the things you ran from

Dear Annie,

I've been having some goods day.

The nightmares have lessened but I know it's only about time that they hit me hard.

Do you ever sit in silence and find that all the things you ran from never really left?

I'm... okay, I think.

- Annie

Leo ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. What the hell is she running from?

He had so many theories, so many questions he wish he could simply ask Annie but he knew that couldn't happen.

As guilty as he felt reading her personal thoughts, he was too far in to stop now. He felt like a fish caught on a hook he couldn't escape from.

"What's going on with you?" His best friend, Justin appeared by his locker, causing Leo to shove the letter away before he could notice it.

Leo gave him an odd look, "What do you mean?"

Justin gave Leo a bland look, "Come on man, you've been so... weirdly quiet and distant the past little while.

Leo shut his locker and started walking down the hall, "It's nothing. I just haven't been sleeping well. Must be the nicotine."

Justin scoffed, "That's bullshit. I know you, just tell me what's going on with you."

Leo clenched his jaw, starting to get irritated. "It's nothing, I told you."

Justin shook his head, "Is it a girl? Is that what's gotten you so riled up? Do you need to get laid or something?"

Leo stopped walking and turned to face his friend with a straight face. "No, I do not need to get laid." It bothered him that Justin was saying this and he didn't know why.

Justin's eye went wide as a grin grew on his lips, "It is about a girl! Who's the lucky one who gotten Leo flustered? I never would have imagined you being hung up over a girl." Justin couldn't stop chuckling.

Leo grabbed Justin's arm and pulled him to the side so they weren't standing in the middle of the hallway where anyone could hear them.

He didn't want to say anything about Annie because he didn't want anyone to say something bad about her or judge her before they even knew her.

If there was one person Leo knew he could depend on, it was Justin because they had been best friends since they were children. But, if it spread to some of his other friends, those guys were the one's who would make things difficult for Annie - which was not something Leo wanted.

He also refused to believe that he was "flustered" or hung up over Annie - because he was not. He simply worried for her and wanted to look out for her, even if she didn't know that's what he was doing.

Which each letter he read, he only wanted to learn more about her. He only wanted to protect her more and more.

She was too pure and precious and kind for Leo to want to see her hurt. He wanted to make all her hurt go away.

Leo clenched his jaw, looking at Justin with a blank face. "Shut up. There is no girl, no being hung up or flustered."

Justin quirked an eyebrow, smirking. "I call B.S."

Leo stared at his friend blankly, not amused. "Too bad."

Justin then groaned, "Come on, man. It's me. Why can't you tell me about this little crush of yours?" Justin smirked again.

Leo narrowed his eyes, "There is no crush."

"Really?" Justin crossed his arms over his chest. "Then why are you being so defensive? Why have you been so weird lately?"

Leo gave Justin a flat look before he started walking down the hall again.

"Come on," Justin kept whining. "I want to know the tea, sis." He spoke in a joking tone but that was just how Justin was. He was a goofy kid.

Leo ignored him.

"Tell me, tell me, tell me," Justin was sounding like a little child, because that was how his personality was. Leo was used to it but at the moment, was becoming impatient.

"Dude, shut up." Leo shook his head.

Justin frowned, "I just wanna know who the special one to win your heart is."

Leo stopped once again and turned to look at Justin. "Look, nobody has won my heart. There's just... someone who I'm trying to understand, okay? No feelings or any of that bullshit. Now, let it go."

Leo then walked away as Justin kept yelling behind him, "In-denial! You're crushing."