Content warning: Physical Abuse, Homophobia
Word Count 7,203
October, 2003
No matter how bad things got for Lucas, coming to down to the viaduct never failed to ease his inner tension. It had been abandoned for years before he discovered it one afternoon after a rough day at school, it’s silence calling him, providing him with the serenity he needed. He’d fill the cracks of the tall worn stone with small scraps of paper he’d dot with little figures and toss out his leftover graham crackers to bribe the local geese to keep him company. He could leave his entire sketchbook underneath it’s passageway for a week and come back to it as if nothing would happen, because he was the only one who knew the viaduct. It was his place, his special, secret place, at least for a good month or two before Ariana found it.
And quite an arrival that was.
He’d just come from school, not bothering to head home early and went directly to his hideout. Cradled underneath the sleeves of his windbreaker dripped his new, though soggy sketchbook. His eyes were dark as he recalled what had happened, leading to the destroyed pile of slop: A snappy comment in class led to a tussle after school hours. As usual, no one stepped in to give him a hand because he could handle it himself. He was “a big boy”. It was a golden rule that hovered above all the kids in his grade: you handle everything yourself. Asking for help makes you a pussy.
“Bullshit.” He spat as he stepped through the brambles, shoving them out of the way without much thought of how the tiny thorns would prick his hand. The confrontation was after school hours, so the teachers weren’t exactly required to step in, and he rather had dealt with things on his own for the latter considering bringing his mother into this mess would just fuel the fire to his problems. Feeding what his peers believed was the last thing he wanted, and he wasn’t sure how much left he could take before he’d snap completely.
Upon reaching his hideout, he threw the wet book onto the asphalt with a sloppy noise, startling the few geese who resided in the waters before shoving his damp hands into his pocket. His hoodie had become sour from holding the pile of slop so tightly, which caused him to grow increasingly uncomfortable as he went to take a seat on the ledge. As he glared across the murky yellow water, a honk of a goose snapped him from his thoughts, making him realize how tightly he had his teeth clenched, the dull pain lingering along his jaw as he curled his legs slightly to his chest.
The book was fresh from the shelves from the city’s finest art store. His mother had visited the skyscraper dotted avenue with her friends the other day and decided to put twenty bucks into his stupid hobby, because she loved her “big boy”. It was a pleasant surprise considering he had filled up all of his older books, leaving him to scribble on anything that had a surface that could be drawn on, but the fact he couldn’t enjoy the feeling of drawing on a fresh new page in a 20 dollar book because it was dripping with God knows what was enough to kill any drive to draw for quite a while.
He didn’t want to think about the expression that he’d find on his mother’s face when he’d walk into the door, be asked how his day went and have to lift the destroyed book up in silence. He could already imagine how quickly it’d fall and the concern that would follow, leaving him in an uncomfortable fit which would result in him barricading himself in his room with his TV on the highest volume to signal he’d like to be left alone. This routine had been happening for quite awhile now as of late, a routine he hoped would end soon. Though, routines such as this only change if there is effort put into it to stop, and Lucas surely had no intentions to put an ounce of effort into it’s end since it wasn’t his fault to begin with.
Staring off into the distance for such a long period of time never helped him much, but it justified the tears that would gather onto his eyelids and spill down his cheeks. It’s known to many that a strong, brisk breeze causes one’s eyes to water in attempt to replace the dryness. The autumn breeze was quite aggressive today considering a storm would be passing over and he had them open for a while so, it was clearly just the breeze. Unfortunately, the breeze doesn’t leave your jaw quivering, face red or your nose running but there could always be the excuse that he had a fever which could have been sparked by the breeze since he was damp from his book, but being damp would mean he’d have to explain what happened. The thought of explaining merely pissed him off more, leaving him curled up completely among the edge as he whimpered through clenched teeth.
He thanked the geese for honking in harmony with the nearby cars, which were loud enough to disguise his pitiful wails. Through choked sobs, he’d wipe his face on his already drenched sleeve and attempt to gather himself before sputtering into tears again. It was embarrassing; he barely let himself spill this much but today was enough to leave him helpless in the safety of the viaduct. His arms were quite sore from being held down and gripped, his hair was matted from being pulled and again, his teeth were just downright uncomfortable from clenching them so hard through the the words that were being shot at him. They usually didn’t get to him as much as they did, but today they pierced his body and clung, injecting him with their bile. His body ached, his head spun, his chest tightened. It was a routine. A routine he wanted to be broken.
