Our Beautiful Tragedy [#Wattys2015]

Chapter 29: Leon's Two Lovers

Leon Walker, 7:12 AM
He awoke to voices downstairs, surprised when a body shifted beside him. That was when he remembered the events of the night before. Groaning quietly to himself, careful not to wake Isabel, he clambered out of bed and threw on some clothes. He wondered how Nate would be feeling now, probably with a severe headache and a broken nose. Would he go to the police? No. If there was one thing Leon knew, it was that Nate would definitely not go to the police.
Unless, of course, he wanted the police to know that he was a drug dealer.
Attempting to wake Isabel up, he crouched beside her and planted a kiss on her forehead. A grin spread across her lips and with narrowed eyes, as though blocking out the sun, she leant up and pressed her mouth against his. Once they separated, a piercing voice struck the silence.
"Leon! Noah! Time to get up!" Mrs Walker yelled from downstairs.
Isabel gasped, staring at him.
"Leon!" She hissed, "Does your Mum know I'm here?"
His face said it all.
Isabel squeaked, jumping up. Despite neither of them actually doing "the deed", they acted as if they had as Leon hastily turned his back while Isabel dressed back into yesterday's clothes in a frantic rush. He watched, amused, as she stared into his mirror while combing her hair with her fingers. She turned to him, catching his eye. For a moment, they watched each other and then another grin triggered along Isabel's mouth. Leon's heart was hammering immensely.
Then, moment broken, she averted her attention back to the mirror but not before he noticed the tears in her eyes.
"Right," Leon said, "I'll go down and talk to Mom. My Dad's at work so you won't have to worry about him. While I'm talking to her just slip out the front door quickly, be careful not to slam it and wait for me outside. I won't be long."
Isabel said nothing.
"Clear?"
"Clear." She answered.
"Okay, come on then."

Leon and Isabel were both hovering on the second floor, directly where the kitchen was located beneath. Instead of that gorgeous smile she had worn only moments earlier, she had now fallen silent. Leon brushed her hand with his as he passed her, pressing a finger to his lips as he retreated down the staircase.

Isabel Newton, 7:21 AM
She watched his body vanish from view.
"Good morning Mum!" He acknowledged, "Hey Noah."
Noah merely grunted in reply which Isabel found odd.
As voices sounded from inside the kitchen, Isabel carefully trod down the steps toward the front door directly in her pathway. She continued to tread carefully, unaware of the presence behind her until her hands had already wrapped around the door handle.
The staircase groaned behind her.
"Isabel-"
Isabel spun in the direction of the voice, quickly ushering Mel to stay quiet. But Mel grinned. She lowered her book.
"Mum! Isabel's here!"
"Mel!"
The voices from the kitchen had ceased, footsteps thundering the silence. Mrs Walker, clean and fresh as though she had never slept, approached Isabel with disbelief in her gaze. Then, she glared at her son.
"Leon!" She snapped, "I sure hope you used protection!"
"Mom!"
She turned back to Isabel with a stern look.
"Isabel," Kelly said calmly, "I hope-"
"W-we didn't have sex, Mrs Walker. I promise. I-I had an ordeal yesterday, which I hope you don't mind but I'd rather not discuss it right now and-and, well, I didn't want to sleep alone. Leon and I slept top on tail."
Mrs Walker's face softened and she reached for Isabel, rubbing her shoulders while ushering her into the kitchen where Noah sat. He smiled shortly at her before a sullen mask settled on his face.
Leon grinned as he snaked an arm around Isabel's waist. She pushed it away.
"Not in front of your Mother!" She hissed so that only the pair of them could hear.
His answer was another grin.
"Would you like me to drive you all to school?" Mrs Walker asked them both, "Blast the tunes, embarrass you all with my country music."
"I like country music," Isabel smiled, interrupted by Leon's snorts.
"Yeah maybe you do but you definitely wouldn't like Mom's 'country' music. It's as if you've walked into a hillbilly trailer park filled with cannibals."
Mrs Walker slapped his arm playfully while sipping her tea.
"For a seventeen year old boy, it's a bit odd that you're obsessed with music in my era."
"The Beatles are great!"
"They're odd,"
"Odd? More like legendary."

They continued the argument in the car, it was playful; comments thrown back and forth. Neither Noah or Isabel intervened. Isabel enjoyed listening to it all, never being able to endure this type of conversation with her Mom or Dad. Maybe with Aunt Janet...She gazed out the window, thinking of Pennsylvania and conjuring up reasons why she should and shouldn't leave. So far, the list for the latter was losing. Tears pooled in her eyes and she forced them away, grinning at Kelly's latest comeback.
At last, they had pulled up in a parking spot that seemed miles away from the shabby looking school before them all.

Isabel had lost track of time throughout the day, everything inside her head had clouded up until no other thoughts could penetrate the barrier. Pennsylvania.

"Can I borrow a pencil?" Hanna asked in art.
Isabel leant her one.

Geography.

Biology.

Math.

Pennsylvania.

Noah Bain, 3:12 PM
"Hey, wait!" Noah yelled, chasing Christopher to his car after school. His boyfriend slowed his pace but didn't glance back. "Please, I didn't mean what I said the other day. I mean, I do trust Leon's family and I trust Leon but that doesn't mean I don't trust you because I do! Does that make sense?"
"Please stop Christopher, say something at least."
The ground blurred beneath him as he ran to keep up.
"Please!" Noah shouted, "Come on, I'm sorry!"
A few people were turning their heads toward the desperate, public apology. Noah glared at their sneers and laughter, finally catching up, panting slightly.
"Don't be jealous, Chris-"
"Jealous?" His boyfriend spat, "Jealous? Why would I be jealous?"
Noah's cheeks grew red, releasing a pained sigh of frustration.
"I don't know! Why are you jealous?"
"I'm not jealous!"
"Yes you are!"
"NO I'M NOT!" Christopher spun on him as he finally reached the car, glaring daggers into Noah's eyes. Now Noah realised that Chris had only kept his back turned to hide the tears that were current in his green lit gaze. "Why would I be jealous that you are now living with your best friend? The best friend, may I add, that you have been in love with for years."
Speechless.
Not being able to gather up the words, or the courage, Noah only blinked - taken aback. Words clung to his throat, desperate to escape. Begs. Pleads. I don't love Leon, I love you! You're paranoid, we're only friends...
But the words were not spoken as they were not, unfortunately, the truth. The moment the words had left Christopher's mouth, Noah knew his secret was out. Christopher was right. Despite Leon's sexuality, Noah was hopelessly and desperately in love with him. He'd been trying to hide it. Of course, if Leon knew, that would be the end of their friendship.
Emotions swam up inside of him, clawing free.
"You aren't even going to deny it, are you?" Christopher whispered, a tear trailing down his cheek. "I can't do this anymore, Noah."
I can't do this anymore. This. What did he mean by 'this'?
"We clearly aren't working out," Christopher said, "It was...nice while it lasted."
The chain had snapped. The mirror had broken. The pages from his story had ripped open.