[] A M E L I A []
I woke up first this morning and immediately went into the bathroom to freshen up. I had brought my overnight bag with me last night from Leo's car, which had all my necessities and a spare change of clothes.
After getting ready for the day, I stepped out of the bathroom, closing it softly behind me. I turned to see Leo still sleeping, and I smiled as I watched him. I creeped up to him slowly and took a seat beside him on the floor. His hair was growing longer, small strands reaching his brows. His mouth was slightly parted, and again, I had to put a pillow in between us before I left, so he was hugging it tightly to his chest now. I giggled, pushing his hair back and lightly shutting his jaw closed with my other hand under his chin. He swallowed and jerked in his sleep, flipping over onto his side, facing away from me. I chuckled silently, not wanting to bother him any more.
I got up then and walked over to the window to see the weather outside. I slowly pushed it open, letting the cool breeze flow into the room. Small flecks of snow trickled in, landing on my hand and I smiled. The day was bright, a warm sun casting a glow over the apartment parking lot. Fresh snow was falling down from the sky as the remaining melted. I absolutely loved this weather. The one where it snowed and was sunny at the same time. It was so bright and cheerful-
Suddenly, a pair of hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me back into a hard chest, and effectively making me lose my train of thought. I gasped, feeling Leo's lips trail across the nape of my neck, his hands tightening around my body. I melted into him, closing my eyes and pushing myself closer to him.
"Morning, Moonie," he mumbled, finally pulling away from my neck.
I looked back to see him smiling down at me, his eyes still hooded with sleep. I reached up and ruffled his hair, my other hand clamping around his hand that was on my stomach.
"Good morning, baby."
He groaned, reaching forward to claim my lips with his. I kissed him back, but not for long. Qfter a moment, I quickly pulled back and he grumbled, reaching forward for my lips again.
"No, no, no, Leo!" I said.
He frowned and pouted.
"Moonie," he whined.
I shook my head at him, pulling out of his arms.
"You've got to get ready! We're supposed to meet up with everyone for breakfast in half an hour," I said, turning him around and pushing him towards the bathroom.
He groaned, digging his heels into the carpet. I burst out laughing at his antics, and he turned around to grin at me.
"You're such a big baby, Leo! Go to the bathroom," I said, chuckling as I continued to push him.
He suddenly stopped grinning and faced me seriously. He leaned back towards me, his back still to me as I pressed my hands on his firm back. My hands shook as he stared at me, and I couldn't help but clutch the back of his shirt tightly. He leaned towards me, his lips close to my ear.
"But I'm your baby."
I stared at him with my mouth agape. My heart was thudding rapidly and I suddenly-
Burst out laughing again.
"Oh come on, Moonie That was a good one!"
I continued to push him until he finally went into the bathroom.
He was just a baby. Period.
* * *
"I start rehab tomorrow."
That was the first thing we heard after we all sat down for breakfast at Coffee Rush. All of us had just met up, and all were dead tired, but still happy to see one another. It felt as if we all were warriors that survived a battle and came back alive. Not that the past few weeks were anything short of a battle.
The cafe was empty, since it was still early in the morning and classes were over. Everyone only had to study for exams which started in three days.
"That's great, Andre," Jamal replied.
Andre smiled back at him and lowered his head.
"I never thought it would come to that. Always stayed away from that shit, and look where I am now," Andre said.
My heart ached for him. He didn't deserve this. Gemma reached forward and placed her hand on top of his arm. Andre looked up to her in surprise.
"You don't have to be ashamed Andre. It wasn't your fault. Jackson was to blame," she said.
We all nodded. Andre sighed and nodded after a moment.
"You're right Gemma. I just...I'm just scared... what if it doesn't work? What if I can't let go of that crap?" He asked hopelessly.
Gemma stared at him, her mouth slightly agape, unsure of how to respond to that.
Just as I was about to say something, Leo surprised me by speaking first.
"What kind of a question is that, you jerk?"
All of us snapped our heads to him in surprise. Jamal had told me that Leo hadn't spoken much to Andre since he found out that he was the cause of Jackson always knowing my whereabouts. I felt gutted when he told me that Leo had even misbehaved with him when they found Andre in his room. And at the hospital, when Leo didn't go to see him, he must've felt so bad. But I know Leo isn't one to get mad over something that wasn't Andre's fault.
They're best friends.
Which is why I couldn't help but gape at him as he said those words.
"Leo," Jamal said before I could.
Leo glared at him and turned back to face Andre.
