Leo:
A year or so of Nico gone, he just pushed the thought of his best friend out of his mind and decide to take up things to do after school, like he began working with his mother at the mechanics shop, and he began tinkering with things. Even though he was a natural at it.
Eventually the dull ache of Nico being gone subsided, and he went through Middle school like he usually would, he helped his mom after school, and he hung out with the friends he had made sometimes.
During his eighth grade year crazy things started happening to him, he'd tell his mother but she'd think nothing about it, but sometimes things would get worse. Sometimes he'd set his homework on fire and other times something, well someone would try to attack him. Of course this scared him shitless, it would have scared anyone.
Esperanza finally had enough so she picked up the phone and called Maria, the two women conversed for a few moments, and Leo's mother did something she never thought she'd have to result to: she begged for Maria to come back, because at this point she had no idea what to about Leo anymore. He was getting out of control because of his powers, and she dreaded the fact that they might act up during school.
There was silence on Maria's end of the phone, so Esperanza stood there in the kitchen with her phone pressed to her ear, and in the living room Leo sat there listening to his mother, he was somewhat shocked that she even still have Nico's mothers phone number. Standing up quickly he moved and walked into the kitchen, looking at his mother with a strange face that she couldn't quite comprehend, instantly he held out his hand. "Momma, I want to talk to Nico."
Esperanza stood there for a moment looking at her son with complete shock, then she shook her head quickly. "I don't think Nico's home, mi hijo." Suddenly she heard Maria speak once more, she cleared her throat slightly, "What did you say, Maria?"
"I said, Nico is home, he's upstairs."
"Can Leo speak with him?"
There was a slight pause in her words until there could be a shuffling heard, then Maria called for Nico, who came bounding down the stairs quickly. "Yeah mom?"
Nico's mother stared at him for a moment, "Leo wants to talk to you" Nico scowled a bit and shook his head, everything could be heard by the Valdez's. "I don't want to talk to him! Mom! Last time we talked he said he hated me."
Esperanza's eyes flashed to her son, who ducked his head in response, both the mothers stayed quiet for a moment, as if they couldn't believe the two boys had actually fought. After a few minutes of the blank stares their mothers shook their heads and went back to their conversations.
"So Maria, can you visit? Please?"
"Sure, my next week off I'll come and visit"
"Will Nico and Bianca be joining you?"
Maria looked at her son for a moment and let out a small breath "Bianca might, I'm not sure about Nico.." Esperanza pressed her lips together for a moment. She was a bit disappointed that Nico might not come, the presence of the Italian boy might help Leo with his powers. Finally she spoke again.
"Convince him, Leo misses him," Esperanza looked at her sons face that was filled with hurt, then she shifted a bit "I'll talk to you later, Adiós." they both hung up and then, Leo's mother looked at her son with a small frown. "You told Nico you hated him?"
Leo sucked in a breath and then looked down quickly, shuffling his feet some. "Momma, I didn't mean I hate him! I was mad! He left me! He said he'd be here with me, Always!" he huffed and moved away from his mother and returned to the living room to plop down on their couch, annoyance filled the air around him.
Sighing, Esperanza followed behind him, sitting next to him she wrapped her arms around him in a comforting way. Leo buried his face into her shoulder, as small tears came from him. He gripped her shirt as she began whispering comforting things in his ear, in Spanish.
After a few minutes of sitting like that he pushed away from his mother and smiled slightly, tilting his head to the side some. "Do you think Nico will come with his mom...?" Esperanza's lips twitched into a small smile.
"I don't know, maybe."
Leo glanced down and moved off the couch and headed to his bedroom, "I'm going to take a nap, if that's alright.."
"It is, sleep well mi hijo." She blew a small kiss to him, while she watched him with sad eyes.
"Night mama." With that said he walked into his room and laid down in his bed and let out a small sigh, before drifting to sleep. Esperanza eventually returned to the kitchen so she could start dinner for the night. She decided to make her sons favorite.
After a good hour of letting Leo sleep, she called up to him to come down for dinner. She indeed made his favorite; chicken tacos, they were really spicy just how he liked it.
Once he bounded downstairs, in a much better mood than earlier, she grinned happily at him and showed him what she had made for the night. Within seconds her grin was matched Leo's own happy little grin.
Both Latino's scurried to sit down at the kitchen table, having everything spread out in front of them. Esperanza attempted something.
"Leo, remember when I made chicken tacos that one time and Nico started freaking out because his mouth started burning." She smiled, a small glint in her eye, all she needed to do is get Leo talking about him and he'd never shut up.
Leo looked up to meet his mother's gaze before he cracked up. "Oh god! Yes! He looked like he was ready to cry! He watched us for the rest of the night waiting for us to betray him!" Leo snorted and covered his face quickly.
"What about that time he hurt his foot and he didn't dare leave his house because of it?"
"Oh, I had to go take care of him! Momma, did you know we tripped down the stairs? While we were going to sneak cookies out the kitchen? Our mission failed! Just because he was sooo clumsy!"
Esperanza laughed lightly, and slowly began thinking of things the two boys did together, and soon enough she didn't need to push him on the keep talking, soon he was sprouting dumb little things he and Nico always did, and how their teachers hated them.
Seeing Leo's warm, sincere smile once again brought a certain joy to her heart, she hadn't seen that smile in so long, and it was wonderful.
