After All, I'm Your Secret Admirer~!!

Ch28 - Sneaky

Paige and Sue have sat down at the kitchen table facing each other. Paige is pointed towards the outside backyard doors and Sue is pointed towards the stairs.

"This is... a bit complicated to explain." Paige mumbles, fists curled up in his lap.

"Try me," Sue says, sitting straight up in their chair.

"Okay, um... Leaf is... like, a part of me?"

"A part of you," Sue repeats. "But not you?"

"Exactly."

"Elaborate," Sue says after humming. "I don't think I quite get it, and I want to understand entirely."

"Well... okay. I think Leaf would be a better explainer than me, though."

"Then I'd like to hear what they have to say."

Paige nods pensively and lets Leaf slip in. "Hey," he greets lazily, slouching immediately. "Sorry for lying to you or whatever. I hear you don't like it much."

Sue blinks. "...Leaf, I assume?"

"You assume correctly." They don't try to disguise their voice. "So, okay. Not to like, dump everything on you, but it's the reason I'm here, so..." Leaf leaves the unsaid question in the air. You sure you wanna know this?

Silently, Sue nods.

"Alright, you asked for it." Leaf bends over and clasps their hands together, looking away. "We had a sh—we had a bad childhood," they quickly correct. "He needed someone to help him, and I was what came of that."

"So you were here to... protect Paige from his father?"

"How do you know about that?" Leaf frowns, staring at Sue. "Did Paige tell you?"

"He mentioned it offhand once."

"Oh." Leaf huffs. "Right. Well, yeah. Daddy Dearest is the reason I exist, I guess."

"So you were here to deal with him."

"Yeah."

"Mackerel is dead, though," Sue points out. "So why are you here now?"

"Ouch," Leaf laughs. "Rude, much?"

"Sorry that I don't take kindly to those who ruin my friend's night." Sue says deadpanned. "I'm guessing you're the real reason Paige stayed home tonight, aren't you?"

"Little Mx. Detective aren't we?" Leaf chuckles, putting his hands up. "You got me. I don't see why you needed to know this though." He pulls his legs into the chair and lays on them, twisting his hands in front of them. "I don't really need to explain anything else to you either. But you'll just bother Paige if I don't so..."

Leaf sighs. "Daddy Dearest drank like a sailor. I knew there'd be spiked punch or whatever at that party, and I..." They pause for a moment, looking away. "I didn't want Paige to get in trouble."

Paige holds his breath. It wasn't technically a lie, so maybe it would pass the test?

Sue stares hard at them hard before glancing away. "Sorry," they apologize. "I think I stepped over a boundary."

"Eh," Leaf shrugs. "Paige gave me permission, and I don't really mind explaining what happened to us. It's whatever if you know." They slump forward though, face growing serious. "You better keep everything in that little filing cabinet of yours, though. There's no point in keeping it a secret if everyone knows And we need it to be secret so they don't freak out like Brandon did." He sighs. "We didn't even tell M—Quinn yet," he coughs.

"...I see," Sue nods. "I'll keep it to myself."

Suddenly, Sue straightens. "What's that?" they ask, pointing towards the stairs.