Blank Lines

Blank Lines; 4

Sunday dinner that night was definately awkward. I figeted uncomfortably under Lucas's ever present gaze. He was always staring at me. It wasn't creepy though. More like, curious. 

You really don't remember me?

His words kept running through my head. The sad look in his blue eyes when i told the truth haunted me. What did this mysterious boy know? What did he know about how i used to be? 

He sat across the table from me, pushing his food around on his plate. The beanie was gone and so were the jeans and hoodie. He was now in a pair of black sweat pants and a plain t-shirt, but he still looked incredibly sexy. 

Woah there Remi. He caught me staring from across the table and raised an eyebrow, mocking me with that little smirk. I just glared and shoveled a forkful of chicken in my mouth. He'd seemed surprised with the heaping amount of food I had put on my plate earlier, but just wait until he sees me eat every single bite. 

I continued shoveling food in. I could still feel his eyes burning into my forhead. I could also hear Gwyen and Gracie giggling to eachother at the other end of the table. As soon as they heard of Lucas, they were like dogs in heat. I smirked. Oh the joy of preteens. 

Drehy had tackled him as soon as dinner started, bombarding him with questions. In Drehy's 6 months here, no other males had rotated in and he was starved for some one on one guy time. Maybe Lucas coming was a good thing. 

But i just couldn't shake what had happened in the library. Further more, i was extremely curious as to why he was here. He had to be almost eighteen, which is legally of age, so why come now? And where was he before now? So many questions bounced around in the back of my throat, threatening to escape  but i held them in. 

Everyone seemed to be enjoying Lucas. Even Sophie came to dinner tonight, and that never happened. It was rare to have someone rotated in so suddenly. It usually began with the paperwork, and then we all went to meet them at a local government facility, so they could get used to us and we could get used to them.

But Lucas was new, dark, mysterious, handsome. Something unique we didn't have a lot of. Everyone but my father seemed to be enjoying the new specimen. My dad just sat unusually quietly in his spot. He seemed bothered my something, his eyes flickering from me to Lucas. It was making me nervous.

Sophie seemed on edge to, her dark gaze locked on Lucas. She sat, perched and birdlike on her seat, watching Lucas with a curious intensity. She had been here longer than almost everyone else. My dad had adopted her after she'd been in our home for over a year. That was back after i had first come home. He thought i needed a friend. 

She seemed wary of Lucas. She and my father seemed to know something important about him. The possibilities made me dizzy with curiosity. I wanted to know this strangers story. 

I always had a love for stories. I liked the drama of other peoples lives, knowing everything about a character, even if they aren't real. You knew everything about them, even if you knew nothing about yourself. You could just sink into their lives, into their drama, into their relief when their problems are solved. Then you wake up and remember your own problems and the worlds not so happy anymore. I'd rather live in a world of stories. 

"Hey, what happened to your nose?" Drehy's voice drifted into my thoughts, snapping me back to dinner. He was refering to the bruise my ninja book throwing skills had left on Lucas's face. I held my breath, waiting to hear Lucas's explaination for this one. He chuckled, giving me a knowing look. 

I glared and opened my mouth to speak  but Gwyen cut me off. 

"Yes, where did that come from. That bruise is just awful, would you like an icepack?" She fluttered her eyelashes. They were so long they looked like spider legs glued to her eyelids. Gracie made a face of sympathy so fake, it reeked of falseness. 

"Did someone hit you? Oh how terrible, who would ruin such a gorgeous face? I bet it was our own brutish troll. Remi." She snickered to her sister. I blinked, letting that last jab sink in. 

Gwyen and Gracie always made snide remarks like this, so i ignored it easily, waiting to hear Lucas agree with them and tell them the terrifying tale of how i attacked him and beat him senseless with a wooden book. 

Instead, he smiled sweetly at the girls and cleared his throat. "Actually, I was in the library, trying to reach a book. It was on a high shelf, so i climbed the shelfs to get it and fell. Banged my head on a desk, but im fine. Remi found me and patched me up." He grinned at me and my jaw fell slack.

What in the world? I was baffled. Why was he taking up for me if he didn't even know me. 

Suddenly, Sophie pushed away from the table, her chair tilting and clattering to the floor behind her. The whole room went silent, even Gwyen and Gracie stopped their annoying chatter. 

"I'm excusing myself." She said, turning and running from the room. 

Was she sick? I stared after her. "I'll go see if she's alright." I said, putting down my napkin and following in the direction Sophie went. I really hoped she wasn't having another panic attack and cutting herself. I hated finding her like that. I wasn't a big fan of blood, it made me woozy. 

The hall forked at the stairs. The only two places i could think she would be was either in her room, or in the library. 

The library was dark and dusty this time of night. It wasn't at all a pleasant place to go in the dark. I shuddered and started climbing up the stairs. I was going to check her room first. Not that I was afraid or anything, i just didn't like the dark. 

I tapped on her door softly. "Soph? What's wrong?" I could hear her moving around in the room. I knew she was there. "I know you're there." I told her, a small smile playing on my lips. 

"I-I'm fine" Her voice was shaking. Something was wrong. "Come on Soph, just let me in. " I leaned against the door. What could be wrong? I didn't understand what was going on in this house right now. It's amazing how things could be flipped upside down in one night. And i know that better than anyone. 

Footsteps echoed in the hall behind me and next thing i knew, Lucas was standing beside me. 

"I just wanted to make sure she was okay. I saw the scars and felt worried." He whispered in my ear. I nodded hesitantly. I was almost positive that this had something to do with him and he knew it. Everyone was being strange now that he was here, and it hadn't even been 24 hours yet.

He knocked softly on the door. "Sophie? It's Me. I'm sorry if I upset you with something at dinner. But it was really nice to meet you and i hope we can get along." There was something hidden in his voice. What was that other meaning under his words? I pressed my fingers into my temples. Today was just giving me a headache.

It got quiet. Really quiet, really fast. And then the door flew open, a red faced Sophie appearing, her black hair in tangles and her eyes full of hate as she glared at Lucas. 

"I thought i told you never to speak to me again. I hate you." She growled before slamming the door so loud it made me jump. What was this?