Ghost (First Edition)

Chapter Eight

Nathan

The grass was soft under his back, the sun warm on the exposed parts of his skin, the air fresh and full of pollen and the scent of daisies—

A loud sneeze made Nathan jump and turn his head. Luis was sitting up in the grass next to him, rubbing his nose with his finger. Nathan had convinced him to skip school today so they could spend a whole day together. That was after he had seen the lost and haunted look Luis had worn when he had arrived at school.

Luis looked at him and smiled that nervous smile Nathan loved, that one where Luis would close his eyes. "Heh. Hay fever," Luis said sheepishly.

Nathan smiled back. "That's okay. The pollen is thick today," he murmured, "excited for prom tomorrow night?"

Luis nodded and smiled. "I heard that there will be a huge cake!" He said excitedly, looking over the field towards the back of the mansion.

"There will be more than just cake," Nathan looked up at the clear blue sky, "There will be dancing, a dinner with three courses... And me," He looked back at Luis.

Luis blushed deeply. "Yes," he breathed, "there's you."

Nathan took Luis's hand and placed his free hand behind his head. Luis lay down as well, their joined hands between them.

"Where do you come from, Luis?" Nathan asked softly, "Where were you born?"

Luis seemed to think for a moment. "My mother gave birth to me alone in a small town on the outskirts of Canada. We moved to Australia in the weeks after," he murmured, looking up at the sky.

Nathan rolled over to his side. "I can take you away from here," he said, tracing Luis's cheek with his finger, brushing tenderly over a fading slap mark, "so far away..."

Luis looked at him and smiled. "I would like that," he murmured.

Nathan scooted over and kissed Luis's cheekbone, feeling the heat rise under the other boy's skin. Luis rolled over and snuggled into him, his breath soft against Nathan's neck. He felt Luis trace his hand down his chest, the touch warm even through his shirt. It brought a wash of colour to Nathan's own cheeks.

There was a muffled growl and Luis pushed away and sat up, hands wrapped around his stomach, and looking uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" Nathan asked, pushing himself up on his elbows.

"I haven't eaten since Tuesday," Luis admitted, not meeting Nathan's eye.

Nathan frowned. "Why not?"

Luis shrugged, looking a little haunted. "Mum didn't give me dinner Tuesday night, and she locked me in my room all day yesterday."

Nathan continued to frown. "Not right," he muttered under his breath. He stood up and held out a hand for Luis. "Come on, let me get you something to eat."

***

"What do you want?" Nathan asked, opening the fridge. It was two times bigger than the normal fridge and freezer combo and was made of stainless steel. Every shelf was stacked with food ranging from sweet potatoes to creamy carbonaras ready for reheating.

Luis looked shell-shocked, staring open-mouthed at the mound of food before him. "Why do you need so much food?"

Nathan sighed. "My parents like to have big meals... And snacks—lots of snacks," he muttered.

Taking this in, Luis hesitantly took an apple.

"Have more than that!" Nathan said, appalled, "You're clearly starving! Here," he grabbed a bowl from the top shelf and handed it to Luis firmly, "Have some carbonara!"