Something Lost, Something Gained (BEING EDITED)

Chapter 5: an Unexpected Ally

Jade Garden was a small Chinese buffet with seven tiny tables. Upon entering a young girl with a large smile on her face greeted us at the door.

"Hey'o," she said tossing up a peace sign. "Please follow me!" In her other hand she clutched two menu's.

"Thank you uh..." I read her name tag, "Maami." Bastian and I sat down at our tiny cramped table. His hand rested close to mine, I could feel my pulse jump.

Sebastian laughed under his breath, "I can hear your heart." I felt my cheeks heat up.

"I'm gonna go get food now," I said awkwardly. He grabbed my wrist.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you Luce," Bastian said.

"I know," I walked away from the table. In front of me stood a plethora of Asian foods. I selected my usual lo mein and crab ragoons. I also snagged a pair of chopsticks and headed back to where Bastian sat. What awaited me was a Dr. Pepper and the ever so handsome Bastian. "You can go get food if you want..."

"I don't need your permission," He said walking off angrily.

"Looks like someone is cranky," I heard from behind me. A man sat with a newspaper at the table closest to the wall.

"Yeah, uh, he gets like that when he is hungry," I replied. I heard the paper crinkle and looked back to see not a man, but a boy. His skin was a shade of olive and his hair was shoulder length and wavy. His face wears a smile that reaches up to meet his hazel eyes. I must have had a dumb look on my face because he started to chuckle.

"I know what you're thinking. Yes, I am Native American. No I don't have a weird ass name, and yes I am totally hot." He began to laugh and I joined in.

"That wasn't what I was thinking but since you pointed it out...." I trailed my sentence off and noticed a little red in his cheeks. "So since you don't have a crazy ass name, what is it?"

"My name is Luke Ellard." He sighed. "See? No White Knife or Tree Bark and all that crap. Just a plain old white person name."

"Well Luke, it's nice to meet you." I said.

"So what are you here for? I know everyone in this town, and I know you aren't from around here." Luke states.

Bastian chose that exact moment to reappear. "We are looking for the great Indian Chief Te-kon-qua-sha."

Luke let loose a roar of laughter, "Ahhhhh I haven't heard that name in a long time!" It takes him a while to calm down, and then he speaks again. "Well the best thing we can do is head to Tekonsha and talk to Tim Perkins. He knows where everyone lives in our little village. I know who you need to find, I just don't know where."

Luke led us out of Jade Garden after we finished eating and paid our bill. We looked around for Luke's car for about five minutes before realizing that he didn't have one.

"You walked all this way?" I asked opening the door to Bastian's car. I slid the seat forward and climbed in the back. "You can ride with us."

"Luce," Bastian said with warning in his voice. He pokes his head in the backseat, "We don't know who this kid is and we can't trust him!"

"He is our only chance of finding my father right now, so shut the hell up and get in the car Sebastian." I said with sass. "Luke come hop in."

Bastian glares at me in the rearview mirror as he buckles up. Under his careful hands the car engine cranked to life. He threw the stick in reverse and backed out onto the street. We cruised down Main Street with Luke riding shotgun. I got the strangest urge that I had been here before as we made our way around the roundabout.

The drive to Tekonsha was a short one. Only lasting about twenty minutes, twenty minutes that Bastian filled with ten hateful glares, five nostril flares, and two cigarettes. Upon entering Tekonsha I saw a sign that said Population: 500. Holy crap this is a small town, I thought to myself. We drove by a small cemetery and an even smaller school on Elm Street. Luke pointed out important landmarks as he lead us through the miniature town.

"So where ya guys from? I can totally tell you aren't from this state cuz your voices are funny, and you smell." Luke asked.

"Well," Sebastian begins, "We are from Louisiana, and the smell is because we haven't showered in two days."

I let out a small giggle and lifted my arm to smell myself. "Bash why didn't you tell me I smelled like this?!"

This caused both the boys to laugh loudly. Luke then went back to pointing out directions. We end up in a small suburb parked in front of a two-story green painted house. This is where Tim Perkins lived. We all climbed out of the car and walked up the narrow driveway. Sebastian grabs my arm as we walk up the stairs, and Luke goes to knock on the door.