thirty-eight

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An Invitation For More

The feel of the sinking snow beneath my boots as I made my way towards school reminded me how winter was far from over. I scanned the area, watching several students make their way inside the campus and through the front gates. Most, in groups of friends and tightly wrapped up in scarves and fuzzy sweaters to keep themselves warm. Knowing them, the three were probably already in class. I was usually the last one in, but unlike every other day, every step I took was weighed down by an anchor of its own.

After the museum visit on Friday, and the texting exchange, Leo hadn't dared to send me a single message over the weekend. This bothered me a lot more than I let on. Heck, it bothered Amy too but she just kept reassuring me that the 'right time would come'. I believed her. But then she would back it up with teasing jokes of how the right time would come 'for us to be together'. All that did was make me chuck my phone away.

Why? Usually, Leo and I would have our own private chat going on. About school, about Damien and Nick, and about me. He always geared the conversations with a purpose of learning more about me. The one time I tried to do the same (or technically, Amy did) he lashed out on me and told me not to message him unless I had something else to talk about.

Puffing out my cheeks in anger, I held my head up high in the air and quickened my pace through the campus. "I'm not going to let this scare me," I muttered to myself. I earned a few glances from the students around me as I skipped up the stairs and towards the English Lit classroom. I could hear the buzz of voices as I rounded the corner and entered, only to run smack-dab into Leo. He backed up immediately, avoiding hitting me and said a quiet, but audible, "You're here."

I glanced up at him, my eyes widening. Clearing my throat, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and replied confidently, "Yeah. I am."

He didn't say anything. Just watched me quietly. Whatever he had been planning to do was forgotten the moment I had entered the room and he had seen me but I didn't care about that. At least, I tried not to as I stepped past him, barely brushing his shoulder and walked toward Damien and Nick who were cheerful as ever. I needed their positivity.

"Hey guys!"

"May!" They cheered and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm guessing Leo just gave you the invitation back there?"

"What invitation?" I asked, puzzled.

Damien flashed me a wide grin and waved a cream colored card in front of my face. "The invitation to his party."

I heard footsteps behind me but didn't turn. Leo didn't care as he stepped forward till he was in the appropriate angle to face me. "Here," he said, a little curtly, and handed me a red and white envelope. Shooting him a look, I opened it and took out the same invitation card that Nick and Damien were smiling about. After reading through it, I looked up to see all of them looking at me, with Leo's gaze holding a lot more weight than the other two.

"I'm not coming."

"Why?" Damien groaned. "It'll be fun."

"You didn't tell them?" I shot at Leo, arching an eyebrow.

"Tell us what?" Nick asked, sensing the tension between us.

"Tell us what?" Nick asked, sensing the tension between us

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