The day of the game arrived. They were facing the Glendale Hawks, a team from another district, so it was a friendly match.
Despite being a friendly, there was a lot of buzz and excitement during the school day, as it was still the first game, and everyone had high hopes for the team this year. Plus, they would be playing at home.
During the school day, most of the conversations were about the game, with students organizing plans to watch it with friends, guessing by how many poin...
2024-12-30 16:00:58 +0000 UTC
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Thursday, September 11, 2008
Several days had passed since Andrew started school. The next day, Friday, the team would play their first game, although it was just a friendly match.
The regular season wouldn't begin this Friday but the next, lasting until late October or early November. They would face neighboring schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
The teams with the best win-loss records during the regular season advance to the regional playoffs,...
2024-12-29 16:25:32 +0000 UTC
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[Hey, old man, wake up] said Luke telepathically to Edgar while dodging a punch from the reddish demon with incredible precision.
Luke always wore the necklace. It had become a kind of habit since the ghost of his great-great-grandfather started living there.
'Is he fighting at close range?' thought Julie, the servant, surprised to see Luke's fighting style. She knew he had an aura of clairvoyance—rumors of his three auras had been circulating for some time. But it was still rar...
2024-12-29 16:02:18 +0000 UTC
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“Hi, guys. We finally have a class together,” said Andrew, sitting right behind Leonard and Howard.
The desk was set up with a computer, monitor, mouse, and keyboard.
“Hey. Did you really choose programming as an elective?” Leonard asked, confused. It wasn’t the kind of subject you’d expect a popular athlete to pick.
They weren’t the only ones surprised by this. Several students in the classroom who knew him from middle school also looked at him with surprise w...
2024-12-28 15:54:34 +0000 UTC
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'Demons...' thought Luke with a serious expression, watching as the reddish creature slowly got to its feet, dazed from the blow.
Ajax sent him a telepathic message, informing him that lesser demons were attacking the labyrinth. He asked Luke to help the others so that as few people as possible would die, and Luke agreed—because that’s what friends do.
Luke glanced back. Behind the Nao, Eugene, and the others, three more demons were approaching, running as if their prey might ...
2024-12-27 18:36:15 +0000 UTC
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"You’re Andrew Pritchett, right?"
Andrew stopped focusing on his delicious lunch and looked at a boy with an average appearance who seemed a bit older than them. He was wearing the typical jacket athletes wore.
"Yes, what do you need? Andrew asked, and everyone turned to the boy, waiting for his response.
"Jason and the guys want to talk to you," the boy replied, pointing toward a table in the middle of the cafeteria where several boys in matching jackets sat with a group ...
2024-12-26 14:40:33 +0000 UTC
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"What the hell is going on!?" Ajax exclaimed with confusion and a hint of fear.
Through the cameras, he saw a horde of unidentified monsters entering through the various cardinal entrances of the labyrinth.
One monster stood out more than the others. Its appearance was different from the rest, which seemed like copies with only minor differences between them.
Ajax instantly knew these monsters were not from his family. First, he had never seen them in his life, and second, h...
2024-12-26 14:33:49 +0000 UTC
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When Mitchell and Andrew left the house, they were both surprised to see not one, but two cars parked in front of their house.
One of the vehicles was his grandfather Jay's truck, who stepped out to greet Andrew and Mitchell. In the back seats was Manny, with his backpack and a slightly drowsy expression.
"Hey, Dad, what are you doing here?" Mitchell asked, eyeing Jay cautiously. If there was one thing he knew, it was that his father wasn’t here just to chat with him.
"Hey...
2024-12-24 15:59:37 +0000 UTC
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"Don’t worry, the doctors from the Petropolus mansion will tend to you soon," said the maid in a calm tone, though her gaze betrayed more impatience than compassion.
In her arms, she carried a girl with multiple wounds. The most painful of them all was an arrow that had pierced through her Achilles tendon. The arrow was laced with a venom that caused a burning sensation.
“Sniff… sniff… Why does the labyrinth have to be so dangerous?” the girl sobbed, wiping her tears wit...
2024-12-23 16:42:36 +0000 UTC
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Luke walked down a long and wide hallway of the maze. He had already been left behind by everyone in his group, who, unlike him, were in a hurry because they wanted to win the ten thousand dollars and be crowned champions.
'Even Eugene left me behind,' Luke thought, sighing lightly.
He walked, observing the surroundings, though there wasn't much to see. There were statues, but after looking at them for a while, they stopped being interesting.
The hedged walls were very tall,...
2024-12-22 18:08:50 +0000 UTC
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September 1, 2008
At 7:10 AM, the alarm clock went off. Today marked the start of classes—the first day of ninth grade.
