Collide ♔ Tom Kaulitz

c h a p t e r ♔ s e v e n t e e n

"Fran. Get up. It's Leo, he needs us." My mother softly shakes my shoulder. My eyes shoot open at the mention of my brothers name.

The worry plastered across my mother's face sends a wave of panic washing over me. Throwing back my thick white comforter i hop out of bed and slide into my slippers next to my bedside table.

"Be quiet. Don't wake anyone else." My mother places her frail finger over her lips, telling me to stay silent.

"Momma, whats happening?" I ask her groggily and still half asleep. She turns back to me, lingering with her eyes on mine. I hadn't called her momma in years, since i was a little girl. I'm kind of surprised by it too.

"Leo is in trouble. He needs us." She tells me, taking my hands into hers. She rubs her thumbs softly over the back of my hands.

"What? Is he okay?" I ask, raising my voice. My mother shoots me a look to stay quiet.

"... yes" She hesitates. She lets go of my hands and walks towards the garage door.

We left as quietly as we could. Women of the mafia are never allowed to leave their homes with out being escorted by a man. It was a big risk even attempting this and my mother knew that.

I could see a few tears drip down my mothers cheeks as we drove away. The droplets glistened from the street lamps as the lights passed through the car. In my entire seventeen years, i had never seen my mother cry.

I stayed silent. I was afraid to ask anymore questions and make this even more real. Nothing can happen to my little Leonardo... right?

We took a left at the light and my stomach sunk further down in my seat. I knew where we were going. We were headed in the direction of my parents lake house on the outskirts of the city.

As we pull into the drive way, i am hit with a wave of nostalgia. We used to spend every summer here before my father took over for my grandfather and became Don. I was eleven when that happened and i hadn't been here since.

My mind flashes through memories of this old home. How my sister and i would jump hand in hand off the long wooden dock, crashing down into the cold lake water. Or how Leo and i would swing on the porch for hours talking about everything we would do as grown ups one day. We truly had no clue.

The lights from my mothers suburban illuminate Leo as he stands at the end of the drive. His hands are grasping at the roots of his hair, his cheeks stained with tears. My heart begins to thump in my chest as i lay eyes on my little brother.

I wish i could say i knew who Leo was, but that would be far from the truth. Leo had changed so much over this summer. Each passing day he pulled away from me more and more, our connection withering away with the days.

My mother threw her seatbelt off and exited the suburban. I followed not far behind her.

Leonardo ran into my mothers arms like an injured child. His screams got louder as his wails became heavier. My hand shakily cupped my mouth as i hurt to see Leo like this. My baby brother, falling to pieces.

"Alice is dead." He cried out into my mothers chest. His tears soaked her light blue shirt, turning it a dark teal color. My mother hadn't even noticed, her eyes seem fixed on the front door of our house.

My jaw dropped at the news. Leonardo and Alice had been inseparable since the fifth grade. I knew with all my heart Leo would marry her.

My brothers legs weakened beneath him and him and my mother fell to the ground in a crumple. My mother held him tight in her arms as she rocked back and forth on the ground.

After a while, his cries seemed to soften. "Hold him." My mother commanded me as she stood from my brother. I nodded my head and took her place on the concrete with out hesitation.

I pressed Leo against my chest, letting him feel my heart that aches for him.

"Fran." He whispers into my long dark hair, wet with his tears.

"What?" I pull back, cupping his cheek into my palm. I stroke his supple skin, reminiscent of the way my mother does the same.

"It's my fault. I bought pills from that east side kid and gave them to her." He shakes his head, looking down to the ground. Tears fall from his eyes and soak into the concrete below.

"Leo, that's not your fault. You didn't know what would happen." I murmur softly, stroking his light brown curl behind his ear.

"If i hadn't told her to take the drugs she would still be alive." He begins to sob again. His shoulders heave violently as he releases his emotions.

"No, no, no. Shhhh" I grab his shoulders, embracing him once again. Leonardo throws his arms around me, letting his big frame fall onto mine.

My head perks up at the sound of my mothers footsteps.

"We need to figure out what to do with the body." She looks down at me and tucks her arms snugly over her chest.