TCOTRB: The Case of The Red Bubble

📍 Chapter II: Conspiracy (?)

Chapter II: Conspiracy (?)

Leo has the tendency to do reckless things when he is in a bad mood.
He wouldn't talk to anyone unless he is in the mood for it. The only voice of reason he had was Jin.
Their friendship goes way back in primary school. Jin was always the first one to know everything going on with his life and help out.

"Yesterday, your parents drove all the way to school and interrogated me in front of these people, asking if I knew where you went and tried covering you up from you!"

"What?" Leo slowly turned to look at him. He never expected his parents to be there.

"Things could have turned out a bit differently if you tried talking to us. But no! You kept ghosting us like nothing happened," Jin slowly approaches behind and lays a hand on his friend's shoulder, "We're your friends, Leo. You don't have to handle everything on your own."

"You know that I'm not allowed to vent my problems with anyone. I don't want my folks to think I'm embarrassing them!"

Tio Hector then rose from his seat to offer them all solid advice.
"I want you to remember this, especially the others. A person who thinks others owe them something is a sore loser," he looks at Leo and Jin, "Not everyone is gonna be your biggest fan! You kids are still learning about the world so these grownups should cut you some slack."
He doesn't expect them to rebel against their parents. He simply wants the adult figures around them to quit being tenacious.

At the strike of four, Milo and his friends set off to leave. Jin chose to stay behind with Leo. The other three took the jeepney that can take them to their destinations. It's become a little quieter outside.
Irene asked to be dropped by this huge Mediterranean-style house decorated with colorful paintings. Her friends couldn't believe she lived there. A young-looking woman with a messy apron greets her at the door. She waves back at them until the jeepney is already further away.

[At the Sidaris household.]

A strong lightning struck the dome's surface as the little cat cowered behind its owner's legs.
Seated at their porch, Milo gently picks up Hades and comforts him in his arms.
The country takes advantage of this phenomenon by converting it into electricity. The whole neighborhood marveled at this sight.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" His mom just came home from work.

The gentle breeze flowing through the openings was already getting stronger as they rushed back inside.
He waltzed towards the kitchen once he heard the kitchen timer on top of the oven. Both he and his dad have prepared papoutsakia, a stuffed eggplant dish.

"Sorry if it got a little burnt, hun! We can never replicate your recipe ourselves. Nothing beats your cooking!" Jason exclaimed.

"Why ... It looks great, Jason!" Gladys beamed.

The family sat together to enjoy the meal. Hades got to eat with them after Milo left him with a bowl of cat food.

"I heard there was a basketball match on the other side of town. How did it go?" his dad asked.

"Well, Leo's team lost the game so he ain't in the mood to hang out with us," he told his parents.

He chose to avoid discussing his friend's circumstances for it's rather personal. His father was made aware though about yesterday's drama after one of his fellow teachers let him in on the news.

"I was told by Mrs. Lopez that Leo ran away from school before his parents could pick him up. Jin failed to stop him," Jason claimed. Mrs. Lopez is Milo's algebra teacher.

Milo knew that wasn't the case. He clarified that his friend went to show up earlier in training with his uncle.
He felt a bit of relief once the conversation shifted towards the news of Captain de Guzman.
It made his heart slightly hop in joy upon hearing his dad compliment the entire The Golden Manes team.
Jason especially did it out of respect for his old idol, Hector Juegos, and Nico de Guzman.
Gladys, on the other hand, sensed a glimmer of uncertainty in her son's eyes. "If there's something bothering you, don't be afraid to tell us. We're always here for you," she said kindly. Milo heard Hades purring beside him and gazed at him with those curious amber eyes.

"Sure," he patted the cat on the head.

Once his parents had gone to bed, he later locked the door of his room, turned on his laptop and proceeded to record himself talking about the things he learned so far about The Red Bubble.

Hi! My name is Milo Sidaris. I'm fourteen years old and I attend eighth grade at Mariner Academy. I'll be telling you some of the unusual stuff that occurred during the past few days ...