Past Hope chp. 4

I spent the next couple hours wandering from one empty classroom to another. When the bell rang for lunch I wandered over to the cafeteria with everyone else.

Half of the population only showed up at school because of its free meals, but it was also the most dangerous place. Tables were cramped into the large white room barely inches apart and every single seat was already filled. I spotted my brother at one of the least cramped tables near the front as he watched the crowd.

The line to get food was currently organized, the last of the Dorshadass picking up their meals. I stuck myself against a wall watching and waiting. Above all the chatter one thing was loud and clear, a beep every time a meal was given out. The counters on the walls ticking down the number of meals left. One hundred thirteen.

There was never even close to enough for everyone. The strongest got their meals and then hell would break loose, a fight amongst the weak. It was always pathetic to watch as one starving kid beat into another.

As the shouts got louder and an opening was created for the slaughter my hands began to itch with a need to begin pickpocketing. It was harder during lunch, everyone knew to be cautious, but I knew what to do and had been doing it for my entire life.

This time though I stopped myself, self-conscious of watching eyes, and I already knew who they would belong to if only I turned to find them. Pushing away from my current spot I tried to work my way closer to Braden. I wouldn’t be joining him, but if I wasn’t going to be moving around it was better to stay close to protection.

With only a short distance left to travel I felt a hand on my ass. Idiot. As I moved away the hand moved to my arm. Now it was a problem.

“Dude, not her.” I heard as I turned around. Tracing the arm back to a guy who was barely my height and ugly, but seemed feed well enough to have a little muscle.

He turned to another boy, likely the one who had just warned him. The idiot raised his eyebrows with a question as a lusty grin spread across his lips.

“Come on, there ain’t many girls here. This one’s even pretty. Right darlin’?” He finished turning back toward me. “Wanna have some fun?” he whispered, leaning closer to me as his grip on my arm tightened.

I was still deciding whether to play it sweet or just straight out punch him when his friend spoke again. “Dude she’s Luidach’s sis.” I was starting to like him. Many guys wouldn’t be quite as smart.

“So?” Idiot asked.

His grip got even tighter pulling me into his chest. Looking around I saw the crowd around us slipping away. Like I should’ve predicted, this was becoming more interesting than the fights for lunch. My day could not get shittier.

I couldn’t punch this guy now, not without starting a huge fight; one that I wanted to avoid. As Idiot muttered more nothings into my ears his friend slipped away. Braden needed to hurry up and notice what was happening.

As if he’d heard my thought I felt someone come up behind me

“You will want to let her go now.” He spoke accept the voice wasn’t the one I’d expected. Instead, it matched a blond headed piece of lightning.

I’d never known him to get into a fight, kids had tried, but they never got past his bodyguards. Shittier had just happened. Fuck.

“Who are you to tell me what to do?” Idiot asked his free arm wrapping around my back and moving down. As it reached the edge of my ass I felt it ripped away. Now Lucas was leaning in, trapping me between his and idiot’s body.

“I am no one, but he is someone.” He said loud and clear before moving away again.

Looking over Idiot’s shoulder I found the person I’d actually been hoping for. When my brother black eyes met mine they were filled with hatred. It made me feel cared for. As he looked behind me I almost thought I saw a glimpse of appreciation cross his features, but I must have been wrong. Lucas wouldn’t get that type of emotion from my brother.

Idiot finally started to turn around and as his grip loosened someone else’s hand found my hip pulling me away. Idiot got a fist in his face as soon I was clear.

Once he was on his knees Braden nodded at me and I moved away from Lucas. Pulling my knife out I put it against Idiot’s throat.

“I think everyone has forgotten who runs this dump.” Braden addressed the crowd, frown prominent, but shoulders high. “Oliver Cordan got too slack. I am not him. What I say goes. The next person who forgets that will find themself here. I am all too happy to add your blood to these stained tiles.”

He pulled out his own blade, a match to mine. The final one of our father’s torture blades. I knew I should’ve stayed where I was, but I dropped my blade from its place and turned away. I wished I could’ve stopped wanting to be good.

I was surprised to find Lucas still behind me. Looking up into his face I could tell I’d

let my emotions slip. Quickly clearing my features I grabbed onto his hand and pulled him out of the circle. Outside of the cafeteria I realized my second slip and dropped his hand, headed straight for the door.

