Better off [The Society - Luke Holbrook]

CHAPTER VI // POWER

It was a Monday morning. At least, I thought it was. Without school and work, it always felt like we were on a summer holiday; I never knew what day it was unless I checked it on my phone. And even if I did that, I quickly came to forget it. I was up for a whole hour by then, took a shower and decided to make some breakfast. I haven't seen Allie expect for those times when we occasionally bumped into each other on the corridor. It started to feel like I was living with a stranger. Or more like a ghost, for she definitely looked like one. Of course, I wasn't any better. The constant nightmares didn't seem to leave me even when I was wide awake. I haven't seen Luke in days, either. That didn't help.

But it was Monday, and Mondays were the start of the week; the start of something new. So I made breakfast and took it up to Allie's room. Making sure I knocked before entering, I sauntered in, finding her lying in bed.

"Good morning," I smiled, sitting down next to her, placing the tray between us.

"I thought all meals were to be eaten in the cafeteria," she mumbled, but I could see her eyeing those pancakes like a child eyes their candy at Halloween.

"With power comes great responsibility, they say. But it also has its perks," I shrugged, taking a bite, daring her to stick to resistance. When she sat up to grab a plate, I let myself smirk, watching her eat. I didn't even remember the last time that actually happened.

"We don't have power," she said after swallowing, but then took another bite immediately. I couldn't tell if she did it so that she doesn't have to talk or because she was that hungry. Probably both.

"Yet," I said, but decided to save that conversation for later. It could wait a couple more hours. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I should have."

"It's okay," she said, playing with a piece of pancake. "I understand. And it's not like you're the only one to blame in this. I could have come to you."

"Still. I should have taken care of you," I smiled, brushing her hair away from her face. "I know she's gone, and I know how much it hurts, but we still have each other, Allie. We have to look out for each other. We don't have anyone else."

"You're right," she said, looking at me from behind her lashes. "And no matter what, I will always have your back."

We ate together in silence. I wasn't the best cook in the world, but even I had to admit that I did a great job with this one. I only hoped Allie liked it as much as I did. But, on the other hand, when you're hungry everything tastes like the best meal in the world.

"We will find whoever did this," I said when we were both finished, the tray laying on the floor, Allie's head in my lap. I wrapped a golden lock around my finger, knowing that it always relaxed her if people played with her hair. The situation reminded me of Luke, and a bad feeling came over me. Even though I didn't exactly know what, something did happen.

"Yes, we will."

It was a knock on the door that made us look up. When Gordie stepped inside, I immediately thought of the worst. But she was there, laying in my lap, safe and sound. The worst couldn't have happened. So whatever did, I was ready to face it. But maybe I wasn't. After hearing about the chaos that broke out in the cafeteria the previous day, I wished Gordie never came inside, that he never broke that perfect bubble I fabricated out of a couple of pancakes and syrup. I couldn't deal with any more guns.

"Why are you telling us this?" Allie asked, but I already knew. They told us a while ago exactly what we needed to do, we just didn't want to get the hint. I knew she understood as well.

"We're pretty much passing the point of no return," he said, the worry evident in his voice. His eyes shot between the two of us, waiting for something we didn't have. Something we didn't think we had.