Don't Tell My Brother

Chapter 10 - Mallory Montgomery's Bad Side

Lucas' day was going as it normally did. A pop quiz in Chemistry, taking notes in Economics, sitting next to Mona in AP Calc and watching her breeze through every problem. He found comfort in this routine, in the normalcy of his days, in the way he planned them down to the minute so everything went smoothly. Everything going according to plan.

He was leaving English, mentally preparing what homework he would do that night, when his calm, routine day was interrupted by a very unusual event. Mallory Montgomery was glaring at him from the other side of the corridor. Lucas looked behind him, just to make sure she wasn't really looking at someone else. Because Mallory Montgomery had never payed him much attention before. In fact, the last time he'd seen her was...

The party. Right.

Lucas didn't want to think about that night. He glanced around, gaze skittering around the corridor in search of a route of escape, but it was too late. Mallory Montgomery was marching towards him, closing in with each step of her Jimmy Choo flats.

"Lucas." She said, hand on hip, shaking back her mane of curls. "Can we talk."

It should've been a question, but she made it sound like an order.

"Sure?" Lucas said, giving up on finding an escape. Whatever this was, he hoped it'd be quick. This wasn't part of his plan.

"Come with me." Before he could protest, Mallory grabbed him by the wrist with a surprisingly strong grip, and pulled him down the corridor and into an empty classroom. Trapped.

"I've got to get to lunch." Lucas said half-heartedly, but Mallory dismissed the excuse with a flick of her wrist. Light glinted off the gold rim of her watch.

"This'll be quick. It's about Damien."

Lucas had had a sneaking suspicion that it was. He sighed, resigning himself to his uncomfortable conversation. "What about him?"

Mallory cleared her throat, as if she were about to give a speech. "Look, I don't care that you're gay, or bi, or whatever. But I need to make something clear about Damien. He's mine."

The fierceness in her tone was enough to make Lucas wince. "I had no idea you two were dati-"

"We're not." Mallory cut in, as if this were merely a technicality. "Not literally. He does this sometimes, when he's being stupid. But he always comes back to me, like he always does. Which means you've got to keep your hands off, got it?"

Her tone was sickeningly sweet. Lucas blinked, taking a moment to process her speech. Obviously, she'd seen what had happened in the bedroom, or what had almost happened, and assumed...what? That he was desperately trying to steal her ex boyfriend? That he wanted Damien? He was actually offended at the suggestion. As if.

"I'm not interested in Damien." He said, some of his disgust evident in his voice.

Now it was Mallory's turn to look taken aback. Shock rippled across her perfect face. "You're not? But I thought I saw you guys making out."

Lucas shuddered. The thought of making out with Damien was something he didn't want to dwell on. "God, no. Nothing happened. We were just talking. Damien tried something, I think, but I'm not-"

"He did?" Again, she stopped him before he could finish. Lucas let her. Mallory laughed, and the sound was high and clear, like bells. Even though Lucas wasn't too good at reading social cues, he could tell that Mallory was laughing at him. It was cold and cruel. "Come on, Lucas. Don't kid yourself. As if Damien would be into someone like you."

There it was again. Damien had said something similar too, laughed at the idea that he'd be into Lucas. And while he had no intention of ever dating Damien Castillo, their derision got under his skin. There wasn't anything wrong with him. He knew he wasn't brilliantly charismatic or handsome or likeable. Growing up with Mark made it very obvious. But he wasn't repulsive. There wasn't anything wrong with him, right?

"I don't care if you've got a little crush on him. I won't even tell Mark, because we both know how much he hates him. You're smart, Lucas. Everyone knows that. You're beating me in almost every class." Mallory was usually second to him, and Lucas almost thought he could hear a trace of annoyance in her voice. "So you know that someone like Damien wouldn't want you. You're so..." She gestured vaguely, as if she couldn't care enough to find the right words. "Boring. No offense."

Lucas took offense. "I don't have a crush on Damien." He said, with more force than necessary. "He's rude and immature and completely insufferable, and if I weren't forced to work with him, I'd stay as far away from him as possible." It all came out in a rush, and for once Mallory didn't interrupt him. He hadn't meant to be quite that harsh, but he was sick to death of anything to do with Damien.

Mallory, however, didn't look as if she'd paid attention to anything he'd said. Maybe she'd lost interest once it became clear that Lucas wasn't a threat. "Oh, he works at that little bakery with you. I was wondering how you knew him, because not like Mark introduced you two."

Lucas resented the suggestion that the only way he could meet people was through Mark, but he didn't comment. He just wanted to get out of this conversation. "Yes, he just started."

Mallory was listening again, eyes locked on Lucas. "So you see him a lot, then? Do you talk to him?"

Lucas shrugged, unsure where this was going. Hadn't he just made it clear he wasn't interested? "Sometimes."

"Does he ever mention me? Or other girls? Or boys?"

"Not really." Lucas couldn't remember anything specific. Sometimes, Damien would hint at meeting people, or make some sort of joke out of it, but he never seemed to care enough to go into details.

Mallory was looking at him differently now. Analysing, assessing him. Then suddenly, her expression changed altogether, into something sweet and friendly. "You'd tell me if he did, right?"

Lucas was taken aback by this sudden change. "Uh..."

"Because, you know, I've just really been missing him, and it'd mean so much if you helped me out. Let me know what he says, maybe put in a good word for me, you know? Please?"

Her green eyes were wide, her smile lovely and kind. For a moment, Lucas felt himself be sucked in. He could see why she had so many devotees. There was something about her that made you want her to like you, want her to find you interesting and funny and cool. And she was Mark's friend.

But she'd also called him boring. And the last thing he wanted was to be tangled up in the mess of Damien's love life. That sounded like a recipe for disaster.

"No."

"No?" Mallory's tone had a deadly edge to it.

"We don't talk about that stuff. I don't even know you, and I'm too busy to be your wingman. Find somebody who cares, Mallory."

As soon as Lucas said it, he regretted it. He'd almost forgotten who he was speaking to. But people didn't simply tell Mallory Montgomery 'no'. Or they hadn't. Lucas waited, holding his breath, trying to come up with a way to take it back, to soften the blow, because having Mallory Montgomery out for his blood would bring disaster to his quiet, unassuming life. Like having a ravenous lioness in a chicken coop.

Claws out, teeth bared, she stared him down. It didn't help that she was just as tall as him. "I was trying to be nice to you, Lucas, but you couldn't even do this one thing for me. You're a dick, and you'll regret this."

And before Lucas could protest or apologise, she'd turned on her heel, and with a swish of her skirt she disappeared out the door.