Just you and me

Mute

A/N: This story is based on the basket ball diaries. You're 16 and Leo is 18. As the description said, it contains a lot of triggering topics. If you're sensitive to any of these topics I highly suggest not reading this story.
I used to write all the time but it's been a long while so if this is bad I sincerely apologize.

January 16th, 2021. I wish I'd known that when I'd waken up that morning, everything was going to change for me from there on out.

September 19th, 2020
School started with your average teenagers scrambling to their lockers, worrying to be late to their classes for the semester.
There were kids like those and kids like I, myself. Who didn't really give a shit about any of it. I wasn't here by choice and I wasn't going to absorb their bullshit "teachings" by choice. That's really the only thing I had control of at this point.
I wondered off to the women's restroom and went to the very last stall. This is where I sat almost every morning and afternoon. I showed to maybe two classes each day. My mom got calls almost all the time about my absence. "She's there at school, I know of it. I dropped her off this morning." She would argue with the school staff.
I had her fooled that I'd attended each and every class and they just never payed attention to my being there. Of course, I got into trouble with my school a lot, even if not with my mother.
I'd gotten pulled down to the office probably everyday of the week. I was lucky if there was a day I hadn't been called down. Each time for either smoking in the bathroom, skipping, or getting into a fight.
Those kids I mentioned, the ones like me, the ones who don't give a shit. They were hard to find. So, I didn't really have friends. While all of this was more stressful than just going to class and staying out of trouble, I didn't really care. I'm the most stubborn person I know. If I don't want to do something, I'm really not going to no matter how hard one tries to get me to.
Today, however, nobody had even attempted to look for me. Nobody called me to the office. Nobody bothered with me. I believed it was because they had given up. But it was only because the head principal, the asshole of the school, the prick of all pricks, wasn't in that day. He was on vacation. So, nobody cared to put up with me. He was the only person on the school board who'd attempted to bust my balls everyday. Everyone else knew it was pointless to try and set me straight.
I spent that morning per usual. Sitting on the floor of the far left bathroom stall, flicking ashes onto the floor and lighting cigarette after cigarette. It was the addiction I couldn't get away from. I was the type of person who got addicted to anything that gave me any type of feeling I liked. It didn't matter if it was an addictive chemical or not. This is why I stayed away from most people and most things. My unhealthy addiction habits. While I was a shitty kid, a bad person, and an addict of nicotine only, I didn't care to get addicted to anything more. I was already throwing my life away, why throw it away more than I should? There was one girl who tried to approach me everyday I left the school building.
She wore these bulky square frame lenses and her hair was almost always pulled up into a curly ponytail. I felt bad for her. Because she was genuinely ugly. And her annoying personality didn't help. It actually just went hand in hand with her looks.
I didn't feel bad though, because I knew the only reason she tried to talk to me was because her mother suggested it because she might be able to, "help me" or "put me back in line". I wasn't just some fucking project. And I sure as hell wasn't going to be friends with someone who was forced to talk to me. And especially not someone I didn't even take interest in.
She'd never dated one man in her whole life. I only knew this about her because we actually were friends back in grade school. I talked her into showing me where her parents alcohol was, though. I got her wasted and that was the last time I'd hung out with her.
Her mom freaked out and sent her away to some sort of camp. I think it was her way of saying," I can't deal with you so I'm going to ship you off." Had she not gone to that camp I'd probably turned her into someone shitty like me. Now, her mom is dead set on me "changing".
"Did you see the new kid, y/n?" Alyse approached me staring at me through her thick glasses lenses, eagerly.
"No." I replied shortly. Was it not obvious I wasn't fucking interested in have a conversation? She did this shit while I was walking home every fucking day. She lives near me so she invites herself on my walk.
"He's pretty hunky." She smiled and nudged me.
I looked at her like I was going to kill her and she lost her smile. "I don't really care." I said blankly.
"His names Leonardo. He seems like you." She said now not looking at me. She may have been scared to make eye contact.
"I'm not your charity case, Alyse." I said and started walking faster, trying to get away from her before I imploded. "Leave me the fuck alone for god sakes."
She stopped and I lost her. She probably went to annoy someone else. Thank god.
I walked into my house and my father was waiting for me at the door with a beer in his hand. God I've never hated anyone more than I hated this man. I wasn't sure why my mother and I didn't just pick up and leave. Go somewhere different. Somewhere he couldn't find us. She'd saved up money to do so. She just never took it out of the box she had it hidden in under the floor boards of the bathroom. And for that, I was mad at her. That she had the choice to leave. But, decided to stay.
I walked past my dad trying not to make eye contact. If I didn't look at him, maybe he'd let me off the hook.
"Where are you off to, sweetie?" He said with a slur.
"Just upstairs." I tried to be polite. My voice was shakey.
"Come here for a minute." His eyes were barely open. He was drunk out of his mind. But it wasn't like it was the usual.
I went closer to him cautiously. He grabbed the back of my neck and attempted to kiss me on the mouth. He was the perviest man alive. I pulled away from his grip and ran upstairs as my heart pounded. I locked my door behind him as he ran up the steps pounding on my door.
"You slut! Open this damn door!" He screamed still pounding on the door. Mom wasn't home.
I looked around for things to fighting him off with this time. I noticed the window near the fire escape in my room. I opened it and began climbing out.
"Come one, sweetheart. Come give your old man a kiss." He said now becoming calm.
I felt tears form in my eyes. This was the worst part of my everyday. I climbed out the window and ran down the fire escape. I could hear my door bust open from up above and I looked up as my father looked down at me out of the window.
"Get back here you little asshole!" He screamed and I started to run down the street. I kept running until I felt like I was safe and took a seat in an alley way. Catching my breathe. I pulled the cigarette pack out of my jacket pocket and took out my lighter. As I went to light it, my attention was caught by a voice coming from the entrance of the alley way.
"I thought all junkies were nasty in looks. You're not too shabby." A young boys voice echoed.
I looked up to see a blonde, skinny boy wearing a black beanie and black zip up hoodie with ripped blue jeans. I ignored him and continued lighting my cigarette taking a hit.
He didn't quit. He approached me and looked down at me with his hands in his pants pockets.
"Mind if I take a seat?" He pointed and I didn't say a word just looked away.
He invited himself to sit next to me.
"Have a spare?" He asked and I handed him the cigarette I had already lit.
He took it and took a long hit.
"Thanks" he smiled handing it back to me. "So what brings you to such a dark alley like this?" He looked at me.
I didn't say anything once again and looked down at my thighs.
After a long pause he said, "I'm Leonardo. I feel like I've seen you around. Do you go to school here?"
I still said nothing and he stood up. "Let me get you an ice cream cone." He held his hand out in a gesture to help me up.
I was hesitant but I took his hand and he pulled me up and I dusted myself off putting my cigarette out on the wall that was behind me.
I walked with him to the nearest ice cream stand and tried to hide my face in case my dad was out and about looking for me. Which he'd done a few times. But he'd rarely caught me.
Leonardo walked up to the stand and handed the girl working a 10 dollar bill. "Can I get a vanilla cone and", he looked back at me, "make that two vanilla?" He asked and I shook my head yes slightly.
The girl gave us the ice cream and we walked to a bench near the park not far down the road. He smiled at me occasionally but I just kind of sat there with zero expression.
"You have a beautiful face, you should smile more." He said.
My cheeks became rosey all across and I couldn't help but let the corners of my mouth widen into a slight smile.
"There it is." He smiled. "So when am I gonna get you to the talking stage?" He joked. "Do I have to make an oath or.."
I laughed a little bit. I could see his smile grow wider out of the corner of my eye.