The Ascension of the Invisible - Chapter 6-A Friend Worth Keeping

The trophy lasted exactly three hours before Marcus almost broke it.

"Careful!"

Alex lunged forward.

Marcus caught the trophy against his chest.

"I had it."

"You absolutely did not have it."

"I was adjusting."

"You were dropping it."

"I was repositioning it."

Alex stared at him.

Marcus stared back.

Then they both laughed.

The trophy sat between them on the cafeteria table.

Their class had won the academic competition that morning, and somehow the teachers had decided that the winning students should carry the trophy around for the rest of the day.

Alex wasn't sure why.

It wasn't even particularly impressive.

A cheap golden cup mounted on a wooden base.

Still, he kept looking at it.

Not because of the trophy itself.

Because of what it represented.

He had spent years believing that he wasn't good enough to be noticed.

Yesterday, people had actually cheered for him.

Today, several students had congratulated him in the hallway.

One had even asked him for help with a mathematics assignment.

It was strange.

Being useful had changed the way people looked at him.

Alex wasn't sure whether he liked that.

But he didn't hate it.

Marcus leaned across the table.

"You've been staring at that thing for five minutes."

"No, I haven't."

"Four minutes, fifty-eight seconds."

"You timed me?"

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

"I have incredible instincts."

Alex laughed.

"You have no instincts."

"That's hurtful."

Before Alex could answer, someone approached their table.

It was Hannah.

She placed a notebook beside Alex.

"You left this in the library."

Alex looked at it.

His notebook.

He hadn't even realized it was missing.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

She glanced at Marcus.

"You're Marcus, right?"

Marcus sat up straighter.

"Depends who's asking."

Hannah frowned.

Alex sighed.

"Ignore him."

"I am."

Marcus looked offended.

"That was fast."

Hannah smiled.

Then she walked away.

Marcus watched her leave.

"She's cool."

Alex nodded.

"Yeah."

Marcus looked at him.

"You like her?"

Alex nearly choked.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"No."

"I didn't even say anything."

"You were about to."

Marcus grinned.

"You know me too well."

Alex shook his head.

For a moment, everything was easy.

Then Marcus's phone vibrated.

He looked at the screen.

His smile disappeared.

Alex noticed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Marcus put the phone away.

Alex didn't press him.

Not immediately.

They finished lunch.

When the bell rang, Marcus left first.

Alex followed a few minutes later.

Something felt wrong.

After school, Alex found Marcus behind the science building.

He was sitting on a low concrete wall.

His phone was in his hand.

He wasn't using it.

Just staring at it.

Alex approached.

"You've been acting strange all afternoon."

Marcus looked up.

"I'm fine."

Alex sat beside him.

"Everyone says that."

Marcus smiled faintly.

"Maybe everyone's fine."

"You're not."

Marcus looked away.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then Marcus sighed.

"My brother got into trouble."

Alex waited.

"He borrowed money from someone."

"How much?"

"Too much."

"How much?"

Marcus hesitated.

"Three hundred."

Alex frowned.

"Three hundred what?"

"Dollars."

That was more serious.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Marcus rubbed his face.

"He won't tell my parents. He says he'll fix it."

"Can he?"

"I don't know."

Alex looked at him.

"Who's he owe?"

Marcus shook his head.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"He won't tell me."

Alex leaned back.

"Then why are you worried?"

"Because I know him."

Marcus stared at the ground.

"When he says he's going to fix something, it usually means he's about to make it worse."

Alex didn't know what to say.

So he didn't say anything.

After a moment, Marcus continued.

"Someone called him this morning."

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"Did they threaten him?"

Marcus nodded.

"Kind of."

Alex's expression changed.

"What does that mean?"

"They told him he had until Friday."

Alex looked at him.

"That's tomorrow."

"I know."

The wind moved through the trees behind them.

Alex thought carefully.

"Does your brother have a job?"

"Part-time."

"How much does he make?"

"Not enough."

Alex stared at his shoes.

He didn't have three hundred dollars.

His family couldn't simply produce that kind of money.

And even if they could, something about the situation bothered him.

"Don't give them the money."

Marcus looked at him.

"What?"

"Don't give them anything until you know who you're dealing with."

"What else am I supposed to do?"

"Find out what happened."

Marcus laughed bitterly.

"That's easier said than done."

"Then let's start with your brother."

Marcus looked at him.

"You don't have to get involved."

"I know."

"Alex."

"I know."

"Then why are you?"

Alex shrugged.

"You're my friend."

Marcus went quiet.

Alex stood.

"Where does your brother work?"

Marcus stared at him for another few seconds.

Then he smiled.

"You're actually serious."

"Unfortunately."

Marcus laughed.

"Okay."

They found Marcus's brother that evening.

His name was Daniel.

