Chapter 53 - Growing Up

Days and days after Darkley's victory, everyone continued to cheer on Brad for the last winning throw. Brad and Lloyd loved to repeat the story to the rest of his roommates, and the rest of the school for that matter.

Brad and Lloyd were closer than ever. Even Gene stepped off his pedestal once in a while, and Lloyd began to enjoy his company. Sure enough, the two kids still bickered endlessly, but there was a faint sign of friendship becoming stronger every day.

For Lloyd, Darkley's began to feel a bit more like home. He still missed his father, and he still thought back to the small misadventures he'd experienced with his uncle. But overall, the pain the memories brought had lessened considerably.

Unlike his fifth birthday, when Lloyd turned six he wasn't alone. Brad and Gene organized a small surprise party, using their talented, sticky fingers to retrieve plenty of candy from the teacher's lounge.

Lloyd loved every second of that day. There hadn't been any cake, or cupcakes for that matter, but sitting there, enjoying sugar filled goodies with the two people he called friends . . . He really wouldn't have changed anything.

During that year, the teachers focused on a more hands-on kind of evil. They showed the children the best way to plan heists, how to escape from various scenarios, and of course, how to break out of jail if you did end up being captured.

To honor the teachings and put them to the test, the three kids began to steal back confiscated items from the various adults in the building and returning them to their rightful owner. After more and more things began to go missing, and more word of their doings got around, they were forced into the principal's office.

The man didn't quite know what to do with the three kids.

"Stealing is bad," Lloyd had said, a smirk on his lips. "And if we were good people, which we aren't, we wouldn't have done it. But we did. Thus, we're bad. And isn't that what Darkley's wants?"

After scribbling a couple of words down on a paper with Lloyd's name on the top, the principal had allowed them to leave. No punishment, no yelling. Lloyd and his friend had giggled triumphantly all the way back to their rooms.

His seventh birthday somehow ended up being better than the last.

Lloyd, Brad, and Gene had snuck into the kitchen, and attempted to bake a cake themselves. It was easy to find the ingredients, as the cooks in Darkley's seemed to have plenty of food. None of the kids knew why the food was there, they were sure it wasn't to feed them, but they didn't stop to question it.

With Gene standing watch by the door, Brad and Lloyd had set to work. In the end, the substance seemed more like the thing Lloyd had used in the balloons he'd thrown at Gene.

Regardless of this, Brad and Lloyd pushed the mix inside an old oven, still in the same plastic container they had mixed it up in.

"We'd better hurry up," Brad had said, while Lloyd nodded. "We can't be here too long. I think it's better to put it on the highest setting. . ."

Soon enough, the whole kitchen was filled with enough smoke to make their eyes water and their lungs ache. Lloyd and Brad both reached for the oven door, coughing violently. As they pulled it down to retrieve their attempt at a birthday cake, a wisp of flame lunged out of the open door.

Screaming in a high-pitched manner, both of them ran out the door, with a confused Gene following behind. By the time Brad and Lloyd had filled in their orange haired friend, all three kids had reached the outside, laughing uncontrollably at their latest mischief.

His eighth birthday topped all others.

By then, most people had heard of him, and all his mischief. The older kids despised Lloyd, calling him "Darkley's wannabe hero" and teasing him around in the hall. But those that were Lloyd's age, or younger, admired every one of the green-eyed boy's moves.

The principal wasn't too happy. All of Lloyd's misadventures were based on the evil teachings Darkley's had put in the boy's mind. It wasn't as if he was acting like a hero. But there was something not quite villainous about his actions.

Everyone in the school knew about Lloyd's neverending feud with the principal. So, on his eight birthday, the younger kids planned a very special surprise for Lloyd.

When he had stepped into the cafeteria that morning, the crowd of kids broke into loud cheers. There was cake, cupcakes, and mountains of candy scattered around the cafeteria tables.

"No way the principal allowed this!" Lloyd still remembered Brad's exact words. "No. Freaking. Way."

"It's real cake," Gene said, taking in the smells. "Did we die? Is this heaven?"

"Might as well be," Lloyd chuckled, slowly stepping further into the cafeteria. A small kid with light brown hair ran forward, standing in front of the food and snacks with his hands behind his back. There was a wide, proud smile spread across his face. Lloyd raised his eyebrow, looking down at the young child. "Um. How did you guys . . . ?"

"Get away with this?" The kid finished for him, obviously filled with excitement. "First rule of being a villain: never reveal your secrets!"

"I thought that was for magicians," Gene said, and the kid shrugged. "But. . . how exactly did you get the principal to allow this?"

"We didn't!" The kid laughed. "He doesn't approve! But. . . he can't do anything. He's locked in The Room!"

Brad and Lloyd exchanged glances, then broke into a wave of laughter. The child continued to smile proudly, nodding with enthusiasm. At first, Gene was reluctant to join in, but by the end of the day, there wasn't a kid in Darkley's who wasn't fueled by waves of sugar.

Lloyd remembered everything about that day clearly. The laughs, the games, the food, the snacks, and the wonderful feeling of not being alone.

Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there.