Cracks in the facade

The hallways of Westview High were unusually quiet as Elliot slipped into the library for another tutoring session. He’d started looking forward to these afternoons more than he cared to admit, though he wasn’t entirely sure why.

Leo was already there, leaning over a textbook with a furrowed brow. He looked up when Elliot approached, flashing a quick smile. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Elliot replied, setting his bag down. “You’re early. That’s… new.”

Leo chuckled. “Don’t get used to it. I was bored.”

As they settled in, Elliot noticed Leo seemed distracted. He was fidgeting more than usual, and his normally cocky demeanor was subdued.

“You okay?” Elliot asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Leo said quickly, but the tightness in his voice betrayed him.

Elliot didn’t press. If Leo wanted to talk, he would. Instead, he dove into the lesson, explaining loops and conditionals while Leo took notes. But halfway through, Leo blurted out, “Do you think people can really change?”

Elliot blinked, caught off guard. “Uh… I guess so? Why?”

Leo leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. “I don’t know. I’ve just been thinking about… stuff. You know, like how people see you versus who you really are.”

Elliot frowned. “Are you talking about yourself?”

Leo didn’t answer right away. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than Elliot had ever heard it. “I guess. Everyone thinks I’ve got it all together, but… I don’t know. Sometimes it feels like I’m just pretending to be the guy they expect me to be.”

Elliot watched him carefully. He’d never seen Leo like this, open, vulnerable. It was unsettling but also… humanizing.

“Well,” Elliot said cautiously, “you don’t have to be the guy they expect. You can be whoever you want to be.”

Leo laughed, but it was hollow. “Easier said than done. People don’t exactly give you the chance to start over.”

Elliot thought about the bullies who’d tormented him over the years, about the walls he’d built to protect himself. “Yeah, I get that,” he admitted. “But you can’t let other people define you forever. At some point, you’ve got to decide who you are and stick with it, no matter what anyone else thinks.”

Leo looked at him then, really looked at him, like he was seeing Elliot for the first time. “You’re smarter than I gave you credit for, Brooks.”

Elliot rolled his eyes. “Gee, thanks. High praise coming from the guy who thought HTML was a disease.”

Leo laughed, and this time it was genuine. “Okay, fair. I deserved that.”

---

The session ended on a lighter note, but the conversation stayed with Elliot long after he left the library. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Leo than he let on.

That night, as Elliot sat in his room, sketching ideas for his game, his phone buzzed.

It was a text.

Leo: Hey, thanks for earlier. For real.

Elliot stared at the message for a moment before typing back.

Elliot: No problem. Just don’t make it a habit to get all deep and philosophical on me.

Leo’s reply came almost instantly.

Leo: No promises.

Elliot smiled despite himself, setting his phone down. For the first time, he wondered if maybe just maybe there was more to Leo Walker than he’d ever imagined.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***