Four: Familiar Faces
Lucas, his friend Nathan and Nathan's twin sister, Natalia, sat on a bench in front of their school, waiting for their rides home.
"Kiss my ass." Leon's voice said from the other end of the line before he hung up. Lucas turned to his friends.
"Nate? Can I come over? My brother's car has a flat tire and he'll be late as hell. He told me to go home with you." Lucas asked right as a black Porsche stopped in front of the three. Lucas' eyes widened at the sight. "Holy... You didn't tell me you're loaded!"
"I mean, yeah. My moms are kind of rich. And sure, my brother will understand." Nate shrugged, motioning for Lucas to follow him towards the car.
"I call shotgun!" Natalia yelled as if claiming her property, and Nate rolled his eyes. She got comfy in the front seat and buckled herself up, the two boys doing the same in the back.
"Hey, Jayce," Nate greeted, rolling down his window and sighing as the air hit his face. He noticed Jayce raising his eyebrow through the rear view mirror, his eyes shifting to the boy sat next to his younger brother. "Oh, this is my friend Lucas. He's coming over today."
"Mom wouldn't allow it without her permission." Jayce mentioned, although still starting the car and retreating out of the car park.
"She has to! Lucas' brother's car has a flat tire so he can't pick him up." Nate defended and Jayce simply nodded. Lucas leaned against the car door, gazing out the window, and Jayce couldn't help but notice how familiar Lucas looked. He couldn't pinpoint where he'd seen Lucas' face before, but he knew his eyes weren't mistaken.
The car came to a halt in front of a tall modern building, and Lucas couldn't believe his eyes.
"You live here?" He all but gasped as he unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out the car. Jayce subtly narrowed his eyes when he'd took in Lucas' British accent, although his brain just wasn't taking the hint. When everyone was out, Jayce locked his car and Nate turned to Lucas.
"It's a bit much for a family of six, but, yeah."
As the four entered the building, Lucas and Nate went up to Nate's room while Natalia went out to play with their neighbour's daughter.
"This place is so cool. You lot make me feel poor." Lucas breathed as he and Nate flopped onto Nate's bed. Nate's room was huge, with his own walk in closet and bathroom.
"It's okay. I don't think you're poor. I wanna go to your house one day too," Nate assured his friend, draping his arm around Lucas' shoulder.
Lucas and Nate were quite close, even despite only knowing each other for just under half a year. They'd met in school, where Nate was seen as popular. Nate was a bubbly and pure young boy, and seeing Lucas alone for the first few days in school made him upset.
So, he'd approached Lucas and asked to be friends, completely abandoning the popularity he never even gave a damn about. Lucas was difficult at first, but as time went on, he grew comfortable around Nate, and they've been best friends ever since.
"How old is your brother?" Lucas questioned, leaning into Nate's comforting embrace.
"He's sixteen. He goes to KnightsBridge. Well, he did." Nate answered right as his door slowly opened to reveal Jayce. The two never sprung apart from their position, simply looking up at Jayce, who had his eyebrow raised in question.
"Come on you two, enough smooching and come downstairs. I made something to eat." Jayce said with a smirk as he watched his brother's face flush. Lucas turned to face his friend with a grin at his reaction.
"We're not... huh—what?" He stumbled with his words. Jayce simply departed the room and yet again, left the two alone.
Downstairs, Natalia bid farewell to her friend and sat at the dining table where Jayce set out some plates.
"How comes Nate can have people round but I can't?" Natalia pouted, waiting for her brother and his friend to finally come down the stairs so she could get to eating.
"Because..." Jayce started, leaning on their kitchen island and facing his younger sister with a shrug. "Nate actually has friends to take home."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" The girl protested, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Kidding, kidding. Besides, you have Shea around all the time." Jayce mentioned with a point of his finger.
"So?" Natalia rolled her eyes, and Jayce looked at her in disbelief. Nate and Lucas emerged from the door and sat next to each other around the table.
The four ate in mostly silence, having small talk from time to time. As they ate, they heard the front door open, and a woman who looked like she was in her early thirties locked the door behind her.
She was a petite asian woman with dark brown eyes, and Lucas noticed that Nate, Jayce and Natalia didn't look even the tiniest bit asian, but he shrugged it off.
"Mama bear's home." Jayce whistled as he got up to greet his mother. Natalia followed after him and Nate turned to face his friend, holding out his hand.
"Come, let me introduce you to one of my moms." Nate said, and Lucas nodded, silently taking his hand.
The two boys walked hand in hand into the lobby, where Jayce and Natalia conversed with their mother. Her eyes found her son and the boy, a confused expression on her face.
"Hey, Mama." Nate greeted with a wave, his hand never leaving Lucas'. Nate's mother smiled at her youngest son.
"Hello, baby," She responded, turning her attention to Lucas, who tensed. "I haven't seen your handsome face before, what's your name, sweetheart?"
"I—"
"This is my best friend Lucas. His brother couldn't pick him up so he came here." Nate replied for him. His mother sent him a scolding look.
"Let your friend speak for himself," She wiggled her finger in Nate's face, tutting. "But if that's the case... stay for as long as you need! Next time, call me beforehand, though."
Nate nodded and turned to Lucas, who bowed in front of Nate's mother.
"Thank you so much. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Khan." Lucas politely thanked the woman, and she grinned at him warmly.
"Please, call me Jeanette. It's a pleasure to have you." Jeanette assured, retreating up the stairs.
"Your mum is so nice." Lucas complimented, and he meant it; Jeanette really was a lovely lady. She was no doubt the reason behind Nate's bubbly personality.
Jayce shifted his attention to Lucas and shrugged. "That makes one of them."
Lucas cocked his head to the side with his right eyebrow raised.
"What do you—"
Lucas was cut off when his phone started ringing in his pocket. He blinked as Leon's name took over his screen, answering the call.
"Hello?"
"Hey, are you okay?" Leon asked, letting out a deep breath, his voice groggy and hoarse; it made Lucas frown.
"Yeah, are you? You sound tired." He responded, and Lucas heard his older brother huff from the other end of the line.
"I'm good, just heading home," Leon told him. Lucas looked at the clock in Nate's lobby, noticing that it's been a while since Leon's last call. "Do you think you can spend the night at Nate's? I'll have to babysit Eli 'cause Ma's working 'till late and Dad..."
Lucas frowned at the mention of his father. "Will you two be okay alone at home with him?"
Leon paused for a brief moment. "I won't let him touch Eli, just, can you ask to stay the night?"
Lucas turned to Nate, who'd over heard the conversation and signalled Jayce over, motioning for him to duck to his height and whispering into his ear.
Jayce nodded, receiving a smile from Nate. Nate threw his thumbs up at his friend.
"Lucas?"
"Yeah. They said yes." Lucas responded, and he swore he heard a sigh of relief from Leon's line.
"Good. Okay, yeah. I'll see you tomorrow?"
Lucas turned to Nate, who had already been looking at him, with a grin.
"Yeah. Later, loser."
***
the bromance between nate and lucas (get rid off the b) ;D