*Based on Lock & Key*
Chapter One
Runways
The first thing Bonnie noticed was the sage green bedroom walls. Among that was the large, tall window that showcased the tall trees from the backyard. The room was gigantic. There was a double bed with a sunny yellow comforter and matching pillows, a pastel pink blanket folded over the foot. Above the bed was a string of twinkling accent lights that added to a warm and glowing ambiance. Bonnie stared at the photos pinned up in place within it. Photos of her and Lucy, photos of her grandmother and her mom. Each photo was from a simpler and happier time. This was actually the weirdest thing she'd seen all day.
"Lucy and I wanted to make sure you had a stress-free haven," Lucy's husband, Marcel said, as he tiptoed around Bonnie to enter the room beside her. Bonnie could smell the fresh paint job and looked down to notice the couple got new carpets installed in too. "And you get your own bathroom." He pointed out as he smiled at her.
Bonnie forced a smile on her face. She didn't understand her cousin-in-law or his jolly, upbeat spirit. Since the moment Bonnie met Marcel, he's been welcoming, trying to make her comfortable. He was not the sort of man Lucy Bennett would have given the time of day to ten years ago.
Speaking of Lucy. The older woman was simply just following them around, standing in the doorway, not trying to walk over the threshold. Her face was stiff, arms crossed over her chest. She'd been like this all day, since meeting Bonnie at Children and Family Services this morning. Marcel had to do all the talking with Ms. Laurent, the head counselor, while Lucy stayed silent. Though Bonnie could tell Lucy was studying her every move since she got to the house. Like she was trying to get a read on her younger cousin.
Marcel's present had been a total surprise. Bonnie was completely unaware until today that Lucy got married. They haven't seen nor spoken in several years. Bonnie could only imagine what sort of fancy wedding they had. She could envision Lucy in the most expensive white dress with her new rich friends and family members, completely forgetting about Bonnie and her mother. Or did they elope, because Lucy wanted to avoid telling her husband about her family. Bonnie had sprouted out multiple stories of what Lucy's life had been like since she left them all behind.
"Bonnie, come over here, I want to show you the best part." Marcel said, clapping his hands and walking over to the window. Once he reached beneath the blinds and opened a hidden door, Bonnie didn't even notice it was there. Within seconds, she could feel the cold air. "Check this out."
Bonnie refused to glance in Lucy's direction again as she walked over to Marcel, entering the balcony. He was standing by the railing, both of them looking down at the backyard. She could get a full view of the patio and garden.
"I'm working on a vegetable garden." Marcel announced to her.
"Really, why?"
"Lucy and I are both vegans." That was shocking. Lucy was the biggest meat eater Bonnie knew. "I figure we needed to consume more fresh fruits and vegetables. Plus, we will save so much money on groceries."
Marcel gave Bonnie a look of expectant. "I read somewhere that gardening is a great stress reliever." It was something she read in the latest issue of Women's Health Magazine.
He laughed. "See, Luce? I told you this was a great idea."
Bonnie looked up at her cousin. Arms still crossed and lips pressed thin. For a moment, their eyes met. Bonnie wondered how she ended up trapped here with these two people, one of which wanted nothing to do with her.
For the first time all day, Lucy finally had only her mouth to speak. "Babe, it's cold out here, let's go back inside. We need to get started on dinner."
Bonnie watched as Lucy turned her back on them and walked back into the house. They haven't seen each other in ten years. Bonnie didn't know where Lucy was, or how she was doing. After years went by, Bonnie stopped caring. There was a time when they were family, but it's in the past now. Or at least she thought it was until CPS came for her that Saturday night and turned her life upside down.
"A minor child is living without running water or heat in a rental home. She has been abandoned by her mother, and father is deceased. This minor appears to be living alone for some time. The home is overrun with vermin. There was no electricity or edible food, either. And there seems to be evidence of drugs and alcohol being used." Ms. Laurent read off her file report to Bonnie.
If it wasn't for those nosy landlords, she wouldn't be stuck at Child Protective Services. She was more than equipped to take care of herself. Hell, Bonnie has been taking care of her mother since her father died. She was almost an adult, only seven months left before she turned eighteen. Bonnie did not belong here, and she knew she had to convince Ms. Laurent to let her return home.
