Trailer Trash (Luke Dunphy x OC)

Chapter 2

S6 E6 „Halloween 3: Awesomeland"

Two and a half weeks ago Heather LaFontaine and her family had moved out from the trailer park she had grown up in and into a nice suburban neighbourhood they could have only dreamed about not all that long ago. This move came with her own room, new furniture (brand new, not used like all her live before!) and a new school. It was a much nicer and more modern one than her previous school, though she was not yet sure how she felt about it having no walkthrough scanners at the entrance and teachers that were constantly searching students and their lockers for drugs and weapons. Did that make her feel safer or more unsafe? She honestly wasn't sure yet. Heather had never done anything involving drugs OR weapons and in her time going to her old school nothing major had ever happened, for which she was thankful. But the paranoia was still there. Growing up in the poorer part of town and seeing the people there, old and young alike, struggle daily she knew how much potential for unrest and violence there always was; her senses cautioned by a lifetime of experience. This sudden fortune and safety sometimes made her uncomfortable and insecure, if she was really honest.

What had calmed her down in her first days in that new school had been the discovery that she and Luke, her new neighbour, were in most of the same classes. They were not exactly friends yet, but it had felt good to discover a familiar face in the sea of strangers staring at her when she had entered that first class behind the teacher; seeing the boys' eyes light up in recognition. Unfortunately they had ended up sitting pretty far apart that first day, but the moment the bell had signalled the end of the lesson Luke had shot up from his seat and appeared at her side, offering to show her around the school. Heather had found that extremely cute and so had, to the chagrin of a couple other boys waiting for a chance to speak with her, agreed with a radiating smile.

On that first day Heather had quickly understood two things about Luke: first, he was not exactly the brightest star in the sky. He was definitely not stupid and he had his moments of incomparable brilliance. But academically he struggled majorly. And second, he was not popular. He was not a complete outsider at school, he had his group of friends (to whom he had proudly introduced her already, it was cute as hell) but there were a couple bullies who, for some reason, had it out for him. Luke did his best to ignore them and even made fun of the mean things they did to him, but she saw clearly that it affected him quite a bit.

But what was new and surprising to her was that it didn't annoy her or turned her off. No. For some reason it made him seem even more endearing to her and she felt the urge to safe and protect him. What was weird, because she was actually shorter and less muscular than him and even though she could stand her ground when needed, she had never been known to be especially confrontational. But Luke was, seemingly, awakening something in her.

Anyway, today was her parents absolute favourite holiday: Halloween. All day she had helped them set up their „Zombie house of whores/horrors" (pun definitely intended), her siblings having scrammed the moment they had seen the boxes of Halloween decoration littering their newly furnished living room; with Ronnie mumbling something about a gig his band had been booked for and Tammy insisting she had to start preparing herself for the party she wanted to go to later that day. So, as the youngest, it was on Heather to help her parents. And they made her work. Ronnie Sr and Amber were hellbent to win the Halloween pot again, a tradition they were trying to set up with their neighbours here as well and what they had never lost before in their old street. At least not as far as the girl could remember. But in the afternoon she definitely needed a break and so she sneaked out of the house.

Outside she saw an interesting change in the Dunphys front porch: the cute, funny decoration from this morning had vanished; exchanged with scary Halloween decoration. And although that was much more fitting for the holiday it did made her question what had prompted this change. So she went over, immediately spotting her classmate dressed up in a hospital gown and a straight jacket, bound to a hand truck. His eyes were closed, his breathing even and Heather cocked a brow. Had he actually fallen asleep while standing up? „Luke?" She asked carefully. But he didn't answer. So she clapped with her hands, yelling „Luke!" Said boy twitched and opened his eyes, though he needed a moment to focus his gaze on her. „Sorry. I think I fell asleep." He then admitted sheepishly before squirming a bit in his jacket. „This thing is like a Temple Grandin Hug."