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Lysanderstoodupandsaid.“I’llgoandhandlethehospitalizationprocedures.Bytheway,yourssmatewillinformyourhomeroomteacherofthesituationhere.Yourfamilywiletokeepyopanyoncethey’renotified.”
Josephabruptlysatup,hislegsinstinctivelytouchingtheground.“Then,willyoubingagain,Ms.
Thome?”
Lysandershookherhead.“Probablynot.”
Withoutabackwardnce,shewalkedaway.Aftepletingthenecessaryprocedures,sheexitedthroughthedoorsoftheregistrationhallonthefirstfloor.
Assoonasshesteppedout,shesaw<b>Josiah</b>waitingthereinafit
LysandercontinuedwalkingstraightaheadwhileJosiahstraightenedupandasked,“Isthatbratanybetter?”
Lysanderhaltedinhertracks.“There’snowayhewouldheal<b>that</b>quicklywhenhiswoundshavejustbeenbandaged.”
Atherdetacheddemeanorandsilenceonthesubject,Josiahsaid,“Itrulydidn’tdoitonpurpose.”
Lysandernodded.“Iunderstand.It’snormaltohavesomebumpsandbruisesonthecourt.WhatIdon’tquitegetisthis.You’reoveradecadeolderthanhim,sowhywereyou<b>so</b>seriouswithakid?He’sat<b>an</b>agewherehe’sfullofenergy,butyou’re-
Josiah’sgazeshotup.“YouthinkI’mold?”
“No.WhatImeantisthatyou’realreadyamatureman.Besides,you’vealwaysbeenverycautiousandprudentinyouractions.Whydidyousuddenlyjointhebasketbalpetitiontodayandeven…”
Lysandertrailedoffasapossibilitysuddenlyurredtoher.
Itcouldn’thavebeenintentionalonhispart,right?
Followingthatthought,shefoundheremotionsratheplex.
EventhoughJosiahimedhewassatisfiedwithmaintainingthestatus<b>quo</b>,everythingthattranspiredinthepastfewdaysmadeitclearthathewasfarfromcontentwiththingsremainingastheywere.
Admittedly,Lysanderwassomewhatslowinthatregard.However,shewasn’tsoobliviousastobeentirely.cluelessabouteverything.
Butpreciselybecauseofthat,shefeltincrediblyagitated.
“Lysander,doyouthinkIwaspurposelytargetinghim<b>?</b>”
Lysanderturnedherfaceaway/“No.”
“Iwasindeedtargetinghim.7
Lysanderwasatalossforwords.“You’realreadyinyourthirties.Don’tyouthinkthis<b>is</b>childish?”
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Josiahsaid.“Iheardeverythingyousaidduringyourspeech.Don’t<b>assume</b>he’sinnocentjustbecausehe’syoung.Highschoolstudentsthesedaysarenotlikeusbackthen.Theyunderstandeverything.Hemight<b>have</b>evenhadseveralgirlfriendsbynow.Anddoyouhaveanyideaaboutthekindofsexualfantasiesboyshisagehave?”
Beingamanhimself,heunderstoodalltoowellwhatJosephwasthinking.
Lysandercouldn’thelprecallingherhighschooldays,wherethemostheinousindividualsweremerelyHarry<b>and</b><b>Zachary</b>.
Shedidn’tquiteunderstand.“Hewantstouseme?ButIwouldn’tbeofanyhelptohim.”
Witha<b>look</b>offrustration,Josiahsaid,“I’mstartingtosympathizewithAdrian.You’redownrightdense!”
Lysandersaidnothing.
Josiah’sAdam’sapplebobbed,amixoffrustrationandhesitationevidentinhisvoice.“Waitamoment.I’lIshowyousomething.”
“Whatisit?”
“Justwaitamoment.”
AsJosiahspoke,heseeminglywenttohisWhatsAppandsentamessagetosomeone.
Soon,hereceivedapicturesentfromtheotherperson.
Josiahtappedopentheimageandsnickered,thenhandedhisphoher.“Seeforyourself.”
Lysandertookthephonedubiously.Onthescreen,Josiah<b>had</b>alreadymaximizedthepicture<b>.</b>Itfeatured<b>a</b>youngwomaninawhiteblouse,acksuit<b>,</b>andckhighheels.
Hmm,shehasagreatfigure.Hershirtisalmostburstingattheseams.
“Lookather,thenlookatyourself.”
Lysandernced downatherownattire.“Iseetheresemnce,butI’mnotwearingckstockings.NoramIsportingck–rimmedsses.”
