:Three:
This was Tree Hill.
The car pulled up to the crosswalk; teens straggled by in noisy groups. The shops, all clean and open for business. It seemed like a nice enough place. Classy.
Luke felt his uncle studying him, careful to school his features into a mold of indifference. In reality, Luke's heart was beating so hard it made him breathless.
"Have to stop by the dealership." Dan smiled, amused with the the blond's wide eyed perusal.
"So, what do you think?"
"I don't know."
"Well, give it a chance. After all, you probably won't be miserable a hundred percent of the time."
That got a glare in response.
X
Deb rose from her knees, brushing dirt grime aside. Dan was back, a slender young man in tow. Physically, he didn't bear much resemblance to her brother in law. The eyes reminded her of someone-
Dan placed a hand in the small of the boy's back, pushing him forward.
"This is your Aunt Deborah."
"Hi." Lucas regarded her with an uncertain smile. It made Deb wonder what Lucas' other reception had been, judging from the way he greeted her.
"Hello, Lucas. Welcome to the family."
"Thanks."
"I suppose you want to see where you'll be staying." Give him a chance to compose himself.
"That'd be nice."
"Okay then. Dan, grab those other things, I'll show Lucas around."
"Luke. You can call me Luke."
"And I'm Deb. Seems strange for you to be saying aunt, anyways...I mean, we've never even met before."
Luke followed her up the stairs, a lone suitcase in one hand. It was probably the same one that Keith had packed that night, so many years ago...when Karen disappeared. Sunlight splashed through the wide windows, accenting the gold in Lucas' hair. It was really quite engaging, the way he reacted toward her. Almost like he'd not been around women very much.
Deb idly wondered if Keith had stayed single, even after...
"This is mine?"
Lucas was taking in the comfortable space, larger than his living room back home. It was clean, and almost everything had a hardly used look to it. As if this room had never been lived in.
"Nathan will be around after you've freshened up. You can change your clothes in the bathroom across the hall."
"I appreciate it."
"We eat in half an hour."
X
Lucas sank on the corner of the massive fourposter. He wondered if some of the furniture were antiques. He'd have to be careful not to scuff anything. And the rug-the curtains, the walls. Everything was so white, he almost didn't want to touch it. Sure, he'd scrubbed up the floors some, but Keith didn't really care how grungy things got.
Luke tried smiling at the thought, but an ache in his throat choked him.
What would Keith do without him? He was the only person his dad had.
Probably dead drunk.
Or maybe not. Staring at the blank television screen. Not much to live for.
X
"Lucas, get out here. I want you to meet your cousin."
Luke began stuffing clothes into dresser drawers, wondering how long Dan had been standing outside his door.
"I'm almost through."
"You mean you've hardly started. Lucas, brooding about your dad isn't going to make your stay any easier. As long as you're living in my house, I don't want to hear his name."
"What?"
Dan shifted against the frame, leveling his nephew with a cold stare.
"Keith. We don't bring him up at the dinner table. We don't talk about him, he doesn't exist."
"He exists to me. He's my father."
"Please. He did such a great job, bringing you up." Dan took Lucas' shirt between his fingers.
"Where'd you get this? Off the back of some kid like Nate when he didn't want it anymore?"
"Lots of people wear second hand clothes. Half the kids in my school-"
"Ah. But this isn't home, Luke. This is Tree Hill."
"I know."
"Well, know this: I don't want to have this conversation with you again."
Dan turned on his heel, languid in the security of his surroundings. Lucas' voice brought him up short.
"What did you get from him?"
"Lucas, I'm surprised at you."
"I'm not stupid, Dan."
"What went on between your dad and I, as brothers, is none of your business."
"I don't want to feel like a charity case."
"Isn't that the truth?"
"I didn't take you for the donating type."
Dan almost laughed. Letting Luke know the barb merely amused him.
"Maybe you got something from me after all. Just don't get in over your head. We swim pretty deep over here."
X
Nathan didn't show at dinner, or anytime immediately afterward.
To top that, the meal was strange, Luke merely picking at his food. Dan kept locking eyes over the plates, smiling in a way that made Luke's skin crawl.
"Aren't you hungry?"
