The deal was gone. Their chance was gone. Everything… was gone.
Mr. Almond's face twisted in anger.
In the next second, he strode forward and slapped Garrison hard across the face.
Smack.
The sound echoed sharply.
"This is all your fault!" he snapped. "You ruined everything!"
Garrison staggered slightly, his cheek burning. Something inside him snapped as well.
"And you didn't?!" he shouted back instinctively. The words came out before he could stop them.
Mr. Almond froze, then his expression darkened even further. "Are you talking back to me now?"
Garrison clenched his fists, his entire body trembling. 'I don't want to say this… why can't I stop…?'
"I didn't want to say anything!" he burst out helplessly. "But you were involved too! Don't act innocent!"
Mr. Almond's breathing grew heavy. He could feel it too. That strange loss of control.
As if his own words were betraying him. And while chaos erupted here...elsewhere, another storm was unfolding.
.....
