[] My dear (encouraging but optimistic) friend nominated my story, or so I think, and she said to place a link, which they don't allow on Fanfiction-it is The Tangled Web Awards.
If someone will show me how, I can add a real link later. Thanks to all my readers. []
Chapter.1
Lucas shrugged his jacket closer, walking forward, head bent under the onslaught of cool evening rain. He peered at the blurred roadway ahead, but there was only the dim shapes of wind lashed trees. A soggy leaf hit his cheek and his feet squished where he'd missed the road and stepped into a little ditch.
His mother would be worried if he didn't catch a ride soon. Unfortunately, there hadn't been a single car since his Uncle Keith's truck had sputtered to a halt three miles back.
"I guess that comes from living in a small town," he sighed.
It was about seven, as near as he could make out. Lucas's watch didn't have a luminous dial, so he had to go by his internal clock. Which clearly pointed to a very upset Karen.
"Darn." another piece of gravel had gotten into his sneaker. He sat down on a half rotted log and almost slipped on it's slimy wetness. "What a day," he thought.
Down the woods bordered road came the unmistakable crunch of tires on gravel. Lucas hopped up on one shoe and began waving his arms. The headlights bounced crazily off him as the car sloshed through a hole and braked to a stop.
Lucas grinned in relief and lent toward the dark
window. "Hey-"
"What are you doing out here?"
Dan Scott, lush ride, his carefully creased business shirt and discarded jacket.
Lucas's grateful expression grew hard and cool.
"It's a little far from home." Dan casually looked him over. Lucas held his temper, as he had learned around this man, many years before.
"Had some engine trouble. Couple miles back."
"Driving one of Keith's trucks, no doubt." The way he said "truck"-a dubious hesitation on the word-made Lucas's teeth hurt. He nodded his head, tightly, and shrugged off a fallen twig.
Dan frowned. "Get in the back."
Lucas's fingers just brushed the door handle, froze. The other shadow in the front seat leaned over, muttered,"Dad, do we have to pick him up?"
"Yes, son, as much as I'd like to, we can't leave him here. This stretch is deserted and we're in for a real storm."
"I don't care, you said-"
Lucas had heard enough. He wasn't about to take charity from the man who'd deserted him and left his mother the sad, quiet woman he'd known his entire life.
"Hey!" Dan grabbed the back of his jacket. "Where do you think you're going?"
Lucas smiled coldly." Thanks, but I'll walk."
"What do you plan on doing? It'll take you hours to get back, especially when this storm picks up. You calling your mom to tell her you're alright, or something?"
Lucas's cheeks burned. Dan knew he hadn't a cell, or he wouldn't be here in the first place. And he knew Lucas's weak spot.
"I can make it."
"Lucas, get in the car."
"Dad-" Nathan protested.
A jagged streak of lightning, followed by a muted roar, drowned out his voice.
Dan swore. "Get in the car!"
Lucas twisted away and ducked into the darkness of the woods. He heard Dan cursing, the car door. Heavy footsteps.
"Hey. My dad wants you in the car."
Lucas held his breath. He didn't feel like starting a scene, but Dan seemed determined to have his way, as with everything else.
Nathan crashed into the brush and laughed. "Trying to hide from us?"
Lucas drew himself up." I don't want to cause any trouble, but I'm not going back with you." He faced Dan. "Taking me home isn't going to change anything. It's not going to erase the guilt." His quiet voice made Nathan laugh.
"Guilt? You mean shame for fathering such a little bastard?"
Lucas's eyes narrowed, but he didn't move. He knew Nathan was aching for a chance to take him down, especially in front of Dan, but he'd promised his mom.
"Son." Dan shrugged." We're leaving." He ignored Lucas, not meeting his gaze.
"Dad-"
"We're going!"
Nathan hung back. "You know what? I'd be ashamed, too, if I was your father."
Lucas nodded. "I'd be ashamed to be my dad, too."
Nathan stepped forward. "You're a coward."
"I promised I wouldn't start trouble."
"You've got trouble, whether you want it or not."
Lucas turned his back on him and began making his way to wards the road.
"Your mother. Yes. Such a paragon of virtue. So...how exactly did you come about? Was it in the locker room? And I'm not even sure if you can say 'my dad', because, you know, there were just so many..."
Lucas froze. "Don't you dare say things like that about my mother!"
"Why? The whole town knows-"
Lucas sprang forward, but Nathan was ready and he dodged past him. Lucas saw the move, but the ground was slick and he tripped, falling against the tree Nathan had been standing against. He landed hard, head snapping back onto a protruding rock.
It was blurry. Still cold and wet from the rain, his head felt warm...funny...and he was still falling. Down. Down.
From even further away, a car started.
"He won't come."
