The Witching Hour

“We need to talk.” I stand at Leo’s garage, having waited over an hour for his arrival. It was 8am on Monday morning, the sun had barely stretched above the roofs of surrounding houses, the birds hardly breaking into their songs for the day, and already I was pissed off.
I had spent the weekend in a panic. Bed bound in worry at what I was to expect from Thora. I could hardly blame her for being angry, the sight of Leo and I was most likely enough to make anyone assume that there was something to be suspicious of. I had his cheek resting in the palm of my hand; he had his hands held firmly at the sides of my face, and the lock of our eyes. So... dominant, so craving, that even I had wondered for a second if there was in fact a connection there.
“We do?” Leo’s voice holds nothing but sarcasm, a lack of care, almost as though nothing were to be talked about, that the events which took place at my party were nothing to be thoughtful of.
I look at him and shake my head in disbelief. “You know we do.”
Pulling up the latch, he swings open the huge metal door and steps inside. The garage appears different in the daylight. The air seems to sparkle, not with dust that lingers inside – there is none – but with something more. Almost like an aura.
“So what did you want to talk about?” Leo removs the dust sheet from his bike and tosses it onto a near counter. “The weather? What’s on TV night? ‘Cause I very much doubt that you are here to discuss the ins and outs of fixing up a bike.”
“None of the above. I was actually here to talk to you about Thora.”
Leo turns his face in my direction for a moment. His face looks cold and expressionless, appearing to state that he does not wish to speak with me, although his eyes display a different story. “Thora, eh?” He says rubbing the bristle of his jaw. “What about her?”
I feel my brows automatically shrink down, my eyes squint and my lips part. “Have the events which took part at my party completely escaped your memory, or are you just that thick?”
His lips pull up at the corners, his expression lightening a little as he lets out a little chuckle. “Neither, I just enjoy the tease.”
“I’m sure that you do,” I say, allowing all my anger to throw out at him. “But, if you are going to be an immature idiot then there’s not much point in me sticking around and wasting my breath on you. Jeez, I’m better off by myself.”
“Hey. You know I’m only playing. Thora’s your best friend –“
“Was! Was my best friend.”
Leo shakes his head. “Whatever. But I’m sure that she will forgive you, right?”
I sigh and lean against the counter. “No. Not now, not ever.”
“Don’t be such a drama queen.” Leo says, taking his keys out of a pocket and turning over the engine. “You’re not like that.”
“Ha! Well you obviously don’t know Thora that well then,” Twirling a strand of hair around my fingers, I notice
Leo start over to me, his black hair shimmers in the light of the wakening sun. He never failed to look gorgeous, even with the ‘rolled out of bed look’. His hair was a muddle; tousled and messy – a sexy mess.
“I may not know her too well.” He places each of his hands on either side of the counter behind me, locking me into place before him. “But I do know you. And I know that you will get through this.” He places a hand to my cheek. “You’ll be fine.”
I stare at him in curiousness. He hardly knew me at all. He had met me on the same day as Thora, and spent much more time with her than I.
“I’d offer you a ride to school,” he says, turning back to the bike, “but I won’t be in today.”
My face falls. “Why not?”
He mounts the bike and revs the engine. “It’s a secret.” He drives out onto the curb as I follow behind, hands in pockets, as I too wonder whether to spend the day off of school.
“Don’t even think about it.” He hops off the bike, pulls down the door and fixes it with a lock. “You’re going to school.”
“Wait – what?”
He smiles and pulls down his helmet. “Until next time Kala Carter,” and speeds off into the horizon, his figure appearing like a silhouette in front of the rising sun.