Right Where We Are

Cigarette Smoke Screens

AN: This one splits POVs midway-ish, so just know that was intended for this chapter. Also, please please click the vote button for me! And let me know what you think of the story in the comments. All comments are welcome! <3 Thanks for reading everyone! (And yes, eventually the chapter will get longer.)

LUCAS-

Ever since they'd gone to get Sonic, Misael seemed a bit distant. He would talk to Lucas if he saw him, but he'd find a reason to leave. At first, Lucas didn't mind. They were plausible reasons. He had to get his homework before his next class, or he needed to get his charger, or even because there was a show about to come on that he loved, and he had to claim the lounge TV.

It wasn't until he ran into him while he was smoking that he realized it was on purpose and most of the reasons had probably been lies.

He saw Misael at a table outside the café. He'd just sat down, and he was pulling out a carton of cigarettes. He was alone, not really looking at anything in particular. He didn't have a book or a laptop or any form of homework. It was just Misael in his leather jacket and scuffed boots with a newly lit cigarette pressed against his lips.

He walked over and nudged his shoulder. Misael looked up at him and offered a smile. "Hey," he greeted.

"Hey. I thought you were trying to quit?"

Misael let out a long stream of smoke, away from Lucas and shrugged. "I am. Today's a cheat day." Lucas hummed. "Baby steps," he shrugged.

He scratched his head and took a deep breath. Lucas nodded and figured he had no right to tell him how to quit. "Well, hey, I was going to watch that new movie that just came out, the one with the obsessed boyfriend or something. Did you want to go with me?"

Brown eyes, so dark they looked like onyx, flickered up to him. He furrowed his eyebrows slightly and sniffed. "I have an essay due online, I can't. But thanks." He flicked his cigarette then put it out on the ash tray. "I think I should work on that. I've been sitting here procrastinating for a few hours already."

Lucas raised his eyebrows and clenched his jaw. He only hummed. The lie hurt. He was used to being ignored or pushed away. He just figured that wouldn't happen now that he had a friend.

Then there was the ease with which Misael seemed to lie to him. It made him wonder what other lies Misael might have told him. The worst part was that Lucas knew he would've believed him if he hadn't seen Misael walking and sitting down no more than five minutes ago. He'd put out a new cigarette just to get away.

He didn't understand why Misael was suddenly building up barriers again. They hadn't even talked about his past or the night he stayed at Lucas's dorm. They talked about random things like music, food, Lucas's family back home, movies that they could watch over and over again without getting bored. Things that didn't warrant for someone to want to pull away so resolutely.

Maybe Lucas should've let him walk away. The lie had offended him enough to where he wanted to. He'd have done it to anyone else. But he remembered Misael mentioning his distance from his other friends, and he remembered Sebastian saying Misael never talked it through. More than anything, he remembered the surprise and confusion in his eyes when he offered help and asked to be friends.

Misael wasn't used to people wanting to be around.

"You know, you don't have to lie to me," he called after him. Misael turned and furrowed his eyebrows. "If you don't want to talk to me, you can just say so. But you don't have to keep making excuses to get away from me."