Harmony

The recent events at Woodhill have had a significant impact on the students. They are now more supportive of each other, and there is a healthier and more fluid interaction between them.

They engage in discussions about topics that interest them, such as video games. Both boys and girls are passionate about online gaming and other activities that stimulate their minds.

They share different common hobbies and have found that they have much in common. The past few weeks have been enlightening as they have been compelled to collaborate in order to participate in the new charter. Groups have been formed to better understand each other's needs.

The group includes Aike and Ayke, Howie, Eli, Raphaël, Tess, Todd, Kaeli, Mandy, Esicar, and Olek, who have all been placed together by the principal. She understands that these eleven kids are the crucial keys to avoiding further slippage.

Therefore, she assigns them the challenging task of working on the final charter, which she will supervise and ultimately decide whether to keep.

After each group completes their proposal, it will be presented to Céline's renowned group of eleven, then to the teachers, and finally to the principal, who will make the final arrangements. Celine would meet with the committee and teachers for a final revision before publication and distribution.

This allowed them to get to know each other better. The committee comprises eleven people representing the different groups of children who attend the school.

The headteacher, Celine, has accurately calculated and tasked herself with selecting individuals capable of inciting a new wave of protest comparable to the blue and red helmets, if not the Fourth World War.

And we could see a big change in the atmosphere. There were no more zombie heads in the classrooms. They were happier and more enthusiastic about the new charter.

Everything at Woodhill was starting to change, the teachers were being confronted with more active and attentive students, asking questions and raising issues about sex, sexual attraction and other things the teachers didn't even know existed.

But hey, they should have known all along that they are never at the end of their surprises with children.

While the children wake up each morning in good spirits to attend their respective classes, some of the teachers find themselves with grumpy faces.

Now it's their turn to wear zombie heads, for the little heads facing them are like puppies waiting impatiently for the ball or stick to be thrown at them, ready to pounce, their eyes full of mischief and vitality.

"This time we're finished," they say bitterly every time they enter an enthusiastic classroom. But deep down, they would much rather see them excited than behaving like machines every day long.

The personal development hours have been reduced to accommodate them and give them much more time to complete the task they have been given - writing the new charter.

The elected members of the committee were surprised to see that all the groups had chosen the 'cute style'. And the boys were exempted from wearing the long-sleeved jacket.

From now on, their uniform will be reduced to a sleeveless double-breasted waistcoat, a white shirt, and a red tie, while the girls will wear pleated skirts two to three inches above the knees, a white short-sleeved shirt with a round collar, and a small hand-tied bow in a red ribbon.

They can all wear coats or jackets of their own choice and shoes of their own choice. The principal decided to give them a bit of freedom so that they would feel less pressured by the uniform or anything else.

Celine was quite proud to see the students working and discussing without getting upset about anything and everything and waving their status in people's faces when they felt offended.

Todd and Tess had taken the opportunity to apologise to Kaeli for what their mother had said.

She had a good laugh at seeing them tense as wires, ready to cut any hard surface to apologise to her when they had done nothing.

If she disliked anyone, it was their mother, not them, and the children were very different from their unstable parents. Since then, they have developed the habit of greeting each other.

The committee has encouraged them to get closer. The twins always look at Howie askance, but he doesn't pay them any attention.

They don't know how to approach him, so they try their best, bumping into him when he gets too close or sticking their foot out when he doesn't look where he's going. One morning Howie lost his hair rubber.

Ayke, who had been following him everywhere with his eyes, took the opportunity to offer him one... ever since that famous afternoon outside the café when Howie was almost run over like a field rat visiting the city for the first time.

The latter doesn't know why he does it, but he thought it would be nice to be the one to help Howie again if possible. Although sometimes he wonders why he lets his hair grow so long. It must be a pain, right? Although it does make him look charming and sexy.

The twins' behaviour in playing pranks on Howie is seen as childish by some. Howie, in turn, pretends not to notice them. In response, they decide collectively to tease him until he begs for mercy, but he still refuses to communicate directly with the twins.

They eat, play and engage in group activities together. This collaborative effort, undertaken for the betterment of all, has led to some innovative ideas.

That afternoon, instead of concentrating on the charter, they had the good idea of playing a game of basketball, a five-on-five game, girls and boys mixed.

