WHO AM I

SHADOWS AND SECRETS

Lila, Noah, Jasper, and the rest of the group quickly followed Renzo at a distance. They stayed quiet, trying not to attract his attention. As they moved through the school's back gate and into the neighboring woods, Lila couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking into something much bigger than they could handle.

"I'm telling you," Jasper whispered, "this feels like one of those spy movies. Any minute now, a helicopter's gonna swoop in and Renzo's gonna fly off to some secret island."

Lila rolled her eyes. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

They kept going, moving deeper into the woods, where the sound of Renzo's footsteps became fainter. Lila strained her ears, trying to pick up on any conversation he might be having. It was only when they spotted him crouching behind a large tree, speaking urgently into his phone, that they froze in their tracks.

"Stay low," Noah whispered, pulling Lila behind a bush. "We need to hear what he's saying."

Renzo's voice was muffled, but bits of the conversation drifted toward them.

"...No, I don't care what he said, we have to deal with this now... Yes, I'll handle it, but if my father finds out, we're all done for... I don't want them involved. Especially Noah..."

Lila's heart pounded in her chest. This was serious—far more serious than any of them had imagined. She glanced at Noah, whose jaw was clenched, clearly struggling to contain his anger.

Jasper, being Jasper, whispered, "I'm just saying, if Renzo pulls a fast one and turns out to be an evil mastermind, I'm gonna demand a refund on this friendship."

Lila stifled a laugh, despite the tension.

As Renzo hung up the phone, his face pale and stressed, he turned to leave. But as he stepped forward, his foot hit a loose rock, and he stumbled—just enough to spot the group hiding behind the bushes.

"What the—?!" Renzo shouted, his eyes wide with shock.

"Renzo, wait!" Noah stepped out from behind the bushes, his hands up in a peaceful gesture. "We heard everything."

Renzo's face contorted with anger and betrayal. "You followed me?!"

"Look, we're worried about you, man," Noah said, his voice calm but firm. "You're in trouble, and we want to help."

Renzo shook his head, backing away. "You don't get it. This isn't something you can just help with. You shouldn't have followed me."

Lila stepped forward, her voice soft but determined. "Renzo, we're your friends. You don't have to deal with this alone."

For a moment, Renzo looked like he was about to break, but then his face hardened again. "You don't know what you're talking about. Just stay out of it."

Before anyone could say anything else, Renzo took off running into the woods. They tried to follow, but he was faster, disappearing into the trees in no time.

"Well, that went well," Jasper said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Kira frowned. "This is bad. Really bad."

Noah clenched his fists, frustration evident in his eyes. "We can't just let him go like this. Whatever's happening, it's bigger than we thought."

Lila nodded. "Agreed. But how do we get through to him?"

Zara, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. "I think I know someone who can help."

Everyone turned to her, surprised.

"My cousin... she's got connections. If Renzo's in trouble, she might be able to find out more."

Noah raised an eyebrow. "Your cousin's a private investigator?"

Zara shrugged nonchalantly. "Something like that. She knows people who know people."

Lila exchanged a glance with Noah. It was a long shot, but at this point, they didn't have many options left. "Let's give it a try."

As they walked back to the school, the weight of what they'd uncovered hung over them like a dark cloud. Lila couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning—and that whatever secrets Renzo was hiding, they were about to be pulled into a much deeper web than they could have ever imagined.