-Better

00 - d o u b t

Rosario, Argentina- 15 years old

Lesbian.

A word she hated being called. It wasn't that she had anything to pin against them, she was just mad because they were labelling her as something she wasn't. Jade knew she wasn't, so why wouldn't they believe her?

Maybe it was something in her head, maybe it was a physical craving, she didn't know, but all of the sudden her leg was swinging forward along with the football that was once on the ground and she heard a loud groan as it hit the boy in his crotch.

He fell to the ground on his knees, cupping the injured area in both hands, yelling something repulsive that Jade didn't bother hearing. His friends that were standing around him all laughed, enjoying the sight of one of their own in pain. As they exchanged teasing words and jokes, she took this opportunity to slink away with her football, running out of the alleyway and down the next few blocks to her dingy apartment.

As she stumbled through her front door, her mother greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Usually, she would have a big smile on her face, but as of right now Jade could tell her mother's face held no trace of a smile. This caused her to wonder what went wrong now, but she didn't burden herself with a question she knew wouldn't be answered voluntarily.

Her mom muttered something to herself before making her way back to the kitchen to make dinner for her and her two brothers. As Jade dragged herself through the hallway, she was quickly met with her little brothers racing towards her.

She quickly jumped to the side to avoid any collateral damage. Her brothers, Alonso and Martín, were twins, and quite the pair if she did say so herself. They looked identical, but her family could tell one from the other, so it was never a problem in their apartment. They both had their dad's bright green eyes and their mom's curly, dirty blonde hair.

Jade, however, was stuck with her bland brown eyes and wavy brown hair. Nevertheless, she and her brothers shared many features, physically and mentally. Still, even though she was only 3 years older than them, she was expected to be much more mature and responsible.

As she reached her room door, she opened it and almost screamed when she did. Though, with better judgement, she didn't, realizing it was just her best friend since she was 6 and he was 7.

"Leo, don't do that, you scared me!" She whisper yelled at him after shutting her door and locking it.

"I'm sorry but the opportunity was too good to pass up. My parents also don't know I'm here, so...." He trailed off, not needing to finish his sentence because she knew what he meant. He didn't want anyone to know he was here because they would tell his parents.

"I ran into Alejandro and them while I was out. Where were you?" She questioned, a bit angry at him for missing their bonding time. That's the whole reason he was here.

"My parents made me stay back so they could make sure I wasn't having any more problems. I told them I was going to sleep so I could come here." He explained, rubbing the back of his neck. It was a valid excuse but for some reason he felt it wasn't good enough to miss their time together.

"Oh. Well that's okay, I guess. I just wish you were there to see the look on his face when I shot one straight at his balls." Jade said with a laugh and smile on her face. She moved over to her bed where Leo sat and plopped herself down right next to him, draping her legs across his lap.

"I wish they would just stop picking on you. There's nothing wrong with you," he rubs his face tiredly and lays back, shutting his eyes. He genuinely didn't know why Alejandro and his friends bullied her. In his opinion, she was beautiful, kind, smart, and she loved his favorite sport. He couldn't get along with someone who didn't like football.

"I know that I'm not the only girl who plays football at school, so why do they only hate me?" She wondered aloud. She was right, there were plenty of other girls that they could take the piss out of that they didn't.

"Maybe it's because you hang out with me?" Leo blurts, not really meaning to, but he couldn't stop it, knowing Jade was going to lecture him. He didn't say it in a joking tone like he always does, but a serious one that reveals that he means what he says.

"No, don't blame yourself for this, Leo. Alejandro, Giosué, and Gabriel are just assholes. They don't use logic." She says sternly, but Leo knew she didn't really believe herself either. He opens his eyes and sits up, looking her in the eyes.

"If they ever hurt you again when I'm not around, mentally or physically, don't hesitate to do what you did today. Or worse." He says and she nods. Leo was always protective over her. She didn't really know her father very well and didn't have any older brothers to look after her, so he took it upon himself to make sure Jade doesn't get hurt.

Leo laid back down again, this time closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pushing her into his chest. Cuddling was never weird with them, especially because they both did it so often that it would happen almost any time they relaxed together. With Leo's arms around her, Jade snuggled into the dip between his neck and shoulder, grazing his— surprisingly soft,— long brown hair. She put her hand on his chest and smiled faintly as she felt his heart beat through his chest. She was so comfortable that she wanted to stay here forever, but nothing good ever lasts forever.

Soon, Leo had to make his way home, not wanting his parents to walk into his room in the morning to wake him up, only to find him not there. They worried too much for that, and he wished he could tell them off for it, but it was surely because of his disorder. They thought he was fragile because he was tiny, but they didn't realize how strong he had been.

That night Leo went to sleep, wishing he had stayed a little bit longer, just to savor the moment they had spent together, but he knew it wasn't an option.