You Can't Save Me

8 | Lesbo Leslie

CHAPTER EIGHT
Lesbo Leslie

COLE RHODES WAS KNOWN AMONGST HIS FRIENDS AS BEING AN IDIOT, but Leslie already knew this, she just didn't expect the extent of his stupidity. It really opened up how the boy could get into so many fights, he just naturally pissed people off.

Leslie smiled as she watched the boy across the room, he was with his usual table, and he had just dodged a punch from the notorious Hargrove. She looked back down to the journal she was writing in, her mini passage about the boy and his weird behaviour being the focus of this page. She sighs as she places the pen down, turning a lock in her hair. She realised this was kind of stalker-ish, though she knew that her mother would sneak peaks in her journal to see what boys she was interested in but would always be disheartened whenever there was nothing of the sort. She had begun writing about random boys she had classes with a while back, if anything then purely for her mother's entertainment. And since that awkward ogling the other night, the Mantle woman had gushed over the Rhodes boy all night and morning non-stop. It was exhausting.

In her moment of distraction her journal was swiped, the bitchy grin of the queen-mean, Carol, and her posse laughing as they held the brown leather book.

"What do we have here? Lesbo Leslie has a crush!" Carol yelled aloud to the cafeteria, standing on a chair to evade the swiping hands on the girl. She tossed it to Tina, who caught the book and - thanks to the ribbon between the pages - opened it on the page about the blonde.

"'Cole is such a dreamboat, it's just a shame he has nothing going on in that dome'" Tina laughed in disbelief, looking like she had just found a gold mine. The cafeteria had gone quiet by now, especially the basketball table. Leslie tried grabbing the book once again but was held back by the popular ginger. The Mantle girl could only look at the boy she had written about, her eyes finding those beautiful blue orbs, she felt horrible at the look of hurt on his face, nothing like the times he faked such looks for amusement. For once, the boy was silent. "Jesus Lesbo, it's no wonder you can't find a boyfriend."

The book was tossed to the third girl of the trio, who continued reading, her smile widening as she got to something particularly juicy. "'Being on the back of that bike, hands on his waist, I can definitely see what the other girls like about him!' What!" She laughed continuing on as Les dropped out of Carol's hold, eyes welling with tears as she hurriedly grabbed her bag. She rushed out of the room as the reading got louder. "'He's the pinnacle of fuckboy culture, his looks and personality all fronted, it really shows that all he would amount to is just a good fuck.'"

The girl had long gone out the doors. Cole, sitting silently at the table of jocks, had a blank expression. He was heartbroken. He had thought the two of them really got on quite well the other evening, and he was quite excited to get to know her more.

"'Disappointing really if he was to apply himself or just be truthful about-!" The blonde had snatched the book when the girl had gotten close enough. "Hey!"

The entire army of athletes had started laughing at the expense of 'Lesbo Les', some even congratulating the Rhodes boy on turning the gay girl straight. He remained quiet, reading over the words on the page. And fuck, he couldn't even be mad, she had him down to a tee. Still, the truth hurts just as much, especially when it comes from someone he was actually trying to impress. This is honestly what she thought of him?

A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts for a minute, and he turned to the faces of Steve and Billy. The latter was grinning, congratulating the boy for being so sly, Steve's face held a smile, though it was obvious he was only trying to lighten the blonde boy's mood.

"All of you, just, shut up." The growl had turned the mood, and nothing more was said to tease the blonde. They watched him grab his bag and leave, taking the journal with him.

Tears fell like fountains, frantic hands rolling to stop the salty falls, though the faucets of her eyes had long since rusted shut, and she had no control over the rapid flow of her liquid heartbreak.

She sat at the back of the school, under the bleachers where only drug dealers and loners go. Guess it was appropriate for her now, having lost her only potential friend via her own public shun-fest. Her mother had always scolded her for having a vile mouth, and a pessimistic outlook on people, she hadn't intended to be so harsh, it was just her way of organising her thoughts. And it was never meant to be read aloud, especially not by the person it was about.

Her knees were to her chest, jumper sleeves over her hands as she mopped up her tears. Her bag was discarded by her feet, and her hair was a tangled mess through pulling at it from stress. She flinched when something hit her feet. Looking down, she found her journal.

Hesitantly, she looked up, her reddened eyes meeting an agonised blue, though the eyes don't look back at hers. She looked back down, squeezing her own shut as she sobbed once again.

The untouched grass crunched beneath the boy's boots, the crying girl flinched at the approaching boy, half expecting to get hit. Cole sat down beside her, not saying anything as he assumed a similar position, leaning against the bleachers. She didn't know what to say to him, she wanted to apologise, desperately did she want to, but the look on his face suggested that it wouldn't go down well. Her sniffles filled the silence as she attempted to calm down. He only fiddled with the rings on his hands, not looking at the girl whatsoever.

"So... a dream boat, huh?" The empty chuckle escaped his lips, his eyes holding a self-deprecating humour. Leslie watched for his expression, realising, as she wiped her nose one last time, that he was giving her an out.

"The dreamiest." She let out a sad laugh, a small smile mismatched on her red and teary face. She looked to her side to see he still wasn't looking at her, she hesitantly lent her head against his shoulder. "You're not stupid, I didn't mean it like that."

"I know, you think I make stupid decisions." He sighs, leaning down so that she can get more comfortable. He hated reading that passage, it had really wound him up, like looking in a mirror and seeing exactly what he was. She was watching him play with his rings, the action calming her more than it did him. "What do you think I'm hiding?"

She wasn't exactly shocked by the question, but as she looked at the male beside her, she struggled on how to answer. He hadn't commented on her being called a 'lesbo', in a good or bad way. That didn't mean he was safe. And accusing him of anything wouldn't be scoring her any points right now. She sat up a little, leaning forwards, her hand finding one of his unusually warm ones. It made her smile a little wider, half expecting his rings to be a freezing contrast. His attention turned to her now, the look in his eyes made her want to start crying all over again, and a feeling, deeper down, was almost happy that he cared about her opinion this much.

"I think you're a genuinely nice guy, Cole. And that you're hiding that, whether to fit in, or, or protect yourself." The last part was a little dubious, she had to admit, but it was just how she thought. He didn't seem to catch on to it though, his hand latching back onto hers. A small smile found his lips, and she internally celebrated the achievement. "I'm sorry for what I wrote... friends?" She punctuated her question with a soft squeeze of his hand, sending him a hopeful smile. Her face lit up as he let out a soft laugh, squeezing her hand back.

"Yeah, friends."

skulby- Les and Cole content! What do you guys think of Leslie so far? Also tell me where you guys are hoping this book will go?