Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Inside Out ❯ Forever is a long time ( Chapter 19 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
The two weeks went by faster than any of them would admit, despite the fact that they were still not on speaking terms. Elias would occasionally exchange a few words with Sheek, but he made a point of ignoring Lucas. Lucas in turn made himself scarce, and rarely showed up earlier than 10 or so in the evening. He did not tell Sheek what he was doing all day, but he would often come home looking like shit. Dark circles were under his eyes, his hair was always unkempt; clothes disheveled, and his normally casual, graceful lope was deminished to an akward stumble from the door to the couch.
The doctors had contacted them days after their confrontation, just to let them know that “everything had been settled”. Lucas didn’t want to admit it, but he was dreading the day Elias would leave him. His 21st birthday had gone by in a blur, and the only advantage he could see to it was it allowed him to go to the bar every night. There wasn’t a day he didn’t return to Sheek totally hammered, and although he knew the thearpist-in-training suspected something, whether it was out of empathy or something else entirely, he did not comment. The court date had also been moved, because their mother had recovered from her coma. She was alive and moved down from ICU, but her stay in the Hospital would be a long - and expensive, he never forgot that much - one. When she was released, she would testify.
Two days prior to Elias’s scheduled departure, Lucas stumbled into the apartment around 11:30. The keys he held in shaky fingers slipped from his grasp, and unable to contain the emotion that had been bottled up inside from the last few weeks, he screamed, “For FUCK sakes.”
It didn’t take long for Sheek to exit his room; he had taken up residence in there with Elias, sleeping on a cot near the bed. His hair was let loose from it’s usual ponytail, and from his narrowed eyes and the furrow of his brow, it had been obvious that he had been sleeping.
“Lucas,” he snapped, as he leaned down to grapple for his keys. “Where the hell have you been? Your cell phone has been off all day.”
“None of your goddamned business,” Lucas returned, his voice equally aggressive. He shot a glare to the man from across the room, before his shoulders drooped and he sank back against the floor, keys forgotten. “Fuck,” he muttered, covering his hands. “Fuck.” he repeated. Sheek said nothing, but came to stand infront of him. Lucas tilted his head back, and Sheek grabbed the collar of his jacket. Pulling him up to his feet with a strength Lucas would have thought him incapable of, he grunted as his shoulderblades were rammed into the wall. Their gazes were level, and Sheek noted with slight diselief, “You’re drunk.”
“You don’t say?” Lucas responded, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “I only had about four bottles of JD.”
Instead of his grip slackening on the younger, Sheek gave him a good shake; his words came out in an angry hiss, and Lucas press the heel of his palm to his temple to stop the spinning.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? You’re ruining yourself, and if anyone catches wind of this do you think they will see you fit to be his gaurdian?”
Lucas shrugged as best he could given Sheek’s hold on his jacket, before his head lolled to the side slightly. “He hates me,” he stated matter-of-fact. His voice was quiet, but it did not waver, and his words were clear. “Why would I put him through more by making him live with someone he hates? You’re right; the game is over now, Sheek. I lost.” He laughed, bitterly. “I fucked everything up because I think with my dick. Is that what you want to hear? I fucked my brother, and I fucked myself over because I couldn’t let it go. I’m a loser.” He grabbed onto Sheek’s shoulders and pushed them back from the wall. His voice broke as he bit through clenched teeth, “Is that what you want to hear, Sheek? That I admit you’re better than me? I’m dirt. I’m lower than dirt. How fucking satisfied does that make you?”
With a disdained shake of his head Sheek pulled the younger man over to the couch. Throwing him down, he raked a hand through his hair before turning to look back at the bedroom. Their argument had not been near quiet. His gaze returned to Lucas, who was sprawled out on the couch with an arm over his face. Silence for a moment, before Sheek turned back to the bedroom.
I’m not going to talk to you like this; tomorrow, when you’re feeling better, you and I are going to sort things out. You’ve dug yourself a hole, Lucas. It’s time you started climbing out of it.”
