I was appalled. My jaw almost hit the floor. Can it really be? No. It can't be. There is no way.
I threw myself at the bed, my back flat at the mattress, together with the note near to my chest.
"Why are you doing this to me?" I muttered lowly as I look at the ceiling, my mind is filled with the issue with my father, the stupid Homecoming, Leo, and this note.
"It can't be you, Leo. It just wouldn't make any sense," I continued to whisper beneath my breath, turning around as I sit down adjacent to the window above the headboard.
I raised the note once again, the shining moon reflecting directly onto the paper.
"Who are you?"
•
The night was a blink of an eye, I didn't even realize it was actually finally morning. As soon as I opened my eyes, feeling the texture of the paper still enclosed on my palm, the mysterious note started to linger into my head once again.
I went downstairs after I have finished putting on clothes, my hair was still on a messy and loose side braid as last night.
"Good morning, Lottie."
Startled by his voice, the voice I was not yet prepared to hear, my eyes widened unintentionally as if they were about to gouge out.
"I—Yes, Good morning.. sir Leo."
With a confused look, his perfect eyebrows furrowing, "Everything alright, there, Lottie?"
I turned around back again, getting the carafe out of the machine and pouring a glass for him, "Why wouldn't it be?"
With an even suspicious stare, he took the mug out of my hand and breathed, "Thanks, I could've poured it myself, though. A-And, why are you calling me that again?"
"What? Yes. Uh, well, just because. I-I-I forgot. Anyway, I'm gonna go—"
"Wait, who's taking you?"
"The bus!" I shouted as I closed the door behind me, with my bag barely on my shoulders, my hair was a complete mess, and my layered necklaces are tangled.
"Argh!" I groaned as I struggle to fix my necklaces while walking.
Whispering quietly, my bag has given up as I held it with my right hand instead. I was spiraling as I walk.
"Why is this note even bothering me? I've been receiving these for months on end and I haven't put an ounce of care into this bullshit," I muttered fast, looking straight ahead by the ground.
"Goddamit, please cooperate with me." I muttered silently as my bag fell, few notebooks have fallen, seeing again, the note.
It's just a stupid note.
I forced myself to think that it's just a stupid note. As I walk again, as fast as I could.
I lifted my feet starting with the right by the stairs of the bus, as I pay the conductor.
"Is she?" he paused, talking to someone at the end of the bus. "Oh, no need. That boy already covered for you." he continues, looking at my messed-up self.
"What the fuck?" I whispered as I saw him by the window seat at the back.
"Oh, hey Lottie."
"Why are you here?" I said with a straight face.
"Sit down, child," the old conductor smiles as I do so.
"He's nice, isn't he?" Leo took a look of the conductor as well, as his face moves closer to my face.
"Answer my question," I persisted.
"Car's broken. Dad brought it to get fixed this morning."
I scoffed, "I call bullshit."
"And why would I lie about that?" he replies, leaving me speechless.
"Um—I, uh," I sighed. "I have money. And I can fend for myself. Here," I added, getting the money out of my pocket, reaching out to his hand.
"It's alright, Lottie I've already paid—"
"I mean it," I took a pause. "I don't like being dependent with others and I certainly don't need you."
He was taken a little back with how serious I look, he wasn't ever so used by it.
"I-I just wanted to–"
"Yes, I understand, thank you. Now if you could please, I need to hear myself think." I replied, moving a seat by the right so there was a large space between us.
I was silent the whole ride, he took a glimpse or two checking if I was okay, I was sure it's because of my appearance. It was like a bomb hit me.
I stepped down from the bus as quickly as I can, leaving him behind.
"Hey, woah-woah, calm down, Morris. What's wrong?"
Taking a halt, I could feel the heat from my sweat, I hid my stress with a chuckle.
"Hey, Dwyneth. Homeworks, loads of them."
"Huh," she says lifting his head up a bit.
Before she could even turn around and walk away with her hands on her pocket, I blabbed, "Can I talk to you? The four of us?"
•
"Holy shit," Dwyneth breathes.
"Oh my God," Danny adds.
"Why didn't you tell us something, Giselle?" said Amara.
My hair, now put down, I aggressively tuck a large piece at the back of my ear as I wanted it to be out of the way, as I asked, "What, which part?"
"All of it! Your dad, Leo, and the note!" Danny exclaims I was sure everyone in the room could hear it.
"Well, my dad was irrelevant to me before—a-and Leo, is still him. And I've already told you about the notes!"
