*see part zero for disclaimer and warnings.
Rediscovering Lucas
Part Three
By: Victoria May
Nathan leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. 'I am not hearing this,' he thought as he took a deep breath and counted slowly to ten. When he opened his eyes, Lieutenant Ben Krieg was still seated across from him, guilt oozing out of the man as if he had sprung a leak. Narrowing his eyes, Nathan leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him on the desk.
"Explain to me again how he just 'disappeared' from a bathroom on the beach. A bathroom that you were supposedly waiting outside of. A bathroom that had no windows or exit except for the door you were waiting outside of," Nathan said, his anger growing with the passage of time.
Ben shifted uncomfortably in his chair, aware of the glare that he was receiving from his captain. "Um, well, I wasn't exactly right outside the door, sir. But I was nearby-very nearby."
"How nearby?" Nathan questioned.
"Well, close. Just a few meters away. He must have slipped out while I was, uh, distracted," Ben answered, his voice falling near the end.
"Oh? Was there some matter of extreme urgency that needed your attention right at that moment, Lieutenant? Please, enlighten me."
"I was w. . .ing a vol. . .ll. . .me," came Ben's muffled answer.
"You were watching a volleyball game?!" Nathan roared, his face crimson with fury.
Ben jerked back in his chair, surprised both that the captain had caught his mumbled response and by the sheer fury it instilled. "Yes sir," he answered, clearly this time.
"I want you to go out there and find him! Do you understand me! Start by going over to that Biff kid's home and see if he's there. Have O'Neill check through his most recent communications and see who he's been talking to. Don't come back until you've found him!" Nathan clenched his hands and struggled to regain his composure. Here he was, a captain of a UEO, top of the line military and science vessel, losing his ability to remain calm-all because the resident fifteen year old genius decided to take a little stroll.
"Dismissed," he said curtly stated to the obviously inept morale officer, before dropping his head into his hands.
"Captain?"
Nathan looked up, surprised that Ben was still seated across from him. "I thought I dismissed you Lieutenant," he said.
"You did sir. I just think you need to know that there might be another problem."
*****
"I'm glad you could come this time Lucas," a quiet voice whispered into his ear. Lucas smiled shyly, his face flushing with embarrassment.
"So'm I," he whispered back. "How was the last party-at Kyle's?" Lucas asked, curious to know what he had missed.
"It was lame," Sara said, laughing. "Rae got drunk and puked on the couch. Kyle's still not talking to her. His mom grounded him for a week, but I think he annoyed her so much that she let him off after the first day. Once you get to know him, you'll know why. He's obnoxious. He can't stand not being the center of attention. You know, he'll follow you around and he grabs on you and won't let go."
Lucas chuckled. "He can't be that bad."
"Oh yeah? Just you wait, you'll see. Personally, I think there's something wrong with him. He's weird. I think he's supposed to be taking some kind of medication, but I don't think he does."
"What's the matter with him?"
Sara shrugged and eyed the crowd, "I dunno." Twirling her finger around her ear she said, "I think he's crazy."
Lucas stared at her, shocked by the flippancy of her remark. "That's mean," he said quietly, crossing his arms.
Her own face beginning to flame, Sara looked down. After a few moments of silence, she muttered something and walked away. Lucas watched her as she approached Teri and Ty across the room and cursed silently.
"What did you do?" came a sudden voice from behind him.
"Jeez! Don't do that," Lucas exclaimed as he turned around to see Biff looking at him with a smirk on his face. "I didn't do anything," Lucas defended himself.
"Sure. Whatever you say," Biff chided him.
"Shouldn't you be attached at Rae's hip or something?" Lucas asked, sarcastically.
"Nah. She's in the bathroom. One to many, you know?" he answered as he quickly slid into a chair that had just been evacuated.
"So really, what did you do to Sara? She looked upset," Biff asked, this time sounding sincere.
"Nothing. I just didn't like something she said," Lucas responded, glancing over at the small group across the room. They were all giggling with their heads together and Lucas could swear he saw Sara peek at him.
