Clips

Clip #12: Grey

*drags self over finish line, waving packet of papers in the air*

I DID IT GUYS. I FINISHED IT.

IT'S NOT EVEN THAT GOOD, BUT I FINISHED IT.

Soooo, please enjoy my newest creation!!

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Leyla POV

I'd let go of South, and now he was just another person with feet planted on the soil of the Earth. At least, that's what I told myself.

The truth was, he was my first love, and his hold on my heart was still painfully there. None of my new crushes stuck, as if they were simply water to South's oil. They were simply rejected by my heart after a while, which only made me feel desperate.

He'd been with Jill for three weeks now, and it was killing me a little to know he had left me for someone so much better than I could ever be. And it was killing me to know how happy he was.

Tears pricked my eyes at that thought, so I brushed it away. I would not cry over the stupid boy, I would not.

I hugged my books to my chest as I weaved through the crush of people in the hall. People chatting, people talking, sounds filled my ears. Someone yelled in my ear and I cringed, nearly hitting someone. The air stunk of body odor, gym socks, and girl's perfume, making me feel like I was suffocating on pure stink.

I finally got out of the traffic jam in the hall, feeling like I'd just gone through a tiny little tunnel with a very small amount of air. I gasped for air and promptly ran into a table, spilling my books everywhere.

People stampeded, stepping on my books. I dodged feet, reaching out to try and save my precious books, cringing as the covers were bent underfoot. Tears were filling my eyes as I tried to grab them, but no one saw me and no one stopped.

I snatched up one of my books, Cinder, and began reaching for Winter, which had skidded a ways away when I saw another boy kneeling down across the hall and helping me pick up the books.

My heart stopped for a moment because he was cute.

He had curly black hair and tan skin, not to mention his dark chocolate eyes. He looked up at me and gave me a devilish grin, giving me definite Leo Valdez vibes.

Not even vibes, this had to be Leo in the flesh. Oh my stars, my wish came true, Leo was real, I was about to pass out-

"Are these yours?"

I looked up to see Leo-Boy standing above me, holding my beloved books. I jumped up to his height and he handed them to me. I gingerly touched the broken and torn covers, feeling as if my pet had just died.

Will. Not. Cry.

Leo-boy held up the leftover scraps of my covers and pulled a roll of scotch tape from his pocket. Yup, definitely Leo.

"Hey, I can try to help you fix the covers... if that's okay."

My eyes flicked down to the tape, then to the ripped covers, then to his smile.

I felt myself nod and hear a voice I knew was my own say, "Yeah... yeah, okay."

----

I pieced together the ripped cover of Cress, grimacing as I smoothed the lines over her face. My precious books! I'd never bring them to school again, NEVER. Unless they were safely locked away in a safe.

With no key.

And only I could get them out with magical unicorn powers.

"Sometimes people are ignorant jerks," said Leo-Boy, "I'm really sorry this happened."