Blue

The following day, Leonardo walked into class, early and on edge as he had the day after his secret had been discovered. He knew this would be a constant. This feeling, this unease, because it wasn't something new, he'd been through this in high school after all. But it was as he told himself before; he couldn't run forever. He couldn't keep moving, changing schools, getting farther from Noah. He had to prove his own endurance. To himself more than anyone.

"Hey, Leo."

No more than three minutes after he sat down, Leo was greeted by the gentle, yet cheerful voice of Savannah, who offered a soft smile at the brief meeting of their gazes. She claimed the seat beside Leonardo.

"You sleep alright last night?"

"...I guess," Leo replied almost inaudibly, somewhat puzzled by the question. "Why do you ask?"

"Just 'cus," Savannah said. She leaned back in her chair to stretch out her legs in front of her as she gripped the edges of her desk. "I slept okay, too. Except some time around three in the morning. That's when I started hearing the alley cats performing their nightly summoning ritual. You know how it is."

Turning his head slightly, Leo stared back at the girl with the oddest expression, one that came as close as it could to making Savannah burst out laughing.

"You know," she added, biting back a grin. "Like, meowing, and stuff. But like, really...loud, and it sounds like they're in pain, and-...L-...Leo, it was a joke..."

Leo knew this, and yet he maintained his furrowed brow and pouted lips, hoping he would make the other feel awkward enough to shut her up—on the contrary, this act of his only amused the girl more and edged her on to more conversation starters.

Leonardo saw himself as the freak but Savannah was definitely the weird one.

"So since I was awake I decided to make an omelet. But then I realized I was out of everything except eggs. So I put a cooked egg inside the omelet. It was an egg omelet. You know?"

"Are you sure you even slept?

"I can't remember."

Truly, an exasperating thing to talk to Savannah. And Leo wasn't entirely sure why he didn't simply ignore her. Perhaps, he knew deep down that would only be more exhausting, and the boy could only handle so much at this point.

***

"Hey, Savannah, can I talk to you for a second?"

It wasn't common for Savannah to be called out to by people on campus, so needless to say it took her aback a bit to hear this request from one of her fellow students from her music classes. Then again, she considered even before they spoke again that it concerned that subject. She couldn't imagine why else a near stranger would have reason to talk to her.

"Hey, Earl." Savannah forced a polite, somewhat shy smile as she greeted the boy now standing in front of her. "What's up?"

A look of genuine curiosity blended with urgency stained Earl's expression as he glanced away, seemingly to find his words, or maybe to select them properly. Still unaware, Savannah waited patiently.

"Are you..." Earl dragged out the word, his lips extended, brow furrowed. "...are you friends with Leonardo?"

"Leo? Of course."

It came as an instinctive response, almost as a reflex, Savannah's gaze unmoving from the boy's own. She didn't plan on taking it back. Or even thinking about it. What concerned her was why Earl felt the urge to ask in the first place.

"You are?" He asked, and Savannah nodded. "So, then...do you know what's up with him?"

"What's up with him?" A feigned laugh. "Oh, I don't know, maybe he's been a little tired lately, you know how college stress can get to a person-"

"No, Savannah, I mean about his condition-"

"What about his condition?"

She shocked herself with how acrid her tone had become. Sharp edges, unable to be dulled with how livid this encounter was already making her. And Savannah was never the type so quick to anger.

"If you're friends with him, I mean, you gotta know something, right?" Earl asked. He seemed more tentative now. And rightfully so, Savannah thought. Perhaps her passive aggressiveness was actually getting through to him.

"He's nothing for you to worry your petty little mind over."

"Why do you sound so cold, woman, I was just asking," Earl said with a scoff, eyeing the other's countenance as though second-guessing this was actually Savannah he was speaking to. "I have a right to be concerned, you know. I think we all do."

It dug under her skin. Savannah wasn't fond of the feeling.

"Mm, nah, I think that's a symptom of mob mentality. Or paranoia." She placed a thoughtful hand on her chin, humming softly to herself as her eyes lifted towards the sky. "Or maybe it's a bit of both. Ask a psychology student."

Earl made no effort to mask his irritation with the girl, scowling as he turned his back to go join a small group of people Savannah could only assume were his friends——most likely waiting on Earl for some answers, she thought with disgust.

Disgust. That was the only word Savannah could think of to accurately describe how she felt about these people. Disgust.

She meant what she had said to that boy. Regardless of her apparent, scathing tone of sarcasm, Savannah firmly stood by her own words. Namely her mentioning of mob mentality. She wasn't an expert in psychology herself, of course, but she knew enough about it to comprehend simple concepts, or at least the simplest aspects of certain concepts.

Mob mentality. Aka one of the main reasons Leonardo's life had not once, but twice, become the equivalent to a living hell.

It was an incredibly dangerous thing. Savannah knew that much, as well. What a shame it had already seemed to settle so quickly, and spread even faster.

She didn't want that. If only she were a magician, she thought, so she could make them all forget and Leo could be at peace.