"Oh, give her a break Lucas. She's just a kid. Kids say stupid things."
"How old is she?" Lucas asked.
"Fifteen."
Lucas glared at his friend. "I'm fifteen."
"I know, and sometimes, you say stupid things too. Don't sweat it," Biff said, laughing.
"Like you're so cool," Lucas retorted.
"Hey, I'm going to be eighteen in a couple months. I'd say that makes me very cool. Too bad you can't say the same thing," Biff said, getting angry at his friend's attitude. "Why'd you even bother to come? You're not even trying to have a good time. I mean, for going to all the trouble to sneak off the boat, you certainly are a dud."
"Gee thanks, Biff. You're such a great friend," Lucas said, emphasizing the 'friend' part. "I'm going outside to get some fresh air. It's beginning to get a little 'old' in here."
"Whatever you say, Wolenczeck," Biff said, turning his attention to a conversation going on to his left.
Lucas pushed his way through the mass of kids until he finally got to the front door. As he stepped outside, he inhaled the fresh air and closed his eyes. What a mad house. Why did he even come? Biff was right-he wasn't having a good time.
"Not thinking of leaving, I hope?" came a familiar voice.
Lucas snapped his eyes open and was surprised to see Rae sitting on the porch steps.
"Ah, no," he said awkwardly from the top step, looking down at her.
Rae patted the step beside her. "Sit down."
Lucas hesitated, his hand on the door handle to go back inside.
"Come on, I won't bite-unless you want me to," she added, smiling wickedly.
Lucas laughed and dropped down onto the step. "So, what are you doing out here alone?" he asked.
"You mean, without my shadow?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah."
"Needed some fresh air. You?"
Lucas nodded and wrapped his arms around his knees. "Same here."
They sat in silence for a moment until Rae looked at him deviously. "So, Lucas. Got a car around here somewhere? We could ditch this lame excuse for a party and really rock."
Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he answered, "I don't have a car. I don't drive," he added.
"What? Why not?"
"I don't have a license yet. I'm not old enough."
"No way! I didn't think you were a day under seventeen," Rae exclaimed.
Lucas laughed, pleased that Rae had mistaken him for being older. "How old are you?" he asked curiously.
"Nineteen."
Lucas' jaw dropped open as he stared at Rae. "No way," he parroted Rae.
"Yes way. Now close your mouth like a good little boy," she teased.
Lucas snapped his mouth closed and looked at the older teen with distaste. "I am not a little boy. I happen to be a college graduate," he replied icily, offended at the remark.
Rae studied his face intensely to see if he was lying. Deciding that he was telling the truth, she leaned closer and looked into eyes. "Oh really. Then I suppose it's okay if I do this," she said as brushed her lips against his, holding his gaze the entire time.
Lucas' eyes grew round and he pulled back. "Uh, why'd you do that?" he demanded.
"Because I wanted to. Jeez Lucas. You say you're not a little kid, but you're sure acting like one."
"I thought you and Biff were together," Lucas asked accusingly.
Laughing, Rae looked at him. "Biff is a joke. He thinks he's all macho and grown up. You are much more grown up than he is, Lucas. Cuter too."
Lucas could feel his unease melting with the new compliment and smiled. He jumped as the door swung open and a sarcastic voice asked,
"Am I interrupting something?"
Rae stood up and wrapped her arms around Biff. "Of course not baby. I was hoping you'd come out. You know, for some 'grown up' conversation."
Lucas bristled at the remark and quickly stood. "I'll just leave you two alone," he snorted as he pushed past the couple.
"See you later, Lukey," Rae said, winking at the teen over Biff's shoulder.
Lucas ignored the innuendo and stepped back into the smoke filled house. He wasn't sure who's house it was. He hoped that whoever it belonged to, didn't come home anytime soon or they'd all be in trouble. Looking around the living room, he caught sight of Sara sitting with Rob and walked over to them.
