So, this is a very depressing Leo fic, and I wrote this for Anti-Bullying Week/Pink Shirt Day. Author's note at the bottom!
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.
Leo POV
Leo Valdez was born a child with autism.
When he was little, signs began to appear, popping from here and there around the house.
His speaking was muddled.
He was, well, different from others.
When he was small, it never really affected him. No one ever really told him to his face that he had some mental problems. But as he grew older, his brain began to interpret some of these signs, and soon enough, it was just way too much to handle.
But it started when he was little.
Elementary school…
Leo was going to pool.
As his nine-year old self, he was so excited. Going to the pool was like a treat to him, he absolutely loved going to the pool.
This particular time, he went with his father and his two older sisters. His mother had to be at a meeting so she couldn't join them, but that was okay.
He got into the pool, and shivered prominently at how cold the water was. Very very slowly, he waded into the cool water.
In the hot weathers of Texas, this was considered a treat, and Leo cherished it, and was grateful for it.
His father got in right after him, grabbing a ball on the side of the pool. Immediately, they started playing with the ball, his father prodding him to throw the ball to him.
Leo didn't really get the point of throwing the ball back and forth, and the ball started spinning crazily, so he decided to just leave it there. He started bobbing his head, sinking under the water and then coming back up again. His older sisters, Caroline and Marilyn, stood awkwardly in the corner, trying not to associate themselves with Leo.
It hurts, Leo thought, that my very own sisters don't want others to know that they're related to a weirdo like me.
From two lanes across, he heard the laughs of what seemed to be a swimming class in progress, and he stared at them, taking their picturesque image in.
They were exactly what he wanted to be. Normal. After a bit of the fog in his brain cleared up, he was able to process them, and he saw the scene splattered in front of him.
There was a ten-year old boy who seemed to be pointing at Leo, deliberately pointing and nudging the two tall girls beside him, making Leo feel like an alien.
Leo's dad seemed to give up on Leo, playing with his sisters while Leo watched on the side.
He flailed his arms around, making circular motions in the pool. His sisters seemed to have groaned in embarrassment, half whispering half shouting at Leo to stop making the weird hand motions.
He continued, pretending to have never heard them.
Middle School…
Leo Valdez sighed as the bell rang, for his most hated subject of all time.
Lunch.
Now, most kids his age loved lunch. It was a time to take a break from school and just hang out with their friends.
But Leo had learned, very harshly, that he wasn't like most kids.
His classmates tormented him, laughing at him and teasing him and bullying him endlessly.
At lunch, he would sit alone, in the far corner of the cafeteria, hoping not to be seen by anyone. He would finish his lunch in five minutes, and then would take out some mechanics, and start fiddling with them as he ate, building contraptions with his nimble fingers.
But of course, people are cruel, and they never forget to remind him, every single lunch block, how much of a loner he is.
When Leo told his teachers, they merely brushed him off, telling him that they were all wonderful kids and they should all get along. After a short ten minute talk, they were sent off, where those kids continued their cruel cycle of tormenting Leo Valdez for being, what? Autistic? Weird? Not like them? Leo didn't even know.
He didn't want to know.
When his dad got a job offer in a whole new state, he was so relieved, and he was jumping up and down of the roof, in glee.
Maybe, in this new state, people would accept him for who he was.
It was wishful thinking, yes, but he saw a star wink at him when he wished it, and he knows that stars won't let you down.
High school…
Leo Valdez looked at his schedule, confused, his dyslexia mixing up the letters so it was just a swarm of nothing in front of his eyes.
In vain, he called for other students, asking for help for reading his schedule, but all the students either ignored him, or gave disgusted looks at him, pointing him out to their friends.
In the end, since no one would help him, he went to the office for help. After a brief explanation on which subjects he was taking, he went to his first class, the language, French.
Now, he had no idea why he was taking French. He supposed it was because he was already fluent in Spanish, making it no need to learn Spanish anymore.
But, French? Wasn't that a Canadian language? He wanted nothing to do with French. But, apparently, he had chosen the subject, so he had no choice but to go attend the subject.
As soon as he entered the classroom, all eyes were on him. Looking around, he was the last person to arrive, but not late, yet.
"Ah, so he arrives," The teacher speaks, in a slight French accent. "Your name is Monsieur Leo Valdez, mm?"
He nodded, wondering where Monsieur had come from.
"You will be sitting next to Monsieur Frank Zhang here, okay?" Her voice gave no space for arguing, so Leo took his seat, listening to the teacher as she rambled on about her expectations for this class.
He watched the clock go tick, tock, tick, tock, watching as the minute hand drew closer to the end of the class.
Bring! Immediately, he stood up, along with two thirds of the class, already packed up to leave class.
He could hear the teacher saying, "Au revoir, mes amis! À demain!" (Goodbye, my friends! See you tomorrow!)
Everyone just ignored her.
PE class…
In PE class, Leo sat in the corner, not talking to anyone. His physical education sucked, he knew that, but in this class, everyone saw it out in the open, making him feel even more self-conscious than usual.
