- 4 years later –

L e o

Currently 17 years old

He loves how the tools and his hands fit as one, the strength he owns while hammering the metal. Muscles flexing under his skin as veins popping out blood running through. He may be little short than most boys in his age, but he sure is well built, not bad looking either.

Being a mechanic, Leo likes to build things with his bare hands from scratch. If he can't build it, he would like to fix it. He may be dropping out school, but that okay, with his super brain he could do just fine.

Lying on a car repair deck under a green jeep, with a wrench in his hands, he just finished tidy up this baby. As the heat kept raising in the workshop, the white shirt which is staining with grease oil is now attached to his skin, soaking with his sweat.

Not the best appearance for greeting a costumer.

"Hello? HELLO! Is anyone in here?" A sweet-yelling voice which belongs to a girl coming from outside his working space.

How could a yelling voice be sweet? He had no idea.

He pushed himself up after getting out under the car.

He tried his best to clean his heads with his shirt, making his clothes dirtier and hands maybe not cleaner. Being a teenage boy, he still gets nervous about the whole 'conversation with a female' thing.

"Yes, is there anything you need—?" Leo raising his head and take a look at the person who has been calling him for the past few minutes.

The first thing about her that caught his attention was her hair, brown like caramel and smooth like silk, reflecting the light as she moves and falls around her shoulder. He could tell she picked a few strings and tied them at the back of her head from the flow of her hair. Maybe a tail or braid?

The second thing is her eyes, hazel irises with green flecks around. Her facial features give him an insight of what a Greek goddess looks like, she looks flawless even without makeup. Plus, she wears a plain white sleeveless long dress, the image of her is a Greek goddess seems more certain. The hem of her dress swirling around her ankles, he can feel himself blushing as the clothes fly up a little, showing her white legs.

"You work here, right?" The girl asked him. From her voice, she must be around his age, hopefully.

"Oh, yeah. What can I help you?" He quickly snapped out his thoughts. He is not some creep who bangs on his costumers. Not to mention she might be younger than him.

"I'm here getting my car. I brought it here to fix last week? The worker was a girl though." She murmured the last part. Is she disappointed about the fact he is not a she.

He so wants to ask her name.

"What's your name?" He blurted out. Think before you speak, Leo!

"Pardon me?" The girl blinked at him.

"Eh no. What's your car's name? No, you know what, just tell me what type your car is." Great, now he starts to say random shit. Way to impress a girl.

"My car doesn't have a name and it's a green jeep." Now she is glaring at him very hard. A pretty girl who drives a jeep with a fierce attitude. Can she be more perfect? Oh, she is the owner of the jeep his just finished.

"Cool. Wait a sec." Ignoring the confusing look on her face, he rushed to his room upstairs, quickly pulled out a shirt and changed in on. After that, he moved the car to the back door. "Sorry, follow me." He showed up five minutes later in front of her and lead her to the car. Leo informed her about the things he did and let her have a test drive.

"How's the price of all these?"

"Err. 500 bucks." He gave her the price after doing mental math in his head with his eyes narrowed.

She frowned and starts rummage with her purse. Then she looked up at him with an excused face. "Oh, um, I don't have enough cash right now, can I…?" She bit her bottom lip nervously with her eyes spark like a deer caught in headlights. Leo can feel that little movement of hers has some effect on him.

He is not a horny teenager.

"It's okay. Um, you can leave your phone number and you text me after you transfer money in this account." He scrambled down a bunch of number and handed her the piece of paper with his phone. Gesture her to punch in her number.

Yes! Number get! Good job! Leo mentally patted his head in his mind.

"Thank you very much!" The girl sighed in relief and gave him back his phone. As he took over the phone, his finger tip brushed over hers in microseconds. It's like a lightning literally shocked through him, Leo thinks his brain is fried for a good period of time. He shivered and gave her a weak smile while she drew back her hand quickly, like she is going to burn by his touch.

Leo acted like he didn't find her action suspicious as he lingered his eyes a little at the spot where they just touched. Then he looked down at the contact on his phone and saw a new name.

"Calypso?" He wasn't sure if he pronounced it in the right way so it came out like a question.

