by Lannah Smith
As alike as they were in age and size, the two dark-headed boys couldn't have been more different. John exuded confidence while Leon was shy. John held himself in a regal way while Leon liked to slump to avoid attracting unwanted attention. John was a boy no one could ever overlook while Leon was easy to miss.
These were the reasons why their friendship could never happen.
At least that was what John thought.
But everything changed one eventful morning.
John had gotten himself into mischief. He had played a prank gone wrong on one of the maids and the woman, who apparently was allergic to bees, had to be taken to the hospital. His father had given him a severe scolding and delivered several lashes on his palms with a stick before making him kneel outside in the backyard. He would use the time alone, he ordered, to contemplate on his misbehavior.
Stubborn, John decided not to use his time alone kneeling on the hard ground to contemplate on anything. It was just as well for someone was walking towards him before he could do any real contemplating. It was Leon.
"What are you doing out here?" the boy asked.
Humiliation crept up John's faceto color his cheeks but fury followed close behind. "Leave me alone," he snapped at him.
But Leon wasn't listening. He was looking at the bruises on John's palms with a horrified expression.
"You're hurt!" he gasped as he sat down on his heels. "You're hands are all red."
John immediately hid his hands behind his back.
"We should tell my Mommy," Leon continued worriedly. "She can make them all better. I'll go get her right now."
John grabbed his shirt when he started to rise. "No," he said fiercely. "You don't tell her. You don't tell anyone."
Leon looked like he was struggling with a decision. John didn't let go and glared at him. Finally, Leon nodded and relief swept over him.
"Okay," Leon muttered. "Then I'll sit here with you."
John pursed his lips. He didn't like that idea, either.
"Why?" he asked.
Leon gave him a look. "Because we're friends," he declared. "And friends should always stick together."
"You think we're friends?"John asked in a rather snooty manner in the hopes to make Leon go away.
Hurt, Leon looked down and drew circles on the dirt. "I want us to be friends," he mumbled.
"Why?"
"Because you're nice."
John scoffed, "I'm not nice."
Leon smiled. "You are."
John started to argue but Leon didn't give him a chance to.
"You just don't want to be."
What the hell.
John worked hard to control his inner shaking as he watched Leon walk to where Sophia was sitting outside the cafeteria.
He told Leon he'd do it that morning. He told Leon before they parted for their respective vehicles that he'd meet Sophia. He thought he agreed. He fucking nodded back at him.
What the hell was he doing here then? What the hell was he doing approaching Sophia?
And in front of almost everyone in school?
Fuck, and he thought this couldn't get any worse.
John didn't like this. Leon wasn't being himself. He had never approached any of the girls they helped, or any of the others for that matter. He was more inclined to mete out the punishments or to give out warnings. He never went out the field himself.
Jaw clenched, John swung his gaze back to Terry. But she wasn't staring at him anymore. She was watching Leon with confusion written in her face. And although he wanted to stare at her some more, there were more pressing issues at hand. His gaze back to Leon, he debated on what he should do. Leon was still walking towards Sophia and John briefly considered making a move to stop him.
But he decided to wait.
John's face went hard, his mouth tight.
He'd wait and watch, ready to jump in if Leon's plan, whatever the fuck it was, would go south.
All the people in cafeteria watched with abated breaths as Leon approached. Sophia didn't seem to realize what was going on yet. She was the only person outside, sitting on one of the tables. Her back was to us and when she turned her head to look over her shoulder and at the people rushing inside the cafeteria, her brows were knitted, her expression bewildered.
Then she looked up at the sky.
Why the heck was she looking at the sky?
"Move, Sophia," Hannah whispered. "Move, damn it. Come inside."
I pressed my lips together for a brief moment, then unpressed them to say, "Maybe he's just passing by."
But he wasn't.
It was clear he was making his way to Sophia and the girl still did not have the slightest idea as she looked back at us.
Then her eyes widened. Realization dawn on her face and she turned pale. And I felt myself pale along with her.
Slowly, Sophia turned her head around just as Leon stopped right in front of her table. Then he said something and jumped on it, settling himself on the edge beside her shaking body.
"He's talking to her," Hannah mumbled, her voice trembling. "Why is he talking to her? What does he want with her?"
I couldn't answer. My mind was a swirling mass of confusion and fear. I could only watch as Leon pulled Sophia up from her seat and wrapped his arms around her waist. Sophia, on her part, struggled to put some distance between them, looking ready to pass out.
The leaden weight at the bottom of my stomach suddenly became heavier.
Sophia Gideon.
