"Welcome back!" Erik greeted Brad lightly, still looking at his phone but with a small smile on his face.
"Thanks for waiting," Bradley said as they started walking into the school together. He was focused on the blue screen that had appeared in the corner of his eye.
[Sub-Quest:
Description: Free Mia from her parents
Details: After seeing your interest in giving Mia happiness, this quest was created.
Reward: Will be decided after you complete it.
Failure: Will be decided after you fail it.]
Looking at the quest, he couldn't help but smile. His intentions were simpler than he expected, but he didn't mind, as he genuinely wanted to make Mia happy.
"Oh yeah, what did you guys talk about?" Erik asked curiously, putting his phone away as he remembered seeing Bradley chase after her.
"Oh, nothing much, just wanted to ask about the time we should meet," he said, shrugging his shoulders and keeping the truth to himself.
"Hmm." Erik nodded lightly as they entered the school and came across people they didn't want to meet.
"...So then Becca threw her retainer in the toilet!" They saw Roxxy and Dexter standing in front of their lockers, laughing about something.
"Ugh, what are these two losers looking at?" Roxxy finally noticed them and asked with a disgusted look.
"I think we're looking at a combined IQ of two," Erik said with an unexpected joke, causing Bradley to burst out laughing.
"Excuse me!?" Roxxy looked at both of them with an angry face, then at Dexter.
"Huh, I don't get it?" Dexter looked confused, not understanding why they were laughing or why Roxxy was angry.
"Looks like you overestimated," Bradley added, pouring more fuel on the fire. They laughed even harder.
"They're calling us stupid..." Roxxy looked at Dexter, then back at Bradley with an annoyed look, almost holding back her feelings to choke him.
"They are!?" Dexter looked at Roxxy in surprise, then at Bradley and Erik. Pointing at them, he asked, "You guys are calling us stupid?"
"I... n-no, I didn't... I mean, I wouldn't…" Erik stammered, terrified, while Bradley tried to hold back his laughter at how stupid this guy was.
"Because I'll smash your face, you little shit." Dexter punched his hands together, successfully terrifying Erik. "And what are you laughing at?"
Realizing Roxxy had noticed him holding back his laughter, Bradley took a deep breath and looked at her with a stoic face.
"Didn't your deadbeat loser of a father kill himself or something?" she asked with a smug look, having heard about why he had been absent from school for the last month.
Erik looked at Bradley with a worried expression, remembering how close Bradley had been to his father.
"Hey, at least I had one growing up, unlike someone," he retorted with an annoyed look. Even though it was the old Bradley's father, he couldn't stand the disrespect. "And at least I live in a house." He knew how Roxxy lived, and his comment seemed to hit her deeply, making her even angrier.
"...You're fucking dead!!" She clenched her fist, wanting to kill him after hearing those words she hated so much. "Go get 'em, DEXTER!!!"
"Hold up, Roxxy. Ms. Smith is coming." Dexter tried to calm her down, pointing toward Ms. Smith, who was coming down the stairs. "And if I get caught in something like this again, Coach Bridgett will kick me off the team." He lightly tried to push Roxxy away from them to avoid getting caught.
"Ugh, whatever." She brushed his hands aside and started walking away, but not before turning back to look at Bradley. "I'll get you."
"I'll be waiting for you," he replied with a smile. Seeing her frustrated made him feel even better.
"Ugh, I'll deal with you later." Even angrier after his reply, she stomped away, not wanting to see his face anymore.
"You got her good," Erik said with a smile, laughing as they walked away.
"And you too; that was quite funny," Bradley said, as he hadn't expected Erik to make a joke like that, especially against Dexter.
"You two! Get over here, RIGHT NOW!" But their moment was interrupted by a scream from behind. They looked back to see Ms. Smith standing a bit farther away.
"Ugh! Let's go," Bradley said with a tired voice as they started walking toward her.
"What are you still doing in the damn hallway?" she asked with an annoyed look. When they got closer, she finally noticed who it was. "Ah, Bradley! Finally returned to us, I see…"
"Yes, ma'am!" he replied lightly, already feeling exhausted from the lecture that was about to come.
"It's about time! Do you have any idea how far your grades have fallen?" she asked, remembering how his grades had become so bad, which could tarnish her and the school's reputation.
"They have?" he asked curiously, not expecting his grades to drop, especially given the reason for his absence.
"That doesn't seem fair!" Erik retorted lightly. Dropping his grade just because he was absent due to his father's death wasn't right. "Don't you know his dad—"
"That's quite enough, young man!" she said with an annoyed tone after being interrupted by Erik. "I suggest you get your butt to class before you find yourself in detention."
"..." Erik looked at the ground, clenching his fist.
"And for you, Bradley? We need to discuss your failing grade, so I want you in my office right away," she said, lightly slamming her stick in her hand and starting to walk up to her office.
"Yes, ma'am," Bradley replied, lightly patting Erik's shoulder to calm him down.