A/N: Again, thank you so much for all of the reviews! You guys never cease to amaze me. Hopefully everyone likes this chapter! I apologize if there are any typos, I was only able to proof it once. I may be looking for a beta in the near future if anyone is interested!
.~**~.
"I think she's going to need more flashcards, what do you think?" Cate asked, looking up at Baze from a long list of items.
"I think she's got enough flashcards. What she's really going to need are snacks to power through this all night study session," Baze corrected her, pointing at the list. He demanded that his snacks be added.
"We have plenty of healthy snacks in the house."
"It's not healthy snacks that fuel the brain, Cate. It's salt, sugar, and some color additives that really get those juices flowing.
"Hey," Lux said loudly, waving her arms in the air. "She is right here and I don't need anymore flashcards or snacks." Lux frowned as they kept arguing as if she wasn't in the room.
It was Thursday morning and the big test was tomorrow. She felt mostly prepared. Se had gone over every book necessary for the test. However, Cate and Baze still wanted to have some sort of family study session. Which was fine, because she was still having the before and after-school study session with the very important and very handsome teacher. She looked over to Baze and Cate and their heated squabble.
"You know what, I think you're right," Cate said, finally acknowledging Baze's snack idea. "But I work closer to that candy shop over on Columbia-"
"And I can get more flashcards from office supply at work," Baze cut in. They both smiled, having achieved a resolution.
"Lux likes those chocolate covered pretzels they have, right?" Lux was about to answer when Baze cut in.
"She loves them," Baze interrupted. "Oh and get some of those old fashioned jelly beans." Lux didn't like either of those things. This was starting to get annoying.
"Hey," Lux said with exasperation, "is Ryan joining this study thing tonight too?" A flash of something odd crossed Cate's face. She hastily changed the subject and asked Baze to take Lux to school.
"C'mon kiddo, let's get going. Although do you usually have tutoring on Thursday?" Baze yawned, and looked at his watch.
"Today is a special test prep session." It was only half of a lie really. The two of them would probably go over test details for a bit. But Lux also knew they'd probably spend a good twenty minutes talking about nothing while staring at each other in that dreamy kind of goofy way they've been doing the last day or so.
When Baze dropped Lux off he told her to tell Cate he'd be there right after work.
.~**~.
"You seem...frenzied. Are you stressed about tomorrow's test?" Eric asked as Lux entered the classroom, instantly picking up on her present mood.
"No," Lux shook her head. "The test I actually feel prepared for. It's just..."
"It's what?" Eric asked, wishing he could be closer to her.
"I don't know, I guess...but they're my real parents. And they relate to me in more ways than my foster parents did. But then there are times...where I just feel..."
"Feel what?" Eric asked, encouraging her to tell him. But Lux just shook her head and pulled out her books. She gave him a half smile and reached across the desk to take the worksheet he had. As she reached across he took her hand in is. "Feel what?" He repeated. His hand warmed her cold one. She loved how much bigger it was then hers and how it was rough in some places, but soft in others.
"Invisible," Lux admitted for the first time in a long time. "Like they love me but they still don't know anything about me."
"Like what things?"
"Just stupid things," Lux said. "Like the fact that I don't like any candy besides Swedish Fish. And I really don't like chocolate. But I feel bad because Cate loves it and it's my fault for never telling her. Or the fact that...you know what? This is way to depressing for seven in the morning. Let's just work on this stuff," Lux said pointing to study sheets in front of her. Eric withdrew his hand, understanding that she wouldn't say anymore right now.
"I just want you to know," Eric said, handing her one of the worksheets, "You are absolutely not invisible. Not to anyone. And," Eric paused before speaking. "Certainly not to me." Lux gave him a sheepish sort of smile as she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear
"You know," she thought aloud. "There's this coffee shop. Totally out of the way. Sort off the beaten path. Why don't we meet there after school? I'll need some caffeine for my all night study extravaganza with the family anyway." Lux could see that Eric was contemplating the proposal.
"How out of the way?" They did have to be logical about this after all.