Shit.

“Kera?” Lucas called as I reached the street.

My feet only stopped moving momentarily before I continued. I needed to get away and forget what my brother had to do. He was protecting me, but I hated seeing the proof that he was just like everyone else in this crap world. Worse was the fact that it was my fault. Ignoring the constant death was so much easier without any connection to it.

When I had reached my street I found it looking as it always did and that was a sort of relief. Unlike everything else it wasn’t going to change on me. Opening the door I was about to go inside when a hand was back on my hip.

I jumped, turning around to face Lucas quickly. I had been too focused on forgetting to realize he’d been following me this entire time. I avoiding looking at his face, instead checking the street for others. His bodyguards hadn’t followed us from the school and I didn’t know what kind of trouble Lucas would be getting me into.

He stuck out like a sore thumb. His clothes were too new and fit him too well. His school bag was much like ones businessmen carried in the richest streets. He was already getting weird stares from people.

I was tempted to leave him on the street. He could leave, or get killed it didn’t matter to me. At least that’s what I tried to tell myself, but instead I was grabbing his hand again silently ordering him to follow me.

As we headed towards my concrete haven I kept my head down as normal. The looks of the people I passed were even worse than out on the street. Lucas on my trail only meant one thing to them, I was selling myself. This was going to cause me so many more problems than it was worth and now it was too late. I could only hope that the men watching us didn’t start knocking on my door.

Once inside my home I slammed the door shut.

“Why the hell did you follow me here?” I yelled at Lucas followed by as many curse words as I could think of. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?” I was pacing the tiny room quickly. “Shit. Now you’ve gone and given me a death sentence too .”

Lucas’ hand was on my hip again, pulling me to a stop, but he didn’t speak. Finally looking at his face I found what looked like worry.

“What?” I asked harshly, but he deserved it.

“You live here?”

“No, I live in a mansion. Yes, I live here!” I screamed. I was pissed. Pulling myself out his grip I started to pace again. “And now you know where I live. Shit.” I mumbled, thinking of how stupid I’d been. Only hours before Braden had been warning me about this guy. My decision to bring him up was only getting worse by the second.

Giving up pacing I tore off my leather jacket and sat on my bed. Once on the ground I resumed cursing myself with my face tucked in my hands.

“What was your meaning of given you a death sentence?” Lucas asked from the other side of the room.

“Girls around here don’t just bring rich men into their homes to chat. Everyone who just saw you with me aren’t nice people. They’ll want their fair share of what they think I’m giving you.” I explained quickly. Me realizing this wasn’t hard, I’d seen it happen to a million others. Each and every one of them didn’t live long. “When you called me a mouse this morning you were right. If I don’t hide properly anyone who sees me will be happy to make a meal out of me.”

After much too long of a silence, I spoke again. “You need to leave now. Whatever deal you may have with my brother’s gang won’t protect you here.”

“So you do know about that.” Lucas finally spoke up. “And I thought they didn’t trust girls.”

“Shit,” I whispered looking up at Lucas and being surprised to find he’d moved to crouch right in front of me. “They don’t. I just assumed-”

Lucas cut me off with a finger to my lips. “I believe I told you yesterday that you should not lie.”

“I’m not,” I replied pulling his hand away. Standing I pointed towards the door. “I have things to do and places to be. So if you would please leave.”

“What if I am not so inclined?” Lucas said standing so he now towered above me, but I wouldn’t let it intimidate me.

“Whatever,” I told him. Making sure I had my knife I got ready for my daily walk. “Just don’t get in my way,” I added as I walked out the door.

The target street for that day would be the one I’d briefly visited the day before. Where I had seen-. I had completely forgotten spotting my sister with everything that had happened since then.

I was pulled back to the real world, where I stood frozen, until Lucas called my name. Instantly I forced my feet to move forward again. As we walked I decided I did not want to risk a repeat of the day before and so would not be doing any stealing. I needed to walk the streets like normal, but I would at least avoid where I should’ve been headed.

