I should have never trust him

The loud bass of rap music faded into the background as Alex made his way away from the store. He approached the designated meeting spot and spotted his mother waiting outside the toy store, her arms weighed down by multiple shopping bags. A few of them caught his eye, with their vibrant purple designs and soft velvet bows. He couldn't help but wonder what she had bought, but decided to ask later, because he noticed his mother paced anxiously, scanning the bustling mall with a furrowed brow. It was clear that she was looking for someone - most likely him.

A pang of guilt struck Alex as he realized he had forgotten to inform his mom that he would be spending time at the video games store.

Mary's eyes narrowed as she watched Alex approach, her worry giving way to frustration. She couldn't believe he had been so careless as to leave her waiting like this.

As Alex drew nearer, Mary couldn't contain her frustration any longer.

"Alex! Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!" Mary's scolding tone was tinged with a mixture of anger and concern. "I can't believe you just wandered off without telling me. You know better than that!"

Alex's shoulders slumped slightly under the weight of her disapproval. "I-I'm sorry, Mom. I lost track of time at the store," Alex stammered, his voice meek and apologetic. Mary could see the guilt written all over his face, and it only served to fuel her irritation.

"You were supposed to meet me here ages ago! Do you realize how worried I've been? You didn’t even tell me you were going to be in another place!" Mary's voice rose slightly, drawing the attention of some passersby. Alex shifted uncomfortably under his mother's piercing gaze.

"I'm sorry, Mommy. I didn't mean to worry you," Alex mumbled, his eyes cast down in shame. Mary's frustration only seemed to grow at his meek response.

"You can't just run off like that, Alex! You need to start acting more responsibly. I can't always be chasing after you like a child," Mary's tone was laced with disappointment, each word hitting Alex like a blow to his ego. His cheeks burned with shame as he hung his head, feeling the weight of his mother's disapproval bearing down on him.

Mary's frustration melted into a mix of maternal concern and a tinge of disappointment as she looked at her son. She took a deep breath, softening her features before speaking again.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Alex. I was worried sick," Mary said, her voice now gentle but firm. She reached out and took Alex's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Alex looked up at his mother, seeing the worry lines on her face, and felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

"I'm really sorry, Mom. I should have texted you or something," He mumbled.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, calling for Mary. "Mrs. Ramirez! Mrs. Ramirez!" In the distance, a young black man could be seen running towards them through the mall, waving his arm to get her attention. Alex focused his eyes and realized that it was Darnel. He ran past people who moved away from him, possibly intimidated by his criminal appearance. Although she didn't recognize him, Mary assumed he must be a classmate of Alex due to his age and decided to wait for him.

When Darnel finally reached them, he was breathless from his sprint across the mall. His dark eyes were wide with urgency as he came to a stop in front of Alex and his mother. Alex watched Darnel, unsure of what was happening.

"Mrs. Ramirez, I'm so glad I caught you! I need to talk to you about something important. It’s about Alex," Darnel panted out between breaths, trying to compose himself as he stood before Mary. His voice is filled with a mix of concern and apprehension, causing Mary to furrow her brows in confusion.

Mary took a step back, eyeing Darnel warily. She didn't recognize him at all and her motherly instincts kicked in at his appearance, urging her to protect her son from any potential threats.

"I'm sorry, kid, do I know you? And how do you know my son?" Mary's tone was cautious as she studied the young man standing before her.

Darnel took a moment to catch his breath before explaining, "I'm Darnel." He explain, still breathless. "I go to school with Alex.

"I'm sorry to be the one to report this to you" Darnel continued apologetically. “But your son, Alex, has been stealing from my store.”

"Stealing?" Mary's voice quivered with disbelief as she turned her gaze to Alex, searching for any sign of guilt or denial in his expression. But he just stood there, wide-eyed, and speechless. Mary's heart pounded with anxiety and anger. How could that boy even think to accuse her son like that?

"You must be mistaken," Mary finally spoke, her voice dripping with disdain as she looked at Darnel, taking in his disheveled appearance. His unkempt hair, rumpled clothes and his black skin only added to his untrustworthy aura. How could she believe someone who looked like they crawled out of a dumpster?

"I wish I was mistaken," Darnel retorted bitterly, disappointment evident in his tone. "But I caught Alex red-handed, slipping items into his backpack when he thought no one was watching."

Mary scoffed, refusing to believe such accusations against her sweet and innocent son. How dare this scoundrel judge him without any concrete evidence. "How dare you come here and accuse my son of such things? You have no right to make baseless allegations without proof," Mary spat, her voice trembling with indignation.

Darnel's expression remained calm, his gaze unwavering as he replied, "I understand your **** to accept the truth, Mrs. Ramirez. But I wouldn't come to you if I didn't have evidence." Darnel explained. Having already completely recovered his breath. With that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an old smartphone handing it over to Mary.

