Odds of Love: Past Wounds

Episode 38

As she was leaving the bathroom that night Luci looked over at Theodore's bedroom door. It was open slightly and she thought she heard something coming from his room. It sounded soft and faint. It sounded like crying.

She bit her lip , and in her bright pink nightgown and bunny slippers she walked to the door and paused before it.

It was. He was crying. Should she go downstairs and get Uncle D? Or Papa Andrew who was his real grandfather? Or just go back to her own room and forget she had even heard anything at all?

Luci sighed. She made up her mind and stepped inside the room.

It was dark and all she could make out in the dim room was Theodore curled up on his single bed in his XMen Wolverine pajamas, holding onto his pillow.

" Hey ," she said softly," you ok ? "

The crying suddenly stopped abruptly and he sat up with a rigid tear stained face and embarrassed eyes.

" Why do you care? ," Theodore asked defensively.

Luci couldn't help herself. She rolled her eyes. She came closer to the bed and plopped her balled up hands on her hips. " If I didn't care I would have  just let you drown,  Theo-Dore. "

Theodore was quiet for a few moments. Then he said," I wish you had. I wish I had never been born. Nobody likes me. I don't even like me. I'm weird. I don't look like everyone else. I don't act like everyone else. I want friends but I don't know how to have them. What I want to say never comes out right. That's why people hate me. "

Luci sat on the bottom of his bed. " I don't hate you. "

Now it was Theodore rolling his eyes at her. " Yeah right. "

" I don't. You started it. You insulted my name. It took me a while to choose the right name. It hurt what you said. "

Theodore swallowed hard and looked at her. " I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.... I just.... I didn't know what to say to you when we first met. I didn't know what to say to our uncles. My grandfather who I don't even know. It just came out wrong. I thought it was a funny joke? But I'm not good at jokes. Then I thought you hated me so I figured I would hate you too. " His voice lowered so low she could just barely hear him. " I don't hate you though. I kinda want to be, I don't know, friends. With you and Sol. But I don't know how to be a friend. I've never had one. "

Luci hesitantly reached out and touched his hand. " I like your music. "

Theodore smiled. " I like my music too. When I play I feel like I finally belong somewhere. Or when I sing. I ...... want to study music one day when I'm eighteen. Lorraine, my mother, thinks it's stupid. She said if I was really smart I'd be a doctor like my father. "

" I don't think it's stupid."

Theodore curled his fingers slowly around her hand. " Thank you for saving me. Thank you for not telling your uncle. "

Luci smiled at him. " That's what friends do. "

Theodore looked at her with startled eyes. " You.... would..... ummm...... be my friend? For real? "

Luci shrugged. " Sure. Why not? After tonight I don't think I want to hang around Zora and her friends. And we are kinda sorta related. You're not that repulsive. Even though you cheat at Xbox, Theo - Dore. "

Theodore actually laughed. " I do not. You just don't know how to play, Luci With An I Not A Y. "

They smiled at each other.

From the open doorway Andrew Norland looked in and smiled. Thank God the war was over, he thought as he shuffled in his worn bedroom slippers to the bathroom.