Chapter 4: Your Notes

            Pushing back and forth his body off the ground while keeping it straight and contracting a few muscles. The bullet sweats drop on every part of him but he is still focused on the exercise he is doing until the alarm ticks off.

            Huffing and wiping his sweat on his face while he took the worn shirt and wiped it on his body. Proceeding to the annoying noise that echoes throughout the room and seeing the yellow note that he did not notice when he woke up earlier.

                                                                                                                                                

            ‘Do not be angry and please do not throw the clock to the wall. You need to take a shower or you will be late for school.’

                                                                                                                                                

            Leo let out a devastating low grunt and a long sigh simultaneously. Luke left again without waking nor telling him that he is going and it is quite sad but he knows that his older twin brother has to do it or he would not be able to do his duties and responsibilities properly as a class and student council president.

            He sat down on the side of the bed while looking at the small square note on his hand. Luke has always been taking care of him in the stead of their single mother who works her ass off day in and day out. Not like he is complaining but being home once in a while is good, at least her sons know that she is still breathing and alive.

            Leo stuck the note back on the clock and stretched his arm out in the air once again. Instead of going to the bathroom, he stared intensely at the white wall in front of him as he contemplated whether to take a shower or not, or whether he should go to school today or not.

            He flopped backwards and continued his previous activity of staring endlessly on, now, the dirty white ceiling.

            Nothing on his mind but once in a while, the image of his brother flashes in and he just shakes his head to dismiss it. Leo hastily stood up on his feet and cleaned his beddings and pillows. Then he brought his navy-blue towel and his clothes with him to the bathroom.

            He hung all of it on each of his shoulders, not worrying about the bacteria clinging on his half-naked body from his previous exercise.

            Leo scratched gently his neck as he proceeded towards the room across his. Upon entering, he scanned himself in front of the mirror above the sink. The dark circles have gotten worse and his skin has gotten drier. Sighing from the thoughts of what happened yesterday.

            The hectic photoshoot of various human omegas touching him as if Leo was the only man there and how they were trying to seduce him with their disgusting pheromone. Now that he realized it, both their pheromone and perfume are still on his body.

            He sighs again while rubbing the left side of his face and realizes how polar opposite he is with Luke. Unlike his pale white skin with dark amber eyes and his straight black hair with wispy fringe, Leo got the tan one that projects his piercing gray eyes covered slightly with his semi-wavy black long thin fringe.

            Caressing the same area of his face, there is still residue of yesterday’s makeup both in his face and fingertips. He went back to his bedroom to get the makeup remover.

            “Makeup remover, makeup remover. Where is it?”

            Whispering to himself as Leo raises every single bottle in the vanity table across the bed.

            “Okay. Here it is.”

            Found it after looking for it among the twenty bottles on the table. Leo slightly threw it upward and caught it on the same hand. He moved back to the bathroom and cleaned properly the remaining residue on his face with makeup remover on a cotton pad. Threw it away in the bin on the right side of the sink before heading to the shower cubicle.

            Turning on the shower and holding his hands out to measure how warm he wants the water to be before taking one. After a few tweaks, Leo took off the last two pieces of clothing on his body and started to take a long bath as it became comfortable and relaxing.

            Without forgetting to clean the essential parts of his body to eradicate the foul smell that clung to him since last night and rinsing it properly.

            Turning off the shower and grabbing the towel just near outside the cubicle’s transparent glass door. Step out, dried himself up, ambled towards the sink and saw a red sticky note at the lower part of the mirror.

                                                                                                                                                

            ‘You need to hurry since it took you thirty minutes to take a shower. Don’t forget to put your used clothes in the laundry basket in the next room. Thank you.’

                                                                                                                                                

            “Okay. My used clothes.”

            Leo stuck it back in the middle of the mirror to change into his tight leopard boxers and gray sweatpants. He took the note, the makeup remover and the used clothing then proceeded to his room and grabbed the shirt he wore yesterday.

            Before leaving the area, Leo left the red note and makeup remover on the vanity table then placed all the remaining things he carried on the next room across Leo’s where Luke used to do the laundry and went inside to drop it off in a big weaved basket with cover on it.

            As he did it, he saw Luke’s never-changing preference of neutral color underwear and would never try exciting prints or colors, it is not like anyone else can see it unless there will be an accident.

            He face-slapped himself when he remembered that his twin brother is a very clumsy person and the fact that Leo is rarely beside him will make those circumstances from happening in a higher probability.

            Although eccentric underwear doesn’t suit him at all as his frame got smaller from the last time Leo saw Luke’s body, then out of nowhere.

            “Maybe pastel-colored laces or dark color straps suit his body type the best.”

            With Leo’s fingers on his chin, as he stuck up in the same place while visualizing the perfect underwear for Luke. Chuckling on his own and smiling from one ear to the other, that the dimples are getting deeper and deeper.

            He snapped out of it as his stomach growled and he got embarrassed when realizing what his previous thoughts were. Such actions are unsightly particularly when he did it to his own twin brother.

            “You’re a crazy ass, Leo.”

            Leo ambled downstairs to the kitchen to discover another sticky note on the rice omelet.