"A couple of towns over. Just enough so we won't run into anyone who knows us." Lux gave Eric the address after he consented. There was a large part of him that didn't want to admit that he was in fact excited to spend some time with Lux outside of school. They agreed to meet promptly at four.
"Hey Tash," Lux called, finding her by their lockers.
"Hola, what's up with you?" Tasha asked, pulling some books out. Tasha seemed slightly distracted but Lux really needed to tell her best friend what was going on. It wasn't like the two of them to have secrets.
"Actually I kind of having something to tell you," Lux said. For some reason she sounded nervous. Only slightly, but just enough for it to be evident in her voice. Tasha turned towards her with a concerned expression.
"Are you okay?" Tasha asked. Lux nodded. In a way she was even better than just okay. It was hard to put it all into words. But she'd have to try. Because Tasha was the one person who she trusted more than anyone.
"I'm fine. It's just that a while ago...before you came back I met this-"
"Hey, sorry," Tasha interrupted, waving to someone in the hallway. It was Jones. Lux wasn't surprised.
"It's fine, I just kind of wanted to tal-"
"But you're okay?" Lux nodded, confused. "Good. Then is it okay if we talk later? Jones and I are grabbing some lunch together. You're totally welcome to come with, but I know you have class." Lux sighed.
"Tash..." But her friend had already started walking away. Is this really happening? Lux couldn't believe how invisible she was. She was tempted to ditch her last class, but thought better. It was a long day and by the end of it she was happy to be having coffee with the one person who paid any attention to her lately.
Lux arrived at the small coffee house just before 4 p.m. She ordered a large coffee with milk. She never liked sugar in her coffee. She found a small but comfortable couch in one of the darker corners and sat down. She picked up a magazine and flipped through it. There were some fun at home hair care tips, but other than that it was just full of nonsense. Lux looked up at the clock by the main counter. It was already a quarter past. She texted him to make sure he knew how to get there. With his cursed luck he was probably broken down twenty miles away. When he didn't reply, Lux didn't know whether to be worried or to be annoyed. By 4:30 there was still no reply. She decided to give him fifteen more minutes. When he still didn't show, Lux grew tired of waiting for him and decided to go home.
True to her word, Cate brought candy and true to his word, Baze brought office supplies. Actually he brought a lot of supplies. Different colored highlighters, fancy pens, notebooks, filler paper, and index cards.
"Did you loot your office?" Cate asked as Baze came into the house loaded with products. Baze grinned wildly.
"It's like taking candy from a baby...except the baby doesn't cry afterward and nobody knows what you've done!"
"Just be careful there...crazy eyes." Cate said in a reprimanding tone. But in Cate's defense, Baze did have his crazy-bad idea eyes. Both her and Lux were used to them though.
"Where's the kiddo?" Baze asked putting his treasures down on the table. Lux rolled her eyes and groaned loudly from the couch.
"Dude, I'm right here. How is it that no one sees me today?" Baze headed over to the couch and dropped index cards in her lap.
"Study time, so get off the couch." They all congregated around the dining table and Baze dug into the snacks that Cate had purchased.
"Alright, so there are three books that will be covered on the exam. Pride and Prejudice and Of Mice and Men being the in depth novels. The last are just short stories from your Am. Lit. textbook, right?" Cate asked organizing the study schedule she had made. Lux nodded and pulled out her textbook. The three of them had a pretty decent work flow for the first hour or so. However the inevitable bickering between Cate and Baze ensued and Lux found herself caught in the middle.
"I'm just going to head over to Switzerland," she stated going back to the couch. She listened to them argue incessantly.
"What I'm trying to say is that there was a very significant bond between Lenny and George-"
"I'm not dispelling that," Cate interrupted. "It's just that you alluded to the fact that their relationship was well...actually a you know...relationship." Baze nodded firmly.
"Is it so impossible to believe?" Baze asked. Cate just threw her hands up in the air.
"Yes. It's crazy!" Baze asked her why. "Because. It just is. And if there was any proof to this, they would lecture on it in school." Baze shook his head.