Shoving her hands in her pockets, Savannah heaved a sigh and turned around, preparing to continue in the direction she had been going in before Earl stopped her. She didn't expect to be stopped again, by anyone, but especially not by Leo.

The boy in question stood several feet away from her now. Evidently, by the sobriety of his expression, Leo had overheard their conversation, at least enough for him to understand what the exchange had been about. Him, naturally, and he didn't appear too happy about it. More than that, however, there seemed to be something else igniting that icy spark in his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

Confusion. Leo's stern gaze fixed on Savannah's as he impatiently awaited a response. And Savannah didn't try to feign a smile this time, because at the moment, she didn't consider herself in the mood for smiling. "What did it look like?" She asked.

"No, I don't think you realize exactly what you're doing."

He sounded so sure of himself. His admonition, well-justified, at least in his own eyes. Savannah pretended to remain clueless.

"Savannah, standing up for me is only going to make you enemies."

"So be it," she said with a shrug. "Filter out the trash from the recycling, as my grandma used to say."

Stunned. Leo didn't move from where he stood for a time, eyeing the girl's countenance, scrutinizing every inch of it in the same way people observed her—trying to figure her out. It was odd, because no matter how hard Leo tried, he couldn't sense a hint of remorse in Savannah. Not a shred of anything that suggested she cared about those people's opinion of her, or perhaps even how they might treat or act around her in the future because of her choices.

She seemed to have already found her land and built her fort. And that, more than anything, bewildered Leo the most.

"You're a jigsaw puzzle of a woman, aren't you, Savannah?"

This comment earned a curious chuckle from the girl, who tilted her head in question. "Jigsaw puzzle?"

"Don't you know what that is?"

"I do," Savannah said. "I'm just a bit, how you say, 'puzzled' by your comparison."

A stretch of silence.

"...you're annoying."

"Aw, but it was clever!"

"It wasn't, and you're annoying."

***

After his classes that day, Leo went to work as usual and performed till it was time for him to head back home again. And although he did thoroughly enjoy the peace and tranquility singing and playing at the café provided, today, the ache in his chest from being apart from his best friend hurt more than usual, and for a reason not even he knew, so he couldn't wait to get back to his apartment to talk to him.

Over text, of course. Though Leonardo would have loved it to be in person.

He entered his apartment, tossed his bag on the floor and collapsed on the couch, not even bothering to take a shower first before texting Noah.

+

Leo.nardo

hey noah

+

No reply. Leo waited for a few minutes.

"Probably busy," he sighed in disappointment. Pouting, Leo set his phone aside and decided to get that shower after all. Maybe, if he were lucky, by the time he returned, Noah would have replied. Maybe. Hopefully.

Fifteen minutes later and Leo was exiting the shower, furiously drying his hair with a towel as he made his way eagerly over to the couch where he had left his phone. He picked it up to check for messages. Nothing.

Noah had a full-time job, he often had to remind himself. A full-time job, and he lived near enough to his family to visit them often, too. Not that there were many times Noah ever neglected Leo, not even unintentionally, but still, Leo always kept these things in mind, for his own good, he liked to think. Because deep down he knew how much Noah cared for him, down to considering the smallest details about him in all situations.

Leo set his phone aside again. That boy would reply as soon as he could, he knew that, so there was no point in staring at the device until he did. So instead, to pass the time until he grew tired, Leo turned on the tv.

Seconds later he received a notification. His hands shot for his phone.

But it wasn't Noah—not Savannah, either. Or anyone he knew for that matter.

+

Unknown Number

Hello! How are you?

+

Probably has the wrong number.

+

###

who are you?

i think you might have the wrong person

+

Unknown Number

No, I don't believe so.

+

His thumbs froze over the keyboard.

+

###

i'd like to know who's texting me before i say anything else

+

Unknown Number

Haha! There's no need to be so skeptical of me, Leonardo Diaz. I am no foe.

+

###

savannah if this is you pulling some sort of prank on me it's not funny

+

Unknown Number

Savannah? Oh, no, I believe you are mistaken.

This name is not mine.

+

###

then what's your name???

+

Unknown Number

Fun question!

How about you call me Blue?

+

###

that's not a name

+

Unknown Number

But I like it! It is my name now.

I am Blue. Like the color. And you are Purple!

+

###

do not. call me that.

+

Unknown Number

:( But why not? You do not like the color?

+

###

Give me one reason why i shouldn't just block you right now

+

Unknown Number

I already told you, Leonardo Diaz. I am not a foe.

If you choose to block me, I will obtain another phone and try again.

+

###

what reason do you have to be so persistent???

+

Unknown Number

Because we are siblings, Leonardo Diaz!

+

###

i'm an only child

+

Unknown Number

Oh, no, I meant figuratively. Haha.

+

###

wtf are you talking about??

+

Unknown Number

Think about it, Leonardo Diaz.

My name is Blue.

Shall I bleed for you?