Wish You Were Here

04:19

04:19. The moon was ridiculously round. Leo lay in bed, looking through the window.

He hadn't been able to fall asleep. His body ached from lying in the same position for too long, but he didn't move.

He lay there for another hour. The birds had started chirping, and he could hear the distant sounds of his parents moving around in the kitchen.

His stomach growled. He hadn't eaten anything in over twelve hours, but he didn't care.

He lay there, staring out the window. The sky had grown bright, and the moon was long gone.

Leo sighed, finally deciding to get up. He went straight to the bathroom. He didn't brush his teeth, just splashed some water on his face and dried it with a towel. He peed, washed his hands, and he walked out without looking at himself in the mirror.

Not even a glance.

—

He made his way to the kitchen, where the delicious smell of flour and sugar filled the air.

"Honey, you're up," his mom said. "I made pancakes. Come get yourself a serving."

Leo stared at the pancakes. His stomach said yes, but his brain said no. He forced himself to grab a plate and scoop up two pancakes anyway before sitting down at the dining table.

He drowned the pancakes in maple syrup.

"Honey, you're eating pancakes, not drinking the syrup," his mom said, shaking her head.

Leo stabbed a pancake with his fork and lifted it to his mouth for a bite.

His dad appeared in the kitchen, holding a phone to his ear. He kissed his mom on the cheek and sat down across from Leo, still talking business.

His mom placed a plate of pancakes in front of his dad before returning to the stove. Leo took another bite.

He managed four bites before feeling sick. He put down his fork, picked up the glass of orange juice his mom had placed in front of him, and took three gulps.

"Honey, you should eat more. You're looking skinny," his mom said.

But Leo had already carried his plate to the sink.

He scraped the leftover pancakes into the sink and turned on the garbage disposal. Then he left the kitchen and headed back upstairs.

He plopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. After a while, he sat up and dragged his laptop toward him.

He lifted the laptop screen, and a new message popped up.

Copper: Good morning :)

Leo smiled and typed out a reply.

Neo: Good morning to you too ;)

Three dots appeared on the screen before another message popped up.

Copper: How did you sleep?

Neo: Like a baby.

Copper: Did you lie?

Neo: Maybe.

Leo let out a small laugh before typing again.

Neo: Couldn't sleep. Missed you too much.

Copper: You say the nicest things.

—

The chat went on for a while, until there was a knock on his door.

"Sweetie? Time to go to school."

The smile on Leo's face disappeared.

Neo: Had to face reality now. TTYL.

Copper: TTYL, Neo. Have a great day :)

Leo got up, changed, and grabbed his backpack. He headed downstairs, kissed his mom goodbye, and left the house.

He pulled up the hood of his hoodie and pulled it over his head. With his hands tucked into his pockets, he walked along the street. People passed by him, but he never looked up to see who they were.

School was fifteen minutes away. Leo arrived at the last minute, not wanting to spend too much time in the hallway. He kept his head down as he walked to his locker and took out his books.

"Hey, look who it is! The Phantom of the Opera!" some obnoxious jock called out, erupting into laughter along with the others.

Leo closed his locker and headed for the classroom.

"Come on! Don't leave! Sing for us!"

Their laughter grew even louder, with some of them nearly collapsing onto the floor. Leo tightened his grip on his books and kept walking.

Just another Tuesday.

—

Copper: So, did you survive, or am I talking to a vengeful ghost?

Leo huffed.

Neo: Unfortunate for you, ghost hunting will have to be scheduled for another day.

Copper calling.

Leo brightened before answering. A handsome face appeared on the screen, framed by tousled blond hair. Bright blue eyes gazed back at him, accompanied by a charming smile that made the corners of his lips curl upward.

"Hey," Connor said.

"Hey to you too," Leo replied.

For a moment, the two of them simply stared at each other, smiling.

"So, did you miss me?" Connor asked with a teasing smile.

Leo pretended to think about it for a moment. "I think I thought of you during lunch, but then again, I could've been thinking about the disastrous mashed potatoes."

Connor pressed a hand to his chest, feigning hurt. "Mashed potatoes? You compared me to mashed potatoes?"

Leo burst out laughing, and Connor soon joined him.

Their laughter eventually died down, and they spent the evening talking about everything and nothing. The smile never left Leo's face.

Before they knew it, the clock had struck midnight.

"Well, Cinderella, looks like it's time for you to leave your shoe behind and run," Connor said.

Leo laughed. "So you can sniff my shoe after I leave? I don't think so.”

Connor laughed. Leo could never get tired of the sound of his laughter.

They said goodnight, lingered for a little while longer, and eventually, Leo hung up.

He'd survived Tuesday. Just three more days to go before the week was over.

He lay down and pulled the blanket over his stomach, leaving his toes sticking out.

He turned his face toward the window and watched the moon, a golden halo glowing around it. Leo sighed and closed his eyes.

Just three more days.