Lucas said nothing in response, save for an arrogant grunt, and rolled onto his side, back facing Sheek. The older man said nothing more, and turned to head back into the bedroom.
When he woke next, sunlight filtered in through the closed blinds, and a horrible wretching was coming from the bathroom. It took Elias severeal moments to understand what was going on, and he sleepily propped himself up on his elbows. Rubbing his eyes, he listened to the sounds of his brother in the bathroom, before dropping down onto his back. He stared at the ceiling, his fingers picking at the threads on the blanket he lay under. Trepedation filled him at the thought of the next day, and he pushed himself into a seated position. Heatedly raking his fingers through his hair, the slight boy got up -- not surprised to find the cot empty, and leaving the bedroom ran right into his brother.
Lucas looked pale, and he gripped the door frame of the bathroom so hard his knuckles were white. Elias stiffened, and he said nothing for a minute before hesitantly parting his lips to speak. “Lucas, I--”
Lucas jerked away from him and back into the bathroom; the door slammed shut in is face, and anger would have consumed him were it not for sound of Lucas throwing up. Elias couldn’t help but feel responsible-- in reality, he was, no matter how much his brother deserved it. He couldn’t control what he did, he never had, but he knew that he was the reason he took off drinking every night. And now he was leaving the next day, and he wondered with a brief moment of panick, if things were going to be too tense to say goodbye. He wandered into the kitchen then, and yanking open the fridge grabbed the jug of milk that was stationed near the back. Pouring himself a glass, he nursed from it gently, his back leaning against the counter.
His brother emerged from the bathroom, and Elias was startled. He had never seen him so ... so vulnerable. Dark shadows under his eyes; his skin was pale, almost waxen looking, and there was an unhealthy, green tinge to it that was a reminder of the older siblings hangover. He leaned shakily against the wall near the bathroom, and there eyes met. Elias was in a simple T-shirt and underwear, and Lucas dressed in baggy sweats and pull-over sweater. They regarded eachother warily, before Elias returned the milk to the fridge, finished off his glass and set it into the sink. He was suddenly uncomfortable, and the silence was not helping.
“Elias,” Lucas began, his voice sounding strained. It was odd too, for he sounded almost... pleading. “We have to talk.”
Elias kept his back to him, and traced the sink carefully with his index finger. “What do we have to talk about?” he asked. He cursed himself, for he had meant to sound cool; detatched, like Lucas always did. The tremble in his voice gave him away, and he refused to turn around.
“About you leaving.”
It was a simple answer, but there was a finalty to it that Elias didn’t much care for.
“What about it?” he asked, his question short, clipped. His irritation was not hard to see.
“You have to understand,” Lucas began, clearing his throat. “It’s not that I want to get rid of you.”
Suddenly Elias pivoted on his feet, and turned to stare at his brother. His eyes were hard, and his small hands were balled up into fists.
“What is it then?”
“I can’t look after you.”
Elias began to speak, and Lucas swayed on his feet before lifting a hand to cut him off, mid-breath.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”
He was quiet then, and Elias took this into consideration. His shoulders slumped in defeat after a moment, and the anger left him. He had been angry at Lucas, that was true, but he was also not so childish that he couldn’t admit, to himself atleast, that he hadn’t given him time to explain the other night. But that didn’t mean anything.
“You ruined my life, you know,” Elias said unsteadily. “By doing all of those things to me. Inside.” Deep breathe. “Not just inside, but my heart too.”
Lucas’s expression was pained, and Elias wasn’t sure if it was because of what he said, or the nausea. He continued, anyway.
“We can’t go back,” he said sadly. “I know I’m just a kid, and you think I don’t know what I’m talking about. Or what’s going on, but I know. I can’t be around you and pretend nothing happened, Lucas!”
He nearly shouted then, his eyes burning with unshed and unwanted tears.
