The Road To Your Heart

Rain hammered softly against the Carter's house windows while Lisa rushed around her bedroom trying to find her missing shoe. "Hey, Dorothy!" she shouted. "Did you take my sneaker again?" Lisa's little sister poked her head into the room, looking totally innocent. "No" Lisa narrowed her eyes. “You’re smiling.” “That doesn’t prove anything.” “It proves guilt.” This made Dorothy burst out laughing, and then she tossed her shoe in her sister's direction. Lisa caught it dramatically. ln the kitchen downstairs, the aroma of coffee and pancakes drifted through the air as Theresa prepared lunch for the two girls. The Carter's place wasn't fancy or anything, but it had a certain warmth to it, you know, it felt like home. And that's something that's really hard to put a price on, it's just one of those things that makes a house feel special. The kind of home filled with laughter, framed photographs and old music playing in the mornings. "Get yourself something to eat before leaving " Theresa said. "I will". "You say that to me every morning." Lisa grinned before kissing her mother’s cheek. A car horn sounded outside. Dorothy gasped dramatically. “Your billionaire chauffeurs have arrived.” Lisa rolled her eyes instantly. “They are not chauffeurs.” “Okay,” Dorothy muttered. A shinny black Range Rover was parked on the pavement. "Finally we were about to leave." Said Jake Harrison leaning halfway on the passenger window. "You say that every morning." "And one day, I will mean it." Leon was able to catch a brief, fleeting glimpse of her in the car's rearview mirror. "Good morning." His voice was calm. Steady. Always steady. The first time Lisa Carter met the Harrison twins, she accidentally broke one of the large windows of their mansion while playing basketball. She was six years old.Terrified. Certain rich people probably called the police for things like that. Jake Harrison was laughing so hard that he almost fell in the pool. Leon Harrison quickly picked up a broom before she walked on the broken glass. That pretty much explained the twins perfectly. Jake was chaos. Leon was calm. And for what turned out to be the next eleven years, the three of them have become inseparable. Everybody knew it Lisa Carter and the Harrison twin's. Sleeping overs Watching movies. Nocturnal drives. Birthday traditions. Nobody questioned it anymore. “You study for chemistry?” Lisa asked. Jake groaned loudly. “I plan on failing with confidence.” “That’s not a study method.” “It’s a lifestyle.” Lisa laughed harder while Leon shook his head tiredly. That was usually how mornings went. Jake talking nonsense. Lisa encouraging it. The school building appeared through the rain minutes later. Students crowded the entrance holding umbrellas and coffee cups while music echoed faintly from somewhere inside. The moment the three walked through the front doors together, people stared. They always did. The Harrison twins attracted attention naturally. Tall. Rich. Handsome. “Lisa!” Martha called from down the hallway. Lisa's face lit up with a big smile as she quickly ran over to give her best friend a warm hug. “You ready for chemistry?” Martha asked. “No.” “Same.” Jake suddenly appeared between them dramatically. “I’m creating a support group for academically struggling students.” “You’d be president,” Martha replied. “Exactly.” Through the day classes dragged endlessly. The rain had finally stopped by lunchtime, leaving the football field a wet and soggy mess under the dull grayish silver clouds that covered the sky. Lisa was sitting under the outdoor pavilion with the twins, Martha and Jake's girlfriend Aliya, and she couldn't resist picking a few fries off Jake's tray as they all hung out together. 'You know what I want?” Lisa asked suddenly. “My fries back?” Jake replied immediately. Lisa rolled her eyes. “No seriously.” Her voice softened slightly. “Nevermind" Leon looked at her quietly. Lisa's gaze drifted off toward the football field, her mind clearly elsewhere. Then she froze slightly. Martha noticed first. “What?” Lisa looked away quickly. “Nothing.” "Wait… isn’t that Cole Bennett?” Jake followed her line of sight immediately. By the benches, there was this really tall boy, just chatting away with a group of seniors, looking totally at ease. Black hoodie beneath his school jacket. Dark messy hair. One hand tucked away in his pocket. Even from far away, there was something unfairly confident about him. Everyone at school knew of Cole Bennett , the new student. Rumors followed him around instantly. Fights. Girls Parties. Trouble. Martha leaned closer. “I heard he punched somebody at his old school.” “That rumor changes every week,” Aliya said. Lisa glanced toward the field again. Cole laughed at something one of the seniors said before suddenly lifting his head slightly. And for one brief second—his eyes met hers. Lisa looked away immediately. Her heartbeat unexpectedly uneven. Jake noticed instantly. Unfortunately for everyone involved… Jake noticed everything. “Oh no,” he muttered. “What?” Lisa asked quickly. Jake narrowed his eyes suspiciously "You just did the thing.” “What thing?” “The ‘I can fix him’ thing.” Lisa burst out laughing. “You’re insane.” “Leon,” Jake said dramatically, “tell her I’m right.” But Leon stayed quiet. Way too quiet. Because unlike Jake— Leon wasn’t joking anymore. He had seen the way Lisa looked at Cole..