After spending half an hour trying to persuade Howie to join them, he finally decided to let Kaelie and Elie drag him into the gym.

They were all dressed almost entirely in sportswear, except for Kaeli, Esicar and Mandy, who wore very short skirts with elegant jackets and the like, one sexy, one elegant and the other demure but still pretty.

The twins refused to team up separately, so the girls nicknamed them the Killjoys. They didn't care what nickname they got, as long as they stayed together, and Howie rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"You're so corny," he said for the first time since they'd all been working together, glaring at them openly. The twins looked at him in turn, not forgetting to comment: "Monsieur does know how to talk."

Howie and Raphaël ended up with three girls, Kaeli, Mady and Esicar, whereas the twins acquired Tess, Todd and Olek. They all play basketball, except for the girls who joined the same team as Howie.

They are part of the drama, art and music club, as well as the volleyball team. In addition, Elie, who is the only one who knows the rules, is the referee.

"It's bad luck," says Aike, in the euphoric mood shared by his brother. They laughed uncontrollably.

It always seems strange to the others when they hear them giggling or even daring to laugh out loud, but hey, they'll get used to it. It's not their fault they thought they couldn't show emotion.

"We'll make short work of it," they say to their team, who is beginning to share the same sense of well-being, whilst the members of the other group look at them with an undisguised grimace on their faces.

"Come on," Kaeli said confidently, "we won't give up without a fight, and whoever loses will do the winning group's tasks for a week. You'll do whatever the other group asks, no questions asked."

Being someone who dislikes losing, she decided to motivate them as much as possible. There's no way she'd let it happen so easily.

"Wow!" Ayke exclaimed happily, he was almost unrecognisable. Howie gave him a questioning look with a stunned smile at the corner of his lips.

"This is where it gets interesting, do we have the right to choose the person to carry out our mission?" They find the idea interesting, as they already have a candidate in mind.

It's a Pandora's box that Kaelie has just opened without knowing it.

"Of course," Kaelie replied enthusiastically, so happy to see her idea making them so happy, "that's the beauty of the game."

They were all in a good mood, willing to go the extra mile to help their team win, especially some who had homework and were already late.

This is the time for them to find a little help without lifting a finger. This is the case for Tess and Todd, who are always waiting for the deadline to hand in their homework, but the twins have other plans.

Aike leads his team a little further to pass on instructions. "Whatever you do, never give Howie time to shoot, he is skilled and very gifted for three points and above all the pitch has no secrets for him. He is what you could call a 'sniper' on the pitch, he has this quality of getting rid of his opponent with a simple gesture or even a 'crossover' sequence so that he can score. So we won't leave anything to chance. They have to serve us and not the other way around. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Captain," the others reply, each as excited as the next.

It has to be said that the draw has not gone in Howie's and Raphaël's favour, but they have no intention of giving up, they want to fight for the other three members of their team.

"How are we going to do that?" Kaeli inquired, who doesn't like to lose. "I don't know why I set these conditions, I let my impulses get the better of me. And we're not what you'd call a perfect team. I'm sorry," she says with puppy dog eyes.

"We'll create some diversion to make things easier for Howie and Raphael, I don't want to be a burden to you," Esicar intervenes, "if we can't beat them according to the rules, we'll do it our way. We'll create opportunities for Raphaël and Howie, that's all we have to do," she tells the girls.

Esicar is a confident and attractive mixed-race girl with well-proportioned features. She has the ability to captivate anyone with a simple smile.

Some call her an evil fox spirit that had the ability to lure men or anyone in the wrong way.

"I like it," Howie said, "but I don't think these two will let themselves be distracted," he added, nodding towards the twins.

"We don't care about that, we'll try and see anyway, okay?" Esicar continued, cooing almost like a dove.

"Okay," Howie replied, smiling a bit at Esicar's confidence. "But I think it will be difficult for me to score today. Raphael will lead the attack. They may try to prevent me from touching the ball, but we will deceive them.” Howie flashed a devilish smile that made the girls cringe. Raphael, on the other hand, burst out laughing.

Howie had never given them a chance to get to know him better; it was the first time he'd spoken to them so much. Raphael asked for the plan, having watched their interaction without saying a word.