He was nineteen and worked at a small auto repair shop on the other side of town.

When Alex and Marcus arrived, Daniel immediately looked annoyed.

"What are you two doing here?"

Marcus crossed his arms.

"We know."

Daniel's expression changed.

"Know what?"

"The money."

Daniel looked at Alex.

"Who's he?"

"My friend."

Daniel sighed.

"You shouldn't be here."

Marcus stepped forward.

"You borrowed money."

"I said I'll handle it."

"How?"

"Marcus."

"No. You always say that."

Daniel's jaw tightened.

"I made a mistake."

"What kind?"

"A stupid one."

"That's not an answer."

Daniel looked around the workshop.

Finally, he lowered his voice.

"I borrowed it because someone told me I could make it back quickly."

Alex frowned.

"Doing what?"

Daniel hesitated.

"Deliveries."

"What kind of deliveries?"

Daniel didn't answer.

That was answer enough.

Alex felt something cold settle in his stomach.

"Daniel."

"I didn't know what was inside."

Marcus looked furious.

"You carried something for them?"

"Twice."

"And now?"

"They want their money back."

"Why?"

"Because the second delivery disappeared."

Silence.

Alex looked at Marcus.

Marcus looked at his brother.

"What disappeared?"

Daniel shook his head.

"I don't know."

Alex studied him.

There was fear in Daniel's face.

Real fear.

Not embarrassment.

Not guilt.

Fear.

"Who are these people?"

Daniel shook his head.

"I don't know their names."

"Then how do they contact you?"

"Phone."

"Numbers?"

"Different ones."

Alex thought for a moment.

"Do you still have the messages?"

Daniel nodded.

"Why?"

"Because whoever is threatening you made a mistake."

Daniel frowned.

"What mistake?"

"They're communicating with you."

Alex held out his hand.

"Let me see."

Daniel hesitated.

Then he gave him the phone.

Alex read the messages.

Most were short.

Friday.

Don't make us ask twice.

You know what happens when people waste our time.

Alex scrolled.

Then stopped.

There was one message from three days earlier.

Locker 214. Thursday. 4:30.

Alex looked at Marcus.

"What's Locker 214?"

Daniel's face changed.

"I don't know."

Alex turned the phone toward him.

"You don't remember this?"

Daniel stared at the message.

Then slowly shook his head.

"No."

Alex looked at the time.

4:17 p.m.

Thursday.

His eyes moved toward the road outside the shop.

"Where's Locker 214?"

Daniel stood.

"Don't."

Alex looked at him.

"What?"

"Whatever you're thinking."

"I'm not thinking anything."

"You are."

Marcus looked between them.

"Guys."

Daniel stepped closer.

"Listen to me. Whatever this is, stay out of it."

Alex didn't answer.

Daniel grabbed his brother's shoulder.

"Promise me."

Marcus looked uncomfortable.

"I promise."

Daniel looked at Alex.

Alex hesitated.

Then nodded.

"Fine."

They left.

Outside, Marcus kicked a loose stone into the road.

"You lied."

Alex looked at him.

"About what?"

"You don't promise things you don't mean."

Alex smiled.

"Neither do you."

Marcus laughed.

Then his expression became serious.

"What are you thinking?"

Alex looked back toward the repair shop.

"Locker 214."

"You heard him."

"I did."

"He told us to stay out of it."

"I know."

"Alex."

"I know."

Marcus stared at him.

"Then why are you looking like that?"

Alex didn't answer.

Because something didn't make sense.

Daniel claimed he didn't know what the delivery was.

He claimed he didn't know the people.

Yet someone had given him a specific location.

A specific locker.

A specific time.

And whatever had happened with the missing delivery seemed serious enough that they were willing to threaten him.

Alex didn't know what was inside that locker.

He didn't know who was behind the messages.

He didn't even know whether opening it was a good idea.

But one thought wouldn't leave his mind.

Someone is using people who don't know what they're carrying.

And if Daniel wasn't the only one—

Alex looked at Marcus.

"Go home."

"What?"

"Go home."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you involved."

Marcus stared at him.

Then laughed.

"That's rich."

"What?"

"Five minutes ago you told me we're friends."

"We are."

"Then we're going together."

Alex shook his head.

"You don't have to prove anything."

"I'm not proving anything."

Marcus started walking.

"I'm making sure you don't do something stupid alone."

Alex stood there.

Then smiled.

"You're annoying."

Marcus looked back.

"I've been told."

They walked down the road together.

Neither of them knew what waited at Locker 214.

Neither understood how small their current problem was compared to the things Alex would eventually face.

But for the first time, Alex wasn't simply reacting to something happening to him.

He had chosen to step toward a problem.

And sometimes, the first step toward becoming stronger wasn't learning how to fight.

It was learning when to stop looking away.

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