When I got to school the next day. I didn't change the way I always hurried out of fear that Landon might change his mind about school being safe now or that maybe his friends wouldn't listen and still beat the shit out of me. I am beginning to think I have trust issues. Okay so we know I do but, can you blame me?
"You know you are one tough cookie to find in this school." Someone said grabbing my arm from behind scaring the shit out of me.
"W-what?" I asked turning to find Holden behind me smiling.
"Hold up, I'm not going to hit you if that is what you are thinking." He said looking a little sad.
"N-no you just um... startled me a little." I said with a nervous chuckle. I am always on pins and needles at school.
"I'm sorry, I did say your name a couple times but I don't think you heard me so I grabbed you." He said smiling at me. Nobody ever calls my name unless it is to beat the shit out of me.
"I didn't hear you sorry. What's up?" I asked.
"What are you doing for lunch?" He asked.
"I don't normally go." I said.
"Then what the hell do you do?" He asked.
"Hide in the bathrooms, a empty classroom go to the library or out to my truck if I had time to grab something to eat." I said.
"Not today, we are going to the lunch room and we are going to sit and eat like normal people." He said taking my hand and pulling me behind him through a bunch of people who were giving us weird looks.
"Um.. I don't think this is a good idea." I said when we stopped in the food line.
"Sure it is. I think it is time you start making friends. And I think it is time we worked on your social skills. You don't do well around people your age." He said as we moved up in the line. I was scanning the tables looking any of my bullies. I didn't want to run into any of them. I really didn't want to be here.
"Fag boy, you never come to lunch." Quinten Holster said.
"Fag boy?" Holden asked looking at him and then me.
"Yeah, you are hanging with Fag Boy Lakes." Quinten said.
"No I am hanging with my new boyfriend Lucas Lakes." Holden said shooting Quinten an evil stare.
"Your a fucking fag too? What until Landon finds out about this." Quinten said.
"Finds out about what?" Landon asked not seeing me. I was kind of hiding behind Holden who was standing with a tray in one hand and the other in a fist ready to hit someone.
"Your fucking new buddy here is a fucking fag just like your loser brother." Quinten said laughing.
"Don't talk about either of them like that again. I told you that Lucas was off limits do I need to remind you?" Landon said.
"You don't own me, Lakes. I will fuck with who ever I fucking feel like." Quinten said.
"Oh yeah?" Landon yelled.
I decided that it was time for me to sneak away and go find a nice quiet and safe place to hide. I was halfway down the hall and could still hear the yelling and I swear I heard Holden in on the yelling but I was to scared to turn around and go see what was going on. I quietly slid into the library and headed for the back tables away from the windows. When I sat down I realized I still had a tray of food. I wasn't all that hungry so I got up and threw it in the trash without being seen.
"You left me." Holden said looking hurt.
"Sorry, I don't like being around people like Quinten. And I really don't like fighting." I said.
"Well you need to stop running like that. I am going to teach you how to defend yourself." He said taking a seat in front of me.
"Why?" I asked.
"So you won't run. If you stay long enough you might learn that other people will help you." He said.
"I don't want to be the reason people get into fights? Where is my brother ?" I asked.
"Quinten and Landon are on their way to the office. I came see how you were doing." He said smiling.
"A lot better now that I am here." I said.
"Well tomorrow we are going to try that again. We will keep trying until you actually sit in the cafe and eat instead of running off to the library and throwing you food in the trash." He said.
"Do we have too?" I whined.
"Yep, and I am going to start helping you learn to defend yourself." He said giving a look that told me that there was no getting out of this.
"I am packing my lunch tomorrow." I said with a sigh.
"Fine, I will meet you at your locker before lunch tomorrow. Do you work this coming up weekend?" He asked.
"I have Saturday off but we are spending time with our dad." I said.
"All day?" He asked.
"Not sure, he is looking for a bigger house and there is one not to far from here that we were talking about and I am hoping we can go look at it." I said.
"What time do you work on Sunday?" He asked.
"Mornings, I get off at four." I said.
"I will be at your house at five." He said.
"I don't know if that is a good idea." I said worried about my mom.
"It will be fine." He said getting up.
"If you say so." I said shaking my head.
"Hey, do you have a phone?" He asked.
"I am getting a new number Saturday but I do have a number that I will be using until then." I said writing down my number and handing it to him.
"When it changes I better get the new number too." He said smiling before leaving me sitting at the table.
I hope Landon didn't get into much trouble. If mom gets called I know that I will be blamed. I wonder what she will do to me this time. Part of me wanted to go live with dad but I don't know him or his girlfriend. I really don't want to leave Landon and Lacey because what happens if they really do care now and I leave will they stop? I think I will do what ever Lacey and Landon decided.
The rest of school went by fast I looked all over for Landon but didn't see him. I was a little worried about it. I did text Lacey when I got to work. Landon got the rest of the day off and he called dad and not mom. Smart guy my brother.
Work was slow, not to many returns and nobody really came in on Tuesday's to rent them so I caught up on my home work had some Chinese delivery and surfed the Internet. I decided to start a facebook but made sure that everything was private. I looked at a bunch of peoples I knew and even checked out Harvey's. He had been flirting with all kinds of guys on his. And it had been going on for a while before he even said anything to me. His relationship status has always been single because I noticed on a few were it would say in a relationship or is now single. So he never even cared enough to let people know he was with me. Fuck him.
I drove home after work hoping not to have to deal with moms bullshit. Thankfully I made in to my empty room and could lock the door with out my mother starting her shit. I was tired because I was so bored. I kind of wanted to talk to Landon but didn't really know how to do it so i decided on going to bed instead. I would try and talk to him tomorrow.
"Luc, are you up?" Lacey asked as she knocked on my door. I had just laid down.
"Yeah, give me a sec." I said climbing out of my little pallet on the floor.
"Hey um... Brook just called and said that Holden has been trying to get a hold of you. He said your phone is going to voice mail." She said standing in the door.
"Okay, I will check it and call him back." I said yawning.
"Alright, good night." She said with a smile and a wink. What the hell was that about?
I closed and locked my door before walking back to my bed. My phone was more then likely dead and needed charged. I pulled my phone out of my bag and tried turning it on. It was dead so I placed it on charge. I waited a few minutes before turning it on and sending Holden a quick text telling him that my phone was dead and that I was charging it. I asked him to call me in the morning before school. He text back quickly with a "okay" so I decided to go to sleep and not worry about it.
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A/N: I know this is short or at least it feels short too me but I wanted to show the beginning of Holden and Lucas's friendship. Now we are going to skip ahead a little not much.