TST
Their faces were a few inches apart that they could feel each others' breath
“Leo” Isla mumbled
Leo raised his eyebrows
“Leo I─”
“Guys, c’mon… you will need to see this” Baraka rushed into the room
The three walked out of the room, Isla assisting Leo walking. Though it was noon, the place grew dark. All students were out staring at the sky.
Baraka smiled, “it is a solar eclipse!"
Isla smirked, “What?”
“The moon meets with the sun… they make love and give birth to the stars” said Leo as he gazed over the sky. These words reminded him of someone he almost started to put out of his mind. He smiled.
Isla held Leo’s hand, “need to get rest or else you will collapse again”
“As you wish─”
“My whiz kid..!” Rachel ran towards Leo and hugged him, “I missed you”
Leo smiled, Isla gasped.
“Didn’t know you were that witty” Rachel still clinging over Leo, “the whole school is now talking about─”
“Hey, sorry but he needs to rest” Isla snapped
“You hurt?” Rachel scrutinized Leo, “OMG! Thanks, CR…but I’ll take care of him from here.”
Rachel pulled Leo’s wrist and pulled him with her. Leo turned his head and winked to Isla who looked disenchanted.
**********
Leo sat at his room staring at the window. He liked this room because through the window he could see the whole school campus. It was the weekend and he watched the students moving here and there. He had nothing to do, no gambling, and no friends.
He texted Benjamin, “Big bro”
Benjamin replied, “Tsup?”
“Got a job?”
"Yah, at the construction site"
“Makin money?”
“Enough to keep me alive… how is school?”
“Worst”
“Work hard”
“That’s not my style”
“It’s better than gambling”
“Thinking of quitting”
“I’ll eat u alive”
Before he replied, his phone buzzed, he picked it up, “Rachel…”
“My whiz kid, you free?”
“Think so, what’s up?”
“Get yourself ready, I’ll pick you after an hour”
“Where to..?”
“Just get ready… you will like it”
“Tell─”
“See you after an hour”
"Hey… hey…hey," Rachel already hung up, "what on earth is she thinking?"
What should I wear? What should I wear? He scratched his head moving around his closet.
As he was thinking, a message came into his phone. Batman, he smiled after reading the sender of the message.
“U free?” the message read
Leo scratched his head and replied, “Yes”
“Can u come 2 my room?”
“Now..?”
“The earlier the better”
“Give me a sec”
Leo dug into the closet and changed his clothes. He thought about Rachel for a while and took his phone. He wrote her a message.
“I’ve got an urgent situation. We can’t meet today”
He switched off his phone and walked away.
**********
Leo was asleep at the coach and Isla was in her kitchenette. She unexpectedly heard a knock on the door. She hastily ran towards the door.
“Rachel..?” she whispered after opening the door
Rachel smiled, “How are you I─”
“Shii… someone is asleep”
Rachel nodded, pacing in, cautiously. She was stunned after seeing Leo on the couch, "how long has he been here?"
“An hour… fell asleep a few minutes ago” Isla sat, “what’s up? Seems like you are going out”
“It’s nothing”
“C’mon Rachel” Isla stood, “came all the way here to tell me nothing”
“Think I need to go”
“You alright..?”
Rachel walked out slamming the door.
Isla locked the door and returned to her kitchen.
Rachel walked out, her face filled with fury and twinges. Few meters from Isla’s room, she met with Daniel.
"Rachel!" Daniel said
“What’s up?”
“You alright..?”
“Do I look so?”
Daniel chuckled, “hitch shared is half solved”
“Good luck, hitch solver," Rachel said and walked away but Daniel pulled her arm
“Stop pretending,” Daniel looked directly at Rachel’s eyes, “Isla has got what you want and Leo has got what I want. If we work together, we will both get what we want”
Rachel snapped, “Work together?”
“Sounds good?”
“Don’t need a rally round. It’s better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them” Rachel mumbled and walked away.
“Who knows?” Daniel shouted, “Today’s enemy can be tomorrow’s friend”