Poison: Origin

English had been boring. Leon wasn't with me during this class which disappointed me. I only had Chemistry and P.E. with him. Today, in English, we read cantos from The Divine Comedy. It was an epic poem about a man who journeys into hell and what he sees there. A lot of kids thought it was boring because it was a very long poem and was written in old English, I actually liked it. Tomorrow, my teacher said, we were going to read about when Dante and Virgil meet the Devil. We only read a few cantos a day, then my teacher would ask questions about it. My teacher was weird. They said that he sometimes made us read collage books but I never noticed.

We waited at the front doors for Emily. Emma was with me, we all usually walked home. We walked with Emma a few blocks then she would have to go in her own direction. Then I would have to leave. Emily lived the farthest away from all of us. Come to think of it, I didn't even know where she lived. Emma and Emily have been to my house and both me and Emily had been to Emma's house; her parents were never home. I don't think we've ever been to her house.

"Hey Emma?" I called out to Emma. She seemed to be in her own little word. She was holding a blank page of notebook paper with her index finger and thumb pressed hard; the paper between them. She was then turning it horizontally, vertically, and diagonally as if trying to see something.

"Yes?" she said not looking up from her paper. Emma sometimes scared me.

"Have you ever been to Emily's house?" I asked. Maybe she had gone without me. She looked up, not at me, just up.

"I don't believe so," she said.

"We should go sometime," I said. I looked at the doors and saw Emily walking towards us with smile.

"Uh huh," Emma said returning to her paper. It was hard to talk to her when she was distracted like this. Actually she had been acting a little bit more normal since lunch, which was weird for her.

"Hey guys!" Emily said cheerfully.

"What'd you do to James!" I said. Poor James had the same schedule with Emily. Emily made it her personal mission to make his life as hard as possible. I first I thought she liked him but when I asked her she said, 'yeah cause thats how people show love.' Sarcastically of course. She then told me that she just enjoyed making him suffer.

"Nothing!" she said defensively. I didn't believe her. "I swear!!"

"Sure," I said slowly. Emily fidgeted in her spot. "Lets just go," I laughed. Emily breathed out.

The walk home was relativity silent. When we came to the crosswalk I told Emily and Emma that that was were Leon almost ran me over. Emily ran in the middle of the street like a lunatic. She said that she was me. I laughed. I was surprised that not even the slightest hint of rage remained. A block later Emma turned into the block. She waved to us as she walked away. It was only me and Emily now. Emily was my first friend that was my age that I made here. Sure we had a rocky start, but now we were like sisters.

"Em," I said to get her attention. She turned to look at me. "Where do you live?" I said casually. I looked at Emily beside me for an answer but she wasn't there. I didn't notice that Emily had stopped walking. I turned to look at her. She was looking at the ground, her face was hard and completely blank. "Em what's wrong?"

"Can we not talk about this right now?" Emily said almost as soon as I stopped talking. She looked angry. I wanted to know more but at the same time I didn't. I wanted Emily to tell me when she was ready. I walked back hugged her. It looked like she needed.

"Alright, but when you're ready, you tell me okay?" my answer seemed to catch her by surprise. Her face softened.

"You're so nosy," she with smile. We pulled apart. Her eyes were teary. My eyes began to sting.

"Em! Don't even start! You know how I am," I said. Emily quickly rubbed her eyes as she laughed and wiped her eyes.

"Thank you, for not making me tell you," she said in a small whisper.

"Eh, I figure I can make you slip it out some other time," I said casually putting my hands in my jacket pockets. I continued to walk as if nothing happened. Emily caught up with me. The rest of the walk was silent. We came to the block where I had to turn. We stopped at the corner.

"If you need someone to talk to, someone to pour out your frustrations, or someone who'll cry with you, you'll come talk to me right?" I said. I was worried for her. There was something obviously wrong at her house but Emily was a though girl, she could handle herself. At least for now.

