Twisted Every Way(Phantom Of The Opera Fic)

Chapter 63: Friends

Luke squeezed into the small room and pushed past his dresser, grabbing his notebook. His parents hadn't exactly been planning to adopt him, let alone get married, and there hadn't been much money in the household since the third mouth came and swallowed every ounce of food and energy they had.

So most money went into the small things, like clothes and water and rent.

"Luke!" Autumn called, "You'll be late!"

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Luke shouted back, racing out the door and into the coach with his Mother and Father.

Sometimes having a family was rather annoying.

Luke didn't mind the nagging though, anything was better the dark closet of the orphanage. Not that he had been rooming in there, as far as he could remember her life there had been fairly comfortable, a nice room and warm bed. But there were others less welcoming to orphans.

Of course Luke really didn't remember much, he had only lived in the School till he was about Three. Still the experience was still haunting enough to give him a few shivering nightmares every once and awhile.

Now he sat alone with Eli in the nursery, bored to death as Eli read some book on geology.

"Anything good?" Luke asked slowly.

"Lots," Eli mumbled.

"Can I see?" He asked eagerly leaning forward.

"No."

"Luke!" He heard Ilios called out eagerly through the halls, "Luke she's come at last!"

No answer was given.

"Good choice," Eli muttered with a sigh.

Luke wiped his forehead, he had arrived three and a half hours ago and the first thing Ilios did was jump all over him. He was almost 12, it was embarrassing.

The knock on the door made Ilios forget her absent Luke. The moment had at long last arrived! What would she be like? Would she like her? Would she be rude and course and mean?

"Ilios, Luke. Come downstairs, there's someone who wants to meet you."

Ilios came like a hurricane down the stairs, her shoes flying off somewhere near the third step.

"Eli you won't come?" Luke winced as if he had been blown a punch. "I don't wanna meet some dumb girl."

"You talk you get roped into stuff." Eli shrugged, his eyes fixed on his book, "I don't talk, it's got nothing to do with me."

"Aunt Anabel!" Ilios yelped gleefully jumping into the young woman's arms.

Luke made his way begrudgingly down the stairs.

"Luke!" Fred exclaimed, "How are you?"

"Eh." Luke mumbled.

Fred grabbed him desperately by the shoulder, "You're the only other man I got beside Erik, stick close kid, it's gonna be a bumpy ride."

Luke gave a little laugh and nodded.

"Fred!" Ilios beamed letting Aunt Anabel go and holding tight to his waist. "Oh, Fred I've missed you too. Nearly as much Peter."

Fred wrinkled his nose, "I've got competition? Should I kill em?"

Ilios laughed, "Of course not, you'd always win Fred."

With a hysterical smile, she turned to her father shaking her head. "He wouldn't win," She whispered.

Erik contained his laughter, "I know darling, don't I know."