Chapter Two
Simon mumbled to himself as he headed towards the city. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one as quickly as he could. Simon felt guilty when he stormed from his house, which he did a lot. He hated making his poor mother worry about him. He just found himself getting angry more often than usual since his father died. As Simon headed down to the docks, towards the boat his friends worked on, he tripped over something and went tumbling onto the wooden planks. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" said an unfamiliar female voice. Simon turned to see what he slipped on. Suntan Lotion. He glared at the girl who owned the bottle of lotion that had almost sent him splashing in the cold, filthy water. "What the hell is your problem?" Simon snapped. "I almost-" his voice caught in his throat when he realized he was yelling at the most beautiful girl in the world. "Hey, I said I was sorry!" she said, defensively. "It's not like I did it on purpose." Simon didn't pay attention to what the girl was saying. All he could do was stare with his mouth open. I thought angels only stayed in heaven, he thought. Then he scolded himself. Get a grip on yourself man, you don't need a girl, it's a Zealot's reputation to fight. But it was true; she did look like an angel. Her long blonde hair was up in a careless bun and her dazzling green eyes flashed angrily at Simon. Not to mention she had a fantastic body, Simon thought, and it was barely covered by a small pink bikini, which brought out her nice tan. "Hey, are you even listening to me?" she demanded angrily, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice. "S-sorry," Simon stammered, "it's just that-" "It's okay, you're not so bad yourself." She flashed him a sexy smile. Simon grinned. I told you Mom, he thought. "What's your name?' she asked him. "Simon. Simon Zealotes." "I'm Leah Agastis," she told him. "I haven't seen you around. Did you just move here?" Simon couldn't stop staring into her gorgeous eyes. "Yeah, I live down the street. Your sister Danielle introduced herself this morning. And I've talked to a few of her friends. They were right." Simon was puzzled. "Right about what?" "They said you were very cute," Leah replied boldly. Simon blushed and laughed nervously. "Um.thank you," he said, feeling very embarrassed. "Hey Simon! What's up, bro?!" Simon's best friend Andrew slapped him on the back. His eyes widened when he saw Leah. "Well, well, who's this?" he asked, trying to look as sexy as possible. Simon rolled his eyes. Leah laughed. "In your dreams, sweetheart." Andrew's smile faded. Leah winked at Simon. "See you around, Simon," she said, slipping on her sandals. She grabbed her purse and walked away. "Bye," Simon replied, dazed. "Nice, man! She's totally hot!" Andrew laughed and grabbed Simon by the shoulder. "Let's go, Jake stole some of his dad's vodka." Andrew dragged Simon towards the boat, but Simon turned his head to get one last glance at Leah before she turned the corner.
Simon stumbled and tripped as he headed towards the creek, where he sat every night after he got drunk. He stared intently at the stars and sighed. Somehow, the pain from missing his father vanished when he drank. It seemed like all his problems vanished when he drank. "Simon?" a familiar voice rang through the silence of the night. "Oh, hi Leah. What's up?" Simon slurred. "Simon, are you drunk?" Leah demanded. "No," Simon snorted. "Yes." Then he cackled hysterically. "Sssshh! Simon, you'll wake the whole neighborhood." Simon seemed to calm down and become serious for a few moments. He studied Leah in the moonlight. Her blonde hair had turned to strands of silky silver. "Leah," Simon sighed. Leah turned to look at him. "You're so amazingly beautiful." Leah smiled. "That's just the alcohol talking, Simon. You'll think differently when you're sober-" her sentence was cut off when Simon pressed his lips against her roughly. "Simon!" she gasped angrily, and shoved him away. "Ow! Leah, come on baby, let's find some place cozy for us to get to know each other better." Simon reached for her, but she smacked his hands away. "Simon, don't!" she shrieked. They both gasped when the porch light of Leah's house switched on. "Leah, are you out there?" her father asked. "Now, I'm in trouble!" Simon whispered loudly, but Leah grabbed his hand and began to run. They ran into the trees and stopped to catch their breaths. "Do you know a place we can go?" Leah asked Simon. He looked surprised. "I mean, to hide," Leah said quickly. "Oh yeah, follow me." Simon grabbed her hand and lead her down a dirt path, to a quiet, peaceful spot. "Wow! It's beautiful here!" Leah whispered. The creek had widened into a sparkling river and the banks of the river formed into hills. On top of the hill sat a gorgeous willow tree. Simon sat down underneath it, and pulled Leah down