Juvenile Delinquency(#wattys2016)

chapter 20

I was sitting in an unknown place,back to a white wall,knees brought to my chest and chin on my kneecaps.I was still traumatised by the brutal incident that had just taken place.I was not crying anymore but I wanted to cry as loud as I could.The sight of each one in the group shot to dead was playing constantly in my mind and sometimes it caused shivers throughout my body.
Luke was sitting a little away from me,his back on the same white wall.He had his legs spread wide apart on the ground but they were repeatedly shaking and his head was turned away from me.
We had both been silent ever since we landed here.Although I wanted to ask him about the place,I did not want to talk right now and even if I had tried to talk,no words would have been formed.It was as if my body did not have enough strength to open my mouth and say something.
I wondered what if my parents had never gone abroad,then I would never have came in this village.I would never have met them.Maybe they would not have met Diego.Anna would have happily been with Luke.She would never have betrayed them,afterall it was because of me that she took such a step.Everybody would have been alive.Nick,Kara,Jessie,Anna,Daniel!Wait!Daniel had not been shot!
"Daniel!"I exclaimed."He's alive!"
Luke turned to my side,his expressions casual.How could he be so calm!
"Luke!Daniel is alive.He had not been shot.I saw he was alive when we ran away.We have to find him.Where can he be?"
I definitely looked like a mad people as I was shouting looking in every senses.Definitely the death of the others had had an impact on me.But surprisingly Luke did not look concerned at all.
He held me by my shoulders and was trying to calm me.
"Come back to your senses Lisa!"He shouted and I frowned.I tried to shrug his hands away but in vain.
"I am fully conscious!Daniel is alive!We need to find him before they get to him.They will kill him!"
"I don't care about him;and you should not also!"Luke precised each word particularly and I frowned.
"What are you talking about?He's your best friend.You care about him!I know you do!Why are you acting so careless!You don't want to show me that you can be weak or what?"I was about to move up when Luke immediately pulled me down by my shoulders.He rolled his eyes.
"He's not my best friend!"He flared with anger.He's my...He's my brother!"
I was shocked.
"What?"
"Yes!Atleast he was till he betrayed me!"
"I don't understand a damn thing"I was really confused.Did he mean like blood brothers or just friendly brothers?"Tell me clearly what are you talking about?!"
He looked me in the eyes and exhaled deeply.
"Daniel is my little step brother.We have different mothers but the same father..."
"Mr Collins?"I asked remembering that Daniel once told me that Mr Collins was his father.
Luke nodded.
"I was seven when I witnessed my dad beating my mother each time she did a mistake.He would lock her in the toilet after having sexually abused her.He would whip her everytime she would dare say something against him."Luke's eyes were filled with anger."He continued for eight years till she died.Then I found out that my dad had an affair with Daniel's mother and of course he had another son,Daniel!My dad took me to live with them but he was doing the same things he did to my mother with me.I was continously beaten.Daniel was thirteen then.He also sometimes was thrashed by our dad.At first I did not like him,but then we became close when he would bring me food when my dad would lock me in the toilet.I could not bear it anymore!I fled away from that hell house.Daniel followed me and then we met Kara and the others."Luke was standing by the windows now while I was still sitting on the ground.My nose was continously flaring.When I thought my life was the worst,I was so wrong!
I moved up to him,cupped his cheeks,kissed him lightly before hugging him tight.
"I'm so sorry!I'm so sorry baby."
He hugged me back.Our eyes were closed and we kept silent for like a few seconds.I was enjoying the warmth of his embrace and I guessed he was doing the same.For once in all these hours,I could feel a sense of relaxation hitting my body and as soon as the memories of Diego came to my mind,Luke's warmth pushed them away.
"Remember about our baby?"He asked and my eyes snapped open .I had completely forgotten about the baby and I did not get rid of it."That's why I did not want to have that baby!I don't want my child to lead a life like mine.I want to give my child every happiness in this world and a life where he will not have to steal to survive.I want my child to feel secure in the arms of his dad and her mother who are financially and emotionally good.I want my child to be a happy laughing one,one who every kid in this world would get jealous of;one whom no one would bully because he would wear torn clothes at school;one whose dad will support him no matter what and will love him unconditionally."
We were both in tears when he had finished and I kissed him hard."This is why I had agreed to steal Diego's money.I wished I had not done that.We would definitely not have been in the situation"He looked so depressed.I knew that he was seriously feeling guilty.
"Hey!We will have a kid like that.I promise you!We will find a way out of all this.We will have a happy life,you,me and our baby!"I knew that I was making a false promise because there was no way we could get out of all these and be together in the end.Diego was after us,the police was looking for us and so were my parents.We were totally trapped.
Suddenly I remembered Daniel again.
"But I don't understand why you are angry against Daniel!"
Luke held my hands firmly.His jaws clenched.
"He's in love with you!"He said angrily.
"What?No!I mean..how could you possibly know that?"
"Simply because that fucking asshole dared to tell me!"
I frowned.
"When you left earlier,Daniel came in to ask me why were you so tensed and I was quite tensed also at that time so I just told him that it was none of his concern.We got into a verbal fight and when he told me that he loved you,I punched him.We fought until Kara and Nick came to seperate us!"He looked down.
"Are you jealous?"Surprisingly I found this situation quite funny.
He rolled his eyes.
"Nobody can love you as much as I do!"
"I know!And I love you too."I rested my head on his shoulder and we sat in silence.His hand was holding mine firmly.I loved having him by my side like this.Just him and me,alone enjoying some peaceful minutes.I felt strangely comfortable.I yawned.My eyes were tired and I was feeling very sluggish.