"Bonnie," Ms. Laurent said before she could open her mouth and defend herself. "Where is your mother?"
That's when she knew she couldn't talk her way out of this. Not with Ms. Laurent, who seems so stuck up and strict. There was only one thing that mattered, and that was, where is Abby Bennett?
"I have no clue," she answered honestly. "She just left one morning."
"Do you have any idea where she might have run off to?"
Bonnie thought of her mother's habits. She could be anywhere. Once Abby ran off to New York with her boyfriend Enzo St. John. Another time to Chicago, where she met a man named Klaus Mikaelson, who was very sketchy and always made Bonnie uncomfortable. He lived with them for six months until he was arrested for first degree murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend.
"Like I said, I have no clue." She responded again. "Abby is a free-spirit, she could be anywhere."
Ms. Laurent took a deep breath, carefully composing her words. "I hope you know how serious this situation is, Ms. Bennett. I cannot allow you to return home. Not without your mother's present, and even then she has neglected you, which means by law we should remove you from her care." The counselor said, hiding her dismay.
Bonnie nibbled on her lower lip, brow furrowed in concentration. "With all due respect ma'am, I've been taking care of myself since I was nine." She cried, without even a hint of sarcasm. "I'm almost eighteen, with only a few more months of high school."
"Almost eighteen isn't eighteen, you're not a legal adult." Ms. Laurent produced a thick folder in front of her. "Look, I understand this isn't an ideal situation. However, I see from your file that you have a living relative." Bonnie's breath hitched. "Lucy Bennett, and she lives in Louisiana only a couple hours away." There was a horrible burning feeling that felt like something filled every pore of her skin with acid. "I'm having my assistant contact her in the morning. We'll see if she's capable of taking you in, if not..."
Before her attention was irretrievably lost, Bonnie took a deep breath and announced loudly enough for the three social workers who were right outside the half-closed office door to hear, "I guess it'll be the group home for me."
"That is the second option, but chances are your cousin will be more than willing to take you in for a few months." Ms. Laurent seemed hopeful, no matter how much Bonnie was willing to protest.
The memory of that night stayed with Bonnie all weekend. Until Lucy and Marcel showed up. Now it was after five, and it was getting dark outside. The couple left Bonnie alone in her room as they went to prepare for dinner. She searched her cheap duffel bag, only to find her schoolbooks, some unworn clothes, and personal items. There was only one thing that really mattered to Bonnie. She reached up around her neck for the antique iron necklace attached with an amber crystal. It was the only thing she had left of her Grams.
She stood in front of the mirror, noticing her worn out look. The dark circles under her eyes, her hair looking like a bird's nest, and her clothes were baggy and unkept. Had she really been carrying herself like this all day? Not that she was trying to impress anyone. This might be the worst she's ever looked and felt.
In her heart, she knew she couldn't stay here. So by the time Marcel called her down for dinner. Bonnie decided to leave out tonight once everyone goes to sleep. She would find a local 24/7 diner, ask to borrow a phone, get one of her friends from Baton Rouge, to get her out of New Orleans. She'd try to lie low at someone's house for a week until Marcel and Lucy decided it's not worth trying to find her. And then they can continue their happy lives as if they never met Bonnie.
Before heading downstairs, she tried to make herself look more flattering. Taking up a hairbrush, Bonnie tried her best to push her hair up into a bun and make it look more neat. She didn't have time for anything else, not even a shower. Taking one look at the clock which stated 6:00, Bonnie left the room.
Once Bonnie made it into the kitchen, she spotted Lucy outside on the deck, setting the table out there. Like the rest of the house, the deck looked like something you'd see on the home and garden channel. It was just too perfect. Shaking off her wary feelings, she went out there to join them. Marcel was serving what looked like lemonade from a big glass pitcher.
"Let's eat," Lucy said as she pulled out a chair and sat down. Marcel did the same, and Bonnie followed along.
Bonnie's mouth watered. Once she got a whiff of the baked mac and cheese, she knew Lucy must have made. If it was anything similar to what her Grams, she knew it would be delicious. She watched as Lucy served herself salad, while Marcel took her plate and filled it with mac and cheese, and some mixed vegetables. Everything was so normal and relaxing between the couple. But it made Bonnie feel completely out of place.
