Against The Odds: Guarded

16

i hope you guys are not mad at me. i have been going through a rough time lately.

LUCAS POV
I reluctantly left the hotel not wanting to leave Maya, but not wanting to have nothing but lint in my pockets either. I’m not really broke at all. I still have quite a bit of money in my account from what my father left me before he died, but I plan on using that for something else more important than frivolous spending.

He left Gemma and I both personal notes with our bank accounts to read for when we got older and I hadn’t opened mine until my seventeenth birthday, only a couple of months before I was committed. I used to read and reread it while I was in Maudsley, and a lot of the times it’s what would help me get through a day. It was my little piece of him to keep and have forever.

I remember when I used to read it at home a lot before the nightmare happened. Clive would always try to take it away from me just to be a dick and taunt me. He tore it once, so I put it away so that he could never get to it again. I had it memorized by then anyway, but there was something about physically having it in front of me so my fingers could trace over his writing and the ink lines.

I was only five when he died, but I still have memories of him when he was a bit healthier. I miss him so much and so much would be different if he were still here. I shake away the thought of Dooms Day (what I have appropriately titled the day that my mum turns her back on me when she decides to say ‘I do’ to Robin) as I pull into the parking lot of Tommo’s Brew and Banter.

“Lucahhhs! You’re late.” Zayn shouts at me over the chattering noise of the crowd and I contort my face in skepticism. I checked my watch before I looked at him again.

“No I’m not. I’m five minutes early!”

“Yeah but its Sunday funday mate! Five minutes early is already ten minutes late! Hey!...That rhymed.” I furrowed my brow trying to comprehend his logic and ended up shaking my head and laughing, chalking it up to him being stoned or just his usual off the wall random quirk. To most Zayn would seem mysterious. To those who know him he's just as silly and weird as the rest of us.

As soon as I get behind the bar, two girls approach and ask for a vodka tonic and some other fruity drink I have no clue how to make. I make the one and ask Zayn to make the other.

“Why’d you leave the party so early? We just got there and it was buzzin like ten minutes later.” I turned on the blender as he added strawberries and ice to it to try to avoid his question about last night and then did a gesture to let him know I couldn’t hear him. Zayn turned off the blender and gave me a 'what the fuck?' face when berry juice flew all over the counter. I have my own reservations about what I’m doing with Maya and the last thing I need right now is a friendly lecture.

“Soz, I couldn’t hear you what?” When he opens his mouth to ask again, I turn around to give the blonde her drink. She pays for it but licks her lips and smiles at me before she blushes and starts to giggle. I smile back politely and awkwardly chuckle before I turn away to get her change from the register.

“You left with Maya didn’t you?” I turn my head to look at Zayn and then count out ten pounds twenty to return back to the bird.

“So what if I did?” Zayn rubs his hand over his mouth then makes a tisk sound when he clicks his lips.

“It wouldn’t be my business if you did...just, I don’t know mate...be careful you know?” I look at Zayn with no expression on my face and ignore his comment as he wipes off the counter before I hand the money back to the blonde. His eyebrows are furrowed and I can tell he wants to say something else but he's holding it back. Blondie brings my attention back to her by intentionally running her finger down my hand before she takes the money and I wink at her, earning half of what I just gave back to her as a tip. Simple but effective.