Isadora rolled out of bed before her alarm even went off. The alarm was just a precaution, really, she was on such a tight routine that she woke up and went to bed the same time every day during the week.
She dressed quickly, having laid out her outfits for the week Sunday, as she always did. Today she was in a long sleeved top and layered cardigan, over a skirt and a tights, with ballet flats and a headband to accessorize.
Maya, her fellow mini-person, was partial to heels to make herself appear taller, but Isadora valued comfort over style and faux-inches. That, plus the fact that she certainly carried around a few more books than Miss Hart...
She was downstairs making herself a hard boiled egg and a piece of toast, as she did every morning, when she received a text from Zay, saying he'd be staying home sick from school, but sent Lucas to walk to school with her in his stead.
Isadora blushed and considered turning him down. It'd been years since she'd had a crush on Lucas, and joked around that it was reciprocated, but she did hate the ride the subway alone. She settled on leaving the text on read, since she didn't have an answer for him anyway, but wanted him to know she'd seen it.
A few minutes later her bag was packed and she headed downstairs. Zay usually buzzed up for her, but perhaps Lucas wouldn't know that? Perhaps he didn't have any intention of showing up after all; she certainly didn't want to text him and put him in an awkward position. Not that she really thought Lucas would lie and purposely go against his friend...
Before Isadora could overthink the issue further she walked out onto her stoop and found Lucas waiting for her their, coffee in hand.
"Hi," Lucas said brightly, "Good morning."
"Morning," Isadora nodded, "How long have you been waiting here?"
"Just a few minutes," he shrugged, "Wasn't sure the procedure, didn't want to disturb you."
"Oh," she said, "You wouldn't have disturbed me, though. Or, well, I wouldn't have minded, that is. What I really mean to say is, thanks."
"No problem," he extended her a second cardboard cup that he'd procured seemingly out of nowhere.
"Oh, I don't drink coffee," Isadora crinkled her nose, realizing instantly that she should have gracefully accepted the cup.
"It's a chai tea," Lucas tilted it toward her, "You drink chai tea, right?"
"Yes," she smiled, taking it, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he continued, standing up to his full height, "Shall we?"
"Yes, let's," the brunette nodded.
The two walked in relative silence to her stop. The closer they got, the more Isadora's heart pounded. She hated how cramped things were on the trains- that's the reason Zay started riding with her in the first place. Before that, she'd taken cabs and had to leave her house at least 45 minutes sooner. Now she got to sleep a bit more, which helped her headaches, but now she was starting to wonder if it was worth it in the long run, if it meant overextending everyone else like this.
"Can I hold your hand?" Lucas asked her.
"Why?" she questioned him.
"You seem nervous," he said, "I thought holding my hand might help, but I didn't want to startle you."
"Oh," she swallowed thickly, thrusting her hand into his without another word.
Zay usually put a hand on her shoulder or arm, but handholding would work too, she guessed.
Lucas changed their grip from clamped to interwoven; his hand were nearly twice the size of hers and clamped together didn't exactly seem secure.
Isadora followed him down the steps, her metrocard gripped tightly in the hand he wasn't holding. She liked that he let her swipe her way through the turnstile before him- she was always worried for the four seconds after Zay went through and before she did- that she'd get stuck and left behind. But, she knew Zay was trying to be helpful and lead the way, so she never brought it up to him. It'd only serve to make him feel bad, and she'd gotten better at not doing that so often.
But Lucas had gestured for her to go first, so she did, and he followed and when they were both in she let out a breath of air she hadn't even realize she was holding in.
Then they stood and waited for the train, she sipping her tea and he drinking his coffee- or maybe it's cocoa?- and usually she'd ask and then probably lecture him on the effects of caffeine, especially on people their age, but it's too early in the morning and she's nervous.
She's not sure why she'd be nervous, since she's known Lucas a while now and is comfortable with him for the most part, it's just she really hates the subway and also maybe hates the fact that Lucas is about to see her on the subway.
Lucas is great and all, but she and Zay have a different relationship. He noticed just by observing her what was wrong and she'd never needed to actually verbalize it. Which had been great, because she was great at explaining things usually, but she wasn't so great at explaining why she was against the crowded trains and strangers bumping up against her and the smell and the sounds and did she mention the strangers bumping up against her? She hated that, but she knew that everyone hated that. She just hated it with a side of heart-pounding anxiety that made her want to cry and throw up at the same time, and something told her that wasn't normal. Certainly not something Lucas Friar would understand. She knew he and Zay were best friends, and, admittedly Zay was a bit of a kindred spirit, but she didn't quite see Lucas as one.
She pushed those thoughts out of her head as the train pulled up in front of them. Waiting patiently for people to get off, she stuck close to Lucas' side, his hand finding his way to hers again, without asking this time. She didn't mind.
The pair made their way on to the train, and after a quick scan, Isadora saw there were no available seats. That didn't phase her, that was usually the case. She'd just have to hold onto-
Suddenly she looked around, alarmed. There weren't any long rails available, the kind that go from floor to ceiling, the only kind that she could reach. Just the long bar across the top remained.
She thought back over the few short months she'd been riding the train with Zay; this had never happened before. She didn't know what to do, what to expect. She glanced up at Lucas, panicked, and was relieved to see he was totally calm. He simply reached up with one arm to hold onto the available space above his head and pulled her tightly to him with the other hand, wrapping his arm around her back to hold her close to his chest. She sucked in a mouthful of hot air at the sudden closeness.
"Oh, shit, Isadora," he always fell all over himself with his apologies, treated her like she was made of glass, more closely aligned to how he treated Riley than Maya, "I just-."
"It's fine," she smiled thinly, but sincerely, "You really don't know when to give up, huh?"
Maybe riding the train with Lucas wasn't so bad, after all.