Protecting Raine✔

Two- "Freak!"

"Earth to Raine!" Madi shouted out and I snapped looking forward to her. She was clipping her fingers in my face. "Where did you go?"

Into the ocean.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about all the stuff we have to do this year as seniors" I mumbled and she rolled her eyes.

"It's going to be a breeze, trust me" she turned back into her seat and started rambling again.

"Then, there's the gossip that Lucas is back in town" and I felt myself tense in the seat.

"What?" I asked, my throat feeling dry. Madi just nodded animatedly.

"Some people said they spotted him or whatever, but I was like that can't be true because my best friend lives right next door to him she would have said" she continued.

"Actually, I-" I cut in and she span around to me with her eyes wide.

"Raine Gloria Packer, please tell me you did not know this vital information," she asked and I frowned.

"That is not my middle name" I pointed out and she rolled her eyes.

"I know, but I can't be talking to Raine Ava Packer who tells me everything" she argued.

"I know, I wasn't sure, Madi. I only saw his dad, but I only saw him twice and one of those times I wasn't even sure that was him." I explained.

The first time I thought I saw him was when I saw his dad unloading his car and the second time was last night.

Lucas was in our grade and was going to school with us since we started Rustic High. He would be described as Rustic High's bad boy, so when he just up and disappeared last year for two full semesters, no one really paid attention.

Well everyone besides me.

I was his next-door neighbor, though. So, I used that as my excuse for being more concerned. I just saw his Dad and him packed up one day and left. I thought they were just traveling.

Lucas' family wasn't known to be the most kindest family out there. There were rumors going around that they were rich, but not with legal money. That they did things that should have them in jail a long time, but Lucas' dad, Mr. Macaughlin also known as Mac was very much untouchable in a sense.

Whatever that means.

It was now just Lucas and his dad. His mother, you ask? She went missing when he was 10 years old. She just up and vanished. The strangest thing was that no ad was placed out and no call to the police was made. Mac just went on with his life and so did Lucas, eventually.

I personally think that when Mrs. Macaughlin, known as Leslie, disappeared was the turning point of Lucas' life. He turned from the shy kid with acne to the bad kid that no one likes to play with.

I vaguely remembered that as kids we talked to each other once. I was playing ball against the wooden gate that separates our houses with Jus when the ball that we were playing with end up flying over into Lucas' yard. Jus immediately called it a loss and said that he was in no way going over to their yard. However, that ball was my favorite ball and solely bought by my dad. I was a freaking daddy's girl. So, I climbed the fence and landed in the yard in search of my ball only to find it being twist around in the hands of Lucas himself.

His dark brow was furrowed together as he analyzes the ball, then he looked up at me with a surprised look.

I fricken stuttered the whole question out to have my ball back and watched as Lucas's freckled face stared back at me with amusement. He didn't say anything after I asked, but just walked up to me and held the ball out.