"Hi," he said, as he looked at Sara.
"Hi," she replied, smiling at him. Turning to Rob she said, "Why don't you go and see if you can find us something to drink."
Rob looked at her and then at Lucas and smiled. "Sure, I can take a hint. I'll be back," he said as he got up, allowing Lucas to take his seat.
"I'm sorry," Lucas said, looking at Sara.
"No, I'm sorry. It was mean. I don't know why I said that. I like Kyle, he just gives me the creeps sometimes." Sara looked at Lucas and nudged him with her shoulder. "So where've you been? I looked for you but couldn't find you."
Lucas looked down at his lap and began to twist his hands together nervously. "Oh, I was outside. Talking to Rae," he added.
"Oh."
"Yeah, well, Biff came out so I left them alone and came back inside." Lucas let his gaze wander around the room. It was dark and someone had turned on a lava lamp in one corner. Music blasted out of a sound system hidden somewhere in the room, and a few kids were dancing in the middle. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Sara.
"So, Sara. What do you like to do for fun?" he asked.
Sara ducked her head and peeked at him from under her fringe bangs. "You'll laugh."
"No, I won't. I promise," Lucas replied, trying to look his most innocent.
"I write."
Lucas was relieved. He'd almost expected to hear that she tortured animals or bombed schools-the whole experience of meeting this group of teens had been so surreal up to that point, he wouldn't have been surprised if she were an ax murderer.
"You're laughing," came a pouty voice.
"No, I'm not," Lucas assured her. "I'm just, er, impressed. What do you write?"
"Poetry, stories. Whatever. Though it's kind of depressing-at least, that's what my mom told me. I don't let her read my stuff anymore. She's a harsh critic. She thinks I should go to therapy. She said that no fifteen year old should be writing about death and sadness. But it's what I feel sometimes, you know? And I don't only write about those things. I write happy stuff too. But she doesn't notice that."
Lucas nodded silently next to her. He understood those feelings only too well. Only he didn't write about them. Or talk about them. If he told Bridge what was in his head sometimes, he'd be locked up. He was sure of it. Lucas became aware of someone standing over them and looked up. He grinned as Rob handed in a plastic cup.
"Thanks," he said as he took a sip. The liquid burned in his mouth and he immediately choked, the sharp liquid spraying out of his mouth. Wiping his arm across his mouth and chin, he continued to cough.
"You gonna live?" Rob asked, laughing.
"Yeah," Lucas croaked. He cleared his throat and apologized, "Sorry, wasn't expecting that."
"No one ever does," Rob said smiling as he took a gulp of his own drink. "It's the color. If you don't know what it is, the blue throws you off. Most people think its Kool-Aid until they drink it. You're not the first one to give me a shower tonight," he teased.
Lucas blushed. "Sorry."
"So, what are you guys talking about?"
Sara answered quickly, "My writing."
Rob looked impressed as he leaned closer. "Oh, she's good. You have to read her stuff sometime. Not your usual whiny kid stuff. She's got talent. Too bad she's gonna throw it all away," he said, looking at Sara.
Lucas turned to Sara. "Why?"
Sara glared at Rob. "I'm not throwing it away. I just don't think I'm good enough to make a living at it. And besides, it's just for fun. It's no big deal."
"So what are you going to do?" Lucas asked.
"I don't know. I've thought about being a teacher," she looked at Rob sharply, "and don't tell me that's cliché, I know it's cliché." Turning back to Lucas, she continued, "My dad wants me to join the Navy. Become an officer. My wants me to go into business and become the head of some company. I don't even think I want to go to college though. Maybe I'll just take some time off and see the world."
Rob sniggered. "Yeah, and do what? Bag groceries? You know they don't hand out welfare checks anymore."
"Shut up Rob. I wasn't talking to you. Just because your daddy has your life all arranged for you doesn't mean we've all got it that easy."
Now Rob looked offended. "It's not 'arranged' Sara. He just set up some college interviews for me with some people he knows."
