Page 39 of Office of the Lost

Leopold was beside him in an instant.“Hey, I’m sorry, dude.I didn’t mean to hurt you.I was just joking.”He put his arms around Crispin.

Leo’s response was so different from Aspin’s teasing jabs.He really does care about me.

In an instant Leo had somehow erased the space between them.This time Crispin was sure of it.“Wait.How did you— You were over there, and then you werehere.”

Leopold shrugged.“I don’t know.I just knew you needed me.So I was… here.”As he said it, he frowned.“Hey, thatiskinda weird, right?”

Crispin stared at him.“Has this ever happened before?I mean, I think you did it when we were with Fromlith, but it all happened so fast, I wasn’t sure.And then when we fell out of the nest….”

“I guess?”

“But before that.Before you met me?”

Leopold frowned.“I… don’t know.Maybe?”

“How can younotknow?”

“Well, there was this time when I crashed my car, only I was outside of it, you know?Like, I figured I just got thrown out on impact.But the paramedics said it was strange that I didn’t have any injuries.”

Crispin nodded.“Because… you decided to be somewhere else?”

Leopold blinked.“I guess?But people can’t just decide to be somewhere else and… do it.Can they?”

“Not people.You.”

“Ouch, dude.That’s harsh.I thought you said I was as human as anyone you knew?”The hurt look on his face wounded Crispin too.

He frowned.“I didn’t mean…”

Leopold’s grin stretched slowly across his face.“I know.But you aresoeasy.”

Crispin shoved him.“I need you to be serious for a moment.”

Leo mock-saluted him.“Yes, sir.”

Crispin got up and took a few steps through the nothingness and turned back toward Leo.“Come over here.”

Leopold started to get up.

“Not like that.See if you can wish yourself here.”

“Oh, okay.”He closed his eyes and his whole face scrunched, as though he was trying to force something out of himself.

Nothing happened.

“All right.Let’s try something else.Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and visualize yourself next to me.”Deep breaths were always helpful when one was stressed, and they were both certainly under a lot of stress.

Leopold did as he was told.His face slackened, making him look almost childlike, and he took five slow, deep breaths.“Did I do it?Am I next to you?”

Crispin sighed again.“No.You can open your eyes.”He needed this to work.He had to get home to see his mother.She would be able to set things right, even if she cut him down to size for being such a “huge disappointment” and “nothing at all like your brother.”

“Leo…” He blinked.Leopold was standing right next to him.“You did it.”

Leopold looked down and around himself.“I did.What did I do different?”

Crispin bit his lip, thinking.Both times, he’d needed Leopold’s help.It couldn’t be that simple.Could it?

Were they connected somehow?

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