BETRAYED

Chapter 2: Childhood Friend

Have you ever felt a strange pull towards someone you don't even know? No, I'm not talking about falling in love; this feeling is somewhat different. It arises unexpectedly and haunts you every time you encounter that person. You just want to talk to them, learn about their interests, inquire about something insignificant, but you can't bring yourself to do it. What could you possibly talk about with this person when you don't know them at all? What if they think you're crazy? What if your desire to connect with them is not reciprocated? These thoughts race through your mind, and each time you postpone introducing yourself or striking up a conversation with that person. But this feeling is not as deceptive as infatuation, and it doesn't entail any losses. This feeling knows who among the people around you is your kindred spirit, and ultimately, you'll regret having avoided getting to know them for so long while your heart endlessly nudged you towards it. So, that's exactly how I felt when I met him, Leo.

It was the beginning of the school year. It was the eighth year of Naomi's and my stay at the school when a green-eyed brunette stepped into our classroom. At first, we thought he had just entered the wrong room, as changes in our class's composition were a rare occurrence. However, after the bell rang and our homeroom teacher entered the class, she introduced our new classmate and asked us to help him adapt to the new environment. There were some occasional giggles and whispers from the back desks. Despite his attractiveness, Leonard Ross was a very shy young man. He quietly made his way to the designated empty seat and settled in there.

I don't know how often I turned around to see what my new classmate was up to, but at some point, the teacher's patience snapped, and she reprimanded me, barely containing her anger. Perhaps I did turn around too often, but what could I do? Leo somehow intrigued me too much. At first, I might have even thought I was falling for him, but this time, my inner feelings were radically different from those I experienced with previous crushes. Therefore, I quickly dismissed the idea of love at first sight.

Leo kept looking around the room, taking in the surroundings and the people he would spend the rest of his school years with. At some point, our eyes met. If Leo had been someone else, I would have looked away without hesitation, and it would have surely embarrassed me, but this time, I wanted to keep looking. Despite initially appearing shy to me, Leo didn't look away; instead, he just smiled slightly. I smiled back. I think that gesture marked the beginning of our friendship.

After a game of staring contest during recess, I decided to approach Leo, never doubting the correctness of my actions. Our communication was easy and pleasant. We were open with each other, not playing any roles or deceiving.

I wouldn't say everything was perfect. We weren't together 24/7, and we didn't always agree on everything. There were disagreements and arguments, but sooner or later we always made up, and all the resentments vanished. There was no other way; we were a hundred percent sure of that.

It turned out that Leo came from a well-to-do family in Vaindo. His distant ancestors were the first settlers of those lands, and since then, the Ross family knew everyone who was even slightly interested in the history of the city of Vaindo. Leo's older sister recently found herself at the center of some bad events. What exactly happened, almost no one in Seplend knew. There was hardly anything written about the Ross family in the local newspaper. There were many assumptions (none of which, by the way, were substantiated). But after a short time, one of the local residents, whose cousin lived in Vaindo, finally sniffed out the Ross family secret. And it was as follows: Vanessa Ross, the very snob from the wealthy family, started using drugs and began living a nocturnal lifestyle. Several photos capturing Vanessa in a less than favorable light were leaked to the press. The local residents of Vaindo began to harshly criticize the heiress of such a noble family, as well as her parents, who didn't bother to educate and tame their own child. Unfortunately, many of the Ross family's achievements were nullified after such a loud scandal. Vanessa no longer appeared in public; most likely, she was sent abroad to quickly quell the incident. After that, the public and journalists' attention shifted to Leo. He was constantly being watched in hopes of uncovering something compromising. All this pressure seriously undermined the psyche of a child who hadn't yet fully developed. Leo's parents were forced to temporarily part with their second child. That's how Leo ended up with us. A quiet, calm, well-mannered, bright boy who never once mentioned his background.