Teenage Dilemmas [UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING]

Chapter Eight || Runner finds a new 'friend'

Ivory


"Ivory!" George urges from down the pathway in front of my house "Hurry up! We gotta get to school!"

"Gosh!" I exclaim and sprint towards George and Henry. "Yeah, and hi." I huff.

I wouldn't call myself fit, I hate running and prefer to stay and home and listen to audio books or draw. Yeah, my brain works out more than I do. Yeah, it's complicated.

"Running Ivy?" George raises her eyebrows "That's a first."

I scowl at George's statement an half ignore it. She's been doing that a lot lately, I don't know why.

"So how have you all been doing?" I ask after an awkward silence. "Did you do your homework?"

"Yeah." Henry mumbles quietly.

"Are you my mother?" George asks me. "No I didn't do my homework because I am a /teenager." She tosses her dead straight blonde hair "The teenage years are the ones if rebellion not that you'd know, you haven't hit that phase."

"I am two weeks younger than you, not two years younger."

George halts to a stop in the middle if the pathway "Well you do look two years younger than me. The puppy fat-" she tugs at my cheeks annoyingly and slaps my stomach lightly "-is starting to get the better of you." She raises her perfectly plucked eyebrows in triumph.

She walks on ahead and I do think I need to lose a bit of weight. George makes it sound like I am a McDonalds obsessed fat old man.

"Don't worry, George doesn't mean it. Even after all the other times she's said it, she doesn't mean it." Henry harshly whispers next to me.

But somehow, I think she does.

Yeah, so I went to classes. Math was okay, I do better with numbers than with letters. I had recess with George and Henry, that was fine, George's Jack Scott rant basically lulled me to sleep. Again.

"But I mean look at the way his hair swishes as he runs." George drones on staring at Jack as he runs across the oval, chasing a low bouncing football.

The whole concept of football is stupid. Trying to get an oval shaped blown up piece of rubber in between two poles. It's stupid, yet boys play it anyways.

"But first of all," I started listing off my fingers "He is an idiot. Second of all he is an egotistic and arrogant and thirdly he is totally out of you league." I say as if I knew exactly what I am talking about.

George rolls her blue eyes "Well he is hot and..." She hesitates

"And?" Henry and I ask.

George hesitates for even longer "Okay, well he is big-headed-" Jack lines up to kick a goal from fifty meters "and has the ego the size of a watermelon."

"Only a watermelon?" I ask and turn to Henry raising an eyebrow.

George sternly gazed at me and then back over at Jack Scott, who had just kicked a perfect goal.

"Nup." George sighed "Still like him."

I rolled my eyes and Henry face-palmed, shaking her head.

------------

Then I had French.

"Le. Les." She kept on repeating for basically half the lesson, opening her mouth widely whilst pronouncing the two words. I tried desperately not to laugh, biting down on my lip until I tasted blood.

Whatever, so at the end of the lesson, Miss Durieux went on about our trip to France in about two weeks time.

"Have you all got your cabin partners?" She asks in her thick french accent "Or threes?" She eyes Henry, George and I.

A hand shoots up in the air. "Miss! Mademoiselle!" Bridgit's smooth voice projects around the room. I would've never done that. She's so care-free, it sickens me. Her eyes widen and she smiles, showing an array of straight teeth. Her blonde hair, which is tied in a flawless ponytail sways as she chuckles to Ann. You could say I'm jealous. She has every guy falling at her feet, well Jack Scott at least.

"Yeah, Miss, I don't have a cabin." Bridgit says.

"Oh, okay then." Miss thinks for a while then looks at me and back at Bridgit. I feel like someone has shoved a canon ball down my throat. No, not this.

"Ivory, do you mind moving out of your cabin of three and go in with Bridgit?"

"Ye-Yeah." I stutter nervously and smile. Bridgit smiles back, not a fake smile girls would usually give me but a genuine smile, one that goes up to her eyes. I flash a slight smile back and Ann raises her eyebrows and this's her slightly pouted lips. Well that was weird, I thought to myself.

Yeah, so my day has been...weird.

Anyways I am walking down on the footpath, on the way home and Josh comes up behind me and taps my shoulder, sending an electric current to surge through my back.

"What do you want." I scowl, thinking back on last Friday.

"Are you still mad at me?" He asks falling into step with me.

"How can I not be, you called me dumb." I sneer.

