《Tenacious Sky》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 "I promise everything will be fine. I''ve already been epted into the school and everything is taken care of on campus," I promised my mother. I was a junior in high school. Even for me, my n was a little ambitious and I didn''t think I would get this far, but my bags were already packed and my flight left in six hours. "It''s just... you''ve never been to a boarding school before and this one is so far away. You''re going to be away from the house for a long time. You haven''t been gone this long since we brought you home," my mom worried. "I haven''t even left yet," I joked. I was adopted. My parents brought me home from Korea when I was two years old. My parents consisted of overly peppy mother hen with blonde hair and crystal blue eyes, and a tall but strong father who always spoke his mind with short brown hair and hazel eyes. Compared to them, it was obvious that I was adopted. Even though I dyed my hair blonde, my facial features, fair skin, and brown eyes were nothing like my parents. I figured it out pretty early on. But I loved my parents. They were the ones who introduced me to my first love: fencing. "But it''s an all-girls boarding school and, no offense honey, but you''re the biggest tomboy I''ve ever met. Aren''t you worried at all?" My mom asked. I chuckled to myself. Being a tomboy would actually help me at my new school because I had to act like a boy. I told my parents that I was going to the all-girls Stone Lake Academy, But in reality, the school I was going to was five minutes from there: Preston Hills Academy. Preston Hills Academy was an all-boys boarding school in Maine. It was known for its sports program, and I wouldn''t have given it a second thought normally, but the Olympic fencing team''s own Race Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Imboden started coaching there this year. It was my dream to be an Olympic fencer. If I wanted to be the best, I needed to be trained by the best. That''s the reason I lied to my parents, cut my hair short, decided to move to the other side of the country and attend an all-boys boarding school. And if I could get just one tip from Race, it would all be worth it. "I''m not worried mom. You shouldn''t be either. You know I''ve always been able to make friends easily. "Did you pack everything you need?" She asked. I could tell that me being at a boarding school was making her anxious by the way she continued to wring her hands together. "I have everything I need. Don''t worry, mom. Hopefully I''ll be there until I graduate and then I''ll join the Olympic fencing team," I tried to reassure her. She sighed as she paced the floor. "I should''ve kept you in dance," she muttered to herself. "I''m still doing rhythmic gymnastics," I deadpanned. My mom wanted for me to be a girly-girl so badly, but that wasn''t me. It wasn''t who I was. Fencing was my life. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Only the intimidating silver gates of the prestigious Preston Hills Academy stood between me and my dreams now. Everything about the school screamed luxury. The brick walls surrounding the school were neatly in ce, imposing on anyone who dared to enter. The grass inside the gate was that to rival a top country club. Each lush, green grass de the same short length as the one next to it. Even the sun seemed brighter over the school. I took a deep breath as I stared at the gates. I''d alreadye this far. There was no turning back now. "Can I help you?" An elderly security guard asked as he approached me from the guard house. I smiled and nodded. "I''m a transfer student. Today is my first day," I exined as I pulled out my transfer paperwork. He looked it over carefully before ushering me to a gate door beside the gates that blocked the road. "Take this up the hill to the main building. Inside there are signs to get to the front office. They can help you in there," he instructed. I thanked him before I dragged my suitcase behind me and started the long walk up the hill. I reached the main building and found the front office. After my paperwork was settled, I was issued a school ID, meal card, and ss schedule. "And this will be your homeroom teacher, Mr. Weathers," the office secretary exined, pointing out a young-looking man with short brown hair and a strong build. He turned his head at hearing his name and smiled at me as he held out a hand. "Everyone calls me Jason. Even the students," he introduced himself. I stood and shook his outstretched hand. "Skyler Park, or Sky," I introduced myself. "Why don''t we show you to your room, and then you cane to ss with me," he offered. I thanked him before grabbing the handle of my suitcase and following him out of the main building. "So where are you from, Sky?" Jason asked, making light conversation. "San Fransisco... in California," I replied. "Got a sport?" He asked. I nodded as a wide grin broke out on my face. "Fencing," I answered excitedly. We came to the first dorm building and went inside. "Fencing, huh? You''re in luck. This year we got a new coach straight off the Olympic team," he smiled. As if I didn''t already know. That was my whole reason for being here. We went up the elevator to the second floor as he exined the different amenities provided in the dorms. Apparently there was a lounge, snack hall, study hall, andundry rooms inside the dorm building alone. We stopped at room 210 where he used my key to open the door. Based on the personal items inside, I could tell someone already lived here. I was hoping I wouldn''t have a roommate, but it was an empty wish. "For now, let''s drop your luggage off and go get you a uniform so you can head to ss with me," Jason suggested. "I got my uniforms in the mail beforeing. Just give me a minute to change," I stopped him. He smiled brightly. "Great. I''ll be waiting in the lounge then," he said before setting my room key on an empty desk and leaving. I sighed and looked around the room. It was a simple but roomy set up. There were two desks on either side of the room with a couch near the center of the room facing a television. There was a bed pushed into a corner with adder off to the side leading up to what looked like a closed off loft with a window. I climbed thedder to find the spacious loft empty. I guess this one was mine. I went to my suitcase and unzipped it before getting out my navy and while school uniform. I striped my clothes off and checked the bandage around my chest to make sure there weren''t any lumps. My chest wasn''t that huge to begin with, but I wrapped it down just in case. After putting on the button-up shirt, cks, tie and jacket, I grabbed mynyard with my ID and meal card and keys to the room before meeting Jason in the lounge. I held an easy conversation with him as we walked towards another building. Inside, it finally looked like a school with hallways and ssrooms. We walked into a room bustling with rowdy boys. This was going to take some getting used to. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. "Quiet down boys! Find your seats. We have a new student joining us today. He''s from Colorado. His sport is fencing. Sky, introduce yourself to the ss," Jason said, moving to his own desk. "Hi. I''m Sky Park," I said shyly. "He looks like a girl," Someone said from the back of the ssroom. I felt my cheeks heat up into a blush. "Cody, enough. I know that was you," Jason warned him before turning his attention back to me. "Sky, there''s a seat over there next to Leo," Jason said, pointing out an empty desk. I shuffled to my seat and sank into the chair. The desks were set up two per table. I assumed the guy I was sitting next to was Leo. "Independent study. Don''t get too loud," Jason announced as he sat back in his chair with a book. Everyone began talking to one another almost immediately. I turned to my desk partner hesitantly. His hair was dark with hints of natural highlights showing due to the sun''s rays filtering in through the window. His eyes weren''t quite blue, but weren''t quite green. Everything about his demeanor seemed intimidating and standoffish. His broad shoulders and slim frame didn''t seem to match as his eyes scanned the book he was reading. "Hi," I said to him, despite the warningsing off of him to leave him alone. "I''m not interested in the new kid. Just because we sit together doesn''t mean we have to be friends, or even talk for that matter. I like to be on my own and, as you can see, I''m in the middle of reading, so don''t bother me," he said quickly and quietly, all the while, his eyes never left his book. I cleared my throat ufortably before facing forward again. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 "ss dismissed," Jason announced after the bell rang through the school. I stood and stretched before moving out of the way to check my schedule. Next was a free period so I figured I could go back to my room to unpack. Leo brushes past me and headed out the door. I said goodbye to Jason before I walked out and tried to remember my way back to the dorms. It wasn''t that hard remembering it. It was pretty much a straight shot. I walked along the path with the many other students until I reached the dorm building one. Going inside, I waited for the elevator. "Is there a reason you''re following me?" A curt voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked beside me to see Leo waiting for the elevator as well. My eyes widened slightly. I didn''t even realize he was there. "Oh, I''m not following you. I didn''t get a chance to unpack earlier, so I''m heading to my room," I exined quickly. He scoffed but didn''t say anything else on the matter. We both took the elevator to the second floor and got off. The more I looked at it, the more it looked like I was following him. It got even weirder when we both stopped at the same door: 210. He sighed before taking his hands out of his pockets. "Use your key if you want to prove that you''re not following me," he said without even looking at me. I fumbled getting my room key out of my pocket before I stepped around him and unlocked the door. He brushed past me into the room with me following suit. I closed the door behind me and shuffled further into the room. "I-I guess we''re roommates," I muttered. "If you''re going to say something, speak up. There''s no use for being timid, especially in apetitive ce like this," he snapped at me and he finally turned to look at me. I found myself nodding before I could stop myself. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose briefly. "My name is Leo. I swim. That''s all you need to know about me. I don''t like a lot of noise, so don''t bother me with sounds. I keep the room clean and I expect you to do the same. Don''t touch my things, ever. Cooking is not allowed in the rooms. Don''t leave anything in here that smells. I don''t care if the smell is good or bad. Keep your dirty clothes off the floor, and keep your things confined to your areas. There, I think that about does it for the rules of the room. Any questions?" He rattled off quickly. I''d barely spoken two words to the guy and he already seemed annoyed with me. "Have I offended you somehow?" I asked unsurely. His eyes snapped to mine. I guess he wasn''t Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. expecting that question. "I don''t like people, and I don''t like people in my space," he answered. "Well then can I add a rule?" I asked. He seemed curious as he crossed his arms and waited. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 "Don''t walk around naked, and knock before you enter the bathroom," I continued. He thought for a moment before he nodded. "Okay, deal," he agreed. He turned on his heels and went to his bed area. I sighed and dragged my luggage up thedder to the loft and began unpacking. This new roommate was going to be a pain in my ass. He seemed arrogant and hard to handle. After I finished unpacking, I made sure to hide my girl things inside the bean bag provided in the loft. It was the safest ce I could find. I checked my schedule before checking the time. It was lunchtime and next was sport time. I packed my issued gym clothes into my backpack quickly. I climbed down to see Leo already grabbing his backpack. He stared at me as I stared back at him. "Can I follow you to cafeteria? I don''t know where it is," I asked quickly. He sighed before walking past me. "Just this once," he allowed. I grabbed my ID, meal card, and room key before chasing after him, locking the door behind me. As I walked down the corridor next to Leo, people stared. I could tell that no one really hung out with Leo by their reactions. We left the dorm and took the walking path to the main building. Inside, we passed the front office and got to the cafeteria. It was huge with tons of seating and food options. The entire back wall was covered in windows, filtering in a lot of sunlight. "I take it you can handle it from here," he said as he continued walking. I stopped as I sighed and shook my head at him. He was so unsociable. "It''s not everyday Leo talks to someone. You must be new here. I''m Easton; swim team," someone said from behind me. I turned to see a tall guy with blonde hair and hazel eyes. I held out my hand to him. "I''m Sky; fencing," I smiled back at him. I thought a moment before opening my mouth again. "Is itmon to ask or give your sport when introducing yourself?" I asked curiously. He chuckled and swung an arm around my shoulders as he led me to the line for food. "It''s expected here. Everyone here is here because they''re exceptional at some kind of sport. Most guys here are Olympic bound. Your sport is apart of your identity," he exined. "Wait, so you''re on the swim team with Leo? How do you deal with him being so prickly?" I asked. He sighed as we waited in line. "He wasn''t always like that. He used to be on the junior Olympic team. There wasn''t a race he couldn''t Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. win. Last year, some kind of ident happened, and he''s been like this ever since. He also couldn''t "What ident?" I asked. He shrugged. "No one really knows. It happened during a break. Some say it was a car ident, others think he witnessed a murder, but it''s all spection," he exined. We got our food before taking a seat at an empty table. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 After lunch, Easton showed me where the gyms were. Inside I found the fencing club area, and quickly found the locker room. A bunch of guys were already getting dressed. One of the guys noticed me and walked over to me with a smile. "You must be the new student. I''m Sawyer, the fencing team captain," he introduced himself. I shook his hand with a smile. "I''m Sky," I replied. "We''ve been expecting you. I heard you were pretty good. Your locker is over here. Your suit is already inside. You''ll wear that for sparing practices when you''re not wearing your gym clothes. But for today''s practice, you can wear your gym clothes. We''re doing conditioning," he exined, showing me to my locker. I thanked him before opening the locker and taking my backpack off. Luckily, most of the guys were already dressed and leaving the locker room. I would have to figure something out for changing in the future. Once they were all gone, I changed quick and headed out as well. In the gym, guys were already runningps around the outside of the mats. Many practice floors were set up with electronic scoreboards and sensors. This was truly a top notch school. "Sky, over here!" Sawyer yelled to me. I jogged over and came face to face with my idol: Olympic team fencer, Race Imboden. I felt like I could cry. His spiked red hair and impable jawline was even more beautiful in person. He held his hand out to me. "I''m Coach Race. After conditioning today, we need to ce you on a team, so be prepared to spar with Sawyer here," he said. I felt my tears betray me as they fell from my eyes while I smiled. I hesitated before I shook his hand. "Are you... crying?" Sawyer asked confused. I sniffled and tried to dry my face quickly. "I guess I am. Sorry! It''s just... you''re my role model for fencing. I''ve watched every single one of your televised matches," I tried to exin quickly. I could feel my body shaking. Coach Race smirked as Sawyerughed. "Never meet your heroes kid. I''m tough on my students, and I''ll work you hard so be prepared," Coach Race said as he pay my shoulder. "Come on, let''s start running," Sawyer chuckled. We ran, did squats, crunches, rys, pushups, everything. By the time we were done conditioning, I''d sessfully worked off my excitement from meeting my idol. As everyone else left, I grabbed my mask and knickers from my locker and went back to the gym to put on the sensored jacket. I pulled on my gloves and put my mask on before taking de and doing a few practice jabs. "Alright, take the mat,"Coach Race said. Sawyer and I each took a side of the mat before the sparring began. I dodged and jab to the best of my abilities. By the end of the match, I won. We stepped off the mat and I took my mask off. I was exhausted and panting, but I was happy I could show my idol what I was capable of. Coach Race smirked as he nodded. "Not bad at all. We''ll put you on team one. You''ve actually got skill. Go back and shower and be ready for practice the day after tomorrow," he said before sticking his hands in his pockets and walking out of the gym. I sighed before setting the sword down and taking off my gloves.