Lumium (Revised)

Chapter Five

I got through the program with no other hallucinations, which was great. Jay and I were also too occupied with the kids to really talk after his threat and I was thankful for that, but it was inevitable.

I'd hoped that he would forget and it did seem like he did as we got our bikes, ready to go home. The whole ride back was silent. That was normal, and usually would bother me, but I was lost in my thoughts today, so it didn't this time.

When we got home, we put our bikes where I had taken mine from that morning, and walked up to the front door. It was only 3 in the afternoon, so my parents were still at work. I opened the door with my keys, making sure that Jay locked it behind him. Then we went upstairs.

There were childhood pictures on the walls leading upstairs that I always breezed by. Jay was in some of them and had seen them a million times, yet he always stopped to look at them for a second or two, as if he had forgotten seeing them the day before.

I ignored him and kept going up, heading to my room. He joined me a minute later, lay next to where I laid sideways on my bed, staring at the ceiling. He turned his head to look at me.

"So..." He started. "Is the rabbit gonna tell me what's wrong?"

"The rabbit won't talk at all if you don't stop calling her that."

"Fine." He paused. "Seriously though, tell me what happened. Because something's obviously bothering you."

I sighed, turning towards him, "And I'm saying that it's nothing. Just dreams messing with my head. Don't worry about it, because if anything, you're bothering me the most right now."

I'd expected him to make fun of me or something like usual. Or change the subject like he normally did when he saw that I didn't want to talk about something. Any other time, he trusted that I'd tell him when I was ready if it was really important.

But instead he asked, "What kind of dreams?"

"That's the thing. I don't remember. Not really at least." I looked up for a second and then back to him. "Why does it matter anyway?"

I didn't understand the expression he had. It slid off a moment later, before he answered, "Just curious, that's all." Then we dropped the subject.

...

By the time Mom got home at 5, me and Jay were laying on the couch, watching a movie. It was some stupid action movie that Jay had wanted to watch, and since it was his turn, I was forced to watch it too.

"Hey, what did we say about the PDA?" Mom joked. She had walked into the living room to say hi before she started dinner. She was referring to my head being on Jay's shoulder. My parents had no real problem with stuff like that, knowing that we didn't like each other that way and even if we did, we'd say something about it.

"What can I say, he's a good pillow." I shrugged, still watching the screen.

"I have no say in the matter." Jay added.

"Whatever weirdos." She started towards the kitchen. "Hope you guys are hungry tonight. We're having my special pasta."

"Yus!" I cheered. Jay, of course, laughed in response but whatever. My mom's pasta is amazing. I mean, any of her food is amazing, but I digress. 

The movie wasn't as bad as I'd expected, but I still wouldn't have chosen it. It finished right before Dad got home and dinner was ready soon after.

"Lin, can you set the table for me?" Mom called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure." I answered, grabbing the plates and silverware. 

Jay tried to help, but as always my mom didn't allow him to. I mean, he might as well have been my brother and their son at this point, yet they didn't let him do anything. So unfair.

Once the table was set and all the food was out, (because of course my mom didn't stop at pasta) we all sat down and started dinner.

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Word Count - 693