Chapter 30: The Notes pt 2

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Leo's POV

Time stood still. Everyone passed around me in a blur of colors. They all blended together like strokes of a painting.

I had no idea how long I had been sitting on the park bench. A couple hours probably. It was already dark out and the nighttime air had settled in a while ago. Crickets were chirping and fireflies flashing their lights.

It was very peaceful here, it made it easy to think.

The park was completely empty by now. When I first came here, it was filled with kids and their parents playing on the swings and in the sand. Laughter filled the air as children ran around playing games. Now, the only sound was the nature around me.

I had staggered my way to the park after my talk with Athena.

I couldn't think straight after what she told me. It broke my heart. I've loved her since we were children and she tore out my heart and stomped on it by just saying one simple word.

No.

I always knew there was the possibility of her rejecting me, but I never thought she actually would. It might just be my imagination, but ever since Homecoming, I've felt like Athena likes me too. I don't know what changed.

I couldn't think straight. What do I do now? Should I keep trying to win her affection or should I give up and watch as she moves on with her life?

Both choices had the chance of leaving one of us heartbroken.

It was scary. This whole thing was scary and I didn't know how to deal with it. Back in France, I had a couple girlfriends. Now I don't want to sound cocky or anything, but none of them ever rejected me. In fact, girls were always the ones coming up to me and flirting.

I didn't know how to deal with rejection. It's never happened to me before, especially not from someone I love.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. My twin sister's name flashed across the screen. Should I answer? Against my better judgement, I answered the call.

"Hello?" I answered cautiously.

"LEO! Get back home now! It's almost 11 and we have school tomorrow!" Via shouted at me. I had to hold the phone away from my ear because she was yelling so loud. "Okay, geez. Take a chill pill won't you? I'm coming home now. I'll be there in 5 minutes."

I hung up the phone and started walking. I'm going to have to go home at some point. I can't avoid what happened forever, even though that's all I wanted to do.

---

As soon as I walked in my front door, Via grabbed me by the collar and dragged me to my room.

"Spill. Now." Via commanded.

I put my hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. I will."

"I went over there to talk to AJ about what I did before she fainted. She told me that she's sorry and that she doesn't love me." Via let out a gasp. She probably wasn't expecting me to say that.

"Are you okay?" she asked me. "I'll be fine eventually," I replied.

"It's getting late I should go back and get to bed. Goodnight." Via was careful not to make a noise when she shut my door. Our father went to bed a couple minutes ago and he wasn't the best person to be around when they were woken up from their sleep.

I stripped off my clothes and got in the shower. The water was scalding hot. I had turned it up as high as it would go, hoping the extremely hot water would distract me from the pain I was feeling. Spoiler alert: It didn't. No matter what I did the ache in my heart would not go away.

I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, my brain replayed the moment AJ broke my heart. I tried reading, watching Netflix, video games, nothing worked. I even went downstairs to make some tea that' supposedly able to help you fall asleep.

It didn't work either.

Before I knew it, the sun was rising. Great, now I have to go to school on exactly zero hours of sleep. I should go for a run before school.

I went into my closet and changed into my running outfit. It was black running leggings with black basketball shorts, a white t-shirt, and a gray hoodie.

I picked a random playlist, put my earbuds in and took off. Seeing as it was only 5 in the morning, there was only one other person out running right now. They're probably an early riser.

I went on my normal path, except this time I took a right turn instead of a left turn so the way back would be twice as long.

--

Keep pushing. You're almost there.

I wiped the sweat off my brow and continued to push myself to go faster. My legs were burning and my lungs were about to explode. Breathe in through my nose, out through my mouth.

Only a hundred more feet to go.

75

50

40

30

20

10

5

0

I collapsed against the nearest tree and attempted to catch my breath. I pulled out my cell phone and checked the time. It was almost 6:30. Geez! I had been running for almost an hour and a half. This was my longest run ever.

Usually I ran for 45 minutes, an hour at most.

I did some stretches before I jogged back home. When I arrived, my father was up and getting ready for work. "Look what the cat dragged in," my father commented as I walked past the kitchen. "What's wrong?" he asked. "You look like you haven't slept in years."

"Nothing."

I didn't say anything else, I just went upstairs to get ready for school.

20 minutes later I was sitting at our dining table munching on a bowl of cereal. "So Thanksgiving is in a week. What do you want to do?" my father looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know," was all I said. I really wasn't in a talking mood right now. My run had taken my mind of Athena for a little while, but now she was all I could think about. She infected me in everything I did. I literally could not do anything about thinking about Athena. It was getting ridiculous.

"What's wrong? And don't say nothing again. I know there is something wrong. You aren't talking to me as much, you are moodier, and you look depressed. So, I'm going to ask one more time, what's wrong?"

I tried my hardest not to look at him in the eyes. If I did I would break down in front of him and that was NOT going to happen.

"I'm fine, I swear. I was just up all night because I couldn't sleep. That's it I swear." It wasn't exactly a lie. I was up all night because I couldn't sleep, I just didn't tell him why. He didn't need to know that.

He obviously didn't believe me, but I think he could sense that I wasn't in a sharing mood right now. My father dropped the subject and I ate in silence. I tossed my bowl in the sink and ran back upstairs to brush my teeth.

I really don't get how people can brush their teeth before eating breakfast. Your teeth just get dirty right away, so you might as well wait until after you eat. Me, personally, I rinse my mouth out with water when I wake up then I actually brush my teeth after breakfast.

