The next week passed in a blur of stolen moments, the threat of the biker gang forgotten for the most part; Lockwood waiting outside Lucy's last class of the day to walk her home, (she still refused to go anywhere near that bike of his), Lockwood kissing her cheek whenever he saw her in the hallways, eating lunch together in the cafeteria, and eventually, one grey Saturday afternoon, them going on a date.
Well, kind of a date.
More of a 'Lockwood has errands to run, and Lucy doesn't want to be stuck at home with her mother' sort of deal.
Neither of them particularly cared.
"Did your Aunt say what sort of soup she wanted?", Lucy asked, scanning the shelves in front of them. Lockwood shrugged, briefly consulting his scrap of paper, before he reached above her, grabbing a couple of cans of tomato, placing them in the basket on his arm, and then two of chicken. "Nope. Just 'soup'. Wonderfully vague"
He then smiled, and grabbed Lucy's hand. He squeezed it reassuringly.
A question had been preying on Lucy's mind for quite a while now, and she thought it was about time to get it off her chest. She cleared her throat.
"Um, Lockwood, I've actually been meaning to ask you something..."
He glanced down at her. "Go ahead. Anything"
Lucy looked away, apparently fascinated by the boxs of teabags and coffee granules. "Am I... Your... girlfriend, or... or what?"
He didn't respond at first, so she jumped in before he could.
"Actually, don't answer that. You don't- you don't have to tell me. I shouldn't have asked. I get it if I'm not, that's fine, because-"
"I was actually going to ask why you felt the need to ask"
Lucy bit her lip; a nervous habit. "Well, I just... I don't really know. I guess I just... wanted to know if you were serious, or if you just kissed me... because"
"Because what?"
"Because... you were bored, or something"
Lockwood frowned, and gently nudged her with their intertwined hands. "I kissed you because you're the prettiest and most amazing girl I've ever seen, and I want you to be my girlfriend. I just... sort of assumed you were, to be honest"
"I mean, I can be... if that's what you want"
He grinned down at her. "Definitely"
"Great", Lucy went red, "me too, for ages, actually"
He kissed the crown of her head affectionately. "Well, there you go then. Yes, you're my girlfriend, and no, I didn't kiss you because I was bored"
Lucy looked away and blushed.
It was taking a while for Lucy to get used to Lockwood's casual, open displays of affection, coming from a family where displays of love just didn't happen. She loved it, though. Hand holding. Kissing. Cuddling. It was all new territory for her - but she was eager to explore.
They rounded the top of of the aisle and walked along for a few metres, before Lockwood turned left - and abruptly stopped, Lucy nearly bumping into him.
Penelope Fittes.
Or, more correctly, Penelope Fittes, Talya Rotwell, and Holly Munro.
Penelope stood, examining a box of pills on a shelf, Talya reading it over her shoulder. Holly stood a couple of metres away, holding a basket and shifting awkwardly on her feet. She looked up, saw the couple, and bit her lip.
Lucys eyes widened, and she started to tug Lockwood away. Holly, however, simply glanced at Penelope and Talya, before turning away, and picking up a bottle - as if nothing had happened.
Lucy pulled him around the top of the aisle, and down the one beside it. "Did you see that?", Lucy whispered. He nodded. "Yep"
"Holly- why did she...", Lucy trailed off.
"I have no idea, Luce", Lockwood said quietly, placing a hand on the small of her back, "but I'm glad she did"
The girl nodded. "So am I". And with that, the subject was forgotten. Lockwood bought his girlfriend a bunch of sunflowers after she mentioned how pretty they were. He'd draped his leather jacket around her shoulders, complaining that she was barely dressed for the weather outside, with its cold Autumn chill. He'd held her hand in one hand, the bag in the other, walking her home whilst she blushed happily.
Halfway home, as they walked along a quiet, slightly more up - market neighbourhood, someone called out her name. Lucy paused, looking around them for the source of the noise. There was the hurried click of heels, and Holly appeared on the corner of the road, running out of one of the houses on their right.
Lucy, instinctively, backed into Lockwood, trying to put a little distance between her and the other girl. Holly held up her hands placatingly. "Sorry if I... startled you", she said sheepishly, "but I just wanted to... um, to say that I think you're a very sweet couple, and that... that I was hoping we could be... friends?"
The short brunette frowned. "You've got friends. Penelope and Talya. Why do you need us?"
"Because... they're not... my friends", she sighed, "they're... we're just a... clique. And they're horrible people. I need... a fresh start. And I was thinking that maybe you guys, and George, would... forget it. I'm sorry for bothering you". She bobbed her pretty curly hair, and dashed back towards her immaculate front door.
"Holly, wait!"
Lucys voice made her stop. She turned.
Lucy had never seen Holly seem... vulnerable. She'd always seemed so... cold. And hard. Like crystal. But... she wasn't. She was human, just like her and Lockwood and George. And sure, her hair was always perfect and neat, and her skin seemed to glow ethereally, but that's who she was, Lucy supposed. She was as neat and refined as Lucy was chaotic and ill - tempered.
"We'd... we'd like that, wouldn't we, Lockwood?"
He grinned at the girl halfway up her garden path. "Of course"
Hollys mouth opened in disbelief. "You... you would?"
"Of course. We sit on the table by the windows at lunch. Near the stairs. You can't miss us"
The other girls face lit up. "You... mean it?" "Of course!"
She squealed, covering her mouth with her hands and jumping up and down on the spot. "Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou", her expression became more serious, "Oh, but, um... you should keep an eye on Penelope"
Lockwood frowned. "Why?"
"She's, Uh... well, she was going ask you to Homecoming"
Lucy looked up at Lockwood, braced for what had always been his inevitable rejection of her for someone better. Instead - he laughed. "Well, I'm afraid I'm already spoken for", he wrapped his arm around Lucy, still with his jacket draped over shoulders, actually... kind of rocking the pastel dress and black leather jacket look, "so she'll just have to find someone else"
Holly shook her head. "It's not that simple, Lockwood. No one says no to Penelope"
Lockwood looked down at Lucy. "Well I am. So her only option is to get over it, I'm afraid"
The cheerleader looked at them. She smiled. "I admire your guts. It'll just be a shame when they're splattered across the sidewalk"
lockwood laughed at that, too. "See you tomorrow, Holly"
They said goodbye, and parted ways, Lucy remaining tucked under Lockwood's arm and against his side.
"How would you like to meet my Aunt and Uncle?", he asked. She looked up at him. "Are... you being serious?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
Lucy smiled at him. "I'd love to!"
"Great! Come on, before it gets any colder"
