Blood Bond

The ghostly pre-dawn light slipped through the kitchen blinds, falling upon the lanky figure of a young boy. It lit up the dark waves of his hair, and glinted off his wire-framed glasses as he worked a spatula over a pool of whisked eggs sizzling in the pan before him. A sprinkle of bacon, some pre-measured herbs, and then cheese. Now, tilt the pan, push in from the edges, and wait for the liquid to solidify before folding it over – at least that's what the internet recipe said.

He looked over his shoulder to where his sister Maya sat at the table. Small and brown-haired, she had her nose buried in a book, its cover alive with a lady knight and dragons. The sight of her brought a smile to his lips – she's found another series to escape to.

Turning back to the crackling pool, he lifted the pan slightly off the heat. This was a celebration breakfast for their first day of school, his high school, and her middle school. It wasn't much, but he needed to do something more than their usual cold cereal.

A bolt of pain stabbed through his forehead. The world wavered as the pan clattered down on the stove. He found himself swaying.

"Leo?!" Maya's small, worried voice called from behind him.

Leo gripped the pan handle, lifting it back up. Don't burn the omelet!

"I'm alright… just something weird." The pain had been getting worse lately. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but it comes and goes. Today though, was not the day for this. He folded the omelet, hoping it wasn't overcooked – like all the comments warned.

He set the plate in front of Maya and wisps of white rose up to envelop her round face, making her bright blue eyes misty. "Wow! This looks so good."

"You deserve it. Mom made french toast for my first day." Leo couldn't help but wince at the sad, wiggly, ketchup smile he put on her omelet. Hope it at least tastes ok.

Maya, however, leaned closer, her eyes focused on the fluffy, bright yellow omelet and the melted cheese oozing from its sides. She took a bite and hummed, then paused, eyeing him with sly, mischievous eyes.

"Is this practice for Naomi?" She puffed up her cheek, like a cartoon chipmunk that's dug up a prize. "You guys sure were staring for, like, ever at the library yesterday? Were you holding hands under the table too?!"

Leo nearly choked on his own saliva. Maya's unexpected questions, coupled with his still throbbing head, made his ears and everything else burn. "What?! No… we were talking about class assignments… and these biology articles."

"Riiight," she stuffed another mouthful, her eyes still sparkling. "You know, Naomi is pretty great. She's smart, and she's got 'riz."

We are not talking about this, especially not with you! Leo scarfed down the last of his own eggs. "Let's clean up, we should get going."

As Maya picked up her dish, she looked behind her to the bedroom door. Her face clouded over as she bit her lips, looking guilty. "You think mom would want one?"

Leo followed her gaze and shook his head, his shoulders slumped. "No, it'd spoil by then." He wrapped and put away all the ingredients he had prepped the night before. It'd be nice to leave something for Mom. But he knew it'd be a bother if it was another thing she'd have to clean.

He had passed his mother on her way to the bedroom this morning, dark rings around her eyes and barely enough energy for a nod – another double shift overnight. She seemed to be pulling more of them these days. He'd seen the stack of bills on the little table by the door grow taller each week; sometimes he'd catch her hand trembling as she sorted them. On other occasions, Mom would pause at the grocery checkout, her lips moving silently as she calculated, her expression tight with a worry that asked, Will there be enough?

He tried to help, but the lines of part-time job listings scrolling across the laptop screen at night all had some requirement that he didn't meet. It was a persistent jab, like the headaches that assailed him at those times. He would get older. He would study and learn. He would gain the skills and experiences for those requirements. He was sure of it. He just needed time.

"You ok, Leo?" Maya asked, her eyes worried.

Leo met her gaze. The blue of her eyes, he was told that she got them from their father. Leo's were more grey. He didn't remember much about their father, except for the one or two times he'd brought over some cheap plastic robot – in either case he wasn't helping. Mom never said much of him, and Leo never asked. He doubted Maya remembered him at all.

"I'm good, all better now." Leo heaved his frayed backpack over his shoulder and gave her his best smile. He placed a hand on Maya's back, nudging her forward.

Maya took a few steps and then was at her usual sprint out the door.

He followed her out into the drab concrete hallway. The brighter light of the stairwell seemed harsh after their kitchen, making the ache that persisted in his head pulse briefly.

Downstairs and out onto the sidewalk, the morning air felt cool against his skin, carrying the first faint whiffs of exhaust from the starting morning commute. Cracked pavement stretched before them, running alongside the curb where old cars sat parked like slumbering metal beasts. Despite the urban grit beneath their feet, the sun was peeking overhead, painting the sky a brilliant, defiant red.

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Leo drank in the colors, the vastness of it. His thoughts drifted to high school – new hallways, new classes, new faces, his friends, and, inevitably, Naomi. He remembered their hands brushing as she showed him that article about her mom's treatment, the unexpected spark of it. It was almost nothing, and yet the memory sent warmth spreading through his chest, soothing the remnants of that ache in his head.

"Hurry up, slowpoke!" Maya's voice, bright and impatient, yanked him back to the present. She was already halfway to the corner where they always met Sam and Chloe, her neon green laces a bouncing blur.