"Here it is," Howie replied, ... "I will retrieve the balls to draw the opposing team's attention and create space for Raphael. If they concentrate on marking me, their defence will be weakened, allowing someone to break free. Our priority is to ensure that Raphael is that someone, so that he can score. Ladies, please do not hesitate to draw your defenders towards me to create space for Raphael to take the perfect shot or penetrate the defence. Does everyone understand?"

Mandy spoke up confidently, "I think I've got it."

Howie raised a playful eyebrow in surprise. "Good to hear from you Mandy."

Mandy jumped slightly when she heard Howie say her name. "So you know my name," she murmured softly with a shy smile on her face.

"Of course I know it," Howie replied without looking at her.

"That surprises you? So it’s that’s why you keep to yourself and let yourself be chewed on all the time, you think that makes you invisible?" he replied almost aggressively.

"Leave her alone," Esicar intervened firmly.

"I'm counting on you," Howie continued without flinching, as if he wasn't about to give Mandy a life lesson. "Raphaël, you must give everything you have in your stomach."

"Tell me again, why is Todd our captain and not you?" Raphael asked Howie, who rolled his eyes as if the question didn't make sense.

"Because I hate interactions," he answered Raphael anyway, glaring at him.

"We can concentrate on our game now, yeah? Thank you very much." he said in a tone that suggested that this conversation had no reason to take place. And Raphael looks at him and rolls his eyes.

"He's so arrogant, that bloke," Raphael mumbles to himself. "I heard you," says a sarcastic Howie.

"So, are we going to play this game or not?" Todd shouted from across the pitch. "Yes, we're going to do it," muttered Howie, excited to see what the twins had in store for him.

They drew lots once more to see which team would attack first, and the twins won. This brought a cheerless smile to the girls' lips.

So they fought a match that the twins thought would be a piece of cake, but much to their surprise, they clearly underestimated their opponent, and they did not like it.

Whilst the other team were having a great time. The girls took their cue from Howie and Raphaël and followed their instructions. They were great, you can see how much fun they had playing.

Howie was acting crazy in his head, but he didn't let it show, he was too happy to see the twins looking at each other with their expressions distorted with suppressed anger. "Oh, they hate losing," Howie said mockingly.

And that famous smile, the secret of which only he knows, appeared on his lips as he watched them stick their tongues out at him like children. Esicar shouted confidently, “Bunch of babies.”

The group's attempts at seduction were successful with Todd, Olek, Tess and even Elie who is the referee, giving them an advantage as the twins were solely focused on Howie. As a result, their defences began to weaken.

The twins, brimming with pride, resumed the fight and became very competitive. They were tied when Aike couldn't take it anymore and lunged at Howie, taking him down with the force of an MMA fighter. Ayke was taken aback by his brother's sudden aggression and shouted his name in surprise.

"Damn, have you gone crazy?" Ayke asked him through their link, growing more concerned as he noticed that Howie hadn't made a sound.

Eyes closed, face contorted in pain, Howie remained lying on the floor without moving. The girls and the other boys rushed to them. Just as concerned as each other.

"What happened?" asked Elie calmly as she crouched down beside Howie, she was distracted by Esicar play.

She put a hand on Howie’s firm, muscular chest and asked him quietly, "Howie, can you hear me?" He didn't answer, a panicked Aike looked up at his brother who refused to look at him.

"I didn't do it on purpose," he said through their psychic connection. "I know," Ayke replied.

"Then why are you avoiding my gaze?" Aike asked, even more confused by his brother's behaviour towards him.

"Because you are letting your primal instincts guide you. My brother has much more control over his emotions than that. It was only a game, and they were far from superior in quality, but they held their own. We should congratulate them, not slaughter them like animals." Ayke lectured him without even opening his mouth.

"I don't know what came over me, it was only when I was on the ground on top of him that I realised what I had done. I just got carried away, I was too into the whole game. It's the first time we've played for fun and I felt strange." Aike tried to defend himself by explaining to his brother what he had felt.

"That's right," Ayke replied with a fond smile, "it was very liberating, it was too much," he shouted happily into their heads, which helped Aike to relax a little. His brother understands, and that's all that matters.

Ayke leaned over Howie and whispered in his ear, "If you don't get your boy-princess arse out of here, I swear I'll make you taste my fist."

Howie chuckled and moaned in pain. He then replied, "You know, I was just about to take a nice nap, but you had to come and disturb me. You two really make a good pair, evil twins," However, his amused tone quickly faded as he added, "Unfortunately, I can't move."

