Mama || The Promised Neverland

Leslie

July 12, 2025
Gracefield Orphanage

Isabella laid on the floor of her bedroom, which she shared with the rest of the girls in the house, she was reading a book about a prince who saved a princess from a tower.

Leslie walked into the room.
   "Hey Izzy!" He said.

Leslie was the only person that Isabella let call her "Izzy". Usually she hated it when people called her that, it made her feel like they were talking down to her and treating her like a little kid..but when Leslie called her that it made her happy.

   "Hi Les!"
   "What are you reading?" He asked.
Isabella closed the book and showed him the cover.
   "Sounds....interesting?"
   "Oh be quiet!" Isabella joked.
Leslie smiled at her and sat down next to her.
   "What on earth are you doing Les?" Isabella laughed.
   "I don't know, I just want to hang out with you."

Hearing that sentence made Isabella feel butterflies in her stomach.

Isabella blushed slightly, which made Leslie blush in response.

Leslie had liked Isabella for quite some time. He was a quiet boy so he didn't have many friends, but Isabella was always there for him. He thought of her as the smartest, most beautiful girl he had ever seen...even if he had only seen the girls at his home before.

July 14, 2025
Leslie walked over to Isabella, who was sitting under the same tree that she always sat under.
"Finish that book yet?" Leslie asked, taking a seat beside her.
"Just did. You should read it Les!"
"What's it about?"
"It's about a beautiful princess with a long braid who was trapped in a tower, then a prince saved her! It's so good! Please read it!" Isabella chirped.
"A beautiful girl with a braid?" Leslie asked.
"Yup!"
"Sounds like you." Leslie said, in a joking tone..even if he did mean what he said.
"Oh you're such a tease." Isabella said smiling and gently punching him in the arm.

Isabella looked at him sitting there. 'Maybe Amber was right...back when she said that I LIKE Leslie.' She thought.

July 29, 2025
All of the children were outside because it was their free time. Zach, one of the boys who was just a bit older than Leslie approached Isabella, who was talking to Jane, a girl that was a year younger than her.
   "You guys want to play tag?" Zach asked.
  "Duh!" Jane yelled.
  "Sure!" Isabella said.

The three kids went over to the rest of the group, and stood in front of them.
    "Okay guys! Let's play some tag!" Zach said.
Some of the kids cheered, other just nodded their heads.

Jane turned to Isabella.
   "Do you think Leslie would want to play with us?" She asked.

Isabella thought about it for a second. Usually Leslie wouldn't play tag with them because he wasn't that fast of a runner....but she thought that maybe just maybe if SHE asked him, then he would play with them.
   "I'll ask! Hey Leslie come here!" Isabella yelled.
Leslie got up from the tree and started walking over to the group. 'I hope they don't ask me to play tag' he thought.
   One of the other older boys, Tommy, who was just younger than Zach rolled his eyes and walked over to Isabella.
   "You're not seriously asking him to play tag with us are you?" He said in a rude tone.
  "Yes I am." Isabella said quickly.
  "He's probably weak! Look at how scrawny he is. And he's so quiet, he never talks to us or plays with us. He just sits there reading like a little nerd! And his awful hair color doesn't help his case!" Tommy laughed.

  Before anyone had the chance to say something back, Isabella slapped Tommy across the face.
   "Don't say that!" She shrieked.
   "It's just the truth! He's weird! I hope he gets adopted soon we don't have to have him around anymore!" Tommy said, still laughing.

   Leslie overheard the whole conversation, and all of the things being said about him. It made him really sad that that's how his "siblings" viewed him.
   He was about to walk away when he heard a loud
THUD.

He turned around and saw Isabella, who had just pinned Tommy to the ground.
   "You shut up!" Isabella yelled.
   "I don't know why you're getting so defensive! It's just the truth!" Tommy yelled back.
   "I'm getting defensive because Leslie is my friend! I hate hearing such things said about him! He doesn't play with you guys because you're bullies! Leslie is a good person and you would know that if you actually cared enough to talk to him!" She yelled even louder than she had been yelling before. "I can't blame him for not playing with you! In fact I'm not either!" She said finally before getting off of Tommy and running over to Leslie.

   "I'm sorry Les. I didn't know they were such jerks."Isabella said, hugging Leslie.
   "It's ok Izzy. I have you, why would I need anyone else."