33 Days To Live (Under Revision)

37

"Her dad died?" Andrew repeated, looking away from me and out across the empty classroom we both were huddled in the corner in. It was lunch right now but I felt like I couldn't go another second without filling in Andrew on the new information. He then looked back at me, biting his lip hard. "Did she say anything about it in the journal?" He asked softly.

"No, she didn't. She only mentioned him a couple of times in her entries and it sounded like he was just out of the picture not..." I swallowed thickly. "Not dead."

I couldn't imagine life without my father.

Yeah, he drove me crazy with his emotions and over-protectiveness but I'd like to think my dad was part of the reason I was the way I was. While my mother taught me valuable things like manners, not to pull girls hair and how to drive because my dad wasn't brave enough to, my dad taught me some lessons only a dad can teach his son.

How to love a woman and handle her with care, how to work a radio, how to flip a pancake up in the air and catch it with a pan, how to handle disappointment like a man, how to climb a ladder without falling off, and just many many small lessons that all led up to the big test of adulthood.

Just the gnawing thought of not having my dad there made the Italian boy in me quiver. It was to horrible to imagine and that was why I felt so deeply for Lucy because she had lost her dad.

The only thing worse then a boy not having a father is a girl not having a father.

"I wonder how he died," Andrew said quietly, more to himself then me as he rested his head back against the wall to reflect on the new information.

"I don't know and don't you dare ask her." I warned as I laid my head back against the wall as well. I knew Andrew wouldn't breathe of a word of it to her, he had enough respect for my secrets and hers to keep it to himself that he knew plenty.

"I can't believe Oscar is her step-dad though, that's intense." Andrew then mumbled.

After pulling Andrew aside into the classroom I had filled him in every little detail I originally planned on not telling him, I needed to get everything off my chest before it suffocated me.

"Yeah, it shocked me to. Oscar says he liked me but I'm not sure if I believe him." I exhaled prior to pushing myself off the wall and standing up.

"We better get to lunch, I don't want the others to get worried." I wasn't actually worried about the others, I was worried about Lucy getting worried. The others would be fine.

Nodding, Andrew got up as well and we both proceeded to walk to the cafeteria in a heavy silence. Heavy silence that was filled with loud empty chatter upon us entering the cafeteria. When in the hall I let my emotions show on my face but once I walked through the door I erased the glum expression on my face and put on a relaxed one instead.

"There you guys are! What took you love birds so long?" Rodney cooed playfully when we approached the table and Andrew smacked him over the head before stealing his apple.

"Oi! That's my apple!" Rodney frowned. Andrew just shrugged as he took a bite out of it and sat down. Glancing over at the interaction with the shake of my head, I plopped down next to Lucy who smiled tensely at me and gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Did the guidance counselor give you a lecture on how troubled you are?" She asked, hinting that she wanted to know what he talked to me about but was to polite to ask front up.

"Something like that. He wasn't happy I stole the light switch and he said my reckless behavior might be linked to a bad soda I drank in the middle of winter when I twelve and listening to my parents fight over the TV remote." I shrugged.

Lucy then untensed and laughed, "And here I was worrying Ben had gotten himself in serious trouble but still he remains unscathed by the school board." She teased.

Man, I really liked this girl.

"Perfect Lucy! That was perfect vocabulary use, which is more then I can say for the Duke of Albany here," Gene said with a side glance at Leopold who just shrugged her comment off. They still bickered on and off but their arguments lately have been lighter and shorter. I wondered if that meant something had happened between them but I wasn't one to pry.

I was one though to forget important information I should've brought up earlier in the day only to remember it later randomly.

"Oh hey, I almost forgot but Jake is having a party tomorrow and he wants to know if we'd like to perform at it," I said and Rodney's interest in his lunch was redirected to the group.

"Oh yeah! We talked about that last night over Facebook." He informed and Gene ruffled his hair.

"I can't believe you still use Facebook grandma." She grinned, earning a glare before he turned back to me.

"I told him I was game if you were," He said and I nodded. It would've been the perfect moment right now to bring up the issue of Rodney doing things without asking us first but I couldn't bring myself to it when I saw how happy he looked.

"Yeah, I'm game. How about all of you?" I asked everyone. For a moment they were all silent and exchanged glances before nodding.

"Sure, I still have some investigating to do on the party scene for my biography." Gene decided. Not bothering to wait for Leopold's answer because I knew he would do whatever Gene did, I turned to Andrew who got that panic stricken look that always consumed him when we mentioned performing or singing or anything of the sorts.

"The lights will definitely be dimmed at the party," I said, nudging him and Andrew swallowed thickly.

"Yeah, I guess I can't say no to all of you." He sighed.

"Sweet! Then its settled! Radio Boy and the Fusions are back and ready to party!" Rodney hollered. Everyone around the table seemed happy about it, except one persons who face noticeably fell. Lucy.

"Hey Lu," I said upon turning to her and she looked up at me.

"Want to use your marvelous art skills to design us some costumes or something like it?"

Catching onto me trying to include Lucy, Gene spoke up to.

"Or if you want you can sing with us, we can most certainly use some more girl power in this soon to be famous band," She said and Leopold raised an eyebrow.

"Your oddly optimistic about life Gene, not sure if its something I should worry about or appreciate." He pointed out.

Gene just shushed him.

"What do ya say Lucy? What will it be?" She asked her and a small smile tugged at Lucy's lips.

"I'm not much of a singer but I would love to design some costumes or paint some shirts for you all like Ben said." She admitted.

"Then its officially settled! We need to put a list of songs together and one of us will help Lucy bring her visions for our attire to life! We need to meet up after school and start planning immediately!" Rodney exclaimed excitedly, making us all laugh.

"Hold up their tiger we still have the superhero run after school, lets get that over with first then we'll all crash at your place and plan." Leopold reminded.

"Oh yeah, your right. Sorry. I got ahead of myself." Rodney apologized in a calmer tone but he was still quivering in excitement.

I didn't blame him, even with the burden of bad news on my shoulders I was quivering in excitement to.

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Hey guys! Thank you so much for 1,000+ votes and for 10,000+ reads! I can't believe this silly little story idea flourish so fast and how much you all like it! :D Hopefully you all will still like it as things start to heat up. There are 19 days left for Lucy according to my research on the earlier chapters and I'm about to bring a hurricane of plot twists your way!

Have a nice day :)
-Mari.