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 "You''re really good. I wasn''t even holding back," Sawyer said as he unstrapped me from the jacket. I set it aside before unstrapped his jacket. "Thanks," I replied. We went back to the locker room and took off the knickers, putting our gear back in our lockers. I left my gym clothes on and put my uniform in my backpack. "You''re not going to shower?" Sawyer asked. I shook my head as I put my backpack on. "Im just going to shower back at the dorms so I can wash my gym clothes," I excused myself. He shrugged. "Suit yourself. Hey you''re at dorm one right?" He asked. I nodded. We exchanged numbers before I started walking back towards the dorms. I pushed my hair out of my face as I sighed and watched the sky. "Leo! Would you just wait a second!" I heard someone yell. My shoulder was bumped from behind as someone walked past me. I stared at Leo''s back as he stalked towards the dorms. I felt an arm go around my shoulder as someone panted as they hung onto me. I turned my head curiously. "Easton?" I said in surprise. Easton sighed and shook his head before standing up straight. "Leo''s having another one of his episodes," he rolled his eyes. "Episodes?" I tried to follow along. Easton nodded. "Almost at least once a week, Leo''s inner diva surfaces and he ends up throwing a major fit and running out of the pool," Easton said as we walked towards the dorms. Something told me that his ident was nothing simple. When we got back to the dorms, I went up to my room and walked inside. The entire room was dark and all I could hear was heavy breathing. I flipped the lights on and saw Leo curled up in a fetal position on the floor near the couch. "Leo?" I asked cautiously. "Just leave me alone," He panted. I grabbed a change of clothes and went to take a quick shower. When I came back, Leo was still curled up and panting on the floor. I sat next to him and put a hand on his back. "Leo?" I asked cautiously. "I said, leave me!" He yelled. He was hyperventting. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and rubbed his back gently. "Leo! You''re hyperventting. If you don''t calm down, you''re going to pass out," I said quickly. He hesitated before his arms went around me in a vice grip. "Now breath in... and out... in... and out," I instructed calmly. He tried his best to follow my instructions until his breathing finally calmed down. We stayed there a moment longer before he pulled away and sniffled. Without thinking too much, I brushed away his tears with my thumbs. "Are you feeling better?" I asked. He looked at me like he were just realizing that I was there before he pushed me away and stood up. His legs wobbled as his eyes closed briefly. I stood quickly to catch him and sit him down on his bed. "I didn''t need your help," he snapped at me. I just felt sorry for him. For a moment, I forgot I was supposed to be a boy. "You''re sick. How long have you been doing this?" I asked angrily. "Why do you care?" He snapped at me again. "Because no one else does!" I yelled back. I sighed and took a second to calm down. "I know I haven''t been here even a day, but it''s clear what you''re doing. You''re pushing everyone away N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. when you need someone the most. I don''t know what happened to you, but it''s clear that it was traumatic. And instead of leaning on the people around you, you''re pushing everyone away and dealing with it by yourself. And if you didn''t know, panic attacks indicate that you''re not dealing with it very well," I exined. He only red at me. "Stay out of my business," He seethed before he locked himself in the bathroom. I sighed and decided to let it go. I grabbed a mug and filled it with water before setting it on his bedside table. I grabbed my dirty clothes and took them to theundry room to give him some space. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 I sat in theundry room ying with my phone. I didn''t want to risk going back to the room to get yelled at by Leo again. "Why are you hanging out in here?" I heard Easton''s voice as he sat next to me and draped an arm over my shoulder. "I don''t really want to talk about it," I sighed. "I heard you ended up being roommates with Leo," he said. I only sighed again. "It ended up that way," I confirmed. "Tough break. I hear he''s even harder to get along with outside of practice," he retorted. "We''re also desk mates," I muttered. He sighed and stood me up. "Let''s go to the lounge. I''ll introduce you to some more people," he offered. We went to the lounge where I was introduced to more people. There were two swim team members, three fencing members, and five track and field members. "I don''t mean any offense by this, Sky, but has anyone ever told you that you look kind of like a girl?" One of the track members, Nathan said to me. I chuckled ufortably. "I get told I have androgynous looks all the time," I tried to brush it off. I talked with them for a while but Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. I couldn''t help being worried about Leo. He acted tough but I could tell that he was broken on the inside. I changed myundry over to the dryer before grabbing a few snacks from the snack hall. I grabbed a few bananas for Leo as well. When myundry finally finished drying, I put the clothes back in the basket and took them up to the room with my snacks. When I entered the room, Leo was sitting on the couch reading a book. I sat next to him and set my basket down before holding out the bananas to him. "The potassium is good for restoring energy," I said timidly. He nced at me then to the bananas before he took them. "Thanks," he muttered. I got up and went to put the rest of my snacks on my desk. "Help yourself to any of the snacks on my desk," I said over my shoulder as I arranged them neatly. When I went back to the couch, Leo was examining my seamless cheeky underwear. He raised an eyebrow at me. "Personal preference, or panty raider?" He asked. I snatched the underwear from him as I blushed. "P-personal preference," I stuttered. He shrugged before turning back to his book. I took my clean in the bed. It was already prettyte. After a moment, Leo turned the lights off and went to his own bed. I set my rm and put my phone on its charger before rxing in my bed. "Hey Sky," Leo said after a moment. I poked my head out of the loft window and looked down to see him already looking up at me. "Yes?" I prompted. "Why are you so nice to me?" He asked. I sighed and rxed a bit. "I know I''ve only known you for a day, but I see through what you''re doing. Even though you push everyone away, you still need someone by your side. You act all tough, but you''re traumatized. I don''t know what happened and I won''t ask, but you need a friend. Bottling it all up and dealing with it yourself will only make it worse," I answered at the risk of being yelled at again. He sighed before he turned on to his side. "Thank you," he said softly. I found myself smiling before Iid back down in my bed. Maybe tomorrow would be a new start. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 The next morning, I was rudely awakened by an rm, only it wasn''t mine. I sat up groggily and climbed down thedder to look for the source of the sound. It was Leo''s rm on the other side of his bed. And the only way to get to it was to go over the bed. I sighed and waited a moment, but he didn''t Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. budge. Looking at him closer, I saw his eyes were still red and puffy from crying. It must''ve taken a lot of energy out of him. I took a deep breath before deciding to hit the snooze button for him. I carefully ced a knee on the bed before I ''Twistered'' my way to his bedside table. Before I could reach the rm clock, I was tossed to the bed. With my back against the nket, I looked up to see Leo''s bewildered face. His hands were pinning my wrists near my head and he sat on my hips as he stared at me confused. "Um, you''re rm was going off and you seemed tired, so I was just going to snooze it," I exined timidly. I was stuck in a verypromising position. He looked me over before his eyes glued themselves to my chest. "Y-you have boobs," he blurted. My eyes widened. I almost forgot that I slept with my wrap off. And with my loose white shirt and him sitting on my pelvic, he could probably feel and see everything. "Hormone imbnce," I blurted the first lie that came to mind. "No way... you really are a girl," he concluded. "No I''m not!" I retorted quickly as my face turned red. "Prove it," he challenged. I couldn''t prove it. I sighed and closed my eyes briefly. I was caught. It had only been less than 24 hours, and I had already been caught. "I can''t," I answered defeatedly. He let go of my wrists and turned his rm off before he climbed off of me to pace beside the bed. "This doesn''t make any sense," he muttered to himself. I sat up slowly and sat on the edge of his bed as I watched him process the news so early in the morning. He stopped suddenly to face me. "You know this is an all-boys school, right? You''re not supposed to be here. Why are you here?" He asked quickly. I sighed and buried my face in my hands. I wanted to cry. There was no way Leo was going to let this one go. "I just wanted to be coached by Race Imboden. I wanted to get better at fencing and hopefully get scouted for the Olympic team. That''s the only reason I''m here," I admitted. "You could be coached by a female fencer," he offered. I shook my head. "They''re all either exclusive coaches for the Olympic team or still on the team. Coach Race was the closest coaching from the Olympic team, and he''s also my role model. You have no idea what I had to do to get here. Please... don''t tell anyone," I begged as I stared at him with teary eyes. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair as he began pacing again. "Does anyone else know about you?" He asked. I shook my head before staring at myp. I felt my tears finally fall. It was all over and I didn''t even get to be coached by Race. I sniffled and tried to wipe my cheeks dry but my tears fell faster than I could stop them. "D-Don''t cry. I haven''t decided anything yet," Leo said ufortably. I sniffled and tried to stop it but I couldn''t. "Okay, okay. I''ll make a deal with you. Somehow, you calmed my panic attack yesterday. Normally, I keep hyperventting until I pass out, but I didn''t yesterday. I get them every time there''s an official start. If you promise to help me with them, I''ll keep your secret," he offered. His panic attack fromst night. All I had to do was stop them? I looked at him to see him already staring back at me. "Deal," I agreed. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Our deal was this: as long as it didn''t interrupt my fencing practices, I would be stuck like glue to Leo. Apparently, his panic attacks could be random at times outside of the pool too. I didn''t dare ask what happened. I was already pushing my luck just being able to stay here. On top of Leo keeping my secret, he also promised to help me stay out of trouble. Our deal ended with me getting dressed in my uniform early to follow Leo to his morning swim practice. I sat on a dry bench as I watched the swim team go back and forth withps in the pool. Easton noticed me about halfway through the practice as the second group started theirps. "Sky? What are you doing here?" He asked confused. I had no answer for him. If I said I was just looking, it would be weird, and it wouldn''t exin my future visits. "Sky is my personal manager now," Leo said as he walked over dripping in pool water. I had to admit, both boys had nice bodies. They were toned and muscr but lean with broad shoulders. Although, Leo was taller than Easton and had more definition in his legs. I cleared my throat and looked away from them when I realized that I had been staring. "What? Is this your way of bullying the new kid?" Easton asked defensively. Leo scoffed as he rolled his eyes. "We made a bet and he lost. Sky is my kid now, and yourps are about to start," Leo exined. I had to admit, personal manager was a great excuse. Easton looked to me for help, but all he was met with N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. was my apologetic eyes. Easton sighed before walking away as Leo sat next to me. I grabbed the extra towel beside me and handed it to him. "I have to admit, being around all these guys in nothing but Speedos makes me slightly ufortable when they''re just standing out of the water like that," I said for the sake of conversation. Leo sighed and leaned back against the wall. "We''re redoing the rules of the room when we get back today," he changed the subject. "I figured as much. But I guess it turned out to be a good thing that we have most of the same sses together," I replied. "This is already giving me a headache," he sighed. I perked up as I checked him over carefully. "What''s wrong? Are you unwell?" I asked, worried. He shook his head. "We have free gym today instead of sports period. I''m not exactly sure what we''ll be doing, so just stick close," he warned. "I''m done with practice so I''m going to shower and change. Meet me at the front," he said before he walked to the locker room. I sighed and watched him disappear before I headed to the front of the building. The sun was just starting to rise. I sat on the front steps of the building as I waited. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 "Yo, Sky!" Someone called from behind me. I turned to see Easton jogging out of the building. He came and sat right next to me. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. "Hey Easton," I said before I went back to resting my chin against my knees. "What the hell is going on? You''re Leo''s manager now?" He asked. I released a heavy sigh. "It just sort of happened that way," I muttered. I didn''t feel like giving Easton a more detailed lie. I wasn''t that great at making stuff up on the spot. "So what? You''re just going to let him bully you like that?" He asked as he slung an arm over my shoulders. I sat up and looked at him seriously. "He''s not bullying me," I answered honestly. Easton''s arm was thrown off of me before I was pulled to my feet by my wrist. The owner of the hand belonged to Leo. He didn''t look angry or upset or anything as his attention turned to Easton. His face waspletely emotionless. "Don''t touch my kid," Leo said before turning his attention back to me. "Let''s go," he said before dragging me along behind him. After getting to the bottom of the stairs, he let go of my wrist to stick his hands in his pockets. "Easton''s not a bad person, you know? He''s actually really nice," I said coolly. Leo sighed as he shook his head. "If you n on making it through the semester at least, you shouldn''t let people touch you so freely. Something could go wrong and you''ll be caught easily. I don''t mind being the bad guy," he exined. "But you touch me all the time," I muttered. He stopped abruptly and turned on his heels to face me. "That''s because I know your secret. They don''t... but they will if you keep this up," he replied. I didn''t think he actually heard me. He took a deep breath and rxed slightly before he turned back around. "Let''s go. We still have time to get breakfast before ss," he changed the subject. We walked along the path to the main building. "You seem very uptight all the time. I think that might be part of the problem. Maybe if you would just rx sometimes-" "Your job is to stop the attacks if theye, not to diagnose me," he cut me off. I settled for keeping my mouth shut. I would just have to consider Leo a tightly wound screw I wouldn''t be able to get out of the wall. We ate breakfast quickly before heading to our ssroom. It seemed that almost everyone was already in their seats. "Leo, I see you''ve gathered a shadow," a ser yer, Ryker, approaches us as we sat in our seats. Leo didn''t say anything. Instead he got out a book and began reading. "Ryker, leave him alone," someone warned him. He chuckled. "What? Girly Sky has alreadytched himself firmly to the biggest loner on campus. Why can''t I say anything?" Ryker asked as he reached over to pinch my cheek. Leo pped his hand away before he could touch my face. "Don''t touch my kid," Leo warned. The room grew silent as if hearing Leo''s voice for the first time. I suddenly got the feeling that having Leo on my side would help me as much as harm me. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 After the study portion of our ss we went to the locker room to change into our gym clothes. Leo eyed me warily as I stood in front of my locker. It was obvious that he could tell I was ufortable. He sighed as he opened his own locker. "There''s a bathroom around the corner from here. Get in a stall and go change there," He instructed. No one could hear him over the noise of everyone''s chatter. I nodded before taking my bag out with me. After I was safely changed, I brought my uniform back to the locker room and set my things inside my locker. Luckily, the crowd had thinned out. Leo was still waiting for me. After I was done, I followed him out to gym used for general use. "Alright everyone! Warm up, fiveps, then we''ll start basketball," Jason instructed. We ran through the warm up stretches andps before it was time to divide into teams. Ryker and Leo ended up getting picked as captains. Being the barbarian he was, Ryker insisted on being skins. I was Leo''s first pick and the picking ordered continued until everyone was on a team. Jason was refereeing the game and the game begun. It wasn''t too bad to start. I was actually pretty decent at basketball. Both teams had racked up a fair amount of points. I couldn''t help but to notice the small feud happening between Ryker and Leo. Ryker seemed determined to rile Leo up, but nothing he did worked. Leo let it all slide off of his back. I was passed the ball and quickly sprinted to the other side of the court while dribbling. Before I could pass the ball or attempt to shoot it, I was shoved to the ground, twisting my ankle in the process. The ball rolled off as I hissed in a breath and grabbed my ankle. Looking up, I saw Ryker smirking back at me. Jason blew his whistle to stop the game. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. "Sky!" Leo''s voice rang out. He was the first to get to me as he knelt beside me and pulled my hands away to look at my ankle. It was already beginning to swell. "It doesn''t look good," he muttered to himself. Jason turned to Ryker with a stern look on his face. "Ryker, I saw you do that on purpose. Head to my office now. Depending on how bad Sky''s injury is, I''ll be there shortly to issue your punishment," Jason said before turning to me. Leo was already attempting to get me to stand. Off of the floor, I couldn''t quite step on my twisted foot. "Can you walk?" Jason asked. I attempted to and immediately regretted it. Without hesitating, Leo bend in front of me and scooped my thighs around his waist in a piggyback position. "I''ll take him to the nurse," Leo exined as he walked towards the exit. Judging by the looks of surprise and shock on everyone''s faces, I could tell this was unusual behavior for Leo, but I was in too much pain to specte at the moment. He carried me through the main building and to the nurse''s office. "What do we have here?" The nurse asked as she came over to where Leo set me on a bed. The nurse was a woman with her slender frame clothed in pink scrubs with the name tag: Jackie. Her ck hair was cut in a bob, making her electric blue eyes stand out even more. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 "He twisted his ankle ying basketball," Leo exined carefully. She took off my shoe to examine my ankle before putting a coldpress around it. "Luckily, it looks like it''s just a sprain," she finally diagnosed. "Ice it every night and keep it wrapped in the ace bandage I''m about to give you to reduce the swelling. You should be able to walk out of here and return to normal activities in a week," she instructed. Great, more time before being coached by Race Imboden. She offered me a pain killer before going back to her office. "Thank you Nurse Jackie," Leo called after her. I sighed as I stared at my ice covered ankle. "Just my luck," I muttered to myself. "When you go to practice tomorrow, make sure you tell your coach, in detail, why you''re hurt. The Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. coaches are all pretty close and Ryker will get his punishment through his sport as well," Leo said. I simply nodded. This sucked. "Do you have fencing practice today?" Leo asked, changing the subject. I shook my head quietly. Leo sighed before he stood and ced his hand on my shoulder. "I''ll be right back," he said before he left. I sighed before I leaned back on my hands. Nurse Jackie came back into the room and stared at me with her arms crossed. "I noticed that Leo takes care of you. In all the years I''ve known that kid, he''s never shown interest in his ssmates. And I think I know why you''re different," Nurse Jackie said as she came closer. "We''re just roommates," I said quickly. She scoffed. "You anatomical features are weird for a guy. Under those baggy gym clothes you''re wearing, it''s easy to see that you have an hourss shape. Your hips are wider than your waist. You don''t have a chest, at all. For the guys here, they at least have pecks. You''repletely t. On top of that, your breathing is a little staggered. You haven''t adjusted yourself once," she said as she stood beside me. "I''m androgynous," I tried to excuse myself. She reached down and lifted the hem of my shirt. I tried to stop her but it was toote. She already saw the ace bandage around my chest. "I knew it! You''re going to kill yourself this way. Your chest can''t handle that amount of pressure for that long. Why do you think we did away with steel-boned corsets? Women were breaking their ribs," she fussed. "Please, I just want to be coached my Race Imboden. That''s all," I admitted. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "And Leo knows about you?" She asked. I nodded. She sighed again before her hands went to her hips. "In return, I help him with his panic attacks," I exined. Her eyes widened slightly. "You''re able to stop them?" she asked. I nodded hesitantly. "And you''re only here to train?" She asked for confirmation. I nodded again. "Okay, okay... but if you get caught, I can''t help you," she finally agreed. I sighed and took her hand in mine. "Thank you," I said sincerely. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 When Leo came back, he had my bag and uniform from my locker with him. He set them on a nearby chair before turning to me. "I have practice after this. I''ll take you back to the dorms before I go," he said. I shook me head. "Our deal was to stick to you like glue," I reminded him. He sighed and looked at my ankle before looking away. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. "Do what you want then," he gave in. Nurse Jackie came back with an ace wrap. She handed it to me before taking the ice off of my ankle. "I assume you know how to use this," she said as she motioned to the ace wrap. I blushed as I nodded. Leo didn''t catch the hint. I wrapped my ankle before Leo handed me my uniform. "I''ll step out," he said before he pulled the curtain around my area, leaving him on the outside. I stood and changed quickly before stuffing my gym clothes in my bag and pulling the curtain back. Leo was waiting there. He turned his back to me and crouched down. "Hop on," he said. "I''ll walk," I declined. "If you walk, it''ll take longer for your ankle to heal," he said. "She''ll be fine if she walks," Nurse Jackie said as she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. Leo paused before he spun to face her. "You know?" He asked. She shrugged. "Woman''s intuition," she answered. Leo sighed and looked at me in disappointment before he took my bag from me. "Let''s go," he said. I followed him out of the office, limping all the while. "You''re really careless, you know that?" He said in frustration. "She figured it out by looking at my body make up apparently," I tried to exin. He sighed and turned back to watch me limp to keep up with him. "Just get on my back. You''re slowing me down," he sighed. I finally gave in and put my bag on my back before hopping onto Leo''s back. "This is the opposite of low profile," I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep from falling off. "I really don''t care. You''re injured and slowing me down. I''m alreadyte to practice," he said. We were quiet the rest of the way to the pools. Practice had already started. Leo set me down on a bench in the pool area before he turned to look at me. "I''m going to change. Wait here. Oh and while you''re here, take some notes on my times," he said. I nodded before he left. I pulled out an empty notebook and a pen. "What''s up with you and Leo? Why did he give you a piggyback ride? I know you''re new here, but Leo having a friend is very out of character for him," Easton said as he approached me. I sighed and leaned against the wall behind me. "I hurt my ankle in gym today due to foul y. Leo is actually really nice and attentive when you get to know him. Plus, everyone should have a friend," I defended him. Easton sighed but dropped it. "What are you doing this weekend? A bunch of the guys were going to head into town. You should over and grabbed Easton''s shoulders before pushing him towards the other team members. I paid close attention to the practice and timed Leo''sps. After everyone was warmed up, they moved on to the starting positions. I remembered what Leo told me before. This was what set off his panic attacks. The first heat set on their marks. Leo stood off to the side pacing. I set my notebook back in my bag and stood up. When the starter gun sounded, Leo jumped and almost fell over. I started making my way to him. I tried to move closer without getting noticed. I ced a hand on his shoulder gently. "Leo," I said softly. He reached up and grasped my hand tightly. I could see his breathing beginning to him as fast as I could. When we were in the locker room, I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Leo, deep breaths," I said softly as I rubbed his back. His legs shook as he held on to me. I slowly sunk to the ground to let him sit. From what I just saw, it seemed like the starter gun was the cause of his anxiety. His attacks may have had something to do with a gun. His head rested on my shoulder as he tried to calm down. After a few minutes, he let go of me and sat up. I wiped the tears from his cheeks and gave him a sympathetic smile. "Feeling better?" I asked softly. He nodded. "Thanks. I think that was the calmest panic attack I''ve ever had," he admitted. "Does the whistle trigger you at all?" I asked. He shoot his head. "Just the loud pops and sight of a gun," he answered. He stood up and offered me a hand up. "Hey! Leo! You still in here? Coach is looking for you," someone called. Leo pat my head gently before he headed back towards the pool. I took a deep breath before I went back to the pool. After Leo finished talking to the coach, he came back to where I was sitting. "Coach is giving me the rest of practice off. I told him about the starting gun," Leo exined. I smiled sympathetically at him. "That''s good. I''ll meet you at the front," I replied as I stood and put my bag on my back. He headed towards the locker room while I went to sit on the steps at the front. It wasn''t long before Leo was standing next to me in his school uniform. "Let''s go. Do you need me to carry you?" He asked. I shook my head as I stood. "Lets go," I said. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 When we got back to the dorm, I went straight to the room to take a shower. Now that Leo knew my secret, I didn''t worry about wrapping my chest afterwards. I dressed in sweatpants and a loose fitting shirt as I walked back into the room drying my hair. Leo had also changed into morefortable clothes and he now sat on the couch reading a book. "Easton invited me out this weekend. Apparently a lot of the guys are going into town," I said for the sake of conversation. "Do you n on going?" He asked. I shrugged as I sat next to him and continued to towel dry my hair. "I thought it might be good to socialize," I answered. "If you go, I''ll tag along to make sure you don''t get caught... again," he said. I smiled at him sheepishly. "We need to redo the room rules. All the stuff before stays the same. But let me know when you''re taking a shower, so we don''t cause any idents. Also, you need to tell me if you''re in any kind of trouble. It''s painfully obvious that you''re not a good liar," he teased me. I shrugged. It wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. "You need to tell me if you''re in trouble too," I countered. He nodded with a sigh as he set his book aside. "Let me see your ankle," he said. I faced him before putting my foot on the couch between us. He unwrapped the ace bandage before examining it. "There''s some bruising but I think it''ll heal quickly. Don''t move around too much. If you need something, just let me know. I''ll go get it for you," he said as he elevated my foot on a pillow. "I can do it," I declined. He gave me a pointed look before sighing. "Also, we should switch beds. You shouldn''t be climbing up and down thedder to get to the loft," he added. I stumbled over what to say. "I-I''m fine, really," I lied. I was actually dreading going up and down thatdder. I was barely managing walking. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. "No, sleep on my bed for now. When you feel better, we''ll switch back," he stopped me. "But all my clothes," I tried to reason with him. "I''ll hand you whatever you need," he brushed it off. "Even my underwear?" I questioned as I raised an eyebrow at him. He smirked at me. "It wouldn''t be my first time handling your underwear," he reminded me without missing a beat. I suddenly remembered when he pulled my underwear from myundry. I could only stare at him with my mouth hanging open as heughed. Hisughter shocked me for a whole different reason. It was the first time I''d seen himugh and enjoy himself so freely. I could only stare at him. "What?" He finally asked when he noticed I wasn''t moving. "That''s the first time I''ve seen youugh," I spoke my thoughts out loud. He shifted ufortably as he cleared his throat and dropped his smile. "Are you going to dinner?" He asked. I shook my head. "I''m already way toofortable. If I go, I''ll have to wrap my chest again and put onyers," I reminded him. "Yeah, how do you do that?" He asked out of curiosity. "It''s not easy. I''ll tell you that much. Imagine a 200 pound guy sitting on your chest all day," I tried to exin. "I''ll bring your dinner here," he said before leaving the room. I couldn''t understand why he wasn''t like this to other people. Maybe then he wouldn''t be suffering so much. Yeah, he was rough around the edges and didn''t know how to properlymunicate, but he was actually very sweet and attentive. Maybe my being friends with him would show the other guys that he wasn''t that bad. I made up my mind to make it my mission to help him get more friends. And this weekend was the perfect time to execute my n. Being out on the town with the guys spending quality time together, it was the perfect set up. True to his word, Leo brought my dinner to the room. I was surprised he didn''tin about the smell of the food filling our room. After I ate, Leo helped me set up to sleep in his bed instead of my own. He even gave me an extra pillow to elevate my foot in the bed. "Are you sure about this?" I asked for the millionth time as Leo held on to thedder leading to the loft. He scoffed at me before smirking. "You''re already in the bed and we have a solid n. It''s a littlete to back out now," he joked before he climbed into the loft. "Don''t forget to set your rm. Goodnight," he said from the loft. "Leo?" I called out to him hesitantly. His head popped out of the loft window as he looked down at me and hummed a response. I could only imagine what I looked like when I did it. "Why are you so nice to me?" I asked after gathering my courage. In the pale light of the bedsidemp, I saw the ghost of a smirk grace his face. "Because it''s painfully obvious that you''repletely helpless. You want to fence, right? You want to be coached by Race and acknowledged by the Olympic team, right? You need serious help, and I''m the only one qualified to help. You got caught on the first day, and another time when I wasn''t there," he reminded me. I released the breath I was holding and rolled my eyes. "Did you have to go that far?" I muttered. He chuckled. "Regardless of the how, the reality is that you''re my kid now, and I''ll get you as far as I can," he promised. "Thanks, Leo. And we''ll figure out your panic attacks as well," I said with a newfound sense of determination. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 The week passed faster than I thought it would. With Leo looking out for me, I barely lifted a finger. I had to watch the others be coached during fencing practice and did what conditioning I could to stay in shape. After a few days, everyone got used to seeing Leo and me around each other. Leo has a panic attack every time the starter gun came out. When it did, we''d either retreat to the locker room or head to our room. I''d gotten used to the feeling of hugging him and wiping his tears. It was time for the weekend outing with the guys. The n was to stay at a hotel downtown for the weekend as we yed around. I knew it would be a risk being around the other guys all the time, but I felt better knowing that Leo wasing too. I packed a small duffel bag before checking my ankle. It felt good as new. "You remembered everything?" Leo asked as he slung his bag on his shoulder. I nodded. He made a move to grab my bag but I stopped him. "I''m all better now. You don''t have to keep carrying my things," I said quickly. He sighed with a tired look on his face before he took my bag from me anyway. "I''ve gotten used to it. Let''s go," he said, walking out the door. I followed after him to meet the others at the main gate. On the other side of the gate was a Volkswagen bus. Easton smiled when he saw me. "Hey you made it. Leo? You''re reallying too?" Easton asked amused. "I go where my kid goes. You haven''t noticed?" Leo answered sarcastically as he set our bags in the trunk. The others greeted us as we waited for one more person. So far, there were five of us. Easton, Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Leo, Sawyer, Nathan, Cody, and myself. Leo got in the van and sat quietly in the very back. I sighed before turning my attention back to Easton. "Who are we waiting on?" I asked. "Oh, my buddy Ryker. He decided to tag along at thest minute,"Easton exined happily. My cheeriness disappeared. "Ryker is going?" I asked again. He nodded before noticing my expression. "What, you know Ryker? Doesn''t look like you get along judging by your expression," Easton said. "He''s the one who did that to my ankle," I admitted. Easton apologized before I got in the van and sat next to Leo in the very back. "Ryker''sing," I sighed. Leo tensed before letting out a breath. He didn''t say anything else on the matter. After everyone was ounted for, everyone got in the van and we took off. At the hotel, Easton picked up two room keys from the front desk. "We can split the rooms three and three," Easton said. Leo walked up to the desk beforeing back with another room key. He handed me the spare. "You guys can figure out your own sleeping situation. My kid and I are rooming alone. I don''t like sharing," Leo said monotonously. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 "Okay," Easton dragged out. "Let''s set our things in our rooms and meet back here in ten minutes," Easton said. We went up to our room with Leo carrying our bags. "Whoa," I breathed as I admired the room. It was brightly lit and clean. It looked high ss. The set up itself was fairly simple: bathroom, closet, tv, desk, and queen sized bed. "There''s only one bed," I noted. Leo sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah, sorry about that. They only had this type of room avable," he apologized. I moved my bag to the closet before sighing. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. "We can figure it outter. For now, let''s go y," I said, shaking it off. I grabbed Leo''s wrist and pulled him out of the room. When we made it back to the lobby, everyone was already waiting for us. "Let''s go," Easton said happily. We went to eat lunch first. The restaurant was fairly nice. "I''ve been meaning to ask, why do you call Sky your kid?" Nathan asked Leo as we ate. Leo finished chewing his food before ncing at him. "Because he is my kid. I''m responsible for him," Leo answered. In some ways, that was actually true. Leo haspletely taken over being responsible for me. It made sense. We talked animatedly throughout our meal. Well, everyone except Leo. He sat eating his food quietly. Only ever moving otherwise to wipe something from my mouth due to my clumsiness. After lunch we went to the mall. "Easton!" Someone yelled from the center of the mall. It came from a group of girls. Easton smiled knowingly. "I invited some of the girls from Stone Lake Academy," Easton exined. We went around introducing ourselves to them and vice versa. For the most part, they seemed like nice girls. "Wait, aren''t you Leo the swimmer?" One of the girls asked. Leo looked like he couldn''t be bothered as he sighed with his hands in his pockets. "He doesn''t talk much, but yeah that''s him," Ryker slid into the conversation. "I''m Freya," she smiled at Leo. Leo didn''t even budge. I nudged him with my elbow before giving him a look. Even if he was like this, he shouldn''t be this way to girls too. "Hi," he said simply before facing me. "Let''s go look around," he said before dragging me off by my wrist. "Don''t worry about him. He only cares about his kid," I heard Ryker say as we left. When we were far enough away, I pulled my wrist out of his grasp. "What was that? She was totally into you," I asked as he turned to look at me. "I''m not interested in girls like her," he answered tiredly. "You don''t even know her," I reminded him. He smirked before we continued walking at a leisurely pace. "I know her type. Overly peppy perfectionist who is just interested in the fact that I swim and win medals sometimes," he said. "You couldn''t possibly know that for sure," I countered. "It''s blindingly obvious to me. I''m fairly good at reading people. I can read you like a worn out book," he chuckled. "Hey!" I protested. He smiled before slinging an arm around my shoulders. "Come on," he said, changing the subject. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 We went around looking in different shops until we got hungry. Apparently everyone else had the same Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. thoughts we did. We found everyone, including the girls, in the food court. Leo sat me down at the table with everyone before he walked away. "I don''t think I''ve seen you before. Who are you?" Freya asked me. She was really pretty. She had smooth red hair and pale skin with emerald green eyes. Her figure was nice too. "The Leo whisperer," Easton joked. The guys at the tableughed, but I opted for smiling politely. "Sky, fencer," I answered. "Wait fencing? You''re not even on the swim team, how do you know Leo?" She followed up. "We''re desk mates and roommates," I answered. "He''s also Leo''s personal manager, and kid," Nathan joked. "Looks like you two are close," she smiled ufortably. "But has anyone ever told you that you look like a girl?" She asked. The guys erupted inughter. "He gets it all the time," Codyughed. Leo came back and set a tray of food in front of me. "Eat," he said simply. "Leo, you sure do take good care of Sky," Freya said, turning her attention to him. "Sky is my kid," Leo said simply before getting into his own food. "We don''t see much of you around," Freya said, trying to revive the dead conversation. "I don''t like people," he said before taking a bite of his food. "I go where my kid goes. You haven''t noticed?" Cody said, mocking Leo. Leo didn''t look bothered by it at all as the guysughed. After we ate, Leo insisted that we get some rest. Well, he insisted I get some rest after he caught me yawning a few times. After the rest of the guys promised a time to meet up with the girls tomorrow, we headed back to the hotel. I''dpletely forgotten about the one bed sleeping arrangement until we were staring at it once again. "I can sleep on the floor," Leo suggested. Looking around, there''s wasn''t enough suitable space for him to sleep on the floor with our bags in the way. "It won''t work. There''s not enough room for anyone to sleep on the ground. We''ll just have to both sleep on the bed," I said. "You shower first," he said. I took a change of clothes to the bathroom and did just that. When I was finished, Leo took his shower while I sat on the bed with the towel around my neck flipping through channels. Leo came in and hesitantly sat next to me. When he saw my dripping hair, he sighed and pulled the towel from around my neck before putting it on my head. He ruffled it as he tried to dry it. "You''ll catch a cold this way. The temperature in here is already freezing," he said as he dried my hair. I was so taken aback I could only watch his face as he focused on drying my hair. "Was that really the reason why you call me your kid? Because you''ve taken responsibility for me?" I asked. He smirked but his eyes were still on what his hands were doing. "That was only half the reason. The other reason is to keep myself from messing up and outing you as a girl. ''My kid'' is easier than messing up and saying ''she'' instead," Leo admitted. "Makes sense," I said. I stopped his hands as I grabbed his wrists. His eyes went to mine as he froze. We were stuck looking at each other. Neither one of us knowing what to do next. I looked away first as I felt my cheeks heat. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 "I think my hair is dry," I said, changing the subject. He let go of the towel before he cleared his throat. "We should sleep," he said as he stood again. He took the towel from me to put it away as I crawled under the covers. Leo turned the lights off before getting in the other side. He turned themp off before the room went dead silent. Iid stiff as a board on my back with my eyes wide open. "Goodnight, Sky," Leo said softly. "Goodnight," I replied, my voice betraying me. I couldn''t lie to myself: I was nervous. Iid there motionless. The next thing I knew, I was looking at a chest. I felt my arm and leg draped over a body as someone held me. I looked up to see Leo sleeping peacefully. I tried to move off of him, but his grip held me in ce. I was stuck with my hand on his chest. He grumbled in his sleep. I had no choice but toy there. After about five minutes ofying there, Leo finally stirred awake. He looked down at me confused. I didn''t even know what to say. It took him a while to realize the position we were in before he let go of me. "Sorry," he apologized huskily. I sat up with a yawn. "Don''t be. I was halfway on top of you when I woke up," I brushed him off. "I think that was the first time I didn''t have nightmares," he said as he stood and stretched. "You have nightmares normally?" I asked. He nodded. "Literally every night expectst night," he answered before going into the bathroom. Every night? No wonder he seemed tired all the time. After he was done in the bathroom, it was my turn. I brushed my teeth and hair, wrapped my chest down, and changed out of my pajamas. When we were ready to go, we went down to the dining room for breakfast. I expected the others to sleep in but surprisingly, they were all there too. "How''s your room?" Easton asked as he sat at our table. I felt a blush creep into my face as I remembered how we woke up this morning. "Same as yours. Hotel rooms all go by a standard set ups," Leo answered in my ce. Easton nced Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. at him briefly before going back to his food. "After we''re done eating, we should head out. We''re meeting the girls at the amusement park today. I think Freya was really into you, Leo," Easton wiggles his eyebrows at him. Leo sighed heavily before he set down his fork. "I really don''t care," Leo said briefly before looking over to my te. "Finish your food. You''re going to need the energy," he said before he took his te away. "Do you realize you''re the only person Leo pays attention to in, like, the entire world? What exactly did you do to him?" Easton asked curiously. I shrugged. All I did wasfort him even when he tried to push me away, but I couldn''t let Easton know that. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 The girls were waiting at the gates of the amusement park for us. They waved excitedly when we met up with them. Even though it was still pretty early in the day, there was already a crowd heading inside. Freya tried to stick herself to Leo when she saw him, but he paid no attention to her. I saw what Easton meant. It looked like he couldn''t see anyone as he stood therepletely aloof. "So do we want to break off or stay together?" Ryker asked as Easton distributed the tickets. "We can start off together. Those who want to break off, can. We all have someone''s number so we''ll leave that as an option. Let''s just n to meet back here when the park closes," Easton took charge. We all agreed before passing through the gates and into the park. Staying together didn''tst very long at all. We barely walked ten steps before it was just Leo, Freya, and me. "What do you want to ride?" Leo asked me. "Oh! I like the pirate ship," Freya said excitedly as she misunderstood. Leo nced at her before looking to me. "I don''t really like rollercoasters," I admitted. "We''ll stick to the small stuff and games then," Leo decided. "But-" "If you don''t like it, gotch on to a different group," Leo cut Freya off as she was about toin. I felt kind of bad for her. I could tell that she liked Leo, and he waspletely shutting her down. I elbowed him gently. "Be nice. She''s just excited because she likes you," I warned him where Freya couldn''t hear. He only rolled his eyes at me. "I''m not going to lead her on. It''s just annoying. Better to crush her hopes here than let it continue only to crush themter," he said back to me softly. Freya was oblivious as she wallowed in her disappointment. I sighed and shook my head at him. "We can go to the pirate ride first," I said for her benefit. She perked up as we changed course to ride what she wanted. When we got to the ship, I stood off to the side. "You''re not riding it?" Leo asked. I shook my head. After a second, Leo broke out of the line to stand next to me. "You should ride it with her," I said to him. "I don''t want to," he retorted. I only sighed. Leo could at least go with her since I could tell he wanted to ride it too. Freya ended up boarding the ride by herself as we watched. "I get why you don''t want to lead her on, but do you have to be so mean about it?" I asked curiously. He shrugged. "It''s just how I am," he answered. "Not with me," I thought out loud. I wanted to take the words back as soon as they left my lips. I didn''t mean for him to hear it. Leo smirked before patting my head. "You''re different. It was easy to forget to be mean to you because I too busy watching your back, so now I don''t even try," he admitted. His hand fell away from my head as I stood there dumbfounded. He really was apletely different person with me. When Freya finished the ride, we moved on to the carousel. This time we all rode it. Freya and I each took a horse as Leo held on to the pole going through my horse''s back. I pulled out my phone and took a few selfies of all of us, the just with Leo. My parents would want proof that I was making friends soon, and Freya was the perfect decoy. Especially since she actually attended Stone Lake. I was having a st. We rode more small rides and stopped for treats a few times before we moved on to the games. Leo zoned into a dart game. "Oh the teddy bear is so cute!" Freya smiled as she looked at the wall of prizes. Leo got all the balloons on the first try before picking the teddy bear as a prize. He turned with it in his hands. I saw the flicker of hope die in Freya''s eyes as he held the bear out to me. "Here. I have no use for this," Leo said simply. Freya was going from disappointment to irritation quickly. I wanted to give it to her, but I felt like that would just be adding insult to injury. We stayed at the park until the sun went down. Finally it was time for the park to close. We made our way back to the meet up spot and waited. It didn''t take long for the others toe. "Cute bear, Sky. Did you win that?" Nathan asked. "Leo got it for him," Freya answered in irritation. "I didn''t want it, I just wanted to y the game," Leo shrugged indifferently. "Why didn''t you give it to Freya?" Easton asked. "Because she wanted me to give it to her. I didn''t tag along to get a girlfriend. I came to watch over my kid," Leo said bluntly. The group took turns gauging each other''s reaction at his statement. All he did was draw more attention to us. "Thank the girls foring out with us," I said to Leo sternly, trying to get the subject to change. "Thanks foring out with us," Leo said almost robotically. The guys were shocked. "Um, you guys could stille back to the hotel to hang out with us if you''re not ready to go back yet," I suggested. "Are you inviting us to your hotel?" One of the girls asked excitedly. I nodded hesitantly. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. "I brought Jenga and Cards Against Humanity. We could y a few games," I suggested. Both the girls and guys loved the idea. Leo, however, simply shot me a pointed look. I know he hated hanging out with people, but he needed to make other friends besides me. I knew it would only be a matter of time before I got caught and kicked out of the school. I didn''t want to leave Leo by himself. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Back at the hotel, we agreed to hang out in Easton''s room since it was the biggest. He had a full-on suite with a living room and everything. I grabbed the games out of the room before bringing it to where we were meeting. Leo sat off by himself as I set the games on the coffee table. It was a few minutes before the girls arrived. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. "I hit the jackpot," Freya said as she held up a few heavy-looking bags. After she set them down, she pulled out a few bottles of alcohol. She had wine coolers, beer, and straight liquor. I briefly wondered how she got them. We were all underaged. She cracked open a beer and handed it to me before everyone else helped themselves. "Thanks for inviting us," she said to me. "No problem," I smiled back at her. Leo immediately reached for the bottle as I sat on the floor near him but I pulled it away. "It''s fine," I told him. He sighed but sat back and left it alone. "I worry you''ll do something stupid," he muttered. I chose to ignore him. I took a sip of the bitter liquid before cringing. The taste would definitely take some getting used to but it wasn''t bad. Everyone decided on Cards Against Humanity first. Leo opted out of ying. By the time I finished downing the beer, I wasughing along with everyone else at the ridiculous answers. Freya handed me another beer and we moved on to truth or dare Jenga. The prompts were stupid but funny. Halfway into my second beer, the alcohol hit me all at once. I guess I was a lightweight. I chugged the rest of the beer before setting it off to the side. I felt like dancing, the mood was good. I didn''t even realize I was swaying until Leo steadied my shoulders. "I''m taking my kid back to our room. He''s drunk," Leo said. "Awe on, that''s when the fun starts," Freya pouted. Leo red at her before he stood me up and usher me out of the room without another word. He put me on his back and carried me back to our room. He sat me on the bed before he started taking my shoes off. I pulled the tab for the bandage under my shirt to let my chest free. "Sky, what are you doing?" Leo asked when he finally looked up. "I can''t breathe in this thing," I tried to exin. When I sessfully got it off, I tossed it to the floor. "Leo," I slurred. I tried to control my speech but it had a mind of its own at the moment. I squished his face between my hands as I giggled, swaying his head back and forth. "You''re such a tsundere. You know that?" I giggled. "A what?" He asked confused. I squished his cheeks together further, making a fish face. "Tsundere. You act cold and hard, but your really warm and gentle to those you care about, even if it''s just secretly looking out for them," I exined. My brain was doing whatever it wanted, and there was no stopping it. I moved my hands from his cheeks to his neck. I was tempted by the worried look in his eye. I stood in front of him, swaying slightly. When I did, Leo''s hands caught my waist to steady me. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 "Sky," he said softly. I only smiled as I rested my head against his chest in a hug. "So warm," I breathed. "I think you shouldy down," Leo stuttered. I lifted my head to smile at him. "I want to do something first," I pouted. "What?" He asked. I pushed up on my tiptoes and inched my lips closer to his. They looked so soft and inviting. I let my eyes close and sighed in content at the feeling of his lips on mine. They were just as soft as my hazy brain imagined. When I pulled away, his face was stunned. "I really think you shouldy down now and get some sleep," he said softly. I sighed and went back to standing with my head on his chest. "You have toy down too," I argued. "Okay, we''ll bothy down. Alright?" He said. I nodded. He held my shoulders before pulling the covers back andying me down. He pulled the covers over me before turning off the lights and getting in the bed himself. As soon as I felt the bed dip, Itched to him. I wrapped myself around him like a snake. Leo hesitated before putting an arm around me with a sigh. "You really are something else, Sky," Leo breathed. I felt sleeping quickly. He was so warm and Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. liked was what made me feel warm inside. And right now, I felt warm. The next morning, I woke up to a chest again. It took me a while to remember what happenedst night, but when the events finally came rushing back to me, I was mortified. I shot up quickly, covering my mouth before ncing at Leo. Unfortunately, he was already awake. He sat up and watched me carefully. After a moment, he crossed his arms and tilted his head at me. "Do you remember what happenedst night?" He asked. I hesitated before nodding. He sighed as his head tilted the other way. "My fault. It was my first time drinking. I guess I get a little too touchy," I apologized. I got up and ran to the bathroom quickly to take a shower and brush my teeth. I identally left my wrap in the room, so I didn''t have a chance to put it on. I''d calmed down a lot during my shower. I went back to the room and Leo silently make his way into the bathroom while I flipped through the tv channels for something to busy myself. Leo finished up and came to my side of the bed. His hands grabbed my wrists before spinning me until my back was against the bed. He hovered over me as he watched my reactions. I knew my face was beet red as I tried to avoid his intense gaze. "I told you you would do do something stupid. Luckily, I got you back to the room before anyone could witness it," he said sternly. I nodded quickly. "Last night was an ident. Sorry," I stuttered over my words. Leo''s jaw tightened before he released a breath. "Don''t do it again. And definitely don''t drink around other people. In fact, don''t drink at all," he snapped at me. Even like this, my heart fluttered. Did I like Leo? Yeah, I found Leo attractive, and sweet and attentive, but I didn''te to the school to date, so I pushed all thoughts of romantic feelings aside whenever they came. Leo watched my face a little longer before his head dipped down closer to mine. I couldn''t help but to gasp as his face hovered inches about mine. "I''m being serious, Sky. You can''t afford to slip up," he warned. I found myself nodding silently. I knew he was trying to intimidate me into listening to him, but I felt anything but intimidated. