Sometimes Our Minds Work Against Us...

Chapter Thirty: Valentine's Day; Leo Valdez

Sometimes Our Minds Work Against Us...

Chapter Thirty: Valentine's Day; Leo Valdez

Inspired by: Valentine's Day 2014 and Mayday Parade's: Terrible Things

Waking up you know what day it is. The day that all the couples are tripley annoying. The day that everyone is lovey dovey and you're the only one in the group without a significant other. You know that they will be kissing, hugging, and giving cheesy gifts and then feel awkward because you're standing there all sullen because, you know, who would want Leo as their Valentine?

You roll out of the squeaking, cracking, metal bed and rub the crunchy bits from your deep brown eyes. Running a hand through the brown curls atop your head you find that they are greasy. Sighing, you hop up and take a five minute cold shower. Stepping out you look in the cruddy mirror hanging over the once white sink and sigh. Bags under your eyes from lack of sleep, cheeks sunken from lack of food, but your skin is rosey from scrubbing and your head is cold so you dry off and get ready. Putting on your khakis and t-shirt you put on the matching gray suspenders and throw on the army jacket.

Pounding down the stairs you run out the door and down the porch steps to the end of the drive. Twenty boys wait alongside you as you wait on the yellow train wreck of a bus. Stepping awkwardly among the red bags, teddy bears, and candy boxes you see the High School bus appear. The others hurriedly climb aboard to get out of the cold but you still consider running back inside the boy's home.

Then remembering that you have a test today you glumly climb aboard. Sitting next to a random guy you hear him chatter on and on about how he hopes his girlfriend likes the life sized teddy he got her. Yes because all girls want to carry around a ten pound bear as big as them all day, yes totally.

Sitting there you sigh, everyone is wearing the red and pink colors of this atrocious 'holiday' and you just stick out like a sour thumb. Gray t-shirt, gray suspenders, khaki pants, green army jacket--yeah totally doesn't look out of the ordinary with red 'love' shirts and pink dresses. Totally.

Walking into school it looked like almost everyone were handing or receiving gifts, kissing or hugging their boy/girlfriend or was standing off to the sidelines with the other people who didn't have someone. This is where you stand, and wait, and wait, and wait some more till finally the 'go to class' bell rings. Walking into first period you hear other people talking about how they are nervous to see what their crush thinks about the presents they got them.

You hear this chitter chatter for the rest of the day, every period and even at lunch, so when you get to the bus wait, well you just park yourself in the farthest corner and wait patiently for the 9301 bus to arrive. Getting aboard you slide into the window seat of the brown leather sweating against your back even in the 10 degree weather.

Slowly everyone climbs aboard, everyone, all twenty boys who live in the 'boy's home' all the girls for the 'girl's home' down the street, topping the bus off with all forty of the regulars. You sit alone, everyone preferring to sit with their friends and human sized stuffed animals, in fact, you're the only one sitting alone. (Even the stuffed animal people had another one in their seat!)

Sighing you tap your head against the window trying to remember why you even went to school this dreaded Friday. Then you hear it, tap, tap, tap, step, tap, tap, tap, step. "Well hello little lady, where'll we be takin ya' todays?"

"The girl's home in Louisville, I've just moved here." The girl says quietly back. The lady nods, okay, just sit right on down dare, now, normally, it's no guys and gals together however, it's kinda crowded today, so I'll make an exception. Al'ight?" The bus driver says wiggling her index finger accusingly at the girl and glancing at me as well.

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you." The girl replies, slowly she feels around for the seat and slides into the seat beside me, perched like a little bird she places the black book bag on her lap.

"Why no red?" I inquire out of boredom. She wore a black cotton jacket with a thin white V neck and denim jeans, not the pink frilly dress that most of the other girls wore, or at least not the camo ones with pink t's underneath.

"I don't--Well I can't," She laughs quietly, "I'm blind." She says holding up the pulled in cane hanging on her wrist. I rub the back of my neck, "Oh." That's all that comes out.

She turns forward to the window and smiles to herself, as if it's some private joke.

"That's the fiftieth time someone has said that today, with that same hand gesture and everything. The one where you rub those little hairs on the back of your neck, yeah it's kind of redundant you know."

I nod, "Yeah, yeah, sorry..." I say wringing my hands, "So what's your name?"

"Hm, the third to ask that," I smile at this, "I'm Amelia, Amelia Homes." I nod, "Cool, I'm Leo, Leo Valdez."

"Nice to meet you Leo. So...where do you live?" She looks up at me and I smile, "The boy's home, that where all the guys on here live, short route." She nods, "Yeah, I guess so."

The stop comes and the short chitter chatter of girls and short kisses shared comes up loudly in the silent bus, Amelia stands up and lets her cane expand to regular length and smiles at me, "I'll see you tomorrow Leo." I smile and nod, but she gets off before I realize that she didn't see any of that.

"Leo idiota!" I mumble to myself hitting myself. Idiota, idiota, idiota completo.

Getting off the bus three minutes later the long file of boys carries me all the way to the rest area for boys named S-Z. Sliding into my bunk I sit and think about her.

I sit and think for a good long while, the clock ticking and the sun setting as the thoughts run wild. How her red hair fell to her back in big loose curls, how her cheeks were dusted red when he had introduced himself, and how she had smiled, that beautiful smile. How her soft fingers glanced over the ruff leather seat and how she had just known exactly how everything looked without even being able to see it.

"Amelia, ¿por qué eres tan bella?" I sigh laying down onto the soft pillow. Lying spread eagle on the bed I stare up at the top bunk that lightly squeaks as the seven year old above me rolls in his sleep.

"Leo?"

"Sí," I ask back to the small voice calling for me.

"Would you shut up about that girl already? I'm trying to sleep." The voice groans.

"Bien mi amigo" I respond rollin over to kick my combat boots off. "English?" The voice demands.

"Alrighty my friend." I repeat back, "Thank you," The young voice says flopping back down onto his pillow.

Climbing up on top of my bed I peak over the edge at the small boy laying atop it. "Hey Nico,"

"Hello." The black haired boy says groaning.

"How was your day?"

"Fine."

"Did you ask that kid if they liked you?"

"NO."

"Oh, well, there is always tomorrow!" I say cheerily.

"Go. Away. And die." He mumbles half heartedly into his pillow.

"Como desee mi amigo" I say with a smile ducking back into my bunk. I lay down onto the squeaking bed and smile to myself.

Maybe it's not such a horrid day.

A/N: So, this is going to be a two parter, the happy ending today because it's Valentine's day and I don't want your day to end on a bad note, so thats why it's a twofer.

However, tomorrow, well Mwahahahaha, don't you wish you knew what was going to happen. Love ya'll hope it was a good day for you all and you got to have some candy!!!

Nighty night, see you all in the morning.