*See part zero/ one for disclaimers and warnings.
Author's Note: Okay, almost done. One more chapter to go. So what do you all think so far? I live for feedback and haven't heard much from anyone. Thanks to those who have encouraged me along! Keep in mind, although this has been long in the making, it is only my first SeaQuest fic. Thanks for hanging in there by the way-I should have known better to start a new series when I was still working on other fandoms. Oh well, I decided to give this one priority since I've had the entire thing planned out from the start. Enjoy!
Rediscovering Lucas
Part 7
By: Victoria May
"What are we doing here Rae?" Lucas asked suspiciously as he looked around the empty room. Soda cans and beer bottles lay scattered about the floor, and food wrappers littered the corners. A large fire place decorated one wall; its mantel was cracked, with one corner threatening to tumble off and shatter onto the floor. The walls were smudged with dirt, and gray fingerprints trailed across the once white plaster. Shades were drawn over the windows, darkening the large room.
"We're waiting," Rae answered as strolled out of the room and into a hallway.
Lucas sighed and hurried after her. "We're waiting for what exactly?"
"The others, of course," Rae said, trying to smother a laugh. She continued to walk down the hall, until she disappeared into a room on the right.
Lucas followed her and was surprised to find himself in a large kitchen. Again the room was dimmed by shades, blocking out the sunlight. Lucas scanned the room, but Rae was gone.
"Rae?" Lucas called out, as he slowly walked through the room. He took in the walls of cabinets and the breakfast nook cozied under the large windows.
'Probably looks out onto a huge backyard with lots of trees and flowers,' Lucas thought wistfully to himself. Lucas imagined the family that once lived here; father, mother, a couple of kids, and a dog. He could almost hear their laughter echoing through the large house; smell the spicy aroma of the family dinners shared every night. Lucas snapped out of his reverie and realized that Rae still hadn't reappeared.
His irritation growing, Lucas raised his voice, "This isn't funny Rae! I have better things to do, you know!"
A muffled voice answered from somewhere above him, "This place is great Lucas! It's huge! I bet you can't find me!"
"Rae, this is dumb. Just come out!" Lucas yelled back as he looked around the kitchen. There, on the other side of the room, was a door which was partially hidden by a towering cabinet. Probably the door Rae had disappeared through. Lucas laughed despite his irritation, and pushed his way through the door and into a pantry.
"Okayyy," Lucas mumbled to himself as he glanced around the storage room. "At least it's not a closet," he chuckled. Spotting another door on the opposite side of the pantry, he hurried over and tried the knob. Locked. Lucas fumbled with the knob for a few more seconds, before finally accepting that it was truly and securely locked.
"Luucaaasss . . .." Lucas' ears twitched as his name came floating through the open doorway, faint and melodious. Lucas smiled and dashed for the open doorway and backtracked through the kitchen and into the hall. After ducking into several more empty rooms, Lucas finally stumbled into another living room-probably a family room as this room was larger than the first and had several window seats perched below towering windows. Mottled brown carpeting swept across the floor; at one time, it had probably been a soothing beige.
Lucas scanned the room and was pleased when his eyes settled on a large staircase at the far end. Lucas ran to the stairs and stopped on the bottom step. Gently, he ran his hand over the smooth oak banister and found himself once again surrounded by a loving family, gathered into the comfortable room to settle in front of a large vid screen to watch a movie together. Sharing large bowls of popcorn; laughing at the corny jokes the youngest members of the family shared.
A sudden loud noise followed by a muffled curse snapped Lucas out of his daydream. Lucas cocked his head to the side and listened for any more noises to give away Rae's hiding place. There was only silence. Lucas' grip tightened on the banister as he hauled himself up the stairs and into another long hallway. Quietly, Lucas crept down the hall and peeked into the first room he came too. Empty. Lucas crept on, checking rooms one by one, until finally there was only one room left.
