IF: Life and Death

Chapter 4: Because He has the Weirdest of Friends

Because He has the Weirdest of Friends

Leo has great friends.

His circle is not that big but the people that belong to it are the most awesome ones.

As early as 6 am, Jeff calls out from their front gate, looking up to make sure that his voice reaches the second floor where Leo's room is.

"LEO!" he belts out and Leo rushes towards the balcony to tell him to stop because he can't afford to let Jeff's impatience wake up the whole neighbourhood.

"One second!" Leo tells him the same time he has to make him stop before he runs back to his room.

He groans. He doesn't have any clothes on. The fly of his pants is down and the other pair of his sock is missing. He's also having a hard time looking for other stuff because his mom did the cleaning last time.

"This is why I don't want my room cleaned," he mutters. That's because he always has trouble finding things in an organised room more than the chaotic state that he's gotten used to.

"LEO!"

"Oh my god." Leo grabs his bag from his bedside table while at same time trying his best to put on the other pair of his shoes without untying the lace, hitting his head against the doorknob in the process. "Dammit!"

The third time Jeff calls out to him, he gets all the dogs in the area barking and it's not a good thing.

High Homes is always the busiest village at night so anyone can tell that everyone is not fond of waking up early in the morning. Everyone's business starts at 9 a.m so no one is really allowed to make inconsiderate noises until then.

Of course there are considerations for students who have to wake up earlier than usual, but the noises should be limited to breaking plates, dropping of utensils, and opening and closing of the  front gates.

And yes, everything Jeff has done triggers a not-so-pleasant effect.

When Leo gets down, houses are lit one by one. He can imagine how his neighbours groan, one after another, because of getting bothered by two students who can't keep their mouths shut.

"Trouble," he says as he grabs Jeff by his backpack and they both run before anyone can notice them.

Classes usually starts at eight but Jeff always insists that he has to review the lessons from the previous day so they can participate for the drill the next day**** he recommends Leo to do the same.

The problem is, Jeff isn't that kind of person.

"What's the rush this time, man?" Leo asks once they've hopped into the school bus. Good thing bus operations start at six.

"Why? We're going to the library," Jeff says, nudging him by his chest before they both sit at the back of the bus.

"Nah. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm never gonna buy that A+ student facade of yours?" Leo rolls his eyes, digging one of his notebooks inside his bag to actually review. "Who is it this time?"

Jeff heaves a deep sigh, a sign of defeat. "Fine it's the librarian*"

"What? You're into old lady's now?"

"HA HA. She's not old, come on*"

"So she's not a student?" Leo cuts him off again. Jeff can't answer right away though. He keeps on averting his eyes until they land on Leo's again.

"Well... yeah?"

Leo inches away, acting as if he's in disgust. "Ew, dude. Did you even ask if she has kids?" he says, obviously fooling around.

"Is it a bad thing if she has?"

The bus takes a sudden halt, launching Leo from his seat and to the floor. This time, he gives his friend a genuine look of disgust.

Despite the usual traffic, they arrive in the school premises fifteen minutes later. Jeff heads to the library while Leo  tells him he'll pass. He's realized he doesn't want to get involved. That friend of his is a lost cause.

It is true that Jeff is an average-looking guy, just like Leo. But they're different because even though Jeff lacks nutrition and is obviously thin, he attracts girls more than Leo. Maybe girls don't like body builds that are in between toned and not.

"Leo!"

He's shrugged off his thoughts when Adrian calls his name. He is standing there, with a long face, eyes looking irritated as he leans on the wall just beside the entrance to the halls.

"What's with the face? It's Monday cheer up!" Leo says, reaching his hand out for an informal handshake.

"That's exactly the point! It's Monday and you're late!"

And that, folks, sums up his circle of friends. Two impatient guys. He's the only one that's rational here.

"C'mon!" he groans. "It's half past six. We have an hour and a half more," he reasons, pats Adrian's back and walks into the halls.

"What time did you leave for school anyway?" Leo asks when he looks back and sees Adrian, though head tilted down to avoid catching gazes, still following his tracks.

Adrian, unlike Jeff and Leo, has a built physique. He doesn't go to the gym and doesn't have a decent eating habit but his body is well toned. The more he eats, the more his muscles get defined.

He's supposed to be the front line of the group as well. Among them, he has the kindest of face**** kind that gets everyone pleased to the point where they admire him. But he doesn't seem to know that. Or maybe he does, but still doesn't mind.