"Tomorrow, we'll be getting you enrolled in school." Marcel announced with a twinkle in his eyes. "Well, I'll get you registered. Lucy has to work. But it's my old high school, so I'll be able to show you around a bit."
Her jaw dropped open. "Hold on, I'm not going back to the Art District."
"Of course not, that school is like over an hour away," Lucy said seriously. "It's out of our region."
"I can commute, Lucy." Bonnie said grumpily, fiddling absentmindedly with her fork. "Plus, it's mid-semester, I can't just switch schools." This was just another inconvenience for her. It was bad enough they forced her to live with Lucy and her husband. Now these two wanted her to attend another school.
"Don't be ridiculous Bonnie," she said nonchalantly, reaching for her drinking glass. "St. Anne's an excellent school."
Marcel hadn't seemed to notice this momentary tension and continued eating.
"St. Anne's, the catholic school." Bonnie repeated with a puzzled expression. "We're not even catholic."
Lucy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Marcel is, and that's his old high school. He has connections."
"I doubt they'll want to accept me there." That's an understatement. St. Anne is a rich private school for the upper class kids of New Orleans. They had the best funds and access in the county. The only time Bonnie saw kids from St. Anne's in her neck of the woods was when they felt like getting fucked up on ecstasy and cocaine at the local drug dealer's parties. "And it's a white school."
"Bonnie!" Lucy was clearly lost for words. "Don't say that."
"Well, it is." She said childishly, twiddled with her fingernails.
A smile broke out on Marcel's face as he playfully toyed with the glass in his hand. "It was, but St. Anne's a pretty diverse school these days," he assured her. "Don't worry, you'll fit right in." Then he looked over in Lucy's direction. She had on a stern expression. "Anyway, sorry to cut this short, I have a couple of emails to answer before bed." With that, he stood up and excused himself before going inside.
Lucy avoided Bonnie's gaze before pushing her chair back and walking inside the house, leaving Bonnie alone at the table. She felt her stomach clenched in pain. Taking a glance at her watch, only five more hours before she breaks out.
Or so she thought. Marcel took a long time in his office answering a couple of emails. Five turned into six hours. But once she heard Lucy go up to her room, the house got completely silent. And soon the lights were all cut off. Bonnie took that as Marcel finally went to bed too. She walked over to the door, quietly trying to open it, making sure the coast was cleared.
Bonnie reached down to the floor, grabbed her bags and slowly drew the door open, stepping out into the hallway, tiptoeing her way downstairs. Once she made it into the entryway, she checked to see if they set the alarm. They didn't. She reached for the front doorknob and eased it opened, taking one look back before making her way over the doorstep. That's until she heard a familiar voice chatting up.
"We should take the girls out for the weekend."
This made Bonnie freeze. It was Marcel. She spotted him across the street with a dark-haired man, wearing a cap. Marcel was leaning on the other man's mailbox, his back turned away from her. Making a quick decision, she went around back. Bonnie could still hear the two men talking as she rushed off the front steps and ran across the grass, dodging the sprinkler heads, and made her way into the rosy backyard.
When she got back there, Bonnie got caught in the light from next door. She followed it as she tossed her bag over the hedges. She grabbed onto the fence and tried to pull herself over it. It was a struggle, and Bonnie had no upper body strength, so she found herself just dangling on the fence. Behind her, the house lights came on. She tried to pull herself up to further, to avoid Marcel looking out the kitchen window and spotting her.
Once she hoisted herself up, she noticed the source of light was coming from the swimming pool, which was tremendous and well lit up on the sides with yellow lights. She spotted an occupied figure cutting through the water doing laps. Bonnie tried to throw her leg over the fence, but ended up making a loud noise when she slammed her foot against the wooden fence.
"Hello?"
And she was caught. Not by Marcel, but the person swimming laps in the pool. Now the person was at the edge of the pool, staring at Bonnie, trying to climb the fence. It was a slender, built young man.
"Hi." She smiled weakly. Bonnie wished she could just disappear into the lights.
"Are you okay?"
Her face grew red and, despite the opening and closing of her mouth, no words were coming out. She winced, making a face. Bonnie's grip on the fence was loosening. She felt herself about to fall. And she ended up sliding down on her side of the fence, with a louder landing.
