A/N: Hello again! Or if you have never read my stories before, hi, stranger! Here is my second fanfic, and I warn you: it's a bit angsty. BUT this story has more Riley and Maya friendship~ Yay! Without further ado, we begin the journey of Shut Up and Love Me.
Chapter One: Lucas POV
I get off of the plane and move slowly. I stay close to the wall so that people in a rush or simply annoyed with my speed can pass me. New York is notorious for their fast-paced residents, but I don't plan on assimilating to that standard. I don't even want to be here.
I grab my luggage and go through the arrival procedure, which is pointless, considering I'm only seventeen. I'm not even legal yet.
Ma is short, but I notice her small frame jump up and down to find me. I go up to her and drop my bags to hug her. "Hello, Ma."
For a small woman, Ma has the strength of Tombstone the Bull. Her arms wrap around me tightly as she says, "Oh, I've missed you, my boy."
"I've missed you too."
She finally releases me from her grip, and I pick up my bags. She tries to take one from me, but I wave her off because I'm afraid she'll break. Ma leads me to the subway station, and we purchase our tickets then wait because we have ten minutes until the next train arrives. I put down one of my bags and tell her to sit on it.
"Are you sure, Lucas?" she asks.
"I'm positive," I reply. "We still have some time."
Ma smiles at me gratefully and sits down. She moves more smoothly than when she lived in Texas, but she'll never recover fully. I'll never understand why she chose to reside in New York of all places or how she managed to make it this far, but she seems more at peace than when I last saw her four years ago.
The train arrives, and I help Ma stand, all the while picking up my bag again, and we get on the train. There's only one seat left, so I gesture for her to take it. She only thanks me this time, probably because if she doesn't take it as soon as possible, someone else will. New York, everybody.
When we arrive at her - our - apartment, I'm awed by how cozy it is. The mahogany couch is soft and plush; the floor is wooden; and it smells like pumpkin spice.
"How do you like it?" Ma asks about the room, wringing her hands nervously.
I smile reassuringly. "I love it, Ma. It reminds me of you."
She grins. "Let me show you your room."
She leads me down the hall to my bedroom, and the first thing I notice is that there's only a bed, desk, and drawer. The walls are white and bare, and I don't even have a pillow or blanket. I turn to Ma, searching for a way to phrase my question kindly, when she just laughs. She says, "I wasn't sure what exactly you wanted for your room, so I thought we could go shopping together for what ever you want."
"Well, a blanket is a start," I half-joke.
She laughs again. "And paint?"
"And paint," I agree.
When we come back from the store, I have blue everything. Blue pillows, blue bed sheets, a blue blanket, a blue lamp - I think I may have an obsession. I push aside the bed and set old newspapers on the floor to start painting the walls in a dark blue. Ma wanted to help, but she has already done so much that I didn't want her to overwork herself.
By the time I finish, it's time for dinner. Ma made my favorite meal (Sloppy Joe), and I grin at her because she actually remembered.
"So how have you been, Lucas?" she asks as we settle into our seats across from each other.
"Other than getting expelled from my school, I've been great," I answer.
She winces. Yes, I know I could have found better words for my response, but I'm slightly bitter, to be honest. "Sorry," she says when I should be the one apologizing. "That was a bad question."
I shake my head. "No, that was my fault. It was a valid question; I was just being rude. I'm sorry, Ma."
"It's okay. Although, I have to admit I am curious as to why you were expelled," she says, biting her lip.
I stop chewing. "He didn't tell you?" He being my pa, of course. I don't like addressing him if I don't need to.
She shakes her head solemnly. "He seemed...somewhat angry when I asked."
"Oh, okay, um, well..." I stutter over my words as I try to explain without frustrating Ma. I don't want her to worry about how I will behave. "I have this friend, Zay, and he got into some trouble with the school's biggest jerk, so I bailed him out."
She knits her eyebrows. "Zay doesn't sound like a good friend."
I laugh. "No, he is actually great. He just has a huge mouth and doesn't know when to shut up."
"So he isn't a bad influence?" Ma asks warily.
"Nope. If anything, I'm the bad influence."
"Nonsense. You're a good kid, Lucas. You just have a bit of a temper."
I grip my burger, Sloppy Joe slipping out of the buns. I hate my temper. It reminds me of all that I don't want to be. "Just like Pa," I mutter.
Ma reaches her hand across the table, and I look up to meet warm but fierce eyes. "Now, Lucas. I assure you that you are nothing like that man. Your heart is golden whether you believe it or not."
I stare at her. Ma is a sincere and strong woman, but I forget how strong her spirit truly is. I really should give her more credit. But for now, I smile and say, "Thanks, Ma."
I may hate having to move to New York, but I sure love my ma.