We pulled up in front of a two-story house, its outward appearance similar to that of its neighbours.
Maybe not... but honestly it was dark, I was drunk, and the last thing on my mind was the neighbourhood's architecture. The first thing was food. The second sleep. The third, final and most important was figuring out in what order.
The three of us thanked the driver as we climbed - or practically fell on my part - out of the car. I gave him one final salute as he drove away down the street before following the two boys up the walkway towards the front door.
The inside surprised me, its cleanliness unsurprising based on its inhabitants. Though I could only see into the front room from where I stood beside the door, taking my shoes off before placing them beside the overflowing shoe rack.
"Do you want anything to eat?" Lucas asked as he led me into the kitchen.
The kitchen was bright, the large windows casting the room in a silver glow soon replaced by artificial yellow light. Plates waited beside the sink to be washed, and bottles of alcohol and empty cups littered the table giving the place a typical 'frat' house vibe. Still, there was organisation to the chaos.
"Hmm, what do you have going?"
Lucas rummaged through some cupboards in quiet contemplation before providing me with options.
"Are you having anything?"
"I might make a sandwich."
"Okay, make that two." I said to make things easier for him. At this point To be honest I would eat just about anything if only to quickly sate my hunger and then go to sleep.
"Make that three." Bates said as he came into the kitchen.
Lucas grumbled under his breath, but began making three sandwiches nonetheless. We ate in silence, the early hours of the morning calling for nothing more. Lucas' other flatmates where nowhere to be seen, a distant memory form a time that seemed so long ago.
I stood lent against the kitchen counter, the other two boys beside me, as we quietly ate. My food was gone faster then I could comprehend, the emptiness in my hands contrasting the fullness of my stomach. The pace in which I inhaled the sandwich received looks of amusement from the two boys, theirs barely half gone.
In the stillness of the night, my mind was still moving; something made prevalent when I was stood in a silent room with no distractions. I enjoyed the feeling of motion even though I was stationary. I knew I wasn't moving, but my mind played tricks on me that I easily accepted.
It felt like I was on a fair ground ride. A pirate ship that swung from side to side, gentle but steadily rocking. I let my eyes drift shut as I gave into that feeling of motion. I don't know how long I stood lost in my mind before I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I blinked my eyes open Lucas stood in front of me, and Bates was no longer in the room.
"Hmm?" I questioned, words feeling too much for my sluggish mind.
"Let's get you to bed, yeah?" Lucas said, the bright smile on his face overshadowing his tired eyes. He didn't wait for a response, simply guiding me up the stairs and into a bedroom. When Lucas turned the light on I let out a sound of annoyance as the harsh light hit my eyes, a stark contrast from the dark hallway we'd just left.
I gave the room a brief scan, though I wasn't really in the right frame of mind to perceive anything. It was warm, cosy, and the bed look inviting. My eyes closed almost as fast as they opened, the darkness calling me back.
"I'll get you some clothes that you can change into, and then you can stay in here."
It took a few minutes for his words to register and then question, "Where will you be?"
"Hmm?" He glanced over his shoulder at me, pausing in his search. "Oh, i'll just sleep downstairs."
"On the couch?" When he hesitated to respond I asked incredulously, "Why?"
"Well, you're the guest. You should take the bed."
I frowned, unsatisfied with his answer. "You can't give up your bed for me. We can just share... if that's okay with you?"
"Yeah? You don't mind?"
"'Course. I'm the one intruding, doesn't seem fair for you to sleep somewhere else."
He nodded his head in acceptance, a soft smile gracing his face, before handing me some clothes and showing me to the bathroom. When I re-entered the bedroom Lucas was already wrapped up in his duvet, his head the only part of him visible. I couldn't help but smile at how cute he looked, his features relaxed and his youthfulness more prominent.
"Can we leave a light on?" I asked hesitantly. Lucas didn't question my request, only turning on the lamp beside him before asking if that was okay. "Thanks." I replied before turning off the main light and clumsily making my way under the covers, ensuring there was an adequate amount of distance between our two bodies before getting comfy.
"Night." I whispered into the night expecting no response, but feeling pleasantly surprised when my own words were echoed back to me. I let the swaying of my body lull me to sleep, thankful that I wasn't alone.