Lucas held his breath as he approached the final room. As quietly as possible, he turned the doorknob and slowly pushed open the door. The room appeared empty. Lucas snuck a quick peak behind the open door to make sure that Rae wasn't hiding behind it. She wasn't. That left the closet. Walking gently, Lucas neared the final closed door. The silence in the house was heavy and Lucas could feel his heart beating in anticipation. He stopped in front of the door and inhaled nervously. With one hand stretched out, he reached for the door handle. At that same moment, the door flew open and Rae leapt out of the closet. Barely containing a shriek of terror, Lucas' stumbled backwards, his feet tangling together as he fell backwards.
Rae stood over him, grinning. "Gotcha" she smirked.
Lucas tried to look mad-he tried to look furious, but in the end he only succeeded in looking like a petulant five year old. Rae burst into laughter at the look on his face and Lucas soon found himself laughing along with her. It had been fun. Rae bent over and offered her hand. Lucas smiled and wrapped his hand around hers, allowing the older girl to pull him to his feet.
He wasn't prepared when the innocent act of helping him to his feet became an act of seduction. The hand that had been steadying him, suddenly pulled him close enough to Rae for her to wrap her other arm around his back. He'd barely had time to take a breath before her lips were suctioned to his own. Rae's hand released his and wove its way into his hair. Her other hand slipped out from behind his back and slid down his chest, resting as it came to his hip.
Lucas stood frozen under the onslaught and was relieved when voices from below shattered the silence. Rae's hand slid off his hip and quickly groped his backside, before she pulled away, releasing him. She stood back and smiled at him, then wiped at the corners of her mouth with one finger. Pushing that finger into her mouth, she sucked on it and winked at him, before twirling around and hurrying out the door.
Releasing the breath he had been holding, Lucas staggered back until he hit the wall. His stomach rolled and he could feel minute trembles in his arms and legs. Rae kissed him! Again. Rae did more than kiss him, would have done lots more he suspected had 'the others' not shown up right then. Lucas drew in a shaky breath. The real question was-how much more would Lucas have allowed her to do? He couldn't deny that a small part of him had enjoyed what had just happened. Had wanted Rae to continue. The sensations that had raced through his body were new to him-exciting yet frightening at the same time. But he couldn't ignore the fact that Rae's kiss, Rae's advances, had paled in comparison to what he had felt when he kissed Sara.
Lucas pushed himself away from the wall and quickly shook his arms and rolled his head from side to side. 'Get a grip Wolenczeck,' he scolded. Inhaling a deep breath, he made his way back through the hall, down the stairs, and through the house until he found the others.
He found them in the sitting room. The first room he had been in when they entered the house. The once empty room was now teeming with people. Oh, he knew a few of them; Rae was wrapped in Biff's arms, sucking on his face as intently as she had just done to Lucas. Teri and Kyle were doing their best to imitate the older couple. Ty and Rob were talking with a girl Lucas didn't recognize, who looked about sixteen, if not younger. There were a few others who Lucas didn't know, talking amongst themselves. They all appeared at ease with being in the abandoned house-perhaps they had been here before. Lucas looked around the room, surely Sara would be there as well. Lucas sank back against the wall and hoped that this time, Sara would be absent. After the way he had acted earlier, Lucas doubted that Sara would ever want to talk to him again. He could feel the tell tale flush spread across his face as he remembered how she had discovered his deepest and most humiliating secret.
Failing to see Sara, Lucas felt relief wash over him and turned his mind to other things. As he glanced around the once elegant sitting room, he wondered why anyone would leave such a beautiful house to be desecrated like this. Surely someone must care what happened here.
"Hey Rae! Where'd you find this place? It's great!" Ty called out to Rae.
Rae sniggered as she called back, "Oh, Biff and I just happened to stumble across it one day. It's a beauty isn't it? It's a great place to come when you want to be alone," Rae finished, sliding her eyes towards Lucas. Lucas shuddered as Rae openly leered at him. It was going to be a long night.