“How am I supposed to act around you?” he continued, more so to himself. “Normal? Like I don’t care? I can’t do it. If that’s what you want to do, then I don’t want to be around you.”
There. He’d said it. Finally.
Lucas nodded as if in understanding, and running a hand through his hair, shrugged and turned on his heel. The bathroom door slammed shut, and shortly after, Elias could hear the shower running. His stomach tightened, and he exhaled; he hadn’t known he was holding his breath. Swallowing, he shakily made his way back to Sheek’s bedroom, and sat down on the bed. Lucas didn’t come out of the bathroom for an hour, and when he did, he was quick to grab a pair of jeans and a sweater before snatching his jacket. He was shrugging into it when Elias followed him out into the living room.
“Where are you going?” he asked. Lucas, who had just stuffed his keys into his pockets, gave him a side-long glance. Pulling the door open, he shrugged before running fingers through his hair -- which was still damp.
“Don’t know,” he replied nonchalantly. “But this way, you don’t have to act like you don’t give a shit, right?” He flashed a grin and Elias was so startled for his smile held traces of how he used to be. Cocky, confident. Dangerous. And then, the door slammed shut and he was gone.
It wasn’t even 1 Oc’lock.
He ordered, selecting something random but hot, off of the list and sank back into the booth when she left. His eyes burned from lack of sleep, and his head ached from the hangover that still hadn’t left him. The pain went away little by little as he downed his second drink, and after he ate he was beginning to feel something like himself again. Once he paid the bill, he went into th washroom and splashed cold water on his pale face. He stared at his reflection, somewhat amused but mostly disgusted. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and stubble lined his jaw. The darkness under his eyes accompanied by his five o’clock shadow made him look suspicious. Or dangerous.
Drying his hands, he stuffed them into his pockets and meandered back out towards his car. His fingers curled around his keys, and feeling rejuvinated, he slid into the vehicle and drummed his fingers along the steering wheel. No, he didn’t feel too bad. And if he ignored the nagging worry in the back of his mind, he felt a lot like he used to feel. Confident, ready for anything. He could do anything, if he wanted. Pulling out of his parking space, he stretched his long legs before revving the engine and taking a sharp U-turn. He didn’t feel like going back there. Elias’s face played before his mind, and he frowned before knocking it aside. He didn’t need him, and Elias certainly didn’t want him, so there was no problem with skipping out on his departure. He hardly doubted the younger boy would care, so why should he? He’d finally let him know how he felt. And what else should he expect?
Lucas’s nerves were relaxing from the alcohol, and after about twenty minutes he decided to stop at another bar. The buzz was begininng to wear off, and he still had a large chunk of cash burning a hole in his pocket. He eased out of his car and locking the doors, made his way inside. They checked him for I.D, which he offered with a grin, before sauntering up to the bar and ordering the strongest drink they had.
Scanning the room, he checked the clock on the wall and noted that it was around 2 or so in the afternoon. He wasn’t particularly aware exactly of what the date was, or even what day of the week it was. All he knew was it was the day, and he was going to stay as far from Sheek’s apartment for as long as he could. Which would be until he ran out of money. So Lucas finished off his drink, ignoring the burn of the booze as it made its way down his throat. His eyes fell onto a group of girls who were sitting at a table further towards the back. He smiled as one of the girls looked his way, and his smile widened into a grin when she giggled and gave him a small wave with her fingers. Sauntering over, his hands slid down into his pockets. They all turned to assess him, and their gazes were approving.
“Ladies,” he began, his voice cool, holding some semblence of the confidence he had once upon a time. They all offered him welcoming smiles, and so he took up a seat near the one who had waved at him. They entertained some light conversation, and they ordered another round of drinks. Even offering to pay for his as well. His mood was pretty good, and so he was in no hurry to decline their offer. When it came, he took his time draining it, allowing the alcohol to settle in before he even bothered rising. They seemed dissapointed that he was leaving after another few tall glasses, and so he gave them his cell number -- which he realized would no longer work, as soon as he’d stumbled out the door.
