The Neighborhood Watch

Chapter Eleven - Secrets

I woke up in a bed somewhere dark. I was dry and warm, but confused. Who had taken me home? Was I home? I rolled over to find someone lying next to me.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I realized it was Hannah, looking worried in her sleep. I was back at Leo's house, tucked into the bed in the room across from Marrisa's. Had they been the ones who found me?

Hannah's worried face deepened as she made a noise in her sleep. I reached out and stroked her face, soothing her back into a softer sleep. Even when her face relaxed, I kept my hand on her cheek, studying the way she looked in the dark. I knew she wasn't mine, and she wanted space, but I wanted to breathe her in while I could. I needed to.

"I know it is," a voice said out in the hall.

I turned away from Hannah to see a light under the door, two sets of feet moving from the door and towards Leo's room. I carefully got up, taking care not to wake Hannah. My legs were tingly and my back felt like one big bruise, but I managed to stand and move silently to the door. I winced in pain and surprise when I went to turn the handle with my left hand. Looking down in the light peeking through the door frame, I could see it was carefully bandaged, a bit of red peeking through the white bandage.

This time with my right hand, I opened the door and crept out into the hall, shutting the door carefully to not wake Hannah.

"He's just never like this," Marrisa said, making me hesitate. "He's usually the one who does everything to take care of me, and now he's being reckless and dangerous. I don't understand what has changed. I mean, I know Mika's stressed, we all are. But to hurt himself like this twice? Even if it's partially not his fault, he's smarter than this."

Leo took a moment to respond. "I know he is, but his shadow also ate for the first time last night, maybe that has something to do with it? I don't know anything about shadows, but I know Mika." He suggested. "He wouldn't go walk in the snow and rain, even if his shadow was out of control, he'd get himself somewhere safe. And he wouldn't randomly go down to the pool, even if Max did push him in, he was there to start. It's almost like it's not Mika anymore."

I crept around the corner, carefully looking into Leo's room to find them both sitting on his bed, sitting very close to each other. I looked closer and realized they were holding hands. "When his shadow gets out of hand, I always know how to help him, but I have no idea how to help him right now and it scares me," Marrisa admitted. "I don't want to lose my brother."

My best friend nodded. "I don't want to lose him either, but maybe we're not the ones who can help him. I mean he's got it bad for Hannah, right? Maybe she can get through to him."

Marrisa looked up at him and smiled. "You're smart, that's why I've got it bad for you."

"Oh? That's the only reason?" Leo smiled and leaned forward, kissing Marrisa like it was something they had done many times before.

I turned away from them in shock. They were hiding this from me? This was the reason Leo wouldn't tell me who he liked? Why would they hide this from me? No one is good enough for Marrisa, but Leo is a good guy, I know he would treat her how she deserves to be treated, if anyone deserved my sister, it would be someone like Leo. How long had they hidden this from me? Days? Weeks? Years?

It hurt me to think that the people I trusted and loved the most didn't trust me the same way. Had I done something wrong? I knew I'd been distant recently, but I'd told them everything, especially having to do with Hannah and Sabrina. Why wouldn't they do the same?

I can't remember if I was careful getting back into my room, I was too deep in thought. I laid back down in the bed and frowned up at the ceiling, rethinking everything I'd ever said and done, searching for some reason they could have for not telling me.