Chapter One - Routine
"Lucky, get up! You're going to be late!" someone yelled. It could have been Dad or Jesse. It had actually gotten so I couldn't tell their voices apart.
I smiled, which is not something I do frequently in the morning, thinking about how alike they were. I imagined Dad sticking his head in the door and ordering me to get out of bed. He usually had to do that before I'd get up. I could see his dark hair and eyes. He would try to be angry at me for not getting up but I could see his eyes twinkling. This was the routine. We did it every day during the week without fail.
Just then, Dad poked his head in the door, as I knew he would.
"Lucky, up, now," he said. I saw the twinkle just before he shut the door again.
I could hear Jesse banging around in the kitchen, trying to make some kind of breakfast. Jesse was two years older than me but he couldn't cook to save his life. He usually stuck to staple like grilled cheese or soup.
I was the chef around here. But in the morning he had to pull something together himself because I was never up to do it for him.
If it was a special occasion like his or Dad's birthday I would manage to drag myself out of bed to whip up something special. I had always enjoyed cooking; it was one of the only things that could get me out of bed without four wakeup calls.
I threw back my covers and sat up. My room was small but cozy. My bed was a single that I'd had since I stopped sleeping in a crib. The comforter and the sheets as well as the curtains were all a faded mauve colour.
The walls were painted deep purple which made my already dark room even darker. The window looked out on the courtyard that the four apartment buildings shared and the sun rose on the opposite side of the building. My room was almost pitch black in the morning, which didn't help with my little getting-out-of-bed problem.
The desk, dresser and bedside table I had were painted white and they were even older than the bed. Everything was jammed tightly into the room so there was almost no floor space.
I picked out a pair of jeans and a blue T-shirt to wear to school.
October in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada was usually pretty cold today but it looked like it might be warm today so I wore the T-shirt anyway. I didn't have many clothes, so I had to wear what I could.
I brushed out my wavy shoulder length blond hair and put a little mascara on to frame my green eyes. I was ready in less than twenty minutes. That was all the time I needed. I looked at the clock. 7:45. And I still had fifteen minutes to spare.
I opened my bedroom door and saw my Dad and brother sitting at the kitchen table, eating what looked like toast.
"You didn't burn it," I said as I sat down at the table. There was a piece of toast on my plate, perfectly toasted.
"Of course not, I know how to make some things, you know," Jesse said, frowning.
I spread peanut butter on my toast and started eating.
Jesse drove me to school everyday on his way to work. He had gotten a job as a groundskeeper at a nursing home so he could save money to go to college in a year. He wanted to be a graphic designer. His dream was to make a movie like "Spider-Man" with special effects that could win an Academy Award.
"I'm going on a business trip this weekend," Dad said. He worked as a traveling salesman. He was good at his job but his boss just couldn't afford to give him a desk job. He had to travel a lot, which left Jesse and I alone most nights. He usually stayed home on weekends but every so often he would have a conference or something.
"Again?" Jesse asked.
"I know, it has been busy lately, but this is the last conference for awhile and Pete is paying me triple to go and then teach the others what I learn," Dad explained.
What new things could there be to learn in selling things door-to-door? I wondered and I asked just that.
"We have to learn what all the products we sell do and Pete is stocking up on all the new electronic gadgets," Dad told me.
I sighed. It made sense, I guess.
"We better get going," Jesse said putting his plate in the sink.
"Have a good day," Dad said.
"Will you be home tonight?" I asked him as I slipped on my jacket.
"Tonight, yes, I'm going to be leaving for the conference early tomorrow morning so I got today off," he said.
I smiled. At least he was trying to spend more time with us. I said goodbye and followed Jesse to the elevator.
Jesse's car was old and rusted but it got us where we needed to go.
We drove to my high school in less than ten minutes.
"See ya at three," I said and got out of the car.
I hurried up the steps of the school and weaved through the groups of people crowded around their lockers. My locker was at the end of the hallway so I didn't have to push my way through crowds of people to get to it.
