Leo's POV

I walked down the street to the private school with my backpack on and our school uniform on straight. Black dress pants with a small black belt, a white button-up shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, and my dark green tie of our school color.

It was the middle of summer so the morning was warm enough for me to leave my black uniform jacket at home. Birds sang loudly overhead. I usually loved walking to school in mornings like this but I just had too much on my mind to really breathe it in. I just looked down and watched every step I took.

The bell on Miss Parker’s Flower shop rang as I walked near, warning me she walked outside. I snapped my head up and gave her a warm smile, hiding the sadness underneath.

She was pretty old with long but thinning silver hair and wrinkles. She started sweeping the welcome mat just like every morning for as long as I could remember as she too smiled back to see me.

"Good morning Leo. How is your mother doing today?" She asked me as she handed me the broom so I could take over this small chore like I did every morning I walked to school for her.

"I think she is doing much better today. Thank you," I lied, smiling at her as bright as I could to make her think I was telling the truth.

To be honest, my father had to push me out the door this morning because I didn't want to leave my mother's bedside. Her cough wasn't clearing up as fast as the doctor hoped and that made me worry.

"That's wonderful to hear. I'm happy she is doing better this week," she smiled, kindly.

I made sure I cleaned the mat off well for her since she worked here alone, too stubborn of an old woman to hire any help around the shop after her two sons moved away to start their own families years ago. She was just too independent for her own age.

"My goodness Leo. We need to have more young men like you around this part of town. Just as bright as the sun itself." Her cheeks filled more with wrinkles as she chuckled.

I giggled back before saying, "Everyone is a star in their own way, Miss Parker." I finish up sweeping around the mat and hand the broom back over to her.

"Well, now you've made me early for my morning tea. Thank you, Leo." She waved me off as I started back on my walk. 

The school wasn't too far of a walk from there. I walked along the tall red and brown brick wall and as I entered through the large black iron gate doors the first bell rang. Everyone inside the school grounds began to separate from their groups and made their way into the large red brick building with me.

"Good morning Leo," a group of girls said all at the same time while waving as I walked past.

I smile nicely at them. "Good morning ladies. I hope you all have a good day," and give them a wave as they giggle off down the hall whispering to each other with glee. It's the normal thing for them and I have no idea what their names are.

I don't know. I guess I could be good-looking to them. I'm about average height with golden blonde hair that was a mess most days, stopping just before my icy blue eyes, and I did have some muscle. You can't really see it through the clothes but you knew it's there. Nothing really special though, at least to me.

I tried to keep a positive attitude around everyone and lend a helping hand as much as I could to anyone in need. It's how my mother raised me to be and I just wanted to make her proud.

Walking into class 4B, I took my normal seat next to the window and dug through my bag for the right notes and books to start the day, along with last night’s homework. We stayed in the same homeroom for the whole day besides for lunch and gym so I had everything I need until then.

Once the teacher walked in everyone took their seats, passed in homework, and she started the History lesson while I took notes. She wasn’t that bad to look at I guess. All the boys in class would go crazy for her long black hair and purple glasses that cover her velvet-colored eyes. She's skinny with long legs and a pretty big chest they all drooled over, but she was our teacher and I would rather learn than goo-goo over her like a dog begging for a stake like they did.

After that comes Math. I was really good at Math. The numbers and patterns just come so easily for me so while the teacher went through all the stuff I already knew, I looked out the window and watched the wind blow through the tree just outside.

It was a beautiful day. Our class was on the second floor, which gave me more to look at as an orange and black butterfly caught my eye. I got so lost in watching it, memorizing every little white spot outlining its wings, thinking how beautiful it would be to just take off and fly away with no worries. No problems to deal with. What a beautiful life it would be.

"Leo!" The teacher snapped, making me jump up from my seat, knocking down my chair, and causing everyone around to turn and start laughing. 

"Oh, I'm sorry ma'am," I said as I picked it up, feeling a slight heat in my cheeks. 

While I was turned around, she asked, "Would you please show our new classmate around the school?"

New classmate? This late in the first semester? That's odd. "Yes ma'am." I turn around and jump back quickly hitting my chair into the desk behind mine.

A taller, slim, yet clearly muscular boy stood in front of me. He had long red hair that is tied back in a messy ponytail, leaving his bangs to fall around the frame of his face. Even threw our black uniform jacket I could see his arm muscles. He had that ‘I didn't care about anything’ look to him. His ears were pierced up and down. The bottom of his earlobes has a black filled gauge, about as round as a pencil with another half the size next to it, then a few silver studs and a silver bar across the middle and out the top of his ears. A black ring was also noticeable on the side of his nose.

I didn’t know the school would allow someone to wear all those let alone let a student walk around with their jacket left unbuttoned, no tie on, and shirt not tucked in like this kid was.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't hear you walk over," I said with a smile and laughed nervously. He didn't scare me with his tall bad boy vibe, I just didn't expect someone to be standing right in front of me when I turned around. What a good way to first meet someone.

He turned his head and looked at the empty deck a few seats behind me the next row over as his cheeks turn slightly pink. I didn't mean to embarrass him. Now I feel really bad.

"Leo. Would you mind showing him around now before Math ends?" The teacher asked as I looked around him to her.

"Yes ma'am," I said, tripping over the leg of my deck and stumbled into the aisle. That caused everyone to giggle around me again. Ugh. I'm sure this kid thought I was an idiot around seeing that. "R- right this way please," I said as I felt my face start to heat even more while he followed me.

We walked into the hallway, leaving me alone with the new kid. "Welcome to our school. Umm, as you know, my name is Leo. Leo Turner." I held a hand out for him to shake so we could have a proper interdiction with a smile so big I had closed my eyes.

"Okay," was all he said back.

When my hand isn't met I quickly open my eyes with a fading smile and confusion as the boy is over by the window, looking down at the courtyard.

I hurry over to stand by his side. "So, uh, what is your name?" I ask with another smile.

I could see him take a deep breath. "Like the teacher said already, King," he told me finally but kept his eyes out the window, not even looking my way once. 

"Wow really? Is that your real name or just a nickname?" I've never heard that being a name before. Of course, it's usually used in front of someone's name as a title but not an actual name. I found it pretty cool and unique.

King looked over at me for the first time with his bright emerald green eyes. Wow, they were so nice. Even with a confused and a little annoyed look in them. "Well that's the name the teacher used, so I would have to guess it's my real name," he said, rudely.

What's with this guy's attitude? Ugh, but I shake it off quickly and smiled. I guess I wouldn't be too happy moving schools in the middle of my last year of school either. "Right, sorry. I was completely zoned out when you walked in," I chuckled as I felt my cheeks heat a little. "I usually don't do that. Anyways, let's start this way, and then we will come back around before the teacher gets mad for us taking too long. She might look nice and all but don't let that fool you. She can get mean real quick."

I lead him down the stairway and start the quick tour around the school. I can tell he wasn't actually paying attention with one hand on the strap of his backpack and the other in his pocket as I talked about the rooms and hallways. He looked kinda bored and lost in thought as he looked down at his feet while we walked but I still talked about them with a smile on my face because that was what I was supposed to do.

It didn't take long before we finally made our way back to the classroom and I held the door open for him to walk threw. He gave me a weird look at my kind gesture but he walked in anyways and took a seat in the empty chair in the next row from me, in the back of the room where he was looking at before we first left the room.