"What!" Ayke shouted in panic. "Are you hurt?" he added.

"Yes, I think so," Howie replied sincerely, because Ayke's worried tone was just as sincere.

Ayke straightened up and looked around anxiously, then realised that he was talking to Howie in a relaxed and friendly way in front of those eight pairs of eyes watching them curiously.

"What?" he asked, "Is this the first time you've seen people talking to each other?" The others chuckle happily and put their hands over their mouths in amusement at the twins' behaviour. It's not the first time they've noticed how childlike the twins are, but each time it's something more.

"You'll find a way to get me up or you'll spend the rest of the day squawking like pigeons." Howie asked in a harsh and plaintive tone at the same time. They giggled a bit more before Elie decided to call for help.

A few minutes later, they were all gathered outside the infirmary, waiting for Howie who had been carried out on a stretcher.

"Do you think it's serious," Mandy asked anxiously, biting her nails.

"What do you think?" Kaeli asked, a little irritated by her question. "They brought him in on a bloody stretcher, dammit! What more do you need to think, it's serious?" she suddenly shouted, startling Mandy.

"No need to get upset, she just asked a question, Kaeli," Esicar pointed out calmly.

She gave them a disapproving look before turning to Mandy, a little calmer this time. "I'm sorry, when I'm stressed, I have a nasty habit of lashing out at the people around me."

"Don't panic," Olek interrupts. "It's probably a broken pelvis, nothing too serious. He'll just need to take a few days off and then he'll be fine. I don't think Ayke - no, Aike... well, whatever... has broken anything else."

"Aren't you overreacting a bit?" Aike asked him, annoyed by his interruption and his words, which did not help the situation.

"A pelvic fracture is very serious and I don't think the impact was that strong. Not to mention that pelvic fractures are very risky. Do you at least know that, Olek? Why don't you shut up and mind your own business? What an idiot!"

And now it's Aike's turn to get angry, Olek should have kept his words to himself. The Morgenstern twin got so angry that he kicked a chair violently in front of him before his brother could even stop him from doing another stupid thing.

He felt a sharp jolt go through his shin. He let out a scream of pain as he staggered and bounced on one foot for about fifteen minutes before he calmed down.

Ayke shot a murderous look at his brother, who was freely writhing in pain while he forced himself to hide his pain as best he could from the other. It took him a lot of self control not to scream like a madman.

"What the hell is happening to you today, Aike?" He growled in his head like a rabid animal. His eyes were red from trying to control the pain, a vein in his forehead was ready to burst as it began to swell considerably.

"I don't know," his brother replies through their mind-link, in incomparable anguish and despair.

"I don't understand, I feel like I'm drowning. I feel so many things at the same time, I want to let them out, it's hard to contain them. It's so hard," he sobbed, so desperate that it showed on his handsome face.

"Why isn't it the same for you? What's happening to me?" he continues to question his brother in the same desperate tone, and frankly it hurts to hear him whimper like a wet dog.

"Don't tell me our bond isn't what it used to be, eh? Are we broken?"

Ayke scoffed and rolled his eyes when he heard him say those words, if they were broken then why is he suffering martyrdom with that itchy shin and why do they keep talking to each other without anyone noticing? If his brother hadn't been in so much pain, he would have made a very insinuating remark to him, but he is content to take it easy for now.

Then he blurted out, "Our bond isn't what it used to be, my arse, Aike. Did you notice that you almost broke my shin?"

"Oh! Sorry about that. I had an uncontrollable impulse like on the pitch," his brother replied, ignoring his outburst. He's already in a bad state of mind, it won't be healthy if Ayke adds his two pence too.

"I'm scared, Ayke, is our twin bond dissolving? Has Mother succeeded this time?" but that doesn't stop him from being really scared. Why is he like this, when his brother is so calm? This is not possible, normally they share everything without exception.

"Stop your nonsense, you idiots! No one can separate us, I promise you. I think this is all due to the changes in our environment," Ayke replied in a soft and calm tone, feeling his brother's fear entering him this time.

"That's a bit normal, okay. We're not like we were before, we've just had two completely crazy weeks, we've done things we never thought we could do. It's our system trying to adjust to the current state of our thoughts and emotions," he continues to speak to his brother in the same soft and calm tone, trying to calm and reassure him.