"He knows everyone, Rob. He's the governor of the state. How much more 'known' can you get?" Sara said.
Lucas looked at Rob, stunned. "You're dad is the governor?" he asked.
"Yeah," Rob replied, sighing.
"Does he know you're here tonight?" Lucas asked.
"Nope. His aids think I'm at Ty's, spending the night. Ty's sister pretended to be his mom and assured them we would be all snug at his house watching vids all night. What losers. They actually bought it. So, Lucas," Rob started, changing the subject. "What are you planning on doing when you 'grow up'?"
Lucas bit his lip and looked over at Sara. She was watching him intently. He relaxed when she smiled and took his hand.
"Oh, come on. I'm sure you've got something in mind, don't you?" she asked.
"Um, well. Actually. No. I haven't really thought about it," Lucas admitted.
"Well, what's your best subject in school," Sara asked, trying to be helpful.
"I don't go to school. I graduated early," Lucas admitted.
"You're lying," Rob exclaimed.
"I wish I was," Lucas mumbled. Looking over at Sara he said, "You thought writing was embarrassing? Try having a master's degree."
Rob whistled and shook his head. "That's mighty impressive Lucas. So what are you doing hanging out with us losers?"
Lucas felt his heart skip a beat and frowned. "Who am I suppose to hang out with? There aren't exactly any kids on the SeaQuest."
Noticing the depressed look on Lucas' face, Rob stuck his foot out and kicked Lucas' leg. "Hey, it's cool. Don't worry about it. I won't say anything. You'd better hurry up and finish that drink by the time I get back. I'm going to get another round. I think we need some cheering up over here." Rob stood up and headed back to the kitchen.
Sara leaned close to Lucas and whispered in his ear, "If it means anything, I'm impressed too."
"Thanks," Lucas whispered, downing the last of his drink.
*****
"I don't think we should be doing this," Sara said as the small group climbed into the shiny, new automobile.
"Jeez Sara, quit being such a party pooper," Biff said as he climbed behind the wheel. "Besides, it's not like we're doing anything wrong. It's my dad's car. He won't care if we 'borrow' it for a little while."
Sara settled beside Lucas in the back seat and pulled her seat belt snugly across her middle.
"Are you okay to drive Biff?" Lucas leaned over the seat, looking at his friend.
"Don't you start too Lucas, or I'm going to throw you both out of the car," Biff snapped. Lucas sat back and squeezed Sara's hand gently.
"So, where to? I hear the beach is nice this time of night," Biff suggested.
"How about we go downtown and cruise for awhile. It's a nice night for a drive," Rae commented from the front seat.
"Pinch me, because I think I'm having a nightmare," Lucas whispered to Sara. Sara laughed and leaned closer to Lucas. Lucas listened to the conversation going on in the front seat for awhile, before growing bored and turning to Sara.
"So tell me about your mom. . .."
The two were deep in conversation and didn't notice the flashing light behind them. Lucas looked up when he heard Biff curse in the front seat.
"What's the matter?" he asked, panicking.
"We just got busted, that's what's the matter," Biff moaned.
"Oh great," Lucas said, sliding down into the seat as the car slowed and stopped along the roadside.
"What's the matter?" Sara asked, noticing that Lucas was more afraid than Biff and he wasn't the one driving.
"I'm AWOL from the SeaQuest," he whispered.
"What?" was her shocked reply.
"The captain wouldn't let me off the boat so I snuck off."
"Oh no."
"'Oh no' is right," Lucas agreed as his door was pulled open and an officer stared in at the teens in the back seat.
"Everybody out," the officer ordered, holding open the door. Lucas climbed out and stood next to Sara. "Names and ages please-I.D.s if you have them," the officer said.
When the officer got to Lucas, he said, "Lucas Wolenczeck, fifteen."
The officer looked at him sharply. "Did you say Wolenczeck?" As Lucas nodded, the officer turned to her partner and said, "Get someone from the UEO on the phone, we've got their missing kid."