Who was she?
They were too far away for us to hear their conversation. The next thing I knew, Sophia had fainted in Leon's arms. Everyone in the cafeteria screamed.
"Oh my God! What happened to her?"
"Is she dead?"
"Should we call a teacher? The police?"
It was like my whole world tilted.
To where everything was unfamiliar and dangerous.
Hannah stood up and I grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving. She glanced at me, biting her lip and I shook my head at her. Together, we helplessly watched Leon lift the unconscious girl up in his arms and carry her away.
The murmur of the cafeteria returned but much louder this time. Several students began picking their trays up and exiting the cafeteria in fear that Leon would come back. I was still frozen in my seat, my mind consumed with thoughts of what Sophia's relationship with Leon was. My gaze went to where John was standing but he had already disappeared. My heart sank.
What were they both up to?
"What do we do, Terry?" Hannah sat down and shook my arm. "Sophia. We have to find her."
"No, we won't," I said as firmly as I could.
She gaped at me. "Didn't you see what just happened?"
"I did."
"Then why are you so calm about this?" she burst out, throwing her hands in the air."You should do something! You're our class president and the year rep, for God's sake."
"She'll be fine," I insisted weakly.
"How are you sure? She fainted, didn't you see that? What if he's threatening her? What if he's going to hurt her?"
"Nonsense. The school won't allow it."
"The school?" she scoffed. "The school even allowed someone as dangerous as Leon to study here."
"Look," I sighed. "We don't know what truly happened so let's not think negative." I eyed everyone in the cafeteria. "Let's not speculate until we know the truth."
"But—"
I didn't let her continue. I stood up and lifted my tray. It was Sophia' problem and she should solve it herself. I didn't need the added stress.
"Class is starting in a few minutes," I told the perplexed girl."Let's leave."
Before she could argue, I turned and walked towards the rubbish bin. I was acutely aware of the people around me, deep in their own conversations. The amount of drama in this school was endless. And as I stared at them, I knew the rumor mill was beginning to turn and soon, speculation was going to become fact.
Sophia Gideon was now done
for.
Heaving a deep sigh, I dumped my tray and its half-eaten contents into the bin and headed towards the doors to the cafeteria.
One thing was certain to me, however.
Sophia was definitely not going to be invited to lunch anymore.
Leon was sitting on his couch, watching an action film on his television when John angrily swung the door opened. For a moment, John stared at him, still wondering what the fuck was going into his head to make such a rash decision like that.
Finally, he burst out, "What the fuck?"
Leon glanced over his shoulder. His expression smoothed over when he saw him.
"That wasn't part of the plan, Leon," John went on."Fuck, that wasn't even the plan!"
John grew even more pissed when Leon rolled his eyes skyward and proceeded to ignore him. Leon turned the volume up on the television and letting out a frustrated sigh, John marched towards it and pulled the plug to cut off the noise of guns firing and people screaming.
"So I guess you heard?" he heard Leon ask him languidly.
He whirled around. "Of course, I fucking heard," he spat at him. "Hell, Leon. I was supposed to be the one, remember? We fucking talked about this."
Leon was unfazed as he took a cigarette from his pack."You were taking your fucking time."
"I was going to do it after class!"
"You were being a pussy and you know it," Leon returned. "We don't have time to wait for you to man up."
"Fuck you, Leon!" John snapped.
Did they really expect that approaching a girl he had never met before was easy as fucking pie? Sophia didn't know him and he didn't want to scare her away. She may be a loner but she knew the rumors about him. About them. But of course, Leon had to fucking ruin his carefully laid plans on how to introduce himself to her.
Leon glowered at him. "Are you seriously arguing with me about this? Are you in love with that girl or something?"
"Hell, no."
"Then what the fuck is your problem? So I strayed from the plan. It changes nothing. The plan is still on."
Was he fucking kidding him right now?
This was going to change everything. John could feel it in his bones. He had been close enough to hear Sophia and Leon's conversation and although it amused him how Sophia was so scared of his best friend, the same amusement dissipated when he heard Leon tell her that she was his. He probably looked as horrified as her.
Leon taking Sophia Gideon as his girl friend was not something he could just let by.
Sure this was a better plan, getting someone to pose as Sophia's boyfriend. It was going to be easier to acquire information, to guard her, to shoot down the threat when it presented itself. But hell, he just couldn't imagine Leon being someone's boyfriend.
His best friend never even had a girlfriend before!
"I'm worried about you," John blurted out.
Leon inhaled sharply and narrowed his gaze at him. "What the fuck did you say?"
