Above

23

Logan
I notice the exact moment Leeciy walks inside, he forgot his jacket.
So I trudge up his deck stairs and quietly enter his house, taking in to consideration that Cirus could be asleep.
"Gabrie, please don't." Leeciy's soft voice coaxes.
"Don't what? You've been away with that gremlin for a week, I just thought you'd be a little... stressed." She says.
My snoopy side butts in and I walk to the kitchen entryway to watch this unfold.
"Estelle's not a gremlin, we've been over this." Leeciy says. "And I'm perfectly relaxed."
"Have dinner with me." Gabrie says, motioning to the table. "It'll be fun."
He sighs. "Fine."
The the sound of chairs being pulled out fills the house.
"How was Chicago, love?" She asks.
"It was okay." Leeciy answers, sipping at his drink.
Gabrie looks at him expectantly. "And?"
"It was cool." He sighs. "What did you do while I was away?"
"I waited for you." Gabrie spits.
"You didn't have to do that."
Gabrie scoffs and stands, her chair making a horrendous noise. "Leeciy, I went through all this effort of making supper and getting all dressed up for you!"
"Gabrie, you didn't have to do this." He says.
"I wanted to surprise you because I love you." Gabrie states.
"You don't love me." Leeciy says. "You barely know me."
Gabrie scoffs. "I know you so well, Lee, we were engaged!"
"Firstly, it was arranged. Secondly, I go by Leeciy, not Lee."
"How does that change anything?" Gabrie says. "We were going to get married!"
"By my mother's choice." Leeciy says, standing up. "That's the past."
Gabrie goes to wrap her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry baby, I guess I'm a little wound up."
"Gabrie," Leeciy starts. "Cirus is upstairs."
"She's spending the night with September." Gabrie says. "We're alone."
Leeciy steps away from her. "I'm tired, and I don't feel that for you."
"But you feel it for her." Gabrie sighs.
Leeciy raises a brow. "For who?"
"Estelle!" Gabrie exclaims, running a hand through her curled hair. "If I were Estelle you would want to."
"If you were Estelle, I'd think you were shit-faced." Leeciy says.
Gabrie almost growls. "That's not what I mean."
"What do you mean?!" Leeciy asks, voice slightly raised.
"You like her!" Gabrie yells. "You like her and not me!"
"What are you talking about?!" He asks.
"I'm not clueless, it's pretty obvious. The way you look at her, or how you treat her like a queen. You could be having the worst headache, and she could walk in and you'd be fine, you like her, and not me." Gabrie rambles.
I've seen Leeciy with every emotion imaginable on his face, like fear during a horror movie, or happiness when he does something he likes, but I've never seen this emotion.
His eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly ajar, and he was slightly paler.
Part of me wants to go comfort him like a good friend, but the other half of me wants to keep watching.
"Oh my god." Leeciy murmurs. "I-I think I like her."
"No shit Sherlock." Gabrie says, walking over to the coat rack nailed on the wall.
"Gabrie, I'm sorry." Leeciy says.
She scoffs. "Don't apologize, I don't need your pity." And with that, she pulls on her coat and walks out the back door.
Leeciy buries his face in his hands, sighing loudly.
I step into the kitchen. "Um, Leeciy, you forgot your coat."
He looks up, bewildered. "How much of that did you hear?"
"Just about all of it." I answer.
"Don't tell her, please." Leeciy says, his voice cracking.
I shake my head. "I would never." I walk over to him, wrapping my arms around him. "Never."
***
Estelle
I walk into my house, unlacing my shoes and quietly discarding them next to the door.
I walk towards the stairs, small snores stopping me.
Cirus was asleep on the couch, one of September's ancient stuffed animals in her arms.
I gently shake her. "Cirus?"
She groans, squeezing the walrus tightly.
I ruffle her hair. "Good night."
She hums in response.
I walk up the stairs, gently knocking on September's door.
"Come in!" He yells.
I open the door and walk in. "Hey."
"Hi." He looks up at me from his desk. "I hope you don't mind that I let Cirus stay over, she just didn't want to be alone."
"I don't mind." I say. "What are you up to?"
"I'm learning Pangaean." He answers. "So far I know dogeana mar gaela."
"Insane muscle scales?"
He shrugs. "It's really confusing, but I want to help teach people English."
"It is confusing, but so is English." I say. "Silent letters and homophones are difficult."
"Yeah but Pangaean has no pattern, it's just letters scrambled." He says.
"We've known it from birth, just like you've known English." I say. "It's not too difficult for us."
He sighs and closes his notebook and stands up, turning to face me. "How was Chicago?"
"Fun, I jumped off a bridge." I answer.
He furrows his brows. "Did you go bungee-jumping?"
I shake my head. "Nope, we were surrounded by the police so I just jumped."
"Oh, how did you not die?" He asks.
"I somehow enclosed myself in a rock sphere of sorts." I answer. "I almost froze to death though."
"You're insane." He says. "Like completely."
"I know, but hey, it's what makes me fun." I joke.
He smiles. "I think your wit makes you pretty fun, but whatever you say."
"Oh, so you think I'm witty?" I asks.
"I know you're witty." He grins, his dimples showing.
I reach out and hug him. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, Estelle." He says, patting my back.
I pull away. "I'm gonna go to bed, make sure you get some sleep."
"I will." He says. "Sweet dreams."
"You too." I say, walking out of his room and to mine.
I throw myself onto the bed, falling asleep as soon as my face hits the pillow.
Home sweet home.