-tba
Rediscovering Lucas
Part Three
By: Victoria May
Nathan leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. 'I am not hearing this,' he thought as he took a deep breath and counted slowly to ten. When he opened his eyes, Lieutenant Ben Krieg was still seated across from him, guilt oozing out of the man as if he had sprung a leak. Narrowing his eyes, Nathan leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him on the desk.
"Explain to me again how he just 'disappeared' from a bathroom on the beach. A bathroom that you were supposedly waiting outside of. A bathroom that had no windows or exit except for the door you were waiting outside of," Nathan said, his anger growing with the passage of time.
Ben shifted uncomfortably in his chair, aware of the glare that he was receiving from his captain. "Um, well, I wasn't exactly right outside the door, sir. But I was nearby-very nearby."
"How nearby?" Nathan questioned.
"Well, close. Just a few meters away. He must have slipped out while I was, uh, distracted," Ben answered, his voice falling near the end.
"Oh? Was there some matter of extreme urgency that needed your attention right at that moment, Lieutenant? Please, enlighten me."
"I was w. . .ing a vol. . .ll. . .me," came Ben's muffled answer.
"You were watching a volleyball game?!" Nathan roared, his face crimson with fury.
Ben jerked back in his chair, surprised both that the captain had caught his mumbled response and by the sheer fury it instilled. "Yes sir," he answered, clearly this time.
"I want you to go out there and find him! Do you understand me! Start by going over to that Biff kid's home and see if he's there. Have O'Neill check through his most recent communications and see who he's been talking to. Don't come back until you've found him!" Nathan clenched his hands and struggled to regain his composure. Here he was, a captain of a UEO, top of the line military and science vessel, losing his ability to remain calm-all because the resident fifteen year old genius decided to take a little stroll.
"Dismissed," he said curtly stated to the obviously inept morale officer, before dropping his head into his hands.
"Captain?"
Nathan looked up, surprised that Ben was still seated across from him. "I thought I dismissed you Lieutenant," he said.
"You did sir. I just think you need to know that there might be another problem."
*****
"I'm glad you could come this time Lucas," a quiet voice whispered into his ear. Lucas smiled shyly, his face flushing with embarrassment.
"So'm I," he whispered back. "How was the last party-at Kyle's?" Lucas asked, curious to know what he had missed.
"It was lame," Sara said, laughing. "Rae got drunk and puked on the couch. Kyle's still not talking to her. His mom grounded him for a week, but I think he annoyed her so much that she let him off after the first day. Once you get to know him, you'll know why. He's obnoxious. He can't stand not being the center of attention. You know, he'll follow you around and he grabs on you and won't let go."
Lucas chuckled. "He can't be that bad."
"Oh yeah? Just you wait, you'll see. Personally, I think there's something wrong with him. He's weird. I think he's supposed to be taking some kind of medication, but I don't think he does."
"What's the matter with him?"
Sara shrugged and eyed the crowd, "I dunno." Twirling her finger around her ear she said, "I think he's crazy."
Lucas stared at her, shocked by the flippancy of her remark. "That's mean," he said quietly, crossing his arms.
Her own face beginning to flame, Sara looked down. After a few moments of silence, she muttered something and walked away. Lucas watched her as she approached Teri and Ty across the room and cursed silently.
"What did you do?" came a sudden voice from behind him.
"Jeez! Don't do that," Lucas exclaimed as he turned around to see Biff looking at him with a smirk on his face. "I didn't do anything," Lucas defended himself.
"Sure. Whatever you say," Biff chided him.
"Shouldn't you be attached at Rae's hip or something?" Lucas asked, sarcastically.
"Nah. She's in the bathroom. One to many, you know?" he answered as he quickly slid into a chair that had just been evacuated.
"So really, what did you do to Sara? She looked upset," Biff asked, this time sounding sincere.
"Nothing. I just didn't like something she said," Lucas responded, glancing over at the small group across the room. They were all giggling with their heads together and Lucas could swear he saw Sara peek at him.
