16. Photograph
Leo debated ripping it up more than once.
He warred with himself about whether or not he should burn it. Some days he wanted to. Others, it was unimaginable.
But deep down he knew he couldn't do it. This was all he had left of her, of Reyna. That was it. One flimsy, fragile piece of paper was his only remembrance of the girl he had fallen head over heels in love with in high school, junior year.
Reyna. Ra-Ra, his nickname for her because of her initials.
He had noticed her the first day he arrived at Half-Blood High, fresh from another foster home. She was stern, smart and beautiful and completely out of his league.
So of course he started crushing on her instantly.
She ignored him at the start. He annoyed her with his attempt at jokes, he was sure, but he didn't care. She was beautiful and there was that look in her eyes... She wasn't as happy as she wanted everybody else to believe.
He wanted to figure out why.
Eventually they were paired up together on a History assignment, to do with the Civil War. They worked at her house, because there was no way Leo was bringing her to his new foster home.
(He would have already run away from it if he hadn't liked the people at HBH so much. And if he hadn't been so god damn infatuated with her.)
He got in trouble every week, usually from Hedge, usually for stupid stuff. He was usually better at being stealthy and not leaving a trace, but he was trying to get her attention with the stupid stunts he pulled.
It worked.
She had asked him one night why he kept pulling the pranks he did, and he told her it was because as long as he was funny and made people laugh, he wouldn't get picked on.
Reyna told him he was stupid.
That was when Leo knew he loved her.
"People won't pick on you," Reyna said, eyebrows furrowed as she stared down at her notebook where she had jot notes. "Everybody likes you."
"Even you?" Leo felt cheeky asking, but the blush that stained his cheeks sort of took away the bravado he was trying to portray.
Reyna had looked up at him, with her brown eyes full of so many emotions it made Leo's throat go dry.
"Yes." She had whispered, eyes flickering down to fall on his lips.
"Reyna," Leo had breathed out, not being able to stop himself from leaning forward ever so slightly...
He kissed her.
She wasn't allowed to date, so they kept it a secret. Nobody at school knew because somehow her older sister Hylla would hear about it and tell their dad.
Eventually her dad found out anyway. He had seen the photo booth pictures Reyna and Leo had taken together on their one excursion to the local mall.
Reyna came to school the next day and told Leo she couldn't see him anymore.
Leo had reached towards her and Reyna, proud, precious, fragile Reyna, had flinched.
Hurt filled him and shame flooded her features.
He would never hurt her.
Both of them knew that.
Without another word she had left him in stunned silence, standing alone in the school hallway.
He put the pieces together later. Her father. That was the only explanation. Her father was the reason she flinched.
She'd been avoiding him ever since.
So now all Leo had left was a photograph.