"Can you please not hate me so much?" He asks.

"Give me a reason not to hate you." I point my chin up to meet his face whilst standing my ground taking up half the pathway.

He steps towards me and I put my hands on my hips. He look at me with his pure blue eyes and winces as if he was going to say something.
"Doesn't matter." He sighs and smiles almost painfully.

"Thought so." I say an walk on home, leaving Josh Evans behind me.


Lucas

I walk on the sidewalk to go to the Dancing Mouse Cafe. Jack and Liam are with me, Liam still cursing and bad-mouthing Miss White about his detention. I hear giggling and scolding behind us and I look back. Georgia, Henrietta and Ivory are walking behind us. Henrietta bites her bites her lip, attempting not to burst out in laughter whilst Ivory smiles and mouths a 'Sorry.'
I whisper back "Your fine." And Georgia winks at me. I raise my eyebrows and turn back. What ever that was all about, I think to myself.

I check my watch:

"THREE FIFTY NINE!?" I yell and practically stop in my tracks.

"Calm down! We still have a minute!" Jack says bit I barely hear it because of all the thoughts racing through my mind.

I can't be late for this, not for my one chance to be the hero and bust the criminal. I grab the straps on my backpack tightly and sprint down the sidewalk. I wheeze, I feel my asthma acting up again. I feel my throat close up and I desperately breathe for air. Black spots dance across my eyes and I know that this attack is worsening by the second. I feel my hair bounce, tapping my forehead annoyingly. I push my hair back with a sweaty palm making myself look like a fifteen year old, asthmatic Elvis Presley sprinting down the street to a date- I mean meeting that takes place in thirty seconds. I doubt that's a good look.

Not now I wheeze to myself. I need to be the hero. Dad will finally notice me for who I really am, his son. I keep on running, every step burning my legs, my throat, my lungs. I hear the synchronised steps of the twins behind me and I see the red door of the cafe up ahead. Only a few more steps I say to myself. My thoughts are even wheezing in pain.

I finally get to the Dancing Mouse's door and open it. The little silver bell jingles joyfully and I see her. She whips around, her jet black jaw length hair smacking her cheeks and her emerald eyes glowing, the exact same eyes that Jack has.

I take one last shallow breath "Finch-" I wheeze. That was the last thing I remember before blacking out.


Runner

The silver bell jingles and I look at the black and white clock hung up on the cafe wall. Tick the second hand passes the twelve indicating that it's four o'clock. I look towards the door and see him. His tousled blonde hair is ruffled from the wind and his grey eyes land on me.

He looks blankly through me and whispers "Finch." before he falls, first on his knees then onto his face, a stomach-turning crack coming from him.

I automatically find myself up and out of my seat: "Lucas!" I screech. Oh Gosh and for the record, I only did it becauase I don't really want him dead.

"Does anyone know CPR?" Will the waiter asks the whole cafe and know one responds. Oh Gosh no. I know CPR, but on him? Ahaha... no. Will crouches at Lucas' side which causes basically the whole cafe to crowd.

"Oh move over!" I say, shoving my way through and kneel at his side. I look up and find to be looking at Jack Scott, with his twin by his side. His emerald eyes look too much like mine, almost the exact same as mine when I look into the mirror. I ignore that and ask Jack and Liam "Do you you know where his ventalin is?"

"What- Wait." Jack stops me and asks "How do you know he has asthma?"

"Shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing-" I put an ear to his chest "He's still alive but WHERE IS HIS VENTALIN?" I shout after sitting back in my first position "Do you want him to die?!"

"Back pocket of his pants." Jack says, shocked. I go to get his ventalin from his pocket (don't get any ideas).

"Does he have a spacer?" I ask and The twins look at me cluelessly. "A big bubble sorta thing." Lucas starts wheezing louder.

"Oh yeah!" Liam says and pulls it out of Lucas' maroon backpack. We manage to get Lucas back into consciousness. The crowd fades away, leaving Jack and Liam Scott with me.

Lucas opens his silver eyes and his pupils dilate in the light, his mouth hung the slightest bit open. He gasps for air and grabs tightly onto my forearm.

"Hey," I start and he automatically calms down but starts reddening.

"Claustrophobic." Lucas reminds me and I shuffle back a bit.

"Since when?" Jack asks Lucas who is being hoisted up by Liam's muscular arm.

