Fractured

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I waited anxiously until Saturday came.  I mean, how could I not when I didn't know what that day held for me, especially when Francis was involved.  He told me to come over on Saturday and I went through all the possibilities in my head.  Knowing Francis, it would be something I wouldn't like.  He was the type that would want to take me out on a date just to piss off Luke.  No I had a feeling it would be something everyone would enjoy expect me.  However, I couldn't be negative over it.  It was better than hanging around the house with Clare all day.  Both her and Luke had the day off.  Another free day with her, someone is going to get their neck slit.

The day before Saturday, Francis texted me to come around 3:30.  And when I told Luke, you could see the slight tint of reluctance in him and it made me a little less excited to go.  I knew he could get jealous of Francis and me doing things together.  But for all he knew, I was helping him clean house or something.  Even if we were doing something fun though, when it got down to it, Luke and I knew that was best without saying anything.  He didn't say a word against it, you could just see it in his eyes that he wanted this for me despite how he felt.  But we needed to get over it all - me to move away from always thinking about him and he needed to remember his 'morals' first anyway.  However, I wont lie, seeing that small amount of jealousy, I tried hard to not smile. 

When Luke dropped me off though, I could feel it working already. I let him fade from my mind as I neared the house, trying to figure out what this could be I was doing here.  Walking up the driveway and towards the porch of the house, I however did notice Mike's grey truck was in the driveway parked beside Francis's car.  Well... now, this was turning out to be a surprise that included Francis and Mike.  This would be one hell of an interesting day.

By the time I got up the porch and to the door, I was expecting something along the line of hard labor or something like that if Mike was involved.  Sighing though, I was here and willing so Francis better take advantage of that while he can.  Knocking on the front door, I was about to find out.

Waiting with my eyes on the somehow over-elaborate door, it opened after a couple seconds and I was soon greeted by Mike.  He was wearing a dark green sweater and jeans, I noticed, supporting his tall figure but that's not what caught my attention.  I always liked Mike for how fun he seemed and often teasing.  His eyes showed it today as well.  He raised an eyebrow over his calculating narrowing brown eyes on me.

"Miss Albany," he nodded but said no more, did nothing but look at me with straight lips and a blank face.  I liked that about his humor.  He didn't show his amusement often through his features though I could tell he was trying to fool with me. He just stood there before me, doing nothing, saying nothing, and staring at me blankly.  I could play along though.

"You're not going to let me in?" I asked, scowling up at him playfully.

"Password?"

"Um... I have AIDS so you better let me in or I'll give them to you...?" I shrugged.

He only continued to look at me and I saw he was thinking over what I said, determining whether that was an acceptable password or not.  A moment later though, he shrugged as I had a few seconds ago and moved aside and opened the front door wider. Gesturing with his hand for me to enter, I smirked. 

Entering the overwhelming house floored in black marble, those are usually the first things I noticed: the details of such a overwhelming house with the interior.  I mean, I've walked through that door enough to where I should be use to everything hitting me at once.  There was just so much stuff, over the top, and it was unnecessary.  But I suppose that's why it fit; it was just like Francis to express his money in this way.