I am for you

Chapter 3. How much money do you have with you?

Laurent stared in shock at the charred car. He did not believe that someone had done this to his child. He worked so long and hard, doing homework for others, notes, reports, presentations, and so on, forcing Larry to extort money from every debtor for his services. This is his first car, bought with his own money. And now, instead of his child, he sees a charred piece of iron. Laurent looked at his friends in confusion, and then looked at the twin, in the hope that at least someone would give him an explanation for what had happened. But they were silent and somehow too solemn and looked at Larry. Tension and omissions pulsed in the air. Laurent began to lose his temper. He worked so long and hard to buy that damn car! To no longer depend on the family!

- Who. It. Did you do it? - Laurent growled sharply, pounding every word to his friends and his twin. For some reason, Bouba was pushed in the back by Larry. This gesture did not escape Laurent. - Larry? - Laurent asked too softly and calmly, narrowing his eyes predatory. - Do you know what happened?

- It's me ... - Larry said uncertainly and quietly.

- What do you mean by "It's me" ... - Laurent's eyes widened in amazement and realization, - WHAT? But why?

- You left me ... - Larry answered languidly, not even believing himself.

- I know. And it was not my idea, and you know it very well! - Laurent stepped on his twin, clenching and unclenching his fists. Their friends prudently retreated as far as possible. They preferred to enjoy the view of the twins' fight from a safe distance. None of them dared even think to stand up for Larry. Where he will be spared, others will be severely punished.

- I got angry. I fought. I got even angrier. I got into a fight again. They beat me. I am disappointed. I entered an empty room and you were still gone. I ran through the window to Kevin. We got drunk. He offered to do something that would piss you off so you would come back. We ended up here. We sat on the hood and continued to drink. The rain is coming.

- Larry, don't delay. - monosyllabic sentences and constant long pauses between them only unnerved Laurent.

- Well, in short, we decided to smoke. I don't know how it happened, but the cabin caught fire, and we couldn't put out the flames, we barely got out ourselves. I'm sorry. We ... - but Laurent could no longer. Too much for a couple of days. Larry looked at him guiltily. Laurent did not appear at home for several days. Although some things changed their places, for example, textbooks. The twins do not have many subjects in common at school. One of which is physical education on Fridays.

The twins did not speak but continued to be in each other's field of vision.

The gym was noisy and crowded. The norm of the lesson plan by the teacher was fulfilled, and until the end of the lesson, the students could study on their own. Most of the guys split into teams and started playing football, and the girls did their own thing. A separate group of guys from three people went to Laurent. Larry kept his eyes on their backs. Through the gaps between the bodies, he saw Laurent shake his head at their request, and then his head tilted sharply to the side as if he had been given a hard slap in the face. Without much control over his actions, he snatched a basketball from Reggie who was standing next to him, and, taking a couple of steps forward, threw it with all his might at the back of one of those guys. When the others turned to see who did it, Larry was already close, and, hitting the right stomach, grabbed the left by the chest, throwing it over him, roughly putting it on the floor. With a blow from below under the chin, he disorientated the right one and, jumping up, threw his leg forward, kicking him in the chest: from the blow, he also landed on his back on the floor. The first guy who got the ball in the back came to his senses. He looked at his friends, lying on the floor and moaning in pain, and then at Larry, who was still in a furious rage and turned his gaze to Laurent, calmly continuing to read the book.