Avilien

Home wrecker

Light snores emanated from the top of the wardrobe as Luke fastened his blue tie before pulling his black jumper over his head. It hadn't seen an iron in weeks; Luke wouldn't know how to use one if he managed to find where Sharon hid it. The washing machine took some getting used to, but thanks to an integrated computer system, it could tell straight away what colour and what kind of clothes had been placed in the cylinder drum. Compared to decades ago, basic technology had advanced in leaps and bounds.

The day started off differently as Luke stormed across the landing to the brush his teeth and then banged all the way down each stair until he reached the red-carpeted hall. On purpose, he made as much noise he could. He made metal pots and pans rattle in the kitchen and opened and slammed various drawers, even when he had a spoon for his cereal. Wanting a reaction from the despicable dragon, Luke didn't get one.

All the noise hadn't so much as roused Ethan; the living room remained deathly quiet. The bottles of grapemelon champagne that had been left on the kitchen counter had vanished from sight and couldn't even be found in the compact trash bin.

Slamming the front door of the house so that the windows and walls shook, Luke paused outside his red front door for a moment and waited for any movement in the front window of the house. White floral curtains had been pulled closed to not allow the morning rays through, yet Sharon's bedroom curtains were open. Either she'd noticed what she had done and hid herself away from Luke, or suffered from a chronic hangover.

On the walk to school, Luke kept his head down on the pavement in front of him. Never once did he lift his head as he struggled with coming to terms with what Sharon had done. Avilien and the Gullac were now the furthest things from his mind, as were Nate and Brit. His dad's heart would break once he found out about Sharon...if Luke got the chance to tell him.

He didn't so much as acknowledge the lights changing at the crossing either or people poking fun at him in the town. So troubled and in a state of despair, Luke gave Jayce no attention as he passed him by in the classroom when he arrived at school. He never said a word to Mr. Tucker either, who asked why he had turned up late again. Luke sat down at his desk and said no words at all, leaving Mr. Tucker irritated at the fact he'd blanked him out.

Morning break and lunch passed by. Through it all, Luke sat in his chair in the classroom, never moving, never flinching, as he stared at a tree in the far distance with two squirrels playing a game of tag on the branches. Cute little critters that hadn't a care in the world as they scratched at the bark and raced up the tree's trunk for hours. Luke hadn't even answered a single literacy question all day, and had thought of nothing but having a huge argument with Sharon and what insults he would say to her. When the final bell sounded to signal the end of school, he leapt out of his seat and rushed for the door ahead of his fellow students.

Luke was oblivious to his surroundings and that he had almost knocked Nagori over as she attempted to knock on his classroom door. Luke didn't even notice her.

"Luke," she called as other kids swarmed out of the door in a frenzy.

"Luke!" she shouted again, but her voice never reached his ears.

Anger and hatred towards Sharon had simmered all day and now came to boil. Home meant a chance to run into her. The angry steam filtered into Luke's nostrils like a raging fire, making him more determined than ever to confront his wicked stepmother about the bald man. Out of the school and across the main road, several cars honked their horns as they came close to colliding with him. Like Nagori, he paid them no attention and ignored them.

On the cul-de-sac, Luke picked his head up for the first time. He had just come from the forest that had no sound and felt eyes watching him. Mrs. Adams, dressed in her blue work suit, pulled up on the close with Jayce and his brother, Axel. All three of them gawped at Luke and Mrs. Adams opened her mouth to say a few words, but closed it the moment Luke's house door opened.

Sharon exited the house in a fluffy onesie with printed sheep on it and several bin bags in her hands. Pink fluffy slippers showed off her red-painted toenails and skinny feet. She had bags under her eyes as large as the black trash bags in her hand. Drained of colour and with her red hair scruffy and pinned back in a desperate fashion, she noticed Luke heading her way.

"Hope you had fun yesterday with that other man." Luke's words dripped with venom and he shouted them loud enough for not only Sharon to hear, but for the Adams family to hear too as he marched down the street towards her.

"The correct term is last night, and how dare you take that tone with me, you filthy little wretch," said Sharon as she opened up the small green bin that had been put at the front of the yard to wait for the dustbin men to collect.

"I'll take whatever tone I want with a no-good low-down dirty cheater. Not only are you being unfaithful behind my dad's back, you were drinking whilst looking after my younger brother," Luke snapped and he walked closer towards Sharon. He felt that if his eyes were lasers, he would have melted the horrid woman away.

"This is my house and I will do as I please. Don't even try to take the high ground with me, little boy. I will do as I want with my own child and if I want a friend around in my house, I will have one around. You want to question parenting skills, then where is your dear father? Tell me, where is Grey? Have you seen him lately, because I haven't. You are just like your father, an unconceivable stain." Sharon smirked; she had no love at all for the man she was supposed to be married to.

"My dad is working his butt off so you can be a lazy stay-at-home slob. You live here rent-free and do nothing except a half-cooked job of looking after my brother, who you won't even let me see. When my dad does return, you're gone." Luke felt his voice rise higher. No matter how sharp his words were, they didn't seem to unnerve Sharon or pierce through her defence.

"Ethan stays away from filthy little vermin like you for good reason. I can't have my child learning from you. Perhaps if you snooped around more than you have been doing, you'd learn that this house is mine! I bought this house, and it is you and your moronic father that live here rent-free. Every time I look at you, I am reminded of his hideous mug." Sharon moved her line of sight to across the street where Mrs. Adams rested against her car, watching the display with Jayce and Axel.

"Beat it, Mrs. Adams, if you know what's good for you. Don't want your dear John having any more accidents, do you?" Jayce's mother went drip white at the statement and retreated into her house with the two boys so fast it startled Luke.

"You're a vile, nasty, horrible woman who I should report to the child services. I don't know what my dad ever saw in the likes of you, and I feel sorry for Ethan," said Luke. All of his carefully thought out patterns of insults had vanished.

"And you're a nuisance that I cannot wait to be rid of. You owe me a new microwave and I expect the payment by tomorrow. Now get out of my sight before I lose my temper."

"Go ahead. Lose your temper, I dare you," said Luke as he walked past Sharon with a terrible urge to draw Crackling Thunder.

Thinkingof nothing else to say, Luke stormed into the house and slammed the door shutin his stepmother's face. That was the only thing that made her scream inanger. Luke didn't know the house belonged to her...he had thought his dad hadbought and paid for the house long ago. If Sharon didn't love his dad, then whydidn't she just turf Luke out? Luke felt he was overlooking something as heraced up the stairs. His mind wouldn't let him think about anything but theinfidelity for now. He doted on his dad and felt the need to protect him fromthis.