"You know it!" she said cheerfully. She turned and continued walking down the street. I've known her two months and she's never opened up to anyone. Not even me. Today was, though, we just had a breakthrough!

I turned and went on my way. Today was a good day, even with it's bad start. Instantly my mind went to Leon. I smiled when I thought about P.E. I felt stupid. That one little moment had made so giddy I completely forgot about Amy. I wondered what she was doing now. Hopefully she was feeling better, now that she was with her family.

Her brother was probably going to be buried in the local cemetery, where my sister was. When we moved to Olympia, my dad told me we were going to stay here while. My mom didn't want to move, her main reason being that she wanted to stay close to Alyssa. My dad caved into her demands and had my sister's body moved. The morticians assured us it wasn't that uncommon. I begged to differ.

Thinking of Amy, her brother, and Alyssa made my giddiness disappear. I wanted to see her. Usually, visiting her grave made me feel better when I missed her. I would have to tell my mom if she could drive me there since I didn't have a car. If she said no I could always ride the buss. I heard a car beep.

I scoffed. It was probably one of those guys who honked at pretty girls. I ignored it and kept walking. I got one of those every so often back in Sacramento, but not here in Olympia. I wasn't even that pretty! Sure I was decent. I wasn't fat but I wasn't skinny either. I was a healthy weight. I had to admit it, I did have a nice face, but my body was so awkward.

I was way too tall, not as tall as Emma but at least her body was proportionate. My legs were unusually long while my arms were only a couple inches from my waist. I had a small torso but a long neck. My boobs weren't to big or too small, they were just the right size for me; my ass was the same. Sadly guys were more interested on everything on the female body to be over sized rather than in my normally sized assets.

The car honked again. I grunted. What did they think I was, some kind of prostitute! I ignored it again and continued walking, faster this time. This guy was getting annoying. I heard the car pull over. My first response was to run, but maybe he was parking because he just so happened to get to where he was really going.

I looked at the stores around me, there was a lingerie store and a toy store. A very unusual pairing. So unusual that I doubted whoever was in the car was going to either one. I put my hand on my bag strap, ready to take it off. I was about to take off when I turned to see if I could outrun him. I expected a some guy I didn't know, instead I came face to face with a familiar silver Trans Am with a dented hood. I let out a breath of relief and frustration. Leon started laughing in his car.

"You could have said something!" I said loudly.

"Why? It's much more fun to scare you," He laughed. I paused. It's much more fun to scare you. Those words ringed in my ears. He seemed to notice my hesitation cause he abruptly stopped laughing too. "So you wanna ride?" he said, his voice tight. All laughter was gone from his voice. A ride? My house was a very short walk from here. Two or three blocks at the most. At my slow pace it would take five minutes max.

"I'm fine, my house is only two blocks away, thanks anyway," I said. He was staring at me again. His eye twitched. When he didn't say anything I very slowly backed away. He didn't seem to notice. I turned and he spoke again.

"I meant, you want to go on a date?" He said quickly. He leaned over his seat and opened the door to the passenger side. A date!? Me, with him! This was a huge ego boost for me. So he thought I was pretty enough to date? Of course I would go! Then Jamie came to mind. I didn't know her but she seemed so nice. And Morgan said she was practically in love with him. I couldn't do that to someone so nice.

"I don't think thats a good idea," I whispered as I lowered my gaze to the ground. I really wanted to go. But I didn't want to hurt Jamie like that.

"Why not?" He asked. I snapped my head up. Was he really that clueless?

"What about Jamie?" I asked.

"What about her?" he said. Seriously how stupid was he? But if he didn't know, it wasn't my place to tell him.

"Never mind," I said. Was I really not going to go with Leon just because of someone I hardly knew? What the hell was I thinking! He clearly didn't like her. Why was going sacrifice my date for a date that would probably be turned down by Leon?

