the truth(26)
The cafeteria buzzed with the usual chaos of students chatting, laughing, and eating, but for Michael, everything felt distant. The noise blurred into a droning hum, the lights felt too bright, and the air was thick, suffocating. His stomach twisted in knots. He didn't feel hungry—he just felt wrong.
Across the table, Ethan was laughing with Marie about some nonsense, but Michael wasn't listening. His fingers tapped anxiously against the lunch tray, his mind spiraling deeper into its own storm.
And then—Lisa.
She was staring at him again. Not in an obvious way, not in a way that anyone else would notice, but he felt it. Every time he looked up, she was already looking, her gaze unreadable. It made his skin crawl.
"Why? Why is she always watching me?"
Lisa:
"Are you sure you're okay, Michael?"
Her voice was too casual, too soft, but Michael didn't miss the edge beneath it. It felt like she was testing him, waiting to see if he'd crack.
Michael clenched his fists under the table.
Michael (low, aggressive):
"Shut up, Lisa."
The table went silent.
Marie blinked. Ethan stopped mid-laugh. Alex shifted uncomfortably.
Lisa raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.
Lisa:
"Whoa, what's with you? I just asked a question."
Michael's breath came in sharp, ragged exhales. He could feel his heartbeat pounding in his ears. The pressure inside him was unbearable, suffocating.
Ethan frowned, concern flickering in his expression.
Ethan:
"Hey, hey, Michael, why are you talking like that?"
Michael stood up abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. His hands trembled as he ran them through his messy hair.
Michael:
"Shut up. Shut up, all of you."
Ethan stood too, his usual laid-back demeanor shifting into something more serious.
Ethan:
"Dude, what's going on? Why are you acting like this?"
Michael let out a bitter laugh.
Michael:
"You really want to know, Ethan? You really understand? No, you don't. Just leave me alone."
Ethan's eyes narrowed, but he didn't back down.
Ethan:
"No, I can't leave you alone. Just tell me the problem, man."
Michael took a shaky breath, his vision blurring for a moment. His chest ached. His head was spinning. He felt like he was drowning in his own paranoia.
Michael:
"No. I can't tell you. Even if I do, you won't do anything. You can't solve it. So just... just leave me alone."
Ethan stepped closer, his jaw tightening.
Ethan:
"No. Tell me."
Something inside Michael snapped.
Without thinking, he shoved Ethan backward.
Ethan stumbled but caught himself, his expression shifting from concern to anger.
Ethan:
"Hey! Why the hell are you pushing me, you dumb bitch?"
Michael's rage surged, burning through his veins like wildfire.
Michael:
"Oh, I'm the dumb bitch?! You—!"
They started cussing each other out, the tension thick and suffocating. The entire cafeteria was watching now, but neither of them cared.
Alex, alarmed, stepped between them.
Alex:
"Hey! Both of you, calm down!"
Michael's hands were clenched into fists at his sides. His whole body was shaking.
Michael:
"No! I can't calm down!"
Ethan's face twisted with frustration.
Ethan:
"What the hell is wrong with you?! Why are you fighting me?!"
Michael's breath hitched. His thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.
Michael:
"Damn you, Ethan! You just wouldn't understand!"
Ethan:
"Yes, I would understand! Just tell me what the hell is going on!"
Michael let out a sharp, bitter laugh.
Michael:
"Oh, you would understand? Fine. It's about your damn girlfriend and her goddamn parents!"
Ethan froze.
The words hung heavy in the air.
For the first time, Ethan looked genuinely shaken.
Michael saw his hesitation—and took his chance.
With all the pent-up frustration and rage inside him, he lunged forward, slamming his fist into Ethan's stomach.
Ethan let out a choked gasp, stumbling backward, his knees nearly buckling.
Michael didn't stop. He went in for another punch—
But just as his fist swung forward—
The teacher stormed in.
Teacher:
"ENOUGH!"
A pair of strong hands grabbed Michael's arm, pulling him away before he could land the hit. Ethan, still dazed, took a deep breath, his face twisted in pain and anger.
Michael didn't resist. He just stood there, his chest heaving, his fists still trembling.
Teacher (coldly):
"Michael. My office. Now."
Michael let out a hollow laugh.
Michael:
"Good. Suspend me. I want to be suspended."
The teacher's expression hardened.
Teacher:
"Then congratulations, Michael. You're suspended for a week."
Michael smirked bitterly.
Michael:
"Perfect."
Without another word, he grabbed his backpack and walked out of the cafeteria, not looking back.
The cave was silent.
The flickering fire cast shadows on Dakota's face as he finished recounting the memory. His expression was unreadable.
Henry exhaled slowly.
Henry:
"Damn, Dakota. Your emotions were really in shambles, huh?"
Mia shook her head in disbelief.
Mia:
"You fought your own best friend."
Dakota leaned back, rubbing his temples.
Dakota:
"Yeah. I did. And I regretted it. But I apologized. And Ethan accepted it."
Luna crossed her arms.
Luna:
"Did you apologize to Lisa?"
Dakota smirked slightly, but there was no humor in it.
Dakota:
"Technically? Yeah, I apologized to everyone."
Luna narrowed her eyes.
Luna:
"That didn't answer the question."
Dakota exhaled.
Dakota:
"Fine. I apologized in front of Lisa, but I didn't actually apologize to her."
Mia raised an eyebrow.
Mia:
"But she was part of the group."
Dakota shrugged.
Dakota:
"Yeah. But when I said 'sorry,' I meant it for them. Not her. Lisa didn't know that, though. So, whatever."
The group sat in contemplative silence, the weight of the story settling in.
Henry:
"Man... I don't even know what to say. You really lost it."
Dakota:
"Yeah. And if you think that was bad…"
He leaned forward, his expression darkening.
Dakota:
"In high school? That's when shit really went downhill."
The fire crackled. Shadows danced on the walls.
And the past was far from finished revealing itself
Dakota thinking: yes in highschool thing's went downhill badly, and my life almost got ruined because of that. But luckily my novel made me go back uphill.