Good Luck Charm (Completed)

Help and Homes

Sarah walked away leaving a trail of floral perfume behind her. She was perfect for Lucas, feminine, pretty, fun, she was everything he could ever want, and Vincent couldn't help but feel jealous. It'd been just the two of them for so long, and then not... but then again, and Vincent didn't want anything to screw it up.

      Though he knew that was selfish.

      As he walked Vincent came across the group of people he wanted to see least one the world. Marty and his loser friends. Excluding Lucas, Vincent saw very little redeeming qualities in the group. He went to turn around but was too late as he'd been spied by the eagle eyed leader.

       "Hey." Marty called once, and Vincent continued walking, hoping he could simply pretend he hadn't heard. "Hey, Vincent." Vincent sighed. A direct solicitation like that required a response.

       "What do you want, Marty?" Vincent asked, deciding niceties were too good for Marty. He wasn't looking forward to talking to the incredibly cocky boy again.

"Alright clear out boys." Marty said waving his arms. His friends nodded their goodbyes and scattered.

"Did you catch that new rumor 'round the hallways?" Marty began.

"Nobody believes rumors." Vincent sighed.

      "On the contrary, I heard there was a very juicy one about Lucas and his little good luck charm. I wonder who that could be?"

      "Marty, I swear to.. if you leak that and screw things up for Lucas, I'll-" Vincent threatened.

       "Calm down, Vinny!" Marty taunted. "I would never want to do such a thing."

       "So what do you want?"

       "I want you to leave Lucas alone." Marty stated plainly.

       "That's not going to happen."

       "Okay."

       "Just okay? No fight?" Vincent questioned.

"Fighting isn't working, that's not my game."

"So what's your game?" Vincent narrowed his eyes.

"Spend the night with me."

"What?" Vincent's face twisted in shock and confusion.

"Spend the night with me."

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, I'll make Lucas' life hell." Marty crossed his arms across his flannel clad chest.

"How?"

"I'll tell the school you're the special someone in Lucas' life."

      "You said you wouldn't." Vincent accused.

      "No, I said I didn't want to, and I don't. I want you to do what I say, so I don't have to do something bad." Marty shrugged.

       "Why would you do that your friend?"

      "Trust I've got his best interest at heart, besides if you refuse and I leak it, Lucas will deny it and you'll have no choice but to leave him alone." Marty stated. Marty knew that was a lie. He knew that even though Lucas wasn't ready to come out of the closet, he'd never deny Vincent, but he was relying on the fact that Vincent didn't know that.

      "Why would you even want me to come to your house?"

      "That's for me to know, and you to not find out." Marty smirked.

      "Very mature, Marty."

      "So?" Marty propositioned.

       "Fine. I'll go, but not for you, for Lucas."

       "I feel like that's the motto of our relationship." Marty chuckled. "Alright." He pulled open the passenger door he was leaning on. "Get in." Knowing better than to question Vincent obliged getting into the car. Marty hopped into the drivers seat on the other side and pealed out of the parking lot.

"Where do you live?" Vincent asked after they had been driving for a while. They had pulled out of the nice neighborhood the school was in, and were quickly approaching the "bad" side of town.

"You'll see." Marty said incredulously. Vinny felt like he was driving into the belly of the beast, like he was being led astray right into the heart of hell. Finally they reached a small ranch style house with an overgrown lawn and a boarded up window.

"Where are we, Marty?" Vincent asked trying to hold back any fear.

"My place." He said with a smile, jumping out of the car and motioning for Vincent to do the same. Vinny got out slowly and joined him at the side door. Marty placed a finger over his mouth as if to say something was a secret, then he pulled a key from under the mat with a smile. Marty led Vincent inside the small split level house and brought him into a room with black bed sheets and dreary unpainted walls motioning for him to sit on the bed. "Wait here." Marty said, rushing off to where Vinny could see from the door was the kitchen. "Mom isn't home so I have to make dinner." He called back, returning a moment later.

"Oh, and your dad?" Vinny asked without thinking and instantly regretted it. "Oh.. I'm so sorry, if you don't want to talk about I totally get it."

"It's fine. I don't have a dad." Marty admitted sincerely, "Well I guess I have one technically, but he isn't in the picture." he chuckled.

"I don't either." Vincent said locking eyes with Marty for a moment. Marty held Vinny's gaze fiercely, as if daring the small boy to look away, or come closer.

"I...uh," Vincent began, but was cut off by crying. Marty ran out of the room returning with the source of the crying, a baby, who seemed very agitated to be in Marty's arms. He opened his mouth to say something, but the oven beeped from the other room.

"Hold this." He said handing the child to a bewildered to Vincent, then running off towards the kitchen. Vinny looked down at the crying baby for a moment, then as he remembered doing with his cousins growing up stood and began bouncing from side to side while cradling her head. She immediately calmed, smiling at the comforting motion. Marty returned a moment later, shock etched on his face.

"How did you..? She never... what?"

"I grew up in a big family. No brothers and sisters, but lots of baby cousins." Vincent replied. Marty took the calmed baby back and put her back to sleep in her crib.

"The accommodations to your liking?" Marty teased.

      "Yes." Vincent lied. They could both see it was a filthy room, but neither were rude enough to admit it. "So... why did you want me here?"

      "All in good time." Marty shrugged. "Help me with dinner?"

"Sure."

     Vinny followed him into the kitchen. Marty turned out to be a decent cook, and the pair put together a fair meal. Marty's living situation made Vincent sad though; Marty's attentiveness to the details around the house made his experience evident. His mother being absent, and him needing to take care of his sister and the house, was clearly not a new thing.

      His house was in a bad neighborhood, and it was empty and a little worse for wear all around. Vincent's old home wasn't particularly nice, and him and his mother weren't particularly wealthy, but Lucas's family was. Lucas had a very large house too. It made Vinny feel bad for dismissing Marty so quickly as one of Lucas' obnoxious wealthy friends.