favours; lrh

t w e n t y - f i v e

Luke's POV

I crept slowly into the library and past the front counters, into the break room. Andrea's back was turned to me, and she was on her phone so I ran at her, wrapping my arms around her waist and spinning her around. "Luke!" She exclaimed laughing, I pushed her hair to one side and kissed up on the side of her neck quickly crawling up to the back of her ear. "Good morning, princess" I whispered and she giggled, tracing her hand over mine.

"I like that dress." I whispered into her ear, a smile grew wide on her face revealing those dimples I fell in love with. What?

"I can see that" she joked.

"Andrea I really like you. Graduations on Monday, and then it's off to our own lives-"

"We can stay together" she smiled up at me, chuckling, but it quickly faded. "Do you want to break up?"

Oh shit, she doesn't know about the key. "No! No. I don't." I told her, not sounding all too convincing. The bell rang, and I looked down at the girl and smiled before grabbing my bag off the floor. "By the way, I'm going to be at friends house after school" I told her, and she nodded. "Have fun."

•••

"What the hell do you mean?!" The man exclaimed, pressing the gun harder to my forehead. "Okay, one - cut the gun act. We both know you aren't going to shoot me. Two, is the key really necessary? Why can't you just steal from him? Why can't you just like terrorize his office or so-"

"Luke, I think that black girl magic went up your ass - your forgetting that your mother has 6 days to live, now. And that's all on you. I asked you for one favour-"

"And now I'm asking you to return one-"

"I'm doing that by keeping her alive! Get me that key before the 1st or both of you are dead."

"Can I see her?" I asked quietly. And he shrugged grabbed onto the collar of my shirt and aggressively yanking me down the stairs. I reached the dark room, that reeked of somekind of odour. I held the sleeve of my flannel over my nose, as he unlocked a door and led me inside. The lights switched on, revealing my mother tied to a wooden stool, with a bucket underneath. Her head hung low and her now brittle blonde hair hung infront of her face, suddenly I forgot about the stench and tears began to form in my eyes.

I rushed over to where she sat. "Mom!" I yelled, grabbing her hand. Her head shot up, and her expression softened once her eyes met mine. "Luke." She smiled, her teeth were beginning to change colour.

"Oh, it's feeding time. I forgot. Don't do anything you'll regret idiot, I'm right upstairs." The man said before jogging up the stairs we came down from. I reached over and pulled up a chair.

"Are you okay, mom?" I asked, "has he hurt you?"

"No. But the living conditions are unbearable. That bucket is my toilet, I get fed twice a day and that's the only time he lets me off this chair. All he told me is that if you do your job right, I'll be free. What is he making you do?"

"Umm. I just have to get John Jhani's office key, and possibly the code to the safe inside, strictly before June 1st."

"How are you doing that?"

"He told me to go through his daughter, so I've been dating her the past month and just earning up her trust." I explained. She shot me a look, and I groaned realizing how fucked up this all was.

"I know" I held my head in my hands, running them through my blonde hair. "How's your father?"

"Ugh, annoying. He's either drunk or drinking, pissed on my new girlfri- John Jhani's daughter and she thinks he's a racist, and we broke up. Then she cheated on me with her ex."

"Oh that sucks, good thing your just using her."

"Yeah, it really hurt, we're back together now but it really stung - you know?"

"You have feelings for her?"

"A lot" I sighed, "after I get that key, it's the end of us. but I will get that key, I will get you out of here." I squeezed her hand once more, she smiled up at me.

"Okay, time to go idiot" the man came down the stairs with a tray, containing a 2 sandwiches and a bottle of Gatorade. He placed it on the coffee table with a bang, and began to un-tie my mother. I just stood their, watching, rubbing my sweaty palms against my jeans.

"I said leave!" He yelled suddenly and I jumped, surprised by his sudden burst. My mother hopped over to the couch and took a well deserved bite of the sandwich. "I love you, mom."

"I love you too, son."