He pulled at his gym strip, a plain white shirt with the school's name printed on the back, along with black shorts that stopped just short of his knee, showing his scrawny legs and knobby knees. Leo tried to pull the shorts down just a bit to cover his knees, but in vain, the cloth just wasn't long enough.
He sighed, slumping in the corner as the teacher started his beginning speech, welcoming the class with a blinding smile. He proceeded on the codes of conduct and blah blah blah, Leo's foot began tapping and his hands began playing with some metal in his pocket, his ADHD acting up.
Finally, the talk was over, and it was time to play a "friendly" game of dodgeball.
One fact, Leo Valdez detested dodgeball. Don't be shocked, he actually used to love dodgeball. But one day, this one kid hit him so hard in the stomach that he fell over and bumped his head on the floor, feeling light-headed. As the teacher rushed over to help him, all the kid did was laugh, taking the whole class with him.
Now, Leo waited as the two dodgeball captains, Jason Grace and Percy Jackson, picked their teams. Both guys were extremely popular, with looks and physical ability to complete their already flawless image. They were as opposite as the sky and the sea, but were best buds, always getting along with each other.
Soon enough, there were only three kids left without a team, Leo, and two other girls. Obviously, he was the last one to be picked, playing on Percy's team.
"3, 2, 1, go!" The teacher, insisting the whole class call him Coach Hedge, blew his whistle loudly and waved his bat wildly in the air, like a true maniac.
Immediately, more than half the team rushed up to get the balls, a frenzy of bodies and colored balls. Leo stayed back, watching the scene before, red, orange, green balls flying by his eyes in a flurry, watching the balls go back and forth and back and forth.
It was a competitive game, soon coming down to five people left on each team. A quiet guy on Jason's team, that looked sullen and emo, silently threw a ball at Leo's direction, which he tried to dodge, but the ball ended up getting caught in his feet, causing him to fall, trip, and then land on his face.
The class erupted in a not-so-silent giggle of laughs, peeking out from beneath their hands, and the gym seemed a bit too quiet, now.
He looked at them. Did they really think that just because he was autistic, he was deaf and stupid and couldn't hear their blatant laughing? It was ridiculous, and he sent death glares at them, getting up on his feet, and joining his other classmates on the bench.
He sat on the edge of the bench, beside this regal-looking girl, who was talking to a fierce blonde girl beside her.
He decided to greet her, besides, what did he have to lose? He had no friends, nothing, anyways.
"Hi, I'm Leo." He greeted a bit loudly, waiting as she turned around and gave a quizzical, almost embarrassing stare. "What's you name?" He continued, ignoring the looks he got from both her and her friend.
"Um, it's Reyna." Her hesitation was clear, even in Leo's mind, but it was okay, he talked to her and she couldn't send him off with just a stare.
The game was over, Percy had finally knocked out Jason, making Percy's team the winner. The team cheered and clapped, and Percy came over to the blonde girl, kissing her quickly on the lips, then moving to sit beside her while they waited for Coach Hedge to finish doing whatever he was doing in his office.
The blonde girl shoved over, causing Reyna to shove over, which forced Leo to fall to the floor with a hard thud.
No one noticed him as he watched everyone else with desperation, Reyna not turning her head even once to make sure if he was okay.
English class…
"Hello! Welcome to English class!" The somewhat short woman greeted everyone cheerfully as they walked in. "Sit wherever you like, class starts in three minutes!" The students filed in, sitting in groups with their friend, chatting amidly as they took in their surroundings.
Leo sat in a group with three other guys who looked to be like computer geeks, chatting rapidly with each other, apparently talking about some computer game that had a level that was just so hard to beat.
The bell rang, and the teacher cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention to her.
"Today, we will be doing a short exercise to just know our classmates a bit better, alright?" The class murmured their agreement, as sheets were handed out, the shuffling of papers the only other noise other than the teacher.
Oh, shucks, Leo thought as he tried to read the paper. These were the kind of exercises that were just the worst for him, it was those sheets where you go around asking people if they had completed something on the list, and if they had, you write their name in the box.
His mind tuned the teacher's explaining, and just like that, they were off, firing each other questions, smiling weak smiles and awkward questions and answers.
He walked up to a lone girl walking around, who just happened to be Reyna, the girl in his PE class.
"Hi!" He exclaimed a bit goofily, smiling at her.
"Hi…."
He looked down at his sheet, trying to make out the word floating around on his paper, the letters dancing around, jumbling into a mass of black ink and white paper. "Have you ever murdered a pig?"
It seemed like the whole class heard, and again, erupted into fits of laughter. For those who haven't heard, they looked at Leo questioningly, peering at him from their position, trying to get a better look at him.
"Which one were you trying to ask me?" Reyna ducked her head, her cheeks tinting a light shade of red. He pointed out the question, his finger wobbling as it darted right, left, right. He squinted at it, trying to make out what it really said, but no matter what, it still looked like nothing to him.
"Oh, you're dyslexic, too?" His head swiveled to look at her, to see her warm brown eyes staring at him.
