Love is Beautiful (She's so Ugly)

Chapter Six

"Hey, Merida!" Lisa called out, running to catch up with her.

"Hi," Merida greeted shyly, as always.

"Are you going to Jacob's game tomorrow?" Lisa asked.

"Uhm... yeah, I'll be there. He kind of asked me to watch him play."

Lisa forced a smile. Inside, she was fuming. What's so special about this goldfish? Why would Jacob waste his time on her?

"Oh, do you know what time the game is?" Lisa pressed.

"No, not really, but I'll ask him la—"

"It's 7:15 PM, Merida. Don't bother Jacob—he'll be tired from practice," Lisa cut her off with a smirk. Her lie slipped easily, and Goldfish seemed to buy it.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Thanks for telling me."

Lisa grinned wickedly. "Oh geez, I almost forgot—I have a meeting with the girls. See you tomorrow!" She turned away, her grin stretching wider. She couldn't wait to tell Candice.

•••

"Did she believe you?" Candice asked.

"Duh. Show her a little compassion and she'll buy it. She's not just ugly—she's dumb too!"

Both of them burst into laughter.

"I just don't get it," Candice huffed. "Why on earth would Jacob waste his time on her? Seriously!" She rolled her eyes, mocking Merida's shy mannerisms.

Lisa shook her head, still laughing. "Ha! Exactly. Anyway, what's your plan for tomorrow?"

"Let's see..." Candice tapped her chin theatrically. "Maybe we'll lock her in a classroom. Or even in somebody's locker. What do you think?"

"Whoa—overnight? Aren't we going to get in trouble?" Lisa asked, suddenly a little uneasy.

"Of course not. She'll be too scared to tell. And if she doesn't say a word, we're in the clear."

Lisa hesitated, but deep down she knew Candice was right.

What neither of them noticed was Leo, who had been sleeping on a nearby bench. He sighed heavily.

"God, are you really trying to get me involved with Miss Ugly?" he muttered, shaking his head.

When their voices faded, he stood and made his way into the staff room. The teachers had already gone home, which gave him the chance to flip through the class records. He found Merida's information and quickly copied down her number. "Alright then," he said, saving her contact under the name Egg Rolls instead of Miss Ugly.

What's Leo's story? He had multimillionaire parents, a sharp brain, and the luxury of sleeping his way through school if he wanted. He liked secrets, hated sharing feelings, and had enough money to never worry about his future.

After scribbling the number, Leo strolled out like nothing happened.

"What were you doing in there?"

He turned to see who had spoken.

"What do you think?" he replied with a wide grin.

The woman didn't answer. Leo turned away and kept walking. It was his sister—the school's directress. They no longer shared the same last name, but once upon a time, they had lived under the same roof.

"Good to see you again," he whispered as he left the school grounds.

•••

Later, Merida jumped when her phone rang. The caller ID showed an unknown number. She answered anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Leo. The game is at 5 PM tomorrow, not 7:15."

"Uh... did you just call me for that?"

"Yeah? What else would I call you for?"

"Alright. Should I add you to my—"

"Are you crazy? Of course you should! And give me a good nickname—not just Leo!"

Merida pulled the phone away from her ear at his yelling. "Geez, you didn't have to yell. And how did you—"

"Goodnight." He hung up before she could finish.

"He's weird," she muttered. Still, she added him to her contacts as Lion Cub. She thought it was a cute nickname, and honestly, it suited him.

Her smile faded as she remembered what Lisa had told her. "Maybe... she had her reasons," Merida whispered to herself.