"Now that's a husband!"

-Leo (Crush, Chop, and Burn)

It was nearing the end of the school year and Leo was failing nearly all of his classes. He just didn't care anymore. The Voice wouldn't leave him alone. He had to cut even deeper and even more to get rid of it for an hour or two. But not forever. You would be lonely without me. You know this.

To worsen his overall mood, Leo was cornered one day by Adam, Bree, and Chase. No matter which way he tried to go, one of them would stop him. He was trapped in a triangle of bionic teenagers. Pathetic.

"Leo, what's wrong?" Bree demanded. Go on. Tell them how stupid and pathetic you are. They already don't trust you.

"Nothing," Leo grumbled. "Now move so I can get to class."

"It's not nothing because you've been acting weird lately," Chase pushed. You're so stupid that you can't hide your emotions anymore. You just want attention, don't you? Poor baby Leo.

"Fine. It's nothing important," Leo replied stubbornly.

"You sure?" Adam asked. "Because you're still all frowny-face-y."

"Adam," Chase snapped.

"What?"

"Leo, we know that something's going on," Bree spoke up. "Why don't you just tell us?"

"Yeah," Chase agreed. "We can help."

"What they said," Adam said.

For a split second, Leo considered telling them. He wanted to stop, but he needed to cut so badly. In the end, his need to self harm won out and he kept his mouth firmly shut. He crossed his arms and frowned.

"What's 'been going on' is none of your business," Leo spat. Oh, good job, smart one. Make them hate you before they ever find out. Good plan.

"Leo –"

"I have class," Leo cut off Bree. This time, the bionic teens let him shove past them. He didn't miss their looks of concern. He also was very aware of the fact that they kept a close eye on him at all times. But not close enough. If they actually cared, they'd notice.

Leo clenched his fists. He ended up skipping class to cut in the boy's bathroom. But at least he shut the Voice up, if only for a little while.

2 years ago

Leo: age 12

The bullying never went away, but with his new sarcastic attitude and witty comebacks, Leo was able to cope with it better. He might have even earned a little bit of respect from his classmates because the bullying slowed down. It was no longer every day, several times a day. Some of the usual bullies didn't even bother with him anymore. Things were looking up.

And then his mom started internet dating. She tried dating two different guys before she found the one Leo could tell she loved. And that scared him. She talked about him all the time. She talked to him on the phone and online. But it was okay, for now, at least.

But when his mom went to meet this Davenport guy in person, Leo freaked out. He begged her not to go, and then trashed his room when she went anyway. But he couldn't help it. What if this guy hurt her? What if he wasn't good enough for his mom? What if he was someone just like Leo's father? What if he made her leave Leo? What would happen to Leo then?

Leo drew flower after flower on his arms and legs until his mom returned home. When she found him, crying on her bed, she held him and promised him that this Davenport guy was safe, that he was trustworthy, that he was a good man. A little eccentric, but good. Leo didn't panic as much as his mom met up with the guy more and more, but there was always that worry in the back of his mind that he was going to be replaced, or that his mom would get hurt.

When Leo finally got to meet Mr. Donald Davenport for the first time, he was surprised at how much he liked the man. He tried to get the guy to slip, to say or do something that would give Leo a reason not to like him. He tried to hate the man, but it was virtually impossible.

Leo was surprised at how easy it was to welcome Mr. Davenport into his and his mom's lives.