A routine that was broken with a single sentence.
“Alex, are you okay?”
Lucas shot his head around so quickly, he could’ve fallen into the stream with how fast he turned to see who had questioned him. His face grew hot as he met the eyes of the tiny girl whose hair extended to her waist. Her eyes were an ocean blue, wide with curiosity and concern. Flustered, he turned around and wiped his face, trying to stabilize his stuttering voice. This was the last person he wanted to see right now. This was the last person he expected to even find him here, to even be here right now.
After gathering himself after a couple of seconds, he put on an intimidating snarl and faced her with a question.
“What are you doing here?”
His question didn’t seem to bother the small girl as she merely blinked. His tone was quite off, stuttery and unstable. It was obvious he had been crying as the deep inner choke at the back of his throat caused his voice to crack. His angry tone never worked on her anyways, but he wanted to feel just a bit better about himself right now.
“Well, I was explorin’. I just happened to come across this place and I saw you. What are you doing here?”
She smiled brightly, rocking back on the heels of her battered red sneakers. She wore a pink shirt with a dog yelling, “Got a bone to pick?!” and her hair was quite crazy as if it hadn’t been brushed in a week. She definitely looked her age. And boy, did she fit the annoying personality of one.
“You didn’t answer my question. Aren’t you supposed to be at my house right now?” Lucas hissed, refusing to face her. His face was still flushed and he didn’t want to bother wasting his breath on the girl, he still had a bit left to let out before heading home.
The girl went silent as if she had to think before a squeak came from her.
“Well, yeah! Usually every Tuesday through Thursday, I walk to your house afta school until my mommy gets off work at 9pm, but I didn’t hafta today since she quit her job.” She started rambling immediately, not paying attention to Lucas’s bored expression. She was incapable of giving short answers. “She said I’d be comin’ home until she gets another but I felt like goin’ out to look around today.”
“You know, doing that is just giving your mom a reason to beat your ass. Isn’t that why she yells at you all the time anyways, because you don’t listen?” Lucas had turned to her now, half leaning on his knee as he stared at the girl, tiredly.
“...I do listen. I just wanted to take a walk after school, that’s all. She won’t mind.”
Lucas scoffed, turning away again. With no doubt, she’d be getting an earful from her mom for taking a detour. It was a different story for him as his mom trusted him enough to let him stay out before heading home, and granted he was 12 years old. His tiny “friend” was just 11. No kid, especially her age and being a girl, should be wandering around alone without supervision in such a deserted area. It was dangerous.
She just had to come to him, leaving her in his responsibility. He groaned at the thought of her mother questioning why she was with him, possibly deciding that it was enough to scream at him. He really couldn’t take a lecture like that today.
“What happened to your book?” The girl asked, startling Lucas. He looked up to see her holding it in her hands, the new pages, wet, sliding from their rings. His stomach churned at the sight of it.
“It fell in the water.” He lied.
“Oh no! That’s awful. Didn’t Kiki just buy it for you yesterday when she went to the city with my mama?”
“Yeah. Just...set it back down. It’s no good now.”
“Well, you could always use a blowdryer and a couple of heavy books to try to preserve some of what’s left. It’d be sad to let it all g-”
“Ariana, set the book down!” He spat.
Ariana blinked and dropped the book back to her feet, which wasn’t that much of a distance since she was quite short. She frowned slightly as she began studying his face. He knew she was because her eyes would go blank and she’d stare into space; it was creepy.
“Are you sure it fell into the water?” She asked.
“Okay, that’s it.”
Lucas stood up, fuming as he stomped over to the small girl. Snatching her by the arm, he dragged her through the brambles, to the main street much against her tugging and squeaking. He cared very little as if his grip was tight, he couldn’t deal with her questions anymore. Ariana shoved him, growling as he pulled her bare arms through the brambles, leaving little nicks onto her already bruised tawny brown skin. The two temporarily fought against each other’s grip before Lucas simply shoved her onto the cracked sidewalk.
“Go home!” He hissed. “If you stay here any longer, your mom is going to blame me for why you’re not at home and I’m not dealing with that shit! I’m not your babysitter!”