"Just get in, son. We've wasted enough time on him."
Then silence. Total silence.[]
If someone will show me how, I can add a real link later. Thanks to all my readers. []
Chapter.1
Lucas shrugged his jacket closer, walking forward, head bent under the onslaught of cool evening rain. He peered at the blurred roadway ahead, but there was only the dim shapes of wind lashed trees. A soggy leaf hit his cheek and his feet squished where he'd missed the road and stepped into a little ditch.
His mother would be worried if he didn't catch a ride soon. Unfortunately, there hadn't been a single car since his Uncle Keith's truck had sputtered to a halt three miles back.
"I guess that comes from living in a small town," he sighed.
It was about seven, as near as he could make out. Lucas's watch didn't have a luminous dial, so he had to go by his internal clock. Which clearly pointed to a very upset Karen.
"Darn." another piece of gravel had gotten into his sneaker. He sat down on a half rotted log and almost slipped on it's slimy wetness. "What a day," he thought.
Down the woods bordered road came the unmistakable crunch of tires on gravel. Lucas hopped up on one shoe and began waving his arms. The headlights bounced crazily off him as the car sloshed through a hole and braked to a stop.
Lucas grinned in relief and lent toward the dark
window. "Hey-"
"What are you doing out here?"
Dan Scott, lush ride, his carefully creased business shirt and discarded jacket.
Lucas's grateful expression grew hard and cool.
"It's a little far from home." Dan casually looked him over. Lucas held his temper, as he had learned around this man, many years before.
"Had some engine trouble. Couple miles back."
"Driving one of Keith's trucks, no doubt." The way he said "truck"-a dubious hesitation on the word-made Lucas's teeth hurt. He nodded his head, tightly, and shrugged off a fallen twig.
Dan frowned. "Get in the back."
Lucas's fingers just brushed the door handle, froze. The other shadow in the front seat leaned over, muttered,"Dad, do we have to pick him up?"
"Yes, son, as much as I'd like to, we can't leave him here. This stretch is deserted and we're in for a real storm."
"I don't care, you said-"
Lucas had heard enough. He wasn't about to take charity from the man who'd deserted him and left his mother the sad, quiet woman he'd known his entire life.
"Hey!" Dan grabbed the back of his jacket. "Where do you think you're going?"
Lucas smiled coldly." Thanks, but I'll walk."
"What do you plan on doing? It'll take you hours to get back, especially when this storm picks up. You calling your mom to tell her you're alright, or something?"
Lucas's cheeks burned. Dan knew he hadn't a cell, or he wouldn't be here in the first place. And he knew Lucas's weak spot.
"I can make it."
"Lucas, get in the car."
"Dad-" Nathan protested.
A jagged streak of lightning, followed by a muted roar, drowned out his voice.
Dan swore. "Get in the car!"
Lucas twisted away and ducked into the darkness of the woods. He heard Dan cursing, the car door. Heavy footsteps.
"Hey. My dad wants you in the car."
Lucas held his breath. He didn't feel like starting a scene, but Dan seemed determined to have his way, as with everything else.
Nathan crashed into the brush and laughed. "Trying to hide from us?"
Lucas drew himself up." I don't want to cause any trouble, but I'm not going back with you." He faced Dan. "Taking me home isn't going to change anything. It's not going to erase the guilt." His quiet voice made Nathan laugh.
"Guilt? You mean shame for fathering such a little bastard?"
Lucas's eyes narrowed, but he didn't move. He knew Nathan was aching for a chance to take him down, especially in front of Dan, but he'd promised his mom.
"Son." Dan shrugged." We're leaving." He ignored Lucas, not meeting his gaze.
"Dad-"
"We're going!"
Nathan hung back. "You know what? I'd be ashamed, too, if I was your father."
Lucas nodded. "I'd be ashamed to be my dad, too."
Nathan stepped forward. "You're a coward."
"I promised I wouldn't start trouble."
"You've got trouble, whether you want it or not."
Lucas turned his back on him and began making his way to wards the road.
"Your mother. Yes. Such a paragon of virtue. So...how exactly did you come about? Was it in the locker room? And I'm not even sure if you can say 'my dad', because, you know, there were just so many..."
Lucas froze. "Don't you dare say things like that about my mother!"
"Why? The whole town knows-"
Lucas sprang forward, but Nathan was ready and he dodged past him. Lucas saw the move, but the ground was slick and he tripped, falling against the tree Nathan had been standing against. He landed hard, head snapping back onto a protruding rock.
It was blurry. Still cold and wet from the rain, his head felt warm...funny...and he was still falling. Down. Down.
From even further away, a car started.
"He won't come."
"Just get in, son. We've wasted enough time on him."
Then silence. Total silence.[]