“Lookatthewordsabove.”
“It’sinaforeignguage,andIcan’tunderstandit.”LysanderlookedupandaskedJosiah,“Youevenknowa<b>foreign</bnguage?”
Atherwords,Josiah’sexpressionturnedsomewhatpeculiar.“Ionlyknowafewwords<b>.</b>”
“Howmanyisafew?”
“Acouple.”
“Wordslike<b>no</b>,idiot,andhowcute?”
“Those
knowwouldbecensoredinwrittenform.”
Ivanderwasstruckdumb.
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However,oncesheunderstoodJosiah’smeaning,herfeelingswhensheagainlookedatthepictureonthescreenchangedsignificantly.
Therewasastringofforeignguagecharacters,butthoughshe couldn’tunderstandthem,certainwords.borearesemncetoEcronese.
Forinstance,femaleteacher,senior,<b>and</b>malestudent.
Buck!
Thephonevibratedoncemoreinherhand.
LysanderhandedthephonebacktoJosiah.“You’vegotamessage.”
Josiahdidn’ttakeit.“Taponit.”
LysanderclosedthepictureandreturnedtoWhatsApp’sinterface,onlytoseeanewlysentvideointhechatboxunderthatimage.
Thethumbnail wasidenticaltothepictureabove.
AforebodingfeelingwelledwithinLysander.
Beforesherealizedit,Josiahhadreachedout.Hefirstturnedthevolumedowntoitslowestbeforeyingthevideo.
Inthenextsecond,Lysanderalmostthrewhisphone<b>away</b>.
Shequicklytossedthephonebacktohimandbarkedlowly,“Whatonearthisthis?”
“Thisiswhatgoesoninthemindsofthosehormone–riddenhighschoolboys.”N?velDrama.Org content.
Lysander’sfaceturnedslightlyred.Asenseofpanicwashedoverher,<b>and</b>shefoundherselfunabletoutter<b>a</b>singleword.
Josiahputhisphoneaway.“YouprobablythinkI’magainlumpingeveryogether,butitdoesn’tmatter.Thatbratisnosaint.Just<b>wait</b>andsee ifyoudon’tbelieveme.”
Lysanderswiftlywalkedaway.
Josiahquicklywentafterher.“Whereareyougoing?”
“I’mheadinghome.”Lysanderannounced,raisingherhandtohataxi.
“I’lldrive<b>you</b>home,”Josiahsaid,leavingnoroomforrefusal.
Right<b>then</b><b>,</b>hermind<b>was</bpletelyconsumedbythatscandalousvideoearlier.
Hearingaboutitwashing,<b>but</b>seeingitwasanother.
Thatwentdoublywhenshesawitrightinfrontofhim.
Precentlytheusewhatatalossforhourtofacehim
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Amidsttheirconversation,theyspottedDaphnehastilyrushingtowardthehospital’smainentrance.
Daphneranover,grabbingLysandertostandbetweenherandJosiah,saying,“Iwasjusta bitslowatthebasketballcourt,butIdidn’texpectamoment’sdawdlingwouldleadtoevenmorehold–ups.ButIfinallyfoundyou.How’sJoseph?Hisinjuriesaren’tserious,arethey?”
Josiah’sfacewasasckasthunder.Heinterjectedcoldly,“There’snobonefracture.It’sjustascratch.Doyouallreallyneedtomakesuchafuss?”
“Mr.Guerra,whydoyousoundsoresentful?It’sasthoughyou’reaconcubinewhohasfallenoutoffavor,”Dapeased.
WordscludedJosiah.
Ignoringhiswords,LysandercalmlyreassuredDaphne,<b>“</b>It’snothingserious.Heonlyneedstostay afewdaysinthehospitalforobservation.”
Daphneheavedasighofrelief.“Phew,that’sgood.Itwouldbeashameifsuchahandsomeyoungmanwerecrippled.”
“He’sstillinthehospital.Doyouwanttogoandvisithim?”
Aftergivingitsomethought,Daphnewavedherhanddismissively.“No,it’sokay.Justalookwasenoughforme.There’sstipileofworkat theoffice,andIneedtogetback.”
“Willyoubetakingthebusagain?”
Uponhearingthat,Josiahinterjected,“Hopin.We’llpassbyherofficeanyway,sowemightaswellgiveheralift.”
DaphnesmackedherlipsandturnedhergazetoLysander,waitingforthttertodecide.
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