Secret kept safe

Life was pretty sweet now that I held the coveted spot of number 8 in the school hierarchy. Not only did it come with perks like increased respect and privileges, but it seemed to have an unexpected side effect—girls were starting to notice me more. Of course, that didn't extend to girls from other schools, but hey, you can't win 'em all.

Then, just when I thought things couldn't get any better, she appeared—the girl from the alley incident. My heart skipped a beat as I struggled to mask my surprise. Had she recognized me? Was she about to blow my cover?

"I can't believe I met you," she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with recognition.

Shit. Panic surged through me like an electric shock. Was this it? Was she going to expose me right here about what had happened the day before, right now?

"How have you been?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

Oh, fuck. It was a trap. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to escape this potential disaster unfolding before me. I took a step back, my eyes wide with shock, unable to mask the fear coursing through me.

What was going to happen next? Would she call me out in the middle of the road, humiliating me in front of everyone? The fear gripped me, rendering me frozen in place as I awaited my fate.

"I've been trying to find you and your friend along with my two buddies from before," she admitted, her voice laced with a touch of embarrassment as she looked down.

"We owe you both an apology for the mess that happened last time," she continued, her words earnest as she recounted the incident.

"It all started because my friends thought you were ogling them. But Ashylene set the record straight. She explained that you were simply searching for her and Sandra, and that her previous comments were all in jest," she clarified, her expression reflecting genuine regret.

As she recounted the events, confusion swirled within me. That wasn't at all how I remembered it. My friends and I had merely been observing from a distance and by merely we were serious oogling them, but somehow our actions had spiraled into a innocent misunderstanding. And Ashylene's involvement only added to the confusion. Why would she lie about something like that?

"But today, I finally found you, so please forgive my friends," she pleaded, her apology sincere.

Caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of relief and happyness. Ashylene's clarification had lifted a weight off my shoulders, but it also left me questioning the validity of the entire situation.

"What a messed up version of events," I thought to myself, trying to make sense of it all. But in that moment, standing face to face with her, I realized that the most important thing was to move past the misunderstanding and find accept the this way of escape.

"Ashylene and Sandra, you guys are the real bros of the bros," I grinned, expressing my gratitude.

"Hehehe, of course! We weren't ogling at all. We bolted because we were worried your friend wouldn't get it," I said in a tone light filled with laughter.

"How did you know that?" the girl asked, visibly surprised.

"It's just something I sensed," I replied with a smirk, enjoying the playful banter as I covered my face with my hand, closing my eyes.

"Wow, you're quite perceptive," she remarked, impressed.

"Hehe, yeah," I chuckled nervously, basking in the moment.

"Anyway, I wanted to thank you again for last time. I couldn't say it then," she said sincerely as we began to walk together.

"No worries. Your secret's safe with me," I assured her, feeling a sense of camaraderie between us.

"Thanks," she replied, her voice tinged with appreciation.

"I heard you're currently the eighth strongest at your school. You must be pretty powerful," she commented as we continued our stroll. "Oh, by the way, my name's Tina."

"Nice name," I responded with a nod, acknowledging her introduction.

"So, why do you keep your strength a secret when everyone at your school already knows about it?" Tina asked, her curiosity piqued.

"So, why do you keep your strength a secret when everyone at your school already knows about it?" Tina's curiosity broke the silence as we walked.

"It's complicated. It's something only I must know," I replied, deflecting her question.

"But wouldn't it be better to just demonstrate your power rather than hide it?" she pressed on, her curiosity evident.

"Like I said, it's complicated," I reiterated, avoiding further explanation.

"Okay," she conceded, dropping the subject.

As we continued walking in silence, Tina suddenly spoke up again. "You know, I'm a member of the Aremind family, and my dream is to become the greatest telepath in history," she shared with a smile.

"That's quite the ambition. You'll have to surpass even your grandfather," I remarked, impressed by her determination.

"Yes, that's my goal," she confirmed, beaming at me.

"Wow, that would be incredible. I hope you won't forget about me," I joked, breaking into laughter.

"Hey, so tell me, what's your dream?" Tina turned the conversation back to me.

I stopped and turned to face her, the setting sun casting a warm glow around us. "My dream is nothing like yours. To be frank, it's the direct opposite," I replied, a hint of seriousness in my voice.

"I'm curious now. Tell me. I told you mine," she urged.

"I want to make the world a peaceful place," I said, smiling softly as I gazed at the horizon.

Tina's expression softened, her cheeks turning red as she looked away shyly. "Wow, that's a beautiful dream. I thought you were going to say you want to be the weakest," she admitted.

"No way," I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Hehehe, look at that. I'm very strong. So strong that I made a girl blush," I thought to myself, a smile playing on my lips. "I think after this, she might even like me more."

I turned away, letting the smile fade from my lips, revealing the thoughts that lingered behind the facade.

My true dream was far from the idyllic vision of peace I had just shared. In reality, I harbored a deep-seated desire to dismantle the very foundation of chaos in our world—the chosen abilities bestowed upon humanity. To me, these powers were not a gift but a curse, breeding only hatred and discord.

True hate, I believed, stemmed from corrupted love. When love turned sour, it birthed an unyielding animosity that tore societies apart. And in much the same way, the chosen abilities were a breeding ground for chaos. To truly achieve peace, I reasoned, we must eradicate the source of this turmoil—the chosen themselves.

"Okay, I should get going," I announced, breaking the heavy silence that hung between us.

"I guess I'll see you at the inter-school competitions," Tina replied, a hint of anticipation in her voice as she waved goodbye and headed home.

"Yeah, see you next time," I echoed, watching her disappear from view before turning to make my way home.

Upon entering the house, I found it empty. With a sigh, I headed straight to my room to change. But as I opened the door, a sudden realization struck me like a bolt of lightning.

Wait a second. Inter-school competitions. That meant I would have to compete. Oh, fuck. Panic surged through me as I grappled with the daunting prospect of facing off against other students, armed with their chosen abilities. This was going to be a whole new level of challenge, one I wasn't sure I was prepared for.