Once her first class was finished Claudia walked out to see Lucas waiting for her. "We meet again," she said in a deep voice, smiling. "Let's go. We have English. English is the best."
Claudia was naturally talented at English and she loved the class. Now that she had a friend to sit beside, it would be even better, and they still had to write those poems, a task she was looking forward to. Claudia abandoned her usual seat and sat next to Lucas in the back of the room. That way, people could look at them less.
"Have you decided what you're going to write for your poetry assignment?" she asked Lucas.
English was the one class that he was naturally good at and actually enjoyed. Another thing he shared with the blonde girl. And he got along rather well with Mrs. Edwards unlike he did with other teachers. She also knew his mother very well and that encouraged him to be especially well-behaved.
"I decided to go with family as my theme." It was something he had the most experience with out of all the options they wee given. That and insanity. But he wasn't going to give the other another reason to mess with him."What about you? What are you writing yours on?"
Mrs Edwards simply instructed the class to continue with their poems. Claudia extracted her exercise book from her bag and opened to a fresh page. She still had not started, but she had a pretty clear idea of what she wanted to write hers on.
"I'm going with love," she told Lucas. "Romantic love, obviously. I'm going to write from the perspective of a girl who loves a boy she's not allowed to be with." Because she related.
Claudia ... Claudia loved Lucas. She could tell. A lot of people would say it was rushed and too soon and she was just being an irrational, rebellious teenage girl whose hormones were out of control, but Claudia knew how she felt, and she knew she loved the blond boy sitting beside her. She loved his mind, and how he was nothing but kind to her. She loved how she could be herself and nothing but herself in front of him, and how she could do and say whatever she wanted in front of him and he would accept it.
Claudia was willing to risk everything -- her popularity, her brothers, herself -- for Lucas, and if that wasn't love, she didn't know what was.
"That...sound really sad." Lucas pushed his lips to one side of his face. "So, kind of like Romeo and Juliet? I mean why can't she be with him?" He asked, not knowing that she was referring to her relationship with him. All that he could pick up was that she must have the experience to write about it.
He leaned his face into the palm of his hand as started freewriting on scratch paper, while he used his English curriculum book for references. "Is there something wrong with him? Or her?" He continued to question her."Or will I have to wait to know until you submit it?"
"He ... there's nothing wrong with him, at least in her eyes. People don't want her to be with him because they think she deserves better and that he's a toxic waste of space." Her creative, linguistic side was coming out, shaping her own thoughts and relationship with Lucas into eloquent words she wrote on her paper as she spoke. This was only natural to her. "She wants nothing more but to be with him, but everyone seems determined to prevent that from happening. She loves him, but no one cares."
"Claudia." Claudia looked up to see Quentin standing in front of her. He had a stack of books in his arms and was looking between his sister and Lucas with a blank expression on his face.
"What're you doing here?"
Quentin put a book on her table. "Mrs Edwards adores me, she let me in so I could give this to you," he said. Claudia looked at the book; Coraline, by Neil Gaiman.
"Isn't this a children's book?" Claudia actually loved that book very much but she knew Quentin was just looking for an excuse to spy on her. "What're you really doing here, Quentin?"
Quentin dropped to his knees and looked at Lucas. "I don't think you're a psychopath or anything and I don't care what Claudia does with you, but if you do hurt her, I can't stop Tate from doing what he wants to you. Okay?"
He didn't wait for an answer; he just stood up and left.
Claudia turned to Lucas, frowning. "You're not going to hurt me. I don't believe it."
"I'd never hurt you," Lucas said to her once Quentin had left. At least, he'd never tried to. It was impossible to not get hurt at least once or twice in any type of relationship. That's how human beings were.
"Are all your brothers intimidating?" He swallowed, setting down his pen, and burying his hand into his hair, massaging his scalp. He felt not only a headache coming on, but he was are he'd be seeing something out of the ordinary.
Seeing how protective Claudia's brother reminded him of memories he shared with his brother. It was painful, and whenever something was too painful his mind decided o play tricks on him. And he really didn't want that right now or anytime.
"If they want to be." Claudia had been scared of all of her brothers on different occasions, for different reasons, though she knew none of them would ever hurt her. She loved them all terribly but she was willing to do whatever it took to make Lucas happy right now. She didn't care what they did.