Without anything better to do I thought of what I’d promised Braden. I was definitely being a good distraction, but I still didn’t know if I should be worried Lucas might be about to kill me. Now more than ever I felt that Braden had been wrong, why would Lucas save me and even show concern for my well being if only to kill me in a few minutes, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

“So, what sorta deal do you have with Braden?” I asked, straight to the point. Lucas didn’t give any reply, not even a twitch of muscle. He seemed to be showing a pattern of only replying when he felt like it, and that was not very often.

“Cool. How about why you are following me around when you could be having oh so much fun in school?” I was ready with another question when he surprised me by speaking.

“Because.” Not that that was much of an answer. I sighed and began to pick up my pace when the ever reappearing hand was back on my hip. This seemed to be another habit of his.

He used his hand to turn me until it was wrapped around my back and I was facing him with only inches between us.

“You are the mouse.” He cryptically whispered.

“Wonderful. Just fucking wonderful. Oh and may as well ask, you planning on murdering me anytime soon?”

“You need to clean your mouth out with some soap,” Lucas reprimanded his free hand moving to place a finger on my lips, but this time I stopped it.

“Stop doing that. And the whole hand on my hip thing, also not cool. Can’t you be normal and just grab my arm or something?” I ranted earning a laugh from Lucas. I was done with the day. I just wanted to run home and fall asleep. Accept Lucas would follow me home and that’d be the end of that.

Taking a deep breath I spoke, “Look, Lucas, I don’t know why you’re following me or why you won’t answer any of my questions, but you need to let me go. I have a life I’m trying to keep here and don’t need you messing it up more than you already have.” Another deep breath, “Got it?”

“Come.” was the unwanted answer as he started moving, this time keeping his arm around me and pulled up against his side. Why this part was necessary I still did not know. He turned down a few streets leading us towards the centre of the city. I let him lead the way for too long.

We stopped moving outside one of the apartment buildings that the rich used for their dirty businesses. I was realizing that my assumption of safety might have come too soon. I would be murdered and have walked more or less willingly into it. Still, when he encouraged me through the door I didn’t fight back.

Already the stark difference between my building and this one overpowered me. Tiles instead of concrete, windows, lighting in every corner, hallways wider than a couple people. I couldn’t even think of how this was a lesser place in comparison to where the rich would actually live.

Lucas brought us across the lobby to a large metal door which he opened by pressing a button. Inside wasn’t an apartment, but a small chamber which we stepped into as the door shut behind us.

“Elevator.” Lucas supplied before I could even ask. I’d heard of them from Braden, he’d been in these building for business. When the chamber moved I still jumped, but Lucas’ arm held me up.

The ride was silent except for a tick of each floor. We moved much faster than I thought possible, on the twentieth floor in seconds. Lucas entered a code onto a panel and the door opened. Instead of the hallway I expected we were faced with an apartment.

There were couches, chairs, carpet, and at half a dozen closed doors. Outside the elevator I suddenly felt trapped without somewhere familiar to escape.

“Sit. I want lunch,” Lucas commanded his arm finally leaving my side before dropped his bag and he disappeared through one of the doors. I wanted to follow him and explore this new world, but I was frozen.

How could some people have this while everyone else slept in gutters?

Lucas returned a couple minutes later with a couple sandwiches on a plate. He navigated the chairs until he was able to set the plate on the table at the centre and sat down. He watched me expectantly until I finally moved, sitting across from him.

The chair was a fucking cloud. I wanted to just fall into it, but I had to match Lucas’ perfect posture, I wanted to be as intimidating as possible. I was doomed to fail.

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked. Lucas responded by picking up a sandwich and offering it to me. “I want answers.”

“Eat,” was his response.

“I don't want your poisoned food,” I said making Lucas chuckle.

“No poison. Just bread, meat and cheese,” He explained, making my mouth water. I could remember the last time I’d had real meat or cheese or that wasn’t from a can and I knew his wasn’t.

I waited for him to give up, but he refused. After a minute he just grabbed another sandwich with his right hand to eat while still offering me the first from his left. Huffing I gave in and grabbed the sandwich causing Lucas to grin as if he’d just won the lottery.

“Care to answer any of my questions now?” I asked. Lucas took another bite of his sandwich, chewed and swallowed.

“Eat.”

