good girl • (lrh)

6

A•V•A

Finally school ends and I make my way to my locker, putting away my books and walking over to Elsa as she does the same. "Oh hey, me and Rose are gonna hang out this weekend, do you wanna come?" Elsa asks and I think for a moment. That did sound nice, I just wasn't sure if I'd be able to.  "I'll check with mom and let you know." I smile, giving her a quick hug.

"Are you walking today?" Elsa asks and I shake my head no. "Lu-Mr.Hemmings is giving me a ride." I smile sheepishly and she nods, giving me a look I couldn't quite read, it worried me but I attempted to brush it off. "He's hot!" She gushes and I roll my eyes. Her words kind of upset me, but I tried to play them off.  "Isn't he like thirty? That's kinda gross." I lie, pretending to gag. "Oh come on, who cares? He's hot as hell!" She says again as we exit the school and I blush as a spot his car, windows down. I really hope he didn't hear Elsa shouting that. That would be so embarrassing.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" I say, giving her a wave before I rush to Luke's car. I didn't want Elsa to say anything else, especially if he could hear us.

"Good afternoon, sweetheart." Luke greets me as I enter his car, dropping my bag onto the floor.  "Hi Luke, thank you for picking me up." I speak softly, biting my lip nervously. I was thankful he was there to pick me up, but I felt a little uneasy nonetheless. "Of course, doll." Luke smiles, putting his hands on the steering wheel. "Buckle up." He suggest, not moving until I do so.

We drive in silence for a few minutes before he finally speaks. "How was school? Saw you chatting with your friend after school." He asks and I blush, gulping. He had to have heard Elsa. I knew it.

"Uhm about that..I was uhm.." I find myself at a loss for words, not sure what to say. I didn't want to have this conversation right now.  "Don't be embarrassed." He teases, his hand returning to my thigh, just like this morning. I glance over to see him smiling while watching the road.  I feel my skin tingling beneath his touch, but I try to brush away the thought of it. "She was just talking about some guy she knows!" I finally say, defending myself. I hope that sounded believable. I've been lying a lot more than usual, it's an odd feeling.

He gives me a nod, a smirk covering his lips, letting me know he knows I was just lying,

"I'm quite flattered you think I'm hot." He teases and I plush, a squeak leaving my lips as I burying my face in my hands. "I don't!" I squeak and he shakes his head, squeezing my thigh.

"It's okay doll, you don't have to be shy. I think you're very pretty."

He thinks I'm pretty? Why would he think I'm pretty? I'm far from pretty, I'm boring and plain.

I let out a sigh of relief as we near my house. "See you in the morning, I suppose." Luke says, pulling into the driveway. Part of me wanted to rush out of the car, but I didn't.

My eyes dart towards my own drive way and I frown as I notice my mother's car still isn't home. This wasn't an unusual occurrence, but I didn't like it either way.  Luke notices this and gives me a confused look.

"What's wrong?" He speaks softly and I sigh. I didn't know if I should tell him, but I decide to try to. "She's never home.. and I.. never mind." I breathe out, not wanting to say too much.

The truth is, I'm scared to be alone. I don't like being all alone inside of our house. Not after my father left, not since the break in last year. I don't feel safe on my own and I know I couldn't protect myself. I wonder if I should tell Luke any of this, but I decide against it. I didn't want to bother him about it, it wasn't his place to make up for the lack of parental figures in my life.

We sit in his car for a few minutes, the only sound to be heard is the faint sound of the radio and the hum from the engine. Before I can say anything, Luke pulls out of my driveway and into his own. I give him a confused look, wanting to say something but I'm not sure what.  He exits the car and walks out to the passenger side, opening the door.

"Let's go inside then. I'll make you something to eat." He speaks and I nod, unable to form a sentence. I appreciate his kindness, it's something unfamiliar to me.

I've thrown myself into a state of mind I'd rather not be in, and I'm not sure if I can pull myself out. Ever since the break in, I've been having these episodes where I just go silent, unable to form a sentence, or even a though sometimes.

My doctor explained to me it was from the trauma. When the intruders broke in, I froze, unable to move or speak. My doctor said this was similar, if I stressed myself out too much, I would shut down. It's hard having PTSD at such a young age, especially when many things can trigger me. I wanted to talk about it, I really did, but something always seemed to hold me back.

I attempt to shake the thoughts from my head as I enter Luke's house, trailing directly behind him. I wonder if mom informed him of my PTSD and when I have episodes like this? I would assume so, as he hasn't been trying to get me to talk since we arrived, or maybe he just thought I was odd.

"Can I get you something to drink? Water maybe?" Luke offers and I nod, still having trouble speaking.

"You can sit in the living room, if you'd like." I nod softly, taking a seat on the black colored couch. I drop my school bag on the floor beside me and tuck my legs beneath myself on the couch. His house was oddly comforting.

Luke disappears into the kitchen, and after a few minutes reappears with a glass of water and some kind of sandwich. He offers me the sandwich and I grab it shyly, examining it before I take a bite. I taste peanut butter and this makes me smile. I love pb&j sandwiches. How did he know?

Once I finish eating, I mutter out a quick thank you. I was beginning to calm down now.

I find myself looking around Luke's house curiously. It's quite bland if I'm honest, no family photos or anything interesting on the walls. I frown at this, wondering why he likes things so barren. I glance to my side and notice Luke has taken a seat on the couch, about a foot away from me. I didn't mind the closeness, it just wasn't something I was used to, especially from a man.

"Thank you for picking me up." I finally speak, my voice coming out in a mousy tone.  "No problem." He says casually, offering me a smile. I wanted to say more, but I wasn't ready yet.  "Can I use your restroom?" I question and he nods. "Second door on the left." He motions down the hallway, giving me a warm smile.

I nod, making my way to the bathroom, once inside I close and lock the door. I look at myself in the mirror for a few seconds before splashing some cold water on my face in and attempt to ground myself. After a few minutes, I emerge from the bathroom, feeling like myself again. Finally, I enter the living room. I clear my throat in an attempt to get Luke's attention.

"Oh, there you are, doll. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes sir, I am." I smile, "I should get home though, my mother may be home now, and I don't want her to worry." I frown, fiddling with my school skirt, avoiding his gaze.

"Actually, she just called and asked if I could watch over you tonight." He says, a smirk covering his lips. "Oh," I mutter out, not sure how to react. As I said early, it was normal for her to stay out late working, but I never really enjoyed it. Most days when she was working late I would visit Elsa, or invite her over.

"She mentioned she would be at work a bit longer than normal and worried about you being along too long."

I nod my head. I wish my mother didn't have such a demanding job, I like things how they are, I like sleeping in my own bed and I definitely don't like being alone. I don't do well with sudden change, and I really don't want to stay at Luke's house. I let out an annoyed sigh.

"I don't have any pajamas." I say, attempting to come up with an excuse. "Well, I can take you to your house and you can get whatever you need." He offers. I'm not sure why I used that as an excuse, of course I could go across the street and get anything I need. I want to protest further, but I see not point.

Luke ends up taking me across the road to my house and I collect my things. Before exiting my own house, I check my bag once more. After coming to the conclusion that I've got everything, we make our way back to his house.

This is going to be a long night.