She tried to turn it into a joke. "I can totally be intimidating if I want to be," she joked. "I mean, it's totally not like I'm five-four and skinny as fuck and really weak. I'll bash the shit out of you." He laughed and patted his arm. "I'm joking. I'd never do that. I'd lose."
Lucas blinked his eyes at her, slightly confused at her words for a moment. He had momentarily forgotten what he had said before his oncoming pain. But once he remembered, he scoffed, not a mean scoff but a clearly amused scoff.
"Oh, ahaha ahahaha. Claudia, you are so funny." He faked a laugh and spoke robotically."I totally do not believe that you do bash people in basements. But, just in case." He scooted away from her."I think I should keep a safe distance."
"That would be wise. No, seriously, come back, I miss you already." Claudia pouted at him, pretending to be upset at the small space between them. "I thought we were meant to stick together," she joked.
Soon the lesson ended and Claudia was actually sad. As they made their way out of the classroom, a burly football player collided with Claudia, sending her tiny body flying into the lockers. Claudia looked up from the floor to see that it was one of Crystal's many admirers, a player under her brother, who had sent her crashing into the wall. Claudia committed his number to memory before he ran away.
"Ow," she gasped as she tried to move. She managed to pick herself up but her arm really hurt; she knew it wasn't broken, but just badly bruised. Little tears appeared in the corners of her eyes but she wiped them away. She didn't want to look weak. That was what Crystal wanted, and Claudia wouldn't give that to her.
Lucas promptly slid to Claudia's see and helped her up wearing the most concerned face."Are you alright? Do you need to get tested?" He asked, hurriedly so concerned about Claudia's well-being. He placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and looked her over for any other injuries besides her arm. He had gone through this so many times, it was no secret that he had a higher pain tolerance than she.
"We can ice your arm if it hurts to bad and then put on some ointment. I have some band-aids, but for the ointment and ice, we'll have to to the nurse office. And..." His voice trailed off when he saw the tears glisten in her eyes that refused to fall.
Seeing those tears made him angry. How dare that guy, Crystal's lack, just know her to the side like that? It was clear he must of have did it on purpose, the asshole didn't even bother to apologize.
Lucas's hands fell from her shoulders and clenched tightly."I'm going to punch that guy in his stupid face." He calmly, face straight. And he meant it.
"No." Claudia pulled Lucas into a little alcove so they could talk. Her arm really hurt and she kept her hand on it, not wanting to upset him any further. "He's about three times the size of you and he plays football under my brother. If you try and punch him or do anything, you'll make Crystal angrier and provoke the entire football team. You want that? No."
She was happy that he cared about her but she cared about him, too, and the last thing she wanted was for Lucas to be hurt because of her. "I'll tell Tate," he assured him, taking one of his hands with her free one. "He'll do something about it, because this has nothing to do with you. It happened because I pissed off Crystal, okay? But ... thank you. No one's ever cared enough about me to get angry over me."
"No." Claudia pulled Lucas into a little alcove so they could talk. Her arm really hurt and she kept her hand on it, not wanting to upset him any further. "He's about three times the size of you and he plays football under my brother. If you try and punch him or do anything, you'll make Crystal angrier and provoke the entire football team. You want that? No."
She was happy that he cared about her but she cared about him, too, and the last thing she wanted was for Lucas to be hurt because of her. "I'll tell Tate," he assured him, taking one of his hands with her free one. "He'll do something about it, because this has nothing to do with you. It happened because I pissed off Crystal, okay? But ... thank you. No one's ever cared enough about me to get angry over me."
Lucas made a face, but relented, unclenching his fist slowly. Claudia was right. There was no way that he could fight that guy, he'd probably only get one punch in before he got beat up to bloody pulp. And there was no way he could get involved with the whole football team. It would also mean having to deal with Tate more.
"Fine." He said reluctantly and sighed heavily."It just doesn't feel right." It was funny how he was just now caring when it was happening to someone else. A someone he cared about.
"Anywho, we should treat your arm now, ice it down, so it won't get swollen." Lucas brought his attention back to her well-being.