When I finished, I checked the time and saw that it was 7:20. I had 40 minutes until school started. I played some game on my phone for a few minutes before leaving. I unlocked my car and stuffed my backpack in the backseat then shut the door.

I looked up.

That was a mistake.

I made eye contact with Athena right as she was about to get in the car. I wanted to say something to her but she got in and drove off before I could say anything to her. Great.

School went by a million times slower than normal. Athena avoided me any time she came within 100 feet of me. She wouldn't look at me either. Via was talking to me, but whenever the topic came within a hairs length of Athena, she changed the subject.

During basketball practice, my game was off. I was missing my shots and I couldn't focus. My teammates stole the ball from me with almost no resistance. They even managed to break my ankles a couple times.

We were running a passing drill when the coach pulled me aside to talk.

"You need to get your head in the game. I don't know what's going on in there," he tapped my forehead ,"but you need to get it sorted. It doesn't make you look good if you are distracted during practice. If you can't pull yourself together by next week, I will bench you from the game."

I listened to everything the coach told me. He was right. Basketball should be the one place I don't have to worry about anything else. Block out the rest of the world and focus solely on playing the game.

That's what I did. The rest of the practice I did exactly what the coach told me. If he told me to do a layup, I did a layup. If he told me to dribble the ball up and down the court in between my legs, I did it.

By the end of basketball practice, I was feeling a little better, but as soon as I got in my car, my mind went straight to Athena.

I really do need to talk to her. During practice, my mind became clearer. I'm not going to be a coward and give up the moment things get hard. I'm going to fight for what I want, and I want AJ.

The drive home I was thinking of ways to win Athena over. I know she has feelings for me. I don't care what she says. She can deny it all she wants, but I know better. Something is holding her back from telling me how she truly feels and I'm going to find out what it is.

I hopped out of my car and walked across the yard to Athena's house. Her car was in the driveway so I knew she was home. I knocked on her door and waited for somebody to answer.

Athena opened the door. She looked completely shocked that I showed up at her door and tried to close it in my face.

Before she could do that? I stuck my arm in between the door and its frame and pushed my way in.

"AJ? Please listen to me. We need to talk," I pleaded. She didn't listen to me. "Stopping trying to push me out the door. I'm 175 pounds of muscle, you aren't going to be able to push me out," I stated.

AJ didn't listen.

Instead, she tried to push me out again. I didn't budge. After a couple more tries, she gave up with one final push.

"I don't want to talk to you right now," AJ said. "Well too bad because I do," I retorted.

I followed Athena where ever she went in the house. First, she stopped in the kitchen to examine the snacks they had. She grabbed an apple and sat on the couch, turning the tv on.

"AJ please, we need to talk about last night." She ignored me.

"I know you have feelings for me. I don't care what you say. I know you do." This caught her attention. She set her half eaten apple on the coffee table in front of the couch and leaned forward.

"You see, that's where you are wrong. I don't have any feelings for you other than those of friendship. Nothing beyond that," she replied.

"Bullshit."

Athena scoffed. "And how exactly do you know I have 'feelings' for you?" She asked.

"Because," I said. I suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and laid her down on the couch. She looked up at me with wide eyes. I could feel her heart beating rapidly.

Her tongue flicked out and licked her lips directing my attention towards them. They looked so soft and kissable. No! That's not what you are supposed to be doing right now.

I leaned forward so my face was only an inch apart from hers.

"When I do this your heart rate speeds up and you get nervous. Why would you get nervous if you didn't have any feelings for me?" I asked her.

She didn't say anything. Her eyes continued to stare into mine.

My mouth connected with the spot where her shoulder and neck joined. I peppered the area with tiny kisses. "When I do this," I paused, "you close your eyes."

Suddenly, Athena's eyes snapped open and she shoved me off. I fell on my butt onto the floor. "Ouch," I grumbled as I rubbed my butt.

"You deserve it!" She exclaimed.

"You can't just go around doing stuff like that to me. Especially when I don't like you."

"Why won't you just admit you have feelings for me!" I shouted, exasperated with all this nonsense. If she didn't give me an answer right now, I was going to break. If she wouldn't accept my confession, than at the very least I deserve to have an answer about why she rejected me.

"BECAUSE," she shouted, "I can't have feelings for you." AJ whispered the last part.

"Why? Why can't you have feelings for me?"

"Because," was all she said.

"Is it because I am your best friends brother?" I wondered. "You know Via wouldn't care if we dated. In fact, she probably has been planning our wedding for years. So that can't be the reason. Tell me the truth."

Athena looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry I can't tell you why. Please just go. Don't make this any harder than this has to be."

This time, I didn't resist as she pushed me out the front door and shut it in my face.

Something was going on with her. I need to know what. Once I find out why AJ isn't allowed to have feelings for me, then I can figure out how to overcome it.

I will make her mine.

Nobody can stop me.

–––––

When will Leo find out the truth? What's going to happen with the stalker?

Hopefully this chapter wasn't boring. I was trying to show how Leo was feeling and it's hard. Especially when you've never been through something like this. Also, sorry if there wasn't a lot of talking and it was mostly just Leo thinking.

The next 2 or 3 chapters are going to be fillers most likely because I have something big planned for after that.

Don't forget to vote and comment!

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net