"Well, are you coming?" He asked looking at me smiling. How could I resist? I smiled back at him. I practically skipped to the car. I climbed into the passenger seat and put my bag on my lap. Remembering how he drove in the morning, I quickly fastened my seat belt. I looked at him when I was done. He was looking at me again.

"What?" I said tucking my one of bangs behind my ear. He laughed while shaking his head. We sat in his car. He didn't start it for some reason. "We're going so fast!" I said as though we were speeding down a highway. I looked at him to see what his reaction to my comment would be. He turned to me.

"I noticed you didn't have a car," he said. No shit. Thats why I run all the way to school every morning. I thought about saying that but decided against it. "So I thought I could take you places that you'd need a car for," No moonlit dinner, or walk in the park? I thought about were I wanted to go. I didn't need to think more than a few seconds.

"Can we go to the flower shop by the library?" I asked. He looked at me with confused eyes. I looked directly at the road, waiting for it to move.

"What ever you say," he said starting the car. He drove down the street without saying a word. He looked like he was thinking real hard. I didn't want to disturb him from his thoughts so I stayed silent. He didn't drive as crazy as I thought he would. In fact he drove like my mom.

Pretty soon we came to the flower shop. Leon parked right outside the shop. There were flowers of all colors in white buckets just outside the shop. Leon turned off the car and stepped out. I unbuckled my seatbelt. I then put my bag under my seat as best I could. Next to me, the car door open. I looked up. Leon had opened the door for me. He then put out a hand for me to take. Please as if I needed his help getting out of a car. I stepped out of the car, ignoring his hand.

I stepped into the shop and was met with the relaxing aroma of flowers. I took a real deep breath taking all the smells in. The inside was less colorful than the outside. The shop had mostly roses. I walked up to the counter where a middle-aged woman was preparing a bouquet in vase. She wore glasses with a small chain attached to them that went around her neck. Her hair was gray and put in a messy bun. Her eyes looked dull.

"Can I help you?" she said keeping her eyes on her bouquet. I looked around the shop. In one of the corners I saw what I wanted.

"How much do the Orchids cost?" I asked.

"Fifteen a dozen." she said.

"I'll take two dozen," I said. I hoped Leon didn't mind putting them in his car. The woman stepped aside from the counter and gathered what I had asked for. I looked at Leon, he was looking at the shop in awe. The woman came quicker than I thought. She separated the flowers into two piles. She then put a rubber band around the stems of each pile, then wrapped them in plastic. She started pressing buttons on the cash register.

"That'll be 32.76," she said gently placing the flowers in a bag. As I saw her bag the flowers I noticed I had forgotten something.

"Oh, and two waters, and a rose." I added. I noticed she had a small refrigerator next to the counter. It was mostly filled with pre-made bouquets, but at the very bottom there was some drinks. I felt bad, she would have to start a new order on the register. "Please?" I said when she didn't move. She left the cash register and came back with a rose.

"When you came in I thought your boyfriend was going to buy you flowers," she said while wrapping the rose in a plastic sheet. My cheeks started to burn.

"Oh, no, he's not my boyfriend." I said politely, putting my hands up defensively. The woman stopped wrapping the rose, she looked confused.

"But who comes into a flower shop, if not a couple?" She said bagging my things, making sure the waters were on the bottom. I was about to defend myself again when Leon come up behind me. He draped his arms around my shoulders in hug. I started breathing faster. We hadn't been this close since, since that dream but that didn't count. I started feeling all giddy again. I wanted to stay like this forever. An eternity in his arms.

"We're not in a relationship ma'am," he said yet his actions betrayed his statement. He leaned his head on the back of mine. I didn't want to move. I felt as though if did, I would wake up. Something about his breath on the back of my neck was strangely familiar. "Or at least, not yet." He finished. He gave me a quick peck on the side of my head before he stepped back. I had to force myself from grinning like maniac.

