Ji oh Joey saga

#2#

The first four hours of the sunny school day passed, and breakfast time in the spacious cafeteria was nearing its end. Most students were ready to return to class at the first sound of the bell.

"Who exactly is this old man? And is he really a homeless guy?" Chris asked curiously while finishing his breakfast plate, leaving only a milk carton. He pushed it toward Joey casually, and Joey took it without protest.

Alex quickly answered, putting his phone aside after having reviewed the picture he'd saved since the morning, waiting for the right moment to share it. Now seemed like the perfect time.

"Well, he's not a real homeless person. I don't know the full story, but he's called the Hardened Pavement Poet. He recites rhymes everywhere—from west Brooklyn to the Manhattan Bridge and even Midtown New York. His name is Gary, but people know him as the Grand Poet. They say he got caught trying to sneak into one of Perry's properties."

"Wow, this old man doesn't seem to be afraid at all, judging by his actions," Joey said slowly, expressing his amazement after finishing the milk carton.

"And what did they do to him when they caught him? There's no way they'd just let a half-gray old guy like that go without at least detaining or torturing him, right?" Chris asked nervously, fidgeting on the edge of his hard cafeteria seat, which was no different from the rest of the bright cafeteria's seats.

"They let him go in the end. He didn't steal or damage any private property. They just found him. Still, he said that the men from that agency don't have hearts under the layers of their fancy suits—just emptiness." Alex paused briefly before continuing in a reflective tone:

"I found myself pondering that statement last night while I was looking him up."

Joey finished his breakfast and asked, "Why are we even talking about this old man, anyway? Really."

Alex interrupted him, saying, "First, this old man seems to know a lot about the conspiracies happening in this city, especially those connected to Perry's agency. Second, before becoming a wandering poet, he had some ties to gangs and the criminal underworld. Have you heard of the Crimson Dragons? He's got a complicated history with them from his youth—at least that's what I've heard. And lastly, we don't have any other lead but him."

Joey thought deeply for a moment, trying to piece together the truth. Gary seemed like the key to understanding some of what was happening around Perry. He said, "Alright, guys, we've got nothing but this old man or this lead, as Mr. Lex put it. To reach our goal, we need to meet him by any means possible, but without rushing or being overly hasty."

He slammed his hands on the cafeteria table, signaling the end of their meeting. The impact left him feeling numb and aching, which he slightly regretted.

Chris agreed casually, and Alex did too, after adjusting his glasses.

Most of the seats in the cafeteria had become empty, and the sound of the air filter grew louder, echoing faintly among the remaining seats where a few students were still sitting.

Suddenly, a strange boy joined them, appearing, at first glance, somewhat suspicious. With a smile, he said, "Can we join in on your crazy activity as well?"

His smile was different from Chris's; it seemed more provocative.

Chris replied cautiously, knowing that this person had always been sharp-tongued and provocative toward him throughout their four years together in school.

"What do you want, for heaven's sake, Jeremiah? Or are you here again to spew more nonsense at me? I swear!"

Jeremiah interrupted Chris with a confident smile.

"It's just that we want to join your little activity, given that we have some mutual interests worth verifying."

Jeremiah smiled again, his expression laden with deeper meaning.

"You and who else? Diller or Dennis?" Joey asked without moving from his spot.

"You could say that after having a long talk with the last guy, Slim and I decided to come to you directly About joining you , Slim, and Rodri.

Honestly, it was Slim who convinced me. He thinks he saw some strange people two weeks ago when I was giving him a ride after a long day. Since then, he hasn't been sleeping well. That's why he wants to check things out with you," Jeremiah explained in detail.

"What kind of strange people are we talking about? A humanoid robot with a left hand that turns into a gun?" Joey asked.

"Just a moment," Jeremiah said, then called for Slim.

When Slim arrived, he was barely as tall as Jeremiah, though shorter than Rodri, who stood silently behind him. Rodri, with his sharp features and tall frame, had a dark complexion similar to Joey and Alex, with distinctively Latin facial features tied to the nation of "Big B."