*****
"It's a piiii-nappllle," Ty slurred as he squinted at the crude drawing on the wall before him.
"Nnnnooooo silly! It's Lucas," Teri giggled.
"Whaaa . . .?" Lucas tore his eyes off the colorful water stain on the ceiling, which closely resembled Commander Ford, and raised his head from the soft carpeting. "What?" he asked again, confused.
"Nothing."
"Oh, okay." Lucas dropped his head back to the floor. He was glad he came. He was having fun. More fun than he'd had in months. Since being hidden away on the SeaQuest at least.
"Hey!" A voice invaded his thoughts as he felt a foot kick his leg.
"What?" he asked again, this time not tearing his eyes from the ceiling.
"Your turn," Teri said, as she dropped to the floor beside him.
"Oh." Lucas took the marker from her and stumbled to his feet. Finding an empty space on the wall, Lucas uncapped the marker and squinted at it. For some reason, he felt like he shouldn't be doing this. He strained his brain to think of a reason why, but no good reason came to him. Satisfied that all was well, Lucas began to draw.
"Football," came the first guess.
"Lima bean."
Lucas squinted at his crude drawing. Yes, it did resemble a lima bean. Laughing, Lucas shook his head.
"Donut." Donut? Lucas squinted at Kyle and frowned.
"It's not a donut dummy," Rob said from his perch on one of the window seats. At some point in the night, the group had moved into the living room where the carpeting made for cozier sprawling. "It's a tire," Rob continued, in all seriousness. Lucas groaned and rolled his eyes.
"It's the SeaQuest," came a new voice. Lucas jerked his head towards the door and could once again feel a blush creep up his face.
"Uh yeah," he stammered, looking away. Capping the pen, he dropped it to the floor. "I guess it's your turn," he said as he awkwardly stepped over the scattered bodies.
"I don't think so. Someone else can go. I think I have a bit of catching up to do first." The voice was tense and quiet. Lucas glanced up in time to see the back of a small blond girl hurry from the room. Sighing, Lucas picked up the beer bottle next to him and swallowed deeply. Maybe, just maybe, he could make it all go away for this one night.
*****
Lucas watched the bottle as it spun around and around. It spun faster and faster until it was just a blur, the open mouth whistling and moaning, making his ears hurt. He watched as the bottle slowed and spun in slow motion, passing by each of them until it drifted to a stop in front of some kid with blazing red hair and glowing green eyes. Lucas watched as he stood, wavering enough for Kyle to reach out and steady him, before he crossed the circle to stand in front of Sara. His Sara. No, that wasn't right. Sara isn't his. Lucas' face twisted in disgust as the kid leaned over, his lips wet from licking them. The saliva pooling on his bottom lip as he puckered. Lucas could see Sara grimace and she turned her head just as the kid zoomed in to land the kiss. Right across her cheek. Sara shuddered and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. Her eyes flickered over and caught Lucas' look of disgust. She smiled at him quickly before averting her eyes and rejoining the circle.
The kid staggered back to his seat and the bottle was passed on to Ty. Lucas watched as Ty grasped the bottle and prepared to spin it. Why were they playing spin the bottle? Weren't they a little old? Lucas looked around the circle which was dimly lit by a few scattered candles. The room flickered in the candlelight and shadows danced in the corners, joined by a thick gray haze that hung over the small group. Lucas stomach churned as the sickly sweet odor of the recently smoked pot met his nose. Unwilling to face the further embarrassment of throwing up on himself or his new friends, Lucas lurched unsteadily to his feet and went in search of a bathroom.
As Lucas stumbled down the hallway, the floor tipped dangerously to the side. Lucas threw his arm out to the side and felt the cool wall under his fingers. The hallway began to spin and Lucas stumbled, still trying to keep his hold on the wall beside him. Then, there was someone beside him. An arm wrapped around his waist and led him into the bathroom, lowering him gently to the floor in front of the toilet.