"Yea," Leo offered lamely, scratching the back of his neck. "So,"
"I'm dyslexic, too." Reyna confessed lightly, peering at the paper, "But I had friends and family to help me, it seems like we all have this annoying problem." She joked, but Leo didn't get the humor, he never really had anyone to help him through dyslexia and ADHD, struggling through it alone for the past fifteen and so years.
"It says, 'Have you ever been to Disneyland'," Reyna declares, "and the answer is, 'yes'." She signed the box with a flourish, her blue inked pen leaving the paper as she clicked it to close the pen.
He watches her with an admired fascination, openly staring at her. She blinks twice, and then says, "Well, I have a question to ask you. Do you have any siblings?"
He stops to think for two moments, and says, "Yes." Grabbing his stubby pencil, he slowly writes out his name, a bit disappointed that his name looks awkward and choppy, like a kindergartner had written it. "There."
"Thanks." She said, and then left abruptly.
He stares back at her.
Socials class…
"The class has begun!" The teacher's voice rang, the door shutting behind him. His grey eyes peering at the students from behind his round glasses. He looked to be in his mid-forties, his hair grey and scarce. He was dressed in a casual sweater and jeans, with a coffee mug in one hand, held closely to him, and the other hand holding a pair of keys on a chain, flinging it around carelessly.
Leo sat at the back of the class, alone. In this class, there were random groups of fives, fours, threes, and some lone desks sitting around the class. The chatter of the class came down to a minimum, and the teacher continued.
"This socials class, is all about, hence the title, social ability. We are going to concentrate on social aspects. Yes, this is a class about learning history and geography, but class isn't all about learning from a textbook; the most valuable lesson that would carry on with you is how to be social with other classmates." He looked them all in the eye, seeming to linger a bit on Leo. "Before this class, I have put you into pairs, in a seating arrangement on the sheet that I have put on the board. When I finish talking, you would come up here and look for where you have been placed and who you have been placed beside. You will be partners with this person for the rest of the year, so you will have to know each other better."
A hand immediately shot up in the air, and he called on her.
"But, , what is the point of being social in socials class if we're going to be beside the same person for the rest of the year?" An extroverted girl asked.
"Ah, I was hoping someone would ask that question. Bonus points to you!"
The girl blushed, looking proud of herself while her friends around her congratulated her.
"Ha!" The teacher turned around to face the class again, pointing at them. "There's no such thing as bonus points!" He laughed at his own joke, at the student's expense.
"But now, as I was saying, I did some research, too. In your pairs, I am positive none of the pairs have ever met the other person before. If I were to let you sit beside your same group of friends all the time, then what is the point in that, too? Surely none of you kids would ever decide, I don't know, 'Oh, today, I'm just not going to sit with my friends and sit with a different group of people?'? It would never happen enough for any real social interaction to go on. So, at least by putting you into pairs, you would gain one more good friend this year. Besides, this classroom is tiny and cramped, you're basically sitting in one row, to be honest."
The class voiced their disagreements.
"Well, too bad, haha, I'm the teacher!" He proclaimed, lightly hitting the keys down onto a student's desk. "Now, without further a due, go look at the stupid paper."
The entire class immediately rushed up, craning to look at the paper, the front a total cluster, people staring at the paper.
"Oh, and," shouted over the noise, "You'll have to move your desks around! Get to it!"
The sound of desks scraping and chairs dragging filled the classroom, and soon enough, half of the class was settled. By this time, Leo finally was able to see the board, and after staring for two minutes, found out he was seated next to Reyna. Looking back, he saw that she had already moved, so all he had to do was move beside her.
Going back to his desk, he tripped on his way over a pair of not-so-innocent feet. The guy laughed at him, a full, boisterious laugh that seemed to be getting way too familiar to Leo's ears.
Stumbling slightly as he got up, he began to move his desk, awkwardly maneuvering it through the already placed desks. After many trips, stumbles, and jabs, he finally got to Reyna, and with a heave and a sigh, dropped his desk beside her.
She jumped. "Hey! Be careful with that!" She scolded him, looking angry.
"Sorry," He said sheepishly, before going back to get his chair.
"Okay, now." The teacher was back at the front, looking at his newly arranged class. "I want you all to know your partners very well. Next class, I want a full, typed page on your partner." The class groaned at the thought of homework on the first day. "Sorry, kids, that's the way of life." He said, not looking sorry at all. "You have ten minutes to interview each other before the class ends, and then after that, you've got to find your own time. You have an outline with questions you may want to ask your partner, but the format is up to you. Get started."
"Okay, then." Reyna immediately jumped into the assignment. "How about we ask each other questions, alternating?"
Leo nodded, not sure what alternating meant.
"How old are you?"
"Fifteen. How old are you?"
"I'm also fifteen. What hobbies do you have?"
"I like playing with mechanics."
"Cool, I like the idea of fighting and leadership."
Slowly, on Leo's sheet of paper in front of him, he wrote, Likes fighting and leadership. However, when he finished, it looked more like, lojse fgitnhg nad laebansnld. He sighed when he saw the outcome, and he erased it, and started over again.
