When morning came, Leo woke to find himself once more lying on the cold cement floor of the small room. He struggled to pull himself up, once he did, he found that, like usual, the door was unlocked. He barely made it to his bathroom when he fell. Leo looked up into the mirror, once again, all the places on his skin that would be seen was avoided. Leo pulled off his shirt, revealing all the bruises, cuts, and old scars that littered his body. Almost all of them had been done by his father, for not being good enough, for being a wimp, for not having a beautiful voice... for not being his mother. Leo winced a few times when he put the antiseptic on the cuts. He carefully wrapped bandages around him before throwing his sweaty and bloodstained sweater into the wash. He then went to wash the tear stains from his face and fixed his hair. Leo groaned as he painstakingly pulled a new one over his head. Leo took out a painkiller, so that he wasn't crying in pain at class; another item caught his attention, he couldn't stop himself from slipping it into the pocket of his jeans.
Leo stayed in his room until he had to leave for school, however, as he came out he saw his father. His father just gave him a stone-cold look as the two passed each other. Leo stayed as calm as he could, but his palms began to become sweaty, and he had to muster all of his courage just to keep his eyes focused straight ahead of him. His father smiled, "I'm glad you learned your lesson yesterday." Leo turned back, his dark eyes staring after his father, the emotion once more wiped from his face, but inside was a turmoil. He said nothing; he just turned back around and walked to his car. As soon as he drove off, he turned on his music to full blast, to block out the thoughts that swarmed his mind. As his black Maybach Exelero pulled into the parking lot of the school, the students just glanced at it and continued on their way. It was not uncommon for students there to have those kinds of cars. Considering that most of the students there were children of celebrities, politicians, or the wealthy, it was rare to see a student without the best of the best. Leo got out, and that was when the stares began. He shrugged it off, with the way he dressed and acted they had probably just assumed that he was one of the rare exceptions at the school. The painkillers had not quite kicked in yet, so Leo had to try his best not to let anyone get the idea that he was in any kind of pain. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to worry about blood seeping through his clothes. The cuts were shallow enough that he wouldn't have to change his bandages for a while, but he brought extra to change them at lunch, just in case.
As Leo walked in, he searched for the group of boys. They weren't too far; he found them in discussion at the steps; as he approached he heard it was about the competition his father was judging. Nicholas noticed Leo first, and gave him a huge smile as he greeted the boy. Leo nodded his head back in return. Chase looked at him, something seemed off: "Are you feeling alright Leo?" Leo's heart began to race, had he noticed? Leo kept the worry inside and simply nodded. Chase didn't believe him, yet he decided to drop it for the time being; Leo wasn't the type to be pushed into anything, in fact, if he was, it would just give the opposite effect. Then the caretaker of the group spoke up:
"Leo, if you are ever not feeling well, don't be afraid to ask my or anyone here's help." He patted Leo's shoulder, not unnoticing of Leo's small wince, to which he smiled to try to cover it up. He gave a small "thank you" in return. Hadrian's green eyes were drawn to Leo's fingers, barely visible, just poking out of the sleeves of his sweater, which began to fidget.
"We should be getting to class guys," they all just nodded and followed him; all except Ryder. He waited a little bit, letting them all pass before following. He was probably the most worried of the group for Leo; his grey eyes were almost piercing as he stared at the boy, trying to understand him. Something was most definitely off, everyone could see that, though they had not known him for long. Ryder wanted to understand; he hated the fact that he couldn't read Leo. It was as though Leo had cut off all emotions, or at least buried them deep inside his soul in a place that only he could reach. Ryder wanted to draw Leo out of his protective shell; he couldn't, but oh how he wanted to.
Lunch soon rolled in, and all the students were beginning to gather in the cafeteria. Leo didn't particularly feel hungry, not after the night before; he also needed to rewrap his bandages, he didn't want the boys to get suspicious though.
