Finding You

Chapter ~~10

            “Please Claude, tell me.”

             Claude sighed. “Lucas said ‘People get hurt that way’.” Claude looked very upset.

            I grabbed his hand and intertwined my fingers. Claude squeezed them and looked at me thankfully. He still doesn’t look like the regular Claude I know. We walked in the dining room holding hands and a few people looked at us and gave me a dirty look. When I first started dating Claude I got a lot of them, but there seems to be less as the weeks go on. I saw where Sara and everyone else were sitting. We walked over there and I left Claude there to go get food. I returned with a plate of food, and sat in between Sara and Claude.

            “Hey Navia, on Saturday do you want to go to town with me?” Sara asked.

            On the weekends we were allowed to go to the small city or any of the towns that surround the Institute. We must behave and act properly or that privilege would be taken away.

            “Sure I’d love to” I said halfheartedly.

            I picked at my food finding myself not very hungry. What was up with Lucas? Did he threaten Claude, or did he warn him? I’m so confused. I let out an audible sigh and got up from the table. I put away my plate and went back to the table. I sat back down in my seat.

            Everyone’s eyes were on me. “What?” I asked. I heard Claude chuckle next to me.

            “Did something I say offend you Navia?” Tiffany asked, her voice sounded unsure for the very first time.

            “No. Why?”

            “Well I said something, and you got upset and stormed off.” She looked a little scared.

            “Oh no no no” I said trying to make her feel better. “I was thinking about my project and something I have to do for it. It wasn’t you at all.”

            “Oh okay thanks” she sounded relieved.

            “That project seems to be quite a bit of trouble. You have been doing nothing but think about it. I might get jealous.” Claude said in a joking tone.

            Oh my god. I felt the blood drain from my face. “I’m going to go to the bathroom.” Claude’s face was concerned and I could see that he was about to say something but I didn’t wait for him.

            I jumped out of my seat and rushed to the bathroom. I need to be alone, even if it’s just for a few moments. The bathroom was just down the hall from the dining hall. I rushed inside and looked in the mirror. I kept asking myself over and over ‘What am I doing?’, and every time I asked it I came up the same answer. ‘I don’t know’. I didn’t know how long I was in that bathroom but I didn’t move an inch until I heard the bathroom door open. Quickly I snapped out of it. I washed my hands and headed out the door.

             I was halfway to the dining hall when I saw Lucas walking towards me at the other end of the hall. Once we saw each other we stopped and stared at each other. Lucas looked the same except his eyes. Before they used to be so light, warm, and inviting. Now they were sad and cold. Without a single thought more I rushed up to him and hugged him. He smelled exactly the same too. He smelled of mint and something else. Something dark, something mysterious. He wrapped his arms around me, and laid his cheek on my head.

            I closed my eyes and my body began to tingle. Every part of me was at ease. I could have stay like that forever. We stood wrapped in each other’s arms for a moment and then everything dawned on me. This isn’t right. I have Claude and he deserves me to be faithful to him. I pulled myself away and created some distance between us. My heart was beating hard in my chest. It seemed that just about every part of me wanted to go back into Lucas’ arms and just let go. I looked up at Lucas. He looked hurt and confused.