After three more failed attempts, Reyna ended up writing for him, and the rest of the classmates noticed that, making comments like, "Gosh, he's so dumb, he can't even write some simple words", "How do you think he graduated from preschool?", and some of the most hurtful were "Some one needs to tell that kid that this place is for people who can actually learn".
Suddenly, he just couldn't take it. "Stop stop stop stop stop!" He yelled, and he ran out of the class. Behind him, he heard the class murmur and snicker, but he slammed with door with a big blam, and he rushed out of the school, heading straight home.
Needless to say, his first day was a disaster.
The next day…
The next day, he cautiously walked into the school, and the school hall crowds parted for him, everyone staring at him, either directly or subtly.
His senses picked up, and the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The clock ticked and tocked, lone seconds ticking by. Some papers shuffled as some people grabbed their textbooks, and lockers slammed shut, the creaking of the hinges that haven't been oiled in a long time.
He heard his own feet, each footstep he took, echoed through the hall. Feet stuck out in the middle of the hallway, trying to trip him. Although he tried to avoid everyone, he tripped over a pair of feet, his bag flying, papers falling out, him landing straight on his face.
People laughed.
And snickered.
Did all the usual stuff.
But this time, there was someone to help him.
"Need some help?" He saw a small hand in front of him.
Looking up, he saw Reyna.
At lunchtime, for the first time in forever, he wasn't alone. Reyna had introduced him to some of her friends, and he sat with them, mostly not talking, but laughing every now and then, and for the first time, he didn't feel alone. It turns out, most of her friends also had dyslexia and ADHD, too, and it did help him feel a lot more secure about himself.
On one side, the PE kings, Percy and Jason, sat. Beside them were their girlfriends, the blonde, Annabeth, and the brunette, Piper. Jason's sister and Percy's cousin, Thalia and Nico, also sat with them. On his side, his French partner, Frank, sat with his girlfriend, Hazel. He sat with Reyna, too.
Sometimes, he felt a bit uncomfortable and out of the place with all her friends, but they were super nice to him, and he felt at home with all of them.
When he got home, he was smiling so widely, his face might have exploded at any moment.
"What's got you so happy, son?" His dad asked curiously.
"I made friends today!" He exclaimed happily, because in his eyes, that was a huge milestone to achieve.
"Great job!" His mom applauded him, and he smiled even wider, if that was possible. Behind his parents, his sisters snorted, talking something about loser, but for once, he didn't care, because he had friends.
Friends.
He never really had those before.
For the next few months, his life starts to be looking up. He always has someone in his class to help him out, and he sits with Reyna's friends now. The laughing and teasing has been put to a minimum, and even though he sometimes still couldn't read the words, especially in Drama, there's someone to help him and someone who understands.
He's beginning to have a crush on Reyna, he thinks. She's just, so her, and so funny, and beautiful, way out of his league. Now, don't get Leo wrong, every other girl was also out of his league, but he felt like he was siblings with Hazel, and Piper. But Reyna was just, Reyna.
But he was pretty sure she didn't feel the same way, he had seen the infatuated looks she sent Jason, the buff blonde superman, who could just save the day whenever he wants to.
Yes, Leo got really jealous sometimes. Some people don't have to try and yet they have everyone at their feet. Leo, he tried so hard and yet, no one really paid any attention to him.
Not that he was complaining. He had actual friends, and that was more than he could ever have hoped for.
Everyday, he finds himself always sneaking a peek at Reyna, whether it's when he sits beside her in socials class or while she eats and talks extrovertly to her friends, a bright smile gracing on her face.
She was perfect.
And he was okay with being friend-zoned.
At least, for now.
Later on…
They have an assembly. The principal wants to talk about the issue of bullying. Leo scoffs at this, these assemblies never help. In elementary school and through his early high school years, it was always "Look out for those kids who are bullied!" and then as soon as you left the room, you find kids shoving other people around as if the whole darn thing never happened.
He didn't even know what the principal's name was. They're just so oblivious, he thinks. All the staff, teachers, heck, even the janitors, see the bullying right in front of their freaking eyes, but what do they do?
Nothing.
They turn their back on you, talking to their fellow co-workers, as if they didn't see anything happen.
They expect you to come to them.
And when you do come to them, they talk to you for about ten minutes, and then think it's alright and let you out?
The ending is not pretty.
Leo learnt that the hard way.
One day in elementary school, he was fed up with the bullying and ratted the bullies out.
The teachers didn't bother to do anything, and he just got bullied even more.
It just wasn't fair sometimes.
Not. At. All.
"Leo, are you okay?" Leo hears Piper calling to him, and he feels himself breathing heavily.
"Yea, I'm fine." He hears himself reply, but he's distant.
Piper continues to stare at him.
"Did you know that 'I'm fine' is the most commonly told lie?"
Beside Piper, Jason tugs at her hand, telling her that the assembly was starting and to listen to the principal. But Piper continues to stare at him, her chocolate brown eyes boring into his head. Leo swallows hardly.
"No. I didn't know that."
There's no more talking as the crowds shushes and the spotlight is on the principal.
After an hour and a half of an excruciating presentation, they were finally let out. The light was blinding after being cooped up in the dark gym for so long, and the air seemed refreshing.