As they talked about their bond, they moved closer without realising it until they were in each other's arms.

As Ayke felt his brother's warmth against him, he smiled and his brother smiled with him. "So you see? Nothing has changed. We just have to go slowly and accept the changes. We'll live our teenage years like the teenagers we are until we're twenty-five, okay?"

"Okay," Aike replied reassuringly, his head nestled in the crook of his brother's neck.

"Are you finished?" Olek asked, who couldn't stand all the affection they shared in front of everyone. "If you weren't brothers, I'd have gotten you a room by now. This attraction between you is really not healthy."

"Shut up, Olek!" shouted the rest of the gang, who were attentively following the attraction between the two brothers.

Of course, they could not hear their conversation, but the emotions they released said a lot about what was going on in their minds.

They were both lost in the beautiful image the twins were creating, until Olek came in to disturb the peaceful atmosphere and break up the beautiful scenery. They found the affection between the twins touching and comforting, but Olek had to talk nonsense.

Olek jumped and almost hit the ceiling at the echo of their voices telling him to be quiet. He gave them a reproachful look before speaking again.

"Okay, I'll shut up," he said, making the gesture of zipping it up and showing it around with a silly look that made them laugh heartily.

Then they all remembered that they were in the infirmary, where it was forbidden to make noise for fear of disturbing the others who were resting or sick.

One of the nurses came out of the room where Howie was and they all rushed to her. "Let's calm down," she said in a firm voice. "He's all right. It's nothing serious, he's just sprained his lower back, he needs rest and no sudden movements. If you want your friend to recover quickly, you have to talk some sense into him. He refuses to hear about rest or anything like that."

After all, they were all breathing; well, it's not more serious than that. "Don't worry, we'll talk some sense into him; he's stubborn by nature." Ayke interjected, concerned about Howie's full recovery.

"Yes!" the others replied together, "we'll take care of everything, don't worry."

"May we see him now?" Mandy asked hesitantly.

"Yes, go ahead, he needs an MRI to ensure all is well. We know he won't have it, let alone tell his parents. I entrust him to you."

"We'll manage," Kaeli replied. "Leave the orders to us, will you?" she asked, turning to the others for their agreement. They nodded.

No sooner had they entered the room than a deep, nervous voice greeted them like a sharp razor.

"Why are you still here?" Howie growled.

"Why do you think we are here?" Aike replied almost immediately, without hesitation.

Howie rolled his eyes in annoyance and sat up abruptly, leaving him with a grimace. The girls rushed to his bedside.

"You need to stop making such sudden movements until we know if you've broken your pelvis, and we won't leave you alone until we find out. So save your strength for something else, because we are the cavalry." Esicar announces cheerfully.

"The cavalry?" Howie growls almost dismissively, a mocking laugh in his voice.

"I just want to go home and not see your faces anymore, and as long as you're around I can't get better. So give me some space." His tone was sour and hard, then he turned to the twins with a face even uglier than the one he had put on in response to the girls' help. "And you two don't come near me." He said to the twins, who were staring at him openly.

Aike left the room in a rage and Ayke followed him in a panic to calm him down before he did something stupid or hurt them again.

"You have to calm down, you'll drive me crazy if you go on like this, your emotions overwhelm me like a raging sea. You're going to drown me, you're going to drown me," he almost cried out in despair. "Share them with me instead of pushing me towards them, will you try to do that for me little brother?" he pleaded with his brother.

"What's wrong with you, look at me," he asked Aike in a more conciliatory tone.

"I don't know, I don't know anything..." the latter answered him, more lost than ever and he had never felt so helpless in his entire sixteen years old life.

"Well, then we'll find out together, okay. And don't worry, it's our responsibility to take care of him, even if he chases us away," Ayke reassures his brother in the most loving tone he knows.

All these events have forced the boys to break down the social and family barriers that have been erected between them. They want to know who they are and learn to face their own demons without focusing too much on the needs of their parents.

This is how they become involved in the life of Howie, who is as stubborn as a mule and listens to no one but his instincts.

One fine morning, Howie was at home, asleep, when the doorbell rang. His father, who was out in the garden watering his plants, looked at his watch and was surprised that someone could ring their doorbell so early in the morning. Especially as they never had spontaneous visits, or any visits at all. He put down his vapouriser, took off his gloves and walked towards the main gate.

