Veiled Vendetta

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I woke up, and my first thoughts were about yesterday's events. Somehow, I felt today would be eventful. I hopped on my motorbike and headed to school. In class, the teacher hadn't arrived yet, so Blake, Jade, and Alex were hanging out with us. Suddenly, a group of basketball players from our school team barged into our class. One of them loudly asked, "Is this Alex's class?" Our focus shifted to them, and Blake responded, "This isn't Alex's class, but he's here." The guy persisted, "Don't get smart, kid. Where's Alex?" Alex raised his hand, and the guy accused him, "Are you the one who seduced my Lara?" Alex remained silent and then quipped, "Lara? Which Lara? Evan, Brown, or Walker?"

The guy seemed irked and asserted, "Lara Evan, my Lara. You lured her." Alex suddenly recognized and responded, "Oh, she used to bring me water when I played basketball, but that's it. I didn't even take water from her. Evy is the one who gets me water. Isn't that right, Evy?" Evy nodded in agreement. The guy insisted, "You lured her." Alex countered, "I didn't. Why would I? She's not my type anyway." It was the first time Izzy had seen Alex in this light, and she couldn't help but think, "I had no idea Alex could be so detached."

The main guy motioned to his friends to attack Alex. Izzy felt worried initially, but then she realized Alex was capable of defending himself. He fought back swiftly, fending off the other guys without them being able to touch him. Luiz, seated beside Izzy, commented, 'Alex has a black belt in karate and knows martial arts.' Blake chimed in, 'He used to be on the national team before an injury. But he can still fight.' Acknowledging their words, Izzy continued watching the altercation. During the final moments of the fight, the main guy attempted to ambush Alex while he was engaged with another opponent. Seizing the moment, Izzy extended her leg, causing the guy to stumble and fall. Everyone struggled to contain their laughter, but it was evident. The guy rose to his feet and glared at Izzy. She retorted, 'It's not proper to attack from behind, you know.' The guy prepared to strike Izzy, but someone intervened. Luiz stood between them and warned, 'Look around before you pick another fight.' The guy glanced around and saw his friends sprawled on the ground, defeated. Izzy added, 'The teacher will be here soon. You should take your friends and think twice before coming back here.'

As the group enjoyed their lunch together in the cafeteria, Jay remarked, 'Today's food tastes weird.' Jade jokingly scolded him, 'Watch your words. Those vegetables are from Alex's family business.' Alex shrugged off the comment with a smile, 'It's alright, Jade. My family hasn't been supplying ingredients to the school lately.' Evy, looking curious, asked, 'Why? I thought your family had the ingredients contract.' Alex explained, 'They did, but recently they landed a big contract elsewhere. So, for now, Mom and Dad are focused on that project, and our contract with the school is on hold.' Everyone understood and nodded in agreement.

As Chris and his group entered the cafeteria, Izzy noticed the visible bruises and injuries on both Chris and Vivian. They seemed visibly upset, unsurprisingly after being on the receiving end of Grey and Kira's retaliation. Izzy's gaze was fixed on the two when Luiz noticed her focus and followed her line of sight. He, too, observed the bruised figures of Chris and Vivian. Although the rest of the group also noticed them, they exchanged silent glances but avoided discussing the matter. Nonetheless, curiosity lingered among them regarding who had taken such drastic action against their school bullies.

Izzy received a text on her phone, and it was from Luiz. It read, 'Where are you right now?' Perplexed, Izzy responded, 'I'm currently at my parents' house. Why?' Luiz quickly replied, 'I'm in W City at the moment.' Curious, Izzy asked, 'What brings you here?' Luiz replied, 'I'll be waiting in our usual cafe. Let me know when you're around.' Understanding, Izzy texted back, 'Sure. I'll be there after completing my assignments, around 6:30 pm.' Luiz responded, 'Great, see you then. Text me once you're here.' Izzy acknowledged with an 'Okay.'

Izzy made her way to the café where Luiz had mentioned he would be. Upon entering, she spotted Luiz conversing with a girl who seemed to be asking for his social media details and phone number. Izzy approached them and playfully quipped, 'Hey there! Sorry for being late, I was caught up finishing my assignments.' Luiz, taken aback, glanced at Izzy with confusion. Turning to the girl, Izzy asked, 'Are you a friend of Luiz's? I don't recall seeing you at our school.' Luiz clarified, 'She doesn't go to our school.' Izzy raised an eyebrow, 'Is she bothering you, Luiz?' He responded, 'Yeah, she's kinda annoying.' The embarrassed girl excused herself, muttering, 'You could've just said you have a girlfriend,' and joined her friends at another table.

Izzy took a seat across from Luiz and asked, 'So, what's up?' Luiz suggested, 'Why don't you order something?' Izzy nodded and gestured toward the counter with a smile before turning back to Luiz, 'Alright, now spill. Why did you want to meet?' Luiz leaned in and said, 'I want to sneak into our school's kitchen.'

Izzy was taken aback by Luiz's unexpected request. She regarded him with a puzzled expression and inquired, 'Why? What's the purpose?' Luiz responded, 'One of our juniors fell ill after today's lunch. I suspect it might be due to the school's food.' Izzy's eyes widened in surprise, trying to comprehend his intention. As the waiter arrived with Izzy's usual coffee, Luiz glanced at her, prompting her to explain, 'I frequent this place, they know my order, and the whole sneaking-in thing. But I'm surprised you shared this plan with me.'

Curious, Izzy asked, 'So, are you suggesting I join?' Luiz nodded, and she expressed her reservations, 'But how? We can't be certain that the juniors got sick because of the lunch. And what if we're caught?' Luiz remained confident, reassuring her, 'We won't get caught.' Sensing her skepticism, Izzy inquired further, 'Who else is involved in this?' Luiz maintained his gaze on Izzy, indicating it was only the two of them.