The Skylar Experiment : Dead Ending (second draft)

Chapter Twenty-Monday Blues

LUC

I JUMPED DOWN the staircase along with the current of kids in the halls. Stopping at my locker, I caught my sister emerging from a set of doors to the ground level. My stomach plunged as her words ricocheted against the walls of my brain like hurled rocks. She looked over her locker door across the corridor, as if sensing my attention reaching through the distance, and glowered in return. Her eyes were like serrated knives stabbing into me.

What changed exactly and when? I knew we haven't seen each other in so long, but why did she treat all her family like dirt—like strangers?

I forced myself to look away, momentarily shocked, not knowing what to do more. Was this the last she'd hear of me? No. Would I try again? Surely, but right now, I couldn't think of a solution.

There wasn't much I could solve about that today, but I still had other stuff to worry about, like explaining to Greg what he missed. 

Most people didn't trust me much after I'd delayed the news of NIO on purpose, because my decision had impacted all of our lives drastically, and he counted among them. But if I had to tell it to Greg, then I'd kill two birds with one stone and bring Devin and Ben up to date. As for Riley, I'll let her know back home while we reviewed the entire day. So, I slid a note in her locker, telling her to wait for me outside.

I headed back upstairs, this time faring against the flow, and wound up in Greg's classroom. After sending a text to Devin and Ben to come over, I closed the door and ambled inside.

"Just what did you mean about the last part while Lauren was here?" Greg started off to a beat.

My sister's mark had been temporary, and he seemed fine. Still, it was appalling that she struck him without batting an eyelash. When we were kids, he dragged us out of Colorado himself to bring us in Oakwood and to Heather, knowing we'd be safer here. 

We've known him our whole lives, and he'd been close to my parents. On occasion, Greg mentioned them, speculating what they'd say if they heard me swear enough to make a sailor blush, or what they'd do in our position. 

I never thought Lauren would touch a hair on Greg's scalp. This man, though as crabby as any crustacean would be, had gone to great lengths for us.

"It's, uh, something Caldwell revealed this morning. I'm not sure if it's true. It could not be," I began, then gave him a rough idea of what I'd restrained on telling him earlier.

He rubbed his chin, surprisingly not mad that I hadn't said it before.

"That... I'm not sure what to believe. I can't understand how or why she'd do that if it's true."

"Lauren's the only one who can confirm it." I strained my fingers around my neck, wincing. I had a disturbing intuition that Caldwell hadn't lied about it if she was so desperate to demand my help, but there was no way to know for real. She might manipulate us all at her whim, weaving a canvas of lies like a spider's web. Every false move allowed her to roll her thread around us tighter until we could no longer move.

The door opened as Devin and Ben walked in. I repeated myself and did so quicker because I somehow worried if agents could still be spying out on the field while Riley stood on the campus. That is, if she did as I'd asked. It usually wasn't the case. I wanted to leave school as fast as possible and just get home.

Luckily, when I came out of the short meeting, I found her waiting by the railing underneath the roof ledge. No lurkers in the parking lot. She was staring at the kids wandering off, her pale eyes narrowed with a hard edge to them, chin buried in her coat. 

One day, she had asked me if I'd ever felt like—assuming I'd be able to choose my friends—spending time with someone outside of this delusion, just to let go, even for just a moment, even if that person was human.

There were times where we saw normal people and wished we could join, but we knew better than to risk their lives or ours.

As I watched Riley gaze longingly at them, it reminded me how she couldn't join the other kids, either, now. The same way that Lauren had yearned to make new friends and she would stare at Emma. I knew that I had to burst her bubble. I never wanted for both of them to go through it, and if I could dispel those things for them, I would.

The wind slammed into Riley, reddening her cheeks. I could never help but wonder what runs through that brain of hers. 

She finally spotted me frozen against one metal door, breaking my contemplation. I mentally kicked myself, feeling like such a sap. 

I lumbered up to her. Maybe she hadn't noticed. 

"Look alive, Sunshine. Things are far from over and there's still hope."

She shoved her mittens in her pockets gruffly. "That was lame. I can't believe you just said that."

We started down the steps. The car ride was going to be inconvenient for her, but there wasn't much I could fix until it passed and her body adjusted. It should go away soon. Most of us didn't struggle with that for more than two weeks.

"I just want today to be over," she added, glancing down at her boots as they trampled on the snow.

I searched around the place, but of course, Lauren had scatted pronto. "Well, I think it's safe the say the hardest part is over." For now. "And a day like this probably calls for some serious mac and cheese. You better be hungry."

"You made mac and cheese?"

"Going to," I replied and stared at her from across the hood of the Rover. "And it's not your lousy, powdered version from a box."

Riley arched a brow. "You have my full attention."

Not everything about today had to be horrible, and I supposed food could mitigate the damage. Cooking for me was useful to alleviate my worries when they reeled on a rampage. 

In this moment, I definitely needed something to hold on to even if meals were the last concern on my list, and Riley needed the extra energy before training. My fingers delved into my jean pocket, and I retrieved a set of keys.

When the doors unlocked with a docile beep, we slid inside. I peeled off toward the mountains.  

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Please let me know if this introspection on Luc's part isn't too weird or feels misplaced. I'd always intended to let you guys see this once I get to his POV, but I'm sort of doubting myself or wondering if it's somehow too cheesy. If you feel that it was too much, not enough, or just right, I'd really appreciate the feedback so that I can fix it and correct it for future chapters :) 

I named this chapter Monday Blues even if it's not clear that it's a Monday in the story. I just wrote this chapter and thought to myself 'lol, I bet it's a friggin' Monday on top of everything. Fucking Mondays...' And thus, the chapter title happened.