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the WB!
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"Keith."
Lucas sat up straight and Brooke quickly rolled off of him, pulling down her already short skirt.
"Hi, Mr. Scott."
Keith raised his eyebrows. "Hi. Brooke, right?"
"Yeah," she said with a forced laugh. "That's me."
"So what are you doing here?" asked Lucas.
"I'm staying here. Remember?" He threw a paperback book onto Lucas's lap. "I stopped by the library for some reading material."
Lucas studied the book. "Thanks."
"So you came to give Lucas his homework?"
"Um, no," said Brooke. Red crept into her face. "I just came to visit the sick. You know, do a good deed." Brooke stood up. "I guess this isn't the best time. I hope to see you in school soon." She grabbed her backpack, waved good-bye and slunk out the front door.
Lucas didn't even wait for Keith to sit down. "Keith, I swear, I didn't invite her over. But once she came over, what was I supposed to do, throw her out? I've been going crazy here all weekend. I'm not used to sitting around the house."
Keith collapsed into the easy chair. "Did I say anything? All I said was that I got you a book from the library. But you sound very guilty."
Lucas raised his brow. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop. But Keith was not saying anything. It was as if it was normal for his uncle to walk in on him with a girl all over him. though lately it was becoming normal.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have had anyone over. And I know I've been screwing up a lot lately, but Keith I swear, I'll start cleaning up my act."
"Luke, I didn't say anything. You're projecting."
You just found a girl leaning over me on the couch, thought Lucas, who decided not to point out the obvious facts to his uncle. He flipped through the book. "Is it any good?" he asked.
Keith shrugged. "I asked the librarian what you might go for, since you've read most of Steinbeck. She tried to sell me on some of those graphic novels, but they didn't seem like your speed."
"Nathan stopped by," Lucas admitted.
"You were having a party while I was at work."
"Let's not exaggerate."
Keith studied Lucas. "I don't see any blood or black and blue marks. So you didn't fight."
"He can be a jerk, man, but he wouldn't beat on a dying man."
"Dying?" Keith laughed. "You were ready to go to school this morning."
"And I'm ready to go to school tomorrow."
"We'll see," said Keith. "What did you and Nathan talk about?"
"Deb kicked Dan out."
"She told me this morning when I stopped by the café." He sighed. "She has a lot of courage. This is going to be a very difficult time for her and Nathan. My brother is not going to go down quietly."
"Did Deb tell you why Nathan collapsed?"
"You mean the drugs? Yeah, she told me."
"I think Nathan needs your good influence. You've been like a dad to me and I've never even thought of taking drugs."
Keith rolled his eyes. "No. You just got a tattoo and now we're awaiting results on HIV tests."
"It came back negative!"
Keith stood. His easy look disappeared. "The other night, you were an ass. Don't keep acting like one." He stood over Lucas, his stocky figure looming. "It's a very real possibility that the HIV test can come back positive in six months."
"Don't worry so much Keith."
"Someone's got to worry for you," shouted Keith. Luke cowered. "You have always been so responsible. Your head has always been screwed on straight. But you are so sixteen. You think you're immortal. That nothing can kill you, but the threat of HIV is very real. And until that second test comes back negative you better act accordingly."
Keith took a deep breath. "Look," he said lowering his voice, "it's normal to want to be with a girl. I'm sure your Mom prefers you stay celibate, I certainly do, but I know neither of us can stop you. But until you are one hundred percent sure that you are negative, well, I don't want you to have any girls over here."
"I wasn't going to sleep with Brooke."
"You're missing my point."
"I'm not missing your point. I get it. Don't have sex, at least not for the next six months. And I'm human, so I can die. I get it Keith."
"Besides pissing me off kid, you're really making me wonder if I ever knew you."
Keith stalked out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him, leaving a bewildered Lucas on the couch.
"Keith."
Lucas sat up straight and Brooke quickly rolled off of him, pulling down her already short skirt.
"Hi, Mr. Scott."
Keith raised his eyebrows. "Hi. Brooke, right?"
"Yeah," she said with a forced laugh. "That's me."
"So what are you doing here?" asked Lucas.
"I'm staying here. Remember?" He threw a paperback book onto Lucas's lap. "I stopped by the library for some reading material."
Lucas studied the book. "Thanks."
"So you came to give Lucas his homework?"
"Um, no," said Brooke. Red crept into her face. "I just came to visit the sick. You know, do a good deed." Brooke stood up. "I guess this isn't the best time. I hope to see you in school soon." She grabbed her backpack, waved good-bye and slunk out the front door.
Lucas didn't even wait for Keith to sit down. "Keith, I swear, I didn't invite her over. But once she came over, what was I supposed to do, throw her out? I've been going crazy here all weekend. I'm not used to sitting around the house."
Keith collapsed into the easy chair. "Did I say anything? All I said was that I got you a book from the library. But you sound very guilty."
Lucas raised his brow. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop. But Keith was not saying anything. It was as if it was normal for his uncle to walk in on him with a girl all over him. though lately it was becoming normal.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have had anyone over. And I know I've been screwing up a lot lately, but Keith I swear, I'll start cleaning up my act."
"Luke, I didn't say anything. You're projecting."
You just found a girl leaning over me on the couch, thought Lucas, who decided not to point out the obvious facts to his uncle. He flipped through the book. "Is it any good?" he asked.
Keith shrugged. "I asked the librarian what you might go for, since you've read most of Steinbeck. She tried to sell me on some of those graphic novels, but they didn't seem like your speed."
"Nathan stopped by," Lucas admitted.
"You were having a party while I was at work."
"Let's not exaggerate."
Keith studied Lucas. "I don't see any blood or black and blue marks. So you didn't fight."
"He can be a jerk, man, but he wouldn't beat on a dying man."
"Dying?" Keith laughed. "You were ready to go to school this morning."
"And I'm ready to go to school tomorrow."
"We'll see," said Keith. "What did you and Nathan talk about?"
"Deb kicked Dan out."
"She told me this morning when I stopped by the café." He sighed. "She has a lot of courage. This is going to be a very difficult time for her and Nathan. My brother is not going to go down quietly."
"Did Deb tell you why Nathan collapsed?"
"You mean the drugs? Yeah, she told me."
"I think Nathan needs your good influence. You've been like a dad to me and I've never even thought of taking drugs."
Keith rolled his eyes. "No. You just got a tattoo and now we're awaiting results on HIV tests."
"It came back negative!"
Keith stood. His easy look disappeared. "The other night, you were an ass. Don't keep acting like one." He stood over Lucas, his stocky figure looming. "It's a very real possibility that the HIV test can come back positive in six months."
"Don't worry so much Keith."
"Someone's got to worry for you," shouted Keith. Luke cowered. "You have always been so responsible. Your head has always been screwed on straight. But you are so sixteen. You think you're immortal. That nothing can kill you, but the threat of HIV is very real. And until that second test comes back negative you better act accordingly."
Keith took a deep breath. "Look," he said lowering his voice, "it's normal to want to be with a girl. I'm sure your Mom prefers you stay celibate, I certainly do, but I know neither of us can stop you. But until you are one hundred percent sure that you are negative, well, I don't want you to have any girls over here."
"I wasn't going to sleep with Brooke."
"You're missing my point."
"I'm not missing your point. I get it. Don't have sex, at least not for the next six months. And I'm human, so I can die. I get it Keith."
"Besides pissing me off kid, you're really making me wonder if I ever knew you."
Keith stalked out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him, leaving a bewildered Lucas on the couch.