"No way, they never discuss the good stuff in high-school. But I guarantee you that there is a university somewhere that teaches Homosexuality in Modern American Literature.
"Whatever Baze. Maybe you're right about the class...but that doesn't exist in this book." She waved it in his face for added emphasis.
Lux was exhausted just from listening to the two of them argue. It would have been nice to have Ryan around tonight. He handles these situations well, she thought to herself as she closed her eyes and drifted into a listless sleep on the soft couch. The test was less than eight hours away, and Lux just hoped she was prepared. As her brain slowly switched off she could have sworn she heard Baze taunt Cate with Lenny and George sitting in a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g...But her brain fortunately did turn off and she curled deeply into the couch.
.~**~.
"Lux, sweetie, wake up. You've got to get ready for school." Lux slowly opened her eyes a bit and saw Cate's face hovering over her.
"Geez Cate. Can't a girl get some space?" Lux asked, but Cate ignored the question entirely. She heard plates being pulled out of the cabinet. Lux smiled. "Is Ryan here?" Cate shook her head, no.
"Baze stayed over last night. I'm surprised you didn't notice him," she said pointing to the couch across from Lux on which he slept. Lux rubbed her tired eyes.
"Breakfast time, kiddo!" Baze called from the kitchen.
"Baze and I made a great breakfast. I let him do most of the cooking. I just chopped and stirred. So you don't have to worry about that."
Lux was exhausted. As she stretched her arms and neck, her thoughts drifted between yesterday and the test today. It was hard because she had no focus this morning. When Lux finally did shuffle into the kitchen she was shocked by the amount of food. Pancakes, eggs, fruit, french toast, coffee. Oh coffee. She greedily poured herself a mug full. As she took her first sip she remembered being stood up at the coffee shop. Suddenly she didn't want anymore of the hot drink. She sampled a little bit of everything and that seemed to appease Cate and Baze. As she was packing her stuff to head out, Cate gave her a warm hug.
"You are going to do great on this exam. And even if you don't-but I know you will, We'll all still love you and we'll figure something else out. So try not to worry alright?" Lux nodded and hugged her back. Lux smiled as Baze held the door of his car open for her. She didn't feel invisible this morning. It was definitely a start.
"You know, we don't have to go to school. We could just play hooky. You could come to work with me," Baze stated, as if it were the best idea in the world. "You could file papers or something. It's just an option," Baze said as he pulled into the school parking lot. Lux thanked Baze for the ride and headed into the building. One last tutoring session. He probably won't even be there. But he was. Of course he was. Lux took a deep breath and walked into the room.
"Morning," Eric greeted in a tired voice. Immediately Lux stopped. Something seemed off, but she couldn't place it. Sitting down, she pulled out her study aids with no real intention of looking at them. "You ready?" Eric asked. Lux assumed he was referring to the test. She nodded curtly and pretended to open one of the books and read through it. "You're lips are pursed, you know. Are you angry about something?" Are you kidding me right now? Lux thought, wanting to slap him across the face. She closed her book and placed it on the desk. She sat back in her chair and stared at him, trying to decided what to say next. He looked a little more rumpled today then usual. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt even if he didn't deserve it.
"Maybe you just forgot," she stated. It wasn't a question, there was no intonation that signaled him to answer. "I mean it is possible. Because you don't seem like the type of guy that would stand a girl up and not call or text or...whatever."
"I didn't forget." Eric replied. There were dark circles under his eyes. "I just couldn't come."
"Why not?" Lux asked quickly, demanding an immediate answer.
"Drop it Lux. I'm sorry. This is my apology. So...just accept it and let's move on." Lux wondered if he could see the metaphorical steam bursting from her ears. If it was one thing she hated most of all, it was being told how to react. What to do.
"No. Because that's not an apology. And you've given me no reason to remotely forgive you," Lux clenched her jaw to stop herself from saying things she would regret. "I waited for you...for like an hour. You made me look like an idiot. So I'm sorry, but I want a real reason as to why you ditched me."
