing. What kind of strength does this boy have?