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No 18. Paranoia (410 words)

Chase stood and regarded his brother for a moment before approaching.

"Oh, hey Chase," Leo greeted as he came up to his locker. Immediately, without missing a beat, Leo's gaze then flickered around behind Chase – checking the students and teachers and who else who happened to be in the hallway. When he looked back at Chase, there was a smile on his face. Chase could see the tension behind it.

"How was math- You know what, never mind. I don't wanna know."

As Leo turned back to his locker, Chase could see he look around once more, his smile faltering. Chase barley suppressed his sigh.

"You want to talk about that?"

"What?" Leo frowned, the confusion distracting him from his hypervigilance momentarily. "I literally just said that I didn't want to know."

"Not math, you."

"Me?!" Leo exclaimed, arms crossing tightly across his chest. "I'm fine."

"Sure, you are." Chase muttered under his breath. Though the concern for his brother quickly took over, especially as Leo's eyes yet again darted around the hallway.

"You may say you're fine but... you're not, Leo," Chase began softly, stepping closer. "Can you honestly claim that when we can't even have a conversation without you keeping track on what everyone else is doing?"

"I'm not-"

"Or how about why you told Adam that Alice hated dogs? Or that new girl that – Well, Bree would kill you for that one."

"I-... I was just..."

"Making sure we won't get any friends?" Chase finished for him, causing Leo's shoulders to slump.

"... Marcus was your friend too."

Chase tried no to flinch at that. A soft sigh slipped past his lips.

"Yeah, and that..."

"Almost got you all killed." Leo was the one to finish his sentence this time. "Or worse."

Chase did flinch now. If Mr. Davenport hadn't but a block against the triton app... Chase didn't want to think about it. Focusing back on the issue at hand, he shook his head slowly.

"I know, but this," he gestured towards Leo vaguely. "This doesn't work. When was the last time you relaxed?"

"I don't know," Leo admitted. "What day is it?"

"Exactly my point." Chase let his own gaze travel across the hall before looking back at his brother. "So how about this? I – and Adam and Bree too, we start being a little more... skeptic towards people, and you stop acting from the assumption everyone is out to take over the world."

"Deal."