The Group Chat [Leico Valdangelo]

part sixteen

• Leo •

After Nico had long since gone home, and Leo was asleep in his bed, he had a nightmare almost as scary as they used to get when his mother first died.

"Nico!" Leo exclaimed, walking up to Nico the next day at school. Nico turned to Leo, glaring at him harshly.

"I hate you."

"W-what?" Leo asked, his eyes burning.

"Don't talk to me ever again. I hate you!"

"Nico-"

"Just kill yourself. No one loves you. I was just dating you out of pity. Those kisses meant nothing. It wasn't even my first kiss. I lied."

"Nico..." Leo trailed off. Suddenly, everything faded to black and he looked around to find he was in a shop. A familiar shop.

"You stay here, mijo, you understand?" his mother asked, kissing Leo's forehead. "I need to go get something. Stay right here."

Leo nodded as he mother walked into the boiler room, shutting the door lightly. Leo rocked back and forth on his heels and whistled in boredom. Suddenly, his moms scream cut through the air.

He ran to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked. He cried out for his mother as the door grew warmer and warmer. Smoke filled his lungs, but he couldn't find it in him to care.

He heard something tap on the wood.

I love you.

"You killed your own mother! What kind of sicko does that?" Nico asked, pushing Leo. "You thought I actually liked you?! You're a monster! Do the world a favor and kill yourself-"

Leo shot up in bed, soaking wet with sweat, his blankets sticking to his legs and his curly hair pressed flat against his forehead. He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, checking his phone. It was only 2:38.

Nico...he said those things.

No. That was just the dream.

Just a dream. Just a dream.

Before he even registered anything, he was calling Nico's phone.

"Leo?" Nico asked groggily, his voice heavy with sleep.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have called. I'll let you go back to sleep-"

"No, talk to me. What happened?"

"I had a nightmare," Leo whispered. "And I know it's so stupid to get worked up over, but I can't help it."

"Yeah, I used to get really bad nightmares after Bianca died. I dreamed of all the ways those thugs could've tortured her before the finally ended it. Do you wanna talk about it?"
This wasn't the same Nico in the dream. This was the real Nico, his Nico.

"It started out with me walking up to you at school. You said you hated me. I asked what was wrong and you told me to kill myself. Then I was in the warehouse and my mom...it happened again. And then you called me a monster. Told me to do the world a favor and kill myself. Then I woke up," Leo explained, his body shaking as he recited the dream to Nico.

"Leo...you know I would never say any of those things. You know that, right?"

"Of course."

"Good. I could never even dream of it...God, no. I wish I was over there right now, but Hazel would freak if she found out I wasn't here in the morning. I'll see you tomorrow and we'll talk, okay?"