"You need to let it go. I don't want to talk about this anymore." Eric's voice was firm and resolute. But Lux ignored it.
"I don't need to do anything. Why are you avoiding telling me? I can't trust you if you don't tell me." The conversation was becoming more heated than Lux had anticipated. She could feel the hot tears behind her eyes. She squeezed them back and waited for him to tell her what the hell was going on.
"I'm not discussing this any further."
"Why not?" Lux demanded to know.
"Because it's none of your business!" Eric said in a raised voice, slamming his hands down on his desk. Lux figured she could keep herself composed for about 33 more seconds. She swiftly threw everything back into her bag and stood to leave. "Lux...wait," Eric said in a much softer voice. He regretted yelling. Lux stopped at the door and face him again.
"It's kind of sad really. Because me? I'm used to being treated this way," she took a quivering breath. "But it doesn't mean that I want or deserve to be treated like this." Her eyes started to glisten. She knew she didn't have much time. "Especially not by you."
"Lux," Eric stood to approach her, but she held her hand as a clear warning not to come any closer.
"You really just suck. Because not only am I incredibly hurt, but you've pissed me the hell off and now I have to go and take this damned test in a foul mood. So screw you...just stay away from me."
Lux quickly left and ran to the girl's bathroom. She had left tutoring so early that there was still no one around. She fell to the floor and let herself cry. Would every man always treat her like this? It had taken Bug forever to let her in and even then, he still thought he knew what Lux could or couldn't handle. It was ridiculous. Lux let herself be miserable for as long as she could. Eventually she could hear students arriving. She composed herself and headed to the exam. She drew on all her strength just to keep it together. She knew that all of this expended energy should be channeled towards the test.
"Hey Lux, you okay? You seem stressed," Math commented as he entered the classroom, breaking Lux's thoughts. She realized that she was the first one there.
"Just trying to stay focused," she replied. The bell rang throughout the school and people slowly started to file in. When everyone was seated, Math passed out the exams, letting them know they had until the final bell to complete it. Just breathe and stay focused. Lux and her inner mantra were working overtime. Although she was angry, Eric had been a good tutor. She thought back to one of their earlier sessions, remembering what Eric told her "Just make sure you read through everything before you even start. Just get a feel for what's going on. It'll help to keep you focused if you know what's in store. It's good for time management." She read through the entire exam like he had told her, and put a star next to the questions she knew would take extra time. First she focused on the ones she could easily answer. She looked at the last question and smiled. She decided to answer it first.
Please read the following quotation and do a in depth analysis. In your response, please include the title of the novel, and the author.
Which do you mean?" and turning round, he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said, "She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me."
Lux answered the question and moved on to the others. She kept taking deep breaths. The clock was incessantly ticking, but Lux tuned it out. After finishing the easier questions she tackled the more difficult ones. Eric had given her advise on what to do when she didn't understand the wording of the questions.
"Break it down. If it's too confusing, block out the unnecessary words. Underline the key words. Then you'll know what to focus on." She could hear him in her head. On another day, when she didn't hate him, it would be kind of cool. She glanced at the clock and then at the door. She thought she saw Eric pass by the room, but he wasn't the only blonde teacher, she remembered. Lux wasn't surprised to be the last student left in the classroom. Everyone was allowed to leave after they finished. Most were done with plenty of time to spare. Lux finished with ten extra minutes on the clock. She brought it up to the front and put it on Math's desk. He smiled at her and put it on top of his pile of things to be graded. Lux shook her head and pulled it from the pile and put it back on his desk.
"Please," she asked, "can you grade it now? I won't be able to sleep without knowing. The whole weekend will be shot to hell." She remembered that the camping trip was tomorrow. Eric was one of the chaperones. She realized that she had no interest in going anymore.
"I suppose I can grade it now. But only because I know how hard you've worked." Math took out his pen and opened the test. Lux sat down and waited. He finished grading the exam just as the final bell rang. He held it up and showed her the grade. The score that reflected her countless hours of studying. The emotional turmoil she had put herself through. She nodded, acknowledging that she saw her score. "Do you have any questions?" Math asked. Lux shook her head and went to her next class. Eric stopped her in the hall.
