The Lost

5- A Misunderstanding

Lyn

Panic clearly shot across Avery's face when the door creaked open. Oh no- my heart plummeted. Before he seemed to know what he had done, the cup had slipped out of the boy's hand. It clattered against the desk just an inch from where I knelt, the sound almost puncturing my ears. The boy eyes shot between the cup, my tiny form, and the door now opening. And as I stared up at Avery, I realised that he was panicking even more than me. This is my chance!

Without wasting another second, I leapt to my feet and ran for it.
"Faelyn-" the boy started behind me, but I was already halfway across the table. Panting, I sprinted on and on, seeing nothing but the hole that grew nearer with each second. How I hadn't heard the footsteps of whoever was now coming into the room, I didn't know. Probably because I had been so mesmerised by the giant boy... but anyway, the door had almost opened and I needed to get back to my hideaway before this luck ran out. I felt a tiny twang of guilt for running away from Avery, but then again, there was no way that I would chance the mercy of two humans. Perhaps Avery was docile, but anyone like Edward certainly wouldn't be.

When I leapt up to the crack in the wall, something, or rather someone forcefully yanked me backwards by the waist of my dress. I didn't even have to turn to know who it was.

To my horror, Avery pinched my clothes between his finger and thumb and tugged me off the desk. My eyes widened as I was lifted above solid ground, everything shrinking around me. The boy dangled me over a fatal drop by just the back of my dress. Oh my god- As I started to scream, he had already grabbed the spinning cup with his other hand.
"Shh!" he hushed.
His words made sense, but I was beyond reason. I tried to cry out, but my voice was silenced by the entering human's irritated sigh. My screaming faltered. As I was held over the empty space, something clicked in my head. I knew that sound. Wait-

The door slammed shut and Avery seemed to seriously go into panic-mode. He brought his two hands together and practically threw me inside the plastic cup with ridiculous human strength. I smacked down hard against the plastic with a cry, air struck from my lungs. Marks of black and purple spotted in my vision. And then pain. Pain. I was suddenly whimpering with pain from where I'd been flung so fiercely against the solid object. Smarting heat bloomed over my bleeding hand and up my arm, my ribs were set throbbing from the impact. Without even wanting to, I started to cry. Again.

Ow- I held back sounds, but the tears I couldn't stop. You're such a baby, I scolded, tears running off my cheeks. Could I do anything but cry? Not a child, I had told myself before going on this stupid little expedition. But here I was now, crying my eyes out. No, you're not a child, Faelyn— you're a baby.
When I opened my eyes, I was trapped in the cup just like before. Avery had hidden me towards the back of the desk, among all of his painting tools.
Flustered, Avery spoke over my tears, "Oh- hi, hey."

Instantly I went silent. There was another human in this room. Water still streamed down my face, but I gritted back my cries of pain.
"Hey," a familiar voice replied, monotone, "You okay?"
I ignored the agony in my chest and crawled to the front of the cup. I know that voice, I know that voice! To my total disbelief, Lucius' was trudging away from the door.

My eyes widened as if to burst from my face. Lucius. I couldn't believe it, was I hallucinating? No, it was really him. I could feel his footsteps shaking me when he walked. Then this was his room too? Avery and Lucius shared a room... maybe that was why Avery had never once partaken in bullying Lu? Of course. Oh, it all made sense to me now... but what did it matter in this situation?!

Avery was obviously trying to protect me, keep me safe from this new person finding out about me. But what he didn't know was that this person was Lucius, my dearest Lucius. All he was doing by hiding me away in this prison was keeping me from my friend. Lucius. I suddenly longed for his warm hands to lift me from this desk and hold me. Just hold me. Because everything in this school was huge, and everyone was so scary and loud, so horrible— but Lucius was big and loud too, and he could protect me when he held me in his warm hands. Lucius. Tears started down my face.
I wanted Lucius.