Who could it be? He started to think when a crazy and insane thought crossed his mind, frightening him and sending shivers down his spine. He quickly checked his clothes and straightened his back before opening the door.

To his great astonishment, he was confronted by a young boy who towered over him by a few centimetres, dressed in a black suit without the slightest crease, like those worn by action film actors. It was only the young man's gullible smile that softened the austerity and severity of the scene before Marc's eyes.

The black limousine parked on the side of the pavement with its darkly tinted windows added to the shiver that ran down Marc's spine as he tried his best to remain calm. "How can I help you?" he asked in a half-neutral, half-defensive tone.

"Good morning, sorry to disturb you so early, sir. Is this the Bucklebury family, please?" the young man asked politely, his handsome face and almost angelic smile matching his tone.

But Marc was not fooled by his appearance and polite manner. "And who are you?" he asked in the same tone, suggesting he could lose his temper at any moment if the stranger with the beautiful smile turned out to be a threat to him and his son.

"Oh, forgive my manners, sir. I am Alfred Harvey, the driver for these gentlemen, friends of your son, Howie Buckleberry." He gestured to the boys watching him from behind the tinted window, impatiently waiting for Alfred to confirm that this was indeed the house they were looking for.

They got out of the car, synchronising their every move. Marc looked at them with amusement, almost forgetting why he was about to pull out his claws if the polite young man was a threat.

"Good morning, I'm Marc Huckleberry, Howie's father." He shook Alfred's hand and stepped back to let them in.

"Hello, Mr Huckleberry!" The twins sang in unison. "We are the Morgensterns, Aike and Ayke." Without specifying who was who.

"Hello, gentlemen," Marc replied, amazed at their synchronisation and their uncanny resemblance. It's as if they were the same person, without even the slightest symmetry; it's crazy.

They passed him and entered the large courtyard, surprised to find that Howie did not live like other people of the popular class. It's not like their villa, but his house is a little closer to them than those of the common people, the popular class.">>

They expected to find him in a flat shared with other tenants or in a small, insignificant house, but what they saw before them far exceeded their expectations. This Howie of misfortune is a real mystery.

"Shouldn't he be poor and run down or something?" A stunned Aike asked his brother through their connection.

"Not the way we imagined him," his brother replied with a small laugh.

"You see how we can be wrong about people if we don't know them," Aike continues in a firm tone.

"Yes, that's for sure," answers his brother, enchanted by the house and its courtyard.

They follow in the footsteps of Marc, who leads them inside, while Alfred follows a little further. He always managed to keep a few steps between himself and them.

He makes no inappropriate remarks, in his head or otherwise, as his employers like to scrutinise and comment on everything. He is content to follow them like a good child.

The interior of the house is much more breathtaking, comfort and luxury merge in perfect harmony. They cast questioning and suspicious glances at each other, barely able to hide their amazement at this speed.

"Is Howie here?" asked Aike shyly.

"He's in his room, it's upstairs, second room on the left," Mark replied, completely ignoring the way he saw them looking at every corner with that suspicious and dazed look.

Without further ado, they head for the very spacious modern wood and glass spiral staircase that gives the living room all its grace. From the top, they have a full view of the living room and dining room. It's wonderful!

They have scanned every inch of the house without the slightest embarrassment. It's not their fault; they didn't mean to be rude, but they were brought up to be sensitive to detail. Besides, if they trusted Howie's academic record, he should not be living in a house like this.

They've always thought that Howie forced himself to be classy and refined, even though he sometimes tried to hide it. They thought maybe it was because of his personality disorder, but it seems they've been wrong all along.

What exactly Howie is hidding? He really does have a nasty habit of misleading people. The guy is really hard to pin down.

"Second bedroom on the left," Ayke repeated before raising his hand to knock on the white door, but it opened slightly when he put his hand on it.

He pushed it open to take a quick look, but his surprise left him speechless. Aike pushed him aside to get past him, too eager to see what had silenced his brother. After all, they had one of the largest fortunes in the world, so nothing should surprise his brother like that.

"A dog's name!" he exclaimed in amazement, "but who exactly is this guy? Seriously, Ayke, he must be poor, right? We've seen his file, even though he only has half a scholarship, but that doesn't explain it, does it?"

