Somewhere Only We Know

XXXVIII - Glass

7:26 p.m.

Jeorg stepped forward, his voice low but firm. "Please leave, Ron."

Ronald's eyes flashed with rage, a dangerous glint that made my heart pound. He glanced sharply at the approaching security guard and, in a blur of motion, swung a hard punch at Jeorg.

Jeorg stumbled back from the blow, blood trickling from his nose, but he didn't fall. He straightened up, holding his bleeding face with one hand as our mother and Leonardo rushed over to him, concern etched on their faces. Leonardo's anger ignited instantly. Without hesitation, he charged at the man pinned to the ground—Ronald. Fists flying, he struck fast and hard, ignoring the stinging bruises forming on his knuckles.

"Leonardo, no!" Jeorg and Mom shouted, pulling him back before the situation spiraled completely out of control.

Meanwhile, the security guard moved swiftly, pinning Ronald down and cuffing his wrists. The security guard's voice crackled through the walkie-talkie, urgently calling for backup. The tension hung thick in the air as Ronald lay cuffed on the ground, defiance etched in his glare despite his restraint.

Slowly, the chaos began to settle. They calmed me down, my breath ragged, but, God, my fury dimmed under their steady hands and quiet reassurances. As the limousine pulled away from the school, a heavy silence filled the interior.

Mom carefully tended to Jeorg's injured nose, her touch gentle as she dabbed at the blood with a cloth. Leonardo sat beside her, his knuckles throbbing and swollen, ice pack pressed firmly against them by Micaela. She glanced up with a small smile and said softly, "He deserves those punches." Chase, sitting just beside them, nodded in agreement. "Yeah," he murmured.

In the back of the limo, Diane sat close to Beatrice, who comforted her with quiet words and a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Diane's voice was soft, laden with regret. "I'm so sorry for how everything turned out tonight." Beside me, Jesse, Kai, and Edward sat stiffly, their eyes hard and brows furrowed with frustration and anger over the night's unfolding events. None of them spoke; the weight of it was too much, their silence speaking volumes.

The road ahead was uncertain, but for now, the storm had quieted within the confines of the limousine's walls.

I turned around, watching Jackson and Winston talk to each other, Jackson quickly flashing me a gentle smile as he continued. Whatever happened tonight, they knew about. I shifted my gaze to the car behind us, where Camila and her family were. God, I wouldn't be able to face her again if she had witnessed the events earlier.

Yes, we've known each other for a long time. But she never knew just how fucked my family was, and tonight didn't exactly prove me wrong.

Before I got lost in my thoughts, I glanced at the three sitting beside me. "So, I'm guessing you guys knew he was here," I said, which caused them to shift in their seats. Jesse turned to me, saying, "We saw him after the event. I didn't think he'd find you."

I chuckled, making the others turn to me, "He killed someone." I paused for a moment, glancing at Jackson and Winston, "He killed my friend's brother. No wonder he took out his anger on me." I continued, feeling a pit in my throat grow. I never thought I'd find a way to justify his behavior.

"What a fucked life we have, right?" I asked, letting out a bitter laugh that felt more like a release than humor. My eyes scanned each face around me, searching for some kind of shared understanding. Mom gave me a quick, hesitant smile—one filled with layers of guilt and regret, the kind that settles heavy in the chest.

"So," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "I'm guessing you guys didn't know about him killing Sam?"

Micaela looked up from gently pressing the ice pack against Leonardo's swollen knuckles. "No, I really didn't know." Mom looked down at the floor beneath her feet and slowly nodded, avoiding any confrontation with the truth hanging thick between us.