sinners ✖️ muke

don't cry.

"Oh of course, I'd be happy to." He then goes on to speak to my mother and father about the next bake sale. As they discuss pies and cookies I feel a pair of eyes watching me. I gaze around multiple times, seeing nothing, but unable to shake the feeling.

Once seated in the pews, I felt another pair of eyes burning into the back of my head in the most uncomfortable way. I kept wiggling in my seat, trying to make the feeling subside.

"We have a new family joining us today, the Browers. We all turn as a family stands, with two daughters. One about my age, another quite younger. The eldest already had her eyes on me, never taking them off. She only blinked twice.

Now I knew the uncomfortable gaze set on me. I gave a weak smile as hers stretched from ear to ear. Just as I was about to turn around, I spot the red tuft of hair, slipping out the door.

~

As soon as service ended I told my mother I didn't feel well and I need to go home right away, instead of staying and chatting with our neighbors.

I lied. But it seemed the cause was greater than he fact I had told a small lie. I raced to the back of the church, seeing Michael leaning against the wall, kicking the dirt, a cigarette dancing between his fingers.

"Michael." I say as he takes a long drag.

"You said no smoking inside, so I thought just come out here instead." He said, smoke enveloping him as he spoke. He never looked up, keeping his gaze on the many buds surrounding his black boots.

"You came." I breath, not caring about anything else.

"Yeah, well..." he flicked his cigarette, reaching into his pocket for his pack, finding it empty. "I just bought that this morning." He sighed.

"You smoked an entire pack just this morning?" I ask, baffled, stepping closer to him.

"I smoke when I get nervous, or, I don't know, upset." He said, still never looking at me. His voice seemed hoarse, as if he was sick, or coughing all night.

"Are you okay?" I ask, getting even closer and leaning my head down, so that he will look at me. His eyes flick up for a moment, they were red and swollen. He has been crying, recently. "You aren't."

"Please leave me alone." He asks, his voice barely making a sound. It said t as if it pained him greatly, as if he would burst into tears again.

"I want to help, please let me help. You're here for a reason, you came for a reason..." I try. He peers at me through his lashes, his long, dark lashes.  "I can show you things, beautiful things." I breathe, hoping he would agree.

He looked as if he was going to say something, but stopped himself.

"I can show you ugly things, terribly ugly things." He said lowly.

"Show me."

"Lucas?" I hear a soft voice ask as I whirl around. The new girl that was staring at me earlier stands in front of me. Sun-kissed skin, flawless without a trace of makeup, and long tan hair. "Hi, I'm Rose." She smiles, "Father told me to come and talk to you, we'll be going to the same school?" her eyes were sweet, light gray, but frankly, boring.

I turn to Michael, to say something, but he was already gone.

"Hi Rose." I say, most unenthusiastically.

"I was named Rose for my brother, he passed away and we spread his ashes over a rose bush." She says calmly.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry." I say, confused on why she was so blunt with telling me such a thing.