"Shut up." Lucas hisses through gritted teeth, smiling nervously at me.

"You needed to ask me something?" I ask Lucas, eyebrows raised.

Lucas flares red. "I didn't know you had a date." Liam elbows Lucas in the ribs.

"It's not a date." I say, attempting to remain cool about the situation, "Simply a....meeting." I raise my eyebrows.

"Friendzoned." Jack whispers to Lucas.

"Are we sitting or..." I start, attempting desperately to change the subject. Soon, we are all seated in one of this comfy red and white candy striped booths, Jack and Lucas on one side, Liam and I on the other.

An extremely enthusiastic waitress comes up to our table. Her light brown eyes shine and her eggplant coloured hair is tied up by a bright red bandana. I finally recognise who she is. That's Cali, she went to Rome for a four week holiday and came back about yesterday.

"Hi Lauren, Lucas, Jack and Liam. What are you having?" Her perfect smile spreads across her face. She holds her notepad in her hand patiently.

"Hey." Jack says in an incredibly fake, low voice. He winks, which most girls would've fallen at his feet by now but Cali doesn't flinch.

"Hey Jack." She shakes her head whilst saying so.

"Do you wanna go out some time."

She laughs, a cold and evil laugh and then shortly says "No." She slaps Jack with her free hand and looks around at us again "What are you having?"

"Oh we're not having anything." Lucas says. Cali kills her smile.

"The cafe is in use for paying costumers only." She says "Get-"

"One small chocolate smoothie." I say much too quickly "Thanks." I add with a smile.

"Okay." She returns to her former happy self and skips off.

"Well that was weird." Jack states.

"Agreed." His brother confirms.

An awkward silence follows "So..." I start.

"So." Lucas starts and fishes a small folio titled 'Runner Finch' the whole thought of it is pretty creepy. The whole thought of it makes me feel sick, reminding me that Lucas Castellan was and probably still is hunting me down.

"Jack and Liam," Lucas says and open to what seems to be a family tree. "Meet Runner Finch." Jack's eyes widen.

"You're Runner?" Jack asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Lucas, why?" I start.

"I'm surprised you didn't call him Lukey-Pooky." Jack says to me. I ignore the comment.

"I skipped footy practice for this!" Liam exclaims.

"Shut up!" I scold.

"Calm down!" Lucas shouts loudly and catches everyone's attention. From the past five years I've known him, he's never shouted.

"What Lukey-Pooky." Jack says, raising his strawberry blonde eyebrows. I punch him in the jaw. "I'm getting bashed by girls!" He exclaims, voice slightly distorted by him rubbing his cheek.

"You deserved it." I raise my eyebrows.

"You kinda did." Lucas says.

"Defending your girlfriend already!?" Liam exclaims.

I turn to him "Be quiet before I break your nose." I say "Then you and your brother will match."

"Bring it." Liam says playfully.

"Ladies," Lucas starts, haughtily "you don't want to mess up your hair."

"What's wrong with my hair!?" Liam exclaims.

"Your a guy." I say.

"Guys gotta look his best." He says, taking a hand through his hair.

"Is he always this vain?" I ask Jack.

"You haven't seen the worst." He answers and I chuckle.

"Enough!" Lucas shouts again and the whole cafe turns to look at us four. The three of us stop bickering.

"So?" I place my chin in my palms and rest my elbows on the table.

Lucas begins "So, as I was going to say. I've gotta tell you all something."

"If you tell me now, I might be able to get to the last ten minutes of footy practice." Liam mentions.

"Let him speak!" I shut him up.

"So, I was looking up 'Runner Finch' for my criminal investigation-"

"What. Your a criminal?" Liam asks me.

"I guess..."

"What'd ya get caught for?" Liam pushes, getting excited. "Did they find the body? We're you dealing drugs? Are you a terrorist? Did you steal anything?"

"No. No. No and maybe?" I ask. "I'm not a terrorist!" I exclaim and slap him.

He turns to Lucas: "What type of girl have have you caught here?"

"A thief." I smirk and wrap my prize around my wrist. I rest my head on my palms. "Look down." I say and he looks at the tie-less collar of his shirt then back at me, eyeing the tie wrapped around my wrist.

"Your good." Jack says and I hand back Liam his tie.

I know that Lucas has been holding his breath because he lets put a loud gasp: "Runner's your sister!" He squints in fear, opening his left eye the slightest bit.