"Oh, give her a break Lucas. She's just a kid. Kids say stupid things."
"How old is she?" Lucas asked.
"Fifteen."
Lucas glared at his friend. "I'm fifteen."
"I know, and sometimes, you say stupid things too. Don't sweat it," Biff said, laughing.
"Like you're so cool," Lucas retorted.
"Hey, I'm going to be eighteen in a couple months. I'd say that makes me very cool. Too bad you can't say the same thing," Biff said, getting angry at his friend's attitude. "Why'd you even bother to come? You're not even trying to have a good time. I mean, for going to all the trouble to sneak off the boat, you certainly are a dud."
"Gee thanks, Biff. You're such a great friend," Lucas said, emphasizing the 'friend' part. "I'm going outside to get some fresh air. It's beginning to get a little 'old' in here."
"Whatever you say, Wolenczeck," Biff said, turning his attention to a conversation going on to his left.
Lucas pushed his way through the mass of kids until he finally got to the front door. As he stepped outside, he inhaled the fresh air and closed his eyes. What a mad house. Why did he even come? Biff was right-he wasn't having a good time.
"Not thinking of leaving, I hope?" came a familiar voice.
Lucas snapped his eyes open and was surprised to see Rae sitting on the porch steps.
"Ah, no," he said awkwardly from the top step, looking down at her.
Rae patted the step beside her. "Sit down."
Lucas hesitated, his hand on the door handle to go back inside.
"Come on, I won't bite-unless you want me to," she added, smiling wickedly.
Lucas laughed and dropped down onto the step. "So, what are you doing out here alone?" he asked.
"You mean, without my shadow?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah."
"Needed some fresh air. You?"
Lucas nodded and wrapped his arms around his knees. "Same here."
They sat in silence for a moment until Rae looked at him deviously. "So, Lucas. Got a car around here somewhere? We could ditch this lame excuse for a party and really rock."
Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he answered, "I don't have a car. I don't drive," he added.
"What? Why not?"
"I don't have a license yet. I'm not old enough."
"No way! I didn't think you were a day under seventeen," Rae exclaimed.
Lucas laughed, pleased that Rae had mistaken him for being older. "How old are you?" he asked curiously.
"Nineteen."
Lucas' jaw dropped open as he stared at Rae. "No way," he parroted Rae.
"Yes way. Now close your mouth like a good little boy," she teased.
Lucas snapped his mouth closed and looked at the older teen with distaste. "I am not a little boy. I happen to be a college graduate," he replied icily, offended at the remark.
Rae studied his face intensely to see if he was lying. Deciding that he was telling the truth, she leaned closer and looked into eyes. "Oh really. Then I suppose it's okay if I do this," she said as brushed her lips against his, holding his gaze the entire time.
Lucas' eyes grew round and he pulled back. "Uh, why'd you do that?" he demanded.
"Because I wanted to. Jeez Lucas. You say you're not a little kid, but you're sure acting like one."
"I thought you and Biff were together," Lucas asked accusingly.
Laughing, Rae looked at him. "Biff is a joke. He thinks he's all macho and grown up. You are much more grown up than he is, Lucas. Cuter too."
Lucas could feel his unease melting with the new compliment and smiled. He jumped as the door swung open and a sarcastic voice asked,
"Am I interrupting something?"
Rae stood up and wrapped her arms around Biff. "Of course not baby. I was hoping you'd come out. You know, for some 'grown up' conversation."
Lucas bristled at the remark and quickly stood. "I'll just leave you two alone," he snorted as he pushed past the couple.
"See you later, Lukey," Rae said, winking at the teen over Biff's shoulder.
Lucas ignored the innuendo and stepped back into the smoke filled house. He wasn't sure who's house it was. He hoped that whoever it belonged to, didn't come home anytime soon or they'd all be in trouble. Looking around the living room, he caught sight of Sara sitting with Rob and walked over to them.
"Hi," he said, as he looked at Sara.