“But I don’t wanna go home!” Ariana whined, rubbing the elbow she landed on. She looked up at Lucas weakly as he snarled down at her. “I’ll shut up if you let me stay here.”
“What’s so bad at home to make you want to come look at geese and garbage?”
“...well I can’t go to your house anymore so I just would like to do something else.”
“WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ME?! And you didn’t even answer my question!”
“I...I…” She stuttered and looked at the ground sadly. “I wanted to see what you were up to. And since my mama quit her job, she’s...angry. So it’s not fun. And we don’t have cable, so it’s boring. And she won’t let me play my Gameboy.”
Lucas rolled his eyes. He hated that she considered him a friend with the slightest intentions because she provided him with nothing but hassle. As much as he wanted to drag her back to her house, he couldn’t bring himself to do so right now, and a weird feeling in his stomach fluttered at Ariana mentioning her mother’s anger. It’d been a reoccurring thing just as frequent as him being shoved against lockers in school and kicked in the legs. Maybe she did need a place to hide.
He hated that he actually felt bad for her.
“If you’re going to be out here, go away from me at least. I come here for a reason.” He muttered.
“What’s the reason?”
“It’s none of your business. As long as you shut up and stay away from me, I won’t throw you in the water. And don’t touch shit near the stone, alright? If I catch you touching anything, I’m kicking your ass.”
With that, he walked away from her, leaving her on the sidewalk as he shoved himself through the thorny branches again. Her presence would make it hard to let out his remaining sobs, but he could at least still regain himself here before heading home for dinner, enough to avoid his mother’s worried stare.
Ariana squeaked at the approval of her stay and her footsteps shook his ears as she headed back toward the viaduct. He watched from the corner of his eye as she admired the geese floating among the water, pecking at the empty bags of chips and styrofoam cups. She marveled at the scenery, poking her head into bushes and looking over the broken stone edge. It baffled Lucas to see her so excited over such a mess; the area was disgusting and ugly. Her energetic bedazzlement was uncalled for, but this behavior from her wasn’t anything new. She always acted like this when she found new things, everything had to be analyzed and picked apart as if it was part of a science project. He found that part of her annoying as not everything should be torn to shreds and broken in half to find out what’s going on, sometimes things should simply be left alone.
He sighed, lowering his chin into his hands as he closed his eyes. Deep in his throat, there was still a quiver. What a bother. If she would have come about three minutes later, he would have finished his fit of crying completely and would be on his way home. He cradled his head into his hands and took slow breaths, hoping this would satisfy his body enough. The sounds of Ariana’s shuffling footsteps and the rush of water on top of the honking of the geese all seemed to put him in a state of tranquility. He’d be fine. He’d be fine. He’d feel fine in just a se-
“You look really sad.” Ariana’s voice shook him from his thoughts again. He simply looked up at her.
“I told you to fuck off.”
“I-I know, but...you look like you’re going to cry. Is everything okay? I saw you leave school a bit later than usual so...I was wondering if something happened.”
“Did you follow me here just to be nosey?”
“N-no! I told you I found this place by accident.”
“Then why are you over here asking me questions? You’re not my mom.”
“I...I was just worried. You don’t usually look this sad.”
Lucas squinted. “Do I look sad all the time or something?”
“Kinda. Definitely not friendly.”
“Why haven’t you taken the hint, then?”
“Because, I dunno!” She smiled and sat down right next to him, bumping into him slightly causing him to flinch. Ariana was truly oblivious.
“I think everyone can be nice!” She gave him a toothy, or rather a snaggletoothed grin. Lucas simply scooted away from her, holding his composure.
With each inch that Lucas scooted away, Ariana would follow. And my god, it was annoying, with no doubt worse than usual. He decided to come to the viaduct the second Ariana decided to bug his mother to be played with while she waited for her mother to get off work. The TV no longer entertained her for 6 hours straight; it did for a good 2 years but it seemed her brain finally clicked into place to where she required human interaction to be well rounded. Prior to her questions about “What’s Alex doing?” and “Can I go play with Alex?”, he’d be able to peacefully come home and lay on the floor in his room, draw a little or play his Gamecube without any questions.