“For someone of your status, your ability to speak is shit.” Caused another chuckle to leave Lucas. I bit into my sandwich to satisfy him, but as soon as I did my questions were forgotten. A couple minutes later we were both finished and Lucas was offering me a second his grin annoying me to hell and back, but I still took it from him.

I wished I could share it with Liam, which finally broke my silence.

“Can you make another?” I questioned. Lucas gave me a look between pleasure and sadness. “For my brother?” I added changing his look to something more sinister.

“Braden?” He asked, voice deeper than usual.

“No, I have another. He’s nine.” I spoke before I could think of what danger I was possibly putting him in. It was for a good cause I told myself, amazing food.

Lucas smiled again. “Of course, I will make another before you leave.”

Happy I ate my second sandwich with as much haste as the first. As soon as it was gone I began my interrogation.

“Are you planning on killing me?” Start off easy I told myself and failed.

“You are the mouse.”

“Fuck.” I ran my hands through my hair. “You realize that was a yes or no question? Telling me I’m a mouse, again and again, is just being fucking cryptic and annoying as shit!”

“There is soap in the bathroom for your mouth.” He said as if I wasn’t ready to murder him, which I was. I stood up and crossed over the table so I could stand over him and poke him in the chest.

“Answer my questions you stupid prick!”

“You are not here to be killed.” Lucas finally said, but he was still laughing at me in his eyes. I hated him.

“Great, thanks. That really wasn't so hard,” I exclaimed turning back around and stepped across the table again. “I’ll be leaving now.”

“I will go make your sandwich,” Lucas said standing and disappearing through the door he had earlier, this time I followed.

It was huge and everything in it was like another vocabulary word I knew, but never had needed in real life until now. Fridge, which Lucas pulled the food out of. Countertop, where he made the sandwich. Oven, behind him and unused. I turned around and walked out again.

Lucas returned to me with a small packet wrapped in brown paper which I supposed was the sandwich.

“Come.” His arm was around me, hand on hip. I needed to learn to stop him from doing that. We took the elevator chamber back down and I jumped when it starting moving, still unaccustomed to it. I was still too shocked by his kitchen and let him lead me back out onto the streets and home.

When we arrived in front of my building it was either perfect timing or imperfect timing that Liam was walking down the road toward us. I slipped out from Lucas’ grip and reached for the sandwich hoping to scare him away in the next few seconds.

“Thanks, bye now,” I rushed out.

Lucas kept the sandwich away from me, lifting it above his head with a smirk. There were only a few people who were taller than me and he had to be one of them.

“Kera?” Liam’s sweet voice called from behind me. It was too late. “You ok?” He asked running the rest of the way over to us. Giving up on gaining his sandwich I turned around.

“Yep,” I told him with a smile. “You can go inside, I’ll follow in a second.” Liam gave me a questioning look and didn’t move.

“You must be Liam,” Lucas said from behind me. Sidestepping me he put out the sandwich for Liam to take. “This is yours.”

Liam turned to me asking permission and I nodded so he quickly swiped the sandwich from Lucas’ hand.

“Who are you?” He asked.

“I am a friend of your sister,” He responded instantly.

“I didn’t know she had any friends,” Liam responded before I could stop him. Lucas laughed.

“Right, well now you know,” I said wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Bye.” I tried to turn Liam away and push him through the door, but he slipped out from under my grip.

“Are you her boyfriend?” He asked straight-faced, making Liam smile widen. “Because I’ll beat you up, if you are.”

“Although your sister is certainly beautiful I cannot claim her as my girlfriend. Rather she seems to dislike me most of the time. That is if her foul language and yelling hints towards anything.”

“Oh. That’s sad.” Liam responded before finally walking inside.

“So you answer a little boy’s question on the first try, but not mine?” I scolded Lucas, but as expected I only get a grin in return. “Bye,” I called over my shoulder as I followed Liam.

“Goodbye Kera.”

“He talked kinda weirdly.” was the first thing Liam said when I caught up to him. “But I like him. He could protect you, and Braden would like him.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” was all I said in return.

As for Lucas protecting me, maybe, for now, he was doing that, but how long until he was the one I needed protection from was a bigger problem. Braden definitely wouldn’t like him either way.