Lucas bent over the bathroom fixture just as his stomach cramped and began to empty. The nausea continued to roll over him in waves, until his efforts brought forth nothing more. Groaning, he double over and huddled against the cool porcelain tub. His head ached and his stomach felt like he had been hit by an iron fist. Worse, he still felt like he was on the deck of ship in a hurricane.
After a few moments, Lucas could feel hands pulling on his arms, helping him to sit up. Once he was in a sitting position, Lucas head sunk down onto his knees. It felt like lead. The hands returned and eased his head up. His eyes remained closed. A can was pressed against his lips and he drank. His mouth twisted as the taste of warm cola invaded his mouth.
"Sorry, it's all there is-unless you wanted to wash your mouth out with more beer," came a soft voice.
Lucas smiled at the sound of Sara's sweet voice. Sara! Lucas peeled his eyes open and found himself staring into Sara's concerned face.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked. Lucas nodded, his eyes still glued to her face.
"Thanks," he whispered, his throat sore from vomiting.
"You're welcome," Sara replied. "You want to go back in there now?" she asked, nodding towards the living room.
Lucas shook his head. He didn't feel like doing anything. Sitting here felt really good and moving would only bring back the pounding in his head which had dimmed to a slight thud. He wrapped his arms around his knees and lay his cheek down. Sara sighed and lowered herself down next to him.
"Sure you're okay?" she asked again.
Nodding slightly, Lucas closed his eyes. Sara watched him, glad that he hadn't told her to leave. She was worried about him, but not because he had drank too much. The image of the fresh cuts and the scars that decorated his arm scared her. She wanted to talk to Lucas, to tell him that she wouldn't say anything. That he could tell her anything. But would he be mad? Embarrassed? Would he leave? She didn't want to risk that and being here, next to him again, felt so good.
"I'm sorry." The words were quiet and Sara thought that she had imagined them at first. Then she realized that Lucas' eyes were open and he was looking at her.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for Lucas."
"Yeah, I do. For acting the way I did today. For acting, so, so . . ."
"You're not crazy Lucas!" Sara's voice was sharp and she could feel herself growing angry. Angry, not at Lucas, but at whatever or whoever had made him feel like he was crazy. Crazy for feeling hurt, for feeling lost and abandoned. Crazy because he had no one to share those feelings with. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all.
"I'm not so sure," Lucas whispered, his eyes filling with tears.
"Oh Lucas. You're not crazy. I know you're not. A little weird maybe . . .," she joked lightly, bumping his shoulder with her own. Lucas rewarded her with a small smile and a quiet laugh.
"Thanks," he said, raising his head to wipe away the tears that had begun to fall. "Sometimes, it just gets to be too much, you know?"
"Yeah, I know," Sara agreed, her face serious again.
"When you said that 'he' calls you special, who were you talking about?" Lucas asked quietly.
Sara flinched and lowered her face. "My dad. He says I'm special, and I deserve to be treated special." Her voice had taken on a cold, flat tone.
"Does he . . . does he touch you?" Lucas asked, his voice low. Lucas heart was racing and he fought the urge to race from the room. He cared about Sara, but he was afraid he was about to find out something that would make his own problems seem insignificant in comparison.
Sara continued to sit quietly. His concern growing, Lucas opened his mouth to reassure her that she would be all right when the flew open and slammed against the wall.
"I found some more!" a loud voice called out. Lucas' mouth gaped open as two officers stormed into the room and grabbed hold of his arms.
"Let's go kid. You're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent . . .." The voice continued to drone on and Lucas looked over at Sara. She was afraid. Her eyes were wide as they latched onto Lucas' eyes. Lucas smiled at her; tried to let her know that they would be okay. As his arms were pulled behind his back and cuffed, Lucas knew it wasn't true. It wasn't okay. It was a nightmare.
