Chapter.3
The new night's sky was deep as pitch, the heavens glittering with stars.
Karen traced the patterns with her eyes, one hand resting on her son's arm. She sighed, without turning to look at him, and cleared her throat.
"You know, Lucas, I believe there's something you haven't told me. When you were little, I could always tell when you were hiding things from me. You tried to hide everything, because you were so worried it would hurt me. And that wasn't fair to you."
Lucas blinked up into the moonlight as it passed through a single cloud.
"You know, I felt as if you were that cloud. All alone...people everywhere, and still alone. I guess you liked it that way." He shifted on the steps and Karen watched the moonlight steal over his features.
"And?"
"I didn't mind. I liked it, just the two of us."
"Most parents aren't lucky enough to have a child like I did."
Lucas wrinkled his brow. "I appreciate the past tense."
"Well, you did show up on my doorstep last night-"
"Mom, I explained it all."
"Then you give me this ridiculous story about tumbling down a hill-"
She placed a hand on his chin and gently turned his head. "How does that feel?"
"Not bad. I could've gone to school, though."
"You had stitches, mister. No son of mine is going to go running around after he looked the way you did."
Lucas laughed. "Two stitches?"
"More like two and a half. Besides, the swelling still hasn't gone down."
He sandwiched her hand between his own and pulled it away. "Mom, I'm okay."
"Haley stopped by while you were asleep." Karen smiled in a way that puzzled Lucas. "She left a get well present."
"Women." He let out a mock sigh.
Karen gave him a light swat as he walked into the house.[]
Lucas felt stupid wearing a bandage to school the next morning. Reguardless of the fact that it was about the size of a quarter.
Haley had walked with him, sarcastic as ever, but occasionally he caught her looking at him with a soft glance that aroused a pang of regret. Everyone had been really worried about him, gods knew why. Sometimes he felt that he didn't deserve a friend like her.[]
Lunch time. Nathan was sitting with a group of football heros-Lucas collected his food and sat at a table with his back to them.
He actually had a slight headache and wasn't very hungry, but he picked at the dessert. The cafeteria was crowded, a deep, underlying buzz silencing everything but the loudest of students.
Some one touched his shoulder.
"Hey."
"Uh, Peyton!"
She tilted her head. "Should I just put down roots, or do you mind if I sit down?"
"I'm sorry. Of course not." He gestured with his fork.
"Not very hungry?"
"Not really."
"I hate most of this." She started unrolling a little paper bag he hadn't noticed before.
Lucas watched her eat, distracted, silently taking in everything around them. He saw some headphones peeking out of a baggy jacket pocket, wondered why she wasn't sitting with someone else.
"Have one."Peyton extended an oversized cookie that looked half smothered in chocolate chips.
Lucas grinned. "Watch out, it's going to explode!"
Peyton raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't know you were a chocoholic."
"I didn't know there were boys who refused food."
Lucas snatched the cookie from her.
"Hey, Peyton. Sharing your little cookie hoard today?"
One of the basket ball players had wandered over. He stared at Lucas pointedly, then took Peyton by the wrist with, "Come on, Peyton. You can sit at our table."
"Let go of me."
"Come on, Peyton. Your boyfriend's over here."
Lucas looked up, jaw tight. "Take your hands off her."
Peyton tried to free herself, but the player jerked his head towards Nathan and pulled her out of her seat.
Lucas turned as Nathan spoke up behind him. "Let her go. Peyton, come on."
"She has legs," Lucas said, quietly.
"And?" Nathan crossed his arms. "Surely there's a follow up to that profound observation."
"She can walk."
Peyton stepped between them. "I don't want something started because of me. Nathan, just shut up and I'll sit with you. I was checking on Lucas, he wasn't here yesterday." She turned to Lucas.
"Thanks, but I don't need a champion."
As she marched off, both boys stared at her retreating form, then at another. Lucas, with accusing eyes and a hard, silent demeanor; Nathan with arrogance, tinged with guilt.
Finally Nathan broke the silence between them. "You weren't at practice yesterday. Whitey was mad."
"My mom wanted me to stay home." Lucas's look dared him to comment on this, but Nathan shrugged. "I'm glad I don't let my mom run my life."
Lucas held his temper as his half brother strode after Peyton; he could read the obvious jealousy in his tone.[]
The new night's sky was deep as pitch, the heavens glittering with stars.