Andrew opened his eyes, dark circles visible underneath them. He got out of bed with a groggy, half-dead expression. He hadn’t slept well at all.
His excellent quality of sleep had been completely destroyed by his new baby sister, Lily, who cried nonstop throughout the night at random intervals, making it all the more frustrating.
When the crying ...
2024-12-22 16:23:01 +0000 UTC
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"Each day you’re getting taller, mi niño," said Gloria with a big smile as she looked at Andrew.
[Gloria's comment]
"Andrew was always very warm with Manny and me when we first met the family. He always made us feel included. He’s like my second son," said Gloria with a wide smile.
Andrew had a very good relationship with Jay, and when Jay met Gloria, he started spending less time alone with Andrew. Because of this, Gloria thought Andrew might hold a grudge against her ...
2024-12-22 16:14:35 +0000 UTC
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Veronica stopped near Andrew, unsure of how to greet him. It would be odd to kiss him with her father standing right behind her, his intimidating expression ever present, especially since her relationship with Andrew was only a few days old.
“Hi, Andy…” Veronica greeted him with a bit of shyness, very different from her usual self—always confident and with a hint of arrogance.
‘Andy?’ Andrew thought, confused. Only his family called him that in such a… let’s say ch...
2024-12-21 15:59:44 +0000 UTC
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Eugene managed to last only one round before losing consciousness due to a powerful electric shock. However, he gave his all to fight bravely and was applauded for his courage.
Even Nao, for a moment, looked at him in surprise as he withstood several of her electric shocks, getting up and returning to the fight despite his deplorable condition.
“Winner: Nao!” Ajax exclaimed, and the crowd erupted in cheers and whistles.
Nao continued her streak of winning all her matches...
2024-12-20 18:13:32 +0000 UTC
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The third round had ended. Both the siren, Lucy, and the vampire, Armand, were in deplorable condition. Their clothes were torn and dirty. Neither had managed to knock the other out.
When the bell signaled the end of the third round, everyone turned to Luke and Wednesday at the judges' table, waiting for their verdicts.
'Damn… I didn’t pay much attention,' Luke thought, putting on a serious expression as if he were deeply contemplating the battle between Lucy and Armand, who w...
2024-12-19 17:28:07 +0000 UTC
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"Phil, honey. This is Dylan, and he's a senior," Claire said as Phil walked over. He noticed Andrew sleeping on autopilot but didn't think much of it—he'd seen him do it a couple of times before.
"Scare him a little," Claire whispered to Phil.
Phil looked at Dylan, who stared back at him. Behind Dylan, Haley wanted to bang her head against the wall, but there was nothing she could do at this point.
"Let's see what's going on here," Phil said, stepping toward the stairs.
2024-12-19 15:58:27 +0000 UTC
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In the semifinals of the fighting tournament, two psychics faced off: one of them, Eugene, and the other, Nao, much to the surprise of both Luke and Eugene himself.
The other two finalists were Lucy, a siren, and a vampire named Armand. The few psychics in the audience began mocking the other outcasts, proud that two of their own had made it to the semifinals, despite their smaller ratio compared to other groups at the event.
Moreover, only a handful of psychics had entered the to...
2024-12-18 15:48:54 +0000 UTC
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Around the circle where the duels were taking place, there was a large crowd watching two people fight intensely. It was a siren versus a werewolf.
The fighting tournament had already begun. The format was simple: one versus one, elimination direct. Three rounds, each lasting three minutes. If neither fighter was knocked out by the end of the three rounds, the judges (Luke and Wednesday) would choose the winner.
At 2:10 of the second round, the siren used her song. Magenta-colored...
2024-12-17 17:07:29 +0000 UTC
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The doorbell rang, and Claire stopped what she was doing and rushed to the front door. Andrew had no choice but to follow her. Leonard and Howard followed him.
"Let's see what idiot Haley is dating. Let’s scare him off right away," Howard whispered to Leonard with a mischievous grin. He had taken it upon himself to join the intimidation mission, even though Claire never asked for his help.
If he helped Andrew, they could make Haley break up with this Dylan guy sooner, and Haley ...
2024-12-17 15:30:48 +0000 UTC
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"Pedal, Howard!" Andrew exclaimed, sitting up straight with his arms crossed in the back seat of the bike, perfectly balanced. He casually observed the scenery, as if he didn't even feel the rocking of the bike.
In front, Howard was pedaling with an expression of suffering, sweating as the sun beat down on his face. The combination of heat and the weight of Andrew wasn’t exactly light, and every pedal stroke felt like punishment.
He had never been great at physical education, an...
2024-12-16 21:13:04 +0000 UTC
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Riiing… riiing… riiing.