The bell rang, signaling time for lunch. While the others went to buy their lunch from the cafeteria, Leo had his bagged lunch from home, and saved the table they were going to sit at.
A few minutes later, all the rest slid into their regular seats. It had become a routine for them, one that still sent Leo's head reeling. It seemed just days ago that he had been freaking out about being the freak of the year again, with no friends and always sitting at the back of the cafeteria in an empty table.
But he really had lucked out.
Ever since he started sitting with them, bullying went down to a minimum. Sometimes, when he was all alone, he still got teased and taunted, but that shouldn't hurt too much, should it?
It was nearing the end of January, so Valentine's Day was coming up. Already, there were posters in the school advertising roses being sold and the Valentine's Day dance. There were also contests regarding Valentine's Day, such as Cutest Couple or See How Well You Know Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend/Best Friend Contest!
One of the posters was almost completely burnt, but was still hanging there, and all you could see on the almost black piece of paper was a faint rose.
Leo smiled at the memory, he had set off a miniature bomb he built, and they had all run away when it set off. It was hilarious, how the principal tried so hard to find the culprit, but came up with no one, so he passed it off, but rules were tightened just a tad bit.
Whatever, they would never suspect an autistic kid anyways.
After a while, they parted their separate ways to go to their own lockers before class restarted. Leo took a quick detour, stopping at the rose booth set up in a small, secluded hallway, only being cluttered a bit.
Quickly and quietly, he purchased a rose for a secret someone, signing it in his usual writing. His allowance was spent on it, but this small sacrifice was something he was willing to give up for her.
This was his most dreaded subject. He hated it with a fiery passion, with even more fire than his most explosive machines.
Drama.
The only bright side to the subject is that it was the only subject that they were all in, but the teacher was very criticizing and strict, and had very firm outlines on how they were to act.
So, of course, the teacher always targets on him, him being a more vulnerable victim. Sometimes, Leo feels like this teacher really is out to get him, caring every single detail, pronunciation, projection, expression, and every little detail in between.
"Today, we will be acting out a scene from Romeo and Juliet." Ah, shucks, Leo thought, already dreading the class before them. The teacher, Mrs. Regarn, was getting volunteers to read the script. It was slightly improvisation, since the actors would be making some stuff right up on the spot.
In the end, Leo got a small part, along with most of the people in the class. Romeo was Jason, and Juliet was Piper. Piper was significantly a better actor than Jason, somehow having a way to entice and persuade the audience that she really does mean what she's saying. However, Jason was still okay, and they had chemistry, which was part of the reason why Mrs. Regarn picked them in the first place.
It's times like these when he feels like an outsider. Watching Reyna watch Jason, makes him wonder- What does he have that I don't have? Of course, it's just about everything, along with something Jason doesn't have, too.
Piper and Jason were super convincing actors. Everything about them, it was like it wasn't scripted, it was beautiful, something wonderful bloomed from a small seed. And thought so, too, since she applauded super loudly after the scene was finished.
"Bravo! Bravo!" She boasted loudly, rolling her r's. "That was wonderful! Piper, dearie, you really should think about joining the drama club, we would be ever so grateful to have you and your amazing skill."
Reyna looked jealous.
Piper seemed more embarrassed than anything, muttering a quiet no thank you, ducking her head.
Mrs. Regarn seemed unfazed, going on, "Good job, everyone! Some of you could use a little work convincing us that you actually mean those words, but I'm not going to list who they are!" Everyone knew who she was talking about. "Have a good day, see you tomorrow!"
The bell rang, and papers shuffled, and soon enough, everything was cleaned up and everyone headed out the door. Leo stumbled as he got caught through the wave of teenage students, some giggling as they talked with their friends, others hurriedly walking along.
Leo got to his locker, managing to open it after trying three times. He tried to avoid his locker as much as possible because there was always a crowd of people around his locker who didn't seem to like him very much.
Quietly, he walked out the school without much hassle. On his way out, he saw the usual group standing near the entrance, and waved at him. He frowned as they didn't wave back, because they usually did, and wondered what had happened in that short time span.
In the front, he saw a new classmate that he didn't recognize, and was pretty sure she was new, but didn't pay much attention. There's always tomorrow, he thought to himself, as he walked out the door.
Always a tomorrow.
The next day…
Leo excitedly walked in the school, immediately searching for his friends. After doing a thorough search of the school and finding nothing, he was very disappointed, but didn't have any more time to think over this, because he had classes. He didn't have any classes with any of his friends until third block, so he guesses he'll just wait until then.
Going in, he goes to his usual spot at the back. He notices the new girl he saw yesterday, along with another girl, sitting beside her. Later, when the teacher introduced them, he learnt that their names were Medea and Khoine. Maybe we can be friends, since they seem to get along with Reyna and the group, he thought to himself, watching them chatter quietly.
Maybe.
In third period, he walked into his socials class. To his surprise, his usual seat was taken. Sitting next to Reyna was Medea, who seemed to be animatedly talking to Reyna, who was clinging on to her every word.
Leo stared, bewildered. That seat had always been his spot. Hell, they had a seating plan. Why wasn't doing anything about this?
