Red ✔

Leo's Horrible Taste in Friends

Leo is not my friend anymore.

I lost Leo. Leo is out of my life for good. No more Leo, no more fun. Images of Leo whirl around my mind endlessly.

"Where were you?" Alex questions when he opens the door for me.

"Nowhere special," I grunt. "Nowhere I want to remember."

My brother wants to say something else, but I throw my coat on the stair railings and pelt to my room without hesitation. I hit my face against my Hello Kitty pillow and screech like there is no tomorrow.

A hand ruffles my hair. I neglect it. Nothing will help my pain go away.

"What happened?" Alex asks, concerned. "Why are you screaming in your pillow?"

"What did I say about acting like my second dad?" I complain, annoyed.

He acts as if I have not commented. "Tell me what happened."

I give in. "I biked to Madison Park. She explained everything-how she had a crush on him, trying to stop it, and kissing him under the mistletoe."

"Harsh."

"He tried asking her out right after, but she refused. At Christina's party, he talked her into going out on ONE date, but it ended up as a kiss. When I found out, she suggested she will cancel the date. I did not want to feel guilty so I stopped her. Then, she called him to tell him the good news.

"That's good," he remarks.

"But she told him I always took pity on her."

"Is that exactly what she say?"

"No," I shake my head and clear my throat. "This is what she said: 'Scar forgave me and she's letting me date you, I told you she'll let us. She always does.'"

"I understand," Alex says.

"Do you, do you really?" I challenge, narrowing my eyes at him carefully.

"It will seem from a perspective that she knew you will forgive her simply, but I think she is encouraging him so that he doesn't lose hope on them," he observes.

"To me, it sounded as if she is using me the whole time to give in and let her date him. She used my weakness against me," I protest.

"Maybe she is just pointing out that you are a good friend. A good friend always forgives and forgets because they don't hold grudges," he advises.

"I don't know. Maybe so. What should I do?" I plead.

"I actually did not think we would get this far," he admitted.

I smack his head. "You are hopeless!"

"The only advice I can give you is choose what you think is right." He squeezes my shoulders.

He strides to his room. His room makes a horrible creaking noise. It always wakes me up at night, but it helps me sleep. It comforts me to know that Alex will always be there for me and be there until I move out. It makes me feel safe. He is my favourite in the family and I am his. We will tell each other almost everything, because no matter how many times we fight, I can always trust him. He is the friend that I have lived with. I get irritated with him a lot, but that does not stop me from loving him. Although he acts like my second dad, it is nice to know someone in the world actually guards me without expecting for anything in return.

I clog my ears with my earphones. I press the iPod for "I'll Be There" by Michael Jackson. It suddenly makes me think of Leo. When we were friends, she constantly took my side. She always had my back, no matter how stupid my opinion was. I asked her one day why she was always defending me. She shrugged and replied, "Because we're friends." And then she walked away. Thinking about our memories upsets me, but I have distracted myself.