An annoying sound echoed through the pitch-dark room. Andrew's phone screen lit up, and the sound kept ringing in the room.
"Turn… that thing off…" Howard mumbled groggily, covering his face with a pillow.
On the other mattress, Leonard grunted in irritation at the relentless noise.
Andrew was sound asleep. After a few seconds, he moved his hand toward the nightstand, fumbling a bit before finally grabbing the phone. He brought it to his...
2024-12-16 21:10:57 +0000 UTC
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On Saturday at six in the evening, Leonard and Howard returned to Andrew's house, much to their surprise. They never imagined in their wildest dreams that the most popular guy in their grade would be a nerd like them, into pop culture and video games.
They also realized that no one at school knew about Andrew's secret hobby. Only they knew, and that made it feel even more special.
Mrs. Thompson spoke with Howard's mother, telling her that she would keep an eye on them to make sure...
2024-12-16 21:09:12 +0000 UTC
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“My mom is always late,” said Howard, sitting on the living room couch.
“It doesn’t matter. We’ll wait; it’s still early,” said Andrew, sitting on another couch.
The room fell silent. Howard and Leonard sat next to each other, while Andrew sat across from them, watching them intently.
Howard and Leonard started feeling uncomfortable with the silence and Andrew’s inquisitive gaze.
“Are you guys seriously fifteen?” Andrew asked, breaking the silence.<...
2024-12-16 21:06:58 +0000 UTC
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After the intense game of truth or dare, the group, now down two members (Mark and Julia), scattered throughout the grand hall. Some headed to the dance floor, while others sought quieter corners to chat about nonsense while sipping alcohol.
‘That was weird,’ thought Luke as he sat in a chair next to Wednesday.
The game had been strange, especially since Wednesday and Enid had teamed up to point out some of his quirks. It seemed like it might escalate into a heated argument, b...
2024-12-16 17:11:20 +0000 UTC
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"Is that what you think? That half-bloods are genetically inferior?" Enid asked, staring at Wednesday.
"Yes," Wednesday replied, making eye contact with Enid. She felt emotions swirling inside her, but her face remained expressionless.
Enid had been her first female friend; she considered her as such because she had told her about her pet scorpion that died and where she shed her first tears. Enid had even managed to get her to apologize to someone.
However, that friendship ...
2024-12-15 16:08:15 +0000 UTC
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Before entering the house, Howard glanced at the vehicle parked by the curb.
"Ma! Don’t forget you have to pick us up at 11!" Howard shouted, his voice deeper and raspier different from his usual voice.
"I know! I don’t have Alzheimer; I’m still young!" the woman responded from inside the car, her tone louder than Howard’s, echoing through the air like thunder.
Andrew couldn’t help but crack a small smile at the exchange between Howard and his mother; it reminded h...
2024-12-15 16:02:24 +0000 UTC
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[Dunphy House]
"In a few hours, I'll be there with the girls. You're finally throwing a party," said Haley, brushing her hair in front of her mirror while talking on her cell phone in her room.
[It's not a party. Just a few people. Don't invite too many people] said Andrew, who was on the other end of the phone talking to his cousin, Haley.
"Relax. It'll just be my closest friends. With your friends, we'll be about twelve people," Haley replied with a slight smile.
[Mm...
2024-12-14 16:26:12 +0000 UTC
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Saturday, August 30, 2008.
7:00 AM.
The alarm went off, and Andrew opened his eyes. He got up and started changing in front of the mirror, stretching his arms while yawning. He took off the shirt he used as pajamas, exposing his torso and defined abs.
‘Did I grow a bit, or is it my imagination?’ Andrew thought, observing his reflection. His hair was dark and messy, with a couple of strands always falling over his green eyes.
Andrew stepped closer and then moved bac...
2024-12-14 16:24:24 +0000 UTC
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Friday, August 29, 2008
“Andrew, pause the game. We need to talk before we leave,” said Cameron, walking into Andrew’s room with Mitchell.
The walls of the room were painted in matte black, absorbing the light and creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a cave.
On one wall, a collection of posters featuring his favorite Marvel and DC heroes was displayed—Spider-Man swinging between skyscrapers and Batman serving justice as he punched a criminal missing a couple of teet...
2024-12-14 16:22:54 +0000 UTC
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Andrew gathered the team in a huddle to communicate the play. This is where the quarterback gives specific instructions about the play to be executed.
“We’ve got fifteen minutes, and we need three touchdowns…” Andrew said.
“Looks like you guys need more training,” he added with a faint smile that sent shivers down everyone’s spine.
They knew just how intense their captain was about training. None of them wanted to increase their hours of suffering.
“Hey...
2024-12-14 16:21:07 +0000 UTC
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