HATE (Editing)

17

'That's the biggest load of bull I've ever heard. What do you mean he's staying away from you?' Luke began dramatically.

“Exactly that...” I huffed as I served Luke his breakfast first since Katrina and Jason were still asleep.
I sat at table banging my head against the wood.

'Keep banging your head like that and you'll get a dent. I feel sorry for the table,'
I groaned still letting the table comfort me.
'You know... Cassy used to do that too...'
This got me to tilt my face slightly and look at  Luke.
'I know you want to ask something. Ask me,'

“Were you and Cassy close?” I said lifting my face off the table.

'Yes and no. To the outside world, yes, yes we were. But between us and this family, no. No we weren't,'

“Why?”

'Well. For one thing,' he took a bite off of an apple. 'She thought mom and dad loved me more...'

Wait... Why..

'To be honest, I wasn't exactly the model child. I did drugs. I slept around. I partied hard. Basically, I was the rogue child. She didn't understand that,'

I couldn't believe it. Luke looked harmless enough. I couldn't imagine any of that in my life.

'Hard to believe?'

I nodded.

'Eat your breakfast Julia,'

I looked at the pancakes and toasted bread that Luke had just passed to me. I dragged the mango juice closer to me as I sipped it for longer than necessary trying to avoid Luke's scrutinizing stare.

'I think that's what mom and dad saw in you. The daughter they never had. I think that's why dad is more strict with you, and mom is more understanding with you. And I guess that's also why... I try to be protective of you. In some way, I guess us Lockharts aren't as good as you thought huh...'

“I... Look. If I could ask for any family. If we had that power I'd wish to belong to this family. To have you as a brother,”

'Would you wish to have my parents as your parents as well?'

“Umm...”

'What are the two of you mumbling on about,' Katrina quipped. Her husband following right behind her.

'I'll bring both of you coffee,'

“I'll help you...” I replied to Luke as I began getting up. I felt Katrina's hand holding me back.

'Honey... I believe there's something you wanted to say?' she smiled at her husband.

''Well... Today... None of us is going to work...''

Luke came back and as soon as he had served his parents, sat at table with us.

'None of us is going to work? Why?'

''When is the last time we've sat at table as a whole family,''

'We decided today we'd be visiting a museum out of town '

“Museum? I've never been to one,”

''That was her idea... I wanted us to go car racing,'

'We can do that too,' Luke added faster than we could say the letter 'o'.

'We leave now?'