Chapter 24
* 63%
Hearing that, Joseph let out a sharp exhale. If he’d been drinking something, he probably would have spit it out.
He glanced at Quinlyn, his lips twitching. “So why did you.. take the teacher’s phone?” he asked, stopping himself just short of saying “steal”
“It seemed odd.” Quinlyn muttered, unaware of his conflicted look. She typed furiously, trying to crack the password. “A cop once said people hide secrets in their phones. They check them because it makes them feel safe.”
Joseph furrowed his brow, processing what she was saying. “You think Mr. Lambert’s shady or something?”
Quinlyn shook her head, still focused on the phone. “Not sure yet,” she said. But she was determined to dig deeper and uncover the truth.
Joseph used to roll his eyes at assumptions like these–blaming someone without proof was just dumb. But Quinlyn had saved his butt more than once and proved herself over and over. Now he trusted her just like Stanley did, no questions asked
Instead of talking about returning the phone, he asked, “Can you unlock it? If not, maybe Stanley could-“He cut himself off, staring at the screen now filled with lines of code. His mouth dropped open.
If he knew Quinlyn was the one who sent Mordoria the blooming roses during that backer alliance chaos, he’d be blown
away
Three seconds later, there was a soft “ding,” and the phone unlocked, the screen lighting up.
Quinlyn was new to smartphones and still figuring things out. She accidentally opened the camera app and jumped when she saw her own face on the screen.
Joseph leaned over with a smile, about to help her out. But as his eyes caught a photo thumbnail in the corner, his smile vanished, and he quickly covered Quinlyn’s eyes with his hand.
“You don’t need to see what’s next,” he said, his voice turning cold. “Give me the phone, okay?”
Quinlyn had never seen him so serious. She paused for a second, then handed over the phone. She knew Joseph needed to handle this, especially since it had something to do with Mandy.
Joseph sat in the driver’s seat, scrolling through the phone in silence. After a few minutes, he stepped out, his face tense. When he returned, Quinlyn saw his hands were scraped and bleeding.
Quinlyn had seen people lash out in anger and end up hurting themselves. She took a moment, then spoke up, her voice steady. “Why not just hit Mr. Lambert instead?” she suggested.
Joseph’s surprise lasted only a second before he burst into laughter. He wiped his hand on a tissue, then playfully tousled her hair. The anger in his eyes faded, and his usual warmth returned.
“Thanks, Quinlyn. I really mean it,” he said, his gratitude clear.
Quinlyn glanced at Mandy, who was sleeping peacefully. She knew Mandy had been through something rough. “So, she’s not going to school this afternoon?” she whispered.
Joseph shook his head, a touch of sadness in his eyes. “Nope. Gotta get her to the hospital.”
Quinlyn nodded, not wanting to push for more. “Alright,” she said softly.
Joseph hesitated as Quinlyn reached for the car door. “How about you skip school today?” he blurted out, glancing over at her. “Just stay low for a few days until I sort this out. You can go back when things settle down.”
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11:15 Tue, 18 Mar
Chapter 24
Quinlyn turned to him, shaking her head thoughtfully. “I can’t skip she murmured. “We have PF dass this afternoon, and there’s a test. Iured to be there”
Joseph felt frustrated. He wanted to tell her that a PE. test was nothing to worry about for elementary school students, especially for someone as athletic as she was
But before he could, Quinlyn added, “Besides, if Mr. Lambert is up to something, the other kids might be in danger. I can’t just leave them.
Joseph looked at her, genuinely surprised. She barely came up to the car door, but her determination was fierce. It was like ray of light cutting through the darkness in his mind.
Quinlyn’s calm look made him ditch the idea of going after that jerk himself. He sighed quietly. “Alright, but be careful. I’ll wrap up what I’m doing and get over there. If something happens, don’t jump in without thinking”
Quinlyn nodded, knowing he was seriously worried about her.
Lunch break ended fast, and kids started heading back to class.
No one noticed Mandy’s empty seat–except Quinlyn, who kept checking it out. Eventually, she joined the others for PE
class.
The start–of–term jogging test was tough, leaving most kids gasping for breath and some needing support from friends. But Quinlyn looked like she was just stretching her legs–she didn’t even break a sweat.
The P.E. teacher, Harry Lynn, blew his whistle. “Alright, everyone, the rest of the period’s free. Go find some shade and chill,” he said, seeing that nobody had the energy to keep going.
A few friends came over to Quinlyn. “Hey, we’re opening card packs over in the shade. We brought a bunch. You should join us, they said, pulling out their cards with excitement.
Quinlyn watched as they took out their shiny, new cards. She didn’t quite understand the appeal, but she politely declined the invitation. “I’ll join you next time when I have my own. She didn’t want to play with borrowed cards–it just didn’t feel right.
Her friends looked a little disappointed, but before they could say anything, gasps of amazement came from another shaded spot. Harriet was unwrapping some new cards, and everyone was staring in awe.
“Whoa, these are all rare cards! You’re amazing. Harriet,” one of the kids said, eyes wide.
Harriet’s chin lifted as she soaked up the praise. She glanced at Quinlyn, her eyes flashing with a challenge, before turning to the kids. “If you hang out with her, I won’t let you see my cards. You gotta choose.”
The other kids, obsessed with the card game, felt cornered. After a second of hesitation, they abandoned Quinlyn and sprinted over to Harriet..
Quinlyn, surprisingly, felt relieved. She was way more into basketball than cards.
In her small town, there was a boy named Justin whose parents had brought him a basketball from the city. The other kids. would play with it on the open ground, but they never let her join.
Quinlyn walked over to the basketball hoop, picked up the ball, and felt how oddly rough yet soft it was in her hands
Nearby, Harry–the teacher on break–chuckled. “Hey there. You into basketball? If you want to learn, I can teach you how to shoot. Playing basketball can help you grow taller, too.”
Harry’s words sparked something in Quinlyn. She looked up at him and asked sincerely. “If I learn, can I grow as tall as you?”
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Tue, 18 Mar
Chapter 24
Harry blinked, then let out a warm chuckle. “Well, I can’t promise you’ll be as tall as me, but you’ll definitely catch up to the other kids,” he said with a smile.
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E