-tba
Author's Note: Okay, almost done. One more chapter to go. So what do you all think so far? I live for feedback and haven't heard much from anyone. Thanks to those who have encouraged me along! Keep in mind, although this has been long in the making, it is only my first SeaQuest fic. Thanks for hanging in there by the way-I should have known better to start a new series when I was still working on other fandoms. Oh well, I decided to give this one priority since I've had the entire thing planned out from the start. Enjoy!
Rediscovering Lucas
Part 7
By: Victoria May
"What are we doing here Rae?" Lucas asked suspiciously as he looked around the empty room. Soda cans and beer bottles lay scattered about the floor, and food wrappers littered the corners. A large fire place decorated one wall; its mantel was cracked, with one corner threatening to tumble off and shatter onto the floor. The walls were smudged with dirt, and gray fingerprints trailed across the once white plaster. Shades were drawn over the windows, darkening the large room.
"We're waiting," Rae answered as strolled out of the room and into a hallway.
Lucas sighed and hurried after her. "We're waiting for what exactly?"
"The others, of course," Rae said, trying to smother a laugh. She continued to walk down the hall, until she disappeared into a room on the right.
Lucas followed her and was surprised to find himself in a large kitchen. Again the room was dimmed by shades, blocking out the sunlight. Lucas scanned the room, but Rae was gone.
"Rae?" Lucas called out, as he slowly walked through the room. He took in the walls of cabinets and the breakfast nook cozied under the large windows.
'Probably looks out onto a huge backyard with lots of trees and flowers,' Lucas thought wistfully to himself. Lucas imagined the family that once lived here; father, mother, a couple of kids, and a dog. He could almost hear their laughter echoing through the large house; smell the spicy aroma of the family dinners shared every night. Lucas snapped out of his reverie and realized that Rae still hadn't reappeared.
His irritation growing, Lucas raised his voice, "This isn't funny Rae! I have better things to do, you know!"
A muffled voice answered from somewhere above him, "This place is great Lucas! It's huge! I bet you can't find me!"
"Rae, this is dumb. Just come out!" Lucas yelled back as he looked around the kitchen. There, on the other side of the room, was a door which was partially hidden by a towering cabinet. Probably the door Rae had disappeared through. Lucas laughed despite his irritation, and pushed his way through the door and into a pantry.
"Okayyy," Lucas mumbled to himself as he glanced around the storage room. "At least it's not a closet," he chuckled. Spotting another door on the opposite side of the pantry, he hurried over and tried the knob. Locked. Lucas fumbled with the knob for a few more seconds, before finally accepting that it was truly and securely locked.
"Luucaaasss . . .." Lucas' ears twitched as his name came floating through the open doorway, faint and melodious. Lucas smiled and dashed for the open doorway and backtracked through the kitchen and into the hall. After ducking into several more empty rooms, Lucas finally stumbled into another living room-probably a family room as this room was larger than the first and had several window seats perched below towering windows. Mottled brown carpeting swept across the floor; at one time, it had probably been a soothing beige.
Lucas scanned the room and was pleased when his eyes settled on a large staircase at the far end. Lucas ran to the stairs and stopped on the bottom step. Gently, he ran his hand over the smooth oak banister and found himself once again surrounded by a loving family, gathered into the comfortable room to settle in front of a large vid screen to watch a movie together. Sharing large bowls of popcorn; laughing at the corny jokes the youngest members of the family shared.
A sudden loud noise followed by a muffled curse snapped Lucas out of his daydream. Lucas cocked his head to the side and listened for any more noises to give away Rae's hiding place. There was only silence. Lucas' grip tightened on the banister as he hauled himself up the stairs and into another long hallway. Quietly, Lucas crept down the hall and peeked into the first room he came too. Empty. Lucas crept on, checking rooms one by one, until finally there was only one room left.
