Don't Tell My Brother

Chapter 42 - Scholars

"Sorry, sorry." Damien said, grinning as he tried to tuck his legs under his chair, moving them out of Lucas' vengeful reach. "I know you've got a test. But seriously, you're worried over nothing. You know all this shit. Trust me, you don't even look like you think about it before you answer. Like some sort of freaky human encyclopedia."

"You're too kind. Really, I'm flattered. You think I'm a freak human encyclopedia?" Lucas replied sarcastically, but as dumb as they were, Damien's words were comforting.

"You'd be a very sexy freaky human encyclopedia." Damien added, as if that made it better, making a show of looking Lucas up and down.

Lucas burst out laughing, and was just about to respond when Lisa stuck her head through the door to the back.

"Oh, good, you're still here. Studying?"

Lucas nodded, and Damien waved the thick sheaf of notes.

"You too, Damien? I'll be sure to tell your mother. She'll be so pleased." Lisa said, looking a little taken aback by the sight of Damien Castillo with any sort of study material in his hands. "Sorry to interrupt you two scholars," Damien pointed to himself and mouthed the word 'scholar', looking very smug, "but I just remembered I forgot to tell you about your next shift. We won't be here on Friday. Since the gala is in just two weeks, they're going to start setting up the ballroom at The Prince, and I said you two would be happy to help. Is that okay? I'll pay you, of course."

The Prince. That meant seeing Cameron again. Damien seemed to tense. He didn't like Cameron, for whatever reason, but Lucas wouldn't mind seeing him again. In a platonic way, though. Cameron had been nice, and smart, and interesting, but Lucas would've chosen Damien any day of the week. Given Damien's dislike of the boy, he was surprised at his response.

"Sounds good to me. Lucas?"

Lucas nodded, already pulling out his phone to mark it in his calendar. "The same time as our regular shift?"

"Yep, it'll be the same. Thank you both so much."  Lisa looked relieved, giving them both a cheery smile before disappearing back to her office.

Damien stood up, handing Lucas his notes and slinging his bag over one shoulder. "Come on. We'll be here all night before you're satisfied. You've got this, yeah?"

"Yeah, maybe." Lucas agreed, sliding the papers into his own bag and standing. Damien's confidence was contagious, especially when he was confident in Lucas.

"Not maybe. You're going to ace it. Now hurry up."

By the time Lucas looked up, Damien was already holding the door, hand on one hip, tapping his foot.

"You've got somewhere to be?"

"Yeah, actually. I'm supposed to be meeting this Victoria's Secret model, and now I'm late. The sacrifices I make, Lucas." But he must have seen something in Lucas' face, some flicker of unease, because he quickly changed tack. "But it's fine. I'll tell her that I had something much more important. The US Civil War called, y'know."

"Idiot." They couldn't do anything out in the open, just in case someone saw, but Lucas really wished he could hold Damien's hand or something. Just to remind himself. "Thanks, though. I know you think all this stuff is really, really boring, so—"

"Don't be stupid." Damien said, flicking Lucas across the back of the head, a gesture he assured Lucas was affectionate. "This is a win-win. You get quizzed on your notes, and I get to actually read some notes. Some good ones, too."

"You don't even have notes?" Lucas was trying to keep the horror out of his voice.

"I don't have my notes. I have someone's, but they're not that great. Also I've only read them like once, sort of, which doesn't help. But now I get your notes, which I'm assuming are genius, and if I test you on them I actually have to read them. I'm the real winner here."