At that moment, the shrill ring of a phone cut through the silence.


    Gerard set down his half-eaten bagel and picked up the call.


    Whatever was said on the other end, Gerard simply replied "Alright" before hanging up, turning to


    George, "Hey man, where''s yourptop? I need to borrow it for a sec."


    "Sure thing, I''ll grab it for you."


    In a sh, George returned with hisptop and handed it over to Gerard.


    Taking theptop, Gerard plopped down by the floor-to-ceiling window, his fingers rapidly dancing


    across the keyboard.


    Kearney, curious as ever, muttered, "What do you reckon Gerard''s up to? All cloak and dagger, isn''t


    he?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "Who knows?" Healy shrugged helplessly.


    It wasn''t unusual for Gerard to be all secretive; they never pried too much into each other''s


    business.


    About ten minutester, Gerard returned,ptop in one hand and resuming his attack on the


    doughnut with the other.


    The others chatted amongst themselves, careful not to disturb Gerard.


    After breakfast, they shouldered their backpacks and headed their separate ways.


    Just as Gerard got home, he bumped into Edna.


    "Gerry, where were youst night? Your grandma mentioned you didn''te home," Edna inquired,


    a tinge of concern in her voice.


    "Thanks for worrying, Edna," Gerard replied coolly.


    Edna continued, "Gerry, you''re at an age where curiosity peaks. But try not to stay out all night; it


    really worries your grandma and me."


    A trace of impatience flickered across Gerard''s face as he thought, “Did Edna really see herself as


    the hostess in my house now?”


    Right then, J''s voice chimed in from inside, "Gerry,e here."


    "Coming," Gerard responded and headed inside.


    J was sitting on the couch, looking a bit under the weather, "Where were youst night?"


    "Grandma, I crashed at a friend''s ce." replied Gerard.


    "Which friend''s house?"


    Gerard stayed silent.


    "Was it that George guy?" J pressed.


    "Yeah," Gerard nodded.


    J mmed her cup on the table so hard that the scalding coffee sshed onto her hand.


    "Grandma!" Gerard eximed, startled, and quickly reached for a napkin to dab at her hand.


    Seeing this, J sighed deeply, "Gerry, I''ve told you countless times. I have no problem with you


    having friends, but think about who you''re associating with. Hanging around with the wrong crowd


    will bring you down!"


    Gerard paused before retorting, "Grandma, he''s my friend!"


    "He''s not your friend!" J raised her voice, "He''s not from our world!"


    George''s parents were just average office workers, with a mortgaged house in the Capital City.


    What right did he have to be friends with someone like Gerard?


    The poor only attract the poor.


    Eventually, Gerard would be surrounded by them, just like Jonah, who never learned to choose his


    company wisely, and ended up with Carole...


    If Gerard continued this way, he was bound to follow in Jonah''s path.


    "Grandma, George is my friend, regardless of wealth or status. Everyone in this world is equal! I


    hope you won''t look at him differently!"


    "You won''t even listen to me?" J''s eyes were filled with pain.


    She remembered how sweet and obedient Gerard had been as a child.


    Whatever she said, he did. When had he started to defy her?


    Gerard looked at J earnestly, "Grandma, I''m 18 now. I can tell right from wrong. I know the kind


    of friends I should keep."


    "If you listen to me, you''ll cut ties with George."


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t do that."


    The colder Gerard''s expression, the angrier J became. She was reminded of Carole.


    If only Edna had been Gerard''s mother, he surely wouldn''t be defying her this way.