Me and the Gretchen Boys

Chapter 32: Foutain Wishes

   I burst through the door and sprint out having no clue as to where I'm heading to. Wherever I end up can't be worse than being in that wretched school.

   The air is so suffocating.

   I take off my dumb blazer and the hideous tie. My head intensely throbs as a result of all of the crying I did. The hiccuping stops and the sniffles as well.

Everything seems to swirl as I submerge myself into my thoughts. Why am I still running? Maybe I'm running away from the cruel things that have been done to me. Or maybe I'm chasing after my fleeting happiness. Or maybe-

Wham.

I bounce back from the impact and try to regain my footing. I look up to see a surprised Lucas. What is Lucas doing here?

"Hey Carme-, what happened?"

I feel drippage running down from my nose and eyes. "L-Lucas?"

* * * *
"Are you feeling any better?" Lucas softly asks me.

The light talking in the background fills my ears. I don't think I've ever seen this cafe not busy. There's this airy and leisure atmosphere that comforts me and makes me feel relaxed. I take another long sip of my coffee and feel my insides warm up. I give him a small nod.

"Would you like to talk about what happened?" I stiffen as the words leave his mouth. Sensing my uneasiness Lucas quickly adds, "You don't have to share if you don't want to." His kind eyes stare at me so gently, I can't help but to feel safe.

"No, I want to tell you." I quickly say. I take a deep breath and the smell of coffee fills my lungs. I tell Lucas the whole story without missing a single beat.

"Wow. It's been a horrible 24 hours, huh?" Lucas says when I finally get done talking. It's crazy to think that all of this chaos happened in a matter of only 24 hours, heck even less than that!

"Horrible doesn't even begin to describe it," I mumble looking down at my now empty coffee mug. I take my final sip trying to get it all.

"You remind me of younger me." Lucas looks up thoughtfully for a second. "As you can see I look nothing like the Gretchens' with my blonde hair and blue eyes," Lucas tells me gesturing to his face.

I can't help the curiosity that peeks within me wonder what he is going to say next.

"Yeah, I've noticed." I finally respond after some time.

"Aren't you wondering why?"

"Most definitely!" I shout a little too excitedly. "B-but only if you want to share." I quietly and swiftly add. I don't want to seem rude.

Lucas chuckles at my outburst and my body heats up in embarrassment.

"It's ok Carmen. I love how transparent you are. To put it bluntly, I'm adopted. The Gretchen's took me in as they did with you. It always tore me up wondering why my mother abandoned me. I've always wanted to know the answer. I felt that if I knew, I could finally be set free. So after years of searching, I found her and confronted her."

Lucas pauses for a moment and anticipation courses through my veins wondering what happens next.

"She told me that she simply didn't want kids. She even told me that she has no regrets about it whatsoever. I'm not going to lie it hurt, but I was finally free. I finally escaped the torment of wondering if I was good enough. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. And I look at it like if she hadn't done that, I would've never met the Gretchen's and I wouldn't be here with you."

I'm left completely shocked. I've never been able to identify myself so much within a person. The only difference between me and Lucas is that he's gotten over the past while I still fight it.

"D-do you ever resent your mother for it?" I ask as I nervously twiddle my thumbs meeting his blue eyes.

Lucas slightly leans back. His eyes never leave mine, "To be honest, I still do. Some of me still can't forgive her completely but when I look at where I am now I can't stay angry for too long. It is human nature."

   Lucas is so strong. Could I ever be like him? Could I ever move on from my past?

   Lucas senses my discomfort. "Let's go," Lucas says getting up out of his seat.

   "Oh, okay. I just need to pay." I pat myself down and remember that I left my wallet at school. I mentally facepalm at my forgetfulness.

   "No, it's on me." Lucas digs inside of his coat pocket and sets money on the table. I'm secretly thankful for his generosity. "Alright, let's go now," Lucas whines tugging at my arm.

   A small laugh escapes from my lips and I give him a nod. Lucas pushes the door open for us and the bell rings as we leave.

   We walk side by side on the sidewalk. Our arms brush against each other occasionally. I kick the pebbles that come across my path. A gust of wind passes by and I shiver.

   I left my blazer back near the school when I broke down. I wonder if I'll ever see it again? Fingers crossed I will.

   My thoughts are interrupted when an even stronger gust of wind passes by. Goosebumps sprinkle on my arm and my teeth chatter uncontrollably.

   "Here you go." Lucas puts his sand color trench coat around my arms. "Silly girl, if you are cold you should've just told me." Lucas gently pats my head.

   I feel embarrassed for probably the fifteenth time this day. I manage to say a small, "Thank you."

   We walk a little longer until we reach a massive fountain. It looks just like your average fountain except larger. Water splashes up then goes back down creating this recurring cycle. The fountain is what I assume to be white, but looks dingy after years of just simply existing. The bottom of the inside of the fountain is covered by coins. Benches are put off to the side creating this intimate setting. This is such a nice spot. How'd I never see it before?

   "We're here. It probably wasn't the best idea to take you here seeing as how cold it is." Lucas tells me taking a seat on one of the benches.

   "No, I'm fine."

   "I bet you're wondering why I brought you here." Lucas pauses and closes his eyes. "People say this fountain will grant any wish. All you have to do is drop a count, close your eyes, and then make a wish. I definitely filled their pockets."

   I can't help but laugh. "I guess that does add up. Do you think it actually works?"

"I think it did but, not because of magic. When you set your mind to something, you get it done. Think of a vision board. People tell you to look at it daily to keep the goal in mind."

"So Lucas you're telling me to do this every day?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying don't you think it's time? You've always had it on your mind."

Silence washes over us. I understand what he's saying now. The only sound that is made is the wind. I stare off in space wondering if I am prepared. After what seems like an eternity, I finally come to a conclusion.

"Yeah, I think it's time. I can't keep running away." When the words leave my night I feel this rush of adrenaline. I feel ready to fight back. Ready to confront her. Ready to stop running away.

I'm ready.

A smile forms on my face. I already began to feel some relief facing my fears. The rest of my peace is dangling in front of me; taunting me. All I have to do now is face my mother. I've already somewhat hit rock bottom but this is the first step in fixing everything.

"Ok, that's a good start. But, don't you think there's something else you need to do before that?" I tilt my head in confusion. "Haven't you always wondered what relations Mrs.Gretchen had with your mother?"

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A/N:

That's all folks! I hope you enjoyed! Tell me your thoughts. I want to try to update more frequently to twice a week. But school might get in the way of that. Anyways, I hope you have a beautiful day.