"I need to hand something in to the office," that was all that Leo said, being too shy to say much else. The other boys nodded, Nicholas asked:
"Ok, do you want us to go with you?" Leo vehemently shook his head, surprising the black-haired inquirer. "Ok, if you say so." Leo walked away as quickly as he could, leaving the others to worriedly whisper in his wake.
"Leo's acting a lot differently from yesterday," Chase began.
"Yes, but we just met him yesterday, maybe this is how he normally acts," Kevin reasoned. Some of the group nodded, but Nicholas didn't believe this.
"I don't think so. Normally, people are more skittish and shy on the first day, and start to warm up on the second, and unless Leo isn't normal, which is highly unlikely, I don't think that he would act like this normally. Something must have happened either yesterday after school or this morning." Ryder nodded, fully in agreement:
"The question is what though," his hands raked through his silver hair, "We can't ask him what happened. He would either just lie, or he would push us away. He's one of those types of people that are easy to break; they keep their pains and sufferings to themselves for fear of being pushed away by others, it's bottled up inside, making them easy to topple over the edge."
"Leo does look like he's of that type. The type that is so fragile yet holds a burden beyond comparison. It's so strange though; it's only been a day, yet I feel like I've known him for years, yet also as though I only have known him for a second." Hadrian pondered this fact, who was this Leo that drew them in, though they were clearly unwanted. Who was that boy?
"Well, let's just watch him for now, I'm concerned, but if he won't tell us, then the best thing is to just wait and see," Chase ended their whispered conversation before Kevin changed the subject to a brighter one.
Meanwhile, Leo was making his way to the bathroom, mainly searching for one that was completely empty. He didn't want any chance of an accidental walk-in on him. He would've used a stall but seeing as though his body was filled with bruises, most of the cuts were on his back, he would have to use a mirror. Leo sighed slowly and softly as he pulled off the oversized sweater, revealing the bandages that protected those bloody wounds he had received. His elegant hands carefully unwrapped the old ones, being careful to not agitate what lay underneath. After disposing of them in a way to make sure that even if someone happened to see them it wouldn't raise questions, he went on to redress them. Leo, once again, winced at the sharp sting of the antiseptic. One would think that after so many years of it, the dark-haired boy would get used to that sting, but no matter how many times he felt it, he couldn't help but wince. Leo quickly rewrapped the wound, when upon noticing his figure in the mirror. That slightly shallow and pale skinned figure covered in bandages with the dark and messy hair that hid his eyes, he realized that he had one other thing to do in there. He had enough time.
Leo came out as lunch was coming to a close, going back to join the group just before the bell rang. Nicholas came up to him first, "Hey, you were gone the whole time, did you get to eat lunch?" Leo nodded, lying as he spoke:
"Brought one." His heart raced, but not for long as it seemed to him that Nicholas believed him. Even if he didn't, he at least nodded and dropped the subject. Leo, though he was relieved that Nicholas seemed to believe him, that didn't stop the pang in his heart upon realization that he just lied to someone who only meant well, especially upon realizing that it might not have mattered if Leo had just told the truth. It would make sense to the group, seeing as how he had been at the "office" the whole time. Shame began to well up in Leo, it's dark depths drawing the boy in like quick sand. It continued to fester as the six walked to class; Leo felt sick. He couldn't understand himself though as to why he cared? Emotions mixed inside him, creating a turmoil and torrent of guilt for doing wrong, defiance of thinking that he owed them the truth, longing to correct his statement, and fear of them hating him when he did for having lied in the first place. What if they thought he was an impulsive liar? Leo felt sick from all this, and was thankful when class started, maybe then he could push the emotions out of his mind. Unlucky for him, it didn't, and for the whole of the school day he experienced it. It varied throughout the day, flashes of extreme emotional surges would come, and at other times he would have flashes of sweet relief from the own living nightmare that he himself created in his head. It felt as though, however, that the pain would last for eternity, while the times of nothing only seconds. On multiple occasions when the guilt and longing would conquer the defiance and fear, Leo would open his mouth to tell them the truth, but then the scales would tip to defiance and fear's favor, and Leo would close his mouth once more. The boys took no notice of this though; they did, however, see the growing look of weariness in Leo's eyes, and the already pale skin of Leo's growing paler as the day went on, yet whenever one of them asked if he was alright, they would always get the same mechanical reply of, "Yes, I'mfine".
