Grey

Lost.

Alone.

forgotten.

These were the feelings that I had grown accustomed to... that was before I met Valeera.

What did I do?

The mask of control I had kept up all these years was slowly losing shape, all because of a girl at school. She made me question everything that I felt for Val.

The poem she had cited today had shaken me to my core. The emotion in her voice was surreal as she poured out her sympathy into that moment. Maybe I was so taken with her because she reminded me of My Valeera.

My Val...

In the comfort of my own bedroom, I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. She answered on the first ring.

"Grey..."

"Val..." We chuckled simultaneously. She sounded a little muffled, but I thought maybe it was just the service.

"I'm a bad friend," I stated. I really messed the last time we had spoken. I needed to know that we were okay.

"Yes, but I love you anyway." My stomach dropped at the declaration. I had joked about it before, but this was the first time she had said anything like this.

"So you admit it." I grinned against the black screen as I laid my head against my pillow.

"Yeah, well only if you tell me more about yourself. Then maybe I will." She was good.

"Okay. You ready?" She laughed a hearty chuckle and said yes under her breath.

"Okay. The name is James Greyson. I am seventeen, six foot two, I have brown eyes and I just moved to Tampa, Florida." I paused, waiting for her to respond.

"Okay. That's what everyone sees. What is something you don't let anyone see..."

She seemed to be fishing for my past. I let out a breath. This was going to be the second time I spoke about Julia today.

"I was a twin, but she ran away a few years ago... The police found her six months later. My parents were never the same after that, you know? But I put a smile on and live the life that she is unable to live. My parents blamed me, " I said quietly.

"Wow, I'm so sorry, Greyson." She muttered into the phone.

I was about to tell her the lie that everything was okay when she surprised me.

"Sometimes life deals us a crappy hand, but it's how we play the rest of the game that counts. We are all trying to play this stupid game with no rules, no instructions. I just wish people understood, that we are all dealing with stuff, you know?" Her sweet voice whispered softly. My heart stopped beating as I took in what she said.

"Yeah," I said before we both went silent for a moment.

"What about you?" I asked after a few minutes.

She was quiet for a moment. Seconds ticked past and I was about to ask if she was there when she answered.

"My father killed my mother and is in jail for it... I live with my aunt." Her voice was flat, almost void of emotion.

"Oh, God. Val, when did this happen?" I sat up in shock.

"Four years ago last week." She stated, her voice small and soft. "But, I'm okay. He isn't getting out for a long time."

"I can't believe you had to go through that. You didn't go through it alone right?"

"I had you."

"But you didn't tell me."

"You didn't tell me about Julie... I guess we've just been keeping things..." Val's voice grew quieter over the long distance phone call.

"No more secrets," I said, hoping she would agree.

"No more secrets." She agreed.

I thought back to when Leona had said she didn't know what I was talking about when I mentioned Valeera.

"Val, what's your full name?" There was a small pause before she replied surely.

"Leona Valeera Gates."

Leona

"So you got anyone you're talking to?" Gracie asked after shoving a ketchup-covered fry into her mouth. She waited for my answer as we sat in silence at our new lunch table. It had been since elementary school that I actually sat in the cafeteria while eating lunch.

"What do you mean?" I asked her as I pushed my salad around on my tray. Gracie rolled her eyes and grabbed a handful of fries, placing them on my tray.

"Boys. Do you like anyone?" I made an 'O' shape with my mouth and shook my head.

"Well, I like someone." She stated as she sat up a little straighter. Her eyes roamed around the cafeteria until she landed at a particular table I had been avoiding. I choke on one of the fries she had given me.

"You've been at this school less than twenty-four hours. How do you like someone already!?" I glanced back over to the table where Greyson was seated and he must have felt me staring because he turned to face me and his grin fell as his eyes locked with mine.

Gracie's voice floated between us, but I hadn't heard what was said. My attention was on the boy who was standing up and excusing himself from the table. He calmly made his way to our table, oblivious to the stares and giggles from every single girl he passed by.

Pieces of my past fade into the depths of his eyes. Hearts meld into one beating entity as if we were meant to be in sync. All senses focus on his motions. I can smell him before he arrives and the image of his chiseled chin engulf my vision, threatening to capture every memory my mind can hold.

"Leona." Greyson's deep voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Grey," I said out of habit but immediately recovered by coughing. Greyson's eyes blinked a few times as Gracie's curious eyes found mine. I made a face as if to ask her for help.

"So, James, is it? Will you introduce me to your friend over there?" The corners of her lips turned up playfully and he nodded as he ran his hand through his perfect hair. A small tattoo peeked out from underneath his T'shirt, catching my eye.

"Uh, sure." Grey glanced between Gracie and me as he waited for both of us to stand up. I nervously followed Gracie who held all of the confidence in the world. We reached the table he had previously been seated at and all eyes shot up to see our approach. There were two girls, Erica and a girl I couldn't remember the name of, Jay, and two other guys, Brad and Kevin.

Erica and the other girl threw millions of hateful daggers in our direction as Greyson introduced us. I gave a small smile and wave just before Gracie took a seat right next to Jay. I guessed that it was him that she had her sights on.

"I'm Gracie, and you must be Jay." He said something only loud enough for her to hear and she threw her head back and laughed. For the first time, I envied the way that someone could just freely flirt an laugh. My eyes fell to the dark brown wood of the lunch table and sat in silence until I heard my name.

"So, Leona, I heard you like poetry." Jay leaned onto the table to see past Gracie in order to see me.

"Yeah," I answered honestly.

"There's some competition that Ms. Farr was talkin' bout' that maybe you should enter into." I shook my head a little too quickly in response.

"Oh, no, I'm not that good. I just do it for fun." He nodded and slumped back behind Gracie. They continued their conversation and left me to my own thoughts.

What was I doing here? I didn't belong here.

The two girls whispered, probably about me and I looked back down at the table, wondering when lunch would be over.

I felt a hand on my lower back. I flinched as I arched my back away from the hand before I realized that it was Greyson.

"Sorry, I was trying to get your attention." His hand was still on my back which caused shivers to course through my body.

"You're actually really-" He started to say something, but was interrupted by the bell indicating the lunch period was over. "Good. You're really good..." He finished his thought as we stood up and made our way out of the cafeteria.

"Thank you."

"Maybe you could show me a few other poems some time." He said as he slipped his hands into his pockets. Every second I talked to him, my guilt grew. I had agreed to no more secrets.

"Greyson, I have something-"

"James! Hi! Could I talk to you?" A peppy redhead snaked her hand around his elbow and pulled his hand away from the intimate hold on my back.

"Hannah, I'm talking to-"

"Prom is coming up, and I was wondering if you'd like to go together

It just makes sense doesn't it?" She giggled and leaned up against his arm. I could see that he was uncomfortable by the way he shifted on his feet.

I didn't know if it was because I had been around Gracie for two days, or if Greyson just brought the crazy out of me, but I spoke up for both of them to hear.

"Sorry, he's already going with me." Two sets of wide eyes turned my way.