Chapter 3 - The Blank Face
Eli stared at the giant sitting next to him in a children's chair. The boy took a long, shaky breath, unfolded his crumpled paper, and cleared his throat.
"My essay is about the person who matters most," Eli began, his small voice echoing off the alphabet charts on the wall. "Most kids wrote about their moms or dads. I don't have those. I have my sister, Maya. She works three jobs so I can have shoes and lunch money. She's in the hospital today because she worked too hard."
A collective murmur of sympathy rippled through the room. Cassius raised his eyes slightly, a cold glare sweeping across the parents until every whisper died instantly.
"I didn't think anyone was coming today," Eli continued, looking down at his paper. "I drew a picture of an adult next to me, but I left the face blank. Because I thought adults only show up when things are easy. I thought if you don't have power or money, people don't see you."
Eli stopped reading. He pulled a black crayon from his pocket, laid his drawing on the podium, and pressed the crayon to the paper.
With firm, deliberate strokes, he drew two sharp eyes, a strong nose, and an unyielding jawline inside the blank oval.
"Then last night, someone told me he would be here at eight o'clock," Eli said, looking directly at Cassius. "He didn't make excuses. He didn't say 'maybe.' He showed up. He taught me that standing alone doesn't mean you're weak. It just means you have to be your own shield until someone strong enough comes along."
Eli folded the drawing carefully. "This is Mr. Cassius. He's the person who showed up."
The classroom remained dead silent. Mrs. Gable wiped a tear from her eye, completely oblivious to the fact that the man sitting in the front row was the most feared crime boss in the state of Nevada.
May you like
Cassius stood up slowly. He adjusted his coat, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a sleek silver fountain pen. He gently slid it into Eli's shirt pocket.
"Never stop writing, kid," Cassius murmured.
