p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""It's rather cold…"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""What is…?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""The way you treated Randy just now..."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Cold?" Eddy exclaimed in a raised tone. "Bah! I would treat Randy and the rest just like that, doesn't matter."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Well…Randy's been through a lot lately," Double D said, in support for his close friend. "Perhaps we should comfort him."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Comfort?" Eddy asked. "Why…do that yourself, Double D. I have other things to do."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"The rather intolerant Eddy walked away, without a slight pity for the condition of Randy, a friend who had unfortunate few days, which started with him losing his beloved pet cat, and the less than impressive Physics marks./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Randy could be seen at the back of the school compound, with the basketball field in the background. He was folding his arms tightly, as if feeling cold, while his face looked rather pale. His eyes were watery, too, suggesting that he cried, or was close to tears. Double D, being the generous type of person, decided not to waste time. He approached the downed Randy./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"br /br /p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Hi Randy," he said. "Tough day, isn't it?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Oh, hi…" Randy said with a soft voice. "What do you want?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Nothing…actually."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Look...," Randy said with a slightly raised voice. "It's obvious I had an awful day, and I can't be blamed for it all, can I?" he continued, referring to a previous encounter with Eddy, who he shared a science project with./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Please…calm down…," Double D told his friend./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Randy then wiped his eyes, inhaled and exhaled deeply, to calm down a little./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Sure…"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Double D showed that he cared. "Randy," he said, "I truly understand how you feel."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Really?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Yes. You see…I once had a puppy; a cute one, too. It was with me for five months. Five months…until he is heard no more…"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""That sounds sad…"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""It is, Randy. I was crying in my room, alone, as if I lost someone very dear to me."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""But you don't look sad anymore."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""I moved on. I knew that he disappeared from my life, but then, rather than let myself down with my feelings, I decided to forget about it and go through life as usual."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Randy's eyes blinked and rolled. "What…?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""I brought myself down…and at the same time, I brought everybody else down. My family, my friends…I realised that, and thought, 'Forget it! I'm starting a new life.'"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"br /br /p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Randy said nothing, and nodded his head. Double D continued on./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""I hope," he said, "that you would leave behind the dark days. I did not get good grades in physics, too, last year. But, because I love to learn, I worked hard to get better."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Double D…," Randy said, "I think…"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""What do you think?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""I think…," he said, "that you are absolutely right."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Double D sounded surprised. "I…am?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Yes," Randy said again, wiping his tears away, and relaxing his muscles that were stiff. "You showed me, that I need to move on in life."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Well," Double D said, "good! That's the spirit, old boy!"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Randy just smiled./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"br /br /p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Double D would invite his friend over for lunch at the cafeteria, where they would meet Ed and Eddy again./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Oh," Eddy said, "here comes the lazy one."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Eddy, please," Double D said to Eddy. "It's time to move forward. Forget about the past. Let's live in the present time."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Yeah…but he is not doing his physics work."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Randy nodded. "I understand, Eddy. I'm sorry. Things got a little out of hand for me…so I apologise. Honestly."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Eddy looked at Randy with a grim look, but he eventually cooled down./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Well," he said, "as long as you admit your mistake, I'm fine with that. But, please do your work next time."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""So should you, Eddy," Double D interfered. "You hardly did any. You can't just depend on Randy."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Eddy gulped. "Oh…I realised that, Double D…sorry…" he replied while scratching his head./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Ed later arrived at his seat, holding a delicious-looking ice cream on a cup./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Happy eating, guys!" he said./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"The others eventually settled their differences that evening, and ate together./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""What is…?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""The way you treated Randy just now..."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Cold?" Eddy exclaimed in a raised tone. "Bah! I would treat Randy and the rest just like that, doesn't matter."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Well…Randy's been through a lot lately," Double D said, in support for his close friend. "Perhaps we should comfort him."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Comfort?" Eddy asked. "Why…do that yourself, Double D. I have other things to do."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"The rather intolerant Eddy walked away, without a slight pity for the condition of Randy, a friend who had unfortunate few days, which started with him losing his beloved pet cat, and the less than impressive Physics marks./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Randy could be seen at the back of the school compound, with the basketball field in the background. He was folding his arms tightly, as if feeling cold, while his face looked rather pale. His eyes were watery, too, suggesting that he cried, or was close to tears. Double D, being the generous type of person, decided not to waste time. He approached the downed Randy./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"br /br /p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Hi Randy," he said. "Tough day, isn't it?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Oh, hi…" Randy said with a soft voice. "What do you want?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Nothing…actually."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Look...," Randy said with a slightly raised voice. "It's obvious I had an awful day, and I can't be blamed for it all, can I?" he continued, referring to a previous encounter with Eddy, who he shared a science project with./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Please…calm down…," Double D told his friend./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Randy then wiped his eyes, inhaled and exhaled deeply, to calm down a little./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Sure…"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Double D showed that he cared. "Randy," he said, "I truly understand how you feel."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Really?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Yes. You see…I once had a puppy; a cute one, too. It was with me for five months. Five months…until he is heard no more…"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""That sounds sad…"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""It is, Randy. I was crying in my room, alone, as if I lost someone very dear to me."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""But you don't look sad anymore."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""I moved on. I knew that he disappeared from my life, but then, rather than let myself down with my feelings, I decided to forget about it and go through life as usual."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Randy's eyes blinked and rolled. "What…?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""I brought myself down…and at the same time, I brought everybody else down. My family, my friends…I realised that, and thought, 'Forget it! I'm starting a new life.'"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"br /br /p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Randy said nothing, and nodded his head. Double D continued on./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""I hope," he said, "that you would leave behind the dark days. I did not get good grades in physics, too, last year. But, because I love to learn, I worked hard to get better."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Double D…," Randy said, "I think…"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""What do you think?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""I think…," he said, "that you are absolutely right."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Double D sounded surprised. "I…am?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Yes," Randy said again, wiping his tears away, and relaxing his muscles that were stiff. "You showed me, that I need to move on in life."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Well," Double D said, "good! That's the spirit, old boy!"/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Randy just smiled./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"br /br /p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Double D would invite his friend over for lunch at the cafeteria, where they would meet Ed and Eddy again./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Oh," Eddy said, "here comes the lazy one."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Eddy, please," Double D said to Eddy. "It's time to move forward. Forget about the past. Let's live in the present time."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Yeah…but he is not doing his physics work."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Randy nodded. "I understand, Eddy. I'm sorry. Things got a little out of hand for me…so I apologise. Honestly."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Eddy looked at Randy with a grim look, but he eventually cooled down./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Well," he said, "as long as you admit your mistake, I'm fine with that. But, please do your work next time."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""So should you, Eddy," Double D interfered. "You hardly did any. You can't just depend on Randy."/p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Eddy gulped. "Oh…I realised that, Double D…sorry…" he replied while scratching his head./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"Ed later arrived at his seat, holding a delicious-looking ice cream on a cup./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;""Happy eating, guys!" he said./p
p style="margin-bottom: .14in; line-height: 115%;"The others eventually settled their differences that evening, and ate together./p