"Hey Lucky," I turned to the left to find my friend, Lana Turner.
"Hey Lana, did you finish the math?" I asked.
"No, I had better things to do," she said and smiled mischievously.
"Such as?" I closed my locker and we started towards math class.
"Remember that guy from the mall?" she asked.
"The one with the tongue ring?" I asked.
"We.hung out last night," she said and smirked.
I rolled my eyes. Sometimes I wondered why Lana and I were friends at all. She and I were total opposites. She was very outgoing and flirtatious. She had black hair with red streaks and very pale blue eyes. She almost reminded me of a vampire because her skin was so pale. Her hair was naturally blond but she had started dying it black a long time ago. She had a couple of tattoos and three piercings. She wore spiked necklaces and fish net stockings.
But we had been friends for so long, none of those things could even make me consider ending our friendship.
Math class went by pretty fast. I had always done okay in math, but I didn't enjoy it.
"I'll see you at lunch and I'll tell you about Carter," Lana said after the bell had rung.
"Who?" I asked.
"Carter! The tongue ring guy!" she said her makeup-darkened eyes widening.
"Oh, right," I said smiling.
The rest of the morning passed by quickly. I met Lana in our usual place, by my locker. I really wasn't that interested in hearing about her latest boyfriend but I would try to listen as best I could.
We sat in the cafeteria and I half listened to Lana blab on about Carter. He sounded just like all the other guys she'd ever dated. Loud, arrogant and only interested in one thing. Something that Lana would most likely give them around the second or third date.
I tried not to judge my friend but sometimes she could be so reckless.
"He's so cool Lucky!" Lana squealed happily.
"Sounds like it," I said.
"Oh yeah, his friends having a kegger this weekend, you have to come with me," she said.
"A kegger? I don't know." I hesitated. I had been to a few parties like that and they had always ended with the police showing up.
"C'mon, I don't want to go by myself," she pleaded.
I didn't answer for a moment. She would go with or without me and she didn't know anyone there. Anything could happen if she didn't have someone there to look out for her. Just because there would be a keg, didn't mean I had to drink right?
"Alright," I relented.
"Yeah!" She squealed, "It's gonna be great!"
I nodded and grabbed my bag.
The afternoon seemed to drag by just because I wanted it to end.
Normally I'd be worrying about Dad letting me go to this party. But he wouldn't be home. He didn't even have to know about it. Jesse wouldn't tell him.
The party was in two days. Saturday night.
Jesse picked me up at the end of the day.
"I'm going to a party on Saturday," I told him.
"Okay," he said.
I looked at him. He would usually ask me when, where, how, why and who. He could be more protective than Dad sometimes.
I shrugged; I wasn't going to question it. If he didn't care, it would make it easier. I looked over at him. He seemed to be in a daze. He even had a small smile on his full lips.
"What is wrong with you?" I asked. I just couldn't let it go.
"What? Nothing," he insisted glancing at me.
I smiled, he couldn't trick me.
"You talked to Kristen didn't you?" I asked. Kristen Lowry worked at the same nursing home as Jesse. He was always telling me about her. He was too shy to talk to her even though I encouraged him all the time.
He nodded, "We're going out on Saturday," he said.
"That's great! I told you it would work out!" I exclaimed.
Jesse had always been shy around girls. But he really had no reason to be. He was a perfect gentleman. Sensitive, caring, generous. Any girl would be lucky to have him. He was also good looking according to Lana. He had the same dark hair and eyes as Dad. His cheekbones were defined just enough. He had dark eyelashes that I was jealous of. His lips were full and he had perfect teeth. His chin and jaw were strong and slightly square. His nose was long and straight, what could be called a Roman nose.
Lana even went as far to say he looked like a Greek God and she only liked guys who had piercings all over their face.
"Don't tell Dad though, I don't feel like telling him every detail about Kristen," Jesse said.
"Okay, same with the party," I said.
"Oh yeah, where is this party?" he asked.
I sighed, I guess I spoke too soon.