There was still a cold nip to the air, and the sun was just starting to set as he left. He struggled to get his keys, fully aware he was tanked. He thought nothing of it as he slid into the car, and although he did sit for a minute before sticking the key into the ignition, it wasn’t of anything in particular. The car came to life within seconds, and he admired its pur before throwing it into reverse. Pulling out, he narrowed his vision to keep the road from spinning. Elias would have left by then, so he could go back to Sheek’s. He knew his friend would be royally pissed at him -- he could even imagine him threatening to kick him out, but he also knew if the situation were explained he’d understand.
The drive was relativly smooth the entire way there, save for running a few red lights. Lucas cursed under his breath as he rolled to the curb, and leaned forward on the steering wheel. His vision was beginning to blur, and he rubbed his eyes irritably to clear them, before easing his foot onto the gas. The car slid past the curb and out into the rode. Just as he was about to turn off the intersection towards Sheek’s apartment, there was a loud squeeling of tires and the protest of a horn. Lucas swore loudly and looking to his right, realized he’d pulled out into oncomming traffic. “Fuck!” he screamed, jarring his shoulder in an attempt to swing the car out of the way. There was a sharp, agonizing pain and the sound of crunching metal as his hood folded under the weight of the other vehicle, and Lucas’s head snapped back against the window as his car flipped over the boulevard into the opposite lane. He could hear people screaming, and the pain ripped through his chest before everything faded out and went black.
The doctors had contacted them days after their confrontation, just to let them know that “everything had been settled”. Lucas didn’t want to admit it, but he was dreading the day Elias would leave him. His 21st birthday had gone by in a blur, and the only advantage he could see to it was it allowed him to go to the bar every night. There wasn’t a day he didn’t return to Sheek totally hammered, and although he knew the thearpist-in-training suspected something, whether it was out of empathy or something else entirely, he did not comment. The court date had also been moved, because their mother had recovered from her coma. She was alive and moved down from ICU, but her stay in the Hospital would be a long - and expensive, he never forgot that much - one. When she was released, she would testify.
Two days prior to Elias’s scheduled departure, Lucas stumbled into the apartment around 11:30. The keys he held in shaky fingers slipped from his grasp, and unable to contain the emotion that had been bottled up inside from the last few weeks, he screamed, “For FUCK sakes.”
It didn’t take long for Sheek to exit his room; he had taken up residence in there with Elias, sleeping on a cot near the bed. His hair was let loose from it’s usual ponytail, and from his narrowed eyes and the furrow of his brow, it had been obvious that he had been sleeping.
“Lucas,” he snapped, as he leaned down to grapple for his keys. “Where the hell have you been? Your cell phone has been off all day.”
“None of your goddamned business,” Lucas returned, his voice equally aggressive. He shot a glare to the man from across the room, before his shoulders drooped and he sank back against the floor, keys forgotten. “Fuck,” he muttered, covering his hands. “Fuck.” he repeated. Sheek said nothing, but came to stand infront of him. Lucas tilted his head back, and Sheek grabbed the collar of his jacket. Pulling him up to his feet with a strength Lucas would have thought him incapable of, he grunted as his shoulderblades were rammed into the wall. Their gazes were level, and Sheek noted with slight diselief, “You’re drunk.”
“You don’t say?” Lucas responded, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “I only had about four bottles of JD.”
Instead of his grip slackening on the younger, Sheek gave him a good shake; his words came out in an angry hiss, and Lucas press the heel of his palm to his temple to stop the spinning.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? You’re ruining yourself, and if anyone catches wind of this do you think they will see you fit to be his gaurdian?”
