Deserving

Lucus got up early in the morning. It was a pretty normal awakening, all things considered. It was about five thirty am. All he did was go downstairs to the cafe and heat up some water to make a cup of tea for Allicia, buy her a lollipop from the gift shop and then he left. It was, of course, strawberry flavored. He did, however, add a cute little note for her. He had the shopkeeper write it for him. It wasn't very heartfelt or anything, but it was still nice. Lucus even attempted to draw a little thumbs up on the corner. The air outside was breezy. Lucus checked his phone. In it, there were almost a hundred missed calls there. Each from somebody from the orphanage. More than half were from mother, and almost all of the rest were held by his sister Abby. Exactly ninety four. Mother's were very angry and worried, whereas Abby's were attempting to warn Lucus of the dangerous awaiting at home. Each word more sassy than the next to hide her own fear for the worst.

"Shoot." He cursed a not so bad word under his breath and broke out into a run.

By the time Lucus made it back to the orphanage, it was already six. His phone had died right before he was able to call. Lucus opened the door quietly. It was the weekend so most people were asleep. Most people usually sleep in these days, due to the early nature of something called school. He attempted to sneak over to his room. It was far down the hall, so it would be quite a long adventure down. Perhaps he could play it off as though he had been there the whole time, but his phone had died or something. Anything to stay out of trouble. Sadly, one of the younger girls at the orphanage, Rachel, gave him away.

"Lucus! You're home!" She dropped her toy and ran over, latching onto his leg. Lucus grimaced at the sound of the toy thudding to the floor. On que, mother came out from the kitchen hurriedly. She looked concerned, and angry simultaneously. She ran over, gave him a hug and cradled his head, checking for some sort of injury. When she didn't find any, she grabbed Lucus by the ear and dragged him into the kitchen. Nick popped out of their room as he was dragged away and waved hi. He obviously hadn't adjusted to Lucus being blind.

"YOU!" She shot in a hushed voice, not letting go of his ear. "Where were you last night? We called your phone! You need to pick up. What happened?!" She let go of his ear and stepped back, crossing her arms. "Come on, speak up!"

"I, I was at the hospital. Okay?" He looked down to show his guilt. "I'm sorry I didn't call. A lot happened, and my phone died this morning." He pinched the bridge of his nose, anxious.

"I still need to be mad at you, but now I'm more worried. What were you doing all night at the hospital?" Her face was wrinkled with worry.

"It's not me. I'm fine. It's… It's Allicia." His voice was shaky. No. Not just his voice. Lucus was shaking. Each syllable held a new tremor as if an earthquake had just hit.

"Allicia. Is that that nice girl from school? The one who was nice to you? Is she okay? What happened to her? What about her parents?" She was obviously concerned for Allicia now, only imagining webs of possibilities that could have transpired in the time Lucus was gone.

"Her parents haven't picked up. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It's just that- It was really stressful last night. She got really hurt at the party. She won't wake up either." Lucus buried his face in his hands and broke down crying. The pressure all came crashing down on him. Mother rushed over and hugged him, patting his back in a slow rhythm.

"Hey. Shh shh shh shh shh." She hushed him like a baby, twirling his hair. Mother placed her chin on his head, letting him bury his head in her clothes. "She's gonna be okay. You need to get some rest." She paused, thinking for a moment. "You know, it's been a while since I've gotten to hold you like this. You really did grow up so fast." She spoke slowly and low in a very melodic kind of way. One that felt like a warm sun in a soft breeze. "But you can be weak. You don't always have to be so strong all the time. You tell this to everyone else, but I think," she patted him once, "You need to hear it yourself. How dare this world. How could it be so cruel to such a kind little boy. You were forced to grow up far too fast with all the odds stacked up against you. How dare they. I've always told you, you were just as good as anyone else." She pushed him forwards, and placed her hands on his shoulders. Lucus might not have been able to look into her eyes, but it still achieved the same effect. "You have been so much better. This world never deserved you, and you didn't deserve them. You deserved better. This is our world, but I promise I'll try to protect you. Just like you have to me." Mother began to tear up now. She brought Lucus close and whispered just a few more words of encouragement. She backed up and placed her hands on her hips. Mother sucked in a breath and wiped a tear from Lucus's eye. "Buuuuuut." She smiled, letting him respond.

"I know I know." He sucked in a bit of snot before smiling too.

"You're still grounded. I would let you visit Allicia, but you have a phone. It also defeats the point of grounding you. And sorry, but no Ben. Straight home from school." She put up her finger and waved it in Lucus's face.

"How long?" He asked, as if he didn't really want to know the answer. He grimaced when he heard Mother open her mouth to reply.

"One month." She beamed evilly. "Now, I don't want to hear it. You deserve it." She softened her smile and pushed him towards his room. "Now get some sleep." So off Lucus went, to get his well needed rest.

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I'm sorry for my lousy upload schedule, but I am on a trip for the summer, so it might get worse for the time being. I'll attempt to keep a steady pace, but forgive me if I miss a few days. ToT. LOL - Lots Of Love