On the flight from London to New York City, the stewardesses in the back were talking. To be more specific they were talking about the boy in first class.
"I wonder what's wrong with the poor child; he always seems to be staring off into space with that sad look on his face." One of them whose name tag read 'Mindy' said as she sighed.
"I know." Mindy's red haired answered peeking around the corner to see if anyone needed anything.
Soon their conversation veered off the boy but she is where the story begins.
Chapter one
After the flight landed, Leo Flexis was having a bit of difficulty getting his huge hiking backpack out from under the seat in front of him. Tugging on it hard, he finally managed to get it out. And to elbow someone in the face as he did so.
"Oh shit!" he muttered as he turned and saw the boy's nose start bleeding. Glad that they were the last ones still on the plane, he helped him stop the bleeding while they walked off.
"Its okay," the boy answered to all of the 'sorry's that were being thrown at him. They finally got all of the blood off in the men's restroom. He exited the bathroom and Leo checked to make sure that he looked as much as a boy as possible before following.
"Hey, hey! Let me buy you a coffee or something." Leo walked backwards in front of him. Now that his face wasn't covered by his hands Leo noticed that he was Asian, Japanese to be more precise. He lifted his eyebrows in a look that clearly said that why should he. "I elbowed you in the face," Leo explained, "And I have to redeem myself before karma comes and kicks my ass."
"Sure," he answered in perfectly accented English as he smiled. "I'm Yoshi, by the way."
"I'm Leo," they got to the line for Starbucks. He ordered two white chocolate mochos for them. "So," he handed Yoshi his drink, "What's you doing in NYC?"
Yoshi took a sip and winced at the temperature. "Going to Peers high."
"The rich kid all boys' boarding school?" Leo asked, grinning evilly.
He nodded, "That's the one."
"Guess I'll see you there."
"What?" Yoshi asked surprised.
"Yeah, I'm going there too. Not what you would think how I'm dressed," he motioned down at his black shirt that read 'all hail our penguin overlord' and dark baggy pants with at least eight pockets and black combat boots. A black woolen cap covered most of his black hair. Yoshi laughed and agreed with him.
"YOSHI!" suddenly all Leo could see was long black hair and a slim female body. "Sorry I was late, are you okay. Oh God don't tell me you got hurt. You did get hurt didn't you?" Yoshi groaned as he was being checked over for every conceivable injury.
"Actually he did get hurt," Leo said stepping in, "I accidentally got him in the face."
Suddenly Yoshi was free from the female person as she turned on Leo. "What?" there was so much menace in her voice that Leo flinched.
"Its okay Yumi," Yoshi said, "He's a friend." He looked over at Leo apologetically. "She's my sister."
Leo nodded, "Thank the Lord I'm an only child." Suddenly his watch beeped. "Oh, I gotta go. See you later." Without a word he turned and walked off.
"Strange kid isn't he?" Yumi turned to her brother.
"Yep." Yoshi nodded, "But he's gonna make the school year interesting."
Leo got her bags and called a taxi. He gave the address to the cabbie and when the cab stopped, he paid the driver and exited the vehicle. Walking into an apartment building, he climbed to the sixth floor and knocked on the door, second to the left. A curly haired blonde answered the door and when she saw Leo she squealed.
"You're finally here!" she said as she hustled him in and they hugged like they were old friends, which they were. See, Leo was actually Leona and, because of circumstances out of her control, she was forced to sneak into an all boys school.
Leo sighed and she sat down on the couch. "He sent me out here, because they attacked us, Cat, again. What do they have against me?"
Cat sat next to her best friend and shrugged, "Just a guess here, but maybe it's the ears and the tail."
"Hey," Leo sounded offended, "Its not my fault that I'm only fifty-five percent human." She took off her hat and her cat ears sprung up free from their itchy woolen prison.
Cat decided to change to the subject. "So when does school start?" she had been told about what was going on about a week earlier.
Leo shrugged, "Next week, but the schools open so that students could get used to living together."
"I'll drive you over there!" Cat volunteered.
"No," Leo shook her head, "I'm gonna get my car and go over by myself." At Cat's glare, she explained further. "What would we say to questioning people, that were dating?" she shuddered, "that would be too awkward."
Cat laughed, "Okay I get your point. But I could pretend to be your sister."
"But we don't look a bit alike."
"Fine you can drive yourself," Cat sighed and gave in.
"I'm leaving either today or tomorrow depending…" Leo left the line hanging.
Cat motioned for her to continue, "On…?"
"If I can stay here for the night?" she looked hopeful.
"Dad's home right now." Cat sighed. Her dad didn't like Leo very much and the friends often said that he hated her. People even agreed with their decision about it. The reason why was that apparently Leo's dad got the girl that Cat's father loved. Stupid reason really. Considering that they were ten at the time. They both married different people.
"Okay that's a leave now. How is my car?" inquired Leo.
"Its fine. I just got it washed yesterday."
