----
Lavinia was sitting on a chair.
The album was open on her lap, and her hand trembled as she flipped through the photos with an indescribable anxiety.
Just yesterday the photos looked calm, familiar… normal.
But now,
what she saw in front of her wasn't just pictures; they were warnings from the future.
In one of tomorrow's photos, Michael appeared with a swollen face, his left eye surrounded by a dark bruise, and his body covered in injuries.
And in other photos,
she and Michael were being bullied by George and his group.
Even Rocky…
Everything looked too unbearable.
Lavinia gasped,
and suddenly stood up, knocking her chair over behind her as she screamed in a strangled voice: "Impossible… is all of this because of me?!"
She threw the album onto the desk and placed her hand on her head, her tears trembling before they fell:
"If only… if only I hadn't responded to George's slap… these photos wouldn't have appeared!"
She rushed out of her room,
running toward the door like someone fleeing from an impending disaster.
She passed by her mother, who was in the kitchen, and her mother shouted: "Lavinia! Come back here! Where are you going?!"
But the girl didn't answer…
She ran out, sprinting down the street without thinking, barely breathing, heading toward Michael's house.
She knocked on the door violently,
and Michael's father opened it.
He looked at her in surprise and said: "What's wrong, Lavinia? Breathe first."
She panted and placed her hand on her chest: "Mr. Jiro… is Michael home?"
He shook his head: "No… he hasn't returned yet."
She didn't finish the conversation; she turned quickly and said in a tense voice: "Maybe… maybe I can still change what's going to happen!"
And she took off running toward the school.
Halfway there, and completely unexpectedly, she saw Michael walking from the opposite direction.
She stopped.
Her breath caught.
She stepped toward him…
then her eyes widened as if she had seen a monster in front of her.
His left eye was swollen and blue just like in the photo, and his clothes were dusty and torn at the shoulder.
She raised both hands to her mouth, trying to stifle a strong gasp: "M-Michael… what happened to you?!"
Michael gave a cold, forced smile, trying to hide the pain: "Nothing… I'm fine."
Lavinia suddenly stepped toward him, grabbed his wrist tightly until he gasped in pain, and said in a trembling voice: "Did… George do this to you?"
He hesitated for a moment, then said in a broken voice: "Not just him… his whole group."
Her jaw tightened, anger and regret blazing inside her.
She said emotionally: "Why did you interfere?! I told you this was my problem!"
Michael pushed her back irritably: "And who told you I interfered?! This has nothing to do with you!"
She stared at him, her tears trembling: "How can you say that? You're getting hurt because of me!"
He sighed, then walked past her without looking at her: "I don't have time for this. Go home, Lavinia."
She ran to stand in front of him again, barely steady on her feet: "It was my fault… just stop, please."
He looked at her with a hurtful expression and said: "You're just bait… to lure me in."
Her heart trembled.
She whispered: "Michael… just… please, Michael."
But he walked past her,
entered his house, and closed the door behind him without looking back.
As for her, she stood in place, crying in bitter silence.
Her tears fell to the ground as if confessing helplessness: "Because of me… because of me Michael was beaten… all of this is because of me…"
---
Inside Michael's house, his father stared at him with concern as he entered: "Michael? What happened to your face? And your clothes?"
Michael answered in a tired, calm tone: "Just a fight with some thugs… nothing important."
His father approached and gently lifted his chin: "But you're hurt, son…"
Michael lowered his father's hand gently as he tried to smile: "I'm fine, really, Dad."
He went up to his room.
And as soon as he closed the door, he collapsed to the floor.
He took off his shirt…
His whole body was covered in purple marks and red bruises.
He touched his shoulder, and his body shook from the pain, but he forced himself to endure it.
He sat on the floor, leaned his head against the bed, and began remembering what happened since the afternoon…
---
When Lavinia left the classroom…
Michael felt a strange tightness in his chest, as if something bad was happening.
And at lunchtime, the rumors reached the cafeteria:
"Lavinia fought with George!"
Michael stood up quickly and headed toward a group of students who were talking.
He said sharply: "What exactly happened?!"
One of them replied: "George slapped her hard… and she bit him!"
Another added: "Not only that, she even threw her shoe at him!"
A third laughed in admiration: "She's strong!"
But another student spoke in fear: "George has his eye on her now… that's bad."
Michael's anger flared.
His hand trembled.
Then suddenly, with great force, he slammed the table, the sound echoing through the room.
He ran toward George's section, his face dark like a storm.
When he arrived, he found Rocky standing in front of George, as if they were about to fight.
Michael heard Rocky say:
"You're George, right?"
George replied mockingly, putting his hands in his pockets:
"Yeah, and what do you want?"
But before he could finish, Michael lunged like a rabid dog, knocked George to the ground, and began pummeling him with punches.
He didn't stop.
He was hitting him as if he were unleashing all the pain and anger inside him.
George's friends tried to intervene, but Rocky appeared from behind and fiercely protected Michael.
Rocky's fighting skills were impressive, and his kicks were precise and fast.
But George managed to punch Michael hard, knocking him to the ground.
Michael stood up heavily, his face bleeding, but he went back to fighting.
Groups of students gathered and managed to stop the fight before it reached the teachers' ears.
---
---
In the evening…
In another class…
Michael received a message from George.
He said to him coldly in it: "Come to the back yard… alone. Otherwise I won't leave that girl alone."
At the end of the class he approached Rocky to tell him:
"Let's go home together."
But Michael shook his head: "No, Rocky… I have training at the field."
He went to the back yard…
And there he found George and a larger group, carrying wooden and metal bats.
And as soon as he approached them,
they all attacked him.
He fell to the ground as the blows rained down on him.
George grabbed him by the hair and said:
"Look at yourself now… you idiot. You and that whore… she was just bait to lure you."
"I've always hated you and wanted to beat you."
Then he left him on the ground, half-conscious, and walked away with his group.
---
The next morning…
Lavinia left her house, her hand trembling as she locked the door.
She lifted her head…
And saw Michael leaving his home.
Their eyes met.
But he avoided her…
He turned his face away and walked off.
She ran after him, shouting: "Michael! Wait!"
---