Lucas held his breath as he approached the final room. As quietly as possible, he turned the doorknob and slowly pushed open the door. The room appeared empty. Lucas snuck a quick peak behind the open door to make sure that Rae wasn't hiding behind it. She wasn't. That left the closet. Walking gently, Lucas neared the final closed door. The silence in the house was heavy and Lucas could feel his heart beating in anticipation. He stopped in front of the door and inhaled nervously. With one hand stretched out, he reached for the door handle. At that same moment, the door flew open and Rae leapt out of the closet. Barely containing a shriek of terror, Lucas' stumbled backwards, his feet tangling together as he fell backwards.
Rae stood over him, grinning. "Gotcha" she smirked.
Lucas tried to look mad-he tried to look furious, but in the end he only succeeded in looking like a petulant five year old. Rae burst into laughter at the look on his face and Lucas soon found himself laughing along with her. It had been fun. Rae bent over and offered her hand. Lucas smiled and wrapped his hand around hers, allowing the older girl to pull him to his feet.
He wasn't prepared when the innocent act of helping him to his feet became an act of seduction. The hand that had been steadying him, suddenly pulled him close enough to Rae for her to wrap her other arm around his back. He'd barely had time to take a breath before her lips were suctioned to his own. Rae's hand released his and wove its way into his hair. Her other hand slipped out from behind his back and slid down his chest, resting as it came to his hip.
Lucas stood frozen under the onslaught and was relieved when voices from below shattered the silence. Rae's hand slid off his hip and quickly groped his backside, before she pulled away, releasing him. She stood back and smiled at him, then wiped at the corners of her mouth with one finger. Pushing that finger into her mouth, she sucked on it and winked at him, before twirling around and hurrying out the door.
Releasing the breath he had been holding, Lucas staggered back until he hit the wall. His stomach rolled and he could feel minute trembles in his arms and legs. Rae kissed him! Again. Rae did more than kiss him, would have done lots more he suspected had 'the others' not shown up right then. Lucas drew in a shaky breath. The real question was-how much more would Lucas have allowed her to do? He couldn't deny that a small part of him had enjoyed what had just happened. Had wanted Rae to continue. The sensations that had raced through his body were new to him-exciting yet frightening at the same time. But he couldn't ignore the fact that Rae's kiss, Rae's advances, had paled in comparison to what he had felt when he kissed Sara.
Lucas pushed himself away from the wall and quickly shook his arms and rolled his head from side to side. 'Get a grip Wolenczeck,' he scolded. Inhaling a deep breath, he made his way back through the hall, down the stairs, and through the house until he found the others.
He found them in the sitting room. The first room he had been in when they entered the house. The once empty room was now teeming with people. Oh, he knew a few of them; Rae was wrapped in Biff's arms, sucking on his face as intently as she had just done to Lucas. Teri and Kyle were doing their best to imitate the older couple. Ty and Rob were talking with a girl Lucas didn't recognize, who looked about sixteen, if not younger. There were a few others who Lucas didn't know, talking amongst themselves. They all appeared at ease with being in the abandoned house-perhaps they had been here before. Lucas looked around the room, surely Sara would be there as well. Lucas sank back against the wall and hoped that this time, Sara would be absent. After the way he had acted earlier, Lucas doubted that Sara would ever want to talk to him again. He could feel the tell tale flush spread across his face as he remembered how she had discovered his deepest and most humiliating secret.
Failing to see Sara, Lucas felt relief wash over him and turned his mind to other things. As he glanced around the once elegant sitting room, he wondered why anyone would leave such a beautiful house to be desecrated like this. Surely someone must care what happened here.
"Hey Rae! Where'd you find this place? It's great!" Ty called out to Rae.
Rae sniggered as she called back, "Oh, Biff and I just happened to stumble across it one day. It's a beauty isn't it? It's a great place to come when you want to be alone," Rae finished, sliding her eyes towards Lucas. Lucas shuddered as Rae openly leered at him. It was going to be a long night.
