Chapter Sixteen: The Countdown

                                    

                                          

Days turned into nights, and nights into days, as Henry counted down the moments until Rachel's anticipated discharge from the hospital. The horrid boy found himself constantly glancing at the calendar, marking each passing day with a mix of impatience and worry.
One evening, as Henry sat in his room, his eyes fixed on the calendar, Peter, his ever-so-annoying brother, entered.
"Do you like Rachel?" Peter asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Mind your own beeswax, worm!" Henry snapped, not bothering to look up from his calendar.
Peter, undeterred, continued, "Come on, Henry. You've been acting all strange lately. Do you have a crush on Rachel?"
Henry's eyes shot daggers at Peter. "GET OUT!!!" he shouted, his face turning a bright shade of red.
Peter, wisely deciding to avoid further confrontation, hastily retreated from Henry's room, leaving the horrid boy to his countdown and a swirling mix of emotions.
As the days continued to pass, each one bringing Rachel's discharge closer, Henry found himself wrestling with feelings he couldn't quite understand. The horrid adventures at Ashdown Primary had taken a detour into the realm of friendship, rebellion, and a dash of the unknown.
Little did Henry know that the heart's rebellion was a journey fraught with twists and turns, and the countdown to Rachel's return would mark the beginning of a new chapter in their horrid saga.