"What." Liam pales.

"No." Jack gasps.

"I'm related to that?" I almost screech, pointing at Liam with my thumb.

"Apparently." Lucas says. "Ancestry.com is not exactly my best friend." He hands out the printed family tree to me.

The sick realisation washes over me that the twins are my brothers. I check the family tree: They are older than me by nine months and I sure am more mature than both of them. I look at Jack worriedly and he looks back at me with the same green eyes that I see everyday in the mirror. I shake my head, hair lightly smacking my cheeks. I can't deal with this, no way. I get up out of my seat and walk outside for fresh air.

The icy air hits me and I notice Lucas come up behind me. I hate him I decide immediately.

"Are you okay?" His soft, concerned voice warms the air. No I don't, I rethink.

"I'm sorry." I say and hear Jack and Liam come out of the shop, stopping in front of me.

"I finally have someone to say 'sis' to." Liam smiles widely and comes over to give me a big bear hug, squishing me. Jack joins, leaving Lucas fourth-wheeling. Oh God, imagine how jealous Rory'd be I laugh to myself. If only she knew.

I break the hug "Not now, but-"

"One day eventually." Lucas says, leaning on the wall of the cafe.

"It's cute how you two finish each other's sentences." Jack says.

Lucas stares "No, they updated."

"What?" I ask.

"I'm still gonna quietly believe that you finish each other's sentences."

"No way, we don't-" I hesitate for the slightest bit.

"Like each other." Lucas finishes walking over to stand next to me.

"Told you." Jack says, raising his eyebrows.

"Knew it." Liam insists.

Boy, I hate them. My 'new' brothers are so annoying. They remind me of buff, slightly tanned, freckle-less Weasley twins.

"We're kidding." Jack nudges me in the ribs, hard. I wince.

"Anyways, we were just leaving." Liam says and walks off, adjusting the straps on his backpack. Jack follows and soon, the brothers step in time with each other.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asks again.

"Well, how okay would you be if you just found out you had two older brothers?" I ask Lucas.

"Your right." He scratches his chin. "Anyways, if you ever need to talk..." He scrawled a phone number on a piece of note paper from his pocket "-Call me."

"Is this just an easy way to give me your phone number without imposing?" I ask raising an eyebrow.

"Possibly, Runner Finch." Lucas laughs lightly "Possibly."



Four hours later

Ivory

I decide an early turn in would probably be the best for me. I check that my alarm clock that sits on my white-washed bed-side table is on to wake me up in the morning for tomorrow. I remember that my alarm clock was broken after I threw it out of the window on Saturday. Why? Because my alarm clock decides to wake me up on weekends and turn itself off on weekday mornings. Typical.

I decide to fix it. My dad taught me how to fix simple machines so I figure that this'll be easy.
I sigh and bring the alarm clock to my desk and pull it apart, keeping memory of where the pieces go. Eventually, I find out that one of the wires has been snapped so I go get another one.

I hop downstairs, hoping I don't wake up my older sister, Indigo and unlock the door to go outside. The freezing air hits me like an onslaught of bullets. I squeal the slightest bit and then hop through the dry parts of the concrete to the shed.
I unlock the door and go into the shed to find a wire.
I end up walking out of the shed with fourteen types of wire, pliers, scissors, safety goggles and even (I have know idea why,) a pair of bolt cutters.

I go upstairs, forgetting to be quiet. I hear a stirring from Indie's room.

Shit, I think to myself. Indie's been becoming more and more 'immune' to sleep meds every time she takes them. I hope she's okay, she been terribly ill for the past two weeks.
I quietly open the door and put my eye through the crack of the door.

"Ivy?" My seventeen year old sister whimpers quietly.

"Indie? I'm sorry I woke you up." I say and quietly put my equipment for my clock down beside the open door. I flick the lights on and squint at Indie.

"No, no. I'm fine." Indie wheezes. She rolls over and takes what seems to be a deep breath in. I rush over and quickly equip her oxygen tanks and she sticks the nozzles in her nose, lacing the plastic tubes around her ears.

"Much better." Indie breathes and scratches her head, ruffling her short jaw-length sandy blonde hair, much alike Dad's.

