"Leo"-A Romance Short Story-By, Maddy

Chapter 1:

(Jamie's foreword)

I had never fallen in love before, only once, and it was the most magnificent day of my life, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

**It was finally time for the annual camping trip. Everyone had been texting me all day. Yes, I was excited but a knot had grown in my stomach, I guess I was excited but there were going to be more new people that Hux had invited from school earlier in the month. I wasn’t good around people, I never had been and now being diagnosed with Social anxiety it all made sense, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling of worry.**

Suddenly, my phone rang, it was Hux.

“Yeah?” I answered.

“You coming, we’ve been waiting out here for an hour!” I sighed audibly.

“Yeah, I’m coming!”

“Well move your butt, everyone’s growing impatient.”

I pressed End call.

I hated that Hux hated me because of my sexuality I felt anger rising in my chest but I held it in Hux shouldn’t bother me, yet he always managed to. He was just like him. Hux was just like my father.

    **I grabbed my duffel bag, and slammed the front door, to find Hux’s Ford Expedition waiting, engine running, and a very pissed-looking Hux sitting in the front seat drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. I opened the side door and climbed in next to Maggie, Angel, and Josh, and someone new. As Hux pulled away from my driveway, I couldn’t take my eyes off of the man sitting next to me, he had caramel-colored hair and long fair lashes, shielding his pale blue-green eyes. He was beautiful, I felt a small zing in my stomach as he turned and smiled at me. I smile back nervously. Hux looked back in the rear-view mirror, he frowned at my expression, I instantly turned my attention back to the trees flying by on the road. We stopped halfway at a Carl’s Jr. to grab a bite of dinner before we found our campsite and laid down for the night.**

Hux came back with our orders, I had gotten a burrito and a small drink. As he began passing the food around, when he got to me, he stopped.

“Is this yours? He asked. I nodded.

“Come on Hux, you know that’s mine!” I reached out to grab it, Hux pulled the bag away.

“Hux, come on!” I said again.

Hux laughed as did Josh.

“No, nu-uh, queers don’t just get their food, come on Jamie work for it!” Suddenly, I realized that the beautiful boy I had sat next to in the car stood up and placed a firm hand on Hux’s arm.

“Give it back!” He said, he spoke in a heavy French accent even in English. Hux shook his head.

“Oh yeah, you too?” Hux smirked.

“Just give it back to ‘im!”

    **The boy said again, this time firmer. Hux swallowed. His expression had changed and he offered me the bag of my food once more. When I reached out and grabbed it. Hux held something over my head and once my hair started to drip; I realized that it was my drink. *@$$hole.* I thought. Hux walked away back to Maggie, where he laid his head in her lap whilst she started playing with his hair. I sighed, getting up and wiping the soda off of my sweatshirt. I felt a warm hand on my own, I looked up, shockingly to find the boy gazing down at me, a smile had returned to his face.**

“I know a place where you can wash your ‘air!” I smiled.

“Thank you!”

He nodded and I followed him as we walked away from the others. As we walked down a hillside, I took in all of his features from behind, his tall, strong frame, and his beautiful golden caramel curls fell on his neck. I followed him until, a creek was in front of us, the rushing water was moving so fast; it had begun to have white caps on its surface. The boy leaned forward and gently wet his hands. I stood there perplexed as my heart started to beat even faster at the sight of this beautiful boy.

Chapter 2:

"Come 'on!" He said still smiling. My heart quickened as I stepped forward and leaned down, he removed my beanie and freed all my hazel curls, he dipped his hand back into the water and then began to rub my scalp, and as good as the massage felt, I brought myself back to reality when some of the soda had run back down into my eye, burning. I pulled away, much to the shock of the boy.

"Are you alright?" he asked as I held my eye.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine!" But, he wouldn't take no for an answer, his fingertips found my face and he brushed my hand away from my eye.

"Oh, endommage`!" My stomach clenched, I had never taken french as a Sophomore.

"Is it bad?" I asked. The boy shook his head.

"Non!" he replied. My stomach clenched again as he focused his eyes on mine as he used his sweater sleeve to wipe the corner of my eye where it stung.

"Meilleur!" He turned back to washing my hair. My heart was beating at least 100 miles per hour, or at least that was what it felt like. Once he was done, I felt his hands wrap around my waist, creating electric shock feeling(s) run through my torso, right down to my toes.

I smiled back.

"Thank you- er...Merci!" The boy grinned widely.

