Lucky

2

TRIGGER WARNING
///////////////////////////

abuse, drug use, mention of a family death

/////////////////////////////////////////////

The Maddox household was a shabby apartment in upstate New York.

Lucky pulled the door open, barely paying attention to the mess of piled up bills that had gathered on the old wooden coffee table. His mother sat on the couch, a cigarette in her hands as she spoke on the phone. "Yeah, I know. Okay, okay....bye." She spoke slowly before she hung up, quickly rising to her feet and walking over to her son. Lucky smiled tightly at her. "Hey mom." Cass Maddox was a short woman with long brown hair. She wore a pair of dirty white slippers and long blue pajama pants and a white t-shirt with a faded red bath robe thrown over.

Lucky scratched the back of his head as she raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?" Lucky shrugged, throwing his blazer over the back of the couch. "I've got a job, and I gotta leave for a few days is all." A scowl etched it's way onto her face as she eyed her son, her wild eyes followed his every move as he looked around the messy house. "Did you eat today?" She didn't respond right away as she watched him. "You're going to leave and not come back." Startled, Lucky stared at his mother in shock. "W-what?" She took a step away from him. "Don't think I don't know."

Anger took over her features as she swung her small hands at him, landing a punch to his jaw. Lucky stumbled back holding his arms out to block out her slaps as she cried. "Mom, mom!" She slapped him across the face, hard before stumbling back and collapsing onto the couch sobbing. She trembled as she wiped her hands across the thin layer of sweat across her forehead. "I was on the phone with that goddaned grandmother and she told me this would happen...that you wouldn't love me anymore and you'd leave and never come back!" She stumbled over her words, getting louder as she spoke. "Mom, I'm only going for work, I'll be back in a few days." Lucky watched horrified as she swiped the papers off of the table and onto the dirty floor. "You're high off your ass."

Cass stared at her son sadly. "How else do you expect me to get things done, I cant do shit if I'm always hurting Lucky! And I definitely can't do anything if you always leave me alone. If you would just stay-" Lucky stopped her, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'm the only source of income! If I don't leave you would be on the streets or dead! I'm actually doing something with myself, so don't blame me for your shitty habits mom." Cass glared at him. "Fine, leave. You are nothing. Just like your father, some day your pride's gonna get the best of you boy, and you'll be nothing but a tombstone in a sea of nothing, right where you goddamn belong." She screamed loudly, throwing the phone at the pale boy.

Lucky ducked, punching the wall as he felt his temper rise. Cass flinched, falling to the couch silent. The ringing of the doorbell sounded through the house and Lucky let his glare linger on the woman before he turned around slowly, opening the door. East stood silently, his hands in the pocket of his jeans. He looked a lot less intimidating in his normal clothes but that didn't stop Lucky from looking at his shoes in embarrassment under his boss's glare. East didn't bother asking if he could enter before he pushed passed the boy. "Miss Cassandra, very nice to see you. Sorry it had to be under these circumstances. How's the detox treating you?" His gaze was hard as he stared the woman down.

Cass looked down, avoiding his gaze. "That's exactly what I thought. Go get your clothes Lucky." He kept his eyes on Cass as she stood up and made her way to the room. "Thank you," East nodded, pointing down the hall. "Go now, we're needed there a lot earlier than initially thought, and Ms. Jackson is waiting in the car outside. Lucky nodded walking to down the hall to his room, immediately grabbing his pillow off of his unmade bed. He reached into his closet and pulled out random clothes and shoved them into a small duffel bag that he had kept under his dresser. East walked in after him leaning casually against the door frame. "I'll have someone come over daily while you're gone to check on Cass, make sure she doesn't get into trouble." Lucky nodded throwing his cell hone and his charger in after. "Good." East tilted his head to the side, watching Lucky intently the way he does. "She didn't mean what she said you know." Lucky nodded, throwing in an extra pair of shoes and ear buds. "I know, it was just the drugs. I've had shrinks drilling it into my head since I was fourteen."

East sighed, scratching the stubble on his chin. "Yeah, well it's true. Come on." Lucky slung the bag over his shoulder walking out of the house and into his mothers' room. She sat silently on her bed, sifting through a small box. "Where's your stash?" Lucky was quiet when he asked, careful not to set her off on another rampage. Cassandra turned to her son. "Just finished the last of it." Lucky stiffened, watching as she stood up and walked past him. "Now get the hell out of my house." His jaw clenched as he tried desperately to keep from screaming. "He'll be over to check on her in about five minutes, but for now we have to leave." Lucky turned to East, staring at his mother across the hall as she dug around in the fridge for a beer. "Why can't I just tell her? If my dad is alive, she'll stop." East shook his head. "Confidentiality. We can't confirm or deny anything without WILD's permission." Lucky shook his head. "But you told me, even before you told Ms. Jackson that you were sending me in." East shook his head.

"That's because you're a trusted agent and at the time I had already consulted with her about telling you." Lucky groaned, "Fine let's just get the hell out of here." East nodded, walking into the kitchen and nodding at Cass as he opened the front door. "I hope when you sober up, you come to your senses." Cassandra glared at him. "Screw you, get out of my house." East nodded, opening the door for Lucky. They walked outside, shutting the door behind them. "How much did you hear?" East shrugged. "Not much, there was a bang, two actually, and when I walked in your face was all bruised up so I figured something serious had happened." Lucky nodded opening the back seat of the car and sliding in, sending a quick smile to Ms. Jackson through the rear view mirror.

East sat down behind the wheel before starting the engine and buckling up. Ms. Jackson smiled back before pulling out a file and handing it back to Lucky who took it into his hands. "Are you ready for some answers Lucky Maddox?" Lucky looked down at the file, opening it to the familiar image of his father, smiling next to his mom as she held a small child bundled in a bunch of baby blue blankets. Under it read, 'Maddox Family 1992'. Before his mother had picked up the habit of remembering to buy more meth more than remembering her son's birthday and before Lucky had learned what loss truly was. Before his father was 'killed'.

"Yeah I am."

//////////////////////

IF YOU EVER NEED TO TALK IM HERE xx