Perfect Timing

Chapter Two: A real Hell

Leo hated being dropped off at school by his dad. It felt like everyone except him had a car. "Mijo, don't try to be too mad at Ashley, you know that she made a mistake. I can see that it was a hard toll on you to breakup with her." Mr. Versace tried to a sooth his sons broken heart, but he knew that nothing would help. He himself had felt heartbreak before. He saw his son roll his eyes.

"Dad, I don't need her. She was a mistake. She's mean to everyone and doesn't care about other people. Cecilia and I are going to be fine without her. Can you just take me to school please?" Leonardo seemed like himself, and that was something nobody had expected. Ashley and Leo were the couple everyone knew was gonna last. They had been dating all of high school and had been friends  since middle school. Their breakup was so unexpected that even though they had broken up 12 hours ago, the whole school had found out.

They drove all the way to school in silence. When they got there Leo rushed out of the car to avoid his father. Mr.V was projecting his feelings of sadness into his son and Leo wasn't having it. When he strolled the halls, everyone knew he was a bachelor. They freshman girls could finally gossip about him without the fear of Ashley finding out. Leo stopped by Marks locker because Mark was the only guy Leo was cool with.

 As they talked about Marks new chick, Ashley and Cecilia walked into the halls. Ashley and Cece seemed closer since they met, four years ago. Leo never question his friendship with Cecilia until he saw them together. He feared he would lose his bestfriend. He had been with Cece since kindergarten and didn't really know how to function without her. She had always gone on dates with them when they were dating. It was never really dates, just three friends hanging out. She had been part of the relationship, and it felt like Ashley had kept the kid.

The two girls walked the halls oblivious to everyone that was staring. Most upperclassmen didn't care and just gossiped about the  gangsters from Lincoln. the seniors had a grudge against the Lincoln kids because even though they were the poorest school, they beat us at everything. The seniors wanted to win something before they left. 

Cecilia clung onto Ashley like always, as if everything was the same. They walked passed Leo without a glance back or a hello. Mark broke Leo from his glare. "Man, this chick fuck you up o what. I heard she was banging another chick, it that true. Man that's bad for you. It's sexy though, right?" Leo didn't feel the need to be defensive, he just listened to Marks nonsense about lesbians being sexy and how he would love a threesome. Leo pretended to care as he anxiously waited for the bell to ring. After five minutes of Mark only stopping to gasp for air, the bell rang.

"Aight man, see you." Leo cut Mark off and rushed to meet Cecilia in class. He got to their seat before everyone else was in class. Juniors didn't usually rush to class like freshman so he was alone in his seat. Leo watched everyone get to class but not Cecilia. There was a minute until the bell rang and the only open seat was next to him. Cecilia got through the doors ten seconds before the bell rang and sat next to Leo before the teacher got to the room. Leo took advantage of the teacher taking role to talk to Cece.

"Cece, are you mad at me?". She smiled and shook her head as the teacher yelled at everyone to take out thier agendas to write the homework. Cecilia hid her agends from Leo, but he didn't notice. 

***

Leo was on his last lap, behind the track kids, when he heard a faint shout outside on the locker doors. The gym was loud and only the people next to the door heard it. He ignored it and continued running but the girls went to look through the doors. They screamed and started to run to the doors across the gym, where the teachers usually stand. in a matter of minutes  everyone was panicking and trying to fit thought the doors while one side of the gym stood empty. he finally reacted as he saw Mark on the floor and ran to help him before everyone walked over him.

"Dude,  what's going on?" Leo asked as Mark shoved him towards the door. They were in the back of lots of people so when he pointed to the doors across the gym, he saw the fire. 

It had engulfed an entire  building. He reacted like a crazy person once he realized it was the math building. He ran across to the doors blocked from the outside by screaming people. The teachers yelled at me but he ignored them. He was out the door and though the crowd before they got to the gym doors. He yelled her name and ran towards the fire, hoping she had made it out alive. 

***

"Usually when someone runs towards danger for you, you thank them." Teased Leo as he hugs Cece as hard as he could. Cece laughed and broke the hug with a punch. They had been hugging since Cece found Leo. He had ran to the building looking for Cece while she ran to the gym looking for Leo. 

"You stupid! You're supposed to run away not towards fire. Thank God I found you before you entered the building. I would thank Mark if I was you. He was getting the whole school to look for you!" Cece punched Leo hard this time but it caused Leo no pain. She was one of the wrestlers who had to count of technique and not strength. They found a place next on the sidewalk and watched everyone get picked up by worried parents. Cece sat in between Leo's legs and they tried to keep each other warm. It had been windy and they had to leave everything behind. 

"Hey, where's Ashley, I haven't seen her at all? Does she have friends we don't know of?" Cece asked with a mocking tone. even thought they were friends, Cece and Leo knew that everyone in school hated Ashley. She was a rude person to everyone, except her brother and her friends. It was the freshman's best day when Ashley didn't come to school; she loved to torment and embarrass the girls. "I've been here, watching you guys. Its not weird so don't make it weird." Ashley said as she rolled her eyes and sat next to them. It didn't feel weird for them three together because they had always been together. 

Leo and Cece looked at Ash but didn't know what to say. They hadn't worried about Ash and had actually forgotten about her. They didn't realize, but Ashley was very jealous when she saw Leo's arms around Cece. She had been the one to look for Cece first, and wanted Cece to hug her. She knew that Cece liked Leo, even thought Leo didn't know it. Ash dated Leo, but had secretly wanted Cece to be her girlfriend.  

"It's fine guys, I was looking for my brother and I found him. You guys are practically brothers so I understand" Ashley said as she hugged both of them. "I know that its not the time to talk Leo, so I'm just gonna say that I'm glad you're fine." She broke the hug and turns as she starts to dial. The two friends stand still, feeling guilty and cold. It felt like guilt had been shoved down their throats.

"Do you feel bad about Ashley?" Cece asked after she saw Ashley start to walk away. Thinking she's talking about the breakup, he finally opens up and says what he really feels. "I actually realized that I never liked Ashley as anything more than a friends. I realized that she feels the same ways I do. If I hadn't found out she cheated I would have broken up with her." He doesn't look at Cece which makes him miss the smile that grows on Cece's face.

Cece had started to feel different about Leo when he had started dating Ashley. She was glad to hear that he wasn't hurting about the breakup and that he wasn't in love. She lost herself in dreams of kissing Leo and didn't notice Mr. V pull up. "What are you smiling at, did you not hear what I said? I don't feel bad about Ashley O.K. I'm fine." Leo hugs her and she becomes anxious and overthinking, like always.

"I was.....uhh....I was just glad that you weren't heart broken. Maybe you should talk to her........without me being in the room with you guys." Cece puts her head down, thinking that Leo is smarter than he is and will find out she likes him. Leo doesn't suspect of her emotions towards him. He can't seem to believe that Cece could like him the ways he likes her.

"You're right. We need to clear the air, only us two." He turns towards his dad and shouts "DAD, I'm going to wait for Cece's parents to come for her." He grabs her and opens the door for her.

"Dude, why are we going in your car....Hey..heyy." She complains as Leo scoots her over. She scoots over, still confused.

"We need to be warm right. Apa, have you talked to Mr. Brown or has he called you?" Mr. V is on his phone and not worried like the rest of the teachers and parents. "They asked if Cece could stay for a few nights because they're at the Gala and are gonna be gone for a few days." As if he finally notice the kids, he starts to turn the car on and drive home. The friends sit facing the windows, hiding their smiles from each other.