Lucas shrugged as best he could given Sheek’s hold on his jacket, before his head lolled to the side slightly. “He hates me,” he stated matter-of-fact. His voice was quiet, but it did not waver, and his words were clear. “Why would I put him through more by making him live with someone he hates? You’re right; the game is over now, Sheek. I lost.” He laughed, bitterly. “I fucked everything up because I think with my dick. Is that what you want to hear? I fucked my brother, and I fucked myself over because I couldn’t let it go. I’m a loser.” He grabbed onto Sheek’s shoulders and pushed them back from the wall. His voice broke as he bit through clenched teeth, “Is that what you want to hear, Sheek? That I admit you’re better than me? I’m dirt. I’m lower than dirt. How fucking satisfied does that make you?”
With a disdained shake of his head Sheek pulled the younger man over to the couch. Throwing him down, he raked a hand through his hair before turning to look back at the bedroom. Their argument had not been near quiet. His gaze returned to Lucas, who was sprawled out on the couch with an arm over his face. Silence for a moment, before Sheek turned back to the bedroom.
I’m not going to talk to you like this; tomorrow, when you’re feeling better, you and I are going to sort things out. You’ve dug yourself a hole, Lucas. It’s time you started climbing out of it.”
Lucas said nothing in response, save for an arrogant grunt, and rolled onto his side, back facing Sheek. The older man said nothing more, and turned to head back into the bedroom.
~*~
Elias was still when Sheek returned, and only after a minute or so of silence did he roll onto his side. There was a small shaft of light slipping through the crack under the door, and he ignored the guilt that was tearing at his insides. He had said those things to his brother out of anger, and now he avoided him out of embarassment. He hadn’t known his words would have had such an effect on his brother, and he was tempted to rise and go to him, but he had heard how intoxicated he was -- he had never heard Sheek use such language before -- and it frightened him. The only times he had encountered his brother like that, there had not been a pleasent ending. For him, anyway. He closed his eyes and buried his face into the pillow. He would say something tomorrow.When he woke next, sunlight filtered in through the closed blinds, and a horrible wretching was coming from the bathroom. It took Elias severeal moments to understand what was going on, and he sleepily propped himself up on his elbows. Rubbing his eyes, he listened to the sounds of his brother in the bathroom, before dropping down onto his back. He stared at the ceiling, his fingers picking at the threads on the blanket he lay under. Trepedation filled him at the thought of the next day, and he pushed himself into a seated position. Heatedly raking his fingers through his hair, the slight boy got up -- not surprised to find the cot empty, and leaving the bedroom ran right into his brother.
Lucas looked pale, and he gripped the door frame of the bathroom so hard his knuckles were white. Elias stiffened, and he said nothing for a minute before hesitantly parting his lips to speak. “Lucas, I--”
Lucas jerked away from him and back into the bathroom; the door slammed shut in is face, and anger would have consumed him were it not for sound of Lucas throwing up. Elias couldn’t help but feel responsible-- in reality, he was, no matter how much his brother deserved it. He couldn’t control what he did, he never had, but he knew that he was the reason he took off drinking every night. And now he was leaving the next day, and he wondered with a brief moment of panick, if things were going to be too tense to say goodbye. He wandered into the kitchen then, and yanking open the fridge grabbed the jug of milk that was stationed near the back. Pouring himself a glass, he nursed from it gently, his back leaning against the counter.
His brother emerged from the bathroom, and Elias was startled. He had never seen him so ... so vulnerable. Dark shadows under his eyes; his skin was pale, almost waxen looking, and there was an unhealthy, green tinge to it that was a reminder of the older siblings hangover. He leaned shakily against the wall near the bathroom, and there eyes met. Elias was in a simple T-shirt and underwear, and Lucas dressed in baggy sweats and pull-over sweater. They regarded eachother warily, before Elias returned the milk to the fridge, finished off his glass and set it into the sink. He was suddenly uncomfortable, and the silence was not helping.
“Elias,” Lucas began, his voice sounding strained. It was odd too, for he sounded almost... pleading. “We have to talk.”
