Thankyou all VERY much for the reviews, I really appreciate them. YOu read the whole chapter? What a brave bunch of people! LOL
-TWO-
Still dark.
Lucas padded into his bedroom, eased the door shut then fell against it with an indrawn sigh. It had been some time since he'd come face to face with his father. He felt shaky, a strange mixture of anger and yearning that left him drained.
Ran his hands over the basketball poster, pressing one curly eared corner down, force of habit. Luke had tacked it just under the door-frame when he was about six or seven. That was when he still cared.
The air was cool, but he felt warm. Damp strands of drying hair clung to his face, he brushed at them, impatient.
Winking lights glowed an eerie red ; there was still time yet. Thumbed his alarm clock's "off" button.
He must be unconsciously counting the minutes 'till game time.
"What's wrong with me?"
Half yell, half desperation.
"Oh, God. I don't want to do this."
Be in the spotlight.
Dan' Scott's bastard son.
And people would talk. Point to Karen.
She must be as nervous as he.
A floorboard creaked from somewhere within the house. The lulling tick-tock of the kitchen clock had changed to a stark staccato.
Lucas ducked his head, jaw out-thrust.
If he had to go down, it was going to be fighting.
Which-considering the team's treatment of him the past few days-was entirely credible. His brother wanted him to fail. The thought his father might, too, was far from reassuring.
Lucas reached into the backless confines of his dark closet and froze. Rows of empty hangers, swaying gently. He groped blindly, knocking half of them onto his shoes...wait...kneeling on the cold floor, no sneakers. Nothing.
The fanning anger inside of him sent a welcome rush of heat throughout his body.
Flipped the light switch on, eyes hard in their sweeping perusal.
The window had been ajar.
No way, it was-too far. The rage melted into uneasiness.
Scott or not, the Ravens wouldn't do this. Breaking into his home and...
Lucas scooped up a bat from the baseball paraphernalia on his closet shelf and quietly slipped into the hallway.
All seemed peaceful.
Fast fading moonlight glinted on plates stacked alongside the sink. A cafe scent, spicy cookie smell mingled with lemon detergent.
Eased himself along the wall, hugging it's familiar curves.
Lucas peered around the corner...Karen's room. Blankets rising and falling slowly; mosquito whining against the pane. He smothered a low murmur of relief. All the locks were still turned.
The petty thief had taken much more than his clothes, however.
All of Lucas' notebooks were gone, including sundry items he probably wouldn't miss until later...clothes, shoes, a text book...Mr. Flopsy, Hailey's battered-eared bunnie she was in the process of re-stuffing when they had a rainy day...
The kind of junk a person would miss, but wouldn't necessarily interest officers of the law.
Armed with a flashlight, Lucas picked his way through the dew wet grass toward his low window.
Heavy footprints. One set, coming and going. If there were any tell tale size or brand names, they had been scuffed out.
"Dang!"
Karen's prideful array of flowers, stems twisted and bleeding. He tried to fix them up, brushing ineffectually at the clumps of clinging dirt
Clenched his fists in useless frustration.
It was chilly out here, without a shirt on. Early spring mud oozed between his toes. Lucas remembered that he was only half dressed.
Served him right. This is what happened, putting his own notions of glory ahead of his mom's simple request for peace.
It was his fault. It wasn't right to wish so much for something. As if Dan had ever cared.}
I know it's moving rather slow, but I promise to have the Lucas/Dan confrontation next chapter...and, of course, Nathan. And our girl Hails.
:b ;) :D
-TWO-
Still dark.
Lucas padded into his bedroom, eased the door shut then fell against it with an indrawn sigh. It had been some time since he'd come face to face with his father. He felt shaky, a strange mixture of anger and yearning that left him drained.
Ran his hands over the basketball poster, pressing one curly eared corner down, force of habit. Luke had tacked it just under the door-frame when he was about six or seven. That was when he still cared.
The air was cool, but he felt warm. Damp strands of drying hair clung to his face, he brushed at them, impatient.
Winking lights glowed an eerie red ; there was still time yet. Thumbed his alarm clock's "off" button.
He must be unconsciously counting the minutes 'till game time.
"What's wrong with me?"
Half yell, half desperation.
"Oh, God. I don't want to do this."
Be in the spotlight.
Dan' Scott's bastard son.
And people would talk. Point to Karen.
She must be as nervous as he.
A floorboard creaked from somewhere within the house. The lulling tick-tock of the kitchen clock had changed to a stark staccato.
Lucas ducked his head, jaw out-thrust.
If he had to go down, it was going to be fighting.
Which-considering the team's treatment of him the past few days-was entirely credible. His brother wanted him to fail. The thought his father might, too, was far from reassuring.
Lucas reached into the backless confines of his dark closet and froze. Rows of empty hangers, swaying gently. He groped blindly, knocking half of them onto his shoes...wait...kneeling on the cold floor, no sneakers. Nothing.
The fanning anger inside of him sent a welcome rush of heat throughout his body.
Flipped the light switch on, eyes hard in their sweeping perusal.
The window had been ajar.
No way, it was-too far. The rage melted into uneasiness.
Scott or not, the Ravens wouldn't do this. Breaking into his home and...
Lucas scooped up a bat from the baseball paraphernalia on his closet shelf and quietly slipped into the hallway.
All seemed peaceful.
Fast fading moonlight glinted on plates stacked alongside the sink. A cafe scent, spicy cookie smell mingled with lemon detergent.
Eased himself along the wall, hugging it's familiar curves.
Lucas peered around the corner...Karen's room. Blankets rising and falling slowly; mosquito whining against the pane. He smothered a low murmur of relief. All the locks were still turned.
The petty thief had taken much more than his clothes, however.
All of Lucas' notebooks were gone, including sundry items he probably wouldn't miss until later...clothes, shoes, a text book...Mr. Flopsy, Hailey's battered-eared bunnie she was in the process of re-stuffing when they had a rainy day...
The kind of junk a person would miss, but wouldn't necessarily interest officers of the law.
Armed with a flashlight, Lucas picked his way through the dew wet grass toward his low window.
Heavy footprints. One set, coming and going. If there were any tell tale size or brand names, they had been scuffed out.
"Dang!"
Karen's prideful array of flowers, stems twisted and bleeding. He tried to fix them up, brushing ineffectually at the clumps of clinging dirt
Clenched his fists in useless frustration.
It was chilly out here, without a shirt on. Early spring mud oozed between his toes. Lucas remembered that he was only half dressed.
Served him right. This is what happened, putting his own notions of glory ahead of his mom's simple request for peace.
It was his fault. It wasn't right to wish so much for something. As if Dan had ever cared.}
I know it's moving rather slow, but I promise to have the Lucas/Dan confrontation next chapter...and, of course, Nathan. And our girl Hails.
:b ;) :D