"How'd it go?" He asked, like nothing had happened between them. Lux shrugged nonchalantly.
"Grades aren't out yet. You'll have to wait just like the rest of us." Her tone was slightly bitter. But she didn't regret it for a second. It conveyed how she felt towards him.
"Lux," Eric pleaded, not know what else to say.
"The camping trip is tomorrow," Lux reminded him. "Get out of it." Without waiting for a response she continued down the hall to her next class. Nothing exciting happened during the rest of the day besides the general buzz about the camping trip. It had been something Lux had really been looking forward too. A weekend to get away and spend some fun, quality time with Tasha. She was also looking forward to hanging out with Cate, Baze, and Ryan. Although Ryan probably wouldn't even be coming now. It was all going to hell. There was no point in going.
The next morning, Cate shook Lux awake. It was still dark outside. She opened one eye, and immediately regretted it. The face looking down at her was way too chipper.
"I'm sick. I can't go," Lux lied, yawning. She didn't make a serious effort to convey her fake illness. She hoped her general state of exhaustion would work. Cate touched her forehead with the back of her hand.
"Not even remotely warm. Now get up and let's get going. The wilderness awaits," Cate said happily. "You've got ten minutes. I need help loading stuff into the car."
"Is Ryan coming?" Lux asked hopefully. He was usually the one to mellow out Cate's crazy. But the look on Cate's face told her that he probably wasn't coming. "I'm sorry," Lux said sincerely. Cate smiled sadly.
"It's okay, I just hoped he would want to stay in this marriage."
Lux nodded and forced herself out of bed. Do it for Cate. The two of them managed to load up the car and drive to the bus that would take them to the mountains. It was quite a sight to see Cate carrying all of the camping supplies to the bus. Lux picked up her one bag and put it in the storage area. Baze had brought Tasha and Lux waved at her. Tasha waved back, but just as she did, Jones came up from behind and grabbed her playfully at the waist. Lux sighed.
"Lux I forgot a bag in the car, can you grab it?" Cate asked as she struggled to stuff the other bags into the bottom compartment of the bus. By the time Lux stepped onto the bus, everyone was already sitting together. Cate motioned for Lux to the seat in front of her. But of course, he was sitting there. Lux searched desperately for anywhere else, but there was nothing left. She slumped into the seat and did her best to avoid eye contact.
"Hey," Eric said quietly. Lux had nothing to say to him. Actually she did.
"Did you even try to get out of the trip?" She asked spitefully. Eric shook his head slightly.
"No."
"Why not?" Lux asked angrily below her breath.
"Because I don't like how things are between us."
"That's your fault. Not mine." Their conversation was cut off as Ryan boarded the bus and sat down next to Lux and Eric. It was obvious he didn't want to sit with Cate. Lux smiled at him.
"You came."
"Well, it was important to you," Ryan said.
"And to Cate," Lux reminded him.
"How'd your test go?" Ryan asked, ignoring Lux's comment. "Sorry I wasn't around to help you study."
"It's fine. Really."
"But it went okay?" Lux shrugged.
"No clue. Grades come out next week." She felt Eric shift next to her.
The rest of the bus ride was uneventful and cramped. It was a relief when they finally arrived at the campground. Lux was bunking with Tasha, but she was nowhere to be found. In the end, Baze set up her and Tasha's tent. After everyone was settled they spent the day doing trust building exercises and just hanging around. At one point a group of people decided to go swimming, but Lux didn't know how to swim, so she stayed behind. Cate offered to stay with her. Baze was off somewhere with Emma, and Lux didn't know where Ryan was.
"Maybe we're just not cut out for camping," Cate mused, as she and Lux sat by the fire pit. There was no fire burning, so Lux and Cate just poked at the ashes with sticks. "Maybe we're just city girls. There's nothing wrong with that." Lux saw Ryan walking towards them.
