Rachael's eyes widened in astonishment as she took in the array of items Mike had brought from Tina's house. "You took more than just a book?!" she exclaimed.

Mike's gaze drifted upward, evading Rachael's intense stare. "Well, as you can see… I find them intriguing."

Rachael's incredulity grew. "And the old box? What's so intriguing about that?"

Mike's fascination was genuine. "It's hard to explain. The box seemed to beckon me to take it. Its allure was irresistible."

Rachael's outrage boiled over. "You thief!” she shouted.

“You took me there to steal!” Mike countered, his tone defensive.

"What do you plan to do with all this, Mike?" Rachael pressed for clarification.

Mike's enthusiasm took over. "Just look at it – it's beautiful!"

"That's not what I asked. What's your intention?" Rachael cut him off, rephrasing her question. “Beautiful you say?”

Mike's voice dropped to a whisper. "There's something strange about the box. Something inexplicable dwells inside."

Rachael's concern deepened, sensing the mysterious nature of Mike's finds. "Like what?" she pressed, curiosity etched on her face.

Mike shrugged. "I'm not sure yet, but I'll find out soon when I open it." He attempted to lift the lid, but it appeared to be secured with an antiquated lock of some sort.

Rachael cautioned, her eyes locked on the box, "Be gentle, or you'll damage it."

Mike's eyes narrowed at Rachael. “Seriously!?”

Rachael intervened, her tone firm. "You're not forcing that box open, Mike. It looks rare. Find another way or we'll return it."

"Okay, fine," Mike relented, acknowledging Rachael's concern.

Rachael took one of the books Mike brought and exclaimed with a smile, “This would be interesting!”

“Title?”

"War on Griffins," she answered and departed Mike's room with a enthusiastic smile.

"Goodnight, brother!" she called out, whistling softly.

Mike settled in with another book, immersing himself in its pages as the night wore on.

*****

Gradually, the night wore on, and daybreak gradually emerged. Rachael went to wake Mike up, but he was already awake when she opened his door. He is, in fact, reading.

"Reading along still? Mom and Dad are downstairs waiting for you.”

"Just a minute, I'm finishing the last page," Mike said, engrossed in his book.

"You mean you stayed up all night reading?" Rachael asked, her tone incredulous.

"The story was too captivating and suspenseful. I wasn't tired." Mike confirmed, closing the book.

Rachael shook her head, "You sacrificed sleep for a fictional book. You're a novel hunter!"

Mike grinned, jumping out of bed. As he stepped into the bathroom, Rachael waited outside. "Looks like I might break that box after all!" Mike shouted from within.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"If you break it, I'll report us for housebreaking! We're going to the police station!" Rachael's stern warning followed.

"Dammit, tough girl," Mike chuckled to himself as he turned on the shower.

Rachael stormed out of the room, leaving Mike to his thoughts.

*****

Mr. and Mrs. Smith dropped Mike off at school, where they encountered Stefan and his parents exiting their vehicle and heading toward the principal's office.

"Hey, Stefan!" Mike called out, stepping down from the car.

Stefan turned around, noticed Mike waving, and flashed a warm smile. "Come over here!" he beckoned, gesturing for Mike to join him.

After exchanging warm greetings, their parents left the boys outside to continue their conversation before proceeding into the principal's office.

Stefan scrutinized Mike's face, concern etched on his features. "You appear rather exhausted, bro. What's troubling you? Your eyes look worn out."

"For real?" Mike curiously asked, he retrieved his cellphone to examine his reflection on the screen.

"Of course! You look utterly drained, as if you haven't slept for days," Stefan replied.

Mike acknowledged, "It'll wear off soon. I attempted to conceal it, but my expression always betrays me. I spent the entire night reading a novel," he confessed. "Now, it's obvious to everyone."

"I share your fatigue. I played COD all night and barely got any rest," Stefan commiserated. “I'm running on fumes too."

Their shared weariness forged a moment of camaraderie between the friends.

“You look okay for someone who's been awake the whole night,” Mike said and sat down beside the tree nearby.

Stefan stood in front of him, strutted and his hands akimbo. “I'm stronger than you think,” he boasted jokingly.

Mike raised up his head and grimaced as he saw Stefan’s taunting smile. "Is it necessary for you to inject humor into every situation, even when gravity and solemnity are warranted?" he inquired.

"What substantive advantages or meaningful rewards have you reaped by maintaining a serious tone, forsaking the mitigating influence of wit and humor?" Stefan replied and shrugged. “Absolutely nothing!”

Mike shook his head, concern etched on his face. "You're really taking this lightly, aren't you? You have no idea what the principal's decision will be, yet you're still joking around."

Stefan shrugged, leaning against the tree Mike was sitting beside. "Even in the worst-case scenario, we'll only get a minor punishment or a two-day suspension. I'm prepared for that outcome."

Mike sighed and nodded slowly. “Perhaps, I hope so.”

After approximately five minutes, their parents emerged from the meeting, their faces visibly etched with disappointment.

"I think we're in trouble now," Mike inferred as he observed their approaching figures.

Stefan nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's obvious. They don't look happy."

The two fathers, Mr. Smith and Haysbert, approached, leaving behind their wives chatting in front of the staff office.

"It seems you have unfavorable news for us. What happened?" Mike addressed them.

Mr. Smith shook his head and sighed. "The principal's not willing to listen to our pleas," he replied.

“You guys are suspended, two weeks,” Mr. Haysbert revealed.

Stefan's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, what?! Two weeks? Not two days? This is completely unexpected! I wasn't prepared for a suspension this long."

Mr. Haysbert nodded solemnly, confirming the duration. Stefan sniffled, frustration evident in his voice. "So, we'll be spending the rest of this month at home?"

Mr. Smith nodded, affirming the suspension.

"Hey, come over to my place – it'll be an absolute blast!" Mike invited, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Stefan nodded vigorously. "I'm heading to Mike's," he informed his dad.

Mr. Haysbert's voice took on a cautionary tone, low and serious. "Be cautious, guys. Okay?"

Stefan acknowledged his father's warning. "Will do, Dad."

Turning to Mike, Stefan grinned. "Let's go already!"

As they began to walk away, Mrs. Haysbert called out from a short distance, her voice carrying across the space. "Don't come home late, Stefan!"

"I won't, bye Mom!" Stefan shouted back over his shoulder and slung his arm around Mike's shoulders in camaraderie. The two friends continued toward the school exit, eager to embark on their adventure.

Mrs. Smith followed closely behind Mrs. Haysbert, silent observers to the exchange between their kids.

As the duo continued toward the school exit, Stefan began. “Have you ever been in a romantic relationship before?” he asked with a devil-may-care expression.

Mike gave him a sidelong glance as he considered his stupid query.

"Stop giving me that kind of stare! The same question was posed to Christina here yesterday, and it kind of made me wonder if I have ever seen you dating someone,” Stefan said, avoiding eye contact with Mike as much as possible.

“If you're trying to make fun of me well then… You're successful ,” Mike said.

"You are really fortunate, as opposed to me, who has experienced two heartbreaks. I sincerely hope you never have to experience that," Stefan said.

Mike stopped on his track and fixed Stefan with an unnerving glower.

“Okay! Okay! I give up," Stefan backed down. "Was I a good actor?"

"No, you are a terrible one; no company would sign you," Mike replied and continued to move again.

Stefan smiled, ran toward him and put his hand around his shoulder as they wended their way home.