Beyond the Lesson (TXS)

What Is This?

One Month Later
Saturday November 23

It's been a long month. Carmen hasn't been poking around a lot but Verena still feels like she's being watched and I get the same feeling whenever I'm home alone which has not been often either. Ever since I told Tyson about being threatened, he's been around a lot more and taking less late lectures. Verena and I have had very minimal contact since that day at Victorias. Her parents didn't explain their plan or who they talked to about Carmen but they said they'd be watching over us. Which gave some comfort somewhat aside from I haven't seen a single sign of someone watching me. We barely talk at school and if we do it's only if she calls on me. It sucks not being able to be with her but it makes it worth it knowing eventually we will be together even if it is for another 6 months.

One thing that has been bothering me is Lucas. He's been a little less-Lucas if you know what I mean. I know it has something to do with his mom and Calvin but he won't talk to me or Maira and it's kind of affecting their relationship. She wants to talk to him but he continues to push it away. So that's what we're doing now. I'm in Mairas car as we head to Lucas's house to see what's going on ourselves. "What if it's nothing?" She asks as we pull onto his street.

I look at her. "And what if it's worse than we think? He's our bestfriend we can't let him go through whatever he's going through alone." She takes a breath and nods. We pull up to the house and see his mom's black Chevy car in the driveway. "You ready?" She shakes her head and I take her hand.

She breathes in and out and then nods. "Let's go." We get out the car and walk up to the door. Knock knock!

The door opens revealing his mom but she looks so different. Her hair used to me so well kept and beach blonde but now it's a birds nest and almost an ashy blonde. Her eyes used to hold so much light in them and now they look so dim and dead. She looks and smells like she hasn't showered in days if not weeks and even though she's smiling at us like she used to, I can see the pain. The pain I failed to recognize in my own parents. "Hi girls! Oh you guys look more beautiful everytime I see you."

"Uh hi Ms. Simmons is Lucas here?" Maira asks and she stops to think as if she has no idea what's going on around her anymore. "Ms. Simmons?"

She looks back at Maira. "Yes dear?"

"Is Lucas here, we would like to see him?" She asks again and Ms. Simmons finally nods.

"He's upstairs in his room playing his video games." We walk in and she closes the door. "Are you girls hungry? I can make those tacos you guys like so much." She says almost sounding like her old self.

I shake my head. "No thank you. We'll be leaving soon after we talk to Lucas." I say and she nods and then we head upstairs to Lucas's room.

"I'm scared Talia." Maira says as we walk up the stairs. I nod agreeing after seeing the state of the house with alcohol bottles every where, clothes scattered in the halls. Knock knock!

"Mom not now." Knock knock. We hear his steps coming towards the door. "Mom I said not now!" He yells as he opens the door and his eyes go wide in shock to see us. "What are you guys doing here, I thought we weren't leaving until tomorrow?"

"We have to talk." I say as Maira is staring at him intensly at his appearance. He looks tired, too tired.

He sighs and walks in his room. "About what?" I look around his room and something just feels off as he sits down on his bed and I a paused game of Madden is on the screen of his monitor.

"You know about what, Lucas. Why have you been so distant?" Maira asks him as my eyes glance around the room.

He shrugs. "I didn't realize I was. My bad babe." He says plainly and she grabs his face.

"Baby what's going on? We saw your mom, I thought you said it wasn't that bad." She says trying to sound calm but I can see the panic.

He grabs her wrist and drops her hands slowly off his face. "Nothing is going on. I'm just trying to figure things out with her. It's been tough, that's all." He says and I wish I believed him if I didn't see the slight purple mark on his cheek.

I tilt my head. "Why are you wearing makeup?" I ask him and he turns his head to mine.

"What?" He asks and I roll my eyes as I lick my thumb and then rub his cheek. "Fuck Talia!" He hisses and the makeup appears on my fingers.

"Baby what the fuck?!" She tilts his face to look better but he stands up and moves away. "Lucas did he do that?"

He shakes his head. "No he didn't! Ok can you guys leave I'll see you tomorrow!" He yells and then I see it. How big his pupils are and how frantic he is.

"Where is it?" I ask him and he looks away. "Lucas where the fuck is it?!" He shakes his head and I nod and start rummaging though every drawer.

"What are you doing Talia?" Maira asks until I lift up the keyboard on his desk and my heart drops. I grab the baggie of pills-fentanyl. "What the hell is that?"

I look at Lucas feeling the tears burning in my eyes. "You trying to kill yourself?" I ask him and he goes to shake his head but I drop the badge and step on it. "Because that's exactly what the hell that shit does to you! Are you out of your mind?!"

"Lucas?"

He doesn't look at her and only continues to look at me. "How long?" I walk back to him and grab his face to look me in my eyes. "How long?"

I see tears forming in his eyes. "Two weeks." Shit. "I just couldn't take it anymore Talia!" I let him go and turn away from him. "He just kept bring it to her and I hated seeing her like that so I took them and I'd flush them down. But that only made her mad." I look at him.

"She hit you?" He nods. My eyes soften.

"I-I didn't mean to take them. I just wanted to forget and feel nothing like she was. I'm not trying to kill myself Talia I swear I'm sorry!" He apologies pulling me in for a hug and I hug him back. "Fuck I'm so sorry."

"It's ok. We're going to get you both help. Starting with getting Calvin away." I say and then look at Maira over his shoulder who looks so distraught. "Talk to her." I whisper and he nods in my shoulder that's now soaked from his tears. He pulls away and turns to her.

"Maira," she slaps and punches at his chest. "Baby please I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Tears flood down her face. "You asshole! You were killing yourself and you didn't talk to me?! Me! I've known you since we were babies Lucas! And you couldn't talk to me?!" He tries to reach for her but she pushes him away. "No! No! You can't do that! You know what Talia has been through! You know what I've been through Lucas! And you were just going to leave us!" Her voice goes hoarse. "God! Do you not know we love you?"

He nods. "I do. And I'm sorry."

She shakes her head. "Sorry is not going to cut it. You fucked up. And you need to fix it."

"And I will." He gets down on his knees and holds her by the waist. "Baby I will I promise. I'm so sorry please." She sobs and wraps her arms around his shoulder to lay her head on top of his as his head is in her chest.

I pick up the bag off the floor and go to the bathroom to flush it down the toilet. I come back and see them kissing with him still on his knees and her hands cupping his face. "Let's go to my house. I'll cook us some food while we pack for the week." I say and they both nod and he stands up. "Don't do this shit again." He nods and after he gets dressed we leave his room to see Ms. Simmons laid out in the couch. "We're going to help her Lucas."

"Yeah I know." He says and we leave the house that used to be a second home for us.