He did like me! Who else acts like that with a girl! Unless he was some kind of man whore. I felt as though a blow from an axe had been brought down on my head. He was man whore. Why else would he not want to be seen with me at school? Tomorrow he would forget all about me and go back to Jamie.

"Oh, I see." The woman said with a smile. The sudden realization made me feel as though I was noting. I felt used. I was, however, not going to end this date yet though. He was my only ride to Alyssa. The woman tallied up my total. "That'll be 35. 54" then added, "Roses are a lot more expensive since their so popular."

"Thats fine," I said digging in my back pocket for my credit card. My dad gave it to me because, quoting him, he trusted me. In reality it was my dad's guilt present for making us move here. As I pulled it out I noticed how clean it looked. I've only used it once or twice before.

"I'll take care of it," I heard Leon say. He was digging in his pockets for cash. Who the hell did he think he was!? First he thought I couldn't get out of a car by myself, now he thinks I can't pay for my own things?! How low did he think of me!

"I said thats fine," I said not even bothering to hide my irritation. I pushed my credit card over to the lady. I didn't like when people bought me stuff. It made me felt obligated to them.

"Ma'am don't listen to her. Here you go," he said pulling out cash. The lady looked torn over who's money to take. "We are on, after all, on a date. Am I not supposed to pay for the day?" he said.

"Well he does have a point," the lady said reaching over for Leon's money. I wouldn't let him win so easily. Okay, I could play too!

"Just because he's a man he should take care of me?" I lectured. The lady pulled her hand away from Leon. "So what, I can't take care of myself because I'm a woman? Am I supposed to depend on men to support me when I know I can take care of myself? It is this kind of treatment that makes men think we worth less than them. That without them, our lives would fall apart. But I know that I'm strong. I know that I can live on my own, with or without a man," I finished my feminist speech. I was for all I said, but not as strongly as I made it out to be. I stretched my hand with the credit card out further. "Now will you please charge me?" The lady took my card.

"You should always listen to your lady," the lady said to Leon running my card through the machine. I bit the inside of my bottom lip to keep from grinning. Take that Leon!! I looked slightly irritated. It was his fault anyway, he started it. "Here you go young lady," the woman said handing me the flowers.

"Fellow women should stick together," I said grabbing the bag filled with flowers.

"Okay lets go," Leon grumbled pulling me by the arm gently.

"Bye miss!" I yelled over my shoulder. We walked out of the shop. By the car Leon opened the door for me. When I was about to step into the car he slammed it closed.

"Thats right you don't need a man to things for you!" he accused. That asshole! We were having such a nice day too and he just had to go and ruin it. Maybe I could walk to Alyssa. Without a word I walked down the street, keeping my pride. I wasn't about to let him treat me this way. I hardly even knew him! "Hey!" I heard him say. "Where are you going!"

"Thats none of your business!!" I yelled back holding my flowers. I heard him open his car door. Finally he was leaving! I was about to cheer until I heard him running after me. This boy never gives up!

"You can't leave!" he said. He sounded desperate? I turned around to glare at him.

"And why not?!" I spat. He had a bag by his side.

"Because I have your bag," He said simply lifting up my messenger bag so that I could see it better. I never realized who annoying his accent really was until now.

"Give it to me," I said. I didn't even bother to raise my hands to take it; I knew he wouldn't give it to me that easily. He walked over to his car and threw my backpack into the backseat. When he popped out again he smirked. I winced. That bastard's never done that before. It wasn't any of his creepy smiles or annoying grins. It was genuine smirk. He was clearly amused.

"Come get it." he said. So he would make get my bag out of his car big deal.

"Fine" I spat. I walked over to his car. He was standing next to the open passenger door. When I got there I fake smiled at him. It was hardly convincing. Then the jerk copied me. I scoffed and reached into the car. I crawled into the middle of the two front seats. I reached my hand over to the back seat when I heard the car door close. I turned and saw Leon through the window. He grinned cheekily and waved form the outside. I snatched my bag and tired to open the door but it wouldn't open. I struggled with the door handle for a couple more seconds.