*****
"It's a piiii-nappllle," Ty slurred as he squinted at the crude drawing on the wall before him.
"Nnnnooooo silly! It's Lucas," Teri giggled.
"Whaaa . . .?" Lucas tore his eyes off the colorful water stain on the ceiling, which closely resembled Commander Ford, and raised his head from the soft carpeting. "What?" he asked again, confused.
"Nothing."
"Oh, okay." Lucas dropped his head back to the floor. He was glad he came. He was having fun. More fun than he'd had in months. Since being hidden away on the SeaQuest at least.
"Hey!" A voice invaded his thoughts as he felt a foot kick his leg.
"What?" he asked again, this time not tearing his eyes from the ceiling.
"Your turn," Teri said, as she dropped to the floor beside him.
"Oh." Lucas took the marker from her and stumbled to his feet. Finding an empty space on the wall, Lucas uncapped the marker and squinted at it. For some reason, he felt like he shouldn't be doing this. He strained his brain to think of a reason why, but no good reason came to him. Satisfied that all was well, Lucas began to draw.
"Football," came the first guess.
"Lima bean."
Lucas squinted at his crude drawing. Yes, it did resemble a lima bean. Laughing, Lucas shook his head.
"Donut." Donut? Lucas squinted at Kyle and frowned.
"It's not a donut dummy," Rob said from his perch on one of the window seats. At some point in the night, the group had moved into the living room where the carpeting made for cozier sprawling. "It's a tire," Rob continued, in all seriousness. Lucas groaned and rolled his eyes.
"It's the SeaQuest," came a new voice. Lucas jerked his head towards the door and could once again feel a blush creep up his face.
"Uh yeah," he stammered, looking away. Capping the pen, he dropped it to the floor. "I guess it's your turn," he said as he awkwardly stepped over the scattered bodies.
"I don't think so. Someone else can go. I think I have a bit of catching up to do first." The voice was tense and quiet. Lucas glanced up in time to see the back of a small blond girl hurry from the room. Sighing, Lucas picked up the beer bottle next to him and swallowed deeply. Maybe, just maybe, he could make it all go away for this one night.
*****
Lucas watched the bottle as it spun around and around. It spun faster and faster until it was just a blur, the open mouth whistling and moaning, making his ears hurt. He watched as the bottle slowed and spun in slow motion, passing by each of them until it drifted to a stop in front of some kid with blazing red hair and glowing green eyes. Lucas watched as he stood, wavering enough for Kyle to reach out and steady him, before he crossed the circle to stand in front of Sara. His Sara. No, that wasn't right. Sara isn't his. Lucas' face twisted in disgust as the kid leaned over, his lips wet from licking them. The saliva pooling on his bottom lip as he puckered. Lucas could see Sara grimace and she turned her head just as the kid zoomed in to land the kiss. Right across her cheek. Sara shuddered and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. Her eyes flickered over and caught Lucas' look of disgust. She smiled at him quickly before averting her eyes and rejoining the circle.
The kid staggered back to his seat and the bottle was passed on to Ty. Lucas watched as Ty grasped the bottle and prepared to spin it. Why were they playing spin the bottle? Weren't they a little old? Lucas looked around the circle which was dimly lit by a few scattered candles. The room flickered in the candlelight and shadows danced in the corners, joined by a thick gray haze that hung over the small group. Lucas stomach churned as the sickly sweet odor of the recently smoked pot met his nose. Unwilling to face the further embarrassment of throwing up on himself or his new friends, Lucas lurched unsteadily to his feet and went in search of a bathroom.
As Lucas stumbled down the hallway, the floor tipped dangerously to the side. Lucas threw his arm out to the side and felt the cool wall under his fingers. The hallway began to spin and Lucas stumbled, still trying to keep his hold on the wall beside him. Then, there was someone beside him. An arm wrapped around his waist and led him into the bathroom, lowering him gently to the floor in front of the toilet.
