This is Real

Stale

"She hates me."

Leo tried to be patient with Sasha. He offered his friend services because he knew they two women really would work well together, from the little he'd seen of them. But all Sasha did in the forty-five minutes they had been by Leo and Owen's living room was whine about how things were never going to be fixed.

And Leo was a man of action.

Leo suddenly sat up from his slouched position on his couch, making Sasha look drearily up at him.

"You know how I let Owen know I'm in love with him?"

The panic was clear as day on Sasha's face. "In love? I didn't-"

Leo rolled his eyes, patience running low. Sasha had showed up with the proclamation that her best friend was out for the day because El had promised her parents a few days with them after being away for so long. That left Sasha to her thoughts and that was never a food thing whenever someone had a pressing problem.

"Listen, Pieterse," Leo bit out in a no nonsense tone. "You barely eat, you barely sleep. You honestly look like shit." Sasha managed a small glare but Leo ignored it. "You still have a picture of someone who you claim to hate you. Not just some random ass picture. She's your home screen. Not the two of you together, no, just her."

Leo made large gestures while he talked. "Don't let some puta you see in a liplock with Shay make you suddenly think they're getting married, because let me tell you, kissing does not amount to much."

That didn't really help her. Shay and her had kissed. Multiple times. Did that mean-?

"Have you seen that girl smile around you? Fucking proverbial Christmas tree."

Sasha didn't know how so many curses could make her feel better, but it did. But Leo probably saw her almost smiling, because he made sure to wipe it off of her face instantly.

"But she isn't going to know how you feel if you just sit around on your tiny butt and and wait for cupid to do his work."

Sasha didn't know when the last time someone gave her tough love, and she didn't know why Leo was the one who was giving her this speech, but she suddenly wanted her best friend there. Her very reserved, very gentle best friend who would hug her and make her feel better.

"So you know what you have to do?"

Sasha kept sitting there, not knowing what Leo was looking for. She blinked several times, uncomfortable and unknowing of what was being asked of her.

"Do you love her?" Leo took a different tactic, feeling as if he was coming off a bit too strong for the blonde. These white girls always needed a bit of a nudge.

But when he still didn't get a response, Leo huffed out a breath. "If you don't then maybe you should just kiss this dream--because we both know it's only just going to be a dream--goodbye and live with the fact that Shay is probably going to make some girl or guy happy in the future, and they're going to have babies and-"

"YES! I LOVE HER!" Leo raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her. Sasha stammered. "I-I mean, I love her. Sir."

Well, that sounded stupid.

Leo just nodded, though. To be honest, Sasha looked a bit nauseous when he started talking about someone else marrying Shay.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"El?"

"Yeah?"

El looked up from perusing the set of books that she would be needing for the upcoming semester. She was maybe hyperventilating a little at the price, and she tried to hide it from Sasha, because she knew the girl would want to pay them. Sasha would end up paying for them anyway. El already didn't let the blonde pay for the medical degree itself.