"Leon you ass! Take off the child locks!" I yelled from inside. I reached across to the other door and opened it only to find Leon already there. The jerk outmaneuvered me! I looked up at him. He looked real happy. I thought what I felt for him was nothing but a crush, but right now at this moment I really wanted to kiss him. Something flashed across his face as his expression suddenly turned hard. I sat back in my seat with my hands on my lap.

"Were are we heading?" he said once he got back in the car.

"Huh?"

"We're still on a date, right?" he asked softly looking straight ahead. He looked so sad now. Why?

"Yeah, can we go to the cemetery?" I looked at the road like he was. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him look at me, confused.

"What ever you say," he said for the second time today. After a couple moments of silence Leon started talking to me.

"So you bought a rose for yourself?" he asked. I was glad he had moved on our little argument, this way it wouldn't be to awkward.

"No, it's for my sister. She loves roses." I said looking at the bag. I remember, when I was little, my sister planted a rose bush in our backyard. She claimed it was because she loved how they smelled. Every night she would go outside and pick one and put it on a vase next to her bed. Then in the morning she would be greeted by a beautiful flower.

"And the orchids?" he said. When I was little my sister's obsession with roses annoyed me. I would constantly fall into her rose bush and cut myself. Alyssa would then get mad at me for ruining her flowers.

"They're my favorite. The orchids are for the others," I said. I looked at me again, confused. Great now he thought I was some kind of crazy person. "Just wait till we get there." The rest of the ride was quiet with Leon making small talk here and there.

When we got there the sun was setting. We passed by the big front gates. There was a driveway where the cars could drive. The cemetery itself was a small hill. The driveway ended at the top of the hill where it would go around and connect again to the driveway. Around us there was nothing but grass with small tombstones in neat lines. I told Leon to drive all the way to the top.

He stopped and and climbed out. He had to - because of the child locks - open my door. I took my flowers with me. Right in front of me I saw a grave. It was old and had cracks on the tombstone. Every gravestone had a small steel vase where families would leave their deceased ones flowers. This grave's vase had two withered flowers. I quickly crouched down took the withered flowers and replaced them with one of my fresh Orchids. I opened one of water bottles and poured a little bit of water into it. I then dusted the grave a little bit.

"Who is he?" Leon said behind me.

"Jack Adams, he was thirty two, he died two months ago. He was a husband and father," I said burning the name to memory.

"I can see that, but what was he to you?" he said. I stood up from my spot and dusted my knees.

"Nothing," I said. I could imagine how confused he was. I walked over to another grave that looked neglected. Alyssa always liked to help people. She volunteered a lot, mostly in hospitals. She told me once that a dying patient once told her to never forget him. When she asked why he said that he had no one. All his family was dead and he never married. He would have no one to remember him bye. He told her that if at least she remembered him, he could live on in her memory. Even now with Alyssa gone and I don't know what he looked like, that man still lives on, in my memories.

"Then why are you putting flowers?" he asked. I crouched down in another grave. I removed the dead flowers and put an orchid and gave it a little bit of water. I then studied the woman's name.

"These tombs are so old their families have already moved on and forgotten them. A man once said that you never truly die when you live on in someone else's memories." I stood up and walked to the next neglected grave. Leon stayed silent watching my actions. I did this to as many graves as I could. When I only had a single orchid I walked over to my sister.

Her tombstone was rectangular like most in the graveyard. Near the top, in big letters, were the words 'Hell hath no fury'. This was something she always said when someone made her mad. In smaller letters near the middle were the words 'Alyssa Crowe'. Under that there was a date. On hers it read: June 12, 1985 - July 21, 2002. She would have been 22.

On her vase there were two flowers, now withered and dead. I didn't visit my sister often. Only when I was sad. In the past two months I've visited her three times. This time being the third. Her grave was a little dusty so I cleaned it. Then replaced the flowers with new ones. The rose and an orchid. Symbolically this represented me and my sister to me.