The house would be quiet, just the hums of TVs or the sound of his mother chattering over the phone; The clinking of dishes and the running water as dinner was prepared and occasional door shutting which signaled someone stepped into the bathroom. It was home for sure, and he was always comfortable with it’s little noises that gave it life. But with Ariana’s new need for entertainment, the house had become much livelier and a bother to be in as she’d creep up the stairs and peer into his room, causing him to scream at her to go away and having to throw some sort of toy or handheld at her to keep her out of his hair. His mother would lightly scold him for being so mean, saying, “You should try to be her friend, honey. The two of you will be going to school together soon.” or “She’s little, Lukey. Just talk to her for a little bit.”
He wasn’t being paid to be her friend, and he saw not a single benefit about her presence. She always had her eyes on him, her mouth open, always searching her mind for possible questions to ask. It made him hate the fact that out of all of his mother’s friends, her best friend was the one who had a kid. Two best friends who practically raised their only children alone meant the kids had to become best friends. It was the golden rule of mothers to help one another out and keep each other’s company. Not only could the parents have playdates, but it meant the children would too. A win-win in their eyes. For Lucas? Oh, it was torture.
He had to hold himself from giving Ariana an elbow to the nose as she breathed heavily over his shoulder, her breaths were nasally hinted with a cold. He took in a deep breath and stood up, knocking her back slightly before dragging himself away from the viaduct. It was no good to stay any longer if she wasn’t going to give him space. He was better off just going home, eating dinner and passing out for the rest of the day. Ariana watched him as he silently retreated to the main sidewalk, hands stuffed in his pockets with a snarl. It only took seconds before she shuffled and stumbled behind him. He extended his strides, leaving her having to run to catch up; he hoped it would tire her out so she wouldn’t bother him.
“Where are you going?” She asked, hopping over the cracks in the sidewalk. Along the main streets, the town was bustling with workers considering the time of the day. Most people were getting off work, heading toward the train station or to their cars which lined the roads. Men and women in sleek business attire dotted the corners, waiting for the lights to change. He loved how busy the tiny town was. It wasn’t as crowded as the neighboring city, but it was a hub that attracted workers and people of all colors, shapes and sizes. On a good day, he’d spend the day sketching strangers while he watched out the window of his favorite sandwich shop. The owners knew him well since he’d been a customer for years now, introduced first by his mother; the two men who owned the shop learned to keep an eye on him while he wandered through town, exploring alone.
“I’m going home.” Lucas mumbled, pressing the button for the crosswalk. Ariana rocked back and forth on her heels as she watched the cars zoom past, fluttering their hair and clothing. Lucas shivered slightly at the breeze, his curly dark hair smacking him in the face. “My mom is probably going to be looking for me since dinner is soon.”
“Is it really that late already?” Ariana squeaked.
He glanced down at his wrist at his watch, whose glass screen seemed to be cracked. They broke this too!? He gaped at what he was seeing. Oh, this is great. He frowned and lowered his hand and merely nodded, his anger rising back into his throat.
“It’s 4:32pm. It’s pretty late for you to be out.”
“Huh. I guess you’re right. Well, that’s okay!”
“You should probably go home.”
“Nah.”
“Ariana, I will throw you into the street.”
“That’s okay. Can I come to your house? My mommy can pick me up from there!” She smiled brightly, disregarding his threat. Lucas stared at her and rolled his eyes.
“You just want to use the TV or bother me, huh?”
“Not really, but I’d like to play your Gamecube!”
“I’m not letting you play it. The last time I let you, you ripped the rubber off the joystick.” The light finally changed and the two of them walked across the street. They weren’t that far from their houses as just down the street would be the path to their neighborhood. With how the sky seemed to be shifting, it was a good thing they left when they did.
“It was already falling off.”
“Yeah, from you pulling on it.”
“I did not!”
“You’re the only other person who has played it, and I’m not counting Cheren since he has common sense, unlike you.”
They had finally reached the block which his house resided, Ariana’s being 2 more down. It was a decent neighborhood, each house having at least 2 stories and a porch. Some yards had fences, others did not; some were dotted with flowers and bushes, others with signs that read: “Beware of Dog!”. Each had a decently sized backyard which often combined with their neighbors. He enjoyed living in a diverse area, and the good side to be exact. His small town in general was a pretty accepting area; people came from all sorts of backgrounds and regions and found a way to live in harmony among each other. People respected each other's differences, their individual tastes and lifestyles. Minimal lines were drawn if you’re skin was dark or light, barely fluent in English or not. People understood because they all came from a similar place.
