Hidden in Her Letters

the things you ran from

Dear Annie,

I've been having some good days lately. The nightmares have lessened, but I know it's only a matter of time before they come back, harder than before.

Do you ever sit in silence and realize that all the things you thought you'd outrun never really left? They're just waiting, lingering in the quiet, ready to catch up to you when you least expect it.

I'm... okay.
I think.

– Annie

Leo ran a hand through his hair, frustration boiling beneath the surface. What the hell is she running from? He couldn't stop the questions from circling in his mind. Annie's letters had hooked him in ways he hadn't expected. He felt guilty every time he opened one, but the pull was too strong to resist now. He was in too deep, like a fish caught on a line that was slowly reeling him in.

He wanted to know more—he needed to. But he couldn't just ask her outright. How could he explain his sudden curiosity without revealing that he'd been reading her private thoughts?

"What's going on with you, man?" Justin's voice jolted him out of his thoughts. Leo barely had time to stuff Annie's letter into his locker before his best friend appeared beside him, leaning casually against the metal doors.

Leo forced an innocent look, trying to keep his cool. "What do you mean?"

Justin shot him a bland look, not buying the act for a second. He was the one person who truly knew Leo—the guy beyond the charm, the cool confidence, and the swagger everyone else saw. And as much as Leo trusted Justin, there was no way he could tell him about Annie. Not yet. "Come on, dude. You've been... off. Weird. You're acting distant, lost in your head all the time. You're not fooling anyone. What's going on?"

Leo shut his locker with a soft thud, shoving his hands into his pockets. He started walking down the hall toward class, hoping the conversation would die if he just kept moving. Justin fell in step beside him.

"It's nothing. I haven't been sleeping well. Probably the nicotine," Leo said, keeping his voice casual.

He thought that would be enough to get Justin off his case, but Justin wasn't so easily fooled.

"Bullshit," Justin replied bluntly, his eyes narrowing as he watched Leo's stiff posture. "I know you better than that. You always sleep like a rock, and the nicotine never messed with you before. So what gives?"

Leo felt his frustration rising. He didn't want to lie to Justin, but he wasn't ready to share the truth, either. "I said it's nothing," he snapped, stopping mid-stride and turning to face his friend. He sighed, running a hand down his face. "Just drop it, okay? Please."

Justin gnawed on the inside of his cheek, studying Leo for a moment. His eyes softened slightly, but his suspicion remained. "Is it a girl?"

"No," Leo muttered, rolling his eyes. "I told you—"

"Yeah, yeah, 'you haven't been sleeping,'" Justin interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. "But it is a girl, isn't it? It has to be. You've never been this flustered or off your game, and I can't imagine anything else getting under your skin like this. Come on, who is she? I've never seen you like this."

Before Leo could stop him, Justin slapped a hand on his shoulder with a grin. "She must be something special."

Panic surged through Leo as he grabbed Justin's arm and pulled him out of the main corridor, away from prying eyes and ears. He glanced around, making sure no one was watching. The last thing he needed was for word to spread, for anyone to start paying attention to Annie. She didn't deserve the drama or gossip that would inevitably follow.

"Shut the fuck up, would you?" Leo hissed, his eyes darting around the hallway. He knew the kids at this school—and worse, he knew his own so-called friends. Most of them were crude and judgmental, more than happy to spread rumors and make someone's life miserable for their own amusement. And if they caught wind of Leo's sudden interest in Annie, they'd swarm like vultures.

Leo couldn't let that happen. Annie was too kind, too fragile in her quietness. She didn't deserve to be thrown into the chaos of high school drama. He already knew more about her than anyone else—more than she knew he knew—and the last thing he wanted was for her to become another target for the judgmental crowd.

Justin raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by Leo's sudden outburst. "So, it is a girl. You're so whipped."

"Oh, shut up." Leo groaned, running a hand through his hair again. "It's not like that. I'm not—whipped. For Christ's sake."

Justin smirked, folding his arms over his chest. "I call bullshit. You're totally hung up on her."

Leo shot him a flat look. "Too bad."

Justin rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Come on, man. It's me. You can tell me. I want to know who's got you all riled up. Who's got you acting like this?"

"There's no 'crush,' Justin. Just drop it."

"Really? Then why are you so defensive?" Justin asked, crossing his arms with a knowing grin. "Why are you acting all weird lately? I just want to know the truth."

Leo glared at him before continuing to walk down the hallway. He had hoped the conversation would end there, but Justin wasn't done.

"Come on," Justin whined, his voice taking on a mock childish tone. "I wanna know the tea, sis."

Leo groaned, rolling his eyes as Justin's playful persistence grated on his nerves. Normally, he found Justin's antics endearing, but right now, he wanted to strangle him.

"Dude, shut up," Leo muttered, his patience wearing thin.

"I just wanna know who's won—"

"Nobody's 'won' anything!" Leo snapped, spinning around to face Justin again. His voice dropped as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "She's just... someone. Someone I'm trying to understand, okay? There's no crush, no being 'riled up' or whatever crap you're spouting."

Justin raised his hands in mock surrender, though his grin never wavered. "Alright, alright. I'll back off. But seriously, you're in denial."

Leo huffed, turning on his heel and continuing down the hall. "Whatever, man," he muttered, the frustration still simmering beneath the surface.

As Justin jogged to catch up, he cracked another grin. "It's adorable, though. You're totally whipped."

Leo groaned again, his irritation echoing down the hallway as Justin's laughter followed behind him.