Karen traced the patterns with her eyes, one hand resting on her son's arm. She sighed, without turning to look at him, and cleared her throat.
"You know, Lucas, I believe there's something you haven't told me. When you were little, I could always tell when you were hiding things from me. You tried to hide everything, because you were so worried it would hurt me. And that wasn't fair to you."
Lucas blinked up into the moonlight as it passed through a single cloud.
"You know, I felt as if you were that cloud. All alone...people everywhere, and still alone. I guess you liked it that way." He shifted on the steps and Karen watched the moonlight steal over his features.
"And?"
"I didn't mind. I liked it, just the two of us."
"Most parents aren't lucky enough to have a child like I did."
Lucas wrinkled his brow. "I appreciate the past tense."
"Well, you did show up on my doorstep last night-"
"Mom, I explained it all."
"Then you give me this ridiculous story about tumbling down a hill-"
She placed a hand on his chin and gently turned his head. "How does that feel?"
"Not bad. I could've gone to school, though."
"You had stitches, mister. No son of mine is going to go running around after he looked the way you did."
Lucas laughed. "Two stitches?"
"More like two and a half. Besides, the swelling still hasn't gone down."
He sandwiched her hand between his own and pulled it away. "Mom, I'm okay."
"Haley stopped by while you were asleep." Karen smiled in a way that puzzled Lucas. "She left a get well present."
"Women." He let out a mock sigh.
Karen gave him a light swat as he walked into the house.[]
Lucas felt stupid wearing a bandage to school the next morning. Reguardless of the fact that it was about the size of a quarter.
Haley had walked with him, sarcastic as ever, but occasionally he caught her looking at him with a soft glance that aroused a pang of regret. Everyone had been really worried about him, gods knew why. Sometimes he felt that he didn't deserve a friend like her.[]
Lunch time. Nathan was sitting with a group of football heros-Lucas collected his food and sat at a table with his back to them.
He actually had a slight headache and wasn't very hungry, but he picked at the dessert. The cafeteria was crowded, a deep, underlying buzz silencing everything but the loudest of students.
Some one touched his shoulder.
"Hey."
"Uh, Peyton!"
She tilted her head. "Should I just put down roots, or do you mind if I sit down?"
"I'm sorry. Of course not." He gestured with his fork.
"Not very hungry?"
"Not really."
"I hate most of this." She started unrolling a little paper bag he hadn't noticed before.
Lucas watched her eat, distracted, silently taking in everything around them. He saw some headphones peeking out of a baggy jacket pocket, wondered why she wasn't sitting with someone else.
"Have one."Peyton extended an oversized cookie that looked half smothered in chocolate chips.
Lucas grinned. "Watch out, it's going to explode!"
Peyton raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't know you were a chocoholic."
"I didn't know there were boys who refused food."
Lucas snatched the cookie from her.
"Hey, Peyton. Sharing your little cookie hoard today?"
One of the basket ball players had wandered over. He stared at Lucas pointedly, then took Peyton by the wrist with, "Come on, Peyton. You can sit at our table."
"Let go of me."
"Come on, Peyton. Your boyfriend's over here."
Lucas looked up, jaw tight. "Take your hands off her."
Peyton tried to free herself, but the player jerked his head towards Nathan and pulled her out of her seat.
Lucas turned as Nathan spoke up behind him. "Let her go. Peyton, come on."
"She has legs," Lucas said, quietly.
"And?" Nathan crossed his arms. "Surely there's a follow up to that profound observation."
"She can walk."
Peyton stepped between them. "I don't want something started because of me. Nathan, just shut up and I'll sit with you. I was checking on Lucas, he wasn't here yesterday." She turned to Lucas.
"Thanks, but I don't need a champion."
As she marched off, both boys stared at her retreating form, then at another. Lucas, with accusing eyes and a hard, silent demeanor; Nathan with arrogance, tinged with guilt.
Finally Nathan broke the silence between them. "You weren't at practice yesterday. Whitey was mad."
"My mom wanted me to stay home." Lucas's look dared him to comment on this, but Nathan shrugged. "I'm glad I don't let my mom run my life."
Lucas held his temper as his half brother strode after Peyton; he could read the obvious jealousy in his tone.[]
