Encounter

Chapter 2

The sun was slowly setting, ending its long day's work. It now glowed a warm orange, bound to turn a deeper shade soon. Telonin sat in his room, the one he used to share with Martin, reflecting on another victorious day at school. His eyes darted over the insanely complicated math problems on the paper, and he found himself biting his nails. Despite being smart, pure mathematics was not his strong suit. His brain seemed unwilling to make the necessary connections. Deep in thought, his focus was interrupted by a knock at his door.

Opening the door, he was greeted by a red-haired girl dressed warmly, standing in the doorway. "Hey, Lorna," he said, surprised. "Where have you been? Did you skip school? I didn't see you at break."

"Hi, Telo," she replied, stepping inside but not fully entering the room. "I've been busy!"

Telonin smiled, wondering if she knew how many chores he'd been doing, sometimes covering for her. "You owe me so much!" said Telonin.

Lorna, recalling all the times Telonin had covered for her and even lied to Mrs. Smith about her whereabouts, felt a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "Look, I need your help once again."

"Again?"

"Yes, can you look after Donny, Osmond, and Dorothy while I'm gone?"

"No," he replied, his frustration rising. "I have to look after Andrew, Reginald, and Cindy," he lied, his voice tinged with emotion.

Lorna needed to persuade him somehow. She didn't want to stay cooped up inside today; she craved air and happiness. "Wait, doesn't Anna usually take care of them?"

"Agh, Lorna," he said, leaning against the wall. "Are you that desperate?"

"Yes," she admitted.

Telonin smirked, curious about her determination. He decided to ask her a favor in return. "Can you help Martin with his homework today? I promised to help him, but I have to take care of Donny and the others."

"Okay, I'll do it," she agreed happily, relieved it wasn't a huge favor. "I better get going! I'll be back by 10 PM sharp."

"No worries, I'll keep an eye on the time and throw down the rope ladder. Be safe, Lorna," he cautioned.

Lorna nodded and made her way to Telonin's room window. Peeking outside and seeing no one in the backyard of the orphanage, she opened the window and threw the rope ladder down until it hit the ground. She climbed out and descended the ladder, Telonin watching from above. Happiness filled her as her shoes touched the cold cement. She waved goodbye to Telonin and disappeared into the front yard, hoping Mrs. Smith wouldn't notice her absence. She soon vanished in the direction of the setting sun and the approaching darkness.

Night fell. Given glanced at himself in the mirror as he put on stylish clothes, preparing for a birthday he'd never forget. A white shirt underneath and a black leather jacket on top. He muttered "cool boy" under his breath as he adjusted his outfit.

He thought about how sad it would be for his mom to come home, ready to celebrate his birthday, only to find him gone. The thought gnawed at him, but he knew he couldn't stay a child forever. He needed to grow up. He quickly checked the time—8:05 PM. Anxiously waiting for Lorna's call, he exited the bathroom and went to his room.

Entering, he saw the room was spacious and neat, with posters scattered around. A Star Wars poster stood out on the wall opposite the window. He approached the window and peeked through the curtains. His home was a two-story house with a front and back yard. The front yard, where he was looking, was adorned with garden flowers and gnomes that his mother loved. Beyond that, he saw a car parked at the far end of the road next to a dim streetlight. From this distance, he couldn't tell what kind of car it was, but its shape looked familiar.