"Lucky, get up! You're going to be late!" someone yelled. It could have been Dad or Jesse. It had actually gotten so I couldn't tell their voices apart.
I smiled, which is not something I do frequently in the morning, thinking about how alike they were. I imagined Dad sticking his head in the door and ordering me to get out of bed. He usually had to do that before I'd get up. I could see his dark hair and eyes. He would try to be angry at me for not getting up but I could see his eyes twinkling. This was the routine. We did it every day during the week without fail.
Just then, Dad poked his head in the door, as I knew he would.
"Lucky, up, now," he said. I saw the twinkle just before he shut the door again.
I could hear Jesse banging around in the kitchen, trying to make some kind of breakfast. Jesse was two years older than me but he couldn't cook to save his life. He usually stuck to staple like grilled cheese or soup.
I was the chef around here. But in the morning he had to pull something together himself because I was never up to do it for him.
If it was a special occasion like his or Dad's birthday I would manage to drag myself out of bed to whip up something special. I had always enjoyed cooking; it was one of the only things that could get me out of bed without four wakeup calls.
I threw back my covers and sat up. My room was small but cozy. My bed was a single that I'd had since I stopped sleeping in a crib. The comforter and the sheets as well as the curtains were all a faded mauve colour.
The walls were painted deep purple which made my already dark room even darker. The window looked out on the courtyard that the four apartment buildings shared and the sun rose on the opposite side of the building. My room was almost pitch black in the morning, which didn't help with my little getting-out-of-bed problem.
The desk, dresser and bedside table I had were painted white and they were even older than the bed. Everything was jammed tightly into the room so there was almost no floor space.
I picked out a pair of jeans and a blue T-shirt to wear to school.
October in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada was usually pretty cold today but it looked like it might be warm today so I wore the T-shirt anyway. I didn't have many clothes, so I had to wear what I could.
I brushed out my wavy shoulder length blond hair and put a little mascara on to frame my green eyes. I was ready in less than twenty minutes. That was all the time I needed. I looked at the clock. 7:45. And I still had fifteen minutes to spare.
I opened my bedroom door and saw my Dad and brother sitting at the kitchen table, eating what looked like toast.
"You didn't burn it," I said as I sat down at the table. There was a piece of toast on my plate, perfectly toasted.
"Of course not, I know how to make some things, you know," Jesse said, frowning.
I spread peanut butter on my toast and started eating.
Jesse drove me to school everyday on his way to work. He had gotten a job as a groundskeeper at a nursing home so he could save money to go to college in a year. He wanted to be a graphic designer. His dream was to make a movie like "Spider-Man" with special effects that could win an Academy Award.
"I'm going on a business trip this weekend," Dad said. He worked as a traveling salesman. He was good at his job but his boss just couldn't afford to give him a desk job. He had to travel a lot, which left Jesse and I alone most nights. He usually stayed home on weekends but every so often he would have a conference or something.
"Again?" Jesse asked.
"I know, it has been busy lately, but this is the last conference for awhile and Pete is paying me triple to go and then teach the others what I learn," Dad explained.
What new things could there be to learn in selling things door-to-door? I wondered and I asked just that.
"We have to learn what all the products we sell do and Pete is stocking up on all the new electronic gadgets," Dad told me.
I sighed. It made sense, I guess.
"We better get going," Jesse said putting his plate in the sink.
"Have a good day," Dad said.
"Will you be home tonight?" I asked him as I slipped on my jacket.
"Tonight, yes, I'm going to be leaving for the conference early tomorrow morning so I got today off," he said.
I smiled. At least he was trying to spend more time with us. I said goodbye and followed Jesse to the elevator.
Jesse's car was old and rusted but it got us where we needed to go.
We drove to my high school in less than ten minutes.
"See ya at three," I said and got out of the car.
I hurried up the steps of the school and weaved through the groups of people crowded around their lockers. My locker was at the end of the hallway so I didn't have to push my way through crowds of people to get to it.