"How could you even think it won't work when you've got the best support system behind you?" Leo said, staring at Andre with such honesty that it caused his eyes to well up.
We all sighed in relief.
"We're all here for you, Andre. I'm sorry we couldn't see what was going on before. But now that we know, we aren't letting you go through it alone, you hear me? You are not alone in this. We've got you, brother."
Then, Leo got up and went over to Andre, pulling him up from his chair and into a hug. Andre fell in his arms, silent sobs racking his body as he hugged his best friend back. Jamal had gotten up to join the hug, his eyes bloodshot too. I cried as I watched the three, and pulled Gemma into a side hug as she was doing the same.
I couldn't even imagine all that Gemma and Jamal had been through. In the past few weeks, they had been our support systems. They watched everything and helped us get through it. I turned to Gemma, tears falling down my cheeks. She faced me, her face blotchy too.
"Thank you Gemma. Thank you for being my best friend."
With a sob, she lunged forward and pulled me into a tight hug.
"I'm so glad you're alive Amelia. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Nearly twenty minutes later we were all seated in our chairs again, devouring our breakfast. All the crying wore us down, and now, we were starved. We scarfed our food down as if nothing happened. The boys were back to normal, passing humorous comments as we ate, and Gemma and I kept ourselves entertained by watching them and joining in when needed.
We all finally set up our study schedules with each other, and then were on our way back to our own homes. It was a tiring day, and we just needed another nap.
As Gemma and I walked back to our dorms, I couldn't help but think of how she'd been by my side all this time. She had been the best of friends, and I wanted to be the same for her. I turned to face her as we walked, and I was sad to see her head downcast.
"Hey, Gemma. What would you do if Andre asked you out?"
She froze midstep and turned to face me. Her cheeks flamed, and I knew it wasn't from the cold.
"Wh-what?" She spluttered.
"Would you say yes if Andre asked you out?"
She finally breathed out.
"That's not going to happen Amelia," she mumbled.
I frowned.
"Then why don't you ask him out?"
She let out a humorless laugh.
"That's never going to happen either."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm in no mood to hear that rejection yet."
My eyes widened.
"Gemma... there is no way he'd say no. He looks at you like you're the last slice of cake in the fridge."
Her nose scrunched up in disgust.
"How old is the cake though?"
"Gemma!" I whined, annoyed at her changing the topic.
"Okay, okay," she said with a chuckle. "But come on, Amelia. Slice of cake? Really?"
I chuckled along with her. We both breathed out at the same time, and I couldn't help but stare at her fondly. Without a word, I stepped forward and hugged her.
She was startled for a moment, her hands spalyed out awkwardly in the air.
"You're my best friend, Gemma. I just want the best for you."
Gemma relaxed, her arms finally encasing around me.
"I do have the best Amelia. I have you guys. That's all I need right now."
I took her word for it right now, not wanting to push the subject further.
"Alright Lia. Someone might think we're lesbian lovers. And I mean, I don't mind, but I think Leo would get a heart attack if he heard about that."
I burst out laughing and pulled back from her, laughing harder when she joined in my laughter too. We finally stopped, breathing heavily as we simmered down. I stared at her again, smiling lightly.
"Thank you Gemma. If you weren't there for me all this time... I don't know what I would've done. You've been the bestest friend I could've ever asked for. I love you," I said sincerely.
Gemma smiled, her hand patting my arm.
"Don't be silly, Amelia. You said it yourself. We're best friends. It's only natural we have each other's backs. I love you too."
* * *
The following two weeks went by in a breeze. I had written my last final this morning, and tomorrow, I would be able to head home again for the holidays. The professors had been a huge support for all of us in this time. Some of them had even sent us copies of their own additional notes to help us, after hearing about why we were all missing for the last week.
The media had blown up with news of Brittany's case. People were outraged at the police department, and many families had come out saying that they suspected that Jackson had a hand in the death of someone they knew as well. All of what Jackson did was sick. Mixing drugs was lethal on its own, but he did it without care and gave it to people in exhange for money.
He was sentenced to jail for life, just like he deserved.
People had also come to aid our family. Mom and Dad were both given many job opportunities, but they declined them for now, loyally sticking with the jobs they had. Levi was given a compensation of nearly 100 000 dollars to make up for his lost time and opportunities that he could've had while he was in jail. Although he insisted he didn't need the money and just wanted his status as an innocent back, the government still gave it to him.