Elias kept his back to him, and traced the sink carefully with his index finger. “What do we have to talk about?” he asked. He cursed himself, for he had meant to sound cool; detatched, like Lucas always did. The tremble in his voice gave him away, and he refused to turn around.
“About you leaving.”
It was a simple answer, but there was a finalty to it that Elias didn’t much care for.
“What about it?” he asked, his question short, clipped. His irritation was not hard to see.
“You have to understand,” Lucas began, clearing his throat. “It’s not that I want to get rid of you.”
Suddenly Elias pivoted on his feet, and turned to stare at his brother. His eyes were hard, and his small hands were balled up into fists.
“What is it then?”
“I can’t look after you.”
Elias began to speak, and Lucas swayed on his feet before lifting a hand to cut him off, mid-breath.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”
He was quiet then, and Elias took this into consideration. His shoulders slumped in defeat after a moment, and the anger left him. He had been angry at Lucas, that was true, but he was also not so childish that he couldn’t admit, to himself atleast, that he hadn’t given him time to explain the other night. But that didn’t mean anything.
“You ruined my life, you know,” Elias said unsteadily. “By doing all of those things to me. Inside.” Deep breathe. “Not just inside, but my heart too.”
Lucas’s expression was pained, and Elias wasn’t sure if it was because of what he said, or the nausea. He continued, anyway.
“We can’t go back,” he said sadly. “I know I’m just a kid, and you think I don’t know what I’m talking about. Or what’s going on, but I know. I can’t be around you and pretend nothing happened, Lucas!”
He nearly shouted then, his eyes burning with unshed and unwanted tears.
“How am I supposed to act around you?” he continued, more so to himself. “Normal? Like I don’t care? I can’t do it. If that’s what you want to do, then I don’t want to be around you.”
There. He’d said it. Finally.
Lucas nodded as if in understanding, and running a hand through his hair, shrugged and turned on his heel. The bathroom door slammed shut, and shortly after, Elias could hear the shower running. His stomach tightened, and he exhaled; he hadn’t known he was holding his breath. Swallowing, he shakily made his way back to Sheek’s bedroom, and sat down on the bed. Lucas didn’t come out of the bathroom for an hour, and when he did, he was quick to grab a pair of jeans and a sweater before snatching his jacket. He was shrugging into it when Elias followed him out into the living room.
“Where are you going?” he asked. Lucas, who had just stuffed his keys into his pockets, gave him a side-long glance. Pulling the door open, he shrugged before running fingers through his hair -- which was still damp.
“Don’t know,” he replied nonchalantly. “But this way, you don’t have to act like you don’t give a shit, right?” He flashed a grin and Elias was so startled for his smile held traces of how he used to be. Cocky, confident. Dangerous. And then, the door slammed shut and he was gone.
It wasn’t even 1 Oc’lock.
~*~
He didn’t go home that night. Instead, he slept in his car, drunk and hungover as hell. Lucas slept poorly, as to be expected, and as soon as he woke, he found the closest bar and stumbled inside. Bleary-eyed and starving. He had crushed his cell phone under the heel of his shoes the night before, and was thankful that he didn’t have to think about whether or not it was turned off. As he slid into a booth, he recieved a few odd glances -- he didn’t give a shit though, and ordered a rum and coke, mostly rum, and as many pretzels he could get. He ate them within minutes of being brought, and the drink was gone just as fast. He ordered another, and shrugged out of his cold jacket. Splaying his long fingers out on the table, he smiled up at the waitress as she brought his second drink. She returned his smile, if not a little skeptically, before asking him if he wanted anything else. So he asked for the menue, and she brought it.He ordered, selecting something random but hot, off of the list and sank back into the booth when she left. His eyes burned from lack of sleep, and his head ached from the hangover that still hadn’t left him. The pain went away little by little as he downed his second drink, and after he ate he was beginning to feel something like himself again. Once he paid the bill, he went into th washroom and splashed cold water on his pale face. He stared at his reflection, somewhat amused but mostly disgusted. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and stubble lined his jaw. The darkness under his eyes accompanied by his five o’clock shadow made him look suspicious. Or dangerous.
