Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 14

Leo flung open the front door of his house and let the door bang against the wall. He angrily turned and slammed it shut.
Jessica came into the room and scolded her son, "Leo! How many times have I told you not to slam that door?"
Leo turned to her and shouted, "Julien is ruining my life! We have to get rid of him!"
"You are talking nonsense. Julien is a very sweet boy." Jessica said, putting her hands on her hips.
"No, he's not!" Leo said, "He's a selfish jerk and he-"
Just then, Julien came into the room. He looked between Leo and Jessica and asked innocently, "Is something wrong?"
Jessica smiled uncomfortably and said, "No, no, not at all, Julien. Leo, please go to your room."
Leo scowled at Julien and walked past him to go upstairs.
Jessica sat down on the couch and folded her hands in her lap. She asked, "So, Julien, has anything happened at school lately?"
"Oh, yes, tons of things." Julien said, sitting in a chair across from Jessica, "Not really good or bad. Mostly good, I guess, but Leo's just been a little jealous, that's all. Nothing big."
Jessica nodded and asked quietly, "Um.... Jealous?"
"Yes, about this girl named Tae-Hyun." Julien said, "She's very cool and she and I have been hanging out a lot. I think she and Leo may have some sort of history together."
Jessica's face turned red and she said, "H-history?? History with what?"
Julien shrugged and said, "Dating, I think, but I'm not really sure."
Jessica's jaw tightened and she smiled tightly, "Please excuse me for a moment, Julien."
"Certainly." Julien said.
Jessica stood and walked out of the room, trying to hide her fury. She stormed upstairs and Julien turned to watch the stairway.
"LEO BRUNO-COSTO GUILLERMO WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING FROM ME???" Jessica's screech of rage shook the house.
"Mom, I didn't-" Leo's desperate cry came from the upstairs.
Jessica screamed angrily at him in Italian and he replied meekly.
Listening with the smallest feeling of triumph, Julien smiled. He looked at his nails for a moment, then he pointed toward the stairs.
"Now." He said.
Right on cue, Leo came tumbling down the stairs and landed at the bottom in a heap.
Julien casually looked around the corner and asked, "Are you okay, Leo?"
Leo stood up dizzily, his hair sticking up this way and that. He looked at Julien and pointed a finger at him.
"You." Leo said, "You did this. What did you tell her?!"
Julien stood up and brushed off his sleeves, "I didn't tell her anything. She asked how school had been going and I told her that you have been acting a bit jealous. It's only the truth."
"My mother is a hardcore female rights activist." Leo said, "And she's Italian!"
"What does her ethnicity have to do with it?" Julien said.
"Oh, trust me, it makes a difference." Leo said, "My dad left my mom when I was a kid and now she won't trust me with girls; at all! And you knew that. You were trying to make her mad at me."
Julien crossed his arms and watched Leo with interest.
Leo got up in his face, their noses an inch apart, and hissed, "You want to get rid of me just like I want to get rid of you."
Julien stared at Leo for a moment before saying, "You want to get rid of me? Is Tae-Hyun really so important to you that you would kick someone out of your life like that, just so you could have her?"
"Oh, stop, Julien. All you've been doing since you got here is flirt with Tae-Hyun." Leo said.
Julien put his hand on Leo's head and Leo said suspiciously, "What are you doing?"
Julien pressed his lips to Leo's and Leo's eyes widened in shock. Julien held Leo's head to his for a moment longer before leaning away and looking Leo in the eyes.
At loss for words, Leo stared at him in disbelief and his face flushed.
Julien paused and, gently patting Leo's shoulder with one hand, he turned to leave.
Leo still standing frozen in his place, Julien said quietly over his shoulder, 




"You should stop worrying, I'm not after your girl."