"Yeah. That's me." She spoke in a fragile voice, he thought she is about to breakdown the next moment. "Um, I'll text you when I give you the 500 bucks okay? Bye." She said rapidly before hopped on the jeep. The sound of the engine roared as she starts up the car, and the next moment, she is out of his sight.

"What the fuck just happened?" Leo murmured to himself.

"Dad? I'm back!" Leo shouted, taking of his shoes and locked up the door.

He circled around the house, trying to find his father's huge figure. Then he spotted a small piece of post-it pasted on a sheet of paper, placed on the dinner table. On the post-it are the words 'Business trip, back in a week, don't find me' written in his father's ugly hand-writing, while the paper is a list full of things to do and costumer's needs to fulfill. He scanned the paper and find the name he is looking for, picking up the pencil next to the note, he crossed out Calypso's name.

He looked at the house, cold air filling in, showing there is not a living creature but him.

"Home sweet home."

Dragging his tired body to the kitchen, Leo peeped in the fridge and took out the chicken from yesterday's dinner. Put it on a plate and in the microwave oven. He actually knows how to cook, but today is the kind of day he doesn't want to do the work.

After finishing the food and washed the dishes, Leo is now scrolling his phone while lying on his bed. That's when a notification jumped out, he almost smashed his phone on his face after knowledge who is texting him.

Hey! It's Calypso. I trans the money to ur account.
BTW the car is good as new.
Tks for the service~

Leo quickly takes a look at his account, and there it is. 500-dollar income with a memo saying car repair - green jeep. Then he sent a 'I got it' message back.

I saw it! Thank u very much.

Leo drummed his fingers at the frame of his phone, pondering if his should text her and tell her he wants to know more about her. After a ten-minute thinking, he decided to punch out the message.

Im sorry if this is rude but do u want to pay the workshop a visit or hang out someday?
I want to know more about u.

Does it sound like strange? Will she block him after this text?

He stared at the screen nervously, not daring himself to blink an eye, afraid he will miss something important. When the word 'read' popped out beside the bubble he sent seconds ago, Leo almost died right in the spot. Scared of seeing the reply without getting mentally prepared, he covered his phone. About a minute later, his phone dang for two times, telling him there are text came in. He reached out and tapped in message app.

That would be nice!
Is this sat. afternoon fine w/ u?

Another text jumped out as he is reading the previous one.

Just figured I haven't catch ur name?

Leo
Valdez
the time is good! :)

Great!
Is Leo short of anything?

Leonidas

Like the chocolate? ;)

He doesn't know whether he should laugh or cry at her remarkable response, plus the winking text made him flattered for a second. Then he typed something like 'Not every parent can give their child a beauty name like u'. He looked at it for a few seconds before deleting it. That sounds too cheesy.

:( Thats the reason y I go w/ Leo

They ended up talking about random stuff the whole night. Until Cal (she said people close to her called her that.) told him her sister is going to get angry if she doesn't put her phone down. She promised to come here this Saturday, which is three days later, before they end the learned that she's sixteen and is good at cooking. She told him that her stew is amazing (according to the people who ate it) which he said she can make him someday. She and her sister, Zoë, lived together, he asked about her parents but she brushed it down so he didn't push it. She doesn't go to school either.

As amazing the girl seems, Calypso is a pure mystery to him. She is like a broken machine inside with fine package on the out. He could tell that her life is messed up in a certain level even knowing her within twenty-four hours. But the way her hold herself with perfection like it was her job since birth, that's just something Leo is attracted to.

When people see her, they only notice her beauty and angelic voice, Leo too, at first. After talking and interact with her is another and more story.

He wants to know why she flitch at his barely touch, the reason of her only living with her sister, why she doesn't go to school. Every little thing about her that make her the person today.

With a smile on his face, Leo fell asleep as a brown hair girl who has a name and feature of a goddess occupied his mind.

"Hey!" A cheerful greeting and a head popped in his sight.

