Here's the next chapter!!
Sorry it took a while, but was stuck on a chapter I was writing and wouldn't let myself upload this one till I got done :P

Once again, THANKS for the reviews... and ENJOY :)

Chapter 14 – Trouble In Paradise?

"Are you okay?" Abby turned to look at Luka as he sat down at the table next to her. She didn't know what to say. She still felt bad and embarrassed about the other day, so she just shrugged her shoulders. "Well your eye looks better. I almost can't see it anymore." She started playing with a rubber band someone else had left on the table.

"It's called 'make-up', Luka." For a while he just stared at her, like her words had surprised him. Or maybe it was just because her voice had as good as disappeared.

"You don't sound too good. Are you sick?" Abby pretty much choked on her own laugh.

"Oh, is it that obvious?" She looked down, kind of embarrassed about how mean she actually was. "I'm sorry. Just don't feel too well. Got a pretty bad cold and a huge headache."

"Oh." She looked back up at him, just to notice he was now looking at the table. "I'm sorry. You want some Advil? I've got some." Abby shook her head.

"Naah, I prefer not taking painkillers unless absolutely necessary." Luka nodded just as the tardy bell rang.
"Okay. But if you change your mind, let me know?" Abby just nodded, looking at the whiteboard where the teacher was already writing stuff.

Luka had to run to catch up with Abby at lunch. "Are we okay?" Abby stopped walking and looked confused at Luka.

"What?"

"You know, are you mad at me?" She shook her head, looking at him like he'd lost his mind.

"No. Why would I be?"

"It just seems that way. You ignored me all through PE." She bit her lip and started opening her locker.

"I'm not avoiding you. I just…" She took out the books she needed to bring to study hall, trying to stall time as she wasn't sure what to say. "I don't know, Luka." She slammed her locker and looked down. "I'm sorry. I'm just not myself today." She started walking towards her class, Luka following her since his locker was that way.

"It's fine. Everyone has those days sometimes. I just wanted to make sure I hadn't made you mad or anything." Abby spun around and gave him a fake smile.

"Well you haven't." She started walking into her classroom, leaving Luka even more confused.

"Luka!" He looked up, trying to shield his eyes from the afternoon sun, and noticed a little boy waving at him.

"Hey! What's up, Eric?" They were now standing right in front of each other, and Luka messed with Eric's hair.

"Just got picked up from soccer practice." He looked at Abby who was standing behind him, looking at the ground with her hands in her pockets. "What are you doing here?" Luka looked at Abby, who gave him a small smile before re-avoiding his gaze.

"I'm on my way to work. I just got out of soccer practice as well." The little boy's face lit up.

"You play soccer?" Luka smiled at Eric's amazed face.

"Yeah. It's the national sport of Croatia. And most of Europe. I've been playing for longer than I can remember." Eric's jaw dropped, and Luka couldn't help but laugh.

"Can you like teach me, or help me practice some time?" Luka just shrugged.

"Are you sure you need it? I mean, from what Abby has told me, you're quite good." Eric looked amazed from Luka to his sister, before turning back to the older boy in front of him.

"Well, it could never hurt. We do have regionals coming up."

"Eric! Stop bugging him!" Luka smiled at Abby, to tell her it was okay, but she wasn't looking at him. "Besides, we need to get home." Eric looked up defeated.

"I'll play with you some time, Eric." His face lit up, but at the same time looked very surprised. "But only if Abby agrees to come to my place on Friday." This made Abby's head snap up, and she gave Luka a stare which he couldn't decide whether was shock, anger or disbelieve. So he settled on a combination of them all. "I mean, we have to finish our science project anyways." Abby gently shook her head, her facial expression not having changed.

"I don't know, Luka. I don't think that's a very good idea." Luka shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh. Well, if it's because you're scared of meeting my parents, then…"

"No!" Abby interrupted him. "It's nothing like that. Or well, that too. I mean, we haven't even known each other for that long. It will be pretty awkward. But it's more like, I don't even know if I have work that day."

"Come on Abby, you'll have fun." She sent her brother an evil look, which he chose to ignore. "I mean, you can go make out with your 'boyfriend'!" This time Abby punched his shoulder enough to make him grab it in pain.

"Anyways, think about it. Tell me tomorrow or something. Okay?" Abby sighed but then nodded.

"Sure. I'll let you know. Don't count on anything though." Luka smiled and the two siblings started walking. "See you tomorrow."

"Oh Abby, Eric, you're home." They had barely entered the apartment before Maggie started rambling. "I got dinner ready. It's something I know you all like. Just come into the kitchen when you've put your stuff away, and the table will be set. Richard is already out there." Abby gave her mom a fake smile and nodded before going to her room to put her stuff down. Her rambling just meant that she was turning manic again.

She arrived in the kitchen before Eric and joined her mom and Richard at the table.

"So Abby, did you have a good day in school today?" She was about to answer but never had a chance since Eric entered the room and replied for her.

"I don't know about in school, but she definitely did after. We met her boyfriend on the way home from practice." Abby sent her brother an evil stare, one that told him he would be dead later, but he just shrugged it off.

"I didn't know you were dating, Abby!" She turned back to the grown-ups sitting across the table from her. Richard was staring accusingly at her.

"This is so exciting. Why didn't you tell me, Abby? You know, you can tell me everything." Abby looked down as she could feel herself blushing, silently cussing at Eric for bringing it up. "I love hearing about these kind of things. How long have you been going out?"

"Maggie!" She stopped rambling abruptly as Abby pulled her out of her thoughts. "We're not really dating!" She accidentally looked at Richard, which she instantly regretted. He sent her one of those creepy looks. One of those which told her he could see right through her. That was saying she wasn't telling the truth. Telling her she'd better tell the truth or she'd regret it big time later on.

She bit her lip and looked down. "Okay, fine. Maybe we are, kind of." She looked up at her mom, then Richard, before looking at her hands. "But it's no big deal. It's nothing serious!"

"Yeah. That's why he invited you over on Friday." Abby send her annoying little brother another dead stare as she slightly kicked his shin under the table. Now she was absolutely sure that she was doomed

"Nothing serious, but he already wants you to meet his family?" She looked back up at Richard, whose gaze had now turned more questionable, although still accusing.

"It's not like that." She could feel herself starting to tense up, as everyone were staring at her. "We have to finish our science project for next week." When no one said anything, she decided to continue. "Besides, I already told him I couldn't come. I have to go to work Friday evening." She wasn't talking about McDonald's, but Richard's factory. She'd known that the entire time, and she knew there was no way he'd let her get off.

"I think you should let her go." This made both Maggie and Richard look surprised at Eric, but Abby just rolled her eyes.

"Well that's only because he said he'd help you with soccer." Eric just shrugged off Abby's remark, digging into his chilli.

"So who is this guy?" Abby ran her spoon around in the bowl in front of her. She wasn't sure if Richard was questioning her due to the fact that he had to pretend to act like a father who cared and was concerned about her, or if it was because he was afraid it would mess up their 'secret life'.

"His name's Luka." She looked up to see Richard staring at her, expecting her to continue. So she took a deep breath and did that. "He's a freshman like me and just moved here from Croatia."

"Okay then. I'm gonna have to go by the factory later to pick up something I forgot earlier. I was planning on bringing Abby anyways, so we can talk about it then." She nodded as she looked down, dreading their little 'trip' after dinner.

She dug her spoon into her still hot chilli. She'd really lost all her appetite, but knew she had to eat. She was underweight enough already, and needed all the energy she could.