When Lucas woke, still in the clothes he'd worn the night before and his face pressed against the cool screen of his phone, he had to admit something was up. To say he hated Damien was...it didn't feel entirely true anymore. Blinking back the sun that peeked through the cracks between his blinds, he reread their conversation from the night before. Again, he found himself smiling that big, stupid smile. Quickly, he caught himself, and tossed the phone to one side. Damien had interrupted his nightly routine. How typically rude of him.
Lucas stood under the shower's spray, scrubbing his face to clear the last of the sleep from his eyes. He took a little too long, lingering over the sink, drumming his fingers against the porcelain surface, trying to avoid the awkwardness downstairs. He didn't want to see Mark's stupid face, and he didn't want to deal with whatever cautious, worried looks his mother would give him, or his father's over-compensating cheerfulness.
After changing, he walked quickly down the stairs. Both his parents were sitting at the kitchen table. Their heads rose in unison as he entered, and they fell silent at once. They'd been talking about him, then. Lucas glanced to the door, but it was too far away for a quick exit.
"Morning!" His father said, a little too brightly, at the same time that his mother began what was no doubt a prepared speech.
"Now, Lucas, we've thought a lot about what you said last night."
Lucas tried not to roll his eyes. That would only make things worse. His mom would probably take these 'attitude issues' as a sign of trouble at school, or some deep, terrible secret, and then she'd never let it go.
"Mom. Dad. Please don't worry about it." Lucas debated whether or not to make himself toast, but decided against it. That would only prolong his time in the kitchen.
"But we do worry about it. Something's clearly upset you. Now, I didn't catch all of it, but if you ever think that you're less than Mark, or that we love you less-"
Lucas sighed. "It's seriously fine. I don't think that. Mark was just being a dick."
His father opened his mouth, as if he were about to scold him for swearing, but decided against it.
"Okay, then." He said instead, looking slightly relieved that the conversation had gone so quickly.
"Well, if you're sure..." Michelle Sawyer looked uncertain, but didn't push it.
"I'm sure." Lucas slung his bag over his shoulder, and made his way towards the door. That had been slightly less uncomfortable than he thought it'd be.
"Oh, and Lucas?" His dad called.
Lucas froze, hand on the doorknob. Freedom was so close. "Yes?"
"What's this about a boy named Damien?"
"Nothing. He's no one." Lucas called, before shutting the door firmly behind him. The last thing he needed was his parents in his love life. Not that he had a love life, and if he did, he definitely wouldn't have one with Damien. Because Damien wouldn't want that.
And he wouldn't either. Right. That too.
Shaking himself, he set off down the sidewalk.
***
Alex was waiting for him where she always was, leaning against a pole on the grassy corner of Pymble and Creaks, locked in what looked to be quite an intense conversation with Mona. Well, intense on Alex's part. Mona just looked slightly amused. She looked up and waved enthusiastically enough to make her ponytail swing in a wave of copper behind her.
"Hey! Lucas, my favourite person ever. I need a tiny favour. It's nothing, really. Just a quick question."
Lucas took a moment to take in the torrent of words. "What do you want?"
"Damn, not even a hello?"
"Hello."
"Hello! I want two things." Alex held up two fingers to demonstrate, hand on her hip. "First, I need you to tell Mona that drinking milk is disgusting, because I want to win this argument."
"You're supposed to drink it." Mona interjected, raising an eyebrow at Lucas. "It's a drink, Alex. It's pretty normal to drink drinks."
"Silence, milk-drinker." Alex hissed, before whirling back around to face Lucas. "And second, I need you to please give me an employee discount on some stuff I want to buy from the bakery this afternoon. We're having a little party for the crew, to celebrate the start of the production. And because we'll have to work with Ana Edelman, so we'll deserve it."
"She's bad?"
"No, she's good, and she knows it. Like really, really knows it. Remember I was telling you at lunch a while back?"
"The triple threat." Mona nodded, even though Lucas knew that she, like him, barely knew who Ana was.
"Right." Lucas took a moment to collect his bearings. Alex spoke a mile a minute, and last night was still replaying in the back of his mind. "First of all, drinking milk is normal. Calcium's good for your bones. Second of all, yes, just get there before my shift ends."
Alex paused. Opened her mouth, then closed it. "I'm not going to say anything about the milk drinking because I want the discount, but you two are on thin ice." She started off down the street, and Lucas and Mona fell into step either side of her. "Also thanks."
"It's what friends are for."
"Free pastries, yeah."
"Nice to know that's all I am to you."
"You're also very useful for US History notes." Mona added cheerfully, and Lucas rolled his eyes. But it wasn't like she was wrong. Damien would certainly agree.
He wondered how the essay had gone. Hopefully he'd finished it in time. If it hadn't been due that day, they could've looked over it again together.
To make sure the essay was good, of course. That, Lucas told himself, was all he wanted. Because wanting anything more would only set himself up for disappointment. Best not to start things that would end badly.
Damien's arrogant, wry grin, the way he flicked his curls out of his eyes and every sly comment or subtle touch stuck with Lucas, flashing through his head. Damien annoyed him even when he wasn't there, because now Lucas was struggling to get rid of him. He was always there, at the corner of his mind, ready to take his attention whenever he lost focus. It was like some sort of disease. Damien was infectious.
"What do you think, Lucas?"
"Huh?" Lucas pushed his glasses up his nose and blinked at Alex, who was looking at him expectantly. "Sorry, what?"
"Forget it." To Lucas' dismay, Alex was now regarding him with suspicion. "What were you thinking about? You've got a weird look on your face."
"Do I?" Lucas tried to fix whatever expression Alex had notice, relaxing his features into something neutral.
Alex narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, you do. You're not hiding anything, are you?"
Lucas shook his head extra vigorously, so she'd believe him. "No. I'm not. Just normal thoughts in here." He tapped the side of his head, as if that was a completely normal thing to do.
"Liar. Is it another dream? Because I was thinking-"
Both Lucas and Mona sighed. "Please, no more dreams."
"But you're being defensive now. Something's totally up. I can sense it."
It was a little creepy that Alex could actually sense something, but Lucas wasn't going to tell her that. "You're crazy. And I've got a meeting with...my politics teacher, so I've got to go."
He didn't, but Alex's scrutiny was too much. He didn't like keeping secrets from his best friends, but he'd tell them when there was something to tell. Nothing was happening, he reasoned, so there was no need to tell them. Besides, he just knew Alex would get the wrong idea. She'd assume that he had a crush on Damien, and would get all protective and dramatic, and it wasn't something he wanted to deal with yet.
"Fine." Alex folded her arms, eyes never leaving his face. "But I'm onto you, Sawyer." He turned to go, and she added: "You can run but you can't hide!"
Embarrassed as a few people turned to stare, Lucas ducked into the school building.