"Hey Lux, do you mind if I borrow Cate for a bit?" Lux shook her head, letting them know that she didn't mind. She had been hoping they would spend some time together. Maybe even start to work on their marriage. Lux wandered into the woods, leaving Cate and Ryan back at the fireless fire pit. The further she headed into the woods, the less she could hear the playful screams of everyone else coming from the water. As she walked in the direction of silence, she started to feel better. It was like running through the park. It was calming.
The leaves crunched under Lux's feet as she headed deeper into the woods. Being alone with her thoughts had positive and negative consequences. Her thoughts were still on Ryan and Cate, but they drifted to Tasha and Jones. Tasha was supposed to be her best friend. They had never ignored each other before. They had always relied heavily on one another. It just seemed now that Tasha had a taste of normal, there was no room for Lux. The winding path Lux was on was less visible now and covered more with brush from the forest. I'm not being fair. She didn't want to be so harsh on Tasha. Lux went through the same thing after finding Cate and Baze. If Lux could pull though and still be herself then Tasha would as well. It's just a phase, Lux though as she headed down a slight hill. The trees in this area were much thicker and cast more shadows. She heard a twig crunch in the distance.
"Hello?" She asked turning around. No answer. Lux shrugged and kept walking. It was hard not to think about Eric. Having been wandering around in the middle of nowhere it was slightly inevitable. Her thoughts always landed on him. And it annoyed her. Not worth my thoughts. Lux decided it was time to head back to camp. She turned around but realized that the path had disappeared completely. She headed in what she thought was the right direction, but wondered if it actually was the way back. She wandered around, but she had no inner compass. This is not good. She grew concerned. She started jogging to cover more ground. Lux stopped when she ran out of breath. The sun was setting in the distance. It was growing darker by the minute. Fear rose in her throat. Things were bad. She sunk to the earth and leaned against a tree. What if I can't find my way back? Tears sprang to her eyes, but she wiped them away. Courage, she thought, is fueled by fear. She had no idea who had told her that, but it made total sense. Lux picked herself up and kept going.
The only idea she had was to keep heading in the same direction. There was no way of knowing how big the forest was. She had no idea how much time had passed. But as the last glint of sun faded and Lux was thrust into darkness, she knew it was time to give up. She was exhausted. The moon only cast so much light. The air was colder now and she hadn't brought a jacket. She was walking slower now, but in the dark she couldn't see the ground. A large stump tripped her up and Lux twisted her ankle as she fell. Instantly sharp pains shot through her leg. She pulled herself up, but each step she took was painful. She slid back against a tree, not knowing what to do. She buried her face in her knees, determined not to cry.
"Lux?" She heard a familiar voice in the distance. She saw a flash of light through the trees. "Lux!" The voice cried louder. It was Eric. She wiped her eyes, making sure they were dry.
"Over here," she said in a quiet voice. It was a struggle to talk louder. Suddenly he came into view.
"Lux," he breathed a sigh of relief, running over to her. "Thank God." He took her in his arms and held her tight. "Are you okay?" He asked, looking her over with the flashlight. Lux shook her head.
"I got lost," she stated dumbly.
"I know," Eric said, taking off his jacket. He wrapped it around Lux. "You've been missing for a while now."
"Are the others looking for me?" Eric shook his head.
"Not that I know of. Cate and Ryan got into an argument and more or less ruined dinner. So some of the chaperones had to go into town and get food. I wanted to see how you were doing, and that's when I realized you were gone." Lux thanked him for the jacket.
"How did you know where to find me?" Eric just shrugged.
"Can you walk?" He asked, helping Lux to her feet.
"I don't know. I twisted my ankle." She took a step and grimaced. He looked at her and frowned.
"We're not that far actually. I'll carry you." He reached for her, but she stopped him.
"No. Don't touch me. Look, I'm beyond grateful that you found me. But it doesn't change anything." He ran a hand through his hair.
"Lux-"
"Just give me your arm," she said. He obliged and she grabbed onto it. They started back to camp. She held onto him and hopped on her good foot. After a few minutes she had to rest.
"Lux, this is just ridiculous. Let me carry you." Lux shook her head.
