KING LUCAS

CHAPTER 26

There was something so soothing about carpentry, maybe it was the soundless environment, he couldn't hear anything but his music in the loudest setting. It may be the vibrations he felt in his arm when he scratched the wood, or it was the childish excitement he felt when he operated the big machines. He tried to name all of the reasons he loved his work, but he knew that the main reason was he had to concentrate so hard on every move he did that his mind would quiet down and no matter how loud he had his music playing, he only felt silence. No scheming, no planning, no overthinking.

It had been one day in detention, back when he was fourteen and still working on his anger issues, he was sent to the workshop to fix some old desks with Mr. Harlow. That day was the first time he had felt true peace in his entire life.

He began visiting a carpenter that had a shop downtown, he taught him everything a boy needed to know about wood, and even more. Slowly he grew more accustomed to the machines, until they felt like an extension of his arms. His pieces became more intricate with age, he would start by cutting one piece, and as he took more pieces the model formed in his head, coming to life in front of his eyes.

If it hadn't been for the prom committee he would've lost his mind. Specially because all the tools and materials were free and he had a free range to use all of them, in Houston he worked in a furnace store that let him use the workshop one hour every workday, but one hour was nothing.

He sang out of tune as he sanded the edges of the crown. Suddenly one of his earbuds fell, or more accurately, someone yanked it. He turned around to find a tiny blonde, she didn't seem happy, he frowned.

"I've been calling you for like a minute, you're going to go deaf, Huckleberry." She scolded him, but he paid no mind to her warnings because he knew that she did the same thing when she painted.

Lucas rolled his eyes, as he set aside his sand paper to face her. He took his other earbud out and his glasses off, setting his phone on the table. His apron was filled with wood dust.

"Good, you're already here." A happy voice filled the room, they turned to see Riley, putting her bag on the floor and coming towards them. "Oh my God! I love them!" She shrieked.

She trotted past him and walked around the wood pieces, examining every detail.

"You brought Riley?" He asked, looking at Maya, who was looking at his work with an expression he didn't recognize.

"She is the president of the prom committee, she insisted on being here." She explained, but somehow he knew she was lying to him, Riley trusted nobody else with this than Maya.

"I thought she worked in Topanga's on Mondays." He told her, whispering, Maya clenched her jaw.

"She does, she asked for the afternoon off." She looked very uncomfortable and Lucas understood what was going on.

"That doesn't sound like Riley." He said, narrowing his eyes.

"Where are you going with this, Huckleberry?" Maya asked him, annoyed by his questioning.

"I think that you didn't want to be alone with me, that's why you brought backup." He looked at Riley, who was taking pictures of the decorations.

"Please," she scoffed, "why would I be scared? Maybe of what you might do." She replied.

He walked slowly to her other side, further away from Riley, he leaned down to her ear, she could feel his hot breath tickling her neck.

"No," he whispered again. "I think you're afraid of what you might do, after what happened in the party with the other Lone Ranger, you can't help yourself, you know you want me."

Maya digged her elbow in his stomach so hard, he was forced out of breath. He began coughing, Riley turned around to see them, Lucas was holding the edge of a table, with a hand on his stomach, Maya smiled back at her friend.

"Allergies." She said, pointing her thumb back at him. "All this wood dust got him sick." Riley nodded slowly and turned around.

Maya grabbed Lucas' shirt and pulled him forward so they were face to face.

"Listen to me, Huckleberry, what happened between us is now in the past, I'm very very very happy with Josh." She had an iron grip on him. "I don't need for you to come in and screw things for me again, so get this through your head: I don't want you."

She let go of him, he fixed his shirt and smiled to himself. Maya narrowed her eyes.

"What?" She asked, not quite angry but a little pissed.

"Three verys? I find it a bit like trying to overcompensate." Maya made to punch him again, but he grabbed her hands tightly. "Easy... I won't come between you and your boyfriend, I promise, I want you to admit you want me in your own time."

"That's never going to happen." She told him, trying to free her hands, but he wouldn't let her.

"Fine, I'll wait then. In the meantime I won't do any moves on you." She stopped and looked at him, he was serious, he let go of her and extended a hand as a sign of peace, she frowned. "I mean it, this month you weren't around sucked."

"Yeah, I bet that getting the president of the track team to date you must've been a real burden." She answered, sarcastically.

"Jessica and I are not together anymore." He said, watching her slowly to get a reaction.

"Oh." Was all she said, looking down at the floor.

"Yeah, she was too jealous for me." He added, her eyes landed on his, her lips parting a bit. She was just looking at him, the plan might actually work, he thought, but he lost his idea when he noticed that her eyes looked a deeper tone of blue today, almost grey.

"They are truly beautiful, Lucas." Riley's voice broke them apart, he turned around.

"Thank you Riles, I did some modifications, but I think they worked out." He said, pointing at the ridges he had made on the cross that held the three levels together. "It made it seem more of a crown like that."