beside him. They sat in silence for a few moments. "How come you drink?" Leah asked, laying down in the grass and gazing up at the stars. "I guess I started when my father died. It made me feel numb, so I wouldn't have to feel pain." Leah looked sympathetic and squeezed his hand. "I know how you feel. My mother died when I was ten." Simon lied down beside her and gazed into her eyes. Something inside Leah made her heart begin to pound, her throat go dry and her blood rush. Simon was very handsome. His spiky, blond hair, his sweet smile, and gorgeous eyes. "Do you miss her?" Simon inquired. Leah averted her eyes from his. She was afraid he'd be able to see into her soul. "Sometimes," she replied. Desperate to change the subject, she grabbed his chin and laughed. "What's this patch of fur growing on your chin?" "What.you don't like it?" Simon demanded, laughter in his voice. "It's different," Leah said. "Good different?" Simon asked. Leah laughed. "It's kinda sexy." Simon smiled and brought his face closer to hers. Afraid he was going to kiss her, Leah stood up. "Simon, it's very late. My father is going to be very angry. Maybe we should go back." "Let your father be angry. I never get to talk to someone unless they're nagging at me or we're drunk and we have no idea what we're talking about." Leah frowned. "Simon, please stop drinking. It's bad for you. If you need to vent, just talk to me. I can help you feel better." "Help me feel better how?" Simon asked, raising an eyebrow. Leah playfully slapped his arm. "You're so bad!" "Do you find that sexy as well?" Simon asked flirtatiously. "Maybe." Leah kissed him on the cheek and pulled him to his feet. "I guess I better get you home, as much as I hate that." Simon took her hand. "Or else your father will kick both of our asses." Leah gave him a small smile, but Simon thought he saw fear in her pretty green eyes.
Simon mumbled to himself as he headed towards the city. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one as quickly as he could. Simon felt guilty when he stormed from his house, which he did a lot. He hated making his poor mother worry about him. He just found himself getting angry more often than usual since his father died. As Simon headed down to the docks, towards the boat his friends worked on, he tripped over something and went tumbling onto the wooden planks. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" said an unfamiliar female voice. Simon turned to see what he slipped on. Suntan Lotion. He glared at the girl who owned the bottle of lotion that had almost sent him splashing in the cold, filthy water. "What the hell is your problem?" Simon snapped. "I almost-" his voice caught in his throat when he realized he was yelling at the most beautiful girl in the world. "Hey, I said I was sorry!" she said, defensively. "It's not like I did it on purpose." Simon didn't pay attention to what the girl was saying. All he could do was stare with his mouth open. I thought angels only stayed in heaven, he thought. Then he scolded himself. Get a grip on yourself man, you don't need a girl, it's a Zealot's reputation to fight. But it was true; she did look like an angel. Her long blonde hair was up in a careless bun and her dazzling green eyes flashed angrily at Simon. Not to mention she had a fantastic body, Simon thought, and it was barely covered by a small pink bikini, which brought out her nice tan. "Hey, are you even listening to me?" she demanded angrily, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice. "S-sorry," Simon stammered, "it's just that-" "It's okay, you're not so bad yourself." She flashed him a sexy smile. Simon grinned. I told you Mom, he thought. "What's your name?' she asked him. "Simon. Simon Zealotes." "I'm Leah Agastis," she told him. "I haven't seen you around. Did you just move here?" Simon couldn't stop staring into her gorgeous eyes. "Yeah, I live down the street. Your sister Danielle introduced herself this morning. And I've talked to a few of her friends. They were right." Simon was puzzled. "Right about what?" "They said you were very cute," Leah replied boldly. Simon blushed and laughed nervously. "Um.thank you," he said, feeling very embarrassed. "Hey Simon! What's up, bro?!" Simon's best friend Andrew slapped him on the back. His eyes widened when he saw Leah. "Well, well, who's this?" he asked, trying to look as sexy as possible. Simon rolled his eyes. Leah laughed. "In your dreams, sweetheart." Andrew's smile faded. Leah winked at Simon. "See you around, Simon," she said, slipping on her sandals. She grabbed her purse and walked away. "Bye," Simon replied, dazed. "Nice, man! She's totally hot!" Andrew laughed and grabbed Simon by the shoulder. "Let's go, Jake stole some of his dad's vodka." Andrew dragged Simon towards the boat, but Simon turned his head to get one last glance at Leah before she turned the corner.