"I'll be fine, just give me a minute." She leaned against a tree to catch her breath.
"How can I get you to forgive me?" He asked.
"It doesn't matter whether or not I forgive you. I won't be with someone who lies to me."
"I didn't lie, Lux. I was completely honest in telling you that I didn't want to discuss it. I thought that was better than lying to you. Better than making up some excuse." Lux winced from the pain in her ankle.
"So you won't tell me then..." her voice trailed off.
"Just trust me when I say it had absolutely nothing to do with you and I wish that I could have come. I wanted," he stepped closer to her and the tree. "To have coffee with you." He looked deeply into her eyes. He could tell that she wasn't angry anymore.
"I didn't realize. I shouldn't have pushed." She dropped her head against his chest. "It's not easy...the not knowing." Eric lifted her head with his hand and kissed her softly.
"I know," he brushed her hair out of her eyes. "I just...I...don't want to lose you." Lux wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.
"You won't," she whispered, allowing him to kiss her again.
"Will you let me carry you now?" Lux nodded.
"Only because hopping is exhausting." He grinned and picked up her small frame with ease. Lux held the flashlight in front of them. As he carried her through the woods she started to laugh.
"What? You don't like being my damsel in distress?" Lux stifled a snicker.
"I'm nobody's damsel, just an FYI. But if you picked up the speed and called me spider monkey, I could be your Bella."Lux could hear the sounds of camp. They were getting closer. "You better put me down," she sighed. As the camp came into view, Eric eased Lux to the ground.
"How does it feel?" Lux put her weight on it and winced slightly.
"It still hurts, but not as much." She saw that he was concerned. "I'll be fine."
"You sure?" Lux nodded. She looked around. Everyone was still back at camp. They were covered by the trees. Lux took Eric's hand.
"I'm glad we're not fighting anymore," she whispered sincerely. He led her over to some trees a bit further into the thick of the woods.
"Me too," he agreed. Lux saw him bite his bottom lip. It was dark out and she might have been mistaken, but she was sure that there was something he wasn't saying.
"What's up?" she asked, taking his other hand.
"I don't want to start another fight, but I've got to ask you something." She stood silent and waited for the question. "Why did you lie to me about the test? About not knowing you're grade? Because I spoke with Math-"
"It's nothing. We were arguing and I didn't want to tell you. That's all."
"But when Ryan asked you on the bus...why'd you lie to him?" Lux sighed in frustration. "Hey, I'm not trying to make you angry," he said, stroking her cheek. "But Math told me you got a 91. Lux that's amazing. I'm so proud of you." He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. "So why don't you want anyone to know?"
"I just wanted it to be mine for a bit," she said bringing her hands to her heart. "Because as soon as everyone knows, it'll be all see I told you those sugary snacks were a good idea and don't forget my index cards. It will end up being about them and not me." Eric braced himself against the tree with his left hand and covered Lux's hands with his right.
"If it helps, I know it was all you," he breathed into her ear. "Because you're beautiful...and sexy smart." Lux grinned.
"What the hell is sexy smart?" She asked.
"It's my version of crazy smart. Trust me, it's a compliment." Lux took it as a compliment.
"You know I thought I saw you when I was taking my test. It was weird."
"You probably did see me," he groaned, slightly embarrassed. Lux raised an eyebrow. "I was upset about our fight and nervous about your test...I spent most of that hour pacing up and down the hall."
"Really?" Lux was touched. It explained why she saw him almost immediately after she left the exam. She couldn't believe he cared so much. She accidentally shifted her weight and frowned in pain.
"You okay?" She just smiled and stared at him fondly. "What? Why are you staring at me?" She rolled her eyes.
"Because I want you to get the hint, doofus." He still looked confused. "To kiss me," she explained slowly, so he would understand. He leaned in until their faces touched.
"You don't have to ask," he whispered. "You think I don't want to kiss you? That I don't want you to kiss me?" Lux shrugged. "Who's the doofus now?" He grinned. His eyes suddenly grew dark and he leaned into her neck. "You're blood...it sings to me." Lux raised a hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing.