"Hi," she replied, smiling at him. Turning to Rob she said, "Why don't you go and see if you can find us something to drink."
Rob looked at her and then at Lucas and smiled. "Sure, I can take a hint. I'll be back," he said as he got up, allowing Lucas to take his seat.
"I'm sorry," Lucas said, looking at Sara.
"No, I'm sorry. It was mean. I don't know why I said that. I like Kyle, he just gives me the creeps sometimes." Sara looked at Lucas and nudged him with her shoulder. "So where've you been? I looked for you but couldn't find you."
Lucas looked down at his lap and began to twist his hands together nervously. "Oh, I was outside. Talking to Rae," he added.
"Oh."
"Yeah, well, Biff came out so I left them alone and came back inside." Lucas let his gaze wander around the room. It was dark and someone had turned on a lava lamp in one corner. Music blasted out of a sound system hidden somewhere in the room, and a few kids were dancing in the middle. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Sara.
"So, Sara. What do you like to do for fun?" he asked.
Sara ducked her head and peeked at him from under her fringe bangs. "You'll laugh."
"No, I won't. I promise," Lucas replied, trying to look his most innocent.
"I write."
Lucas was relieved. He'd almost expected to hear that she tortured animals or bombed schools-the whole experience of meeting this group of teens had been so surreal up to that point, he wouldn't have been surprised if she were an ax murderer.
"You're laughing," came a pouty voice.
"No, I'm not," Lucas assured her. "I'm just, er, impressed. What do you write?"
"Poetry, stories. Whatever. Though it's kind of depressing-at least, that's what my mom told me. I don't let her read my stuff anymore. She's a harsh critic. She thinks I should go to therapy. She said that no fifteen year old should be writing about death and sadness. But it's what I feel sometimes, you know? And I don't only write about those things. I write happy stuff too. But she doesn't notice that."
Lucas nodded silently next to her. He understood those feelings only too well. Only he didn't write about them. Or talk about them. If he told Bridge what was in his head sometimes, he'd be locked up. He was sure of it. Lucas became aware of someone standing over them and looked up. He grinned as Rob handed in a plastic cup.
"Thanks," he said as he took a sip. The liquid burned in his mouth and he immediately choked, the sharp liquid spraying out of his mouth. Wiping his arm across his mouth and chin, he continued to cough.
"You gonna live?" Rob asked, laughing.
"Yeah," Lucas croaked. He cleared his throat and apologized, "Sorry, wasn't expecting that."
"No one ever does," Rob said smiling as he took a gulp of his own drink. "It's the color. If you don't know what it is, the blue throws you off. Most people think its Kool-Aid until they drink it. You're not the first one to give me a shower tonight," he teased.
Lucas blushed. "Sorry."
"So, what are you guys talking about?"
Sara answered quickly, "My writing."
Rob looked impressed as he leaned closer. "Oh, she's good. You have to read her stuff sometime. Not your usual whiny kid stuff. She's got talent. Too bad she's gonna throw it all away," he said, looking at Sara.
Lucas turned to Sara. "Why?"
Sara glared at Rob. "I'm not throwing it away. I just don't think I'm good enough to make a living at it. And besides, it's just for fun. It's no big deal."
"So what are you going to do?" Lucas asked.
"I don't know. I've thought about being a teacher," she looked at Rob sharply, "and don't tell me that's cliché, I know it's cliché." Turning back to Lucas, she continued, "My dad wants me to join the Navy. Become an officer. My wants me to go into business and become the head of some company. I don't even think I want to go to college though. Maybe I'll just take some time off and see the world."
Rob sniggered. "Yeah, and do what? Bag groceries? You know they don't hand out welfare checks anymore."
"Shut up Rob. I wasn't talking to you. Just because your daddy has your life all arranged for you doesn't mean we've all got it that easy."
Now Rob looked offended. "It's not 'arranged' Sara. He just set up some college interviews for me with some people he knows."