Finally, Leo had the relief of being able to head home. Though Leo dreaded the idea, he at least realized that there, once he got to his bedroom, he would be free of the worried glances, soft sighs, and constant "Are you alright?"s of the five boys. There he could get away from the constant reminders of his guilt, and he hoped that at least there, the swarming and writhing emotions would settle back down to an at least controllable state. Leo half-attained his wish. Thankfully, when he got home, his father wasn't there yet. Leo immediately shut himself up in his bedroom, closing the door with a loud bang instead of his normal soft click. He knew what he needed, it would be the second time that day, yet he didn't care. He needed it, desperately.
Eventually though, the joyful solitude that Leo had in the house would come to an end, and end it did. Mr. Young came home for dinner, and he had something particular that he wished to speak with Leo about. As Leo once again sat at the great mahogany table in that great red room, his father coldly stared at him from across. His hands were folded upon the table. Leo was silent, waiting in fear for what his father was to say this time. It came at last:
"I heard from the school that you have recently been with a group of boys." Leo knew what was going to come next. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Leo could barely muster up the courage this time, Mr. Young's eyes looked positively furious, yet his expression told of the opposite, perfect calm, like the sea before a storm.
"They are not my friend's father."
"Then what are they?" Leo realized that if he wished to keep being by those five boys, he would need to quickly come up with a believable and satisfactory lie.
"They are merely tools to me father. They all come from wealthy families who rival even our own mighty one." Mr. Young was still unconvinced, thus Leo continued, though it stung his heart, even if it was to allow him to stay with them, "All five of them have this foolishly idealistic view that even in their position of heirs to their family's names, that they can have this innocent and mutually beneficial relationship of friendship. I intend to use that to gain the influence of their power and family on my side, to help make me more popular in the entertainment world." Mr. Young smiled, for the first time in a long time, he smiled at his son, yet this smile displayed not the usual warmth of a proud father to a good son. His smile, was merely that of a proud satisfaction.
"You finally see sense, I guess that beating last night really did knock some sense into you." Mr. Young's smile once more disappeared, "Just don't you yourself fall into their silly game of friendship. You have too much set ahead of you for you to make friends," he spat that last word out with such contempt and ridicule, as though that word was not even worthy to be spoken in his household. He continued, "And if you do, I can promise you that the consequences will be infinitely greater than that which you received last night." That last comment sent chills down Leo's back, the threat ringing in his ears. With that, Mr. Young got up and left the table, he had a meeting that day, he probably would not be home until tomorrow.
Leo lay in bed staring up at the blank ceiling. The sweet soothings of sleep would not greet him that night, would not take away the burdens he had been carrying all day. No, he was left to toss and turn by himself. Thankfully his head seemed to be clearer than it had been at school; the emotions which plagued him were now pacified, yet Leo still felt a sense of anxiety. His only consolation being that at least he would not have to face his father that night, if he had, Leo did not think that he would have been able to bear it. Leo's thoughts kept returning back to those five boys, each seemed to shine brilliantly compared to him, that dim star. He sighed and rolled over onto his side. His thoughts would then turn back to his father, what if found out that Leo wanted friends? He rolled over again, his thoughts turning to his dream. His dream of being a teacher of music to young children now seemed impossible. Leo rolled over and began to think of the boys again. This repeated for about half the night before finally, his mind was too tired to continue on, and he finally drifted off into the much needed and greatly appreciated slumber.