Saving Lexi

Chapter 7

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After a weekend at Lydia's, Leo dropped me off at my house after school.

"Melvin, help Lexi with her bags." 

My brother's car was in the driveway today, which was odd for a Monday, he was usually at his girlfriend's house.

Melvin grabbed my duffle bag from the trunk and headed towards the front door.

"Bye, Lyd! Thank you, Leo!" I hugged Lydia and followed Melvin to the front door.

I unlocked it and saw Luke hunched over on the kitchen counter, doing his homework. 

Melvin set my bag down, and Luke looked up.

"What happened to you?" I gasped and rushed towards him.

"Nothing," he said, glaring at Melvin. 

There was a purple bruise under his eye, and it was slightly swollen. 

"What happened to you?" I tried to pull his face towards me to see the bruise.

"Nothing." He shoved my hands off.

Luke wouldn't look at me, he was just staring at Melvin, who had a sick grin on his face. 

"That's a shiner." 

"Yeah," Luke said through gritted teeth.

"How'd it happen?" 

"I got into a fight at school," he mumbled.

"With who? What do you mean?" Luke never got into fights, he was a straight-A student! 

"Drop it!" Luke snapped and I recoiled. 

He never spoke to me like that. He barely spoke to me at all, but when he did it was indifference, avoidance, never anger.

"Okay," I gave up.

I waited for him to snap his laptop shut and leave the house like he always does, but it didn't happen.

He just stayed. 

"What are you staring at?" 

"A-Are you gonna go... to your girlfriend's?"

"No, he's not," Melvin answered before Luke could. 

I whipped my head around to where Melvin was still standing, staring at Luke with a strange look on his face. 

"Melvin?" 

He turned and smiled at me, a satisfied smile. 

I realized the look was a challenge, he was challenging Luke to say otherwise. 

"He's not gonna be at anyone's house for a while, isn't that right, Lukey?"   

Again, Luke bit his tongue.

"What did you do?" I asked Melvin, horrified. 

"Don't worry about it." He winked and walked out of the house, whistling.

***

"I'm so glad it's Friday!" Lydia groaned at lunch. I just smiled and nodded.  

This entire week Luke had stayed home, but hadn't said a word to me. The silent treatment wasn't unusual, but a fading bruise around his eye suggested otherwise. 

He wouldn't tell me how it happened, no matter how many times I asked, and forget Melvin telling me anything!

I was basically back to square one with him, it was as if nothing ever happened. It made it easier to forget the whole thing, like it was all one big bad dream. I was back to Middle school problems with my Middle School friends.