Lucas bent over the bathroom fixture just as his stomach cramped and began to empty. The nausea continued to roll over him in waves, until his efforts brought forth nothing more. Groaning, he double over and huddled against the cool porcelain tub. His head ached and his stomach felt like he had been hit by an iron fist. Worse, he still felt like he was on the deck of ship in a hurricane.
After a few moments, Lucas could feel hands pulling on his arms, helping him to sit up. Once he was in a sitting position, Lucas head sunk down onto his knees. It felt like lead. The hands returned and eased his head up. His eyes remained closed. A can was pressed against his lips and he drank. His mouth twisted as the taste of warm cola invaded his mouth.
"Sorry, it's all there is-unless you wanted to wash your mouth out with more beer," came a soft voice.
Lucas smiled at the sound of Sara's sweet voice. Sara! Lucas peeled his eyes open and found himself staring into Sara's concerned face.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked. Lucas nodded, his eyes still glued to her face.
"Thanks," he whispered, his throat sore from vomiting.
"You're welcome," Sara replied. "You want to go back in there now?" she asked, nodding towards the living room.
Lucas shook his head. He didn't feel like doing anything. Sitting here felt really good and moving would only bring back the pounding in his head which had dimmed to a slight thud. He wrapped his arms around his knees and lay his cheek down. Sara sighed and lowered herself down next to him.
"Sure you're okay?" she asked again.
Nodding slightly, Lucas closed his eyes. Sara watched him, glad that he hadn't told her to leave. She was worried about him, but not because he had drank too much. The image of the fresh cuts and the scars that decorated his arm scared her. She wanted to talk to Lucas, to tell him that she wouldn't say anything. That he could tell her anything. But would he be mad? Embarrassed? Would he leave? She didn't want to risk that and being here, next to him again, felt so good.
"I'm sorry." The words were quiet and Sara thought that she had imagined them at first. Then she realized that Lucas' eyes were open and he was looking at her.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for Lucas."
"Yeah, I do. For acting the way I did today. For acting, so, so . . ."
"You're not crazy Lucas!" Sara's voice was sharp and she could feel herself growing angry. Angry, not at Lucas, but at whatever or whoever had made him feel like he was crazy. Crazy for feeling hurt, for feeling lost and abandoned. Crazy because he had no one to share those feelings with. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all.
"I'm not so sure," Lucas whispered, his eyes filling with tears.
"Oh Lucas. You're not crazy. I know you're not. A little weird maybe . . .," she joked lightly, bumping his shoulder with her own. Lucas rewarded her with a small smile and a quiet laugh.
"Thanks," he said, raising his head to wipe away the tears that had begun to fall. "Sometimes, it just gets to be too much, you know?"
"Yeah, I know," Sara agreed, her face serious again.
"When you said that 'he' calls you special, who were you talking about?" Lucas asked quietly.
Sara flinched and lowered her face. "My dad. He says I'm special, and I deserve to be treated special." Her voice had taken on a cold, flat tone.
"Does he . . . does he touch you?" Lucas asked, his voice low. Lucas heart was racing and he fought the urge to race from the room. He cared about Sara, but he was afraid he was about to find out something that would make his own problems seem insignificant in comparison.
Sara continued to sit quietly. His concern growing, Lucas opened his mouth to reassure her that she would be all right when the flew open and slammed against the wall.
"I found some more!" a loud voice called out. Lucas' mouth gaped open as two officers stormed into the room and grabbed hold of his arms.
"Let's go kid. You're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent . . .." The voice continued to drone on and Lucas looked over at Sara. She was afraid. Her eyes were wide as they latched onto Lucas' eyes. Lucas smiled at her; tried to let her know that they would be okay. As his arms were pulled behind his back and cuffed, Lucas knew it wasn't true. It wasn't okay. It was a nightmare.
-tba
