Ghost of a Smile

Talking Helps

"I wish you could come visit sometime." Rocky said as they walked past Flip's gas station.

Lucy smiled a little. "Do you really want me too?" She asked happily.

Rocky grinned. "Yeah sure. I mean it's all boys and we're not allowed to invite girls to our rooms because it's, uh, indecent." He blushed. "But there are a few hotels nearby." He gulped. "Not that I'm saying anything like that! I- I mean maybe one of your older sisters could come with you. Just for a visit." He chuckled nervously and looked away from her.

"I would like that. Maybe I could talk to Lori about it. She is still house hunting. If she found one nearby maybe I could see you more often." Lucy blushed too.

Rocky smiled. "I would like that." He gulped and grabbed her hand gently making her stop walking.

"Yes, Rocky?" Lucy asked turning to face her first childhood crush.

Rocky glanced at the trash can behind him. "Whatever that is, that your boyfriend gave you, could you please throw it out?" He frowned. "It looked like some kind of bag with a pill in it and I'm just really worried about you. Please?"

Lucy gulped, but she didn't pull her hand out of his. "I can't."

Rocky's frown deepened. "Lucy-"

"It's a cyanide capsule."

"Lucy!" Rocky gasped. "That's insane! What are you doing?!"

Lucy thought Rocky would pull his hand away, but his grip tightened on her pale hand and he pulled her closer to the trash can. "Luce, please, please throw it away."

"Sigh." Lucy shook her head. "I-I can't." Rocky pleaded with his eyes, a look a pure terror evident on his face. "I promise I won't take it, Rocky, but I can't throw it out."

He shook his head. "Everyone is so worried about you, concerned, scared for you! I-I'm scared!" His voice cracked for the first time.

"Rocky, I can't. I think I have to tell my parents and show them what Edgar gave me." Lucy stated.

Rocky let out the breath he was holding in and pulled her into a hug. "Oh, that's what you meant. You're making the right choice." He let her go and gave her a soft smile. "I'm glad you're not gonna take it. I don't wanna lose you."

Lucy smiled. "You won't."

Rocky took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Okay, let's get you home before you get in trouble."

Lucy frowned. "Sigh.. I'll be in trouble anyway. I snuck out."

"Want me to talk to them? Try to smooth things over for you?"

"No. I'll be fine."

"Okay."

They walked to Lucy's house hand in hand and Rocky used his free hand to knock on the door. Lucy gripped his hand nervously.

"Calm down. It'll be okay."

"Lucy Loud where the hell have you-" Lori cut herself off when she saw Rocky standing by her sister. "Oh.. You were out with Rocky? Why didn't you ask mom and dad? They're out looking for you."

"Sigh. I'm sorry."

"Oh hey Rock."

"Hey Lincoln." Rocky waved, then he turned to Lucy. "Call me after?"

Lucy nodded. "I will."

Rocky smiled. "See ya Louds!" He shouted out to the siblings that were staring at him. He let go of Lucy's hand and walked down the steps giving one last wave to Lucy before he made his way home.

"Sigh." Lucy looked down at her hand that felt cold without Rocky holding it in his hand. "Sorry." She said as she walked inside. Lana moved from the chair to the floor and Lucy sat down. "I had to go."

"You could have said you were going out with Rocky." Lincoln cut her off. "We would have covered."

"Sigh." Lucy gulped. "I wasn't. I bumped into Rocky while I was out. I went to meet with Edgar."

Her siblings eyes went wide.

"Lucy, mom told you not to see him anymore. He's too old for you anyway." Lori lectured as oldest.

Lucy nervously reached into her pocket. "He wanted to give me something and I needed it." She pulled the baggie out of her pocket, but before she could explain her siblings went wild.

"Is that drugs?!" Lori gasped.

"I smell almond? Is it a chocolate covered one?" Leni questioned.

"It looks to be potassium cyanide covered in what appears to be dark chocolate." Lisa observed.

"Cyanide?!" Everyone shouted.

"Wait.. What's C-ya-nid?" Leni asked pronouncing it wrong.

"A lethal poison!" Lisa shouted.

"Lethal?!" Leni gasped. "Like it can kill you?!" She yelled looking over at Lucy with big sad eyes.

"Sigh.. I wasn't going to take it." She said making her siblings calm down, but only slightly.

"But why do you have it, Dude?!"

"I'm gonna kick that punk's ass for giving you that shit!" Lynn yelled no longer watching her language in the house like she is so often told to, on the field she can swear like a sailor, but at home she is warned to keep a lid on it. But right now she was too upset to care. "Where is that morbid f-"

"Lynn! Language!" Lori shouted.

"Please calm down." Lucy tried.

"I'm gonna rip his head off and have Lana shove it up his-"

"Yeah!" Lana agreed loudly.

"Boy he really is digging his own grave." Luan laughed.

"Guys!" Lincoln cut in, but they were too loud to hear him. "Guys!" He tried again to no avail. Finally he took out the air horn the keep handy and blew it until they all quieted down. "Thank you."

"Ow Stinkon!" Lynn punched his arm. "That was right by my ear!"

"I have tinnitus again!"

"Guys, let Lucy talk." Lincoln sighed. "She's finally ready to talk to us so let's all shut up and listen. Go ahead Luce." Lincoln nodded.

"Sigh." Lucy hung her head. "I only brought it home to show mom and dad so they could give it to the police. I thought about taking it myself, but who would believe some creepy little freak."

Luna frowned. "Hey, don't be so harsh on yourself, sis. You're not a freak. You like creepy stuff, sure, but that doesn't make you a freak. And if people don't like you then you just gotta let your freak flag fly and tell them to shove it."

"Sigh.. Everyone thinks I'm a freak. I'm the unlovable worthless freak of nature." She quoted the kids in her school word by word.

"Who called you that?!" Lynn asked angrily and cracked her knuckles to show she was ready for a fight. "Let me at 'em!"

"Sigh.. Everyone at school, but it's okay. I'm used to it." Lucy stated.

"You shouldn't just get used to it and let it continue. You should have told us or mom and dad." Luan said nicely putting her hand on Lucy's shoulder to comfort her.

"You should have told us you were being bullied." Lola snapped. "We would have kicked their butts!"

"Well I tried to tell Lynn, but we got into a fight." Lucy hung her head in shame. "I was so mad that I said hated her and we barely talked to each other after that."

Lynn gulped. "Luce-"

"Then I met Edgar and he seemed to really understand me, but now all he wants is for us to die together and maybe for a while I wanted that too." Lucy frowned. "It seemed like a good idea until I woke up in the hospital." Lucy wiped at her cheeks even though they couldn't see any tear under her bangs. "I-I was so scared and I scared all of you, and mom and dad, and Lily. I'm really sorry."

"Oh Lucy." Luan being the closest wrapped her arms around her little sister then everyone else joined in for a group family hug.