"Do you want to go for a stroll?" I ask and Indie nods.
I open the pop-up wheelchair and lift her from her bed into it. As well as having lung cancer, when she went for one of her first operations, she was paralysed from the waist down. The doctors touched a nerve or something like that. It was either paralysed or dead. I admire Indie's optimism, even having lung cancer and being in a wheelchair, she's happy. She seems quiet light compared to the first time I had to put her into the wheelchair. That was about a year ago, maybe fourteen months ago?
Indie winces and grabs onto my upper arm as I place her into the chair.
"Your arms are strong as." Indie says, squishing my upper arm. "Have you been working out?" She asks in a totally fake flirtatious voice.

I put on my best deep manly voice "Yeah, I go to the gym fourteen times a week."

We both end up laughing so much that Indie starts coughing and wheezing I automatically stop and wait for fourteen seconds before she starts breathing normally again.

I ask "Do you want me to call Ben?"

Ben is Indigo's boyfriend. He had a crush on her for what seemed like forever before her diagnosis but she never noticed him. She was Queen Bee, dating Tristan who was (metaphorically) the king of the school. She was diagnosed with lung cancer, apparently it's hereditary last year. She had to go through intense chemo therapy which made all her hair fall out. She was 'kicked out' of the popular group because she had barely any hair and Tristan broke up with her because she was 'ugly'. Indie was quite sad for a while, she had no friends, none at all because she was so mean to all the girls whilst she was Queen Bee.
One day, she was sitting on the bus on the way to school and Ben, mustered up the courage to sit next to her. I remember Ben telling me the story of how they first got to know each other.

"Hey Indie." Ben said to my sister.

"What do you want?" She said, still looking out of the window.

"I just want to say hi." He said.

"Why would you want to talk to me?" Indie asked, still not meeting "I'm ugly."

"No-no your not." I remember how Ben emphasised the stuttering.

"Stop lying." Indie grumbled.

"I-I think-" Ben started "you-your the pr-pretiest girl in t-the year le-level."

Indie pulled her glance away from out the window "You think?" She asked hopefully.

"I-I" he stuttered an took a deep breath "I know."

I still think that that is one of the cutest love stories ever.

I text Ben to come over and in less than five minutes, I hear a soft knock at the door. I open the door. Bens jet black hair is scruffy is messy at one side, as if he just rolled out of bed and ran here and his sea green eyes glow in the pale moonlight.

"Is Indie okay?" Ben asks anxiously.

"Come on in, see for yourself." I say as he bolts past and takes the stairs two at a time, going to his beloved girlfriend.

I go upstairs, and see Ben give Indie a kiss on the nose.

"So cute." I whisper. I swear, Indie is one of the luckiest girls alive, to have a nice boyfriend. "Anyways, I'm off to bed." I walk out of the door and pick up my wires and bolt cutters.

"What are the bolt cutters for?" Ben asks nervously, paling at the cheeks.

"For if you break my sisters heart." I open and close them threateningly.

Ben gulps and Indie and I laugh.

"Night." I call and walk to my room.

It takes less than fifteen minutes for me to fix the clock and set on for alarm for tomorrow morning.

I barely remember falling asleep, but I remember the dream:

I'm in a white room, although it's not a room, it's more of a void, but I'm standing up on some sort of solid floor.
Weird. I think and gasp. My thoughts are said aloud. I hear the click-clacks of shoes and see George.

"George!" I shout and go to hug her.

"Get off me." George says and pushes me "You fat pig."

I close my eyes to calm myself from slapping her. I open them again and see people, familiar faces everywhere, looking at me.

Then they start.

"She ate four slices of pizza for lunch today, the fat pig"

"She's so fat."

"Ew, she's so ugly."

"She wears a one-piece bathing suit to the beach because she's that fat."

"She can barely run 200 meters."

"Her legs giggle when she walks."

"When she sits down, her thighs become the size of Australia."

I cover my ears and shout from my mind "STOP!" as loud as I can but they don't, they keep on coming.

The insults we're terrible, easily the worst time in my life, apart from the time when Indigo was diagnosed with lung cancer. I feel my eyes water and I kneel down, covering my ears shouting "STOP IT!" At the top of my lungs.

I look up. Indigo's pointing and laughing at my weaknesses on her wheelchair, Henry whispers something to George who then laughs menacingly and then I lay my eyes on Josh. He points at me and sneers:

"You are easily the ugliest girl I've ever seen in my life." He smirks at my horrified expression.

