Cassidy started leading Heston around the fair.
She took him to visit every booth and cheerfully passed out the snacks he'd packed to her classmates. Each time, she would raise her voice and proudly introduce him.
"This is my Mr. Heston!"
Heston, with his tall frame and upright bearing, gave off a sense of unwavering dependability. To children, such adults were intimidating in a respectful way, and they all greeted him politely.
Cassidy brought him to every corner of her class' booth and eventually signed the two of them up for a parent-child activity.
Heston enjoyed this lively, joyful atmosphere, especially seeing the identical smile on Cassidy's face as the other children's. Immersed in the crowd, his lips couldn't help but curve into a slight smile.
This sure was a wonderful era.
As the grown man and little girl blended into the playing crowd, there was a sudden scream from the field.
Everyone looked toward the source of the noise and noticed that a child was dangerously dangling from a fourth-floor air conditioning unit on the classroom building.
During school anniversaries, most teachers and students gathered in the auditorium or on the field. No one knew why a child had wandered to the classroom building alone and unaccompanied by adults.
Then came a couple's frantic shriek from the field. "Ah! That's our child!"
Cassidy recognized the couple as Pete's parents, and when she focused on the figure clinging to the air conditioner, she realized it was indeed Pete who'd called her a liar earlier.
"Mr. Heston…" She'd just turned to ask Heston for help when a new wave of screams erupted around them.
Pete, who'd been hanging in midair, suddenly slipped and plunged straight down.
His parents and the school staff began rushing over when they saw Pete falling fast. His mother collapsed on the spot from shock, and she fainted instantly.
Cassidy's eyes widened at the sight. Though she had a strong dislike for Pete, who'd always bullied her, she didn't want to see him get hurt or die.
At that critical instant, Heston vanished from her side in a burst of teleportation.
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