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 I was forgetting how to breath as Leo stared at me. I only snapped out of it when a knock sounded on the door. Leo sat up with a sigh. "Leo, Sky! Are y''all awake?" Easton''s voice sounded through the door. My eyes widened as I sat up and examined my situation. "Leo, I''m not wrapped," I said in a whisper. He only sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don''t say anything. I''ll send him away," Leo said quietly. He went to the door and opened it only a crack. I was hidden by the wall, but I couldn''t help but to peek. "Hey, are you guysing to breakfast?" Easton asked. "Sky is still asleep, and will probably have a hangover when he wakes up. We''ll stay here today. You guys go on without us," Leo lied. "Do you want me to get some medicine for him?" Easton asked. "I''ll take care of it," Leo stopped him. Easton left and Leo closed the door. I sat on the edge of the bed as Leo came back to me. He sat next to me with a sigh. "We should talk," he said. I settled for nodding in agreement. "I didn''t have a nightmare against night and I think that''s because of you. Would it be too presumptuous of me to ask you to sleep next to me from now on? I haven''t slept this well in a long time," he said. That wasn''t the direction I thought he''d go in at all. I nodded. "I promised I would help," I reminded him timidly. "So what are we doing today since you already sent everyone else away?" I asked as I turned to face him. His hand went to my head before he ruffled my hair. "We''ll walk around town by ourselves. It''ll getting a little tiring to keep up with the other''s social energy," he answered with a sigh. He took a change of clothes into the bathroom while I sat on the bed, covering my face with my hands. After taking a few deep breaths, I finally calmed down a bit. I finished getting dressed and stuck my phone and wallet in my pockets. When Leo was done getting dressed, Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. we went out of the hotel and just started walking. We were in the middle of downtown so there was no need to get a ride anywhere. We went out for breakfast, went shopping, took pictures around the art district, and just hung out. It was fun, and it was the most I''d ever seen Leo smile. We ended up staying out for dinner as well before dragging our tired bodies back to the hotel. The guys were all waiting in the lobby. "Why are you guys out here?" Leo asked, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Well, neither of you were answering the door or your phones so we decided to wait. We''re going to an escape room and wanted to see if you wanted toe with us," Easton exined. I felt my face light up. I''d seen the escape room before and they looked like fun. I wasn''t a fan of the scary ones, but the other ones looked okay. At least, the video reviews looked like it would be fun to do in a group, and maybe this would help Leo bond more with the other guys. I looked to Leo with an excited smile. Even without saying anything, he knew what I wanted. He sighed before he nodded. "We''ll go," Leo answered. "They even read each other''s minds now," Ryker joked. He wasn''tpletely wrong though. Leo and I had gotten better atmunicating through looks alone. We drove to the building before we signed up and waited. "Hey you made it," Easton said, catching my attention. I looked up to see the girls from Stone Lake why I didn''t think of the possibility of them joining us. "How are we going to do the room with all of these people?" I leaned over to ask Cody. "This ce is known for theirrger rooms for big groups," Cody exined. "Leo, Sky, you guys came," Freya said happily as she moved to sit next to Leo. "My kid wanted toe y," Leo said as he slung an arm over my shoulder. I couldn''t help the blush that colored my cheeks. The events from this morning and what I didst night was still fresh on my brain. Luckily, the lighting was pretty dim. "Sorry about getting you drunkst night," she apologized with augh. I shrugged it off and went back to waiting. Finally our room was ready. Going inside, I stuck close to Leo as I pinched the fabric of his shirt. I couldn''t help it, I was scared. The room actually gave me the creeps. The lights were dimmed way down and the props reminded me of a haunted house. I wasn''t very fond of them, or anything with surprises. It was why I hated rollercoasters too. Unfortunately, someone chose the scary escape room. The guys spent most of the time trying to scare the girls. Only Easton and a few of the girls were actually trying to solve the puzzles. It took us the entire time and we still didn''t make it out in time. After saying goodbye to the girls, we went back to the hotel to pack our things. We had ss the next morning after all. After we were packed up and checked out, the bus-like van was loaded up and we drove back to campus. I ended up taking a short nap on Leo''s shoulder on the way back. "Thanks foring out guys. It was fun," Easton said to all of us as we stood outside the gate with our bags. "Yeah, and we even figured out Leo''s kryptonite," Ryker joked. Leo red at him as the other guys "When Sky snaps his fingers, Leo melts like butter. I never thought I''d see the day," Cody yed along. "We''re heading back," Leo said, picking up both of our bags. Leo might not have seen it the same way, but it felt like the guys actually warmed up to him now that they knew he was human. It the world of guys, wasn''t teasing someone the way to show you epted them? Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Getting back to the dorms, I unpacked my bag and took a shower before getting ready for bed. I climbed into the loft ready to set my rm when Leo came out of the bathroom in his pajamas. "Do you have swim in the morning tomorrow?" I asked. "No, we normally won''t have it on Monday mornings, but you have practice tomorrow, so go straight there when it''s time After ss. I think my practice runs longer than yours, so whoever finishes first will just go to the other gym," he said as he ruffled his damp hair with a towel. He froze when he say where I was. "What are you doing up there?" He asked. I poked my head out of the loft window to look at him. "About to go to bed," I answered confused. "You said you''d sleep with me," he reminded me. The innuendo made me blush. I''d forgotten all about that. "Right," I muttered. I grabbed my phone and charger before climbing down. I climbed over the bed to plug in my charger and set my phone on the bedside table. Luckily these were at least full sized beds instead of twin sized beds. I climbed under the covers as Leo turned the lights off. When he was safely in the bed, I turned themp off. I was hyper aware of our limited space on the smaller bed. We didn''t touch and he even slept over the nket. I stillid straight and tried not to fidget. "Don''t think too much, you''re just a living dreamcatcher. we''ve already done this twice already. There''s no difference. Plus, you''ll probably end up wrapped around me like a snake in the morning anyway. Just getfortable," he joked. I smiled before I rxed. He was right. The two times we slept in the same bed, I''d somehow end up almost right on top of him. "Goodnight," I said sleepily. Falling asleep next to him was easy. The next day, it was harder not to just stare at Leo as we went around together. The weekend trip felt like it changed our rtionship somehow. Neither one of us mentioned my drunken kiss again, but it still lingered in the back of my mind. During ss, everyone talked about what they did over the weekend. I felt like if I talked, I would slip up, so I stayed quiet. As soon as it was time for lunch, we headed to the cafeteria. I sat and picked at my food deep in thought. "Whats on your mind?" Leo asked before taking a bite of his food. "I was just thinking... you should make more friends. And I was trying to think of a way to help you with your start," I admitted. "Sky," Easton said as he sat down next to me and slung an arm over my shoulders. Leo''sser eyes could''ve put Easton six feet under. Easton nced at Leo before sighing. "Ah, right. ''Don''t touch my kid.'' That''s what you say, right?" Easton said before going for his food. Leo Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. nodded once before going back to his meal. I leaned in closer to him. "Make friends," I whispered to him. "I don''t want to," he muttered without looking up from his food. I sighed before going back to my own food with a slump. Leo squeezes my arm gently before giving me a small almost unnoticeable smile. I would let it go for now. After lunch, Leo and I finally parted ways to go to our practices. I was so excited and nervous. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Finally. Finally I would get what I came here for. I changed in the bathroom before going to the gym. Coach Race came over when he saw me. "How''s your foot?" He asked. I wiggled it before smiling. "All better," I answered. "Great. I want you to stay after practice for some one on one coaching with Sawyer and me. We got some catching up to do if you''re going topete the firstpetition in a month," he said. I was shocked to say the least. "You want me topete?" I asked. Coach Race chuckled before he nodded. "Yes. You''re talented, there''s no denying that. Your basics are solid and you thinking is quick and coherent. I just need to help brush off the dust," he exined. I agreed enthusiastically before I joined the rest of the team as they did theirps. After our stretching and conditioning, we put our gear on and hit the practice mats. We all sparred with each other in short two minute matches before swapping partners. It felt like seconds had passed when in reality, it had been a few hours. After everyone was dismissed, I stayed behind and changed into the gear set with the touch sensors as Sawyer did the same. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. "Good to see you''re okay now," he said as he pat my shoulder. Coach Race went to check on something quickly, leaving just us in the empty gym for the time being. "Oh right. I told Coach about what Ryker did. He talked to the ser coach," Sawyer exined. "I wasn''t going to say anything," I said quickly. Sawyer smirked. "Leo told me to. He said he didn''t think you would do it on your own," Sawyer said. When Coach Race cane back, we took the mat and began sparring. Coach would asionally stop to point out small things, but for the most part, he let the match run. After our training matches were over, I pulled my helmet off with a breath. "Good work today," Coach Race said before he left the gym. I unstrapped Sawyer''s best before I turned around to get my own vest unstrapped. There was hesitation before I was finally freed from my vest. "Thanks," I said before I turned to see Leo. Sawyer was standing next to him. "When did you get here?" I asked with a small smile. "Halfway through your private practice. You were good," He said proudly. "You take this ''kid'' thing seriously, don''t you?" Sawyer joked before turning to me. "Good job today," he said before leaving for the locker room. I pulled the vest off with a sigh. "How was practice?" I asked as I hung up the practice gear to clean it. "Fine. We didn''t do any starts today, so no problems," Leo answered. After I finished, Leo walked back to the locker room with me. Looking around, no one was left. "It should be safe for me to take a shower now. I feel extra gross after the extra practice," I said, looking at my sweaty gym clothes. Leo smirked before sticking his hands in his pockets. "I''ll keep watch. Go ahead," he offered. I thanked him before taking my clean clothes into the shower room. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 After my shower, I wrapped my chest in a new ace wrap before putting on my uniform. My hair was still damp as I walked back into the locker room. True to his word, Leo was sitting on a bench near the door to the shower room. I threw my dirty clothes in a stic bag before putting it in my bag. Leo stood before ruffling my hair. "Ready?" He asked. I nodded before we walked back to the dorms. I set my things down in the room before taking my basket of dirty clothes in my hands. "I''m going to doundry. Do you want me to take yours?" I asked. He shook his head before going to the couch with a book. "I''ll handle my ownundryter," he said. I took my basket down to theundry room. After starting the load, I went to the lounge. "Sky. I''m surprised to see you alone," Easton joked. I sighed. "I''m waiting onundry. Leo''s rxing right now," I exined. "Seems the chains are longer than I thought," Easton muttered as he sat with me. "He''s honestly a good guy once you get to know him. Why does everyone assume the worst of him?" I asked tiredly. "Because he''s made it clear that he wants to be alone. If I didn''t know any better, I would think you have a crush on him," Easton joked. I didn''tugh as I blushed. Easton stoppedughing as he watched me. I really was a terrible liar. "You really do like him," he noticed. "What''s not to like? He''s a good friend," I shrugged, embarrassed as I tried to cover up my mistake. Easton smirked as he looked me over and leaned back in his chair. Toote. I couldn''t cover it up. "I didn''t know you swung that way. I mean... but it kind of makes sense. You look just like a girl," he said. I sighed before I stood. "I''m going to check on myundry," I muttered before I tried to hurry off. "I''ll go with you," Easton said. In theundry room, I switched my my clothes over to the dryer before sitting on the bench. "Does Leo like you too?" Easton continued his line of questioning. I shrugged. "I don''t think he goes for guys," I said honestly before looking at myp. "You like guys, so what? It''s nothing to be ashamed about. And you''re cute enough to get away with it," Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Easton said, misinterpreting me. I scoffed as I rolled my eyes. "I''m not ashamed of it. Why would I be?" I corrected him. He pushed the side of my head yfully as he smiled. "Owning who you are... I can appreciate that. It actually makes me like you more. If you run into any trouble or Leo gives you a hard time, you can alwayse to me," he offered. I smiled back at him. "Thanks Easton, honestly," I thanked him. He sat and talked with me until myundry was done. I took myundry back up to the room, feeling better. Leo noticed. "Whats got you in such a good mood?" he asked, looking up from his book. I set my basket beside the couch before sitting next to him. "I had a talk with Easton," I answered as I started folding my clothes. Leo stopped my hands before turning me to face him. "You should be extra careful. The more close friends you make, the more friends you have to lie to or get to lie for you. I can take it because I''m me, and I was a loner before you came along, but other people are a lot more social than I am. Don''t let the gender fool you, guys gossip just as much as girls do, if not more. That''s the only reason I run everyone off when they try to get close to you," he exined. I looked at myp as I fiddled with the clean shirt in my hands. "That''s why?" I asked him quietly. He smirked before nodding. "Yes, that''s why. Guys be close friends and start touching you and ying around more. If someone touches the wrong thing or one day decides to pants you, you''re done for," he huffed. I chuckled as I thought about it from his perspective. Those weren''t even things I thought about, but Leo waspletely right. "You are right about that," I smiled. "We should go to bed soon. I have an early morning practice," he said, changing the subject as his cheeks grew red. I smiled at his minor embarrassment before going to the loft to change into my pajamas. I pulled some long shorts and a tee shirt from my drawers. Luckily, the loft was tall enough for me to stand and the makeshift wall provided privacy, even more so when the curtain was draw over the window. "Do you need me tonight?" I asked, pulling my tee shirt over my head. "A deal is a deal," he teased from below me. I descended thedder and ced my hands on my hips as I watched him. "I''m starting to think you''re just being coy with me," Iined teasingly. He smirked before taking hold of my shoulders. "If I we''re being coy, I wouldn''t leave you alone in the middle of the night. You''re my human dreamcatcher, remember?" He answered before pushing a finger into my forehead gently. I scrunched my face at the gesture before climbing into the bed. I turned the side tablemp and plugged in my phone as Leo turned off the lights. When he got back to the bed, he climbed under the nkets. "I was freezingst night," he exined quickly as I finished setting my rm. I sighed before turning themp off and crawling under the covers myself. "Leo," I called softly. He hummed a response. "Can we cuddle?" I asked timidly. I heard him chuckle in the dark before I felt an arm wrap around my waist and pull me closer to him. "It always ends up like that anyway," he sighed. He was always so warm. My hand rested on his chest as our legs tangled together. My head was so close to his chest that I could hear the steady, warm thump of his heartbeat. "Now who''s being coy?" He teased quietly. I didn''t even bother to answer. "Goodnight," I said quickly. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Luckily, the coach used the whistle for starting for the time being. With the whistle, Leo won every time. Easton came and sat next to me. He was dripping wet with a towel around his next. "How are you doing with everything?" He asked. I smiled lightly. "I got to train yesterday, so I''m still riding that high," I answered. "Wanna go somewhere with me today?" He asked. I looked at him curiously. "It depends," I said hesitantly. He smirked with a chuckle. "Depends on if Leo wants to go?" He asked. I quickly shook my head. "That''s not what I meant," I tried to say quickly. "Dorm Two is having a karaoke night in their lounge. It''s kind of like a get together between dorms. Normally, there''s alwayspetition between us, so there will most likely be some kind of prize for the winning dorm," he exined. "I''lle," I said excitedly. I loved karaoke, and it would be good to meet more people and see how the dorms worked. He smiled. "I''ll see you there then," he said before he stood and walked away. Leo pushed himself out of the pool beforeing over. "What did Easton want?" He asked. "He invited me to a dormpetition," I answered easily. "You''re going?" He asked as I handed him a towel. "I told him I would," I answered. Leo sighed as his hands went to his hips. "You''re so reckless, seriously," he breathed as he pulled his swimming cap off of his head. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. "Is it safe to assume you''ll go with me," I asked smugly. He nced at me before rolling his eyes. "Why do you have to be so social?" He muttered before he walked away. By the time we got back to the dorms at the end of the day, I only had time to shower and change. Leo waited on me as he studied at his desk. When I was ready to go, we went to meet Easton at the front of our dorms. "I can''t say I''m surprised to see Leo," Easton chuckled. "Let''s go," he said quickly. We walked together down the walkway to the second dorm building. It was almost exactly the same as our dorm except for the colors. It put an emphasis on red while ours was blue. The lounge was already packed as a makeshift stage stood in front of a TV. There was a sign up list starting for thepetition. I started making my way towards it. Leo held me back by my arm. "I thought you were just here to watch. You''re signing up?" He asked. I nodded. "It sounds like fun," I shrugged. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. I signed up before finding a seat. Easton and Leo sat with me as the event started. Easton handed me a cup of fruit punch as the first guy got up to sing. I thanked him before taking a sip. I hesitated at the taste. Alcohol. The drink was spiked. I set the cup down as I cringed. Leo noticed almost right away. He picked up the cup and smelled it before he sighed and set the cup away from me. He turned to re at Easton. "The punch is spiked," Leo said to him. Easton had a look on his face like he didn''t know. He smiled sheepishly. "My bad. I didn''t test it first. Wait... do you test Sky''s drinks?" Easton asked curiously. Leo''s re snapped back to Easton. "In a setting like this, yes. My kid can''t drink alcohol," Leo said sternly. Easton scoffed as he rolled his eyes. "Stop with the ''kid'' bullshit, alright? We all get that Sky is your only friend, but that doesn''t mean you can stop him from doing things and seeing other people. The act is getting old," Easton said in irritation before he stood and walked away. I sighed before looking at Leo. "I''ll talk to him," I said quickly before following Easton out of the dorm. "Easton wait," I said as I grabbed his arm. He turned quickly and pushed me against the wall nearby as his lips crashed down on my own. I was frozen from shock and the fact that he had my wrists pinned. When he finally pulled away, I could only stare at him. "Easton... you..." I said breathlessly. He let go of my wrists with a sigh. I stood there confused and shocked. "Look, it''s not that I normally swing this way, if that''s what you''re thinking. Actually, I''m normally not like this at all, but you... it''s frustrating to like you when Leo keeps everyone away," he tried to exin. "You... like me?" I asked confused. "It ended up that way," he sighed as he pulled at his hair. I released a breath as I looked around the empty entrance. Besides the moon, no one was around. "Easton, I have to tell you something," I said, feeling guilty. I felt bad that he liked me and he didn''t even know the truth. "Sky," Leo''s voice called. I sighed and looked to where Leo wasing through the doors. "You''re about to do something stupid, aren''t you?" Leo asked as he walked over with his hands in his pockets. "I have to tell him," I admitted. "It''s a stupid decision, but I can''t stop you. It''s your secret to tell," Leo said. I could hear the hints of disappointment in his voice. "But here isn''t really a good ce to do it. Anyone could walk by," he reminded me. He was right. "I''ll take him to our room, then," I said. He nodded once. "If you need me, text me. I''ll give you 20 minutes," Leo gave in. "Thank you," I said quietly. Leo nced at Easton before turning and going back inside Dorm Two. I knew he would''ve rathere along, but he was trying to give me a chance to talk to Easton alone. "Am I missing something here?" Easton asked confused. "I''ll exin when we get to my room," I answered vaguely. "Let''s go then," Easton replied anxiously. Hopefully, he would take it as well as Leo did. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 I closed the door behind us as Easton and I made it to my room. I could tell Easton was getting more and more anxious by the second. I motioned for him to sit on the couch as I tried to think about where to begin. "There''s a reason Leo always looked out for me specifically," I started hesitantly. "All I wanted was to be trained by Coach Race for fencing and hopefully make the Olympic team. That is the only reason I came to this school. The truth is, I shouldn''t be here," I rambled. "Sky... just tell me what it is. I promise I won''t tell anyone," Easton tried to calm me down. I puffed out my cheeks as I released a breath before facing him. "I''m a girl. I snuck into this school by pretending to be a boy and told my parents I was going to Stone Lake," I exined nervously. "Wait... what? You''re a girl?" Easton asked confused. I nodded. Easton didn''t look convinced. I pulled out my phone and pulled up a picture my friend took of me when my hair was to my shoulders. In the picture, I was wearing makeup, a long sleeved shirt and shorts. The fact that I was wearing a bra at the time made my chest visible in the shirt I was wearing. I turned the phone around and showed Easton. He looked back and forth from the picture to me. "Oh I have so many questions," he finally said. I sighed before putting my phone away. "But first, you have to promise to keep this a secret," I stopped him. He nodded as he smiled. "How did you..." he trailed off as he motioned to his chest. I sighed and lifted my shirt to show the ace wrap. "It''s ufortable, but it works," I admitted. "Now you know," I sighed as I put my shirt back down. "I totally understand if you don''t like me anymore," I said. He shook his head. "On the contrary, I think I''m less stressed out about the fact that I like you. I mean, I''ve always been more attracted to personality, but I''ve never liked guys like that. The fact that I liked you when I thought you were a boy, was a first for me. I''ve never really been attracted to guys, but you were different and now I know why," Easton said happily. "Wait, you still like me?" I asked confused. I had been lying to him, and ultimately, embarrassed him and made him think he was gay. He should hate me and be threatening to out me. Instead, he was happy. It didn''t make any sense to me. "Yup," he smiled. He stopped before looking around the room. "Wait, How is it rooming with Leo? How did you get him to help you?" He asked suddenly. I sighed and rxed on the couch. "Honestly, I don''t know. When he found out, I asked him not to tell anyone. He started helping me on his own. That''s why he doesn''t let anyone touch me. He said it would out me right away," I tried to exin. Easton nodded thoughtfully. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. "He''s not wrong," Easton agreed. "What about privacy in the room?" He asked. I shrugged. "It hasn''t really been a problem," I admitted. I didn''t dare to mention that I''d been sleeping in his bed every night since that weekend. I knew Easton would most likely misinterpret that and I knew I had to keep Leo''s panic attacks and nightmares to myself. The door opened and Leo walked in cautiously. "Is everything sorted out?" He asked. I smiled as I nodded. "How was the karaoke?" I asked, remembering that I was supposed to sing. Oh well, this was more important. "Loud and obnoxious. Everyone is drunk," he answered. "Oh, now I get why you didn''t want her to drink," Easton said suddenly. "Sky makes mistakes when she''s drunk. I found that out at the hotelst time," Leo confirmed. If I wasn''t mistaken, there was a hint of bitterness in his voice. He couldn''t possibly still be mad about the kiss, could he? "What did she do?" Easton asked curiously. I blushed and looked at myp as Leo cleared his throat. "Anyway, if everything is sorted, Sky and I should get ready for bed," Leo said, changing the subject. Easton sighed before he stood. "Well, now you have me to help look after you too," Easton said happily. Leo didn''t say anything, but I could tell he wasn''t happy. Easton said his goodbyes before he left our room. I sighed and leaned my head back on the couch. Leo sat next to me. "What made you tell him," Leo asked. "He kissed me," I answered simply. "He what? I''m going to kill him," Leo practically growled. I looked at him and grabbed his arm before he could get up. "He said he liked me and I felt bad about lying to him and confusing him, so I told him the truth. I hoped it would make him not like me anymore, but it didn''t," I exined. Leo sighed before sinking back into the couch. "Do you like him too?" Leo asked hesitantly. I shook my head. "I don''t see him that way," I answered. Because I like you, I found myself thinking. I quickly shook the thought away before I climbed into the loft space to change into my pajamas. When I finished, I climbed back down and set my rm before plugging my phone in. I tucked myself under the nkets and waited on Leo. He showered and changed before turning the lights off and getting in the bed as well. I turned themp off beforeying back down. Something was still bothering me about earlier. "Leo," I said softly. He hummed a response. "Are you still mad that I kissed you when I was drunk?" I asked outright. I heard him sigh in the darkness. "I was never mad about it. I was irritated at what you said the next morning," he admitted. I tried to think back, but I didn''t understand. I felt Leo''s arm go around me before he pulled me into his side. It was quiet for a long time as Iid still and tried to think about what I said to irritate him. "I was upset that you thought of it a mistake," he whispered. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 When I woke up the next morning, Leo was gone. It was the first time I''d woken up by myself. I looked around confused before I went to shower and change into my uniform. When I finished in the bathroom, Leo was back. "Hey, where did you go this morning?" I asked. "I couldn''t sleep so I went for a run. I''m going to shower," he said quickly. After Leo was dressed and ready to go, we headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. Walking along the pathway, I debated whether or not to tell him that I heard what he saidst night. Halfway to the cafeteria, I couldn''t hold it in anymore. The air around us had be awkward. "I didn''t actually think it was a mistake. I just... I didn''t know how you would react," I said timidly. He stopped in his tracks as he stared at me. I stopped with him as I watched his face go to one of embarrassment and surprise. "You weren''t asleepst night?" He asked. I shook my head. "I didn''t mean to offend you, honestly. I just panicked. You were the only person who knew my secret, and you were willing to help me. I didn''t want to scare you off," I tried to exin. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. "Do you like me?" He asked bluntly. My cheeks heated as I looked away from him. "Did you have to say it like that so suddenly?" I muttered to myself before I started walking again. Leo''s hand held my wrist as he stopped me. "Wait, Sky," he said quickly. I looked at him, still feeling embarrassed from being caught. "It''s not one sided," he said softly. I stopped as I stared at him. If I heard him correctly, he was saying that he liked me too. He let go before he began walking again. I hesitated before walking with him again. "You-" "We''ll bete. Let''s go eat," he said. I didn''t say anything else about it. If I did, it would be a long conversation. We grabbed our food and took a seat. Shortly after, Easton joined us. "Hey buttercup," he smiled as he sat next to me. Leo nced at him before he sighed. "I really wish you didn''t know," he said out loud. "Well, I know how you hate being responsible for other people, so I''ll take the burden off of your hands and protect Sky from now on," Easton said as he slung an arm over my shoulders. Leo stood quickly and leaned over the table, pulling Easton to his feet by his shirt. "I will take care of Sky. You stay out of it," Leo seethed. Easton and Leo stood there ring at each other. I stood quickly and tried to get Leo to release his hold on Easton. "People are watching," I whispered to him as I nced around the quiet cafeteria. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch and see if a fight would break out. I finally got Leo to release Easton and grabbed his arm before dragging him out of there. "What was that about?" I asked as I finally stopped under a tree a ways away from the walking path. He sighed before sticking his hands in his pockets. "Easton is apetitive person. He sees something he wants and pesters until he gets his way. It''s just, knowing that he likes you bothers me. I know that it''s possible for him to help too, but... I don''t want anyone taking my ce. I liked it better when I was the only one who knew," Leo admitted. "You thought that was possible?" I asked confused. I sighed before running my fingers through my short hair. "Leo, Easton is a good friend, sure, but it would be impossible for him to take your ce. I don''t see you as just a friend," I reminded him. He ced a hand on my shoulder before pulling me into a hug. I hesitated before bringing my arms around him too. After a moment, he pulled away. "Sorry, I just needed a moment to calm down," he apologized. I shook my head and pushed a finger in between his eyebrows to try and erase the scowl. He smiled slightly as I moved my hand back to my side. "It''s fine. We should head on or we''ll bete to ss," I said. We walked to ss and took our seats. Cody came over almost immediately. "What happened earlier? Out of everyone other than Sky, I thought Easton was the next person closest to you. You always hang around each other," Cody said. Leo sighed and leaned back in his chair. "You misunderstand. Easton''s interest is in my kid, not me. That situation puts us in the same room together often, but it doesn''t make us close. In fact, the opposite is true. Because of our situation, I hate him even more," Leo scowled. I nudged him with my elbow. Leo cleared his throat before pulling his notebook out of his backpack. "Cody, not now," I said softly. He sighed and nced at Leo again before going back to his seat. Jason came in and went to the front of the ssroom as ss started. Not even ten minutes into the lesson, Leo said a piece of paper towards me. About our earlier conversation, I don''t see you as just a friend either, he wrote. I stared at the piece of paper for a while. I wasn''t quite sure how to respond to that. Knowing that he liked me back changed everything and nothing at the same time. Dating wasn''t really an option here and for us. It wasn''t like I could confidently hold his hand as we walked around campus. Like everything else about me, it would be another secret. Are you okay with that? I eventually wrote before sliding the paper back in front of him. He read it quickly before writing and sliding it back. It''s not like I have a ton of friends I''m dying to tell, I read. He had a point there. After ss ended, we ate a quick lunch before heading to our individual sports practices. I ended up having to stayte again. After I finished sparring with Sawyer, Leo was there. He guarded the locker room as I took a shower before we headed back to the dorm. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 "So your coach wants you topete in the uingpetition. That''s good. It means he recognizes your talent," Leo said as we sat on the couch and talked. I nodded. "Im d he recognizes me, but honestly, I''m a little worried. It''s getting harder to go around with my chest wrapped. And when we meet fencers from other schools, eventually someone is going to find me suspicious," I aired my worries to him. "That''s a bridge to cross when its reached. For now, what are you going to do about Easton?" he asked. I sighed and leaned my head back against the couch. "I don''t know," I answered honestly. Leo stood in front of me as his hands rested on either side of my head. My eyes widened at the sudden move as I watched him carefully. "What are you going to do about me?" He asked softly. I couldn''t help myself. My hand reached up on its own and touched his cheek. He leaned into my touch briefly before he leaned down and pressed his warm, soft lips against my own. It was a quick, yet gentle kiss. I sighed before moving my hand back to myp and closed my eyes briefly. "I can''t," I sighed, fighting my own feelings. