the boy who was afraid of the dark

monday 8:31 am, eliott

i arrived to school early today in hopes of getting to see lucas early. he said he was sick but i knew he'd been avoiding me all weekend.

if he was really sick then he would have made me come over and nurse him.

however, the only person in the courtyard was william.
i was gonna go up to him, but he was on the phone, arguing with someone pretty aggressively.

i decided not to interfere, but instead just duck back behind the brick wall and wait for it to pass.

eliott:
lucas, can you come early?

i probably should have texted him last night.

lucas:
why didn't you tell me to do this last night? i don't have an early ride

eliott:
? you live two blocks away ? you walk to school?

read, 8:35 am

what the fuck? what is he hiding?
i peeked my head back around the brick wall, and saw that william was off the phone.
he sat on the bench with his head in his hands.

i figured that's when i should go to him.
"hey, man," i said as i approached. "what's up?"

he looked up in surprise, then dropped his expression when he saw me and scorched over so i could sit.
his eyes were red.

"nothing." he mumbled.
"it's not nothing, william. what's going on?" i know when william's lying, and let's just say he's a terrible one.

he reached up to wipe a tear from his eye, " just family stuff, i don't wanna talk about it."
well, now there's nothing i can do.
"i won't make you," i put a hand on his shoulder. "but know that i'm here for you."

he nodded once more before sniffling and sitting straight up.
"so, how's lucas?" he asked with a whole new energy. "you didn't have any shit excuses to get out of anything all weekend, so i assume you guys didn't see each other?"

i figured he wouldn't go more into the family situation, so i just let him change the subject.

i rolled my eyes, "he's been 'sick', hasn't seen anyone all weekend."
"what do you mean 'sick'?"
"meaning he said that but i know he's lying because just like you, he's a terrible liar." i explained.

"oh," william nodded. "i'm not a terrible liar."
i decided not to respond to that, otherwise he wouldn't be happy with what i had to say.
"okay. sure."

he flicked my head.
so i smacked his head back.

"okay, truce. truce." he laughed.
he was laughing, smiling. but i wasn't. i didn't know why. usually i can fake that stuff.

william frowned, "you're really down about this? aren't you?"

i couldn't slap a smile on and say i'm tired, so i just shrugged and changed the subject.
"where's chris?" i asked.
"do you ever check your texts?"
"what?" i asked. did something happen to him? had i been that checked out?

"he went to greece for the week with his brother and sister."
"oh."
thank god.

then, out of nowhere, william suddenly stood up and speed walked off behind the building to the back courtyard.
i stood up and called after him, "william what the fu-?!"
but he was already gone. that boy can go fast when he has a plan.

and i saw his plan when i turned back around and there was lucas.
he walked to school, as i told him to. but something was different.
he had a light blue cast around his leg below his knee and was only up due to crutches.

i dropped my backpack and ran up to help him.
"morning." he mumbled.

i realized that he was walking pretty good on the crutches, and there was nothing i could do to make it easier.
so i just dropped my arms walked beside him helplessly to the bench.

"lucas, what happened?" i asked.
he looked down for a second, as if contemplating.

"skating accident." he replied.

oh, bullshit. BULLSHIT. it's so funny how he thinks he can lie to me and i won't notice.

so i gave him a look that said exactly what was going on in my mind, raising an eyebrow.
  "skating accident," he insisted shyly. "i promise."

  "you're lying to me, lucas. don't make promises when you can't keep them."

  he looked back up into my eyes.
  i saw snakes between the crystal blue irises.

  "i don't really want to talk about it." he mumbled.
  "so you're just not gonna tell me?" i responded.

  he looked back down, and mumbled something i could barely make out.

  "what?" i asked.
  he looked back up, and took a deep breath.

  "i'm going to tell you. but you have to promise that you will fully listen to me before you say or do anything." he grabbed my hand and held it tight, locking me into the fiercest eye contact he ever had before.

  i nodded in shock.
  i guess this is serious?

  he broke the eye contact, "it was them."
  at first, i didn't understand what he meant. then i realized that of course i know who "them" is. the same people. the same fucking people. the bluebridge boys.
and then it hit me that the bluebridge boys broke his fucking leg. because they were too scared to lose. because i wouldn't forfeit the match.
and i knew exactly who was in charge of all of it.

lucas kept speaking but i didn't listen. i stared at the ground as i felt the red hot anger spread through my body like wildfire. my skin crawled, turning red.
my chest was screaming, i can't describe the feeling of all anger you've ever had penting up to multiply in your body.

i stood up.
i didn't look at lucas' face as he made startled stuttering.

i just turned back around and marched away from him, ignoring his calling after me.

i knew where i was going.
i had one destination in mind.
so i marched away and didn't look back, didn't even think.
i just went.