Be with me

Leo 9

Lorenzo and I walked across our school during our break, heading over to the benches near the football field. The sun was warm, and a few people were chilling or playing on their phones. Lorenzo had this weird little smirk on his face, like he was just waiting for the right moment to drop something on me.

Finally, he couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Alright, Leo," he started, trying to sound casual but definitely not fooling me. "What's up with you and Misa?"

I gave him a look, pretending I didn't get it. "What do you mean?" I shrugged, trying to keep it cool. "Nothing's going on. We're just... working on that history project."

He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, okay. Just the project. You two have been 'working on the project' together all the time lately. You expect me to believe that's it?"

I hesitated, but honestly, I was tired of hiding it. "Fine, okay," I admitted, lowering my voice as we walked. "I kinda... have a thing for Misa. And have since, like, freshman year."

Lorenzo's jaw dropped, and he stopped walking for a second before cracking up. "Since freshman year? Dude, you've had a crush on her this whole time and only now you're doing something about it?"

"Yeah, pretty much," I said, laughing a little too. "I mean, Misa's different, alright? She's smart, funny, and actually listens when I talk. It's not like it was with Ella."

Lorenzo raised an eyebrow, his smirk getting even wider. "Wait, hold up. So you're telling me you've liked Misa for years, but you were still kinda seeing Ella?"

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "Ella and I... that was never serious. We barely talk these days anyway. And honestly, I even told her I wasn't looking for anything serious."

Lorenzo laughed harder. "Wow. Ella's still kinda obsessed with you, you know that? She's probably thinking she's got a shot with you, and here you are, finally getting to know Misa."

I went quiet, feeling a little guilty, but Lorenzo was just enjoying this way too much. "I'm not leading her on," I said. "Ella and I... it's basically nothing."

"Sure, but you're forgetting something, dude," he said with a mischievous grin. "Misa's stepsister is Sara. And Sara's best friend is Jules. You know how protective Sara is of Misa she's gonna freak if she finds out you've been into her sister this whole time. And Jules? She'll lose it."

"Lorenzo, there's nothing going on between me and Jules. People just make that stuff up because we hung out a couple of times. We're just friends," I said, getting a little annoyed now.

He nodded, not looking convinced. "But, man, that's not how Sara sees it. You know she thought you and Jules would get together eventually, right? And now you're here, crushing on Misa? You might as well start therapy for how much drama you got yourself into."

I sighed, feeling the headache forming. "Yeah, I get it. It's messy. But honestly? Misa's worth it. I don't want to overthink things and ruin it before I even have a shot."

Lorenzo grinned, nudging my shoulder. "So... does Misa even know you're into her?"

I paused, thinking about it, and he immediately started laughing again. "Oh my God, don't tell me you've been crushing on her for years, and you haven't even told her. Did she shut you down or something?"