Suddenly all the remarks are stopped and a girl. She is thin, the angles on her face are that of a model and her thighs don't giggle as she walks, in fact nothing giggles as he walks. Her blue eyes are exactly the same colour as mine, except for the fact that there are dark circles imprinted under them. Her hair is perfectly braided, falling over her shoulder, the same ice-white as mine. Pure elegance radiated from the girl that stood before me, the only thing that seemed so misplaced being her eyes.

I made the terrible mistake if looking deeply into her eyes. The eyes, the scariest part of the dream, were shouting RUN! DONT LISTEN TO ME! at me but of course, I didn't listen. Then as I stared more deeply into the blue eyes I saw something, I saw me.

I was skinnier, walking through the halls of the school whilst everyone gawks at me. I wanted to be noticed. I wanted that. I needed that.

She holds out a hand and I take it and pull myself up. She lurches forward the slightest bit, but still pulls me up.
She's dressed in the same plain white t-shirt and blue jeans as I am, yet they look so good on her.

"Thank-you." I say and look into her frightened eyes once more.

"No problem." She says in a voice, similar to mine but as empty as an echo. She waves a hand to all the people and they disappear, leaving the slim girl and myself alone.

"Where am I?" I ask.

"In your mind." The girl answers as-a-matter-of-factly.

I raise my eyebrows in disbelief then ignore what she said. I clear my throat and wipe my eyes from the tears "Who are you?" I ask.

"I..." The girl hesitates for a moment and looks at me with the eyes that look so similar to my own "I am Ana."



Runner

I have been waiting for Martin here for what seems to be forever. I fix the small duffle strap on my shoulder. The duffle holds my outfit and show make-up for tonight's magic show. I stand in the middle of the sports oval where a temporary circus tent has been set up. The light wind makes the fabric of the circus tent ripple, distorting the big red and white stripes on it. I check the little scrap of paper with the phone number hastily scrawled on it. I notice the same spindly handwriting as on the drawing, the blue pen barely touching the paper but leaving enough ink on the page to be legible. I take out the drawing and stare at it. The handwriting looks much alike old Victorian handwriting, I love it. I shove it in my pocket and scan around for any sign of Martin.

"Bonjour!" I hear a voice, much like his come from the side of the moderate sized circus tent. "Lauren!" He turns to hug me, picking me up. His temporarily dyed purple hair points in every direction as if he's just been through a wind tunnel and his sky blue eyes gleam in the soft moonlight.

"Martin!" I squeal, squirming to take a breath of fresh air. He puts me down and smiles wildly.

"I haven't seen you all day! You were supposed to meet me at four!"

Oh, I'd forgotten about that. I was supposed to meet Martin here for a quick run through of the routine for tonight's show. I was too busy fighting with Liam Scott and watching Jack flirt with the waitress who clearly had enough of him. Because she slapped him. I almost fainted how much I was trying not to laugh then... Off topic much?

Anyways, I look deeply into his sky blue eyes. Wow. The colour is a major contrast compared to Lucas' stormy grey eyes. Why did I even think of- doesn't matter. Martin's sky blue eyes remind me of the time when I was five, Dad used to take me outside and watch the clouds.

"What does that one look like Runner?" I remember his narrator like voice filling the cool air of the park that day.

"That one..." I remember furrowing my eyebrows in concentration "Looks like a dragon." I finished.

"What about that one?" I remember my father asking.

"That one is..." I narrowed my eyes in concentration "Looks like a knight, fighting the dragon." I remember smiling at myself.

"Lauren." Martin shakes me by my shoulders and I break from my sudden daze. "Lauren?" He shakes me nervously.

"What?" I smile nervously and feel myself blush. His face was so close to mine, noses just touching. I am close enough for me to kiss him.

"Lauren,"

"Yeah?" I ask girlishly. If my hair was long enough, I would've twirled it around my forefinger. I place the bag down on the damp grass. You could say I am hopelessly in love with him.

"Martin?" A girly, familiar voice comes from around the side of the tent. He pulls away almost instantly. The owners of the voice hair is pulled up in a messy bun and her light brown eyes smile.

"There you are!" Cali smiles and plants her mouth on his. My stomach drops and my heart races up to my throat. What? I think to myself. The worst thing was, he kissed her back.

He breaks the kiss and then turns to look at me, still holding her close "You know Cali? My girlfriend? Yeah?"