At least that’s what he liked to tell himself for the majority. Behind closed doors, he knew someone was always whispering and bad mouthing another’s life decisions. This was reality, and going to school gave him a good view into it.
“I think your mom is already at my house, Ariana.” Lucas looked over his shoulder as they walked, pointing down to the blue house with it’s worn porch. Ariana blinked, squinting into the distance, rushing to his side to see if it was true.
He could see that from where they stood, on his porch sat two women, one was obviously his mother; he recognized her head of black curls from any distance along with her dark skin and sleek figure. The other woman had to be Ariana’s mother considering the length of their hair and posture. Ariana’s mom was tired; she always had this expression on her face that just screamed, “If you come near me, I will hit you”. She was hardy, blunt and certainly strict compared to his own mom. But that had nothing to do with Lucas, it was Ariana’s problem to deal with; not his. But she always went to him for an escape, which never failed to get him caught up in their arguments.
“Oh no.” She squeaked, stopping dead in her tracks. She pulled Lucas by the sleeve suddenly, causing him to flinch.
“Can we go back to the viaduct?”
“What? Fuck no. You can if you want but I’m going home. It’s probably going to rain soon anyways and I don’t want to get wet.”
“Aww, come on, Alex!”
“Look, I didn’t want to hang out with you in the first place, let me go.”
“Bu-But Lucas!”
“MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!” Lucas belted out, catching the attention from his mother from down the street. He watched as her head shot in his direction.
“HONEY, WHAT’S THE MATTER?” His mother yelled back. This wasn’t anything new in their neighborhood. Everyone had long adjusted to the fact that yelling down the street was an ideal form of communication, it’s something everyone did.
“ARIANA WONT LEAVE ME ALOOONE!!”
“Shut up!!” Ariana tugged at his sleeves as he shook her off.
“WAIT, IS ARI WITH YOU!?”
“YEAH!”
“TELL HER TO COME HERE! HER MAMA HAS BEEN LOOKIN’ FOR HER!”
Ariana froze upon hearing that. Lucas stared at her as she shriveled in place.
“I told you you’d get your ass beat for not going home.” He smirked.
“I...I...Well I went home at first but I left when she got angry.”
“That was the stupidest thing you could have done.”
“I…I know but...Oh Alex, you gotta let me hide in your room.”
“Or you could face the consequences for running off again. If you don’t let me go, I’ll personally drag you to your mom.”
Ariana frowned, dropping his arm before following him to his house. She had no other choice than to comply since running away again would just intensify her problems.
----------------------------------------------------------------
The storm finally set in with full force by the time Lucas flopped onto his bed, hair still damp from his shower. He nuzzled his face into his blankets before letting out an obnoxious yawn. He had already eaten dinner, read the assigned chapter of his book for class and cleaned his floor of items such as shirts or papers by his mother’s request. It was about 7pm now, though the house was still noisy as Ariana and her mother had yet to leave. His mother invited them to stay for dinner and to keep them out of the storm which arrived with just as much aggression that Veronica had in her soul. He rolled over, recalling what Ariana’s mother was telling his own while Ariana tearfully picked at the hamburger on her plate.
“I don’t know what to do with her anymore, Kiki! She’s been gettin’ worse by the day and my god, don’t get me started on how she runs off the second I say anything! I ain’t got the energy to chase her ass!” Veronica spat, setting down her wine glass with much force. Lucas’s mother had smiled weakly at her as before taking a sip from her own glass.
“Maybe she’s entering the steps into that age? I was pretty feisty around that time, so it wouldn’t be out of hand. And Vee, she’s still a little girl. Look at her!”
Ariana grimaced, lowering her head closer to her burger. Lucas could only stifle his laughter at how miserable she looked.
“Little girl or not, she’s got too many brains to be pulling this shit...I’m trying to get her moved up another grade and they’re not going to accept her if she’s got behavior issues. I got a call from the school the other day about how she wouldn’t keep her damn mouth closed in class!”