There was more John wanted to say, more to make Leon change his mind about this plan of John didn't have the capacity anymore when his best friend's face turned dark. Weary all of a sudden, he ran a hand over his head and sat on the couch beside him. He took the unlit cigarette from Leon and put in his lips.
"Nothing," he mumbled. Hell, even his voice sounded exhausted."Forget I said anything."
"So?"
"Fine. I give up," he grumbled. He lit up the end of the cigarette and gave Leon a look. "But you owe me," he continued in an amused tone in an effort to diffuse the tension between them.
"I don't owe you shit," Leon disagreed."At least you won't be held down by some chick and you'd still be fucking every easy lay in the city."
John's brows furrowed. "So are you telling me you'll go celibate while the plan is going on?"
"Are you fucking kidding, John? I have a girlfriend."
The sudden grin on Leon's face surprised John so much he almost dropped the cigarette from his mouth. Clearing his throat, he took the cigarette out and scowled at him.
"You have a fucked-up sense of humor," he grumbled.
"Who said I was kidding?"
His head jerked back, stunned by the cheery disposition his best friend seemed to be displaying out of the blue. Leon didn't give him a chance to reply. He left him, on the couch, still stunned, and walked into his room.
What the hell was going on with him?
"What the hell is going on with Leon?" Rohan yelled as he paced the floor of Skull's house. "You're mine? Is he crazy?"
"Love at first sight maybe?" Skull offered. He was sitting on the chair, watching him pace with amusement.
Rohan stilled, his head turned to look at him, his eyes flaring with annoyance. "Dude, no. Just... no."
Skull shrugged. "It could happen. Not even the great Leon Gage is immune to the emotion."
"Fuck you. He is not in love with her."
"I told him she was cute." Skull began laughing. "He probably thought the same when he saw her."
"Cute, my ass. She's ugly as fuck!"
"Stop pissing off Rohan, Skull," John muttered. He was leaning against the edge of the foosball table, quietly gathering his thoughts. "You know he's allergic to the word love."
John had called this emergency meeting after he left Leon's house. He needed their input about this new change of plans. He was still pissed, pissed at Leon but he couldn't do anything about it anymore because his best friend wouldn't let him. John's hands were fucking tied and they both knew it.
"You. You should have stopped him."
Surprised, John glanced at Rohan. Rohan was glaring at him. He lifted his brows.
"Stop him from what?" he asked, incredulous."I didn't even know he was going to do that."
"You should have known! You're his best friend!"
"I'm not fucking psychic, Rohan."
"You should have tackled him."
"And get my ass kicked in front of everyone?"John asked in disbelief. "Hell, no."
"I'm jealous," Skull mumbled unhappily. "I want a girlfriend too."
Rohan threw him a disgusted glance. "Why don't you get married too, you dumbass?"
John exhaled impatiently. This wasn't what he imagined the meeting would be. They were arguing like morons about love and girlfriends, of all things.
"This is your entire fault, John," Rohan growled at him.
John felt his mouth get tight as did the rest of his body. His blood ran hot. A roar began in his ears and fog clouded his vision. He tried to contain it. Tried to subdue it. But his anger continued to mount, grain by grain. It boiled inside him, deep and consuming.
"If you hadn't piss him off last night this wouldn't have fucking happened."
And then it erupted.
"What the fuck did you just tell me?" John murmured in a cold, lethal tone.
Rohan's angry expression fell as he stared at him. He flinched and opened his mouth to speak but John didn't let him. Grabbing his collar, John jerked him hard towards him, making him turn pale.
"You don't know what I went through with him," he enunciated clearly and slowly to Rohan's face, trying to control the rage swirling inside him at the same time. "So don't go mouthing off things you fucking don't know."
To his credit, Rohan stood his ground. "It's because you won't tell me," he said heatedly."We've been friends for almost two years and you still won't tell me!"
"Alright." Skull appeared beside them and brought his fists down on their heads. Hard. "Break it up, kids."
The blow made the roar in John's ears fade and his vision cleared. The fog receded. But his heart still pounded in an abnormally thundering pace and the disturbing emotions continued to linger inside heavily.
John looked at Skull and with a way he did that most people would cringe. But Skull just held his gaze. Then he shook his head once.
John's mouth got tight again. Taking a deep breath, he let go of Rohan and stepped back. Though he was grateful for Skull for containing the whole situation before it
got worse, for making him come back to his senses, the blow still fucking hurt.
"What the hell are your hands made of?" he muttered, rubbing the top of his head. "Granite?"