🏆Featured on TeenFiction | Head Over Heels
To Leroy 'Lee' Hiew, home's never felt like home. He has a huge mansion, a big car, and more money than he could ever spend. And yet, the idea of home always seems to elude him.
Armed with his dog, Socks...
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"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU BACK?"
Mike's face is a mask of horror as he stares at Lee like he's just seen a ghost. His crutches and bandages are gone, but his leg's still wrapped up and his nose is scarlet.
Lee grins. "Bet you didn't expect me to come back, huh? You can't get rid of me so easily, Mikey. Don't worry, if you stay away from me and Jack, I won't have to hurt you." He leans back in his seat and casually flips Mike the finger. "Hope you missed me, because I'll be sticking around for a looong while."
"But---how---" Mike stammers, slack-jawed.
Pleasure hums in Lee's stomach. Not so tough now, huh? His gaze drifts over the rest of the class, drinking in the sight of Liam, Danny's other lackey---one tooth missing and one arm in a sling---and the lack of Danny himself, evidently still resting his broken ribs at home even though it's nearly been a month. It's exhilarating---seeing the boys who'd once towered over him, laughing as they'd burned their mark into his arm, cowering in the face of their former victim.
"I'll let you in on a little secret, Mike," Lee says, grin widening. "Money talks, bullshit walks. And I'm practically made of bullshit."
Before Mike can reply, twin blurs of red and white crash into Lee, a winded oomph escaping his mouth as two pairs of arms wrap themselves around him.
"Lee! You're finally back!" Cory all but wails, hugging him so tight Lee swears he hears a rib crack.
"We thought you died!" Jon yelps, only slightly less hysterical. His thick glasses hang off the bridge of his nose, knocked askew by his enthusiasm. Lee realises that even though the whole world's flipped over on his head, Jon and Cory are still the same---Jon with his messy blonde hair and checkered red flannel, Cory in yet another one of Jon's t-shirts, several sizes too big for his small frame. "I mean, we technically didn't, because Jack texted us daily updates on you, but still!"
"Hey, guys," Lee chuckles, affectionately stroking Cory's dark hair. "Unfortunately, I'm not dead. Not yet, anyway."
"No shit, Sherlock!" Cory hugs him tighter, and out of the corner of his eye, Lee notices Mike backing away slowly. He suppresses a smile. "And what do you mean unfortunately? Cabrón! Why didn't you text us? Mike was going around saying you got expelled and all that kind of shit and we really thought---"
Over Cory's heaving shoulder, Lee sends a withering glare Mike's way. Despite the facade of unfazed bravado that Mike tries to slap on, Lee doesn't miss the way his knees tremble.
"Mike's full of shit," Lee reassures them, gratefully accepting the hug that Jon gives him. "I'll be sticking around until we graduate, don't worry. Probably. Unless I drop out first. I really missed you lovebirds, honestly. Even though I'm pretty sick of you two making out around me. Makes me feel single as hell."