                                                                                                                                                

            ‘Eat up. I’m sorry if it is already cold and please wash the utensils afterwards. Don’t even forget to brush your teeth.’

                                                                                                                                                

            He smiled at Luke’s thoughtfulness and his reminders even though Leo does not really need it anymore but he finds it endearing and special as it is done just for him. He went over to the countertop to grab the ketchup, pair of utensils, water-filled glass cup, and utensil pouch.

            Leo placed all of it on the table and picked up the spoon beside the food covered by a cling-wrap plastic. Sat down, squeezed the ketchup on the top of the omelet and was about to take his time when he saw that it was six fifty-five.

            “Hmmm. It didn’t change at all.”

            Leo delightedly claimed it while chewing his food. The slight crunchiness of the outer part of the egg but fluff on the inside and how the taste of carrots, peas, and potatoes on the rice was not that evident. Luke is the best cook and he always prefers his food over well-known restaurants.

            Luke knew perfectly what Leo’s preferences were on food and how it was done. It was just like yesterday when he was learning how to hold a knife properly and how Leo got so worried and scared when it almost hit his fingers.

            He could vividly remember when they argued a lot due to it as he wanted his clumsy brother to stop as his fingers were fully covered with band aid and when he almost burned the kitchen whole.

            Chuckling from the sad memories and continuing from munching his food when his phone notified him of a message.

                                                                                                                                                

            ‘Leo. Please, bring me the other uniform blazer when you come to school. I think I hung it beside my desk. Thank you.’

                                                                                                                                                

            Worried about what happened as to why he needed another blazer but Leo quickly ate the remaining food, drank the water, brushed his teeth on the countertop sink and washed the used dishes. He took the sticky note, lunchbox and utensil pouch with him to his room.

            Shoving his books and pencil case within the bag, as well as the stuff he brought from the kitchen. He noticed the yellow sticky note on it.

                                                                                                                                                

            ‘Don’t forget your utensils and check your school stuff before going out. Also, kindly lock every window. Thank you.’

                                                                                                                                                

            Leo picked it off and placed the three notes within the small box on the vanity table, filled with various colored notes on it. He changed into his uniform, locked all the windows, brought his bag, and went to Luke’s room.

            Leo excused himself upon entering, picked the neatly folded blazer, and checked the windows on the room which was all locked. After inspecting from the second floor down the first floor, everything is secured and he can finally go now. A yellow sticky note is on the door and he could weakly smile at it.

                                                                                                                                                

            ‘Leo, please check every window and door if you locked it properly. Thank you. Be safe when you go out.’

                                                                                                                                                

            “He worries too much.”

            Leo said to himself as he took it and placed it in the side pocket of his bag. He sighed before he twisted the doorknob, walked out of the door, and closed it without looking back. The eyes and atmosphere changed as he did not hold back on trying to intimidate others.

            Strolling on the road and people, both human and werewolves, do not look at Leo nor their gaze stay in his direction. He proceeded quietly to the train station and it happened again but worse, the path opened up like he was an ambulance driving on the street and he was a bit offended but he liked it that way.

            Every single person on the train cabin was very weary of him as their eyes looked up and thought ‘I’m sorry if I’m 184 centimeters tall with piercing gray eyes’. 

            “You better keep your eyes to yourself or your neck will break.”

            Leo snickered at them as he could not bear any of it any longer. It took the train twenty minutes to arrive at his destination and thank god, he was near the door and could walk out of the overcrowded cabin easily.

            “God! That was hell.”

            Mind you, he was emphasizing ‘god’ and ‘hell’ when he made it look like he was talking to himself and he is not apologizing to those people who heard it. Then fixing the blazer on his arm, dusting it off and aligned his necktie when walking out of that station.

            Leo traveled the other way from the bus stop to rent a bike as it will take less time and it will be an exercise for him. He took off his blazer, and placed his bag and the two blazers on the front basket of the bike. Folded the sleeves of the shirt above the elbow before cycling his way to school.

            The noise of car toots and chaotic bundle of voices dispersed from the background when Leo focused on cycling safely and watching what was in front of him. The dripping sweat from his forehead flew with the course of the wind as he leaned forward to speed up.

            At the stoplight, Leo rested and wiped the sweat off his face with his arms. He loosen his necktie when he feels hot and suffocating. Then he decided to take it off while popping off a few buttons from his uniform.

            When he is resting, he needs to place the bike on the base of the hill before jogging himself up to school. So, when it turned green, Leo went full blast and arrived at his destination before he could even blink.

            He proceeded on looking for that certain bike house that accommodates parking the students’ bikes as the current owner was one of the alumni of the school. He knew the hardship of searching for available parking slots for it reserved for school staff.

            “Good morning, Mr. Kilt. I’ll leave this in your care.”

            Mr. Kilt raised his black ascot hat at Leo when he took the bag and the two blazers with him, and placed the necktie on his neck then Leo left the bike there in front of his house. The plan was to jog up but his thigh muscles are burning.

            Walking slowly until he noticed two familiar male students at the front and they were not moving forward but were standing still.