Don't Tell My Brother

Chapter 27 - Pig's Blood

When Alex spoke, her voice was a little softer. "Lucas, I know you want to believe the best of him, but be careful, okay? You don't owe him anything."

She was going into her 'mothering' mode, Lucas could hear it. While Alex's overprotectiveness was usually sweet, there were times when it was just a little too coddling. But she had a point. He thought about it, thought about a whole group of guys just like Damien, the kind that he'd never gotten along well with. And if Damien felt pressured to be an asshole around them, then could Lucas really count on him to change? Being alone amongst a group of drunken popular kids he didn't know did sound like something out of a nightmare.

"Can you come with me?" Lucas asked hopefully, raising his head from the desk.

Alex sucked in a breath. "I can't. Sorry, I really wish I could, but there's a tech rehearsal Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, and I'm really trying to get the lighting right because honestly I'm not even sure if I can do what the director's asking for. We've got people from both schools helping, even some non-theatre kids, for lifting and driving stuff between schools, but it's still so much work..."

She sounded harried, and Lucas didn't push it. Theatre was far too important to Alex, he wasn't about to ask her to give it up for something as stupid as this.

"Don't worry about it." He sighed. "Maybe you're right. Going alone is a little terrifying. What if they hate me? What if Mallory's there and she does something awful? What if someone reports them for drinking and we go to jail?" He was panicking now, just a little.

"Is that even something you can go to jail for?" Alex sounded sceptical.

"It is. I looked it up."

It was quiet again, both of them thinking hard. "Hey," Alex began, "why don't you bring Mona?"

"Do you think she'll want to?"

"Sure she will. You know Mona, none of this stuff is going to faze her."

Alex had a point. Mona had never really cared about being popular, or worried about how she appeared to others. Lucas wondered if it was just because she was so unaware that it didn't bother her, or that she truly didn't care how other people saw her. Either way, it was something he loved about her. And it meant she'd be perfect to bring along.

"I'll ask her tomorrow." Lucas said, brightening up a little.

Now he could make a plan. The bowling place was near two bus stops, which was good because it meant he could leave quickly if he wanted to. It was also a public place, which meant that they probably wouldn't be able to do anything too crazy. If Lucas decided to go, he could convince himself that it would be fine.

"Is Damien going to let you bring someone?"

Lucas smiled a little at that. "He'd better. This is an apology for me, it's not like he can really say no." He hoped so, anyway.

"Exactly. Okay, check in with Mona at school tomorrow, and tell Damien you're bringing someone. Because you're going, right?"

"I guess I am." Lucas began to turn his pen over and over again, thinking.

Lucas felt a little more secure, now he had some sort of plan. There was comfort in a plan. He'd have a friend, he could make a plan, and everything would be okay.

"Is there anything else he said? Like a clue, or something that makes it seem like this is all a trap?" Alex asked, obviously still unsure.

Lucas didn't need to think about it. By then, he'd replayed Damien's words so often he could answer with ease. "I don't think so. Though we didn't talk much, I was pretty busy with Cameron most of the time."

"Cameron?"

"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you. There's this new guy at work. Well, he doesn't work with us, but he works for the hotel that's hosting the event we're catering for." Lucas glanced to the side of his desk, where the receipt sat, Cameron's number printed in neat, perfect letters. "He's nice. And smart. And he gave me his number."

"He what?" Lucas could hear the sound of something hitting the floor with a thud on Alex's end. "Lucas! You weren't going to tell me?"

Lucas laughed, relaxing back into his chair. "I was, I was. I just forgot, with all the Damien stuff."

"Well you're going to tell me now. I want everything."

***

It took Mona approximately two seconds to think it over. "Alright. I haven't gone bowling in ages, because the last time we were there my sister vomited on the alley and we were asked to leave."

Alex laughed, and Lucas looked a little disgusted. "Wow. Gross."

Mona nodded. "It was. Especially when a bowling ball went through it. There were chunks sticking to it, it was—"

"Stop, stop!" Lucas and Alex cried in unison, and Alex mimed gagging over her plate.

"Please don't tell anyone that when we get there." Lucas said, picking at the sandwich on his plate.

"Really? I don't know, maybe it's an interesting story."

Lucas stared at Mona for a moment, suddenly wondering if bringing her really was as good of an idea as he'd thought it'd been. But then she smiled.

"Kidding. It'll be fun."

"Will it?" Alex didn't sound very convinced.

"I think so. How bad could it be?" Mona asked, looking a little puzzled.

Alex leaned across the table. "Remember Carrie?"

Lucas rolled his eyes, and pulled out his phone to text Damien.

I'll come. I'm bringing a friend, though

ok cool cool cool

thats very cool

wait is it alex

i dont think she likes me

Can't imagine why

I don't think I like you yet either

ouch

but fair

It is
But lucky for you, Alex isn't coming
See you this weekend

Lucas put his phone away, tuning back into the conversation.

"I don't get it. Where would they get all that pig's blood?" Mona looked even more confused.

"No, no, I mean more like he'll get figuratively Carrie-d, because—"

"Alex?" Lucas interjected. "Can we drop it?"

And so the conversation turned to other things. Alex's musical prep, Lucas' upcoming assignments, whether or not Mona should return to the afro she had in freshman year. This would be fine, Lucas told himself. He knew where it was, what was happening, and where the exits were if he needed a quick escape.