"Oh yeah!" Cali says and pulls away from him. "Lauren! I saw you at the cafe just before, yeah?"

"Yeah." I say quietly. "You know what?" I say and grasp my stomach "I don't feel that well." I cringe. That wasn't even a lie, I feel sick. Sick from jealousy. "I think I'm going to throw up." I say and grab my duffle bag.

"Wait! What about-" but I don't hear the rest. When I am well out if ear-shot I start crying. That sort of crying where you don't make a sound and the tears pour out. They roll down my cheeks, splattering onto the already wet ground.

I go onto my bike and pedal, as fast as I can home. I feel like there are those little angel and devil consciences perched on my shoulders.
I imagine a miniature self wearing a flowing white silk gown, topped off with white feather wings and a golden halo with sparkly light makeup. Another miniature self stands on my left shoulder with a black studded leather jacket and red pants and tank top, finished off with killer red horns and a fiery hot trident.

'Hate her. Embarrass her publicly for stealing your man.' The Devil conscience begins, shaking her fist.

'No,' Angel me challenges gracefully and floats to stand up 'Why should you hate her? She didn't do anything to you.' Angel conscience reassures.

'Agreed.' Devil conscience crosses her arms, still holding the trident and smirks evilly. 'It's him you need to punish. He did this to you! Resign! What is he without you? Lovely Lauren?' The devil conscience floats over to my right shoulder to meet the angel conscience. I feel myself swerve to my right and I wobble, struggling to stabilise myself.

I'm siding with my devil self at this point.

'Just don't bother about it.' Angel conscience insists 'You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.' She crosses her arms 'And anyways, you still have Lucas. Yeah?'

'No.' I scowl in my mind.

'Well, it is your desicion. We are only figments of your imagination.' Devil conscience raises her eyebrows, her blood red mouth forming into a pout.

'Your choice.' Angel conscience says with a cold smile. They both disappear with a POP.

"Whatever that was all about." I mumble to myself.

I get to the house and wheel the bike onto the lawn and drop it there.

I wipe my eyes, hoping their not red and unlock the door with the spare key.

I rush inside, sprint up the stairs two at a time and quietly open my door to my room.

I sit myself on the edge of my bed, pull out the little scrap piece of paper with the hastily scrawled phone number on it and dial it into my iPhone. After one ring, the phone is answered.

"Hello." Lucas' voice projects through the device.

"Hey," I start and take a deep breath to keep me from crying even more "We need to talk."

"About what?" Lucas asks, the warm ness of his voice being so recognisable, it practically oozes through the phone.

"About-" I stop and wonder what to tell him. I pull the phone away from my ear and look at the time: 10:00pm.

I put the phone back onto my ear "Can you meet me outside my house, 98 Summit Street in ten."

"Okay?" Lucas responds and I automatically hang up.

So I wash my still blotchy face and tie my hair up in a small ponytail at the nape of my neck. I throw on a red loose t-shirt already tossed onto my bed. My ears perk up as I hear the front door open. I hear the delicate click-clacks of Amanda's shoes on the polished wood floor.

Oh shit, I think to myself. I need an escape plan. Amanda can't find me here. She'll ask why I am home so early and why it looks like I've been crying. I'm not going to waste my time getting interrogated.

I look out the widow and open it widely. I look out the window then back at my bedroom door.

I slide myself out of the window and grasp onto the window sil. I eventually find my footing and climb down the side of the house. It's not unlike climbing a tree, I think to myself.

I jump down and I find Lucas wearing a hoodie and worn-out jeans with holes at the knees standing in front of me.

"Your late." He raises his eyebrows at me. I notice his hair is wet and stuck to his forehead as if he got caught in the rain. He brushes his hair back off his forehead with his palm, causing his fringe to stick up straight. He looks awfully attractive.

"Your early." I brush the dirt off the knees of my jeans.

"Talk?" He asks.

"Here?" I ask.

"I know a place." Lucas says and takes off.

"Wait!" I call and sprint after him. I struggle to keep up with his long strides. "Where are we going?" I ask, pulling on his hoodie sleeve.

We end up walking to the park, not the flash one in the middle of town, but the shoddy one with a swing set that squeaks when you sit on it.

So we do. Lucas takes a seat on one of the flat bottomed swings and I take the other. It squeaks dangerously under my weight, so I move to the wooden bench that sits opposite the swing set. Lucas follows me.

