just curious

The school hallway was a swamp of bodies, the cacophony of voices so loud that Leo could hardly hear his own thoughts. He pushed through the clusters of people, who instinctively parted for him, though he kept his head down, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. He wasn't in the mood for the usual greetings, high-fives, or the ego-boosting attention that normally came with being Leo Smith. Not today.

"Hey," he called out, finally reaching his destination, slightly out of breath after shoving his way through. He caught the attention of a guy standing by his locker. "You're Jay, right?"

Jay's eyes narrowed as he finished shutting his locker, turning to face Leo fully. Why the hell is this guy talking to me? He recognized him immediately—who wouldn't? Leo Smith was well-known, but not exactly the kind of guy Jay associated with. Annie had mentioned something about running into Leo recently, and now, seeing Leo in front of him, Jay felt a wave of suspicion settle in. They'd never spoken before, so why now?

"I am," Jay replied slowly, his tone measured. "And I'm guessing you already knew that."

Unlike Annie, Jay wasn't the least bit intimidated by Leo or his reputation. Jock or not, Leo wasn't special in Jay's eyes. The whole high school hierarchy thing meant nothing to him—he didn't believe in bowing down to the so-called "popular crowd." He couldn't care less about what they thought of themselves.

Leo glanced around the hallway, his nerves twitching as he scanned for any familiar faces. The last thing he needed was for one of his friends to spot him talking to Jay. His crowd was notorious for being loud, crude, and judgmental, and Leo didn't want them turning this into some spectacle. He was already dealing with enough.

"You're friends with Annie, right?" Leo asked, keeping his voice low.

Jay's suspicion deepened. His eyes narrowed to slits. "Yeah. I am." His voice was sharp. "Why do you care?"

Leo hesitated, not sure how to ask what he wanted to ask. He was concerned, though he wasn't sure how much he should reveal. "What's she like?"

Jay frowned. What's she like? It felt off—unnatural for a guy like Leo to suddenly take an interest in Annie. He knew the types like Leo, and none of them ever had good intentions when it came to someone as soft and shy as Annie. "Why are you asking? What do you want with her?"

Leo ran a hand through his hair, sighing in frustration. "I'm not trying to... I just noticed her, okay? And I guess I was curious." He paused, shaking his head. "She seemed worried when I talked to her yesterday, and I didn't mean to freak her out."

Jay crossed his arms, his expression hardening. "She's a good person, Leo. She's soft, kind—too kind, if you ask me. Shy, too. You probably noticed that. She doesn't need more on her plate, so if you're planning to screw with her, I'm telling you now—she's got people watching her back. Don't even think about it."

"I'm not trying to hurt her!" Leo said, his hands shooting up defensively. His voice was louder than he intended, and a few people turned to glance their way. He took a deep breath, lowering his tone. "Look, I don't know what I'm doing. I just... noticed her, okay? That's all."

Jay wasn't convinced. "Guys like you don't just 'notice' girls like Annie. Not without a reason."

Leo shook his head, rubbing his temples. "Whatever, man. Thanks for the advice. I guess." He turned to walk away, but stopped. "Just... don't mention this to her, alright?"

Jay raised an eyebrow. "Sure thing."

As Leo walked off, Jay watched him, his mind still racing with suspicion. What the hell was that all about?

✉

Later that day, Jay found himself sitting in the cafeteria with Amani, filling her in on the strange encounter. Amani was leaning forward, a deep frown on her face as she listened.

Amani scoffed loudly when Jay finished. "That doesn't make any sense. What the hell does he want? He's never spoken to her in the three years they've been at this school together, so what's with this sudden 'interest'?"

"I don't know," Jay said, shrugging. "But he told me not to mention it to her, so I haven't. You know how much she overthinks everything."

Amani nodded in agreement, but the worry didn't leave her face. "Yeah, it's probably better not to. Not yet, anyway. Annie's already got enough on her mind. We don't need to add more to it by making her paranoid about Leo Smith of all people."

"I'm with you on that." Jay sighed, picking at the fries on Amani's tray. "We hardly know anything about him, and I'm not about to open that door for Annie just yet."

Amani bit her lip, her gaze drifting over to where Leo sat with his usual crowd—the "predators," as she liked to call them. "I just don't want her getting hurt. She's been through too much already." She glanced at Jay, her voice softer. "Have you spoken to her recently? I mean, really spoken to her? How is she doing?"

Jay leaned back in his chair, shrugging. "You know Annie. She doesn't open up easily. I love her, but she's like the most closed-off book ever written."

Amani sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "Where is she now, anyway?"

"Library, as usual."

Amani's gaze flicked back to Leo, sitting with his group of friends, laughing at something another football player said. Her eyes narrowed, her dislike for his crowd clear. "I really don't want her getting tangled up in that crowd. You know how nasty they can be."

Jay nodded. "Yeah, but she's got Jack. He's part of that crowd, and he's a good guy. I don't think he'd let anything happen to her."

Amani sighed again, this time with a bit more frustration. "Jack might be the exception, but that doesn't mean the rest of them wouldn't mess with her. You know how they can be."

Jay nodded slowly, following Amani's gaze to where Leo sat. The image of Leo asking about Annie earlier flashed through his mind. "She's got us, though. We'll watch out for her."

"Damn right we will," Amani said firmly, her voice resolute.