When Slim finally spoke, he explained:

"How do I put this? I didn't talk much about it, aside from telling my family, Miss Manzy, the lady at Mimi Manz's restaurant, Jennifer, Dennis, and a few others after that... Well, they looked like reptiles or humanoid lizards with scaly skin. I saw them at the intersection we always pass after finishing our day at Mimi Manz's. They were gathered in one of the alleys there. At first glance, I thought they were just ordinary men until those scales and their massive mouths started showing, especially the thick, bulky tails. For a moment, they looked human, but then they turned into these reptilian beings. Imagine the scene, man!"

Alex commented, "That's why my grandma has always forbidden me from going into old alleys since I left elementary school."

Chris asked skeptically, as Slim's words seemed to derail the group's discussion:

"Are you sure, Slim, that you weren't hallucinating or something? Come on, listen to yourself: humanoid reptiles? That doesn't even make sense! I think you need to rethink what you just said. It sounded bizarre and confusing somehow. We've all heard about the reptilian theory when we were kids. Don't you think you might have been imagining things that day?"

Slim, clearly irritated by Chris's skeptical and neutral tone, responded with noticeable annoyance, his eyes gleaming sharply:

"And you too! Listen to yourself! You talk about aliens and conspiracies... Do you even hear what you're saying? And now you come to question my words?"

Jeremiah tried to calm his friend, Salim. Although it was his duty to support him, he decided to intervene to ease the tension. However, before he could act, Rodri suddenly interrupted with a powerful slam on the table.

The entire cafeteria shook from the sound of his hand hitting the surface, and he shouted in a booming voice:

"First of all, I'm not here to believe any of you or your hallucinations. No shady men working for some company, and definitely no stupid lizards! I have two friends who believe in superstitions, and that's the only reason I'm here. So, everyone calm down now! Talking and arguing about these pointless things is useless, and the complaints are unnecessary!"

Rodri looked at all of them with a piercing gaze, as if warning them not to lose control. In the background, whispers rose from a group of onlookers, some calling them fools, wondering what was happening amidst this sudden commotion.

Joey intervened in a calm, measured voice, trying to ease the tense atmosphere in a more composed and constructive manner than Rodri:

"Rodri's right. We're not here to fight or waste time arguing. We need to work together. No matter how different our opinions are, everything will have its time and place soon enough."

After a brief moment of reflection, Joey made a decision. With hesitant agreement from Chris and Alex, they decided that Rodri, Jeremiah, and Salim would join them.

"We'll meet on 52nd Street at 5 p.m., near the burned-down shop," Joey said, mentally outlining the plan for the meeting.

Jeremiah and Salim agreed to the scheduled time. There was no rush; everything was set to happen after school hours. The timing was nearly perfect for them, especially since Rodri had shown interest in sticking with his friends.

Once Jeremiah and his group had put enough distance between themselves and the old cafeteria where they had been sitting, the agreed meeting time was finalized. They exchanged a silent look of confirmation before parting ways.

#3#

"Someone has been watching us for a while," Joey whispered, leaning back in his seat. He had managed to identify the observer as the number of students dwindled between the gaps in the desks.

Chris asked with growing curiosity, "Who are you talking about? Do you mean that janitor over there?"

Joey replied cautiously, "Over there, at that table in the corner near the second support column in the third row. That girl sitting with a notebook and pen in her hand. I think she's been watching us since the beginning of the day."

Chris responded in a surprised tone, "Do you mean LilM? Or the girl sitting across from her? Amy? Yeah, are you talking about Amy or LilM?"

"Amy and her friend LilM have been sitting together during breakfast, and they're about to leave since the bell is about to ring," Chris added.

Joey answered with slight tension, "I know, I know! Lower your voice, you idiot. I mean Amy. She's been watching us since we were talking this morning on the bus. Don't you think that's strange?"

Chris, amused, replied, "Maybe Amy has a crush on you, or maybe on one of us—don't rule out Alex or even David, who isn't here right now.

You mentioned something like this about a month ago, didn't you? Telling me we're being watched since your first days at school."

After a moment, Chris added with a serious face, "What's so strange about a pretty girl watching us? Maybe she likes me or something like that. Also, we've been making quite a scene lately, especially with all that talk about Perry Agency and the like. People have the right to judge our behavior."

Chris quickly dismissed the matter, and Joey followed his lead rationally after a while.