All of this happened while I was here writing finals. And despite keeping up with everyone back home, I was itching to be back there. To spend time with Levi, to finally reconnect with all those who I've lost over the years and found again, and finally, to be me again.
Just one more day.
I sighed as I packed the last of my items in my duffel bag. All my stuff had been packed into the corner of the room, since I would be moving into a new dorm after I renew my agreemnet for the next semester. I didn't want to worry about that until I get back from the holidays though. For now, I was only taking back the things I needed, and I'd worry about the rest when I came back.
Just as I was packing the last of my things away, my phone rang. I reached for it and quickly picked it up, seeing Leo's name flashing on the screen.
"Hello?"
"Meet me outside in five."
And then he shut the call.
My heart thudded against my chest and I grinned wildly, remembering the time he first said that to me. It was the night he called me the same way- randomly- and then told me to meet him outside. And then he took me to the place behind the History building and told me about his past.
And now he was calling me again.
What could it be this time?
* * *
We were behind the History building again.
This time, Leo had set up a small meal for us on one of the picnic tables. For dinner, there was soup in a thermos, hot chocolate in another, and crackers to go with the soup. There was an LED candle on the table too, since it won't blow out with the wind. The trees surrounding us were lit up with Christmas lights, and many students had put up decorations on some of them too, giving the whole area a festive and romantic vibe. It was a cute date Leo planned out before we parted ways tomorrow.
We had finished eating, and were now laying on a blanket he had set up on top of another table. We couldn't exactly lie down on the snow covered ground since we'd both get wet, so this was the next best thing. I was lying in his arms as we both stared up at the sky. He had one arm under his head as he lay on his back, the other around my waist. I was splayed over him, my head resting on his chest. He was aimlessly caressing my waist, as I drew random patterns on his sweater covered chest.
His bruises had faded, and his ribs were also nearly fully recovered. He finally regained his normal color back, and looked healthier than he did two weeks ago. We had spent nearly every day together since we came back, finding time to study by each other when we needed to as well. Since he was doing Biology and I was doing Psychology, a lot of our material overlapped, so we helped each other when we could too. It gave us more of an excuse to spend time with each other. But since we had been spending so much time together recently, I was scared to be parting with him tomorrow.
"I can't believe we won't be spending our first Christmas together," Leo suddenly said.
I looked up at him, only to see him already staring down at me. I stopped drawing on his chest, and pressed my palm against him reassuringly.
"We'll see each other for New Years," I said, trying to brighten his mood.
"That's still so far away, Moonie. And it's not the same," he said with a pout.
I chuckled at him and he pouted more.
"We'll make it worth it," I said, leaning up to kiss his jawline.
When I pulled back, Leo was smiling down at me.
He suddenly wrapped his arms tight around me, turning to his side to pull me into his chest. I groaned out loud, and he only slightly loosened his arms.
"And our parents will be meeting too," I said excitedly, peering up at him. "Do you think they'll get along?" I added as an afterthought.
"Amelia, it's your family and my family. Of course they will."
I smiled and sighed against his chest.
"I can't believe mom invited you all over. I didn't think she would love you so much. She's never been happy with any boy I introduced her to, and they were all just friends!" I said incredulously.
Leo grumbled, pulling me tighter against him.
"Good. I bet they were jerks," he mumbled out.
I swatted his chest lightly.
"No they weren't."
Leo sighed.
"Whatever. At least your mom has good taste in men. I am quite lovable aren't I?" He said with a smirk.
I smacked his chest again, harder this time. He groaned out suddenly, and I looked up at him apalled, only to see his face scrunched up in pain.
"Oh hush. You're healed now," I said, wrapping my arms around his waist to hug myself closer to him.
"I didn't know you'd be a violent girlfriend," Leo grumbled again.
"You love me anyway," I cheekily said.
Leo smiled warmly down at me.
"That I do," he said.
"Yeah, I'm so lovable, aren't I?" I retorted.
He scoffed.
"Barely. I just felt bad for you-"
I smacked his back this time.
"I'm more lovable than you, Mr. I-hate-everyone-pants-"
"Hey, Moonie," he suddenly cut in.
I looked up at him, a glare settled on my face. He was smiling at me, a small, boyish grin as he stared down at me. He suddenly snaked a hand up and brought it to rest against my my cheek.
"Move in with me."
My mouth fell open at his words. My breathing, my muscles, my heartbeat- everything, just seized.
"Wh-what?" I spluttered out.
Leo smiled wider at me, his thumb sticking out to caress my lip softly.
