Count it Up (NessXLucas)

Chapter 2 - Something Broken

(Prologue: Lucas)

I guess you could say I'm a loner at heart. A lot of people are lonely, I think. Even if some don't look it. I think that even my best friend, Ness, is lonely under his confident exterior.

I wasn't so much of a loner before Claus left.

"Lucas, I'm going away for a little while."

I was eight years old, on that night, that night. He'd brought it up while I was painting, like it was nothing significant.

"Where are you going?" I'd asked, in surprise. Even though we'd only arrived in Onett a couple of months ago, I already knew how bad the streets were at night. Especially at night. In my small world, I couldn't think of any reason why Claus would want to go out there alone.

Vivid determination had shone through him. He swept back his flaming, orange hair.

He didn't meet my eyes as he said, "Somewhere important."

In those times, after Mother had died, Claus was my rock. I trusted him like nobody else. In my eyes, he could do no wrong - so, surely, he'd have a good reason? Who was I to judge? And so, I made the worst mistake of my life - giving my implied permission for him to leave.

"Stay safe..."

Claus nodded, he gave me one last hug, and then he was gone.

He never came back.

I think my father blames me for Claus's disappearance, and I suppose I could've stopped him. I could've done, well, anything, but Claus was a stubborn kid. He'd have found a way to go wherever he was going regardless. That was eight years ago. I'm over blaming myself for it.

Nowadays, it's hard to remember much about Claus without it hurting. He was sad, sometimes, actually quite often, especially after Mother's death. I don't think Father saw that side of him though... Claus was always Father's favourite. He liked the outdoors and was hugely popular. I had very few friends, even in Tazmily, and I liked art, writing, and music.

Girl stuff, I'd been told.

The day after Claus had left was the day that Ness invited me to sit at his lunch table. That was where I met him for the first time, and he somehow opened me up like a book. I guess I was hurting too much that day to be defensive. I didn't tell him about Claus, though, and I still haven't. Even though I know I should. The one time Ness came to my house, I'd lied, and told him my mother and Claus were out. But even so, Ness is absolutely the best thing to happen to me. He knows when I'm down, and even when he doesn't know, he's always able to cheer me up. He's always there for me, always warm towards me, always willing to hear the most minor of my problems. I think I'm getting better at opening up to him; I'm nowhere near as open as he is with me, but, still, it's progress. We're definitely, as he says, best friends for life.

Before meeting Ness, I always tried to join in with the games of soccer. I was never any good, it would always end up as a game of who-can-injure-Lucas-the-most, and the teachers never took any notice. I had no time to complete any homework, so I was often in trouble with them anyway. Which was yet another reason for Father to dislike me.

Not to make my life sound like a tragedy. A big, big pet peeve of mine is when people get all pitiful over me about it. I think that's part of the reason why I haven't told Ness about Mother and Claus. I haven't told him quite a lot of things, thinking about it, but there are some things, some things I can never say.

He wouldn't be able to see me the same way again.

If I had to blame someone for all of these things, it would be the detestable Porky Minch, a powerful businessman and general nuisance. He has a bad habit of always popping up in my life, trying to sell things to me for extortionate prices, and blackmailing me. I don't want to think about him and what he's done.