Zodiac High-The Series

24

Leo

"What is wrong with you, boy?"

I sighed, brushing the dirt off my jersey. "Sorry, Coach." Coach rolled her eyes, patting my back. "Go home. Get some rest. Let's just hope you play better at the pep rally." Nodding, I grabbed my kit, not even bothering to get changed. My mind had been churning for so long. For almost a month now. I couldn't even piece together my own thoughts, unable to stop them from spinning in a perpetual motion-Libra, Libra and Scorpio, Libra. My feet moved and I didn't notice. Everything I said, everything I did, it felt like I was just on autopilot. I spoke without conviction, played without purpose, lived without a life. 

My feet carried myself and my anguished thoughts to the door, where my hands autonomously moved, opening the door with a key. A robotic "Hi, Ma," followed as I slunk up the stairs, snapshots of my times with Libra flashing past in my thoughts. Throwing my kit onto my bed, I made a beeline for the showers, the ice-cold water not doing so much as making me shiver. There I stood, lifeless, emotionless, heartless, under the showerhead, just wishing that my life would turn around already. 

There's just no point. 

Turning off the water, I stepped out the shower, toweling myself dry while noticing how the tiles beneath me didn't feel numbingly chilled the way they usually did this late at night. I could barely feel them under my feet. Sighing, I pulled on a v-necked maroon tee and a grey pair of track pants. Just as I was about to head downstairs for some dinner, I heard a rustling sound come from the window in my room. I hurried over, wondering what-or even who-it could be. "Leo! Open the window!" I gasped, a myriad of emotions threatening to knock me off my feet. 

What is she doing here?

"Please open the window, Leo, I can explain everything," she pleaded, pulling a leaf out of her hair. I did as she said, holding the shutters of the window open for her to climb in. She threw her arms around me, smiling, whispering a muffled "thank you" into the crook of my neck. I noticed just how disheveled Libra looked. Tangled tufts of her hair hung limply by her face, which was streaked with tears and dirt. Her red (once) maxi gown was shredded to bits at the hem, leaves protruding from it. Blood caked a number of scratches gracing her arms. "Whoa, you okay, Libra?" She gulped, shivering as her arms closed around her waist. I signaled Libra toward the chair,  passing her a black throw which she promptly wrapped around herself. "It's Christmas Eve, Libra. Why aren't you..." 

"With Scorpio?" Libra bit her lip, attempting to conceal her tears. "Leo, he's losing control. I'm not enough for him anymore. Not enough to help him through this nightmare. We were going to this ball my mom had given us invites to-it was a black tie event, very formal, heaps of celebrities. I stood out there in the cold, waiting for him to arrive, but he never did. So I called him, and I heard a strange rasping noise that scraped against his voice. He told me he was running late, but the Find iPhone app told me otherwise.

"I followed it to a secluded alley, where he was vaping with a group of hippies. He's been vaping, smoking, drinking, getting high this whole time." Libra sighed, fighting back tears once again. "I thought things were getting better... I thought everything would be okay..." I sighed, putting an arm around Libra. "It's going to be alright, Leebs." She smiled, leaning into my shoulder. "But, I have to ask... Why come to me?" Libra sighed. "Because, Leo, I can always count on you. And you can't ever count on me, I know that, but... I guess I just trust you." I smiled, looking down at Libra. "You can always count on me, Libra." I gestured toward the door. "Now, how about dinner?" 

.....

"Oh, dear me, are you okay, dear?" Ma rushed over to Libra's side, fretting over her injuries. "I'm fine, Miss." Ma shook her head, bustling about with her ointments. "Not at all! I'll have you fixed by tomorrow morning. Just hold still." She rubbed some antiseptic into Libra's cuts, fingering her torn dress. "Deary me, you're going to need a change of clothes. And honey, you're going to have to spend the night here-it's not safe for you to leave so late at night." Ma frowned, tapping her forehead pensively. "I could pull out some old clothes from high school-from before my growth spurt..." Ma was an astounding 188 centimetres, which was 6'2, being an uncommon height for a woman of Latina descent. My father was also extremely tall, reaching a height of 192 centimetres. That's what had given me my supposedly superhuman height. "It won't fit you perfectly, dear, but I suppose a tee will work on you..."