The Moon Phase Trilogy | Protected | Book One | ORIGINAL

Eleven

Once Ericka and Jayden separated, she kept quiet and became very shy around him. She scurried to her classes and knew she had some classes with Lukas. She didn't care at this point, but she was still crushing hard on Lukas, whether he was being caring or just wanting attention from the school. Her mind still spun with a million and one thoughts, but she needed to keep those distant until after school.

Her last class of the day had started and she sat right next to Lukas. Those dreamy eyes of his stared right at her as she walked in. Ericka looked down sheepishly and shy, making her way to her desk, "I'm sorry about earlier..." he whispered.

Ericka wanted to yell at him for a second but decided not to cause a huge scene, "Why do you apologize to me now? You had all day to do so," she sternly growled.

Lukas became very defensive, "I didn't know how, Ricky. The girl I like was gone for two weeks and I acted like a total jerk when I saw her. How am I supposed to apologize right away for the things I did to hurt you."

Ericka looked at him in shock, "You...like me, Lukas?"

Lukas avoided eye contact as he talked, "Y--yeah...I do. I have for a while..." he said softly. Ericka noticed he was doodling something in his notebook as class began. He was really good and she wondered if it was her and him.

"Who are they?" She asked softly. Her cheeks grew warmer as she got closer to him.

Lukas smirked softly and his cheeks grew pink, "It's us..." he whispered.

Just then, the teacher cleared her throat and glared at Ericka and Lukas, "Do I need to make a room for you two?"

Ericka shook her head and Lukas closed his notebook, "No ma'am, but we can leave if you don't like it," he commented. He stood up and held his hand out for Ericka to take. She was hesitant, but took it anyway.

"You are not leaving my class!" The teacher shouted after them.

"We already did," Lukas spat and headed to their lockers.

Ericka quickly grabbed her things and was about to meet Lukas at the back of the school, but got stopped by Shaun and Jayden, "Where are you going? You should be in class," Shaun said with a worried expression.

Ericka lowered her head, "I'm leaving...with Lukas..." she said softly. She knew Shaun wouldn't approve of her actions, but this felt like such a huge adventure for her; being a bad girl for once. "I--I'll be home later, okay?"

Shaun looked at her hurt, "Okay...just stay safe alright? I don't need you getting any more hurt than you already are," she scolded. Ericka sighed, hugged her best friend and went off to Lukas' locker. "I don't trust him...but she needs to learn it herself as to why..."

"I agree." Jayden said and fiddled with his moonphase necklace a bit before returning to class.

~*~*~*~*~

Ericka met Lukas and they walked to his truck. Ericka was so awkward around him that she didn't really know what to say, but in her mind she was squealing with joy. The rumbling inside of her, however, was angry with her. She shoved it down to make it stop and it went silent. "So Ericka, why were you gone for two weeks? I heard rumors about it, but I wanted to hear it from you." Lukas asked and turned his head so he could look at her.

Ericka stayed quiet, not really sure what happened in the two weeks she was gone. She didn't remember how it happened or even how she got the gouges in her legs. "Eyes on the road please," was all she said. They had passed the Connerton's home and Ericka's heart dropped. She looked at a tree that seemed to have nothing wrong with it, but she saw some specks of paint in the bark. Her body shook with fear and she blew it off as if she were cold. "Can you roll up the windows and turn on the heat? I--I'm really c--cold..." she fibbed.

Lukas looked over and raised a brow, but didn't question it out loud. He rolled up the windows and turned his heat on. "Better, Ricky?"

Ericka nodded and buried herself in a sweater she had packed in her backpack for emergencies like this. "Where are we going?"

Lukas smirked, "I am taking you to a special spot for our first date."

"This is a date?"

"Of course. I mean we are an item now, aren't we?"

Ericka looked to him with her brows narrowed, "I never said we were one, Luke. Why would you think that?"

"Because you like me and I like you? Plus we left school together."

Ericka bit her tongue, trying not to burst in anger. "Leaving school together doesn't mean we are a thing, Luke. I don't understand your logic."

Lukas gripped his steering wheel tightly and made a sharp turn into a parking lot of a retail store, "I need to stop and get something. I'll be right back. Stay here and don't move," he demanded. He turned off the truck and got out. Ericka growled and watched him go inside.

Ericka pouted a bit and felt the rumbling grow. She shoved it down again and felt pain in her legs again. It had disappeared for a bit during school, it had come back full force now. She yelped and she tried to hold back tears, but they wouldn't stay back.

Lukas came back after a few minutes and Ericka just about screamed when she saw him coming towards her. He had a panicked look on his face and he jumped in the truck, "What's wrong, Ricky?"

"So much pain!" She yelped as tears fell down her cheeks.

Lukas sat there unsure of what to do. He eventually sped in the direction of a drug store, and tried to get pain medication for her. Ericka grabbed her phone and texted Shaun, shaking with pain. 'So much pain...Luke is trying to get me meds...he can't because I don't have a script...I need you...' she sent. She saw Lukas come back and Asher was with him.

Ericka stared at Asher and narrowed her eyes. She made sure to keep an eye on him before turning back to the front of the car. She soon felt a prick in her side and her body went numb. Her vision went black soon after that and her hearing went.