TCOTRB: The Case of The Red Bubble

🧩 Chapter III: Abnormality

Chapter III: Abnormality

The diver looks a lot like Dennis but a tiny part of me says it could be a mere coincidence and the person happens to bear similar looks as my cousin.

A slight gust of wind bursts from beneath the surface. Milo was pushed far back until his head landed on someone's foot. Grandpa Sid quickly picked him up and demanded they head back inside. The boy pointed out the mysterious diver he saw a while ago.
At home, he was brought to the porch where his parents started reprimanding him. The only explanation he could give was, "I thought I saw Dennis dive into the waters!"
He was then met with awkward gazes. "No! He was with us the entire time," Rachel stepped in to convince him otherwise. She directed his eyes to where Dennis stood next her.
When you think about it, you won't be able to notice anything odd in the crowds. All eyes were on the bloody red island.

"You were the only one running towards the edge like a maniac!" Grandpa Sid claimed.

"Papa, I hope you all understand that Milo didn't mean to cause any trouble. He needs a little more time to settle in with us," Gladys patted him on the back.

Milo pulled out his phone to show the images he took a while ago. Instead of hearing him out, they speculated he could have edited it. How on earth is he going to achieve that in mere seconds? He never used any sophisticated editing program in his life!
A tall lady with brown pigtails suggested he run it on a photo-proofing software, which is available on his device. After a few seconds, the results confirmed it to be authentic.

"Now you send it to me so I can identify this man," she reminded him.

"You know, my older sister Glenda here is a former police agent. Now she teaches online safety education at a local school in town," Gladys mentioned.

"Well, good to know," Milo said. His mom walked up beside him and gave his Aunt Glenda's e-mail address.

During their civil conversation, Jason was heard telling off someone for badmouthing his son.
Candice's father, Uncle Geronimo, outright suggested that Milo stay away from people because his inept personality is making them uncomfortable.
The young teen saw the other adults shield their kids from him. "I don't want our children to end up like him. Let's get out of here!" they snapped.
It wasn't just his parents who stood up for him. Aunt Glenda also took his side and expressed her disappointment in them.

"It's not like my nephew is harming anyone! He just got to meet the whole family and you're already demonizing him!" she argued.

Uncle Geronimo is not the kind of person who'd be swayed otherwise. Milo sat there with his head down. He thought about how nobody would criticize him if he had just stayed back home in Aspin.

"Well, it's getting late! I should head back to bed," he slowly jumped off the couch and headed upstairs.

There was a pang of sadness in his voice. His mom wanted to comfort him but her husband tugged her arm, reminding her to give their son some alone time.
The young lad didn't want to show these people that he was hurt. He simply cannot wait to return home soon ...