"Bonnie?" Marcel ducked under a small row of trees at the edge of the yard as he came outside. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," she gasped as she stared over at him.
"Are you sure? What are you doing out here?"
Bonnie looked around sceptically. She didn't know what to say to him. The truth. She was trying to run away. "I was just…"
She had no answer for Marcel, nothing that he'd want to hear. It wasn't until a face appeared above them from the other side of the fence. It was the pool boy, who in this bright light, Bonnie could see his wet peroxide blond hair. He looked about the same age as her.
"Marcel," he cut in, throwing the older man a quick smile. "How's it hanging?"
Marcel stared up at him. "Hey, Kai," looking back at Bonnie. "Were you two out here talking?"
Kai nodded, laughing. "Oh yeah, I was wondering who this unfamiliar girl was," he continued. The tiniest of smiles curved his lips. "She came over to tell me my music was shitty."
Bonnie gaped at him. "I did not..."
Kai snorted somehow elegantly and rolled his eyes playfully at her. "It's hard to find people with good taste, these days."
"Right, well it's hard to sleep with Twenty-One Pilots being played so loudly." Her hair bobbed to the side, strands falling loose as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Sorry about that, I crank it up so I can hear under the water." Kai said, now looking highly amused.
The edge of Bonnie's mouth curved into a mischievous smile. "It's fine, maybe just change up your playlist. Try Pale Waves or Yungblud." Kai raised his eyebrows at Bonnie's recommendations.
"Okay… well, it's late." Marcel said after a while. "Bonnie and I have an early day tomorrow."
"Same, here." Kai said, reaching down to pull up one edge of his towel and wiped his face with it. Bonnie could hear the slight creaking of what must have been a deck chair he was standing on. "It was nice meeting you, Bonnie."
Bonnie flinched, then pulled her face back to a serious line. "You, too."
Kai gave Marcel a quick wave, then gave Bonnie one last look before dropping out of sight. Marcel gazed at Bonnie for a moment, trying to decipher what he just witnessed. Bonnie tried to hide her face away in the shadows. Eventually Marcel just walked himself back inside. Bonnie moved to follow him.
When she reached the line of trees, she heard a noise from behind her. When she turned, Kai was pushing an open part of the fence and passing over her bag.
"I think this belongs to you." She looked perplexed as she walked over to pick it up. "Interesting stone." Kai looked her over from head to toe, his blue eyes appreciative without being a total creep.
Bonnie glanced up at him. His hands were on the partition. She watched as he pulled on a grey-colored t-shirt, and his hair was dry and sticking up in spikes. In the brighter light, Bonnie could fully make out his face. It was smooth and flawless. He was slightly more athletic than she first guessed, and apparently a wealthy jock. Making him, not Bonnie's type.
She felt her temper rising. She has had an excruciatingly long day, with an even longer night ahead of her, and she wasn't in the mood for boy-next-door Kai. "What are you talking about?"
Kai's eyes were soft as he took in the sight of her chest. He said, almost hesitantly, "Your necklace."
She glared daggers at him, hoping to frighten him with her daring eyes. "It's just a family heirloom."
With that, she shifted her bag behind her and trotted across the lawn to the back door. She stood inside, pissed off. If only she was taller, or the fence was shorter. Bonnie stowed her bag downstairs. Her plan was to wait another hour and then make her way out again.
When she returned to her room and looked out her window. She noticed the shimmering lights from Kai's pool were cut off. Leaving the place in darkness. She hid out in the room for a full hour before trying to sneak back out. But when Bonnie opened her bedroom door. Her heart dropped into her stomach. There was her bag sitting in front of her door. Marcel must have found it downstairs.
Bonnie felt her chest throb painfully and closed her eyes slowly. She could barely stand, her knees were weak. She held on desperately to something next to her, as a faint dizziness pulsated from her heart. Somehow, this brought her shame and guilt. Her breath was coming in short, shallow gasps as she walked silently back to her bed. She didn't know whether to cry or scream. Either way, Bonnie was staying with Lucy for the time being.
Next time on somebody loves you: Bonnie starts her first day at St. Anne's, and she gets to know Marcel better. Meanwhile Kai tries to make her feel more welcome at school, but it doesn't go according to plan.