Not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention, X had to control himself. This shocking new revelation in X's grief-stricken youth has thoroughly rocked him.

What is 1056 trying to do? Is he messing with me, targeting only those close to me? That can't be right; he's been tormenting me for four years now. It has to be a coincidence. X's mind raced.

"Hey man, what was that all about?" Adonis questions.

"Yeah, X, you said we have a right to know," Diane adds. X couldn't say out loud what he was thinking here in the middle of this crowded cafeteria.

"Wait, we have a right to know what?" Adonis Curiously asks.

"About my past," X informs.

"So... you were planning on telling me about your past from the beginning?" Adonis mutters.

"uhh yeah, remember, I said I would tell you after class?" X reminds Adonis. Blood rushes to Adonis' face at the recognition of his embarrassing outburst earlier, and the reality of that is just now settling in. It seems the drug is just finally starting to wear off fully.

"At any rate, I can't tell you guys here, we can talk in the library," X explains. "Nobody ever goes in there." X continued. As the newly formed trio walks towards the library, Adonis' and Diane's minds pondered what happened in X's mysterious past.

Why did you suddenly up and leave town? You didn't even say goodbye. Diane wondered while looking at X's back. He's gotten so tall in four years; he somehow seems more manly, Diane added to her thoughts as she stared. She found herself blushing at these distracting thoughts.

Adonis was worried about his friend. I can't help but wonder what happened that was so horrible he had to keep it secret for four years. Adonis worries. The doors to the school library swing open, and your eyes fall upon two burgundy lounge chairs and fern between them. To the direct left of the door on the same side of the room is the checkout desk. A quite looking young woman sat behind the counter, back straight, eyes down, intensely reading a book.

"Goodmorning, Mrs. Lay." Diane quietly greets the librarian. Mrs. Lay didn't say anything but gave a polite nod and went back to her novel. The triad walks to a door to the left of the two chairs, and open it to enter another room.

"It's more private in this room. People don't come in here because they assume its off-limits because the doors are always closed, but Mrs.Lay has never said it's not allowed to come in this room." X explained. The room was small and worn. There was a single coffee table in the center of the room, and four chairs surrounding it. On the right wall, there was a counter with an instant coffee maker and other things, sugar, creamer, mixing straws, etc. There was also a mini-fridge in the corner, stocked with various drinks. Adonis and Diane sit across from one another at the table. X sat last at the far end of the table, to face his two friends. As X told his gruesome tale, Adonis and Diane listen intently in silence.

"Wow... I can't imagine that happening to me at that age. I don't know what I'd do, and I don't think id handle it as well as you, much less talk about it." Adonis speculates.

"I'm not a hero or anything like that." X Chuckles.

"He's right X; you're amazing for making it this far without it affecting you in a major way," Daine assures. Adonis looked at his old friend in a new light. He's never felt this way about X before, but somehow - I think I respect him. Adonis realizes.

" Hey, don't look at me like that, Donny." X awkwardly teases, feeling anxious about having opened up for the first time about this topic in front of people.

Confused by the new name, Diane turns to Adonis, "I thought your name was Adonis."

"It is, but he knows calling me Danny bugs me," Adonis explained.

"What? you're not going to end me?" X antagonized.

Not this time, bud. "I'm just glad you weren't hiding anything bad from me. I'm glad I have a friend I can trust." Adonis states relieved his friend isn't crooked. Eventually, Diane speaks up.

"This little moment is nice and all, but we still have a problem here, guys. This 1056 guy is texting us now." Diane says, bringing the conversation back.

"What the hell does this guy want? how did he get our phone numbers?" Adonis Blurts out.

"Let's take this one question at a time. We should figure out what 1056 wants first." Diane asserts.

"Did either of you guys text back?" X inquires.

"I did." "I did not." Diane and Adonis answer simultaneously.

"Okay, so we know this person can text us back from a four-digit number somehow. How did his personality seem to you, Adonis?" X asks, pressing for more clues.

"He seemed...manipulative." Adonis answers.

"In what way?" X asked as Diane curiously leans in with wide-open crazy eyes.

"Uhh, you like this kinda stuff, huh? " Adonis states feeling a bit uncomfortable from Diane's intense staring.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"What? Felonious Thoughts is my favorite show." Diane ensures.

"I bet..." Adonis mutters.

"Look, I'm just interested in stuff like this, but this is serious, how was he manipulative!" Diane yells, feeling a bit taunted and humiliated.

"He was trying to turn me against X and be friends with him instead," Adonis reveals. " he said he would be a better friend." Adonis continued.

"Fascinating, so far, anybody who received a text from 1056 is connected to X in some way or another." Diane muses.

"That's true enough, but that doesn't give us any clues to who this person might be and why he's tormenting me." X rebates.

"It doesn't explain him wanting to become friends either," Adonis adds.

X inputs his opinion. "He may have just said that to get under your skin to make you angry; then, he manipulated you to direct that anger at me."

"That right there just pisses me off even more." Adonis fumed.

After chatting for a while, mulling over who 1056 could be and why he was targeting X, the end of lunch bell rings.

"Let's meet at the Heritage Coffee Shop tomorrow at noon to continue this." X proposed.

"Sounds good!" Diane agreed.

"That's a good place to sit and talk," Adonis admitted.