Mary hesitated, unsure of what to expect as she took the smartphone from Darnel's outstretched hand. She glanced down at the screen, her heart sinking as she saw the video playing before her eyes. It was a security footage from a store, showing Alex discreetly slipping items into his backpack while pretending to browse the shelves.

Mary felt a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her - disbelief, anger, and a sense of failure as a mother. She looked up from the screen, her gaze meeting Darnel's unwaveringly.

Mary's hand trembled as she handed the smartphone back to Darnel. Her mind raced, trying to grasp at any explanation that would absolve her son of thievery. "This...this must be edited," she stammered, desperation creeping into her voice, "Or made with some kind of artificial intelligence."

"Edited?" replied Darnel with a cool demeanor, "Then why don't you tell your son to open his backpack?"

“His backpack?” She repeated. Her heart pounding in her chest as she turned to look at Alex, who met her gaze with shock and guilt etched into his features. "Alex, open your backpack," she commanded, her tone hardening with each word.

"No mommy, you don't understand," Alex protested weakly.

"Alejandro, open it now!" Mary repeated sternly, her Mexican accent thickening with anger.

With great ****, Alex unzipped his backpack to reveal three freshly sealed video games inside. Mary felt the ground shift beneath her feet. How could this be happening?

"You gave him money for these games, Mrs. Ramirez?" Darnel asked with a knowing voice,

"No..." Mary shook her head in disbelief.

"Well, then the only way he could have them in his backpack is if he stole them, right? According to the security camera video I just showed you," Darnel stated calmly, backing her further into a corner.

"Liar!" Alex suddenly erupted, his voice cracking with emotion. "You gave me those games!"

"Gave them to you? Why would I do that?" Darnel countered calmly, "My cousin and I work tirelessly to keep our store afloat. We don't have the luxury of giving away games. Also, I barely know you."

Darnel words hurt Alex deeply, after said he was his friend. "You're a filthy liar!" Alex spat, fueled by a mix of anger and shame. He lunged forward and grabbed Darnel by the collar of his shirt, his eyes blazing with defiance.

But in an instant, a pair of strong arms yanked Alex away from behind, forcing him to relinquish his grip on Darnel. He stumbled forward and was immediately met with the humiliating sight of his mother's disappointed gaze, gripping him by the scruff of his shirt collar. In that moment, all sense of power and control drained from him as he was reduced to a helpless boy in front of everyone.

Feeling embarrassed by her son's actions, Mary knew she had apologize to Darnel. "Darnel, I... I don't know what to say. I never imagined Alex would... do something like this," Mary stammered, her voice quivering with shame. She could feel the eyes of other mall-goers on them, adding to her embarrassment.

"Please don't apologize for your son's actions, Mrs. Ramirez," Darnel said with a smug tone, causing Alex to seethe with anger. "At his age, he should be responsible for his own mistakes."

Alex felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he clenched his fists in anger and embarrassment. Darnel's words continued to cut into him as he turned back to address Mary. "It looks like your son has a pretty short fuse. A thief and now a violent one. What kind of mother allows her child to grow into such a delinquent?”

Mary's heart sank as Darnel's words pierced through her like sharp daggers. She had always tried her best to raise Alex right, to instill morals and values in him. But now, faced with the reality of his actions, she couldn't help but feel guilty.

“I will be honest with you, Mrs. Ramirez." Darnel continued with a tone of suoeriority. "If I wanted to, I could easily go to the mall security and call the police right now," Darnel stated matter-of-factly. "The photo evidence in the security camera is more than enough to prosecute Alex."

"Prosecute? Please no," Mary pleaded, her Mexican accent thick with desperation.

But then, Darnel changed his tune. "Lucky for you, Mrs Ramirez. Me and my cousin are generous people. It may be that you are a failure as a mother and have raised a filthy criminal." Despite feeling humiliated, Mary had **** but to lower her head and swallow her pride, allowing Darnel to insult her as a mother. "But we'll give you a chance," Darnel continued. “Work for us in our store. Pay for the games your son stole and help us for a while longer while we need staff. If you do that we won't press charges.”

"Really? Would you do that for us?" Mary cried, on the verge of tears.

"Of course, Mrs. Ramirez. I know how tough it can be to have a troubled child," Darnel said, his gaze shifting to Alex with a smug expression.

In that moment, Mary threw herself at Darnel in gratitude, embracing him tightly. "Muchas gracias. Gracias for forgiving my son. I will work hard at your store. I am so grateful," she exclaimed, her ample bosom pressing against Darnel's face.

Suddenly, Darnel turned to Alex and gave him a sly smirk as his mother's breasts pressed against his face.

It was then that Alex realized he had been fooled by Darnel all along. He was never his friend; it was all a ploy to get closer to his mother. With a defiant look, Alex met Darnel's gaze while his mother continued to hug her new saviour.

This sets the route for Alex facing the counsins Darnel and Jamal to protect his mother.

Its hard to keep with four routes at the same time, so, if you like this route more than the others; likes and comments help me to know in which route I have to put extra atenttion. I encourage you to check out the other routes as well!

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