monsters are real and they look just like people

The following Monday, Leo could feel the shift as soon as he stepped into school. Something was off, and it wasn't just the usual Monday blues. He spotted Annie at her locker, her movements rushed as she fumbled with her books. He took a breath, determined to approach her, leaning casually against the locker beside her.

"Hey," he said, his voice light, trying not to startle her.

But it did. Annie jumped, nearly dropping her notebook. Her reaction was sharp, almost defensive, and Leo instantly felt the tension in the air.

"Woah," Leo chuckled softly, holding up his hands. "Didn't mean to scare you. Sorry."

Annie didn't meet his gaze. Her breaths came quicker than normal, and Leo could see the edges of her fingers trembling slightly as she continued to hurriedly grab her things.

"It's okay," she exhaled, her voice distant, avoiding his eyes as she slammed her locker shut with more force than necessary.

Leo's brow furrowed in concern. "Annie, are you okay?" He reached out instinctively, his hand brushing her arm, but she stepped away before he could make contact.

"I'm fine," Annie muttered, eyes glued to the floor. "I just... I have to get to class." Without looking back, she turned and hurried down the hallway, leaving Leo standing there, hand still mid-air.

Frustration gnawed at him as he watched her go. He thought they'd moved past this—past the skittishness, past the distance. Just last week, they'd been laughing, sharing stories, and now... she was shutting him out. Again.

Throughout the day, every time he tried to approach her, she either disappeared into a classroom or turned down a hallway, avoiding him entirely. She wasn't at the bleachers, she wasn't in the library, and she wasn't hanging out with Jay or Amari.

And every time he texted her, there was no response.

Leo couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong—something beyond just a bad day. By the time he got to the locker room to change for football practice, the frustration had fully settled into his chest. As he tugged on his jersey, he overheard a conversation between Jack and Matthew, his ears perking up at the tension in their voices.

"Dude, what the hell happened?" Matthew asked, concern lacing his tone. "Your knuckles are a mess. Who'd you fight?"

Leo glanced over, his gaze narrowing as he noticed Jack's bruised, raw knuckles. Jack, sitting on the bench, scowled and avoided eye contact, his jaw tight.

"Nobody," Jack snapped, clearly agitated. "Just let it go, Matt."

Matthew, being Jack's best friend, wasn't about to drop it that easily. "Come on, man. You tell me everything. What happened?"

Jack clenched his fists, his expression darkening. "I said, drop it."

The tension between them hung heavy in the air before Matthew sighed, holding up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. But if you want to talk, I'm here."

Jack didn't respond, his eyes fixed on the floor as he finished tying his cleats.

Leo's mind was racing. Jack had a temper, sure, but something felt... off. Jack wasn't just angry—he was holding something back. And whatever it was, it had to do with Annie. Leo could feel it. He could see it in the way Jack's demeanor shifted when he spoke, the way Annie had been acting distant all day. Something had happened, and Leo had a sinking feeling it wasn't good.

Without even thinking, Leo pulled off his chest protector and grabbed his sweatshirt. He wasn't about to let this go. Not when Annie was involved.

Ignoring the curious looks from his teammates, Leo slipped out of the locker room and headed straight for Annie's locker. He knew it was wrong, violating her privacy like this, but the gnawing need to understand what was happening drove him forward.

He stopped in front of her locker, glancing around to make sure the hallway was empty. Then, with a shaky hand, he tugged open the locker door. His heart pounded as he scanned the small space. And then, tucked neatly in the corner, he saw it—another folded piece of paper.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the note, unfolding it quickly.

Dear Annie,

Uncle Kalvin showed up yesterday. He came to grab some papers from Dad's office while Dad was out at work.

And it happened. Again.

Things were good for a while. Like I said before, nothing good ever seems to last, does it?

I don't even know what to say. I hate that I'm sitting here trying to put words to this feeling, but there's nothing. I'm just... empty. Numb.

And I hate it.

But maybe feeling empty is better than feeling sad, right? At least if I'm numb, I don't have to feel the anger, the hurt. I don't have to feel anything at all. But I hate him. I hate him so much it physically hurts. I can't even express it in words. God, the ink's smudging from my tears. This whole thing is a mess. I am a mess. My life is a mess.

Jack... Jack went ballistic. He saw Uncle Kalvin and just lost it. He punched him in the face. Over and over. I had to pull him off before it got worse.

Jay and Amari don't know the details yet, but I can tell they're piecing it together. They can see it in me. I'm not the same, and they know.

And Leo... I can't even look at him. I feel disgusting. I feel like an absolute asshole for shutting him out, for being so distant when all he did was try to help. But how could he ever understand? How could he ever look at me the same, knowing what's happened?

God, why am I such a mess? Why can't I just be okay?

Leo and I used to joke about how creepy those sci-fi movies were, with their monsters and strange creatures. But here's the truth we didn't talk about:

Monsters are real. And they look just like people.

I don't think I'm okay right now.

... Annie

Leo clenched his hair between his fists, frustration building as his mind raced. What the hell did she mean 'it happened again'? He stared at the crumpled letter in his hands, reading the words over and over, trying to piece it together. Whatever her uncle did, it had to be something bad—really bad. He could feel it, sense the weight of it through her words, the fear, the anger. And if Jack, usually calm and collected, had lost it to the point of violence, it must've been something that messed them both up beyond measure.

Leo's heart ached for Annie. He wanted to hold her, to hug her, to tell her everything would be okay. But how could he help her when she was shutting him out, hiding her pain from him?

"Leo?"

Her voice—gentle, broken—startled him, jerking him from his thoughts. He spun around, faster than he meant to, heart pounding in his chest.

Annie stood in front of him, tears brimming in her eyes, her face pale as if she'd just seen a ghost. The sight of her standing there, so fragile and vulnerable, made his stomach drop.

She looked from him to the letter in his hands, her expression twisting in disbelief. "What are you—" Her voice trembled, barely audible. She shook her head frantically, like she couldn't quite comprehend what was happening.

Leo's blood ran cold. His grip tightened on the letter, the one she hadn't meant for anyone to see, least of all him. The trust that had once flickered between them shattered before his eyes.

"Annie, I can explain," he started, stepping toward her, his voice filled with desperation. Guilt weighed down his every word, regret gnawing at him as he saw the pain in her eyes deepen.

But Annie shook her head again, more violently this time, her chest rising and falling with the quickening pace of her breath. Panic overtook her face, and Leo realized too late that she wasn't just upset—she was terrified.

Her breaths came in short gasps, and she looked like she was about to break down completely. "No... no...," she whispered, backing away. The world around her seemed to blur. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Leo, standing by her open locker, holding her deepest secrets, the letter that carried all her shame and fear. The letter she'd written to herself in a moment of absolute vulnerability. How could he?

Without warning, Annie turned on her heel and bolted down the hallway. Leo's heart dropped to his stomach as he shouted her name, but she didn't stop. Her feet pounded against the floor as she ran, her vision clouded by the tears she couldn't hold back any longer.

Leo cursed under his breath, sprinting after her, his voice echoing through the empty halls. "Annie, wait!" He couldn't let her leave like this. He couldn't lose her like this.

But by the time he made it outside, Annie had already reached her car. Her hands fumbled with the keys, her breath ragged as she shoved them into the ignition. She barely registered Leo running toward her before she slammed the door shut and sped away, tires screeching against the pavement.

Leo stood there, breathless, watching her disappear down the street. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing with panic and regret. He had messed up—big time—and now, he didn't know if he could fix it. What the hell have I done?