My New Angel in my Darkest Hour

Gentleman Kiss

After the whole fight that happened both Alicia's and my mom called the school about it and it is now currently being dealt with, with each guy getting supspended for 2 weeks.  I don't know what may have happened if Leo hadn't found meand for that I agreed to let him come over to my house with Susie. Their dad had some he had to do alone and Susie wanted to see me. As I looked through my phone, my door open and Susie came running in. I got off my bed and stood on my knees as she came running into my arms for a hug. 

"I drew this for you!" she said showing me and picture of a stick figure with a triangle as a dress and two straight lines on each side of her head as hair. There was a similiar person next to her but smaller and they were holding hands. Above them were hearts and they were stood on a green yard with broccoli looking trees. I smiled and hung it up on my wall across from my bed.

"It's the best master piece I've ever seen!" I declared and she cheered and sat on my bed. At that moment I heard heavy footsteps behind me and before I could turn, someone covered my eyes with two hands. 

"Guess who?"

"Hey Leo." I responded and he chuckled and uncovered my eyes. 

"How you've been?" He ask and I shrugged.

"As best as someone whose's been stuffed in a locker can be." He nodded and continued.

"I'm sorry if I were there earlier..... I should have never hung out wih those guys. Even Damien told me and I just ignored him." I gave him and sympathetic look and lead him to my new bean bag chair and shoved him on it. I went over to Susie who was coloring away in her Sketch pad. I asked if I could look in her sketch book. She nodded and before I opened it my mom came in.

"Hey Susie. I'm doing some gardening out back if you wanna hepl. I can see some butterflies and -"

"BUTTERFLIES!Yeah!" She leapt off the bed and ran out the bedroom and my mom soon followed. My mom loves kids, it reminded me of when she used to take me outside and teach me about different butterflies. My favorite was the Tiger Butterfly, guess that's where I got inspiration for my tiger drawing.Speaking of drawing, Leo had found my sketchbook and was looking through it. I was embarassed as it wasn't as good as his, but he seemed to enjoy looking at them. I went over to Susie's sketch book and flipped through. Even though they werent that good I could still tell what some were. So far she wanted to be a princess, she likes dogs and bunnies, and loves pizza according to her drawings. Then I came to a picture and it had the word "Family" on the top. It had her, Leo, Charlie(dad), and ......a women... must be her mom.

"When did she make this?"I asked Leo who gazed at it for a long time.

"March, before our mom....well my mom was an artist so I drew and one day my parents were saying how good one was and Susie got mad. So mom said she should draw something and she drew that." He smiled as if recalling the memory. It must be like how I look when I talk about Jacob. 

"What happened to her?" I asked-then regretted it. He looked so sad and he traced the tattoo on his arm. 

"My mom was actally in the police force like you. One day she left us in the morning to go to work. I remember she kissed our heads and gave me some help on a drawing I was doing. She never came back. Instead two of her co-workers came home telling me...she'd never come back....You okay?" He asked as tears started to form in my eyes. I looked back to him but my vision was blurred. How many times had I worried about something like what happened to Leo's mom happening. I even remember when I called the cops because she was missing.

Flashback-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mom! Please answer! I'm worried." That was the tenth voice mail I had left. I was only nine and was home alone waiting for my mom to come home. It was pretty late and she was supposed to come home an hour ago. I hugged the pillow to my chest as I looked over the chair to the windows outside waiting for a red jeep to pass by and see my mom there wave at me from the window, but it wasn't passing by! 

Finally I cracked. I've never dialed the direct number to the sherrif's office, my mom had made me memorize it in case of emergencies. 

"Hello?" said a deep voice. 

"Hi, my mom's missing she works there and I've called a million-"

"OH!You're Steph right?" He asked.

"Y-Yes S-sir." I answered timidly.

"Oh boy! Janette your girl's on the line!" He called out to someone on the phone and in a few second a familiar voice came on.

"Hey sweetie it's me! Sorry for worrying you but I was going to Dunkin Donuts for a surprise for you and the car broke down. The sherrif was nice enough to pick me up while the car was towed away. I'll be home soon.

"Okay..I love you."

"Love you too sweet heart."

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I hadn't even noticed Leo hugging me as I cried silently into his chest. I told him the story and he nodded in understanding. I wiped away my tears and got back to looking at the Susie's pictures which made me feel better. It wasn't soon after that Susie and my mom came in carrying a plate of homemade brownies. Something me and my mom used to do to. Susie also brought in a glass and under the open part newspaper.

"I caught a butterfly. I'm going to keep it! It's name is Bob." I laughed and looked closer. A monarch butterfly. I laughed at the name and said,

"But if you keep it, it would be all lonely. It wold miss its family ad friends." She pondered what I said and finally conceded.

"Okay I'll let it go." She opened my bedroom window and out it went.

"BYE BOB!" She yelled to it. Some guys who were walking by looked at her like she was crazy and Leo came to the window saying,

"WHAT A BUTTERFLY CAN'T HAVE A NAME?" The guys quickened their pace and Leo gave Susie and piggy back ride to the living room. She sat on a seat there and me and Leo sat on the couch next to each other. Mom put on a new movie I haven't seen yet and went to make popcorn. I laid back to enjoy the movie after mymom came back with popcorn. She went to do some paper work in her home office that used to be a second bathroom before she changed it. 

At one point there was a jump scare and Susie screeched and I jumped grabbing on to Leo's hand who turned to me in surprise but was other than that unaffected by it. I realized I was holding his hand and released it blushing red. Susie saw what happened and immediately started ooing and sang,

"Stephy and Leo sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-"

"SUSIE!" Leo said and Susie giggled and continued the song and we threw pillows at her. It ended into a big pillow fight and we hardly felt the time pass by. Soon Charlie came to take themback and we said good bye. Charlie gave me a kiss on the cheek and so did Susie.

"Leo be a gentleman and give the girl and kiss." Charlie said. Leo blushed and slowly walked towards me with his head down. He gave me a soft kiss on cheek and lingered there for amoment before walking back with a red face. I could feel mine burn and noticed my heart beat was way faster now. Charlie rose his eyebrows and started singing along with Susie as Leo pushing them out the door.

"Stephy and Leo sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."