He always hides his body under the thickness of his jacket and his face behind the shadow of his hood. He doesn't like meeting people in the eyes so he always has his head lowered down. Sometimes it seems impossible for his height but he's managed to do it.

He's the shy guy. That's what they call him but Adrian prefers to call himself the lonely one. Of course his friends don't know, even Leo, and he intends to let it stay that way.

"Hey, Ian," Leo calls and Adrian finally looks up, their brown orbs meeting.  Though they are akin to one another, their eyes depict different emotions. They're both glaring at each other but Leo can't hide the playfulness within. Adrian, on the other hand, though trying to look intimidating with his creased forehead, still can't keep his eyes from glistening.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?" He snaps but Leo counters it with a soft chuckle. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

"But you're my little brother," Leo says, wiggling his brows in approval. Adrian just rolls his eyes  before he continues walking towards the classroom.

Leo doesn't understand why his friends keep on dragging him to go to school early but when he follows Adrian to his classroom, stands by the doorframe, and just stays there to observe, it is as if it's been a long while since he sees his little bro smile. He can't keep himself from smiling as well.

He remembers how much of a crybaby he was when they were eight and Adrian was the complete opposite of him. Adrian giggled too much, smiled too much, and laughed his ass too much. It was the time they had a father. When they made paper planes and paper boats they would let afloat in the stagnant water from the usually long rains.

"Papa, look!" he'd say, his arm held high to show the marks that tell how well he did in school.

"Papa, look!" he'd say, even though it was raining, even though he was covered in mud******** it was the first time he caught a frog.

And then Leo would cry. Their father would tell him to listen to his gut. That his gut always tells him to be strong. But he can't remember anything remarkable about that life except that he can cry for straight hours and eat his own mucus. That was the best he could do. He's the older brother but Adrian seems to be the more rational one.

Then their father died when they were twelve.

Then everything changed.

It was raining the day of the funeral but Adrian no longer had that cheeky smile on him. He was sitting on the mud but he wasn't enjoying it. He wasn't happy.

Then Leo stopped crying.

It hurt but he couldn't seem to find a way to succumb to that pain. He wanted to cry but he thinks he had cried enough. He didn't know what to do until he saw how helpless his brother was and how devastated their mother looked.

So he decided he'd be strong. Not because he didn't have a choice but because his gut told him so. And from all the things he learned from his father, he knows that his gut always tells him to be strong.

Seeing Adrian smile that way brings back so many memories that it has put Leo in a trance, ending like a creepy stalker leaning on someone else's classroom.

"Excuse me, Mister." He snaps back to reality, just as quick as he turns to face whoever it is behind him.

It's a little guy called Jam. Adrian has told him about that certain classmate who has fake freckles and is so small his spectacles are larger than his face. Of course he's exaggerating but when Leo gets an entirety check, he's realised it isn't a bad exaggeration at all.

But that's not what agitated him.

"Did you just call me 'mister'?" he says, face expressing what lies between humour and rage.

"Yes, mister. Would you mind stepping aside? I don't think you realise you're blocking the way," he says, his tone so flat it sounds robotic. Leo does as the nerd tells and steps aside. He still wants to say something but has realized that a retort won't do any good. That Jam obviously dislikes his existence anyway so there's no point to take it to an extra level.

He reverts his attention back to Adrian who's busy talking with someone, not with his mouth but with his eyes. The girl who's name Leo still doesn't know of seems to catch up with it though. Leo laughs, shakes his head before he walks away.

Jeff's an overconfident paper-weighing guy and Adrian's an overly cool but discreet romantic.

Yep, he has the weirdest of friends.

On the first day of his funeral, Leo has just come to realize that the weirdest of friends that he has turned out to be the most fragile.

Jeff has not come yet or more like he refuses to. Almost the entire school has come to pay their respect to the family of their friend and from what Leo overheard, Jeff caused a commotion at the halls for throwing himself against the lockers and ended up wounding his knuckles**** to mention the fact that he destroyed the vigil for Leo the moment he laid eyes on it.

Adrian, being his brother, is of course at the site to receive the condolences but Leo has been waiting for him to take a peek at the casket and talk to his body, but he never did. He just keeps standing there. He has always been the silent type but that moment his entire existence spells out peace and quiet that no one dares to intervene.

The facts make Leo upset. In fact, he's so upset it starts raining.

If anyone would ask him what makes him regret the state he's in right now; if anyone would ask him what makes him hate death and if he's ever to make a list out of all his reasons, he'll say number one would be the people he'll leave behind.