"I'm sorry." Luke pushed his dish back. "Dan stopped and picked up some hamburgers a couple of hours ago."
"And you didn't touch yours. Eat what's put in front of you. You'll get used to it, given a little time." Dan waved a fork.
"You have to understand, Deb, Luke isn't used to surroundings like these. He's a little uncomfortable, probably afraid he'll break something."
"Oh, I'm sure he'll fit right in." Deb threw her husband a worried glance. "Did you like your bedroom, Luke?"
"It's really nice."
"The bed's large." Dan took a sip of wine. "You and Keith share one back home?"
"Actually." Lucas replaced his cup with painstaking precision. "Dad usually slept on the couch. But I had my own room. Well, not counting the rats."
"Oh, I'm sure it was nice." Deb touched her nephew's arm. "You'll have to tell me all about your old neighborhood."
"Go ahead. Deb enjoys cop and robber stories."
"Dan, I wish you'd let Lucas eat his dinner."
"He said he's not hungry. If he's too good to refuse what my wife cooked for him, he could at least stay until the meal's finished."
Deb bit her lip. "Luke? You don't like steak?"
"Come on. It's really quite good. Can't beat bologna sandwiches, but still good."
"I think I should leave. Excuse me."
Lucas dropped his linen napkin, forcing himself to walk slowly into the adjoining room. From there, he found his way outside, no destination in mind. Just wanting to get away.
Dan's voice floated clearly onto the lawn, carried by a gentle breeze. Luke hadn't realized his aimless wandering took him just under the dining room windows.
"I won't have rudeness in my house."
"He's had a long day, he's upset."
"Luke can take it."
"Is this because of Karen? Is this all because of Karen? I'm your wife, Dan. Your wife."
"She was supposed to be mine. Mine, first, before you, before Keith."
"And if she had been. If Karen had stayed and married you, just like you planned, then Lucas would be yours. He'd be your son."
"But he's not. He's Keith's."
"Lucas is half Karen."
"That's not enough."
"I think you hate him."
There was no response. Luke strained to hear, pressing into prickly shrubbery. He'd been holding his breath, unable to let it go.
"If you do, then why did you bring him here? Just to ridicule and make him suffer for something he had nothing to do with?"
"You're wrong. Lucas is all big brother has. I couldn't very well do anything to Keith he hasn't already done to himself. But through Lucas, anything's possible."
"Why did you agree to this? Don't tell me it was all revenge, because I might hate you."
"Something more, perhaps. Don't you have any dessert? I swear, we should hire a cook."
X
There couldn't be any more he possibly needed to hear. Then he'd been right all along. The wind ruffling Luke's clothes had taken on an icy quality. He only wanted to go back. Back to the place where he belonged.
Since that wasn't currently an option- he didn't even have enough money for bus fare-Lucas struggled to remain calm. Put as much distance between Dan and himself as possible.
There was a basket ball lying, partially concealed, in the bushes. Luke bent to retrieve it, content to work some of his frustration out on it.
The ball felt good in his hands. The sharp impact against his fingers. He curved his arm, leaning forward slightly, letting it fly. Clean shot. And another.
Sweat sculpted the light hair to his forehead, soaking through the thin tee. It felt so right. He shook his hair back, drawing in lungfuls of crisp evening air. Maybe he'd have a chance at the team in Tree Hill. An outlet to deal with Dan. And Nathan, whoever he was. Luke was afraid Dan's obvious animosity couldn't help but leak between the cousin's relationship. He didn't want to fight. He just wanted to be left alone.
X
A silent figure watched Lucas play from the confines of the garage. Ensconced in the dusky interior, Dan Scott followed his nephew's furious battle against the basket. The grim line of his lips seemed to grow harder with each passing second.
X
He was done in. All out. The anger and confusion drained, replaced with complete exhaustion. Lucas wiped an arm across his eyes, dropping onto the carefully manicured lawn. A laugh escaped him. It was far different from practicing on the uneven sidewalk at home. Trying not to hit Mrs. Miller's window or the scraggly flower beds next door. He turned the rough ball around, trying to imagine the boy, his age, playing here. Living in this house...
"So, you're Lucas."
X