"I know your dorm agreement ends in a week. And you're basically at my place all the time. Besides, if I have already gotten through Papa and Mama Harrison's wrath, I might as well make some use of it," he said.
"My dad is not scary Leo," I said, unable to help it. "He helped me sneak out of the house to go to parties. Even on days I didn't want to go, he'd make Brittany come and get me while he distracted mom. And it may not seem like it, but mom is soft too. If you want scary, I'll call over John for you. He's already insisted on giving you the brotherly lecture the next time we meet. His brother is an army officer."
As I ranted, I couldn't help but notice that Leo wasn't listening. He was only staring at me, his eyes drifting across every inch of my face. However, as soon as I said brother, his eyes narrowed and he looked down at me.
"Speaking of brother... what do you think of Levi now Amelia?" He suddenly asked.
I frowned as I thought of his question. I looked down at his chest, clutching the back of his coat tightly.
"I feel horrible Leo. I always felt something was off but I was so scared, that I never tried to find out more," I said with a sigh. "I was so ashamed, Leo. So much that I didn't even visit him. He asked for me, and I just didn't go. Maybe if I met him that time he asked for me, we would've found out the truth faster."
I bit my lip as I thought of all the possibilities. I broke off my train of thought with a sigh.
"But he never did either. He knew that he couldn't remember anything from that night, but he still took the blame. He knew that someone else may have caused Brittany to die. He didn't say anything and that hurts."
Leo hugged me tighter, his hands reaching up to caress my hair.
"You know what I think, Amelia?" He asked.
I hummed against his chest, and he spoke after letting out a breath.
"I don't think Brittany will be upset with you," he said softly. "She was your best friend. She wouldn't want you hurting because of your brother. And if it hurts less if you forgive him, I don't think she will get mad at you. I think she'll be happy because you're happy."
I pulled back from him slightly, enough to look up at him. He was staring down at me, his eyes shining as he stared down at me.
"How do you do it Leo?" I whispered, staring up at him with pure love. "How do you just know what to say to make me love you even more?"
He smiled down at me.
"I'm not saying it to be romantic, Amelia. I'm being honest. I'm telling you what I think I'd want to hear in your position," he said, smiling warmly at me.
"She would've been our biggest shipper you know," I said with a smile.
He grinned.
"Impossible. I'm our biggest shipper."
I froze.
"Leo...why do you even know what that means?"
Leo immediately stopped smiling and gulped as he stared at me. I stared back with a raised brow. He finally let out a deep breath, closing his eyes tightly.
"Alright, you caught me. Andre told me about it. He sat me down and gave me a whole lecture on terms people use these days when in a relationship," he said seriously.
I gaped at him.
And suddenly, I burst out laughing.
"Oh come on, love. Not again," he said halfheartedly.
I just laughed harder. After a moment, he joined in my laughter, his dimple popping out as he did so. I abruptly stopped laughing, looking up at him as he laughed.
He looked surreal right now. The lights around us were illuminating his features, causing him to glow in the darkness. His laugh was echoing around the area, swelling my chest up with an unknown emotion. I stared at him, unable to look away.
"Actually Leo," I said, causing his laugh to simmer down a little.
"I don't think anybody can beat Gemma as our shipper. That girl has the loudest scream I've ever heard. And when she finds out that we're moving in together, I think the world might literally fall apart. So we should try and find a subtle way-"
"What did you just say?" Leo said breathlessly.
I stared at him in fake confusion.
"That Gemma is our biggest shipper?"
"After that."
"I think the world will fall apart?"
"Amelia," Leo impatiently said.
I finally dropped my facade and let out a small giggle. When I finally sobered down, Leo was still staring at me, his mouth parted in shock. I let out a breath and reached up to cup his face.
"Let's move in together Leo."
He crushed me against him, claiming my lips against his own. And we laid there under the stars, kissing like there was no tomorrow.
Because truth is, there might not be. We might not wake up to see the next day. We might not be alive in the next moment. Because life is unpredictable. It can give, but it can take more than you bargained for.
Like it did with Brittany.
That's why I'll tell him I love him a thousand times until we have to part ways. I'll think of him before I go to sleep. I'll tell him I love him over and over again if I wake up the next day. I'll spend the rest of my remaining life fearlessly, regardless of the taunts thrown my way, regardless of what the future holds. I'll live for those who I love, and love those who loved me at my worst.
I'll love wholeheartedly.
I'll live freely.
And above all else, I'll live for me.
E N D