The Sea, the Sky and their Opperator

Chapter 14

Lucien had sneaked away from Audrey on a whim. Winter settled around him as he stood in the low lit school grounds, but he knew he wouldn't get frostbite. If nothing else, he could keep his body at a higher temperature to stave off the cold. He was under a light, a less than subtle hiding stop, but it didn't matter. he'd watched the grounds for weeks and knew the circuit of the school's security. He'd be totally fine for at least an hour. Even from this distance, the housing building being set further back in the Academy's compound, Lucien's sharp eyes found a figure standing at the window in the dark. His dark skin made his outline blurry, but his blue eyes still shone in the moonlight. He figure looked serious, planning? Thinking? Stressed?

Lucien picked up his phone and called the number he'd been given, sketched onto a wall.

The answering phone picked up on the second ring, but the person fumbled with the phone for a few seconds before finally answering with a rushed voice.

'Lucien? It's me, Caspian.'

Lucien giggled to himself, thinking the man in the window sounded so sweet and innocent. he couldn't remember being that innocent.

'I know it's you, Caspian. I'm in the one who called!' Lucien joked.

Lucien could see Caspian drop his head submissively. 'Oh, I wasn't sure if you'd done it on purpose. Like maybe it was a butt-dial or something. It being so late...I just.'

Lucien laughed out loud to himself. From the mirror, Lucien could see Caspian's eyes look out and fix on him. Lucien, thinking that would happen, waved at the meek man in the window.

'No accident, Caspian...Caspian is a long name. Do you have a nickname or something?'

Caspian chuckled and rubbed his head with a practised motion. The laugh was throatier than Lucien thought it would be. It warmed Lucien somehow.

'Sea,' the man said with a sigh. 'Friends call me Sea. You can call me Sea, if you like. Were you feeling restless too? Are you new here as well?'

Lucien felt more than heard the yearning in Caspian's voice. 'I guess I was feeling restless, Sea. But it didn't feel like it was my restlessness. Like it was someone else's. That sounds weird. I am pretty new here though. I only arrived a few weeks ago, looking for something. So, I guess we're both have to get used to this place, eh?'

Lucien heard the relief in Caspian's voice. Lucien had both told him exactly what he wanted to hear, and honestly shared something with him. Lucien was mildly surprised to find he didn't want to manipulate Caspian like he did other people.

Probably too much like kicking a puppy or something, Lucien thought to himself, but that didn't sit right.

'So what are you studying here? Do you have a scholarship like me? Where did you come from? I'm Australian, but I know I don't look it.' Caspian prattled a little mindlessly, gushing with excitement.

Lucien smiled, then dropped the smile. He didn't want to lie, not right now when it didn't matter. It was a hard habit to break, and it was a protection he'd usually never do without, but under a midnight moon in the cold with a few snowflakes whipping about him, he looked at the lost boy in the window and didn't mind being a bit lost with him.

'I'm...I'm not a student here. Sorry,' Lucien said without his usual bravado. 'I'm from the States...of America, so I am from out of town, but didn't finish high school so there's no chance I'd get a scholarship.'

Caspian, changed from excited to thoughtful quiet in an instant. 'Sorry, I assumed wrongly. It doesn't matter if you don't go here...Like, I don't even know how I got in. I was lucky enough to finish year 12, but other than that it seems like a giant mistake. Did you want to talk about it? What kept you from High School I mean.'