"So, what did you wanna talk about?" Lucas asks me.

I sigh "I honestly don't know where to start."

"Hmmm..." Lucas scratches his chin "Start with-"

"I've got it!" I say "You know Martin, Marvellous Martin?" I ask.

Lucas pauses "The magic act? The punk with the purple hair or something?" Lucas raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah," I ignore his 'punk' comment "Well...." I hesitate for a little but, biting onto my lip "I sorta..." An awkward silence fills the air.

I look towards the beach ahead. I see the flickering lights of a bonfire and hear the loud singing of people. They are terribly out of tune and out of time, singing the song 'Bonfire Hearts'. I chuckle to myself, appropriate song choice. Suddenly the singing stops and I then break out of my trance and look back at Lucas.

"Yeah." Lucas says sadly "I understand." He purses his lips tightly and clasps his hands together.

"Well, yeah. And just before I found he had a girlfriend, you know Cali? And so now I'm really sad."

"Mhmm." Lucas says, lips still set in a thin line, "I honestly don't know what to say." I look at him to find him staring back at me. He impatiently taps his foot on the ground, thinking what to say. "Why did you call me?" He asks, looking at me, his stormy grey eyes fixed onto me.

"Because, I-" I stop. Why did I all him first? "I-" I hesitate again, starting to tap my foot on the cool ground. "I don't know." I sigh "You were my first person to go to."

"Why?"

"Because we're friends, doofus." I nudge him and slide to sit right next to him, our shoulders touching.

"Friends?" Lucas asks me, his breath smelling like peppermint.

"Yeah." I sigh, "Friends."

"Nothing more?" He asks sadly.

"Don't be sad that it's nothing more," I turn to face him "smile because it's nothing less." I rest my head on his shoulder and Lucas flinches. I quickly perk my head up: "Sorry," I say embarrassed "I didn't-"

"No." Lucas says "It's fine." He says, his thin lips turning upwards slightly at the corners.

The sound of rustling leaves comes from my right and I see the people that belong to the terrible singing. It turns out to be Nia Thompson, Xavier Andersson and his best friend Ed Schulz. Nia and Xavier hold hands as they walk from the beach. I knew they'd be good together. Ed trails behind, the obvious third wheel. He turns his head to me and winks. I sneer dangerously back, causing him to run to catch up to his friends.

A sudden gush of freezing wind comes from no where and I grit my teeth, preventing them from chattering. I bring my knees to my chest to gain some warmth. Lucas puts an arm around me and pulls me close to him.
I have no idea why but my insides decide to swarm with butterflies that are holding a party in my stomach whilst they dance the cha-cha.

Stop it! I scold to my self but the feeling of near throwing up still brews inside of me.

I play along mischievously and decide to rest my head on his shoulder again. This time he doesn't flinch, he doesn't move one bit. He smells of freshly washed linen. I inhale the smell and smile.

"Can you stop smelling me, please?" Lucas asks.

"You smell of fresh linen," I state, "How can I not?" I smirk.

Lucas chuckles "You are funny, Finch."

"Don't get too close to the bad guy, Castellan." I smile mischievously.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take." Lucas says to me, raising his eyebrows.
We both sit there for a little while, not speaking or anything.

I check my phone and open it up to a text from Payton:

How was your show?

I roll my eyes then my eyes drift up to the time:
"Ten forty-five!" I screech and get up, head-butting Lucas on the way.

"Cra- Sorry." I smile nervously.

Lucas rubs his head, looking terribly annoyed: "Your lucky I like you."

"Yeah sure." I roll my eyes "Later." I give Lucas a peck on the cheek.

"Bye." I hear Lucas behind me and I turn back quickly, seeing Lucas touch is cheek.

I jog away, from out of the park, across the old bark and onto the pathway.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a lone headlight. I focus on it and see a bike and someone riding it.

"James Kristenson?" I whisper to myself and he rides past, almost clipping me. A hand shoots out and he waves as if saying sorry.

I turn away and focus on the road in front of me. Job well done, Finch.

------

Sorry for being so late

Was reading House of Hades
Was quite sad for a while

Who ships Lunner? (Lucas and Runner)
Anymore ships you ship??

Got a bunch if friends shipping Jadgit (Jack and Bridgit)

Sorry...

-Karla out!