Meanwhile, Alex, who had a habit of staying quiet, was watching LilM leave the cafeteria behind Amy, his heart aching ever so slowly.

Alex thought it was time to leave as the bell rang, signaling their next class, until…

The quiet moment was shattered by the girl and her two friends slamming both palms on the table in front of them with force. The table itself seemed ready to protest from the repeated banging. She then declared loudly, her voice full of challenge:

"How about we finish what we started? A race around the basketball court in the gym? Or are you afraid of losing, Morris Keynes?"

She said this as she stood between her two friends, who appeared exhausted from chasing after her all morning.

Joey and the others recognized the girl instantly—her arrogant tone and constant complaints about their previous race. She still held a grudge over her humiliating defeat when Joey had outpaced the fastest person in all age groups during a gym class on his first day at school.

Joey smiled defiantly and replied, "I was just waiting for you to ask. I thought you'd forgotten about it and accepted your loss. What do you say we head to the gym right now? I'll prove to you once again that victory is mine."

The group immediately identified the girl and her friends. Jennifer stood on her left, while Chloe, the challenger, stood with a wide grin.

Chloe replied confidently, "Don't get cocky, Joey. This time, I'll make you regret your arrogance, and you won't be able to beat me."

Meanwhile, Alex watched the scene in astonishment. He muttered to himself, "Since when did Joey and Chloe become friends?"

Alex couldn't make sense of the contradictions unfolding before him.

He was used to seeing Chloe always bothering Joey during all periods since the beginning of this winter season.

Chris, sipping his juice with a playful tone, improvised a rhyme:

"I don't know, but it all began,

The day Joey came and made his stand.

In gym class, their paths first crossed,

And in the race, the first battle was tossed.

Jonathan Keynes triumphed with might,

But Chloe wouldn't accept that slight.

She tied with him and proudly declared,

'We'll race again; fate won't decide what's fair!'

Time and again, their quarrel renewed,

Sometimes he won, sometimes she, too.

In every class, the scene would replay,

And then with a smirk, as smiles spread wide,

Chris added, 'Today they race, let's see what's inside.

Will they end their feud ?'"

#4#

A group of students gathered during the five-minute break between classes. Chloe and Joey decided to settle their argument within this short window. Amy took off her heavy blue jacket and handed it to her friend Jennifer, then stretched a little to warm up. Meanwhile, Joey did the same near Chris, who waved goodbye and went to sit next to Alex among the seats scattered inside the gym.

The countdown echoed through the open space. As the number "one" resonated, Joey and Chloe darted forward like arrows shot from two bows. The crowd cheered enthusiastically for Chloe, but their encouragement didn't distract her from her goal—especially Delir, whose booming voice called her name unabashedly.

Chloe advanced steadily, overtaking Joey with calculated strides at the first curve, but he remained just behind her, like a shadow that wouldn't leave her side. Her breathing quickened, and she whispered between her sharp inhales and exhales, weighing her words without hesitation: "I've trained every morning since the last time we raced... I won't lose to him again."

Each step made her muscles feel heavier with exhaustion, but she didn't give up. On the other hand, Joey was gradually increasing his speed. His eyes shone with determination as he closed them for a brief moment, as if drawing strength from within: "Just a little more... I have to hold on... just a little more." He caught sight of the finish line, though Chloe was five strides ahead of him.

They approached the finish line. In a decisive moment, Joey managed to overtake Chloe, his feet pounding the ground heavily as he pushed forward, finally crossing the finish line first. The silence that briefly enveloped the place was shattered by deafening cheers when Joey surpassed Chloe and crossed the line, his throat dry.

Beads of sweat dripped from Chloe's face as she gasped for air, looking at Joey with a mix of crushing frustration and astonishment: "Damn... I was so close to winning... damn it."

The students crowded around them, and all eyes were on Joey, who stood exhausted, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his arm. He extended his hand to Chloe to help her up and said in a strained voice, "That was an amazing race, Chloe. You pushed me to my limits."

She couldn't complain or protest—she had asked for the race and got it, win or lose. That thought alone made his cheeks flush slightly with a faint sense of guilt.

Chloe smiled weakly and extended her hand with good sportsmanship. Biting her lip in stiff sorrow, she said, "Next time, I'll be the one crossing the finish line first."

To be continued in the next chapter.