“Do you think it’s because Karter’s anniversary is coming up? She was antsy around this time last year.”
“...I don’t know.” She went quiet for a moment. “That still ain’t an excuse to be bringing me to the point that I’m rippin’ my hair out. I swear this would have been easier if she came out as a little boy. Lucas never gives you problems, and here I am dealing with a little shithead who won’t give her mom a BREAK.”
Ariana turned around from her seat and gave a look, a vicious look that spoke unforgivable words without even speaking them. Big mistake. Lucas had to put his head down to keep his grin hidden as Veronica stared back, her expression warping into something fierce.
“Oh, Vee. Let her eat her food, she ain’t mean it.”
“No, she knew what she just did. Get your ass over here.”
And with that, Lucas had to excuse himself from the table as he was on the verge of bursting into laughter, and not to mention Ariana truly just asked for a beating and he preferred not to see it.
He’d gone to shower, standing blankly underneath the head as water dripped down his face. He never thought much in the bathroom, it was more of a place to not think. A place to just exist and hope to come out feeling refreshed. He could always take advantage of the water to allow himself to cry, but the need to do so had long faded and became irrelevant. He stared at himself in the mirror for a short time, examining the bruises that covered his body. There was one from Nathan who had held him against the locker on his right arm, one ran along his side from Marcus and Elijah throwing him onto the ground and just a small mark along the back of his neck which ached; it had be from when he was held down on the sidewalk. It was embarrassing to see himself beat up like this, but luckily they were barely noticeable due to his darker skin tone; they blended in quite well and were in places that he usually hid underneath his clothing. No one could see them, at least everyone except Cheren, but even he cared very little for the marks which dotted his body. The thought sat uncomfortably in his chest for a moment as he continued to stare at himself.
Does Cheren know what’s been happening?
He sees him the most, but he never asks about it.
Has he stopped paying attention to me?
A sigh escaped his lips as he left out the bathroom, wiping his wet hair dry with a towel. Maybe he could bring it up to him. It wouldn’t be out of hand considering Cheren could do something about the bullying, more so than what his mother could do.
He entered his room which was dotted with video game cords, posters and blankets and sat down into his chair as he put his shirt on. Beneath him, he could hear that Ariana was still being scolded, most likely for talking back and attempting to run off again. The last time Ariana and her mother fought this violently was around last year, which was indeed the anniversary of her father dying. She wasn’t coping with it, Lucas found it hard to believe she ever did despite never speaking of him on a normal day. She’d get obnoxious, incredibly ansty and do everything she wouldn't usually do. For the record, Ariana was a goody-goody; A teacher’s pet in school that was respected by all for her brains. Lucas always found it stupid to want to live to merely thrive to academically, but he had no room to judge. He hated school because he always struggled with lessons and keeping up the pace. While Ariana could finish something meant for high schoolers within minutes, it took him an extra 30 to get through a simple math lesson.
It didn’t help how he felt about himself, but at least he wasn’t downright failing school. He was just an average student, thats all. He had Cheren helping him out so he’d stay afloat, whether it was reteaching him a lesson twice or just doing his homework for him. He preferred to draw all day anyways, and many schools he aspired to visit one day cared very little for their education. And for the record, many of his favorite artist were just as stupid as he was, so it was pretty comforting.
A round of thunder rumbled the house, drowning out the noise below him as he sat up on his bed, exhaustion covering him as the rain’s pitter patter became more defined against the hum of the TV. His body ached, making the idea of sleeping less soothing; he’d draw in times like these, but his book was destroyed and he’d left all of his pencils at school. Luckily, his mother was too caught up about Ariana being MIA with Veronica to really notice that he came home empty handed. It was a relief; no explaining had to be done and he could deal with it another day.
He layed back down, wincing, as he closed his eyes slowly. It was hard to really focus on anything with how loud things were getting downstairs. He picked apart the voices from the comfort of his bed: his mother trying to convince Vee to calm down, Vee screaming at Ariana and Ariana screaming back.
What a mess.
It made him grateful for how understanding his relationship was with his own mom. Seeing the way Ariana and Vee treated one another was terrifying and painfully reminded him of his own father who only came around every once and awhile. Granted he was working his ass off across the world, and wasn't dead like Ariana’s, but he was a tough guy. Too tough for Lucas’s liking. His father looked down on Lucas with disgust for the most part, because Lucas wasn’t “the boy he’d thought he’d have”.
