The ways we lost him(completed)

21

Tuesday morning, Luka proudly presented her physics test, she had scored a 98, which was up to her previous standard. She had pretty much caught up in her Science subjects, English and math. She still had to tackle History and English but she'd get there, she was on track.

Dalia gave her a blinding smile. She reached across and doodled a small smiley face on the top of my exam paper.

"I see." Angie said, grinning like an old man, proud of his son. Luka found that comical. She tore her eyes away, searching the room for Levi and was disappointed when she could not see him.

Karma plopped down beside them, pulling his lunch from his bag. The group didn't bat an eyelash, this had become usual in the past two weeks or so, ever since the organization in Bellbourne he stuck with their group.

"I have to tell you guys something."

Luka's eyes snapped up, alight with curiosity but when she caught his distressed expression, it turned to worry.

"Since my dad came to this town, there's been three missing cases, specific to this school and town. But it's happening on a larger scale outside town too."

Luka raised an eyebrow, not understanding what relevance that would have to them.

"They were all thought to have some connection with drug trafficking, like Sebastian did."

Angie frowned. "I mean, I think that's jumping the gun a little."

He nodded, stretching his hand across the table as he tapped his middle finger against the wood.

"Two of them had a connection to Sebastian."

Dalia gaped at him, her eyes going wide as she processed the news. This problem was on a much wider scale than she had realized.

"Who?"

"One of them is Dana Hopper, she was in his religion group, right?"

They nodded. "Dana's Sebastian's cousin. I don't think she would have anything to do with drugs."

He shrugged. "I think you all know the second, he used to attend this school before he moved to a more prestigious one up state. He also knew Sebastian."

Angie glanced at him, her mouth set in a tight hard line. She balled her fists, her eyes catching his intently.

"And the second?"

"Erik Lancoff."

-/

The tension from this morning was still very much prominent by the time lunch rolled around. Karma wasn't there at lunch when they all went to the art classroom but Dean was, sitting in the corner of the room. He sat, with his eyes rimmed red and his head turned down.

"His funeral is tonight."

Luka nodded, absorbed in her thought. She hadn't forgotten, it lingered in her mind throughout the day, but it seemed so distant almost like she couldn't believe it was the reality and the reality was that Sebastian had been dead for over two months, nearing on three.

The funeral was so prolonged, they all thought it wouldn't happen at first but they were so glad when Mrs Goddard sought Dalia out and it was revealed she still loved her son. Luka thought it must of been difficult having one parent against a child's funeral, she couldn't imagine how a man could have such defiance and hatred in his heart. It was a matter of pride at this point, but it was tearing him apart from the inside.

"Do his parents know I'm coming?" Dean asked tentatively, his head still hung low.

"Parent, singular. His father won't be attending and yes, his mother welcomes you."

He looked up, his eyes clouded over with a harsh disbelief. "Did she actually say that?"

"Well she said she respects you." Dalia said gingerly and his eyes flicked up to meet hers. He nodded.

"Okay then."

-/

They went to Bellborne that day, which confidently fell on the day of Sebastian's funeral. Everyone was tense and silent, even Luka.

They approached the large blue building for the second time. It seemed duller now and Luka could see the peeling paint at the sides crawling down the front of the building.

They were all put in the same room as last time. There were fewer people. They knew Nicole slightly better now, although she still stayed silent, music pouring out of her earphones from the other side of the table.

Emmeline seemed oblivious to the atmosphere and clapped happily, greeting everyone. luka zoned out as she explained the activity, resting her head on the cool wooden table.

"Is Angel here?" Dalia asked softly, scanning the room for any sight of the blond haired boy.

Nicole, finally deciding to join the conversation gave a harsh laugh. "He's gone," a promising silence filled her statement and she turned away from the group, her shoulder falling in defeat.

"Just like everyone else in this damn town."

-/

Karma listed off the people that had disappeared in the last week that had any connection to Sebastian, it was unnerving and almost unrealistic.

"Erik Lancoff, Dana Goddard, did he know Angel?"

Angie frowned, something seemed off about the whole situation. "Why are we focusing on that? Kids are legitimately disappearing and you're looking for a connection to Sebastian? This is on a larger scale than you could even begin to imagine, yet we haven't seen any cops or feds around? Something seems off."

"I agree," Luka said, shuddering. "We have to stop searching for connection to Sebastian where there are none. We know what happened, we know that Jaxon is the one who targeted him under someone else's order, and that it was because they wanted to send a warning , I bet you they were just as scared that you left a container of their stuff at the side of the road." She looked over at Dean, who sat quietly in the corner, his hands folded over on front of him.

"Why didn't they target you then?" Karma asked and Dean's head snapped up.

"You think his death didn't affect me?" Nobody answered that, and it dawned on Luka just how Dean must be feeling, he was the one to rope Sebastian into carrying out the act that led to this. It must be eating away at him, which is what they had wanted, she presumed.

"And our idea is to manipulative Jaxon into giving up information about a group of anonymous gangsters who he may or may not even be in direct contact with?" Dean scoffed.

Karma's eyes shone. "He's in direct contact with them alright."

The group looked towards him, as he grinned.

"Well, his family have been suspected for years, they're a interwoven web of people who keep slipping out of the grasp of the cops. "

Luka looked away, not knowing how to feel about this revelation. It didn't make her feel any different towards the situation but she knew it would tangle the web even more, and they were beginning to become part of it.

"He won't betray his family."  Dean said.

Karma smirked. "I wonder how they'll respond to the new town buzz, it makes someone look suspicious and heads turn where they want, not because of logic."

Everyone knew he was talking of kids going missing out of the blue, into thin air. There was so many pieces and none of them seemed to connect, it was beginning to become a bigger picture and one they probably shouldn't be meddling in.

Luka looked down, digesting the news. Family wasn't something anyone wanted to betray.