Cracking Zeenath

January 24th, 2016: Looking For Lucas

Luke hasn't been himself lately, and I thought I was the only one who noticed. Madison kept trying to cheer him up, but even food couldn't keep his mind in one place for too long.

I sat with Damian under the tree. Classes had started again and it was so cold. I leaned into him, feeling his heat send a tingling down my back. "You're warm."

"I know I'm hot, Zeenath."

I smacked his shoulder. "That's not what I said."

He smiled. "But you were thinking it."

I made a face at him. "No."

"Sure?"

"...."

"See? You were."

"No, I wasn't."

We sat for a while and I played with his fingers, tracing the various marker and pen lines across his palm.

"Have you seen Luke? He hasn't been himself these days."

"No, I haven't. He even stopped coming back to the dorms, and he's not picking up his phone."

I looked at him. "Do you know why?"

He was silent for a moment. "Luke hasn't been getting along with his dad...his mom.."He looked at me.

"Yeah, he told me."

"Well, her death anniversary was at the beginning of this month."

"Oh."

I sighed, letting go of Damian's hand and it dropped into my lap.

"Tch." He looked at it and back at me. "What's wrong?" He scooted closer until his whole left side was up against mine. I shivered.

"Cold?"

I shook my head, thinking. "I'm fine, thanks." I looked up at him. "We need to go find Lucas."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why? He'll be fine, give it time. He needs a break."

"But I still think we need to go find him."

He looked at me and frowned. "Why do you care about this so much, all of a sudden?"

I frowned back. "Why don't you? He's your friend, Damian. And mine too."

"Tch."

He looked away and so did I, and we sat in silence for a while. I sighed.

"Come on, Damian. He needs us."

He pouted. "I need you too."

My cheeks reddened. "Oi. That's not what I meant."

"That's what I meant."

"Be serious, Damian."

"Ah, fine."

He stood up and reached out his hand to me. I put my good leg against the ground and tried to get up. I fell.

"Just take my hand."

"Urgh. Darn it."

I took the hand he offered and he pulled me up, placing a hand on my waist to steady me before reaching down to pick up my crutches.

"I hate these things now."

"I could just carr--"

"Don't finish that, Damian."

"I didn't--"

"I know that tone. You're gonna say something dumb. No. My answer's no."

He laughed. "Fine, Miss Spitfire. You're no fun."