He turned to his side, staring off toward his wall.
At least Cheren saw something in him.
A couple of minutes passed before the noise downstairs seemed to settle, reducing to obnoxious sniffles and murmuring noises. What followed were footsteps approaching his door. He looked toward his door, tensing up involuntarily.
There was a shaky knock and a voice.
“A-A-A-Alex...C-Can I come in?”
Lucas rolled over, faking to be asleep. He didn’t want to deal with Ariana. He really didn’t. He was already tired out from today.
“Al-lex I know you’re awake...C-Can I come in? Pwease.”
He rolled off the side of his bed with a heavy sigh and swung the door open to face Ariana.
She stood there, face reddened, covered with tears and snot. She was holding her arms tightly to her chest; miserable. Through choked breaths, she’d sloppily wipe her nose with her bare red arms and sniff weakly.
“If I let you in here, don’t touch anything.” He looked away.
“O-Okay.”
He flopped back onto his bed as Ariana sat on the floor, staring sadly into the TV. She slouched forward as she sniffled through choked sobs. Lucas laid there awkwardly listening to her try to gather herself together.
He hated it.
“Why don’t you get tissue instead of using your hand?” He sat up a bit, staring down at the girl. “That’s disgusting, man.”
Ariana looked at him through teary eyes, sniffling. “M-my mommy said to sit down and not get up again.”
“....Ugh. Hold on.” He groaned, leaning over his bed and rummaged underneath for the box of tissues he’d have hidden underneath. The reasoning for it being hidden shouldn’t need to be explained, but at least it’d come in use for something important today. After struggling for a few minutes, wincing through pain from leaning on his bruise, his hand caught the half empty box and he tossed it to Ariana, knocking her on the head by accident.
“There. Can’t say I’m a jerk now, huh.” He mumbled, laying back down.
“D-Danku…” She whimpered, blowing her nose. Her voice always cracked awkwardly when she cried, reducing into a childish tone that was defined more than usual. Her voice for the majority was high pitched and boisterous, but when there were tears involved, it became pitiful.
This lasted for at least 10 minutes before it slowly crept onto Lucas’s consciousness.
“Can you stop crying?” Lucas asked, not looking at her.
Ariana merely sniffled again, before letting out a whimper.
He looked over the bed and poked her head.
“Dude. I’m going to kick you out.”
“I-I’m s-sowwy.”
“If I give you my Game Boy, will you shut up?”
“I-I don’t wan’ it...M-My arm hurts.”
“Oh.” He frowned before retreating back to his blankets. Not my problem.
He rolled to his side, the pain of his own bruise causing him to flinch.
Ugh.
There had to be something he could do to make her stop.
“Hey Ariana?”
“H-huh?”
“What did the blanket say when it fell off the bed?”
There was silence as Ariana shifted to look at him, her eyes twinkling with tears.
“I dunno, wh-what?”
“‘Oh Sheeeet.’”
“...”
The was stifling of laughter below followed with a snort.
“Wanna hear another?”
“Y-yeah!”
“What do you call a man who can’t stand?”
“What?”
“...Niel.”
Through sniffles, Ariana let out a round of giggles.
“That’s so stupid!” She squeaked, wiping her nose. “Like kneel, right?”
“Yeah.”
She went back into a fit of giggling; Lucas sighed in relief upon hearing it. The jokes were horrendous, but he knew they could probably do something for Ariana. He’d even think about the jokes on his own time to get him smirking just a bit. The room’s atmosphere lifted as Ariana struggled to keep herself from laughing at such a ridiculously low-quality jokes that it caused Lucas to grin into his blanket. It was stupid, and Ariana’s snorting made it even worse. The two of them eventually began cackling in harmony as Lucas came up with more terrible jokes on the spot. He was too tired to take anything seriously right now.
Between their giggles, the door creaked slightly. Lucas raised his head to meet the eyes of Akira. They had to be laughing so hard to the point they failed to realize his mother had come all the way upstairs to check on them.
“Oh, did I interrupt something?” She asked, peering her head into the room with a soft smile.
Lucas shook his head, his face growing hot. “Not really, I was just telling jokes.”