"Yes, exactly," Ayke replies. "But all this has nothing to do with his case, why would his parents lie?" They stood there in the doorway, debating Howie's life, the whys and wherefores, wondering if they had made a mistake in looking up his address.

"They weren't lying," came a low, hoarse voice from across the room, and they jumped and grabbed each other as if their lives depended on it. "We spoke out loud," Aike whispers, "we're finished."

The room before them is as beautiful and simple as its occupant. It must be said that whoever decorated it knows the owner of this place by heart.

It is decorated like a luxury hotel room. The first part consists of a small, austere and elegant living room, a work area with everything you need, a desk, a very comfortable chair, a computer, and other things. Then, there is a bookcase with everything from paperbacks to informative books of all kinds, followed by black and white paintings hanging on the wall and plants in an elegant pot in the corner.

Everything was immaculate white, from the walls to the furniture, except for the back wall and the large bed, which were dark grey, almost black.

The French window, which should let in a lot of light without its thick white curtains, now gives the room a serene air, as they are drawn. Its occupant had planned to sleep in all day, but now it's ruined.

At first glance, you don't notice the bed; it's out of sight. The desk and wardrobe almost divide the bedroom into two. That's why the twins didn't notice it when they came into the room and started talking loudly without realising it.

"We haven't really read your file," Aike corrected and tiptoed forwards, curious about what was hidden in the other part of the room.

But before he could cross the border, a surprisingly deep voice ordered him firmly. "Stay where you are," Howie said, "if you are modest and sensitive, I advise you not to venture any further than you have already done. You don't want to see me now."

His choice of words sends a shiver of fear down the spine of the two intruders, but Ayke shakes off the terrible feeling that threatens to consume him and paralyse him on the spot.

He just has to concentrate on the person he's used to seeing at school, nothing more. There's nothing scary about this guy, he's just pretending. He thinks to himself and rolls his eyes.

"You still have to act like a diva," Ayke replies casually from the other side of the room, passing his brother, who stops halfway, too shaken to continue. He is cautious.

But Ayke, in his stubbornness, crosses the boundary of the dressing room, which is part of the wall that divides the bedroom into two large parts. And he stops dead in his tracks, stunned.

"The name of a mad dog!" He shouted in his head, his eyes wide open in amazement. Aike hurried to see what could have so astonished his brother. "Oh no," he groaned and walked backwards, he would have been better off following what Howie was telling him.

"Is he doing bodybuilding at his age?" he whispered as he passed his brother.

"Ask him!" Ayke replied bluntly, still under the influence of what he had just seen.

Howie walked nonchalantly towards his dressing room, not giving a damn about their presence, as he had warned them. He opened a drawer lazily and pulled out a pair of boxers, taking all his time as if he were alone in the world.

"I see," Aike hissed through his teeth, "and you're an exhibitionist to boot."

"I remind you that I am at home and in my room at a time when we normally do not receive visitors, unless you slept in my bed the night before." Howie groaned, a little irritated at being disturbed when he wanted to sleep in.

"Oh Lord! Seriously? Do you bring girls to your bed already?" Aike wondered at Howie's bold statement.

"Does it surprise you?" Howie asked, amused by his scandalised expression.

"Why should I be surprised?" Aike asked back, feigning insolence as he waved his hand to erase an invisible image.

"So..." Aike asked again, "do you do bodybuilding?" he had to ask the question, it would help him to concentrate on something other than...

"No, but I like to work out to stay in shape," Howie answered anyway, despite the itchy urge to chase the duo out of his room.

"So much for me!" Aike whispers, his lips curling into a childish pout of doubt.

"May I ask what you're doing here?" Howie asks, now that his manhood is out of sight. It's not as if he minds talking to them naked; it's in the name of decency and good manners that he's dressed. After all, his father didn't raise a savage.

"We want to bond with you. We want you as a friend, and Aike wanted to apologise to you. A real apology this time, since he couldn't talk to you before." Ayke replies quickly and enthusiastically. A little too fast even for Howie.

"And if I refuse everything you just said, what will happen?" Howie grumbles, as if he is already tired from talking to them.

"Oh, believe me, you don't want to know, my dear," Ayke answers, still as enthusiastic as before; it's not Howie's bad mood that will take away his good mood.

"Then I'll take my chances," Howie replied pointedly, staring at the two brothers with insolence and defiance.