After this chapter we are picking up the pace, I promise, you need to understand how Lucas thinks.

Thanks for the sweet reviews!

KING LUCAS

CHAPTER 4

The sun was coming down as Lucas walked the streets of New York to his new apartment building. Soon after moving he found out how much he liked the city, the non stop rithym it had, fascinated him. He usually ended up walking to new places, meeting new people, learning about his home. He had met a homeless man, Cal, two blocks away from his apartment, he walked past him everyday and everyday Lucas brought him breakfast and a cup of coffee in the afternoon which he received with a smile, he had told Lucas everything a true New Yorker should know.

"Lucas!" Cal greeted him as he walked towards him.

"Hey Cal! How was your day?" Lucas looked down at what he was selling that day. He got stuff from the flea market and sold it in this part of town. Lucas grabbed some wood coasters and gave him a ten dollar bill.

"Do you want the change?" Cal asked.

"No, man, keep it and buy some dinner." Cal smiled and put the bill in a sock where he kept his money.

"You kidding? I'm saving for a fancy coat for the winter." Lucas laughed. "Always plan in advance!" He yelled at him after Lucas said goodbye and walked away.

In no time he got to his building, he greeted the doorman and hopped into the elevator. His apartment was in the fifth floor, it was still flooded with boxes everywhere, he entered the apartment and closed the door, leaving his keys in a bowl next to the entrance.

"Lucas! Help!" His heart jumped as he dropped his backpack to the floor and ran towards his mother's room. When he reached the doorway he saw his mom trying to lift a 50 inch TV by herself, he sighed of relief.

"God, you almost give me a heart attack." He said, taking the TV easily from her hands and placing it on her bed. She hugged him tightly and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"What would I do without you?" She said without letting him go.

"I thought we had agreed that I would install the TV when I got back from school."

"I know, I'm sorry Lukey." She said, looking down. "I just saw it against my wall and I needed to see one less box in this apartment."

"What are you doing here anyway, I thought you were working all day." Lucas said, taking a screwdriver and adjusting the wall mount.

"I'm gonna be on call tonight so they gave me the afternoon free." He grabbed the TV and set it on the wall.

"See? All set, the cable company is coming on Friday though, I called them." He said, checking so the TV wasn't crooked.

His mom hugged him again, he could feel her sniffing on his shoulder.

"Momma, what's wrong?"

"I'm just so happy we're here, I never thanked you for leaving Texas for me and I know it must've been tough for you, such a big change and I..." She kept crying as Lucas held her mother, he clenched his jaw, he always felt so useless in these situations. "We can finally start over, away from your dad..."

"Don't... talk about him..." Lucas looked down at the floor. "Not here, he doesn't even deserve to be in your thoughts."

"He's not, I'm just saying we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him." Lucas didn't respond. "I won't talk about him again, forgive me."

"It's okay, I'm happy we moved too and you know you don't have to worry about me."

She cleaned her face and laughed.

"I know, sometimes I feel like you are the grown-up in this house." He smiled at himself.

"I'm going to take a shower." Lucas said and headed to his room, before he left, his mom stopped him.

"Lucas, I have an idea, why don't we go and have dinner at this diner some colleagues recommend me, it's near the hospital."

"Sure mom, give me ten minutes."

"I just don't understand why you park so far from the building."

"Because where I park it's free, plus I get to see Cal every morning."

"Who's Cal again?" His mother asked entering his truck.

"The guy I take breakfast to every morning— I also bought the coasters from him." He said, turning the ignition on and driving away. "What's the name of the diner?"

"Night owl Diner? Night-something diner."

"I see, what a creative name." He said sarcastically.

"Ha ha", Lucas was smiling, he liked hanging out with his mother. "It's one block south from the emergency entrance."

"Alright."

"One chef's special", the waitress said placing a dish in front of his mom. "One tuna melt for the handsome young man, and two strawberry smoothies." Lucas smiled at her.

"Thank you, ma'am." He said grabbing the ketchup and pouring it on the side of his fries.

"Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thank you... uh, Katy." His mother replied, looking at her batch, and the waitress gave her a smile and returned to serve a cup of coffee to the gentleman in the bar. They had found out that the restaurant was in fact the Nighthawk Diner, Lucas gave credit to his mom who was always very forgetful.

"You didn't tell me, how was school today?" She asked, taking a piece of her grilled chicken to her mouth.

"It was good, I guess. My history teacher is very... enthusiastic, I got a try out this week for the baseball team."

"Uhh that's great, Lukey." She said.

"I met a guy from Austin, too." Lucas continued the conversation with his mother after a while, he knew that would relieve his mother, to know he was adapting to New York and making friends.

"Really?" She raised her brows. "What's his name?"

"Isaiah Babinoux."

"Babinoux?" She looked at him like she didn't believe him. "There was a Babinoux family that lived up our street when we were in Austin, you went to the same kindergarten as their kid."

"What?" Lucas said with his mouth full. "I don't remember him."

"It was before moving to Houston."

"That's crazy."

"Small city, after all." His mother said, finishing the rest of her smoothie, as she was doing this the bell of the front door rang and Lucas' heart accelerated when he saw a certain blonde entering the diner.

"You have no idea." Lucas replied to his mother.

Maya sat in the bar, next to the cashier.

"Pete, I need another tuna melt, extra pickles." The waitress said, taking a cup of coffee to her new costumer.

"Lucas? Did you hear what I said?" His mother's voice brought him back, she took out a bill from her wallet and gave it to him. "I'm late for my shift." She quickly put in her mouth the rest of her meal and stood up.

"I have to go, pay the bill and go home, don't stay up too late." She kissed his cheek and ran out of the diner. "Goodnight, sweetie." She left and Lucas watched her cross the street to the hospital.

When his mother was out of his sight, his attention went back to the blonde sitting at the bar, talking to the waitress, she must be a regular here. He finished his food, leaving almost a clean plate, he drank the rest of his smoothie and headed to the cashier to pay.

"How was everything?" Katy asked him, printing his bill.

"Everything was great." His voice gained Maya's attention and she turned to see him.

"Huckleberry?" She asked in shock.

"Maya! You can't call him that." Everything clicked in that second, the blonde mane of the two women, their blues eyes, their small frame, Maya was a copy of Katy, her mother most likely.

"It's okay, ma'am. We go to school together." Katy's laugh sounded relieved.

"Oh, babygirl", she said pushing playfully at Maya's shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me there were handsome young men like this in your school?" Lucas smiled as Maya covered her face, she was blushing a little bit, she was embarrassed of her mother, but who wasn't embarrased of their mother he thought.

"Mom, please stop, I'm begging you." Maya said, as Lucas laughed.

"Don't be so overdramatic, you're telling me you didn't notice?" Katy said putting her hands on her hips.

"God, you're making it worse." Maya closed her eyes, wishing this wasn't happening.

Lucas couldn't stop smiling, he paid the bill and told Katy to keep the change.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Maya." Then he turned to Katy. "It was nice to meet you, ma'am." Maya looked at him and he smirked, she rolled her eyes and turned around, as he walked out of the diner, feeling very content with himself.