"Oh, Leo!" Speak of the devil. "Hope you don't mind, but just for this week, you'll be sitting next to Dylan over there. Medea requested to sit next to Reyna, and since she's new, it's good that she first gets comfortable with some more familiar classmates. Hope you're okay with it."
Leo opened his mouth to protest. "Actually, I'm-"
"Thanks, boy!" lightly tapped Leo's back, but he still lurched forward a bit. "Now, let's get class started."
Sitting next to Dylan was an absolute, complete, freaking nightmare. During the whole class, all Dylan would do is spit in Leo's hair, throws paper notes at him, always lean over his shoulder, breathing down his back, and passing hurtful comments to him, snickering and snickering and snickering.
Dylan was always one of those people who teased Leo to no end.
Finally, the bell rang, and Leo moved to get out of his seat, but Dylan pushed him back down. "Sorry, but you know, normal people go first." Dylan smiled a blindingly white smile at him, and then turned around, going, "Ladies." And escorted Reyna and Medea out of the classroom.
Leo sat there, shocked.
What was happening?
But more importantly, why?
At lunch, Leo was hoping to get a bit more luck, since he didn't get to talk to any of his friends for the whole day. However, at his lunch table, he saw that his seat was taken by Medea, and the usual extra empty seat was taken by Khoine.
"Um…. Hi." Leo greeted the table when he stopped at the front, looking awkwardly at the laughing group. For once, he felt as he didn't belong, seeing them laugh even more than they usually did.
The whole group stopped laughing at whatever was just so funny, and stared at him. Only Piper was the one who didn't, in fact, she was the only one who didn't look convinced by whatever Medea and Khoine was talking about, looking bored. She seemed to be trying to convince the others, too, but they would brush her off, and then continue to listen to Medea and Khoine in a sort of haunting way.
"Hi, Leo!" Piper greeted perkily, probably glad she could talk to someone else. "Sorry there's no seat for you, but you could go grab a chair from the other tables, and drag it here." She gestured to some of the empty chairs from the table next to them.
"Erm, actually." Medea butted in, no remorse in her eyes. "There's really no space for you, you know, this table only has so much space. And look, the whole table is covered by our lunches!" This was a lie, there was a whole section of empty table on the far right, next to Piper. Medea covered that up.
"Um…. Guys?" Leo questioned, not really knowing what to do.
"Really, it's fine, you can go find somewhere else to sit."
"No, really, it's fine! We can make some space for Leo, can't we, guys?" Piper's voice convinced them for a second. And then, all their heads dropped, as if just because their heads dropped, means that Leo can't see them.
He saw Reyna's eyes for a second. They looked so guilty, but she didn't say anything. She stayed quiet.
Along with the rest of them.
All of them.
Turned their back on him, when he needed them the most.
Piper's eyes looked sympathetically at him, looking truly sorry.
He turned around, going to the bathroom, the usual place he would eat at when he had no one.
Just turned around.
Didn't look back.
No, he wouldn't look back at them.
Not anymore.
A week later…
It only grew worse.
They didn't talk to him anymore.
Not anymore.
Only in drama, the only class he had with Piper, did Piper talk to him. She was a great friend to him, and talked to him to get him a bit out of his loneliness. She made him laugh, and she was immune to whatever Medea and Khoine was saying.
But other than that, she was restricted to talking to him, in a sense. Her boyfriend, her best friends, they were all under the influence of the super powerful evil twin beings.
But Reyna.
ReynaReynaReynaReynaReyna.
The moment he got home, he got the phone and made an important phone call. Both his sisters were sleeping over at some person's house, and his parents were both at work, not going to be at home until the evening.
He slowly typed out Reyna's phone number, then called it.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
On the fourth ring, she picked up, sounding excited for the phone call. "Hello?"
"R-reyna?" He asked hesitantly.
"Oh, it's you." Her voice deflated, sounding a bit bored. "What do you want?"
Just hearing her uninterested voice made his mouth go dry. "Uh…"
"Look, if you've got nothing to say to me, I really have to go. I'm sort of busy right now."
"Why haven't you guys been talking to me?" Leo blurted out, not thinking about it. "Why did it suddenly change?"
There was a pause over the phone, until she replied quietly. "Just, you know."
"No, I don't know!" Leo replied quickly, annoyed. "Why?"
"Because! You want to know why? It's embarrassing to be around you, that's why! Everyone asks us, 'What are you doing around that weird kid?' and what are we supposed to say? What? And don't get me started about what you're always doing, talking around about stuff we do! Stuff is private for a reason! We don't want anyone talking about it!"
So it's true, Leo sometimes do spill stuff that they don't want people talking about. But he didn't know how to act, he's never really had friends before!
Leo lay there, shocked. "But, what about Piper?"
"Oh yea, what about Piper? She's just the nicest person on the entire earth, and everyone happens to love her and her charm, just everyone! Not one person can resist! NO! She just has to be absolutely perfect!"
"No, she's not." Leo said slowly, thinking of all the times Piper has made a mistake, making a silly joke about it. "No one is."