<>
The morning sunlight was harsh as it shone onto my face, forcing my eyes awake. It took me more than a minute to get my bearings; I didn't often sleep out, waking up in unfamiliar places was jarring, but the familiar face beside me helped calmed my nerves.
Lucas was still asleep and the time on his clock made it evident why. I had a terrible habit of waking up early on days when I needed sleep the most. Actually, sleep often evaded me and I envied people whose bodies seemed to function normally. Insomnia was a bitch.
I hoped that, with it being 7 am, someone else might be awake. Being in someone else's house, filled with unfamiliar people put me on edge. I wasn't sure on the correct etiquette, it felt rude for me to get up and wander, like I was an intruder. Though, knowing how late we got back I didn't expect Lucas to wake up for a few more hours. Maybe that's because I wished I would sleep that well. I don't know the intricacies of Lucas enough to know his sleep schedule, so I could only hope he was an early riser.
I climbed my way out of bed, careful to not wake Lucas, before grabbing my clothes and slipping out of the room. I reluctantly changed into last night's clothes, the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke still lingering on them ignited a fear inside me. My parents though I was staying at Marcus' so me not returning home wasn't a problem, I would just need to make sure they don't see me until after I've showered and changed. Them finding out where I actually was would cause more problems than I needed right now.
I folded the clothes Lucas' had given me to wear last night up in a neat pile, placing them on his desk before quietly slipping out of his room. The soft sound of voices greeted me as I descended the stairs and I hesitated, debating if turning around was an easier option. I hate people.
As if the gods heard my thoughts and decided to play a joke, the step creaked as it took my weight, soft footsteps soon padding their way towards the hallway. A face I didn't recognise peaked around the door to the living room, a look of confusion clear on his face. He had sharp feature, with high cheek bones and a long, straight nose that stood out on his otherwise narrow face. His blond hair was parted in the centre and fell around his face, reaching just past his ears.
We seemed to stare at each other a minute too long, but my nervousness faded slightly when his expression turned into a smile, his eyes taking on a mischievous glint.
"Is this a walk of shame?" He questioned and I couldn't do anything to stop the heat rising to my cheeks. I was far from innocent, so being a prude would be hypocritical, but insinuating I did anything with Lucas was different.
"N-no, Lucas just let me stay over because it was late when we left the club."
He gave me a stare down then, as if assessing if I was lying, before he finally spoke, "Well that's boring. I'm guessing Lucas is still sleeping?"
"Yeah, so I was just gonna," I gestured in the direction of the door, "go."
"See, this isn't making you seem any less like a 'walk of shamer'." He hastily added on, his hands held up in a defensive gesture, "Not that I'm judging if you are, we've all been there." He suddenly started laughing. "Gosh, I remember once I was leaving this girls place and bumped into her flatmate... welp, it was really awkward when they realised I'd slept with them both. I wondered why the apartment looked familiar."
My laughter soon joined his as I finally made my way to the bottom of the stairs. "You realise we've only just met?"
"Well, if Lucas let you stay over, I'm guessing you're not a stray?"
"We're friends. He's lived in the house next door all my life."
A look of recognition crossed his face then. He sized me up for a moment before seemingly reaching a conclusion. "Okay well I've met Adam, Bailey's out of state so you must be Caleb?" He said as more of a statement than a question.
"In the flesh. I see Lucas has talked about all of us."
"You guys feature in a lot of his stories. Most actually."
"Ah, his mum used to call us 'menaces to society', but come on, Lucas a menace? It was usually me and Bailey getting into shit and the other two trying to get us out of it. Shame they sucked at it, but at least we all went down together." After a pause I realised I still didn't know his name and said as such causing his laughter to fade, a pout taking its place.
"So, Lucas hasn't spoken about me? I see how it is." He said in faux annoyance.
"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't know about any of you. Before yesterday I wasn't even sure Lucas had friends."
"I'm Erik." He said with a smile while holding out his hand for me to shake. The gesture felt timely and I wondered if it was only me that thought it old fashioned. Do people always do that in greeting? Is waving, smiling or a simple head nod not acceptable?
"Well, nice to meet you, Erik."
"Ditto. Now, how about I get you some breakfast before you go?"