All three were frustrated. X was no closer to solving this unexpected mystery. No clues they had seemed to point in the right direction. While walking to their classes, all of their pockets buzz. They all stop in their tracks, backs turned to one another, unaware of the fact the others also got a text.

On Adonis' phone: From 1056 - midnight 40.675952, -122.373742

On Diane's' phone: From 1056 - midnight 40.674821, -122.375045

On X's phone: From 1056 - midnight 40.674508, -122.372979

They all looked at their screens in silence. For one reason or another, they all decide not to turn around and notify the other two about the text. The trinity continues down the halls to their classes, having made a potentially fatal decision.

In the king's household, X lays on his back, staring at the ceiling.

Coordinates? Why coordinates? When I looked them up, it was just a random place behind the highschool. Oh well, he probably wants to meet, so I can't afford to pass up this chance. If this is the same guy that texted my brother, he's the only one that knows what happened to Ben. I need to find out what happened to him. I absolutely must know!!

In Diane's room, she too is lying on her back. I want to tell the others about the text, but if I don't go alone, he might runoff, and we'll never figure out who this guy is.

At the same time, Adonis was in the shower. Scalding water cascading down Adonis' face masqueraded the tears streaming down his face like two raging rivers on a mountain. He was especially frustrated at this entire situation. He couldn't rationalize his feelings and had intentions to attack his innocent best friend. He was disgusted with himself. How can I ever face X like I used to? I wish I weren't such a dumbass. Now I have to help X any way I can. The only way I can face X how I used to is by doing what this 1056 guy tells me to. I'm going to find out who he is when I meet him, and I'm going to kick this guys ass!

The time is now 11:45 pm. X finds himself in the middle of the high school garden. Tomato plants, cucumbers, carrots, and strawberries all grew here. 11:45, fifteen minutes left, I wonder if he's watching me right now?

11:50. Diane is in an empty field just across the street of the highschool. Why here of all places, it's so public it's suspicious. Right next to the road, and the high school? He must be confident he can make a quick getaway. Not before I figure out who this creep is.

11:55. Adonis wanders into the wood mill. The wood mill is across the street of the high school as well, adjacent to the field that Diane is in. This is the place, but why in the middle of a lumber yard? There's a lot of places to hide here. That could be why. He's probably watching me right now. I can't wait to get my hands on this sick bastard!

12:00 am, midnight has struck. The trio separately yet simultaneously looks around anxiously. A few minutes pass, and nothing has happened. They begin to lose hope that they will see 1056 tonight, or ever. A couple more minutes pass when suddenly X spots two shadowy figures down on the football field. Adonis and Diane could not see that area from their respective positions, unfortunately.

"Hey!! 1056!! Don't move!!" X yells out as he starts running out of the garden down to the field. He's in full sprint when he suddenly sees a brilliant ball of light shoot into the air, filling the night sky with an explosion of blue light. On the field, X can see two boys run away and hopping the fence disappearing into the night.

Upon seeing the fireworks Diane and Adonis naturally run over to that direction. From the angle Adonis was coming, he recognized two dark figures running down the road toward him.

"HEYY!!" Adonis shouts as he gives chase. Adonis running after them startles them, and they turn to run back to where they came from.

Daine arrives at the field and spots a person in the middle of it. She runs over, and now the figure becomes more clear

"X, what are you doing here!? Was that explosion you!?" Diane yells.

"Diane? No... I didn't want to say this, but yesterday, 1056 texted me telling me to come here." X explains. " I thought I was gonna find out who they were, but they escaped." X continued.

"They? Like more than one? Wait a minute; three guys are running towards us right now!" Diane alerts X and points toward the south endzone. The three silhouettes get closer and closer.

On the burnt 50-yard line, the two boys are met with X and Diane, with Adonis behind them. They have been successfully trapped. The two of them are both short, young, blonde, and have an uncanny similarity to each other — twin brothers.

"Arent you two Ryan and Cody Sheffield? X asks as he recognizes them.

"Y-y-yea, are you g-go-gonna call the c-cops on us!?" Ryan says, trembling with fear.

"Well, that depends. Are you two, 1056?" X calmly interrogates. The two boys look surprised at the question. They exchange a glance then turn back to X.

One of the boys finally speaks up, "You know about 1056?" He asked, skeptically.

"Wait, so you're not 1056?" Diane investigates.

The other boy addresses Diane's question. " 1056 is a number that texted us earlier today.''. "He dared us to light these fireworks off, and he gave us $500 each. I don't know how he texted us, but he was honest about sending money." The boy continued.

"Did he text you coordinates?" X interrogates.

"Yea, he did, they led straight to the fifty-yard line, and he wanted me to light off fireworks, that's it." The boy explains.

"That's it?" Diane states, defeated.

What the hell? This wasn't supposed to happen! I should know what happened to Ben right now, but 1056 is just wasting my time now.

"He's playing games with us now. He's really starting to piss me off." X Exasperates. Just as X says this his phone vibrates once again

X reads aloud; From 1056: Like my little game? This was a minuscule level of crime compared to what I have planned for you five. If you wish to achieve that which you seek, you must heed my word and follow them to a T. You better get going, or police will see. Off in the distance, the wail of police sirens can be heard. Ryan and Cody instinctively runoff, and the trio goes their separate ways as well. X now back in his room, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. Just an hour before, he was in the same position, but now, so much has changed since then.