"Hey Lucky," I turned to the left to find my friend, Lana Turner.
"Hey Lana, did you finish the math?" I asked.
"No, I had better things to do," she said and smiled mischievously.
"Such as?" I closed my locker and we started towards math class.
"Remember that guy from the mall?" she asked.
"The one with the tongue ring?" I asked.
"We.hung out last night," she said and smirked.
I rolled my eyes. Sometimes I wondered why Lana and I were friends at all. She and I were total opposites. She was very outgoing and flirtatious. She had black hair with red streaks and very pale blue eyes. She almost reminded me of a vampire because her skin was so pale. Her hair was naturally blond but she had started dying it black a long time ago. She had a couple of tattoos and three piercings. She wore spiked necklaces and fish net stockings.
But we had been friends for so long, none of those things could even make me consider ending our friendship.
Math class went by pretty fast. I had always done okay in math, but I didn't enjoy it.
"I'll see you at lunch and I'll tell you about Carter," Lana said after the bell had rung.
"Who?" I asked.
"Carter! The tongue ring guy!" she said her makeup-darkened eyes widening.
"Oh, right," I said smiling.
The rest of the morning passed by quickly. I met Lana in our usual place, by my locker. I really wasn't that interested in hearing about her latest boyfriend but I would try to listen as best I could.
We sat in the cafeteria and I half listened to Lana blab on about Carter. He sounded just like all the other guys she'd ever dated. Loud, arrogant and only interested in one thing. Something that Lana would most likely give them around the second or third date.
I tried not to judge my friend but sometimes she could be so reckless.
"He's so cool Lucky!" Lana squealed happily.
"Sounds like it," I said.
"Oh yeah, his friends having a kegger this weekend, you have to come with me," she said.
"A kegger? I don't know." I hesitated. I had been to a few parties like that and they had always ended with the police showing up.
"C'mon, I don't want to go by myself," she pleaded.
I didn't answer for a moment. She would go with or without me and she didn't know anyone there. Anything could happen if she didn't have someone there to look out for her. Just because there would be a keg, didn't mean I had to drink right?
"Alright," I relented.
"Yeah!" She squealed, "It's gonna be great!"
I nodded and grabbed my bag.
The afternoon seemed to drag by just because I wanted it to end.
Normally I'd be worrying about Dad letting me go to this party. But he wouldn't be home. He didn't even have to know about it. Jesse wouldn't tell him.
The party was in two days. Saturday night.
Jesse picked me up at the end of the day.
"I'm going to a party on Saturday," I told him.
"Okay," he said.
I looked at him. He would usually ask me when, where, how, why and who. He could be more protective than Dad sometimes.
I shrugged; I wasn't going to question it. If he didn't care, it would make it easier. I looked over at him. He seemed to be in a daze. He even had a small smile on his full lips.
"What is wrong with you?" I asked. I just couldn't let it go.
"What? Nothing," he insisted glancing at me.
I smiled, he couldn't trick me.
"You talked to Kristen didn't you?" I asked. Kristen Lowry worked at the same nursing home as Jesse. He was always telling me about her. He was too shy to talk to her even though I encouraged him all the time.
He nodded, "We're going out on Saturday," he said.
"That's great! I told you it would work out!" I exclaimed.
Jesse had always been shy around girls. But he really had no reason to be. He was a perfect gentleman. Sensitive, caring, generous. Any girl would be lucky to have him. He was also good looking according to Lana. He had the same dark hair and eyes as Dad. His cheekbones were defined just enough. He had dark eyelashes that I was jealous of. His lips were full and he had perfect teeth. His chin and jaw were strong and slightly square. His nose was long and straight, what could be called a Roman nose.
Lana even went as far to say he looked like a Greek God and she only liked guys who had piercings all over their face.
"Don't tell Dad though, I don't feel like telling him every detail about Kristen," Jesse said.
"Okay, same with the party," I said.
"Oh yeah, where is this party?" he asked.
I sighed, I guess I spoke too soon.