Leo glanced at the simple digital watch on his wrist – 7:15 AM. Plenty of time. That warmth, the anticipation of the new, of her, seemed to settle something inside him. Despite the troubles, and the headaches, that feeling, fragile as it was, propelled him forward.

Sam, predictably, was leaning against the brick wall of the corner store, hood up, mostly obscuring his short blonde hair and a face illuminated by the glow of his phone screen. Chloe stood beside him, tall and spritely, shifting a large, paint-stained art portfolio from one hand to the other as she scanned the street. She waved as Leo and Maya approached.

"Morning!" Chloe greeted them, her voice cheerful. "Took you guys long enough. Sam's been completely useless." She nudged Sam, who grunted without looking up. Maya wrinkled her nose at him.

Leo offered a small wave, glancing briefly at Sam's phone – the latest model, probably. Must be nice having one. Maybe he'd be getting texts right now from her. "Ready for the big day?" he asked, turning back to Chloe.

"Totally!" Chloe bounced on the balls of her feet. "Did you see the final room assignments? I got Ms. Evans for Biology! You guys too?"

"Yeah, and Naomi." Excitement had leaked from his voice when he told Naomi about it at the library. Her smile when she confirmed she did as well was so bright. Those brown eyes nearly swallowed him whole. He felt a tightness in his chest like his heart was being wrung. The sensation was strangely sharp.

Is it supposed to be this strong? He rubbed at his chest. The headache wasn't going away either.

"Nope. I don't think I got classes with anyone." Sam groaned, flailing his arms in exasperation, and nearly smashing his brand-new phone against a wall.

"That's cause no one wants to be in class with a monkey like you." Maya sniped at Sam before sticking her tongue out and running off.

"Why you little…" Sam dashed after her.

—

Leo sighed, shaking his head as Chloe chuckled beside him. The two of them continued walking, swept up in the growing stream of students heading towards the main entrance of Northwood High. The air buzzed with overlapping conversations, nervous laughter, and the general thrum of first-day anticipation. Maya reappeared briefly from behind a group of older kids, gave Leo a quick wave, and then veered off towards the lower building of the middle school nestled next door.

Just ahead, near the wide painted-metal doors of the entrance, Leo spotted her. Naomi. Her long, black hair was slick under the morning sun. She moved with a quiet grace amidst the shuffling crowd, talking with another girl holding a student council flyer. That tightness seized his heart again. He grimaced.

When he looked up, another figure was leaning against the brick wall near the entrance, holding court with a couple of guys wearing football jerseys. Kyle. Tall and athletic with a build that screamed football, except he was on Leo's cross country team as well. They were on okay enough terms. But he had a swagger which always rubbed Leo the wrong way, maybe because he was the Mayor's son. He was always getting into his face like they're some sort of rivals, more so after Leo came ahead of him in a few meets.

Kyle's bright blue eyes swept toward Leo, forcing him to duck away only to find Naomi standing right in front of him.

"Hey," she said. Those eyes of hers engulfed him again, Leo's mouth was dry.

She smiled over to Sam and Chloe, taking the spot beside him, the back of their hands near touching. "You guys checked out all the clubs and facilities? This is so great. It's going to be a wonderful year!" she gushed.

Before any of them could respond, a hand clamped on Leo's shoulder. Kyle's voice blared out from behind him. "Yeah, it's awesome, right? First day of high school. First party! Coming over tonight? It's gonna be a big one."

Naomi's smile faltered, her eyes clouding over. She shook her head. "Can't, I have to visit my mom in the hospital later."

"Oh, right," Kyle said, his cheerful tone sputtered. "Bummer. Hope… she gets better?"

Leo's teeth clenched. Her mom's going through chemo, idiot – she told us this before with tears in her eyes.

Kyle rubbed the back of his head. In an attempt to escape he turned toward Leo, clapping him on the shoulder again. "So, what about you, speedy? Party's happening over at my dad's penthouse. You in?"

"No, thanks." Leo pushed his fingers against his forehead. The pain was starting up again.

As Kyle was about to leave for another group, Sam called out to him. "Hey, what about us? You're gonna pretend we don't exist?"

Kyle waved him away. "There's gonna be upperclassmen there, you won't fit in. Certainly not her." His gaze flicked dismissively at Chloe's bright pink spiked hair.

Chloe ignored him but Sam couldn't seem to let it go. "Whatever man," he scoffed. "You all are just going to be getting drunk and puking your guts out anyway. No wonder Bianca dumped your Neanderthal ass."

The reaction was immediate. Kyle had Sam up off the floor by his collar, his face menacing. The two struggled against each other and fists were thrown before Leo stepped in, shoving them apart. "Guys stop! It's the first day of school."

With a snarl, Kyle shoved him back, but then he froze, his motion cut short. His anger vanished as a look of startled concern and fear flashed across his face. "Bro, you ok?"

"Leo!" Naomi's arm was under his, supporting him.

The world wobbled around him. The ache in his head, the one that had pulsed and throbbed all morning, suddenly exploded into a blinding pain. Leo gasped, his lungs tightened sharply, each breath a battle. That strange tightness wringing ever tighter around his heart, he realized, was something else. He couldn't breathe. His legs gave out beneath him and then everything went dark.