Cal showed herself in since he told her to do so. He jumped at her voice and cause a bump on his forehead, which is reasonable because he was lying under a car for the past hour, fixing it. The bump might turn into a bruise moments later, Leo only hopes that doesn't ruin his handsome face. It's pretty embarrassed to spend time with a girl you have a crush on with a bump on your head.

"Hey there. But you just cause me a headache." He said in a playfully sound. She looked at him cheekily.

"Did I just make you dumber?" She said with a grin.

They texted when each other every night during the three nights. And they grew close to one and another, mentally. But Leo is still a little shy if she is around. He couldn't believe in his life he gets to know some pretty girl and willing to talk to him.

" . Very funny." He said and get out under the car. He looked at her bright smile and took in her outfit. Today she wore in a completely different style compare to the last time he saw her.

A black tank-top with skinny jeans, showing her middle part of her body, her long hair tied in a messy bun today. He blushed at the sight of her exposed torso, her skin is slightly tanned and have little scar around. Feeling inappropriate to keep watching, he dragged his glaze back to her face. He narrowed his eyes because he knew there is some difference in her face. She tilted her head in confusion at his strange reaction. Then he realized, makeup, she wore makeup today.

"Um, your head is bleeding." She pointed at his head. He reached up and touched the part which is stinging now, he felt some sticky liquid on his fingers. Blood. "I'll help you clean it up. Where is your kit-ad?" He really wants to tell her this is nothing, he can handle it by himself, but the stern look and concern on her face made him hard to say no. Besides who can turn down a chance to have a girl taking care of your wound?

"It's in the bathroom." He said in defeated.

"And where is the bathroom?"

"In the house."

"So are you going to welcome me in?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah. That's right." His face must be so dull right now, Cal chuckled at him.

Then he leaded her to the stairs in the back, they climbed the steps in silence, bringing her straight to the bathroom next to his own bedroom. He reached up to the cupboard above their head and hand her the box. She turned her back to him, washing her hands as he fetched the things she needs.

She faced him again and took over the cotton in his hands, using her fingers to remove the hair which is covering his wound. Leo noticed she carefully not let their skin touched. Then she used the cotton to wiped off the blood on his forehead.

Now Leo gets the chance to see her face up-close, he could count out her eyelashes and freckles if you give him time. Though with the makeup, he doesn't know if the freckles are real ones or not.

He really wants to tell her she doesn't need makeup; she looks better without it.

The first time they met he get to take a glimpse at her eyes, they are literally breathtaking when looking this closely. The green flecks are like leaves surround the brown irises, giving it a wreath.

Leo didn't see her pouring some alcohol on another piece of cotton and sanitized the cut. He was admiring her.

The suddenly sting hurts like a bitch.

He let out a wince as little as possible, but unluckily that didn't go unnoticed by Cal. He saw the conner of her lips slightly turn upwards as he moved a little, her eyes formed the shape of new moon as she smiled. It seems so unreal yet so real on her. Like do you really believe the saying of someone's eyes will smile along with their lips? If he didn't before, he sure does now.

She blew air to dry his cut and put a bandage on it, his heart is going to explode in this rate.

"Done!"

"Th... Thanks." Now he is stammering.

"What are we going to do now?" She asked him with her big hazel eyes. They are sitting in a bathroom floor with bandage materials splatter around them, this first date can't be weirder.

"Do you want to watch movie? I will finish my work in thirty minutes. You can chit-chat with me during it then we watch movie." He said nervously. Who will want to watch someone fixing cars? He really wants to watch movie with her immediately, but leaving a half-fix vehicle in the workshop is just not his style. He pushed himself up and she did so. Leo didn't offer her a hand as she stood up, knowing it might tick her off by skin touch. She looked at him with a grateful smile after stand straight, he needs to lower his head a bit to look in her eyes.

"Gladly!" She said in a happily voice, Leo tried to find a bit of unwanted in it but find none.

"Really?" He said in surprise.

She hummed. "It's cool. Watching someone fixing car."

"You are not messing with me, are you?"

"No! Really, you look good while working..." Her voice trailed off as she blushed. Leo can feel himself blushing too. Now they are two tomatoes standing in front of a bathroom sink.

"Let's go down stairs."

So much for a simple date with a beautiful girl.