"Je t'en prie!" I gathered that as a "Your welcome" in French. As we walked back up the hill towards the others, I felt the boy's hand briefly touch mine as both our arms were swinging in tune to climbing the hill. Hux was standing with his arms crossed, and a very put-out-looking Maggie stood next to him, her hands clinging tightly to his sweatshirt's sleeve. Clara came up to us before we could climb back into the car.

"Good job this time Jamie!" She winked at me and then looked at the boy and smiled.

"Thank you for doing that Leo'!" She squeaked as she got in the car too. I smiled to myself. His name is Leo'. I thought. Leo' held the door open for me as I climbed into the back seat and as my heartbeat picked up, even more, Leo' climbed in to sit right beside me.

Chapter 3:

The feeling that the most gorgeous man in the world was sitting right next to me, and that I was going to spend a whole week with this man on a camping trip thrilled me. My breaths had become rapid, but I reminded myself to calm down, I didn't need to be in hysterics next to Leo'. Leo' seemed to pick up on this, without looking at me, he reached down and as my stomach dropped, he covered my hand with his own. I blushed because I knew my hand was ice cold from my anxiety but I didn't say anything. Instead, Leo' looked towards me this time and frowned.

"Are you cold?" he asked, sending a shiver down my spine. I nodded. Suddenly, my mouth dropped open. Leo' was pulling off his sweater, only to reveal sun-kissed skin underneath another white undershirt. He handed me his sweater. I blushed again.

"Merci'!" I said again. I pulled on the sweater and as I did so, I felt like I would faint, Leo' wasn't just handsome, he smelled like pure happiness, I hugged myself in the warmth of Leo's sweater, it was perfectly soft and warm, I felt my hands instantly warm-up once more. I noticed Hux's glaring in the rear-view mirror, but I didn't give it much thought, I had finally found happiness and the source of that happiness?

The beautiful, kind, caring man sitting right next to me Leo'.

Chapter 4:

We had finally reached Checker's Peak.

The night had fallen quickly upon us. Hux cursed under his breath when we arrived. I gathered that he had wanted to get to the campsite when the dawn was still here and new. We began to set up our tents, Hux of course has brought the biggest because his demands were almost larger than his ego. Leo' had brought his tent, I hadn't brought one because I wasn't keeping track of the things I needed. I sat down on a fallen log next to the fire Hux had started. Clara sat down carefully next to me.

"You Ok?" she asked. Gently, bumping my arm. I nodded.

I could feel Clara looking at me with her pricing but kind blue eyes.

"You're not telling me, something sweetie, what's wrong?" I shook my head.

"It's just that Leo he's-

Clara smirked, her eyebrows moving farther up her forehead.

"Oh, this is about Leo huh?" She asked grinning.

I nodded, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Clara snorted her laughter.

"oh, honey you know I wouldn't pick on you for that, come here!" She pulled me into her arms, which were very warm, instantly I felt comforted, I had never found it odd for Clara and me to be so close when I was only attracted to men.

Chapter 5:

Towards the end of the evening and as my phone read that it was almost 10:30 PM, Hux and Maggie were curled up by the fire, Hux's head once more in her lap, her fingers twirling his hair. Clara frowned in concern once she saw that I wasn't paying attention anymore to her talking. Maggie got up, half-throwing Hux onto the earth.

"Hey what the hell?" he retorted back to her. Maggie yawned unphased by it all.

"I'm going to bed!" She nodded at me and then followed by a half-angry Hux, they disappeared into their tent. That left Leo, Clara, and me around the fire. After a couple of moments of awkward silence, Leo got up, he looked at me for a single moment biting his lip, his brows creased, but then also retired to his own tent. Clara looked at me again, her brow furrowed also. I was so tired, there were so many things I didn't understand about this day, and Clara seemed to pick up on this.

"Come on sleepy-head!" She gently pulled on my sleeve, helping me stand up even as exhausted as I was, I was always so grateful for Clara being in my life, I didn't know what I'd do without her. Clara entered her own tent and seemingly so, that I had forgotten my own, there was no way I would be sleeping next to Hux and Maggie, no, there was no-nooo way I would be doing that again.

"Well, come on in!" She said smiling, slightly grinning. I climbed in and was instantly hit by the smell of lavender. Clara had always worn lavender essential oil when she would be going to sleep. The scent calmed me and I laid down on one of the many throw blankets she had tossed around her tent.

Clara had curled up in her favorite pink blanket. I laid there awkwardly, until Clara turned around-well, no more like she rolled around to face me. Again a hint of worry crossed her face.