Drying his hands, he stuffed them into his pockets and meandered back out towards his car. His fingers curled around his keys, and feeling rejuvinated, he slid into the vehicle and drummed his fingers along the steering wheel. No, he didn’t feel too bad. And if he ignored the nagging worry in the back of his mind, he felt a lot like he used to feel. Confident, ready for anything. He could do anything, if he wanted. Pulling out of his parking space, he stretched his long legs before revving the engine and taking a sharp U-turn. He didn’t feel like going back there. Elias’s face played before his mind, and he frowned before knocking it aside. He didn’t need him, and Elias certainly didn’t want him, so there was no problem with skipping out on his departure. He hardly doubted the younger boy would care, so why should he? He’d finally let him know how he felt. And what else should he expect?
Lucas’s nerves were relaxing from the alcohol, and after about twenty minutes he decided to stop at another bar. The buzz was begininng to wear off, and he still had a large chunk of cash burning a hole in his pocket. He eased out of his car and locking the doors, made his way inside. They checked him for I.D, which he offered with a grin, before sauntering up to the bar and ordering the strongest drink they had.
Scanning the room, he checked the clock on the wall and noted that it was around 2 or so in the afternoon. He wasn’t particularly aware exactly of what the date was, or even what day of the week it was. All he knew was it was the day, and he was going to stay as far from Sheek’s apartment for as long as he could. Which would be until he ran out of money. So Lucas finished off his drink, ignoring the burn of the booze as it made its way down his throat. His eyes fell onto a group of girls who were sitting at a table further towards the back. He smiled as one of the girls looked his way, and his smile widened into a grin when she giggled and gave him a small wave with her fingers. Sauntering over, his hands slid down into his pockets. They all turned to assess him, and their gazes were approving.
“Ladies,” he began, his voice cool, holding some semblence of the confidence he had once upon a time. They all offered him welcoming smiles, and so he took up a seat near the one who had waved at him. They entertained some light conversation, and they ordered another round of drinks. Even offering to pay for his as well. His mood was pretty good, and so he was in no hurry to decline their offer. When it came, he took his time draining it, allowing the alcohol to settle in before he even bothered rising. They seemed dissapointed that he was leaving after another few tall glasses, and so he gave them his cell number -- which he realized would no longer work, as soon as he’d stumbled out the door.
There was still a cold nip to the air, and the sun was just starting to set as he left. He struggled to get his keys, fully aware he was tanked. He thought nothing of it as he slid into the car, and although he did sit for a minute before sticking the key into the ignition, it wasn’t of anything in particular. The car came to life within seconds, and he admired its pur before throwing it into reverse. Pulling out, he narrowed his vision to keep the road from spinning. Elias would have left by then, so he could go back to Sheek’s. He knew his friend would be royally pissed at him -- he could even imagine him threatening to kick him out, but he also knew if the situation were explained he’d understand.
The drive was relativly smooth the entire way there, save for running a few red lights. Lucas cursed under his breath as he rolled to the curb, and leaned forward on the steering wheel. His vision was beginning to blur, and he rubbed his eyes irritably to clear them, before easing his foot onto the gas. The car slid past the curb and out into the rode. Just as he was about to turn off the intersection towards Sheek’s apartment, there was a loud squeeling of tires and the protest of a horn. Lucas swore loudly and looking to his right, realized he’d pulled out into oncomming traffic. “Fuck!” he screamed, jarring his shoulder in an attempt to swing the car out of the way. There was a sharp, agonizing pain and the sound of crunching metal as his hood folded under the weight of the other vehicle, and Lucas’s head snapped back against the window as his car flipped over the boulevard into the opposite lane. He could hear people screaming, and the pain ripped through his chest before everything faded out and went black.