"I know, I noticed, the group chat is loving them, what do you think Maya?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, they're great, I'm very impressed by the details. I was actually expecting a shelf." She quipped, he closed his eyes and smiled. "No, I like them."

"Did Maya showed you the new designs?" Lucas lifted his brow and looked at Maya, who pulled a paper from her back pocket. He looked at them, they were the entrance arcs that were going to be at the end of the red carpet that Riley had bought. They were big.

"Is this in feet?" He asked, making numbers in his head. Maya nodded, understanding his concern.

"Yes, I know they're a bit big, and you only have a month, but..." Riley was explaining, but he lifted his hand to stop her.

"Wait, why do I have a month, classes don't end until December." He asked, confused.

"Well, Mrs. Cole has her pregnancy leave, so the workshop is closing." She told him.

"So? Can't I keep the keys, I know how to use all the equipment." Lucas tried to tell her, he could talk to Mrs. Cole, he bet he could persuade her.

"Yes, we already tried to negotiate with her but she didn't trust us with the responsibility." Riley said, biting her cheek.

"I don't think you can imagine the magnitude of this project Riley, a month is very little time." He couldn't believe this, he would never finish by the deadline in the work hours he had available.

"We could get you some extra hands to help you." Riley tried to calm him down, he sighed loudly, looking at the sketches once again.

"Okay... Maybe if I make it more simple than this." He pointed at the drawing. "And if I get an assistant, maybe I'll finish it in time."

Riley shrieked and hugged Lucas tightly, jumping up and down.

"I promise I will have a helper for you by Thursday." He nodded in agreement and then they helped him clean up the workshop.

He put the prom pieces in the room in the back, while Maya undusted the equipment and Riley swept the floor. They were out before 5, Riley asked Lucas for a ride home, he was happy to give her one.

"Do you want me to take you home too?" He asked Maya, as they walked out of the school.

"Uh, no... My ride's here." She said pointing to a guy leaning against a Vespa, using his phone. Maya ran quickly down the steps and jumped into his arms, Lucas watched her carefully as the guy crossed his arms around her waist and planted a kiss on her.

"You're staring." Riley nudged Lucas' ribs. He looked down on his friend, not really understanding what she had said until his eyes met hers, he cleared his throat and looked at the floor. "I should go say goodbye."

"I'll go with you." He announced, following her down the steps.

As he got closer, he got a better view of Joshua Matthews. He seemed like a very regular guy, leather jacket (not real leather), hair tousled (probably trying to avoid the helmet hair), his Vespa seemed in perfect condition though if he remembered correctly Maya told him that he had more than a year in that thing, he probably treats it like his baby, he thinks he's the coolest guy in the world for having a scooter. He showed his teeth when he smiled, confident, but he twisted his left side up, arrogant.

Lucas knew his type and honestly he felt a little disappointed that Maya like this guy. He obviously put too much care into his personal appearence, maybe a bit too much for someone in a relationship. He seemed like the type of person who needed constant reassurance that he was above average. And his cologne, it screamed: I'm a prick.

"There's my favorite niece!" He said, as the pair approached, Riley cringed at the word. He held Maya in one arm, and Lucas felt angry. Not only because of how he was able to read his entire personality in seconds, but the way he pulled Maya towards him, like he owned her, it made Lucas clench his jaw.

"Hey, uncle Josh." Riley greeted him with a small smile. But his eyes landed on Lucas.

"Have we met?" Josh asked him, extending a hand to greet him.

"No, I'm Lucas." He replied, giving his hand out and making sure his grip was strong. He looked at Maya, who had freed herself from her boyfriend's grip, he stared at her long without taking his hand away. "I'm a friend." His eyer returned to Josh as he smiled and let go, Josh gave him a fake smile, he was the jealous type, good.

Lucas was sure that on their ride home he would ask Maya about him at least once, he would say something like: Lucas seems nice. Do you see him a lot? Is he dating anyone? That thought made him smile.

Josh was more tense, he was making his chest bigger, even if he didn't realize it, his hand grabbed Maya's and laced their fingers together, Lucas seemed amused, it was like watching a male gorilla exhibiting his mate so no one tries to steal her.

"We should go Riley." Lucas announced.

"Yeah," she responded quickly sensing the tension between them.

"Bye, Riley." Josh said, smiling. "Pleasure to meet you kiddo." He punched Lucas playfully on the shoulder, but it was harder than necessary. Lucas looked at the spot he hit him and smiled.

"Yeah, bye." Lucas replied, but only making eye contact with Maya, who was very uncomfortable.

They walked away to his car, as the couple jumped on the Vespa and cruised away.

"You shouldn't have done that." Riley said after a couple seconds.

"He called me kiddo, Riley." Lucas told her, pushing the car door, then pulling up and out, with a horrible sound it finally opened and he hopped in.

They drove listening to Maya's favorite station, she had broken his button and now they couldn't change the programming.

"You like her, don't you?" She asked, breaking the silence.

Lucas swallowed hard, thinking what was the next step.