Not Just Your Average Human

Chapter 18: Promise Me

~Leo's POV~

"It looks like my driver's over there. I'm leaving." Ryder said leaving.

"Bye Ryder!" I replied.

"I guess I'll leave too."  Dexter stated.

"Okay. Bye Dex." Kelly and I said in unison.

"Hey, Kelly?" I asked.

"Yes?" She replied looking at me.

"Want me to walk you home?" I asked looking away from her.

"I guess you can. I'd feel safer walking with since it's getting pretty late, it'll be dark by time I reach home." She stated looking up at the sky.

"You live that far?" I asked shocked.

"Yeah. And I can't taking taxis either. I can't risk being found out and attacked." She replied.

"Well, I can't make you come back to my house for your bike. It'll only make us late. I'll bring it to school tomorrow, for now we're just going to have to walk and talk. Okay?" I asked.

"Okay." She replied smiling.

"D-do you want to exchange numbers now that we're friends?" I asked, nervous.

"I would love to but.. I don't have a phone." She replied with a small frown.

"What!? Then, how do you talk to your friends?" I asked shocked.

"I never really had any." She replied looking away.

"That's sad." I muttered.

"Huh? I didn't catch that." She stated.

"Uhhh, nothing. Do you know Ein?" I asked trying to change the topic.

"Yeah. He was my childhood friend. We used to hangout all the time but one day he stopped coming I never saw him again till the first day of school and it seems he's changed. I'm not sure I want to be friends with him anymore." She replied.

"You don't. He's a real jerk now. He used to bully me back in middle school. The only reason he stopped was because I started hanging out with Ryder." I stated a little angry because someone like him was friends with someone as sweet as Kelly.

"Why?" She asked slightly tilting her head in confusion.

"I was shy. I couldn't talk to a teacher or in front of a crowd without stuttering. I also... Couldn't talk to... Girls... Like at all. My sister wasn't around much so I never got to talk to her. No one wanted to talk to me because I was the weird shy kid that's afraid of girls. I only had my mom and she wasn't exactly the kindest especially when I was younger. So I think that had something to do with why I was afraid talk to girls." I explained.

"He really bullied you for that?" She asked.

"Yeah. It wasn't just verbally either, he would hit me, toss me into the trash cans, beat me up behind the school for glaring at him even though I didn't and toss me into the school's pool knowing I couldn't swim yet. I almost drowned one day and that's when I met Ryder he saved me and protected me from Ein and his friends. Ryder also taught me how to fight so I can actually defend myself now." I commented.

"That sounds nothing like Ryder he's a jerk. Being someone's savior doesn't suit him." She stated.

"Yeah, he can be a jerk sometimes but he can be nice as well." I replied.

"I guess...He did save my food that one time. Anyways how'd you get over your shyness?" She asked seemingly, genuinely interested.

"Ummm... Well, I didn't..." I replied starting to feel a bit embarrassed and self conscious.