𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 • LEO VALDEZ

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐: 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐎 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐂 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐: 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐎 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐂 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆

"It's fine you don't like me. Not everyone has good taste."

    AUGUST 28th, 2007

    LEO VALDEZ MET THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE ON A MONDAY.

And before you ask, no. It wasn't love at first sight. They didn't smile at each other and magically fall in love. They didn't connect instantly. No, there wasn't any Ex Sheeran music playing in the background the minute their eyes made contact. None of that happened.

    It's the first day of school and his social worker, Ms.Diaz, practically has to drag him to his dorm room. When he gets his stuff settled in (which isn't a lot, being foster care didn't leave with a lot of things you could carry around) she told him sternly, "This is it, Leonidas.Understand? If you runway again can't help you. Next time you'll be—"

   "I'll be put in juvie," Leo muttered. He looked away, "I know."

    She spared him another sympathetic look and lightly ruffled his hair, "You're schedule is on your dresser and you're roommate should be in shortly...just try really hard to stay here, Leonidas. I mean it when I say this is your last chance."

Leo didn't say anything and Ms.Diaz sighed. She grabbed her purse and after sending him one more look she walked out.

Finally feeling like he could breath, Leo collapsed dramatically on his bed. Naturally his eyes wondered to the picture on his dresser.

It was his oldest picture and his most prized possession. In the picture was his mom. With her beautiful face, dark curly hair, and kind bright eyes dressed in a long sleeves and grease stained overalls. Sitting on her shoulders was Leo who was only five at the time. Wide brown curls, eyes closed shut from smiling so wide revealing two of his front teeth were gone and a small wrench in his hand. They looked just alike.

"You're my little twin, mijo." She would always tell him.

Against his will, tears started to blur his vision and he groaned. He tried wiping them away but they just kept coming. Huffing he started to search through his bag, but found none.

Wiping his eyes with the back of his wrist he blindly reached for the door and started walking down the hall in search of a bathroom.  When he opens the bathroom door he comes face to face with another dorm room. Specifically a girl's dorm room.

   Staring back at him was a girl. A pretty girl. She stared at him with wide surprised eyes as dark as midnight. Her skin was dark and had a few acne scars on her cheeks. Full dark brown pouty lips and high cheek bones. Her hair was a wild fluffy mess and separated with hair clips. He also couldn't help but notice the large black bruise on her cheek like someone had punched in the face hard. Regardless of the bruise she was pretty. Really, pretty. Prettiest girl he had ever seen. Leo didn't do well with pretty girls. Pretty girls made him nervous.