"If you insist," said Claudia, sighing. She and Lucas made their way to the nurse's office, where the elderly lady there put a chilly ice pack on her arm.
"How did this happen, dear?" the nurse asked, concerned.
"It's alright, I just ... walked into a pole."
The nurse gave her a disbelieving look but let it go. She mentioned something about needing more issues from the general office and left Claudia and Lucas sitting on the small bed.
"Thanks for bringing me here," murmured Claudia. She leaned her head on Lucas's shoulder, finding comfort in his presence and unyielding care for her. "Sorry you had to miss whatever class you had because I got beaten up by a football player. You don't have to be here, you know," she added. She didn't want him to leave but she knew it was wrong to keep him from his classes. "You can go back to class. I'll be fine."
"Really? That's great because chemistry is really important to me. You know learning the elements of the periodic table and the formula of salt." Lucas said sarcastically. He rested his chin gently on the top of her head and instinctively wrapped an arm around her.
"Yeah, right. That's what I would've said if I didn't care."He wanted to stay with her until she left. Surely without a doubt, she would have done the same for him. It was only natural he stayed."I leave when you leave."
"And anyway, I didn't finish my homework, so now I have an excuse not to go in and get in trouble."
Claudia smiled when he put her arm around her, glad he couldn't see her face. It felt so nice, so calming, his presence reassuring her that everything would be okay. She hoped he would never leave.
She frowned and punched his knee. She couldn't have pushed a kitten over with the force she put behind that punch. Like she had said before, Claudia was weak. "Why didn't you finish your homework? Did you spend too much time Tumbling? How are you finding it, by the way?"
She hoped he was already massively successful. She had followed him and liked the first few photos he had posted. They had been amazing. Claudia was truly in awe of his talent.
"It's fun. I've gotten to talk to a lot of people who really like my photos." Lucas just got excited thinking about the subject. His face visibly brightened."You were so right. I'll give you full permission to say I told you so, because you did and you were absolutely right."
"After school?" He already had plans, but he refrained from saying so yet. His mother was planning on cooking dinner for them and have a small little party. She had finally and successfully published a book It was already on the New York's Times Bestseller list. She wanted to celebrate with him and Norman. Ugh, Norman.
"I know! Why don't you come over my house, my mom is having a little party with me, herself and her special boyfriend, Norman. She'll love to have you over, I'll love it." Having Claudia over would make it so much more bearable to stay in the same room as Norman. It might even be enjoyable.
Claudia was happy Lucas had found his place on Tumblr. She was glad he had a solace from his shitty school life.
"A dinner? I'd love to come!" Claudia said happily, sitting up so she could see him, but his arm was still around her. She looked at him and smiled. "I'd love to meet your mother. And your book collection. If you notice a sizable dent in said collection, it was the same goblins who steal your odd socks and not me, I promise."
Claudia bit her lip. "Should I dress fancy? Will ... will she like me?"
"You can dress however you want. There's no particular theme, this time at least." Last time she had them all dressed up as a character from the book she published. And that resulted with him being dressed up as a mouse. He grimaced at the memory. Nonetheless, he had to admit it was a hilariously fun time.
"Are you kidding me? She'll love you!" Lucas was sure of it. He knew his mother best after all."She's really nice and kind of silly in a dorky way. Most of all she's so incredibly corny and cliche." He smirked."I'll think you'll like her too. "
"She sounds nice," said Claudia, smiling wistfully before returning her head to Lucas's shoulder. "I wish I had fun parents. Mine are always so serious. All they care about is their careers and our futures. The only reason Tate is allowed to play football is because they think he has no future in any academic field. Mom favouritises me and Quentin, though she'd never admit it, and Brogen's pretty much the family disappointment because, apparently, his grades indicate he has no future." She shook her head sadly.
Well, at least she didn't have to put up with her parents that much. They were always away on business trips, and if they weren't, they had to rise early to get to the city in time for work every day and usually didn't return home until late at night. They were only around on weekends. Claudia knew they hadn't moved to New York City already because her parents were creatures of habit, afraid to break the traditions they had set for the entire family years ago.
"They're probably cheating on each other. I think they hate each other." Claudia mentioned this like other people commented on the weather. She had always thought this but had never shared her thoughts on it with anyone.