"Yea, but she's the closest thing to it, right?" Reyna said bitterly, jealousy evident in her voice.
"No, but I know someone who is." Leo said, thinking of her.
"I just, whatever, Leo, don't talk to me right now. I'm not in the mood."
"When will you be in one?"
Reyna groaned. "Just, whatever! Bye." And she hung up.
Leo stared at the phone, still comprehending what just happened.
He knows what to do now.
Since no one seems to care about him.
He clumbsily gets up, rummaging for some paper and a pen. Settling down, he began writing, to everyone who ever made an impact in his life. He wrote each word carefully, with precision, not wanting to mess anything up.
After a while, he was ready.
Ready to let go of all these hardships he had to face, all these troubles everyone hands to him, every single taunt that's ever been thrown at him. All those disgusted faces, all those people who could have helped, but did they?
No.
They never did.
Not once did anyone ever lend a hand to him, wanting to actually help him.
And when they did, they eventually turned their back.
Just like everyone else.
No one gave a crap about him.
But was it worth it?
This was serious.
But he was so positive, that this is what he wanted, what he yearned for. Something that he really does need.
And so he did.
Goodbye, world.
Reyna POV
Police cars beeping. People in a panicked state, wondering what had happened to that so very happy boy that lived across the street from them.
What had happened?
It happened all so quickly. One moment, she was talking to him, and now, she'll never talk to him again.
She regrets it.
Being so cold hearted.
Pushing Leo off, when he needed her the most. He went to her, of all people. She doesn't know why. Leo always talked so highly about Piper, but they both insist they're like siblings to each other.
And yet, he called her. On her phone, the memory is still there, like a lingering, haunting image of him that can never be erased. But soon enough, that call would disappear in her history, covered by all her recent calls.
Would he disappear, too? From sight, from mind, that's what they say, right?
But seeing this, right before her eyes, it put a heavy weight on her height, and she just feels so guilty.
She lied to him. She wasn't busy at all. In fact, she was just on the car, minding her own business.
Selfish and ignorant. Naïve. Stupid. Cold. Mean. All those adjectives, and more. How could she have done such a thing? She knocks her head, over and over again, the memory of the sweet boy she met earlier in the school year fresh in her memory.
You never really know what you have until it's gone, and it's so, so, very true. He was always there for her, when other people, when Jason, wasn't.
And what did she do? Push him away.
Looking back, she doesn't know why. Was it Medea and Khoine? Had they somehow convinced her, and just about the rest of the group, to do the right thing, or the wrong thing?
Wrong, her brain tells herself. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. To be affected by this, this, talking, she looks at herself in shame.
She's a murderer.
Maybe she hasn't committed a first hand murder, but it's pretty close, because she just feels so bad.
Is this what she has to live with for the rest of her life? She can't stand it, not one moment of it.
She's shaken out of her reverie, being pushed around by some people. Leo's parents are hysterically crying, and she's feels sympathy towards the two, they were so nice to her whenever she came over. His sisters cried silent tears, probably also berating themselves on taking him for granted.
And now he's gone, forever.
"We've recovered everything we can find." The police said solemnly, holding out a few sheets of paper. "It seems that he wrote these for his dear loved ones. The names are on the front."
Silently, they got passed around. Mom and Dad, to the respective parents. Caroline and Marilyn, to his sisters. And the rest, to all of the group, along with Medea and Khoine. They all grabbed the papers, holding it delicately, as if it would set to fire if they held it the wrong way.
Reyna smiled wryly, it seemed like such a Leo thing to do, to set the papers to set on fire. Slowly, and shakily, she opened her sheet of paper. It was double spaced, written in his neatest handwriting, taking up the entire page. Her hands continuing to shake, she started to read.
Dear Reyna,
When I first saw you, I thought you were really pretty. When I got to know you, you were super nice. And I like you.
Please don't be sad, I don't blame you. I know that you would feel guilty, but please don't blame yourself, because I don't.
I know you like Jason, but he's happy with Piper, and I can tell you right now, there are going to be tons of guys, lining up to be with you. I would be one of them.
Continue to live your life. That's my wish for you. You're so happy, so beautiful, you deserve it the most.
From, your one and only, Leo Valdez.
By now, she was full on crying. In the corner of the note, he drew a little fire sign, the sign that represented him, in all his glory.
It was a bit ironic, the date. It was Friday the thirteenth, and Reyna wasn't a superstitious person, but she wondered if there was more of a meaning to it. He had written the date in the top right corner, and she wondered, is there more of a meaning? Is it just a date?
She felt like she was drowning. Drowning, and never coming back up.
But still, she smiled. A small smile, tugging at the edges of her lips, just ever so curling a tad.
Because sometimes, when you're falling, you soar.
Leo POV
Leo's in some place else, that's the first thing he notices. It's serene, quiet, some place that he actually likes. It's so peaceful, and everything he dreamt of, for his whole life, and that time right before he died.
To be away, and finally, here he was, away.
Looking out and down, he saw them. All of them, mourning at his funeral. Saying stuff that he wasn't sure they truly meant. Why did they only care when he died? Does it take death for people to do stuff they've never done before?
