September 13th

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I…I don’t know what to do. I can either continue with my life the way it is now, pretending that…that it wasn’t real or I can…well go down the rabbit hole I guess. If I wasn’t pretty sure that Kevin is incapable of lying, I’d have thought it an elaborate hoax but…No, he couldn’t have faked that. No one could have.

            “Good morning.”

            The sound of Kevin’s voice made Leah jerk, making her diary fall off her knees. “Morning,” she murmured back, grabbing the book and jamming it into her backpack.

            He sat down beside her, staring at the people walking past, talking to one another, waving, and hurrying towards their lockers. “I apologize for yesterday. I have placed too heavy a burden on you too suddenly. I will not mention it again unless you wish me to.”

            She glanced at him, noticing more lines on his forehead and around his mouth than had been there yesterday. She sighed and shoved his shoulder. “Regardless, I’m not going to stop hanging around you so please stop looking like a puppy I just kicked, okay?”

            He touched the shoulder she’d pushed and stared at her. Then, like the sudden appearance of a rainbow, smiled at her, his crinkling up as his teeth flashed. “Thank you.”

            Leah choked slightly at how quickly his expression changed. “Geez, you really are like a puppy. Figures. I’m a magnet for every stray creature in existence to latch itself onto. I’m glad you have your own place because there’s no room in our house for anymore and my parents have forbade me from picking up new pets.”

            Kevin’s cocked his head but a shout interrupted whatever his question would have been. “Leah!” the voice called again.

            She jumped to her feet as Ava skidded to a halt in front of her, chest heaving, face pale and eyes wide. “Leah! You need to come! It’s Connor.”

            She sighed while Kevin got to his feet, looking from one to the other, confusion written over his face. “Where is he?” Leah asked.

            “In the alcove by the stairs on the second floor. Please, you need to stop them. Mark and Wyatt’ll kill him,” Ava replied, jumping from one foot to the other, reminding Leah of a small, nervy dog.

           She nodded and took off, racing down the stairs, taking them two and three at a time. Ava followed as fast as she could, but fell quickly behind, already out of breath. Kevin kept easy pace with Leah though he sounded like a herd of elephants every time he landed. “You are preventing a murder?”

            Leah shook her head slightly, eyes focused ahead of her. “No but Connor will be beaten pretty bad if I don’t hurry. I’ve told him time and time again to stop mouthing off to the other boys but he never listens to me. He’s lucky Ava’s fond of him or he’d get pounded a lot more than he does. He makes me glad I don’t have siblings.”

            Kevin frowned. “Why are you rushing to his defense?”

            “Because I have a black belt in judo. The only good thing that came out of my childhood issues,” she replied as she rounded the last corner between her and the alcove.

She could already see a tight crowd of people and the sound of yelping coming from the centre. A few people, who knew her on sight, backed away. The others she shoved out of her way, elbowing and kicking without remorse. Kevin eeled in behind her, sliding through gaps she’d have thought impossible for him to manoeuver through. She ignored him, focusing on the scene she broke into.

All she could see of Conner was the top of his brown head and the hands he had frantically prying at the boy who held him in a headlock. A second boy was walking slowly up from the door, rubbing his side. Having seen Conner’s fighting style before, which mostly seemed to consist of wild punches, Leah assumed it had been a lucky shot. She sighed and stepped forward, tapping the one holding Conner’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, but can you please let him go? It’s only a matter of time before the teachers show up and I don’t think any of us want detention.”

“Who the-” he began in a growl before he looked down at her. Then he made a slight gurgling sound in his throat, his grip on Conner loosening. “You’re…”

She nodded. Using his captor’s distraction, Ava’s brother ripped the arms off his neck and shoved the other boy away as he backed up a few steps. He panted, fists clenched at his sides as he looked at the taller boy. Leah, recognizing the signs, grabbed the back of his shirt, and dragged him to her side. “I’m very sorry for what happened. I think it’s best for everyone if we just walk away. The bell’s going to ring soon and a fight in the hall is going to draw a lot more attention once class starts.”

The one at the back strode forward, glaring down at her and Conner. “He-”

She cut him off. “Probably said things he shouldn’t have. I understand. Trying to hit him though…I assure you, the teachers don’t look kindly on that. I have the detentions to prove it. Now, why don’t we all just walk away?”

The crowd, those in the upper grades at least, had already begun dispersing at the sight of Leah, her reputation already well established among them. Conner jerked against her hold, his mouth opening. Leah clamped a hand down on it until a panting Ava shoved her way to the front of the crowd. She shoved Conner at his sister, leaving her to deal with calming him while she held the gaze of his classmates. The bell ringing overhead brought an end to their staring contest and they both walked past, throwing dirty looks at Conner who was being yelled at by his sister.

Seeing him staring at his feet and muttering explanations, Leah relaxed. Ava might not be able to physically stop her brother but she could certainly guilt-trip him into behaving for at least a week or two. Stretching her hands above her head, she turned to head back to her locker, brought up short by Kevin standing behind her. “What the matter?” she said, noting the way he was staring.

“You do this often?”

She shrugged. “Whenever Ava finds out Conner’s being stupid. I try to stay out of most other fights though. It’s not exactly fair. And I like not having detention.”

His frown etched lines into his face. “It is dangerous.”

             “That’s life. Now we need to hurry, Mr. Elliot hates it when you’re late,” she said, jogging down the hall, Kevin following just a beat behind her.

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