Perfect Matches - A Black Butler (Weston College) Love Story

Too Late

Leela sat outside on the steps leading to the ballroom. If Lawrence didn't want to be with her, Leela thought, fine. She felt stupid for thinking that someone would actually love her, for thinking that someone would truly see the beauty in Leela's personality.

"Hey," a voice behind Leela said. It sounded familiar. Leela knew it wasn't Lawrence, so she turned around.

The boy behind her looked familiar, and he approached her with surprising ease. And a glass of wine.

Leela eyed the confident boy suspiciously as he sat down next to her on the cold cement step. "I saw you running out the doors," he said. "You seemed pretty upset." The boy handed her the glass of wine. Normally, Leela would've politely declined, but as of that moment, she didn't care. She took the glass and chugged the alcohol down. Within seconds she was clutching an empty glass.

"You look familiar," she said, her voice flat and unfeeling. The boy nodded. 

"Yeah. I ran into you at the library. I'm Timothy. Timothy Shepard." He held out his hand for Leela to shake, but she just looked at him with cold eyes. Timothy awkwardly took back his hand.

"And you're Leela Jenkinson, right? The prefect of St. Albany's Blue Brunerras?" Timothy asked. Leela nodded. 

"Sure am," she said. Leela kept her eyes locked on the distant trees, the moonlight being the only source of light. 

"So . . . you want to tell me why you're upset?" 

Leela sighed. "My partner was dancing with another girl, you know, the usual," she said. Her grip on the glass became tighter. 

"Aw, that's terrible. I do hope things work out," he said. He reached for the glass in Leela's hands. "I'll take this for you," Timothy said, prying the glass out of Leela's strong grasp. 

Timothy was halfway up the steps when he turned around and said, "Don't stay out here for too long. It gets really cold out, you know." He might as well have been talking to a wall, because Leela kept her mouth shut and her eyes ahead.

Timothy walked away with a smug smirk on his face. Everything was going according to plan.

The music stopped, signaling the end of the dance. Lawrence didn't look at Gianna or thank her for the dance. He pushed past her and made his way out if the crowd. 

It was time to make things right.

Leela got up from the cold cement and walked over to a bush of brunerras. She was attracted to their vibrant blue colors. She plucked one of them from the bush and held them close to her face. Leela loved the smell of the fresh flowers.

But then the smell became intoxicating. The smell became strong, and she started to back away from the bush. That was when her head started to spin, and her eyelids became heavy. Leela felt herself grow dizzy. 

Lawrence, she thought. Lawrence, help me! Please . . .

Her thoughts grew silent as Leela started to feel like she was descending. Because she was. Everything around the girl became blurry and minuscule, and the last thing Leela saw was brunerra bush, its flowers blowing in the breeze. The rest was black.

Lawrence was too late.