Why do they only care if they died? Why would it have mattered anymore? They can just stop trying, he's dead, anyways.
But watching them, brought something from his heart. They seemed truly genuine, and maybe, he'll forgive.
Because there's no longer a tomorrow. For them, there is, but there is no tomorrow for him. Not anymore.
Reyna POV
The funeral was a small one. Just his family, some relatives, and a small group of friends. It was a somber occasion, and quiet. The weather was dark, with dark clouds, but no rain poured out yet.
In the front, a priest said a few words, and then moved out of the way for some of his family to speak. The group was speaking too, on Leo's behalf.
"He was such a good son," His parents started, "He was always there to comfort you, and never let anything hold him back from what he truly can do. And we hope, wherever he is, right now, that he knows we were there for him."
"Leo was a cool brother, he may have been a freak at times, but he really does care for everyone, and he has such a huge heart." His sisters added.
Percy came up next. "Leo sort of reminded me of me, in a way. We both had goofy personalities, and grew up sort of roughly. It's sad how Leo didn't get his happy ever after, but hopefully, he has it now, and I hope he's happy."
Piper came up, after Percy. "Leo was like a brother to me. We were there for each other, we knew each other, I felt like I knew him more than just a couple of months. I just, this is going to be a regret I take with myself for as long as I live. Sometimes, we just need to stretch out a hand to other people, and help others, things might not turn out this way. But it did. And we can do nothing to change that. So my advice, on behalf of Leo, for future incidents, is to be more open, more caring, and we can avoid tragedies like these in the first place." Closing her eyes, she got off the small podium.
Everyone after her, one by one, stood up to say their speech. Lastly, it was Reyna's turn.
"Leo, was, in one word, just like how he would say so, awesome. He still is, I mean. I'd like to believe that he still is here. One part of him, the lively part, the part that we all adored, still stays with us. Maybe I'm being crazy. Senile. But Leo has taught me that anything is possible, and if you try hard enough, you can achieve impossible through possibility. It made no sense when he first told me, which was in socials, for a project. But now, I understand. Maybe you don't. Maybe you do. There's always a chance for everything, it's just that you have to reach out for it to happen. And I didn't. But this isn't about me, it's about Leo. And he always did, and that's what makes him so special."
Silently, they all walked up to his coffin. For once, he looks peaceful, as if nothing has ever affected him in the first place. His lips looked like they were smiling, his face at peace. He was dressed simply, not in the same clothes on that fateful day, but it made him look different. A good different.
They place one single rose on him. A last farewell to him, before he gets shipped off to the cemetery.
Goodbye, they all mouth silently, watching, holding on to each other for support. They have lost such an important person, and it hurts.
Sunday comes and goes. But they still sit there, unmoving.
Monday…
Reyna walks into the school. It's somehow different, there's a more serious air to it, and no one's laughing, they all know what happened.
She walks past Medea and Khoine. Ignores them, not even giving them a glance.
Homeroom was spent analyzing bullying, and how it effects so many. Why were you bullied? So many answers, because you're different, you have something different, you are something different, you've made one mistake and it haunts you forever.
All these examples makes her head go swirling. What was the point of analyzing bullying if none of them were going to take this with them? If all of them were going to forget this the moment they walked out the door?
She barely appreciates the effort, since the teachers didn't seem to care that much when Leo was around, either.
A soft knock was on the door.
"Valentine's Day roses!" They announced cheerfully, trying to ignore the sadness of the whole school. Valentine's Day was on Saturday, so the school gave out the rose everyone pre-ordered on Monday. They listed off all the first names alphabetically, handing however many roses they each got.
"Reyna." She was surprised to hear her name, she didn't expect anyone to get her anything.
Looking at the tag, she felt herself break. This was something she'll never forget, she'll keep this rose in a vase even after it died.
To: Reyna, I like you.
But the person who sent it?
From, Leo.
She really is stupid, right?
But somehow, she came to peace.
He's happy, now, because she couldn't make him happy.
And that's all she needs.
Leo POV
He watches them, everyday. Watches as they eventually repair themselves with the help of each other, pick up each broken piece he left behind. Watches as they slowly move on with their life, as the hole in their hearts become only a scar. Watches as everyone moves on, moving about, but he knows they haven't forgotten about him.
They still remember him. His legacy still lives on, if he has one.
They forgive him, for leaving them so suddenly, for never confiding in anyone about what he was going through. For never telling anyone, for going through everything alone, when they could've helped him.
And he forgives them, for not being there for him, for not caring until it was too late.
Because forgiveness is the right thing to do.
And they forgive him, he forgives them, and they let each other go.
THE END
This story just comes with one simple lesson- DON'Y BULLY D': It's really mean and only hurts people...Really, I'm pretty sure there has been plenty of times when all of us didn't do something that would have made a positive difference in someone else's life, and we just never do anything to stop it, right? But hopefully, one day, every hurtful thing that has ever happened to us, would stop.
And if you are being bullied, please talk to someone! PM me if you want to, but just talk to someone and know that someone does care about you and genuinely wants to help.