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. "I promised Nurse Jackie that I was only here to train, and we''re roommates. I don''t want things to... spiral out of control," I admitted out loud. He smirked before cing a gentle kiss on my head. "I''ve slept in the same bed as you for a few weeks now, and I''ve been able to control myself just fine. I will still respect your space and privacy. And as far as your training is concerned, we are involved in each other''s training, but only to help. I won''t interfere with your training. I know how much it means to you," he retorted. He was right about both things. If anything, I got in the way of his training more, and he had been controlling himself just fine. I was the one who kissed him first. I liked him first. I started this mess. "Okay, say we do date. What if we get caught?" I asked as he sat back down on the couch next to me. "If we get caught, I''ll tell everyone that I''m gay. As long as we can keep your gender a secret, the rest I can handle," he answered easily. His answer caught me off guard. I thought he would make a fuss about mistaking his sexuality, but that wasn''t the case. "Just like that?" I asked. He nodded. "I don''t know if you''ve noticed, but I don''t really put much weight on the words of other people. I don''t mind being misunderstood," he said yfully. Again, he had a point. I sighed and shook my head at him. "You make everything sound easy," I said. He took my hand in his with a small smile. "Because it can be," he tried to assure me. A knock sounded on the door. I jumped up quickly and went to open it. Easton was waiting on the other side. "Oh, Easton, what''s up?" I asked, slightly surprised. He walked into the room and I closed the door behind him. "We should resolve our issue from this morning," Easton said to Leo as he stood in front of him. "I n to continue protecting Sky''s secret, and I think you will too. So we should get this over with so we can cooperate with each other," Easton exined. Leo took a heavy breath before motioning to the seat next to him. "I''ll cut this short. You like Sky, and Sky likes me. There''s no need to discuss that point further. I think it was pretty straight forward. If you want to help her as her friend, do me a favor and don''t touch her. It pisses me off. Also, there will be times you might have to cover for her. I hope you can think on your feet," Leo started exining right away. I stared at him as me jaw dropped. I knew he was direct, but I wasn''t expecting him to be that direct. Easton hesitated before a lightbulb went on over his head. "Wait, so that''s why you got a different room that weekend? And took Sky out of the room when she got drunk? And got mad when the punch was spiked?" He asked. Leo nodded. "Exactly. But if anything like that happens again and I just so happen to not be around, you call me immediately," Leo said. "Leo," I said as I finally snapped out of it. "He''s fine. I get it," Easton waved me off. I sighed before I went to sit on Leo''s bed. "But you could be a little nicer," Easton said to Leo. Leo only smirked at him. "Is this type of attitude unusual for me?" Leo asked. Easton shrugged. "Touch¨¦. So what is the deal with Skying to our swim practices?" Easton asked. Leo hesitated. "You know how I normally run off when we do official starts?" Leo finally said. Easton nodded. "Well, in truth, the starting gun sends me into a panic attack. Sky calms my down," he exined. Easton nodded thoughtfully. "I guess you two were really fated then," Easton sighed. "I still like her, but I''ll back off," he added. They talked for a bit more about me like I wasn''t even in the room. "So Sky sleeps in the loft?" Easton asked. Leo hesitated. "Technically, it is hers," he answered. "If she doesn''t sleep there, where does she sleep? Surely not with you, right?" Easton tried tough it off. I sat up a little straighter and tried not to look at them as my cheeks heated. Leo was silent. "You two sleep together? Like on a regr basis?" Easton asked. "It turned out that way," I said sheepishly. "It... helps," Leo said hesitantly. "Does anyone else know?" Easton asked. "Just Nurse Jackie," Leo answered. Easton sighed and took a moment to think. "It''s not fair to say I can''t touch her though. I''m not grabbing her or anything," Easton finally said. Leo gave a small re. "You did kiss her," he reminded Easton. Easton looked surprised at me. "You told him that too?" Easton asked. I shrugged as I looked at myp. "I tell Leo everything," I answered sheepishly. Leo sighed before he stood. "That''s enough for tonight. We should be going to bed," he said to Easton. Easton protested a moment before he finally left. "Let''s go to bed," Leo said before going to take a shower. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 "I''m just saying, Sky doesn''t have to rely on you alone," Easton said at breakfast the next day. Leo sighed as he set his fork down. "You''re talking way too much for something that isn''t supposed to be talked about. And like I said before... I like it that way. I''ve been handling everything fine on my own," Leo answered. I could see he was clearly annoyed. Easton knowing about me irritated him to no end. They had been talking about me like I wasn''t right next to them the whole time. It was starting to irritate me too. "Can we talk about something else?" I pleaded. Easton smirked as his attention went to me. "So you two are a thing now?" Easton asked. I blushed as I looked at my food. I should''ve just let them talk. "I don''t know," I said at the same time Leo said yes. I looked at his serious face as we got locked in a staringpetition. "After all that talk yesterday, you two still haven''t figured it out?" Easton asked. "It''splicated... we''re not in a position to date freely," I tried to exin. "Why not?" Leo challenged me. "I didn''te here to date. I came here to fence," I said simply. "Now stop. Try talking about something that appropriate for public, or I''m going to stop talking to you altogether," I threatened. He sighed before he smirked and ruffled my hair. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. "You''re cute when you''re annoyed," Easton smiled. Leo hissed in a breath before he clicked his tongue at Easton. Easton just stuck his tongue out at Leo before he went back to eating. "Anyway, we need to have a meeting in our room tonight toe up with a game n and rules. No offense, Easton, but I don''t trust you," Leo smirked at him. Easton only smiled back. "I''m not surprised," Easton replied. I sighed and pushed my te away. I grabbed my bag and stood. "I lost my appetite. I''m going to ss," I muttered before walking away. It wasn''t long before both boys were following behind me. Easton said his goodbyes before he left for his ssroom. Leo sighed and plopped into his seat when we reached the ssroom. I watched as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. I could tell he was at his wit''s end with Easton, but there was nothing I could do at the moment. I ced my hand on his arm and gave it a light squeeze. For now, we would just have to wait. I moved my hand off of his arm as he looked at me. I could see that he was getting stressed out. Easton being closer to me was causing him problems too. "Our meet is out of town this weekend. I''m not sure if they''ll let you off campus, so I''m saying this in case you''re not there. I''ll try to be extra careful," I said, trying to change the subject. "You''ll be traveling with your team, rooming with them, changing with them... you''ll basically be with them 24/7. I''ll figure out a way toe along," he said quietly. Jason came into the ssroom and we started our lessons. After ss, we had general gym, but because of our uing meet, the first team fencers were excused for extra practice. I tried to focus on getting faster and smarter. "Great job today," Sawyer said to me after our practice ended. I sighed as I took off my helmet. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 "How do the away meets normally work?" I asked him out of curiosity. He thought for a moment as he unstrapped his gloves. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. "For this one, we''ll ride in a bus to the city. We normally stay in hotels and room up together. The bus takes us to the venue once for practice then for the actual meet. Afterwards, there''s normally some kind of team dinner, then wee back," he answered. "Has anyone from the school ever tagged along?" I asked as I undid my own gloves. Sawyer hummed thoughtfully. "It''s possible. Some students havee along to support other sports. It really depends on when the meets are held. Obviously, no one is allowed to miss school for it unless it''s an important meet. Other than that, if there''s room on the bus and they don''t have their own practice, other people cane. Why? Is Leoing?" Sawyer replied knowingly. I felt my cheeks grow hot as I put my gear on the rack. "He is my personal manager," I lied. Sawyer chuckled as he set his own gear on the rack. "Honestly, I never thought I''d see the day where Leo was close to someone again. We were actually friends before his ident. Afterwards, he shut everyone out. I''m d to see that you two are friends. Maybe things will start going back to normal for him," Sawyer admitted. Sawyer and Leo used to be friends? I could see it as a possibility. Sawyer was a nice guy. He was veryidback and easy to get along with. Sawyer pat my shoulder gently before heading to the locker room. I was deep in thought when I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Your practice ended?" Leo''s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked at him before I nodded and followed him to the locker rooms. I couldn''t shower because Sawyer was in there, so I just grabbed my things and headed to my room with Leo. After a long shower, I left my chest unwrapped. The wrap was putting more and more pressure on my chest. I tried to leave it unwrapped if I could these days. "Sawyer said that if there''s room on the bus, you cane along," I said to Leo as I came out of the bathroom. Leo was sitting on the couch with a book in his hand. He nced as me before setting his book aside. "I know," he replied as I sat next to him. "I''ve gone to a few meets before. I''ll ask for a weekend pass and tag along. Then I''ll get a separate hotel room like we didst time. It''ll be safer that way. Plus, I''ve noticed that you try to keep the binding off if you can help ittely. Is it giving you problems?" He asked. Leo was very observant. I didn''t think he would''ve noticed. I nodded quietly. "It''s not a big deal, I''ve just been trying to keep the pressure off of my chest," I tried to brush it off. Leo looked like he didn''t believe me. "We should go to bed soon," Leo changed the subject anyway. Thankfully, he dropped it for now. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 The meet came faster than I expected. Before I knew it, we were loading up the bus and leaving for the next city over. Leo got his pass approved and rode with us. Luckily, Easton found out toote and couldn''t get a pass. If Easton tagged along, I couldn''t guarantee that he wouldn''t fight with Leo the entire time. But surprisingly, Leo wasn''t the only other student who came with us. The bus ride was only a few hours before we arrived at the hotel. After the rooms were divvied up, Coach Race huddled us in the lobby. "Alright guys. Go set your things in your rooms then meet back here for dinner," Coach Race said before releasing us. My original room was with Sawyer and Dawson. As soon as we were released, Leo got a different room before finding Sawyer. "Hey, Sky normally has night terrors so he can stay in my room since I''m used to it," Leo gave his excuse. Sawyer agreed before Leo took my bag up to our room. There was only one bed again. Leo noticed where my eyes went. "At this point, it makes no sense to get separate beds," he exined. I nodded in agreement before stretching. My bind felt tight today. I went to the bathroom to loosen it a bit before going back to the room. Leo was waiting on the bed. I could see the worry in his eyes, but he didn''t say anything about it. "Ready?" He asked. I nodded and we met everyone in the lobby. The bus took us to a nearby restaurant where a long table already filled with food waited for us. Almost immediately, Leo started filling a te before setting it down in front of me. I couldn''t help the small smile that graced my face as I started eating. The conversations were loud and boisterous, but I wasn''t really in the mood. I was excited about our first meet, but I was also extremely nervous. It would be my first timepeting with guys, and I wasn''t out of the woods yet. "Eat something," Leo said quietly to me. I gave him a small smile before I began eating. Everyone was loud and talking excitedly with each other, but I just ate quietly. Of course, Leo noticed almost immediately. "What''s wrong?" He asked softly. I sighed as I picked at my food. "I''m nervous," I admitted. Leo held my hand under the table and squeezed it lightly. "It''s your first meet. It''s understandable, but just pretend like it''s a practice in a different ce. There''s nothing to be nervous about, either you win or you don''t. Then you move on to the next match," he exined simply. Leo''s simplistic view on everything sounded easy. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel with the promise to meet up to go to the arena in the morning. After a goodnight pep talk from Coach Race, we retired to our rooms. As soon as the door closed behind us, I took the binding off from around my chest. I sighed in relief as I folded the bandage up. Leo sat in the middle of the bed as he faced me. "It''s bothering you," Leo said as he held his arms out for me. I caved and sat in front of him as his arms wrapped around me. "Even if it is, there''s nothing I can do about it unless I want to announce to the whole world that I''m a girl," I reminded him. "I''ll think of something. For now, we should go to sleep," he said. Iid down as Leo went to turn the lights off. After cuddling up to him in the bed, I sighed. "Do you think I''ll do okay tomorrow?" I asked softly. I felt his lips press to my head gently. "You made it all the way here. The only thing you can do is your best, and that''s good enough," he assured me. Oddly enough, his words wereforting. I respected it more that he didn''t immediately tell me that I would win.i smiled lightly in the dark as I gotfortable. "Thanks, Leo," I said before quickly falling asleep. *** The next day, when we got to the arena, I was immediately in awe. The arena was huge. It was like nothing I''d ever seen before. The huge space has about ten mats set up for matches. I looked around at all the teams warming up. "Alright, great up and we have the center two mats," Coach Race said to us. Leo set my bag down on a nearby bench and opened it for me. "I''ve neverpeted in an arena this big before," I smiled as I put the suit on. Leo only smirked as he handed me my face guard. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. "You''re like a kid in a candy store. If you start having trouble, let me know," he said quickly before I took off for the mats. We practiced with each other and even ran some drills with Coach Race. "Okay, that''s enough for today. Keep your minds sharp for tomorrow," Coach Race yelled you us. I heaved as I took my face guard off and held it at my waist. Leo helped me unstrapped my vest before packing my things in my duffle bag. "You''re really taking this manager thing seriously," Sawyer said to Leo as he came to stand with us. Leo sighed as he put the strap on his shoulder. He smiled slightly before ruffling my hair. "It''s my kid''s first meet. Of course I have to take it seriously," Leo responded. Sawyer shot me a wink before we headed back to the bus. Today was just the warm up to get us used to the arena. Tomorrow, the seats would be filled with spectators, and the noises that filled the space would be electrified. Everything would be lively and exciting. I was bouncing in my seat just thinking about it. Leo nced at me before slyly holding my hand in a way that no one would be able to tell. I ceased my bouncing as I nced at him. He wasn''t worried in the slightest about being caught, he just wanted tofort me. I smiled before turning my gaze back to the passing city as we headed back to the hotel. With Leo, I was calm. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 The arena duringpetition day surpassed all of my expectations. The electricity of excitement in the air was buzzing restlessly. After finding our prep corner, the team went through warmups. Leo sat quietly on the bench next to Coach Race. Coach Race was so used to Leo being around for me, that he let him on the floor with us as my personal manager. Finally, the rounds began. I breezed through winning the first five rounds I had before I was let off for a break. Even though I was winning, my chest felt tighter and tighter with every match. As I finally made it back to our corner, I sighed and used the towel Leo offered to wipe the sweat from my forehead. My hair was practically matted to my head at this point. Leo offered me water which I dly epted before taking a seat. "How are you feeling?" He asked. I sighed and leaned back to rest my upper back against the wall. "I''m fine. After thesest few matches conclude, we''ll know the final two facing off in thest match. I think I have a good chance of making the final two," I exined. "Do you need to loosen your...?" Leo trailed off, motioning to my chest. I shook my head. Getting all of my gear off just to loosen my strap would be a waste of time, and I wanted to watch thest matches to know my opponent''s strategy if I was a finalist. "It''s not bothering me," I lied. It was most definitely bothering me. But for now, I could still me my heavy breathing on the matches. I watched the remaining matches while keeping my body warmed up just in case. Finally, it was down to thest two: a student from Radiant Eagle and myself. I hopped in ce a little to keep warm while the floor was adjusted to make a floor in the center of the arena. Once the staff was done moving everything, Coach Race walked me over to get ready. "You watched him in thest match. You''ve seen how fast he is and where he favors hits. Use it. You''re faster than him. Just get there first," Coach Race Gabe a little pep talk as I was getting ready. The sensors were plugged into the back of my suit as I bent my foil a few times to prepare. Looking back to our team corner, Leo watched anxiously. I knew he was worried about me, but I couldn''t think about that right now. I wanted to win. I wanted to prove that I belonged at Preston Hills. I wanted to prove that I was a worthy student for Coach Race. I wanted to prove that I was just as good as the guys. Once signaled, we took the mat. At ''go'', we began our match. The student I was up against was pretty good, but I still got the first point. He got the second point. As we continued to spar, I could feel my chest feeling tighter and tighter. It was getting extremely hard to breath, but I pushed those worries Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. back and focused solely on the opponent in front of me. We went back and forth up until the very end where I narrowly got thest point. The crowd went wild. I took off my mask after bowing to my opponent. I couldn''t help the huge smile that made its way to my face. I just won overall for my first match. Coach Race picked me up in celebration as the entire team ran over. I was ecstatic, but everything was also starting to go blurry as my chest heaved. I just had to make it through the medal ceremony now. I went back to our corner with the team as I put away the foil and my mask. I tried to make my breathing seem more normal, but of course, Leo noticed I was having a hard time. Leo sat me down and offered water. "Nurse Jackie is back in the medical area. Do you want me to go get her?" Leo asked, worried as I drank the water. I shook my head. Going to the nurse station now would mean I would miss out on the best part of my first meet with Preston Hills. I''d worked so hard up until this point, I didn''t want to miss out on the fruits of mybor. "The medal... ceremony is starting. I just have... to make it through..." I saidpletely out of breath. Leo brought my hands over my head immediately. It only helped a little. Leo watched me worriedly as each yer from tenth ce up were slowly called up to the middle of the floor. "...finally, in first ce: Skyler Park from Preston Hills Academy," the announcer concluded. I smiled as I make my way to the podium and brought my head down as the medal was put around my neck. I smiled and waved through the pain until it was finally over. I hopped off of the podium and went back to our corner as things started getting blurry again. I stumbled as Leo caught me. Luckily, everyone else was too worried about packing up and getting on the bus. "Sky," Leo called to me urgently. ck dots swam in my vision and I could form the words I wanted anymore. My body went limp as consciousness slipped away from me. Leo was here, I knew he would take care of me and make sure that no one finds out about me. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 I woke to dimmed lights. It no longer felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. Looking around, I realized that I was back in the hotel room. An IV of fluids was hooked into my arm. I tried to sit up as I stretched my limbs. "You''re finally awake," Leo sighed in relief. He was sitting in a chair next to the bed. "What happened?" I asked groggily. Leo sighed and held my hand gently in his. "After getting off of the podium, you passed out. I snuck to back to Nurse Jackie while no one was paying attention. She took your gear off and took the bandage off for you before stretching you out a bit to give your lungs some room to inte properly. She drove us back here and gave you fluids. We made the excuse that you were dehydrated. She should be back soon to take the IV out. When she exined. We were both quiet for a moment as he let his words sink in. "You scared the crap out of me," he said, bringing my hand to his head. I put my hand on his hair gently. "I''m sorry. I wasn''t trying to. I just... I really wanted to prove that I could do it. That I was worth teaching," I tried to exin. "I know what you were thinking," Leo muttered reluctantly. A knock sounded on the door, making Leo lift his head. I propped myself up against the pillows and pulled the nket over my chest as Leo went to answer the door. Nurse Jackie came in with Coach Race following behind her. "Good, you''re awake," Nurse Jackie said as she moved to take out the IV. Coach Race looked upset as he stared at me. "What were you thinking?" He asked. I felt my cheeks heat as I looked down at the nket. "I was just so excited for my first meet that I forgot," I gave the excuse. "I gave Sky water during the matches, but I guess it wasn''t enough. I''m sorry, Coach. As his personal manager, I should''ve paid closer attention. It''s my fault," Leo took the me for me. Coach Race sighed as he ced his hands on his hips. "You''re just a student too. It would be dumb to put all the me on you, Leo. Sky, I know you were excited, but next time, pay closer attention to your health too. I''ll go let everyone know that you''re okay now," Coach Race said to us before he left the room. I sighed in relief before sitting up. Nurse Jackie Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. red at me next. "I told you the wrap woulde back to bite you in the butt. You just don''t listen do you? If Leo wasn''t there, you would have already been caught," she scolded me as she held the detached IV supplies in her hands. "She just woke up. I''ll make sire she keeps the wrap off whenever possible from now on, I promise," Leo stood up for me. Nurse Jackie rolled her eyes with a sigh before she left. Leo ordered room service before getting in the bed next to me. "Are you feeling better?" He asked quietly. I felt myself nodding as he pulled me into his side. I wrapped my arms around him and just rxed. "You scared the crap out of me," he muttered again. I smiled softly and sat up a little to look at him. "You said that already," I reminded him. "Because it''s true. You have no idea how scared I was. You were hugging me and then you just... passed out," he replied. I leaned forward a bit and ced a kiss on his nose. My hand reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to make you worry. Don''t be mad," I said softly. He smiled lightly before pulling me back toy on his chest. "Alright, alright. I could never be mad at you," he gave in. I smiled as I wrapped my arms back around him. "You''re probably tired. It''s been an eventful day," I said, changing the subject. Leo reaches up and pinched my cheek gently. "Who made it so eventful by barreling all the way to first ce and then passing out?" He said before he started tickling me. I giggled as Leo moved to hover over me as he continued his tickle assault. "Okay! Okay! I''m sorry!" I squealed. Leo chuckled before he sat next to me. I sat up as I smiled at him. "Thank you... for always having my back," I said softly. He pinched my chin and brought it closer to him. "That was a part of our deal remember?" He replied. He pecked me gently before moving the nket over us and making mey down with him. "We haven''t even gotten started with your starting problem and I only created more issues for you," I found myself saying. He sighed and wrapped his arms around me tighter. "One issue at a time. Since I told Coach about my problem, he''s giving me time to work it out. If you keep binding your chest that tight, the consequences would be bigger than my issue," he argued. I closed my eyes as I sighed. "Enough about that. It''s honestly not that big of a deal. I''m fine now, so let''s get some sleep," I said. "Goodnight, Sky," he agreed before we went to sleep for the night. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 By the time we got back to campus, everyone on the fencing team was still doting on ''little Sky'' who won the first meet. Everyone got a little worried when they heard I passed out but they were happy to see I was okay now. Before our first ss back, everyone heard about everything that happened during our fencing meet. Leo was extra watchful over me. Every breath I took had his attention, and people started to notice. "Leo, you''re really worried about your kid, aren''t you? I heard what happened at the meet. Are you okay, Sky?" Cody asked as he approached our table before ss started. "Sky is okay now. That''s all that matters," Leo said vaguely. Cody nced at me with a small smile before going back to his seat. After this weekend, people were less inclined to mess with me. I guess winning in your sport here earned some merit. After ss, I followed Leo to his swim practice since varsity fencing team earned a break from the win. Unfortunately, today''s practice involved the starter gun. Before practice even started, Leo was already noticeably anxious as he eyed the gun. I put a towel over his dry shoulders for warmth and pulled out my headphones before cing them in his ears. I yed calming music from my phone as he looked at me. After taking a few deep breaths, he was a little better. I smiled at him gently as his eyes stayed on me. "Thanks," he said softly. Leo was okay for a little while until the gun went off. He jumped before running to the locker room, the headphones ripping out of his ears. It was so fast, I would''ve missed it if I blinked. I followed to find him huddled in a corner, hyperventting. I sighed sympathetically as I took his face in my hands gently. "Leo, it''s okay. Everything is okay. Look at me. I''m right here," I coaxed him gently before wrapping my arms around him. Slowly, but surely, his breathing slowed back to a normal pace. Once I was sure he''d calmed down, I pulled away to hold his cheeks gently. "Are you ever going to tell me what happened? Maybe talking about it will help relieve some of the anxiety. It worries me to see you this upset," I admitted. Only being able to help Leo in this way had started eating at me. He was always there to cover and protect me, but the most I could ever do was hug him. Leo sighed before taking one of my hands in his. "I''ll be alright," he tried to assure me, but it didn''t work. I sighed in defeat as his thumb rubbed over the back of my hand. "I''ll go ask the coach if I can take you back to the dorms early," I said before standing. After getting the swim coach''s permission, Leo changed back into his normal clothes and we went back to our room. Leo didn''t even bother to hide how tired he was. He went straight to his bed andid down. I took my wrap off and changed into morefortable clothes before I sat on the edge of his bed and moved his bangs out of his face gently. "Can you tell me?" I asked quietly. Leo hesitated before he pulled me down toy with my back against his chest and his arms wrapped around my waist. "That break... there was a shooting at a pool I visited often. Some sort of dispute led a man to go crazy and start shooting. I only survived by hiding deep in the water, but I was under so long that I almost died from drowning instead. The noise of that gun going off over and over again, even from underwater... it makes me feel suffocated. When I see the starting gun, I feel like I can''t breath. The panic sets in. As a swimmer, I bespletely useless," he exined quietly. I wanted to turn to look at his face, but Leo''s arms held me firmly in ce. "I''m sorry. I had no idea it was that traumatic," I admitted. He only sighed as his breath tickled the back of my neck. "I haven''t told anyone but the police about that incident. The guy was foundter in his apartment... he killed himself out of guilt," Leo continued. I was quiet for a moment before I turned in his arms. His eyes were red and puffy. I ced a hand on his face and rubbed my thumb along his cheek gently. "You can''t let the craziness of one man, stop you from pursuing your dreams. You love swim, and you''re good at it. If you don''t work through your fear, you''re letting that man win again, even from his grave," I said softly. He gave a light smile before he brought his lips to mine in a gentle kiss. Although the kiss was quick, I wanted more. I kissed him deeply as my arm went around his neck. His hand moved to my hip as his mouth moved with mine. I wanted to take away his fear and pain. I wanted to Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. will him into not being afraid anymore. Leo moved to hover over me as our kiss grew heated. I easily got lost in the moment as I pulled him closer. His lips left mine to trail down my neck. My back naturally arched to meet his kisses as my fingers tangled in his hair. This was going too far and I knew it, but I didn''t want to stop. Leo''s fingers touched the skin of my stomach as his kisses began to slow down. He sighed as he dropped his head in the crook of my neck. "Sky... this is dangerous," he admitted huskily. I was amazed he took control, I surely couldn''t do it. I sighed myself as I ran my fingers through his hair. "I wanted to make you feel better," I admitted. Leo sat up and gave me a gentle smile beforeying beside me again. "Having you here is enough," he said sweetly before cuddling into me. Our legs tangled together as Leo wrapped his arms around me and ced a kiss on my head. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Leo agreed to see a psychiatrist with his coach''s support. One day a week, a psychiatrist woulde to meet with Leo in the doctor''s office. WhenI didn''t have practice, I found myself waiting outside the door for him. I wanted Leo to be able to heal and move on from his trauma. And now that he was getting the help he needed, I knew I couldn''t be impatient. It didn''t help that Easton still pestered Leo over me. Leo was right about Easton being persistent. Even though he took a step back like he promised, he did everything he could to get under Leo''s skin when it came to me. Just like that, two months went by. I''d been in pretty good standing with fencing, only getting second ce twice and winning every other meet. Leo has yet to startpeting again, but he was making progress. At least now, he could see the gun without being sent into a panic attack. The holiday break wasing up and my parents had been pestering me toe home, but I knew that doing so would risk my secret, so I lied about having holiday practice and nned to just stay at Preston Hills. We''d had ourst academic ss before everyone went back to their rooms to pack for the vacation. I was reading a book on the couch when Leo finally got out of the shower. He sat next to me and put his wet head on myp. I chuckled before setting my book aside. "You''re not packing for the break?" He asked. I shook my head. "Going home, I risk being outed, so I nned to stay. What about you?" I asked. "My dad is a businessman. He doesn''t have time for me, so going home won''t make much of a difference," he answered. "Looks like we get to spend the holidays together," I smiled. Leo sat up before kissing me gently. Our kiss was soon interrupted by a knock on our door. Leo sighed before he got up to open it. "Holiday trip anyone? My cousin has ake house a few hours from here, and I''m rounding up those who are staying to spread the holiday cheer," Easton announced as he bathed into the room. He sat next to me and grabbed my hand. "You''reing too, right Sky?" He asked as he tried to pull his best puppy dog eyes. Leo trailed after Easton and pped his hand away from mine before sitting in between us. I chuckled at the two of them before resting my legs over Leo''sp. I raised an eyebrow at Leo as he nced at me. Our little silent conversation about whether to go or not didn''tst long. Leo knew I wanted to go. He sighed and moved my legs before going to his drawers. "Fine," he pouted. I hopped off the couch and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind as I smiled. "Thank you," I said fleetingly before going back to Easton. "When do we leave?" I asked. Easton scoffed at us as he shook his head. "Incredible," he said sarcastically. Easton pped slowly before he sighed. "You two are truly... incredible. We''ll leave right after dinner, at seven," he answered before he left. I packed my own bag before sitting it by the door. Leo set his bag next to mine before ncing at me. I knew he didn''t want to go, but a change of scenery would be nice. Plus, I still wanted him to find someone else he could be friends with. "We could''ve had the whole break here to ourselves. Why go on a vacation with the one person I hate?" Leo asked. I chuckled as I sat back down on the couch. "You hate most people, and if we stayed, we would still be monitored by the teachers. At least this way, there''s a little more freedom in our time. Plus, Easton isn''t that bad, he''s just like a kid. He just wants attention," I exined. Leo sat next to me and pulled my legs over hisp. "He''ll be our third wheel the whole trip," Leo said. "You don''t know that. There could be quite a few people going, and you might make more friends. Easton is hosting the trip. He won''t have time to watch our every move, right?" I replied. Leo didn''t look convinced. I sighed before pulling his hand into mine. "We don''t know what will happen just yet. Who knows? You might actually have fun," I offered. Leo wasn''t budging but I knew he woulde anyway just to stick with me. Leo never got over seeing Easton as a threat to his position, and he wasn''t afraid to let us know. As promised, after dinner we met up with Easton and his travel van out front. There was an extra car this time too. I briefly wondered how much money the other guys at Preston Hills actually had. Resources seemed unlimited to them. Cody, Ryker, Sawyer and a few more people wereing. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Easton smiled when he saw me as Leo put our bags in the trunk. "You made it! Perfect! Everyone is here so we can go now," he said before grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards the van. Leo broke Easton''s grip from my arm and red at him. "You''re getting bolder these days," Leo said in a type of warning. Easton only smirked at Leo "There''s nothing I love more than flirting with Sky and pushing your buttons," Easton joked before kissing Leo''s cheek dramatically. "Asshole!" Leo snapped around him on reflex as Easton ran around to the driver''s seatughing. I chuckled and risked a nce at Leo. His entire face was red. I only smiled as I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the open side door of the van. "You know he does it to watch your reaction. Don''t overthink it. Come on," I tried to coax him. We sat down in the van and closed the door behind us before we took off for our impromptu holiday getaway. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!