"Thank you." Leo said her goodbyes after another hour and walked out of the door, down to the parking lot and found her adorable little silver Beetle. Getting in she started the car and started on her way.
An hour later she pulled into the parking lot of the high school. Her car looked way out of place amidst all of the rich kid cars. And for the fact that her car was slightly feminine.
Thinking about what to tell the principle she shoved on her hat, and got out of the car.
"I'm sorry to hear about your skin disease," Mr. Hiroshi told Leo when she finally found the office. "You may wear the hat."
Leo just nodded, thinking about how her dad was a moron. The rest of the conversation went well considering that she was a last minute addition to the student body. She said 'yes sir' and 'no sir' in all of the right places, and she was free to go to her room and to meet her roommate.
Finding her dorm took a while. Finally she found it, and opened the door to a room full of boys. As soon as they noticed that the door was open there was only silence. They could hear the laughter from outside.
Glad that she had only brought the hiking backpack in with her, she stepped in and kicked the door closed behind her and put her bag down. "Hey," was her confident reply to their silence. Counting, she saw that there were five of them.
"Who are you?" four of them asked at the same time.
"Leo," Leo waited for their names. When she didn't get an answer, she sighed. "Pleased to meet you." Sarcasm, she thought, you are my savior.
"Why are you here?" once again all at the same time. Except one.
"Well," she said thinking thoughtfully, "Since the key opened the door, I'm guessing that this is where I'll be staying."
Silence.
"So, you don't have names?" Leo shrugged. One of them snorted.
"I'm Thomas," he was short and had blonde hair. She nodded in his direction. Soon other names were being thrown out.
"Jimmy." Tall, dark skinned, dark hair and athletic looking.
"Carlos," he was of medium height and build.
"Tobias." He looked rather nerdy with thick glasses and messy hair. Leo looked at the other person sitting on the edge of one of the beds. Smirking she saw something written on the sleeve of his white shirt.
"So," she motioned at him, "I'm guessing that you're Darren?"
"Huh," he finally seemed to notice her. What she had said registered. "What? How'd you know?"
Leo pointed at his sleeve, "Who's Celia?"
Darren turned so that he could see the writing on his left sleeve. "Damn it. I told her to stop that," He groaned when he saw Darren, I love you, I'll miss you soo much! Celia written in curly lettering.
Leo snorted in laughter, "Ooh girlfriend?" everyone else laughed, although it was a little strained, as if they were afraid that Darren would knock their lights out.
"Actually she's my ex." Darren shrugged and turned back to the TV which Leo noticed was on a sports channel.
"Wow," Leo was amazed, "I've heard of stalker girlfriends, but not stalker ex-girlfriends." The other four people were looking rather worried as the conversation unfolded further. No one had ever thrown digs at Darren.
Darren looked at the boy(girl) in front of him. He was amazed at her spirit. New kids had taken one look at him and had treated him with respect for fear that he would make their lives miserable. Which he could. But, this one was as unafraid as a big cat or something.
Leo noticed Darren staring at her and she went into silence. Something in his eyes told her something about something in the future. What any of those 'something's meant she wasn't sure. But she was positive she was going to find out.
Thomas, Jimmy, Carlos, and Tobias looked at the pair with growing curiosity. Suddenly the quiet in the room was cut short by someone banging on the door. The six in the room looked at the door, then at each other, trying to decide, without speaking, who was going to answer it.
"Open up!" someone shouted. Leo yanked open the door suddenly so that the person hitting it fell and crashed into the floor. The red-haired guy picked himself off of the floor and looked at her. He blinked and said the one thing she wasn't expecting.
"You are the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen."
Leo looked embarrassed for a split second. "I'm straight." Which meant that she liked guys, but she wasn't going to reveal that.
"Damn," the newcomer cursed under his breath. He noticed the others in the room, "Ethan Fids just drove in the parking lot in a pink car."
"Fids?" Leo asked, "Did you say Fids?" he nodded. "Shit." She ran out of the door without another word.
The other guys ran to the window and crowded around it to see the pink convertible.
Tobias looked down at the grounds and asked, "Is that Leo?" Everyone looked down and sure enough there she was jogging toward the parking lot.
Darren blinked a couple of times, "Man, he fast."
Leo stormed toward the pink car that was blinding everyone. Having some trouble with getting some bags out of the back, stood a slightly over weight guy. She moved over and leaned against the side of car.
"Hey Ethan." She said and easily pulled the bag that he was having trouble with out.
"Um, thanks, but do I know you?" he asked and looked at her weirdly.
"Yes."
"I don't remember you."
Leo was getting frustrated. She leaned forward and grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him forward, "Punk, think!"
Suddenly he remembered, "Leona, what are you doing here?"
She shrugged, "When have I ever followed the rules?"
"Never," Ethan laughed.
"Which reminds me," she dropped her voice to a growl. "If you tell any one, I will remove your liver with my own hands and force you to eat it. Get it?"
Ethan swallowed, "Got it."
"Good."