Stepping Into The Light With You - 5. Chapter 5

Kevin and Lucas ended up having the same classes for the day. So they tagged along from one room to another, making sure to sit beside each other. It worked well for the most part of the day, except when they got really late for their History class. Kevin couldn’t help it though. He had to pee really badly.

They somehow rushed for the class and reached just a second before the teacher arrived. There were only two seats left at the extreme ends, far away from each other. Both of them looked at each other and then back at the seat right behind Drake Warren.

Drake didn’t notice at first. He did a double take as soon as he saw Lucas by the door and he grinned from ear to ear. He gave him some sort of a wave and signaled him with his head to take the seat behind him. Nobody around seemed to have caught that brief conversation between them but Kevin did. And he couldn’t ignore it. He looked at Lucas who was smiling as well. It wasn’t as big of a smile as Drake’s but it pushed Kevin’s buttons up. Lucas gave him a curt nod and took a step toward the seat at the same as the teacher walked in, ordering Kevin and the “new kid” to not waste any time and take a seat.

Kevin brushed past Lucas and quickly took that seat, leaving Lucas and Drake stunned by his sudden actions. He didn’t dare look at Lucas but he could see him from the corner of his eyes as the guy walked toward the only vacant seat now in the room.

Kevin busied himself finding the page number Mr. Harris had asked them to open from the book. He felt eyes on him and looked up only to find Drake turned in his seat, looking at him, still confused. “What?” Kevin snapped.

Drake blinked, then raised his eyebrow at him. Slowly turning back to face the front of the class, he shook his head and said, “Nothing.”

The time went by and his breathing got back to normal. Realization of what he had done hit him and his face felt flushed. What did I do? He asked himself over and over again. WHY did I do it? He could barely concentrate on what Mr. Harris was saying.

His eyes searched for Lucas who was at the back of the class sitting beside Gothy Kathy – he wasn’t sure why everyone still called her that. She did have the gothic look going on in their freshman year but now the black was all gone in their sophomore year, weirdly replaced with all whites. The girl was obsessed with one color for sure. It was as if she’d had an extreme makeover. And it was noticeable.

Kathy kept talking to Lucas in between and he responded back shyly. Kevin was curious what they were talking about. But he was glad the guy was getting to know some more people in the crowd. He knew better. High school could be a nightmare for a teenager if he didn’t have friends of his own. He didn’t want Lucas to be left alone just in case he couldn’t make it to school someday.

He looked at the back of Drake’s head.

Kevin wasn’t sure why. Even when he wanted Lucas to make friends other than his group, he knew he didn’t want Drake to be Lucas’ friend. And he couldn’t reason why even when he tried to.

Drake was a really great guy. Not that Kevin knew him personally. But he had heard nothing but good things about this relatively new kid. He was popular among the girls and guys equally, now more so when he’d led their school’s football team to an unbelievable win. Thinking about it, Lucas being friends with Drake would actually work wonders to Kevin and his friends’ status around there. They would start hanging out with more popular kids and wouldn’t have to look back again. It was definitely a win-win situation.

Yet, he had an extreme urge of keeping Lucas far away from Drake at all cost. Which is why, as soon as Mr. Harris dismissed the class, Kevin jumped out of his seat, sprinted to catch up to Lucas and pulled him out of the class. “Hey, it’s lunch time. I am so damn hungry. Come on, cafeteria is this way.”

And poor Lucas didn’t know what hit him in that moment.

*****

His mom had packed their lunches but she made sure to give them some money just in case they wanted to have any dessert from the cafeteria. Kevin never spent this money. He wasn’t big on sweets anyways. So, he would put this extra cash into his cash box back home. It wasn’t much but he thought the cash might come in handy during emergencies.

Justin and Frank were in the cafeteria line getting their lunches and arguing about something. Kevin squinted his eyes at them and wondered for a minute what it could be about. But then, he decided to let it go and let them solve their own issues. He guessed it must have been something stupid as usual.

He pointed at them and said, “You don’t wanna get dessert?”

Lucas shook his head. “I don’t like sweets,” he said, surprising Kevin. He had rarely met a kid who hated sweets. “But Spencer likes them. I just saw his favorite candy bar in the vending machine. I’ll probably get one for him. Would your mom mind if I give it to him?”

Kevin shrugged. “I dunno, it should be okay. I guess. I mean that brat can eat one everyday but we don’t wanna spoil him. So, don’t you spoil him with that kinda love,” he said with a smile.

“Understood.” Lucas did a cute salute thing which made him giggle and they ate their lunch in silence. It was only broken when Justin and Frank came back and they were still arguing about something Justin had said. Kevin couldn’t make head or tail of it all, so he continued to ignore. He looked at Lucas and signaled him to not get involved either.

That’s when he saw it and he quickly stood up. “I’m done,” he said in a rushed tone. Justin and Frank stopped talking and looked at him. “I think you’re done, too, right Lucas? Oh didn’t you wanna go check out the vending machine you said? Come on, let’s go.”

He pushed Lucas out of the seat and led him hurriedly out of the room.

“Kay I don’t know why but you’re acting really weird today.”

“Uh… well…” He swallowed and tried to come up with a better explanation as to why he rushed him out of that place. Something that was better than explaining other than he seeing Drake approaching their lunch table. “I thought … um… you were uncomfortable in there. Yes, that’s it! I mean those two couldn’t stop arguing. And you don’t need to be around something like that on your first day… so… yea, you’re welcome, buddy.”

Kevin grinned at Lucas, who looked at him suspiciously and said, “You’re up to something.”

“No, nothing. I swear.”

Lucas rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” He walked away giving a brief moment for Kevin to kill himself for his stupidity. “The vending machine?” He asked.

“Right… down the hall.” He followed the guy.

*****

As usual, the vending machine failed to recover what it was ordered to give and Kevin kicked it several times. “You can’t do this! Gimme our money back, you useless piece of shit.”

Lucas snickered. “As if it’s going to obey you now.”

“Screw it. I’m gonna go call someone for help. Don’t go anywhere, okay?” He went to see if the janitor could help. But there was no one to be seen. He came back within a few seconds only to find Lucas gone. “What the …” He looked around frantically and that’s when he saw him going through the door which led to the roof.

It left him confused. Why would Lucas wanna go to the roof? Curious, he went to find out. He went up the staircase, taking two steps at a time and opened the roof door quietly.

A warm breeze hit him. The sun was shining brightly outside. Lucas stood right in the middle of the rooftop with his back to him. Kevin opened his mouth to call him but stopped realizing that he wasn’t alone. There was a girl with long, jet black hair, leaning by the edge of the roof. Kevin’s blood ran cold, realizing what she was about to do.