"Oh, don't worry too much about him sweetie!" She opened her arms for me and relieved of the awkward silence, I managed to climb my way into her embrace, my head resting on her chest, it rose and fell as Clara took in a deep sigh.

"It will get better, I promise! You just have to wait tomorrow, and hey maybe even tomorrow!" I sighed. Clara's hand reached down and I felt her fingers run through my newly washed hair, it was something she had done when we had first met as roommates, it always relaxed me before sleeping. Well, we never slept together as lovers, but as friends, we had a very close bond with each other. As her fingers gently grazed my scalp, I felt my eyes start to close as then I was instantly asleep.

Chapter 6:

I woke up naturally this morning, a little sliver of sunlight was peeking through the half-open tent door and had fallen on my cheek, I looked up to see Clara smiling down at me.

"Hey," she said in a soft voice. I blinked a couple of times, before checking my phone. It was 9:45. I sat up, Clara still smiled at me.

"You slept like a baby!" I nodded, yawning while rubbing my eyes. Clara and I climbed out of the tent. Maggie was busy flipping pancakes on the fire griddle whilst Hux was sitting on the fallen log scrolling through his phone. Josh apparently had gotten bored and had gone home in the middle of the night. I looked around for Leo, but I didn't see him. Maggie stopped flipping pancakes and came up to me half grinning.

"Looking for Leo?" I nodded. She laughed.

"He's not up yet, I wouldn't wake him, it looks like he's having a really good dream!" I blushed suddenly and turned away from Maggie and Clara to sit across from Hux, who looked up at me only frown and scoff.

Then he spoke,

"Your lover-boy isn't up yet!" I nodded.

"Thank you, Hux, I know!" Hux threw his phone into his pocket.

"Don't take that tone with me boy!" I frowned, feeling the anger rising in my own chest.

"Boy? thanks but you're not my dad!" Gritting my teeth at the mention of the man. Hux scoffed, his eyebrows raising.

"Excuse me faggot!"Maggie cried out along with Clara.

"HUX!!!"

Instantly without knowing, I felt my legs spring up and I watched as the realization crossed over Hux's face as I tackled him. The dirt was wiped in my face by Hux's squirming hand.

"Get off me, get the hell off me!" I felt a strong pair of arms wrap around my back and a familiar scent rose to my nose, suddenly, the anger wasn't as strong as I had felt it seconds earlier. Maggie helped Hux up, but pushed him back from her when he was standing again.

"What?" he asked defiantly.

"The little prick was getting on my nerves!" Clara straightened.

"I don't Hornby, you never say that to anyone!" Hux laughed and shrugged.

"He had it coming!" I struggled against the arms encircling me.

"You @$$hole!" I cried. Hux shrugged again, unphased. The pair of arms opened and I was able to squirm free, I turned and my heart started to flutter. The pair of arms belonged to Leo, he was awake now, but he still looked tired. He started towards Hux, Hux threw up his hands.

"Hey, Leo' man, I haven't talked to you in a while!" Leo' smirked and then spoke.

"'ou disgust me!" And Leo' punched Hux, sending him flying backward and tripping over the fallen log. Maggie glared at Leo'. A tear started to run down her face she rushed to her boyfriend's aid.

"Oh my god, Hux, are you- are you ok?" Clara smiled at Leo' as he turned around.

"Cul'!" He said. Then he turned back to me, a look of concern on his face. I was so nervous and so thrilled at the same time, that I didn't even know how fast my heart was beating anymore, and my palms had grown sweaty too.

Chapter 7:

My heart was beating too fast for me to think how fast it was actually going. Clara turned to me, her hands were cold against my skin.

"Oh, Jamie, are you ok?" The anger still piled in my chest, I couldn't shake it, even though Hux was slumped over Maggie holding his bruised face. I shook free of Clara's touch.

"Jamie, where are you going?" She called after me but, I didn't care, I was only in search of the beautiful boy, I had come to know and now that I had come to fall in love with. I walked quite a distance towards the river (creek) when I saw his caramel curls, he was sitting on a rock next to the rushing water, his head hung. When I reached him, I stepped in front of him. He looked up but didn't have enough time, because I pressed my lips to his and I watched his eyes closed as so did mine.

Chapter 8/End of the short story (Leo'):

When I pulled back, our lips causing a soft smacking noise, Leo' looked up and he grinned.

"Merci'!" I said. Leo's cheeks blushed red before he replied.

"Merci'!"

And that was how I knew, I had met the man of my dreams.

THE END.

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