“Oh, too bad I missed out on that! Well, I just wanted to let Ari know she’s staying over tonight. The storm is gettin’ a bit too wild and her mother is….a bit tipsy so I don’t want her driving in it.” Akira nodded. “I’m sure you understand why.”
Ariana blinked, her laughter fading. “Yeah. I know.”
“Wait, where is she sleeping?” Lucas interrupted. There was no way in hell she’d be staying here because it meant she’d be sleeping i-
“In here, if that’s fine with you, hun.”
Lucas closed his eyes for a second before staring at his mother.
“Oh, okay.” He muttered. “That’s fine.”
“Alright, thank you, it’ll only be for tonight. Ari, I’ll bring you a blanket and pillow up in a second, okay? Lucas, make sure Ari’s comfortable, alright?”
“Yeah, yeah. I know.” He had rolled onto his stomach and laid his face into his blankets, refusing to look at his mom. He listened as his mother retreated back down the stairs before the shuffling of Ariana’s footsteps filled his ears.
“Alex.”
“What?”
“Do I have to sleep on the floor?”
Lucas blinked. “Where else do you expect to sleep?”
“W-well...when I was invited to the girls in my classroom’s sleepover, they all slept in the same bed together but made me sleep on the floor because they said it wasn’t any room left, so I thought since it’s just us two, and it’s a sleepover, we can sh-”
“Fuck no. You’re on the floor.” And with that, Lucas laid down and covered himself with his blanket and closed his eyes. Nothing else needed to be said.
There was a silence before there was shuffling on the floor. After a few minutes, his door opened once again. His mother stood there with a blanket and a pillow in her hand, her expression twisted.
“Lucas Sawyer Alexander.”
Lucas eyes shot open upon hearing his full name. He rose his head and met the glare of his mom.
“...Yes?” He squeaked.
“I asked you to make sure Ariana is comfortable. Why is she on the floor curled into her shirt?” Her tone was soft, but filled with frustration.
Lucas winced and looked over the edge of the bed and met Ariana’s stare; she was curled into fetal position like an animal, her knees tucked to her neck with her shirt covering them.
“I didn’t tell her to do that.”
“Why is she on the floor?!”
“Because...I’m sleeping on the bed.”
“Oh, hun! Come on. When I asked if it was alright if she could sleep in here, I meant in the bed too!”
“Mom, that’s weird!”
“Lucas, you have a Queen sized bed! It’s not like you’ll even be near each other since you’re both tiny! And don’t even try to say it’s because she’s a girl because the two of you have shared a bed before, way back when you were just four years old!”
“I’m not four anymore!”
“I know that, honey. But you’re making something that shouldn’t be a big deal...a big deal. And it’s rude to Ariana. Would you want to sleep on the floor?”
“N...No..”
“Then that's enough. Ari, here’s your blanket and pillow. Lukey ain’t mean it when he said you’d have to sleep on the floor. And if he tries to tell you to do so again, let me know, okay?” She gave Lucas a look before heading out the door. “Good night, you two.”
“Good night Kiki!” Ari squeaked, standing up as Akira retreated down the staircase. She cradled the pillow under her arm before turning to face Lucas who was fuming from the comfort of his blankets.
“You’re...sleeping at the edge.”
“Okay.”
“If you touch me, I will kick you off the bed.”
“Okay.”
He laid back down, bringing his knees close to his chest as Ariana climbed up clumsily. She plopped down silently and covered herself with the blanket without a word.
Lucas stared down at her before letting out a sigh.
“You could have turned the light off, dude.”
“Oh.”
“Can you turn it off?”
“No...cause I’m asleep....”
“No you aren’t.”
“Shhh...I’m sleep.”
“Ariana, come on.”
There was loud round of snoring, which was obviously faked.
“This is probably why your friends made you sleep on the floor.”
“...”
Lucas watched as she climbed off the bed and switched the light, staring him dead in the eye as she hit it. Lucas winced as the darkness filled the room, her stare still burning into him.
Jeez. He rolled over to face the wall, not wanting to face her anymore. Her stares were always unnecessary, especially over such a harmless comment.
“Well, goodnight.” He mumbled quietly as she climbed back on the bed.
She didn’t respond, which was good enough for Lucas.
next chapter