WHO AM I

CROSSROADS

The tension from lunch still lingered as Lila walked to class, her mind racing. She glanced over at Noah, who was sitting a few rows ahead of her. Even though he looked calm, Lila knew him well enough by now to see the storm brewing beneath the surface. He was already formulating a plan—he always had a plan.

Beside her, Jasper leaned back in his chair and whispered, “So, what’s the over-under on Renzo revealing he’s a part of an underground superhero league? I’m thinking it’s at least 80%.”

Lila smiled despite herself. “More like 5%.”

“Okay, okay,” Jasper said, shrugging. “But if we find out Renzo’s been secretly battling supervillains this whole time, you owe me a coffee.”

“Deal,” Lila laughed.

Class started, but Lila couldn’t focus. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and without thinking, she slid it out to check the screen.

Phillip: I think Zara’s cousin might be onto something. We’ll talk after school.

Lila tucked her phone away quickly, but not before catching the teacher’s disapproving glare. She nodded apologetically and made an effort to focus on the lesson, though her mind wandered again almost immediately. After school, they would finally be able to dig deeper into Renzo’s secret. She wasn’t sure if that filled her with dread or anticipation.

---

The final bell rang, and the group met up in the parking lot. Zara was already on the phone with her cousin, pacing nervously.

“She says there’s definitely something going on,” Zara said after hanging up. “Renzo’s name popped up in some of the circles she’s connected to. She couldn’t get all the details, but she said it’s bad.”

“Like… how bad?” Cathy asked.

“Let’s just say ‘not a drill’ bad,” Zara replied.

Noah clenched his fists. “We need to talk to Renzo. Now.”

As they walked toward the spot where Renzo usually hung out after school, the tension grew with each step. When they finally saw him leaning against his car, they hesitated. Renzo was pacing, talking rapidly into his phone.

“You think I don’t know that? I’m handling it,” Renzo’s voice drifted toward them.

“What is he handling?” Jasper whispered.

Lila could feel the knot in her stomach tighten. “Let’s find out.”

Before anyone could say a word, Noah stepped forward, calling out, “Renzo!”

Renzo froze mid-sentence and slowly turned to face them. His expression was guarded, almost like he’d been expecting them. Without saying a word, he hung up the phone and crossed his arms.

“So,” he said, his voice cool, “you finally decided to follow me.”

“We didn’t have a choice,” Noah replied. “You’ve been hiding something from us. What’s going on?”

For a long moment, Renzo didn’t say anything. His eyes darted between the group, and Lila could see the internal battle playing out on his face. Whatever he was involved in, it was weighing on him more than any of them realized.

Finally, Renzo let out a long breath. “You don’t want to know.”

“We’re not leaving until you tell us,” Lila said, stepping beside Noah. “We’re your friends, Renzo. We want to help.”

Renzo looked at her, his tough exterior cracking just a little. “This isn’t something you can help with, Lila. I’m in deep.”

“How deep?” Noah demanded.

Renzo rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. “Deep enough that I can’t get out.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. Lila could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on them, but before anyone could speak again, Renzo’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and swore under his breath.

“I have to go,” he said, turning to his car. “It’s better if you don’t follow me.”

“Renzo—” Lila started, but he was already getting into his car.

Without another word, Renzo drove off, leaving the group standing in stunned silence.

“Well, that went well,” Jasper said, breaking the tension. “I’d give that interaction a solid 3 out of 10. Room for improvement.”

“Jasper,” Kira sighed.

“What? I’m just trying to lighten the mood,” he shrugged. “We’re not exactly in the best place right now, and I feel like someone needs to state the obvious.”

Lila shook her head but smiled anyway. “Thanks for that.”