"He knows everyone, Rob. He's the governor of the state. How much more 'known' can you get?" Sara said.
Lucas looked at Rob, stunned. "You're dad is the governor?" he asked.
"Yeah," Rob replied, sighing.
"Does he know you're here tonight?" Lucas asked.
"Nope. His aids think I'm at Ty's, spending the night. Ty's sister pretended to be his mom and assured them we would be all snug at his house watching vids all night. What losers. They actually bought it. So, Lucas," Rob started, changing the subject. "What are you planning on doing when you 'grow up'?"
Lucas bit his lip and looked over at Sara. She was watching him intently. He relaxed when she smiled and took his hand.
"Oh, come on. I'm sure you've got something in mind, don't you?" she asked.
"Um, well. Actually. No. I haven't really thought about it," Lucas admitted.
"Well, what's your best subject in school," Sara asked, trying to be helpful.
"I don't go to school. I graduated early," Lucas admitted.
"You're lying," Rob exclaimed.
"I wish I was," Lucas mumbled. Looking over at Sara he said, "You thought writing was embarrassing? Try having a master's degree."
Rob whistled and shook his head. "That's mighty impressive Lucas. So what are you doing hanging out with us losers?"
Lucas felt his heart skip a beat and frowned. "Who am I suppose to hang out with? There aren't exactly any kids on the SeaQuest."
Noticing the depressed look on Lucas' face, Rob stuck his foot out and kicked Lucas' leg. "Hey, it's cool. Don't worry about it. I won't say anything. You'd better hurry up and finish that drink by the time I get back. I'm going to get another round. I think we need some cheering up over here." Rob stood up and headed back to the kitchen.
Sara leaned close to Lucas and whispered in his ear, "If it means anything, I'm impressed too."
"Thanks," Lucas whispered, downing the last of his drink.
*****
"I don't think we should be doing this," Sara said as the small group climbed into the shiny, new automobile.
"Jeez Sara, quit being such a party pooper," Biff said as he climbed behind the wheel. "Besides, it's not like we're doing anything wrong. It's my dad's car. He won't care if we 'borrow' it for a little while."
Sara settled beside Lucas in the back seat and pulled her seat belt snugly across her middle.
"Are you okay to drive Biff?" Lucas leaned over the seat, looking at his friend.
"Don't you start too Lucas, or I'm going to throw you both out of the car," Biff snapped. Lucas sat back and squeezed Sara's hand gently.
"So, where to? I hear the beach is nice this time of night," Biff suggested.
"How about we go downtown and cruise for awhile. It's a nice night for a drive," Rae commented from the front seat.
"Pinch me, because I think I'm having a nightmare," Lucas whispered to Sara. Sara laughed and leaned closer to Lucas. Lucas listened to the conversation going on in the front seat for awhile, before growing bored and turning to Sara.
"So tell me about your mom. . .."
The two were deep in conversation and didn't notice the flashing light behind them. Lucas looked up when he heard Biff curse in the front seat.
"What's the matter?" he asked, panicking.
"We just got busted, that's what's the matter," Biff moaned.
"Oh great," Lucas said, sliding down into the seat as the car slowed and stopped along the roadside.
"What's the matter?" Sara asked, noticing that Lucas was more afraid than Biff and he wasn't the one driving.
"I'm AWOL from the SeaQuest," he whispered.
"What?" was her shocked reply.
"The captain wouldn't let me off the boat so I snuck off."
"Oh no."
"'Oh no' is right," Lucas agreed as his door was pulled open and an officer stared in at the teens in the back seat.
"Everybody out," the officer ordered, holding open the door. Lucas climbed out and stood next to Sara. "Names and ages please-I.D.s if you have them," the officer said.
When the officer got to Lucas, he said, "Lucas Wolenczeck, fifteen."
The officer looked at him sharply. "Did you say Wolenczeck?" As Lucas nodded, the officer turned to her partner and said, "Get someone from the UEO on the phone, we've got their missing kid."
-tba