"Hey Aly," I said. I just knew Leon thought I was crazy but I didn't care. In some way I knew Alyssa could hear me. Knowing her she was probably in this graveyard taking care of the souls of the recently dead. "Listen, there's a new guy coming soon. I don't know his name but his last name is Tsukino. I don't really now him, but I do kinda know his sister. So take care of him okay?" I finished. The only response I got was the silence of cemetery. "Alright Aly I have to go, I don't creep out my date anymore than he already is." I stood up and walked to Leon. He didn't look as creped out as I thought he would. The sun had already set it the sky was getting darker. The grim mood made feel sad. I wanted to go home already. "Can you take me home? It's getting dark."

"We wouldn't want your mother to worry." He said. We walked up the hill to car. I didn't say anything. He didn't say anything, probably because he thought I was a freak. Hey, at least I got my ride. He would ignore me forever after this, which is what I wanted..... I think.

_______________________________________________________________________

"Was she your?" he said waiting for me to finish the sentence. He was taking me home and it was already dark. The first minutes of the trip were spent in silence. He was probably freaked out by what I had just done earlier. My plan was working.

"She's my sister," I finished.

"oh," he said. We passed the main street which indicated we were almost to my house.

"Right here," I said pointing down a street. He ignored me and kept driving. "Okay right here," I said on the next one. He continued driving. "Leon you keep passing it and you do know there's a minimum speed limit right?"

"I want to show you something." He said his face tight. He pulled into an alley behind a nightclub. He came around and opened my door. I could hear some techno music from the nightclub. He was taking me to a gay club?

"You should take off the child locks," I said. I didn't want him to keep opening my door. It was getting annoying.

"Right," he said flicking a little lever on the side of the door. And to think that it was because of that little lever that I couldn't leave the car. I stepped out of the car and closed the door. As soon as I turned I felt his lips on mine. I was shocked, but strangely I felt warm all over. Everything felt right. I felt as though I was floating into the night sky. I relaxed my body, as I wrapped my arms around him.

Then I realized, I didn't even know him!! What was I doing kissing a complete stranger!? Then I felt his tongue on my bottom lip. Thats when I shoved him off. I felt oddly cold when we separated. I glared at him but then my heart felt for him. He looked so broken.

"I'm sorry I kissed you I just had to, before...." he dozed off. He couldn't even look at me. He walked farther away from the nightclub's back door.

"What was going on?" He didn't answer. He walked farther into the alley. "Leon!?" His head snapped up with a sudden rage.

"WHY!? Why of all people did you have to run out in that street!?" He slammed the side of his fist on the wall. The hard bricks chipped and broke. I didn't move. He had no reaction at all! What was he?! Leon slowly calmed down.

"Leon?" I called when I thought he had calmed down.

"I'm sorry I kissed you," He said softly. What?! After his little episode his voice was eerily calm. "I just had to, before..." he paused his voice soothing. "Before I killed you."

I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. My mouth was dry. There was something about the way he said that, that I knew he wasn't kidding. The moonlight made his eyes look glow. Then I realized, there was no moon out tonight. His eyes were glowing like headlights. Then everything went black.

I didn't pass out because I still had my consciousness. But I didn't even remember what I was doing seconds before. Everything around me was dark. Suddenly I felt the need to escape. I had to get out of the darkness. Out of the dark, like two little moons, came two silver orbs. I had to follow them, I was so sure they could lead me out.

I took cautious steps. Every single step made the orbs grow bigger, replacing the darkness. The light reminded me of something. I took small steps until I was engulfed in the orbs. Their silvery light completely replaced the darkness. Everywhere I looked I saw the that beautiful light. I realized what the light reminded me of.

"Leon?. . ." I whispered, thinking out loud. Wasn't I with him just moments ago? I suddenly lost consciousness. The last thing I remember was falling onto Leon's arms.