Poison Ivy League

Chapter 11

Powerlines- Western State Motel

We were there before I could even begin to comfort him. His face was still outrageously pale and his knuckles only flushed with color after his hands left the steering wheel, just to return to their bleached grip as he clenched his fists, rushing up the stairs at incredible speed. I attempted to keep up with him but I could hear the fourth floor door slam shut as he raced down the hall as I struggled past the third flight of stairs. I opened the door and ran after Leo, hearing him knock ferociously on the door before someone finally opened it. I followed Leo inside and saw a glimpse of Matt's shocked face before Leo pinned him against the wall, his hand over his throat.

"What did you do to my sister? Where is she you son of a bitch? WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?" Leo was screaming, his words echoing through the dorms as Matt turned an impressive shade of purple. Matt thrashed violently and choked as Leo's hand held him against the wall.

"Leo!" I yelled, running towards him and grabbing his arm. He looked straight through me, his eyes planted on Matt's darkening face.

"Leo you are going to kill him and that won't stop any body please!" I yelled trying to get through his steely glare. Leo tightened his jaw and released Matt cleanly, Matt clambering onto the floor and breathing hard.

"Where is she?" he wasn't yelling anymore, but it was worse. His voice was placid, almost completely calm. He wasn't upset, raged. He was by far the scariest person I had ever seen. He was completely calm, his entire body rippling with adrenaline and cold anger.

"I don't know, man. I was the one who told you," Matt gasped out. Leo set his jaw.

"Matthew," he whispered, his emotions racing from one end of the spectrum to the other. His eyes were unrelenting but his voice was beginning to crack.

"I think it was her..." he choked out before laying on the floor, trying to regain his breath and usual coloring. Leo stood up from his hunched position.

He walked over to Florence's bed. There was a flake of something on her pillow. There were multiple actually. At first I couldn't tell what they were, but finally the garnet color caught my eye and my vision was drawn to the pattern. I was frozen. I saw Leo's eyes draw upwards, muddled with an... emotion. Not even an emotion. His eyes were completely empty. I didn't want to look towards the wall, towards the thing that could take away all the happiness that once resided in them only this morning. But my eyes couldn't help it. I couldn't stop myself from gazing over to the wall. There was scarlet lipstick smeared across one of the cinder blocks that made up the wall. My eyes drifted upwards, towards lettering. It felt like the Chamber of Secrets, red lipstick intermingling with the image of a prim and proper monster I had met not so long ago, letters drying eerily with that perfect color that complimented her lips oh so well.

Ditch the slut. Ditch the slut. Ditch the slut. Ditch the slut. The words were written over and over again. Leo was completely empty. I could see his heart flutter out the dormitory window.

Leo stalked out, slowly yet cockily.

He kicked Matt in the ribs. He winced and groaned on the floor.

"That's for you being a douche," he was cold and distant, not even seeming to realize what exactly he was doing.

He kicked him again, his depleting anger going into the kick, causing Matt to writhe and yell loudly.

"That's for the sicko bitch," he said quietly, and then he left, walking on autopilot down the stairs into his car.

I scampered out after him and swung inside as he started the car. His knuckles were no longer white and he was no longer pale. He wasn't even there. He didn't say a word as we drove back and his arms hung limply as he drove, his hands in the standardized ten-and-two.

We sat at his apartment eventually, him sitting on the bed silently. I had my arms wrapped around him as he stared out past the apartment into his world.

"Babe," I whispered to prevent my voice from cracking.

He didn't even notice me.

"Leo, hey, I'm here, and I'm so sorry and I'm right here for you, okay? We are going to figure it out and it's going to be okay."

His mouth adjusted, his nostrils flaring like he was going to cry.

"Leo," I whispered, "It's okay if you need to cry." He sat there stonily and it broke my heart. Finally I gave up, my attempts to comfort him going to waste. Maybe if I began to go into action I could help him out.

"Leo, I'm going to go back to the dorm and I'm going to pack some stuff and I'm gonna see if I can get someone to help me out," I unlatched my arms and began to get up when Leo's hand latched around my wrist like a vice.

"Emma, don't go. I can't lose you too," his voice was wild and primitive. I could see the desperation in his eyes.

"Leo I can try and get some help, please let me help-,"

"Emma Reeves this is my problem please don't make me lose you too I can't lose everyone I love in one day please," his last words came out in a broken whisper.

I looked back at him and took a deep breath.

"Please Emma, come here, please," I turned towards him and he took me by surprise, lifting me up and setting me on his lap. He breathed every word and his breath warmed my face. I was about to cry, seeing him so terribly vulnerable at this moment, the tears in his eyes about to be unleashed any moment.

"Leo, I'm so sorry," I whispered.

He sat there and his eyes were brimming. I took my fingers and closed his eyes with my thumbs. I kissed his eyelids and I felt the tears spill under my lips as I brushed his lashes. He gave me a sad smile and I couldn't help it anymore. I held him against me, his head burrowing in my neck as I felt his tears slip down my shoulders. I heard him sniffle and he tried to reserve himself again, to lose emotion, but as I felt his stony composure return I pressed my lips to his neck. He relaxed as I pressed my lips against him again and I could feel him crying silently, his breath shaky and his tears flowing.

"Emma I lo-"

"Shh Leo, I love you too. It's okay," I was about to cry, but I pressed my lips against his neck again, his arms winding around me. I fell into his embrace and here we were, my lips dragging across his neck as he cried quietly. His hair shadowed his eyes and his tears began to slow and I found myself ascending his neck, his jaw getting closer to my upper lip. I kissed his eyelids once more, his tears dammed back behind their restraints. He smiled at me again and I cupped his face in my hands. I didn't know how long we had been there, hours maybe, but it felt like years.

"You are okay, Leo Haul," I said, as if saying it could make it true.

"I'm okay," he replied, and his lips found mine solely once. We sat their with our lips pressed for a few seconds before I looked up at him again, pulling away.

"It's time to go to bed," I said, matronly. He crawled towards his pillows without complaint and lay there. I crawled up behind him and pulled the blankets up as I turned on my side, but he pulled me close to him. I looked up at him and he laid my hand against his chest. I draped my leg over him and he smiled that sorrowful smile that made me shatter.

"Can you feel my heart?" he asked quietly as we began to drift into sleep.

"Yes," I said, my words muffled by his shirt.

"Good. It's my present to you."

"What?" I inquired sleepily.

"My heart. I'm giving it to you. It's your present. Now it's your job to take care of it." I could feel his words stringing together lazily and I began to fall under the covers of sleep.

"I love you, Emma Rose," he said.

"I love you, Leo Haul," I repeated with my amendments.

And we fell asleep silently, his breathing calming me as I fell into the dark ocean of unconsciousness.