Simon stumbled and tripped as he headed towards the creek, where he sat every night after he got drunk. He stared intently at the stars and sighed. Somehow, the pain from missing his father vanished when he drank. It seemed like all his problems vanished when he drank. "Simon?" a familiar voice rang through the silence of the night. "Oh, hi Leah. What's up?" Simon slurred. "Simon, are you drunk?" Leah demanded. "No," Simon snorted. "Yes." Then he cackled hysterically. "Sssshh! Simon, you'll wake the whole neighborhood." Simon seemed to calm down and become serious for a few moments. He studied Leah in the moonlight. Her blonde hair had turned to strands of silky silver. "Leah," Simon sighed. Leah turned to look at him. "You're so amazingly beautiful." Leah smiled. "That's just the alcohol talking, Simon. You'll think differently when you're sober-" her sentence was cut off when Simon pressed his lips against her roughly. "Simon!" she gasped angrily, and shoved him away. "Ow! Leah, come on baby, let's find some place cozy for us to get to know each other better." Simon reached for her, but she smacked his hands away. "Simon, don't!" she shrieked. They both gasped when the porch light of Leah's house switched on. "Leah, are you out there?" her father asked. "Now, I'm in trouble!" Simon whispered loudly, but Leah grabbed his hand and began to run. They ran into the trees and stopped to catch their breaths. "Do you know a place we can go?" Leah asked Simon. He looked surprised. "I mean, to hide," Leah said quickly. "Oh yeah, follow me." Simon grabbed her hand and lead her down a dirt path, to a quiet, peaceful spot. "Wow! It's beautiful here!" Leah whispered. The creek had widened into a sparkling river and the banks of the river formed into hills. On top of the hill sat a gorgeous willow tree. Simon sat down underneath it, and pulled Leah down beside him. They sat in silence for a few moments. "How come you drink?" Leah asked, laying down in the grass and gazing up at the stars. "I guess I started when my father died. It made me feel numb, so I wouldn't have to feel pain." Leah looked sympathetic and squeezed his hand. "I know how you feel. My mother died when I was ten." Simon lied down beside her and gazed into her eyes. Something inside Leah made her heart begin to pound, her throat go dry and her blood rush. Simon was very handsome. His spiky, blond hair, his sweet smile, and gorgeous eyes. "Do you miss her?" Simon inquired. Leah averted her eyes from his. She was afraid he'd be able to see into her soul. "Sometimes," she replied. Desperate to change the subject, she grabbed his chin and laughed. "What's this patch of fur growing on your chin?" "What.you don't like it?" Simon demanded, laughter in his voice. "It's different," Leah said. "Good different?" Simon asked. Leah laughed. "It's kinda sexy." Simon smiled and brought his face closer to hers. Afraid he was going to kiss her, Leah stood up. "Simon, it's very late. My father is going to be very angry. Maybe we should go back." "Let your father be angry. I never get to talk to someone unless they're nagging at me or we're drunk and we have no idea what we're talking about." Leah frowned. "Simon, please stop drinking. It's bad for you. If you need to vent, just talk to me. I can help you feel better." "Help me feel better how?" Simon asked, raising an eyebrow. Leah playfully slapped his arm. "You're so bad!" "Do you find that sexy as well?" Simon asked flirtatiously. "Maybe." Leah kissed him on the cheek and pulled him to his feet. "I guess I better get you home, as much as I hate that." Simon took her hand. "Or else your father will kick both of our asses." Leah gave him a small smile, but Simon thought he saw fear in her pretty green eyes.