"It must be him. It has to be," Dwyneth says with her right foot up sticking on the wall, as we were sitting by the floor.
"Holy shit, Giselle. Leonardo DiCaprio is in love with you," Amara says in a wide smile.
I, on the other hand, my heart could not take this much pressure, it was as if my whole life depends on questions unanswered. Though I still question myself if it really is possible for us to become, well, I don't even know.
"No. There is no way DiCaprio will go on his way and do that. He is not interested with dating. He told me last night," I exclaimed looking at the floor.
"What do you mean last night?"
"Woah, hold up, what?"
"Holy shit!"
Looking surprised by how that statement had sounded, I redeemed, "It's not like that, assholes. He was helping me study, and we talked--and—we, uh – danced."
Danny whisper-squealed, Amara progressively taps her thighs and Dwyneth took off her foot from the wall and dropped her jaw.
"Knock it off, that was nothing." I continued, standing up as I hide my smile whilst walking to my seat.
"Keep telling yourself that," Dwyneth says sitting at her seat with the most unmotivated position you could possibly think of.
"DiCaprio, you're late. Again."
The three immediately sprung their heads toward me with their eyes widened, I closed my eyes for a second before turning around, as I saw him adjusting his bag while his hair was falling over his eyes. He called, "I'm sorry, I was trying to memorize the script I lost track of time."
"Sit down," Mr. Martinez, the General Biology teacher spat as we watch Leo sit down at the back.
I turned my head back at the board when I heard rumbling of a chair, curling my eyebrows, I turned back my sight once again and found Leo grunting and adjusting his chair sitting down.
"What are you doing?" I whisper-yelled.
"My bag is stuck, can't you see?"
"Try standing up, genius."
"What?"
"Stand up, it'll make things easier."
"What?"
"Try standing up," I repeated.
"I'm sorry I really can't hear you give me a sec—"
"I SAID TRY STANDING UP!"
The whole classroom fell into silence, everyone's eyes are at me, even Mr. Martinez, a very strict teacher and one who does not like being interrupted.
"Morris! How dare you speak in a tone like that in my class! What a vicious act. Detention!"
As someone who is not used to being called out with something wrong at class, I was star struck. I didn't know what to do.
"Didn't you hear me? I said Detention!"
I looked up at Dwyneth, Amara, and Danny, with their faces almost the same as mine, as they motioned their eyebrows upwards signaling me to stand-up.
"Yes, Mr. Martinez. I – I'm sorry," I breathed as I stand up, turning around with my head on low, disappointed at myself.
"I-It was my fault, sir. She was uh, trying to help me, I got stuck in my chair."
I lifted my head and saw Leonardo standing up as well, with a concerned yet calm face.
Mr. Martinez scoffed through his nose, as he calls, "Well, you both can learn the right manners and ways to not be utterly stupid while you're at detention. Go with her."
I proceeded to go outside, turning a left to the other hall, towards the detention room. He was behind, as he tries to catch up but was silent.
"Nice going," I said whilst looking directly ahead.
"I'm sorry, Lottie. But you have to know it's just detenti—"
"Aren't you missing your final rehearsals? Why did you even called out yourself?" I said in a bit of annoyance and volume as I took a stop, making him do the same.
"Because you didn't deserve to be in detention? Besides, we've had plenty of rehearsals, alright."
Scoffing, I shook my head, "And how is you getting detention would make things better?"
"Would you please stop overthinking this? You're acting very strange, I thought we're past running around and finding things to be angry with each other. With you calling me that stupid 'sir' a-and, I don't know—blatantly avoiding me? What exactly is wrong?"
"Nothing," I paused. "Just – you go on inside, I need to go to the restroom."
To be quite honest, I felt bad, not just because of how I acted, but for not telling him what really is bothering me.
As he reaches for the knob of the door, I furrowed my eyebrows and sighed. fuck it.
"Leo, are you the one who has been sending me those notes?"
He took a second before turning around, as he looks like freshly seamless pages of a brand new book, as always.
"What?"
"You – uh, you asked me once if I have been receiving letters– I — I'm sorry I know, I'm being ridiculous but–"
"I thought you already knew that it was my friend who has been giving you the letters? The one who gave you the white rose?"
I wasn't aware of how I should react, to put it quite plainly. But I know for a fact I was not happy with his answer.
"C-Couldn't you tell me?"
Taking another pause as he reaches to the back of his neck, he mutters, "You'll know soon enough."