"How do you..." Lux suppressed more laughter.
"I have a younger sister," he smiled. "What? Isn't it every girl's fantasy to be kissed by a tormented vampire?"
"Maybe everyone else...but not mine," Lux said, musing on the idea.
"You don't want to be my Bella?" Lux shook her head no, and kissed him lightly. This was something she could get used too. The subtle way their lips connected almost intrinsically, as if they were made to do this. His hand moved back to her heart and she knew he could feel it's rapid beating. "How about my Eeyore?" he asked softly, breaking the kiss. Lux nodded hazily and kissed him again, harder than before. It was right. The way his breathing matched hers. As his hands fell to her hips, she placed her hand on his chest. His heart was racing just as fast. Something inside her changed. Something that couldn't be reversed. As he deepened the kiss, she knew he felt the same shift.
Suddenly, they both heard a rustle in the woods. They quickly broke the kiss and looked at each other.
"Did you see someone?" she asked. Eric shook his head.
"Animal?" He wondered out loud.
"Probably," she said trying to reassure herself. "Maybe I should start hobbling back to camp," she said, a bit spooked. Eric nodded. He watched as she limped back to the others. He dry scrubbed his face with his hands. What am I doing? He thought to himself. But it was a stupid thought, because she still lingered on his lips. He decided not to question this anymore. To just go with it for as long as they could.
As Lux reached the group, Cate noticed she was limping. Lux looked around. No Tasha. No Baze or Emma either.
"Hey, are you alright? Why are you limping?" Cate rushed over and inspected her ankle.
"It's nothing, really. I just tripped. I probably just twisted it," Lux said trying to assure Cate that she was in fact going to survive.
"Are you sure? Maybe I should take you to a hospital or something," Cate said, biting her nail. She seemed to be thinking of the the fastest way to the nearest hospital.
"No. Cate, I'm fine. It's feeling better every minute. I'm just going to go to bed. Let's just wait until morning, okay?" When Cate nodded, Lux knew she had convinced her.
"Do you need help back to your tent?" Lux shook her head and gave Cate a quick hug. Cate frowned slightly as she watched Lux hobble away.
A few minutes later Lux reached the tent and entered it gratefully. Not too long ago she thought she was going to bite it in the middle of the forest. Reaching the tent was like arriving at some sort of mecca. Tasha was already in her sleeping bag, but she wasn't asleep.
"Hey, you are such a sight for sore eyes," Lux commented hobbling into the tent. "I tripped over this stump and-"
"I didn't know that you were reading Twilight in English. Actually I didn't even know that you had Mr. Daniels' class," Tasha stated emotionless. It was obvious that Tasha was the the sound that they heard in the woods. Lux dropped onto her sleeping bag and turned to Tasha.
"Look, I tried to tell you. I've been trying to tell you, but you've been ignoring me all week."
"I'm sorry if I've been ignoring you and hanging with Jones, but that doesn't make hooking up with a teacher okay," Tasha said. Lux didn't know how to make her understand. She thought if anyone would get it, it would be Tasha.
"I'm not hooking up with him. It's...deeper than that. And I met him before I knew he was a teacher at school," Lux explained.
"This is probably our only chance to fit in. We finally have a chance. Don't you remember wanting that? It's all we ever wanted. Don't mess this up for us."
"Tash, I'm falling for him. He pushes me to be better. He challenges me, but at the same time he accepts who I am...he likes who I am. It's something I've never had before in a guy."
"But do you know what you're doing?" Tasha asked, concerned.
"Honestly?" Tasha nodded. "No. But I don't want to give it up," Lux admitted. "Does that make me selfish?"
"I don't know, maybe?" Tasha replied. "But at the same time I understand it. The not wanting to give it up. I do want you to be happy. I just wish it wasn't with someone who could potentially lose their job over this."
"Do you trust my judgement?" Tasha sighed and gave Lux a hug.
"You know I do. Just...be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt." Lux hugged her best friend back.
"I'll be careful. I promise."