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Chapter Four----Standing Beside Me
Waiting To Shine
Lovely image by Fii!
Every other evening, Adelaide gave up a few hours of her time to do volunteer work at the city daycare. This particular daycare center was small and had a desperate need for donations, because they were low on staff, rooms, and they hardly had any decent toys for the kids to play with. The building was run down and every time Adelaide approached place she felt her a pang to her heart.
She’s started working at Richmond’s Daycare center when she turned fourteen. She and her father had been driving around that area when she had caught her first glimpse of the building and had asked her father about it, who told her about the daycare and the condition it was in. Since then, Adelaide found herself helping out, and playing with the children there. The daycare center was slowly improving, but it still had a long way to go.
Lucas often came with her, not as regularly as she did, but whenever he had the time he’d always stop by. But, since he’d started to date Chelsea, he’d neglected most of his responsibilities, with the exception of his school work. Lucas had stopped volunteering to baby-sit his cousins, he had stopped spending his evenings with Adelaide, and she was almost positive that he’d given up on his music. Lucas was a musician. He’d always been one for most of his life.
Music had always fascinated him and with it’s strong link to Math, he soon became in love with it. He had an impressive talent for the guitar and his voice had always been alluring enough to send Adelaide into a stunned silence. She’s always felt connected to his music that he often wrote, it had been beautiful, whether it was complex, or just a few chords. He’d always known how to reach out to her whether it was when they were together, or when he was playing his guitar.
He’d been so reliable to her in her life, but now, Adelaide found herself reaching out to him, and having him just pull further back. She only spent time with him during school hours and he just didn’t seem to care about anything other then Chelsea Roberts, a girl who attended Forest Academy, a private school for those who were filthy rich.
So, when Adelaide entered the daycare, she was surprised to catch sight of Lucas, who was squatting down next to a four year old girl named Lena. Lena was a small girl, who had black hair and light green eyes. She had two foster parents, who worked almost all day, and picked her up in the evening when she was starting to fall asleep on herself. Lena had always been Adelaide’s favorite toddler, a girl who seemed to have the uncanny ability to break her heart with everything she had been through, and bring a smile to her lips.
The volunteers were often assigned a few students to devote most of their attention too and Lena, was one of the girl’s Adelaide played with. Adelaide paused at the door, watching with amused eyes, as Lena held out her doll to Lucas, who was talking to her in a soft voice.
“Now Lena, throwing Meg here out the window won’t do any good at all,” he said, as Lena looked at him eagerly.
“But she can fly!” she insisted, as she continued to try to give Lucas the doll. Adelaide had bought her the doll only a few days ago and well, from the words which Lucas was uttering, Adelaide was almost positive that Lena was trying to get him to throw the door from the window, to prove to him that she could fly. It was a usual Lena action.
“Meg doesn’t like to fly though,” said Lucas, as the girl pouted lightly at him. “She just wants to stay here with you. Come on now, let it go sweetie.” Adelaide smiled slightly, as she set her purse down on one of the high shelves near the door, and made her way over to the duo.
“Can’t I just let it go out the window?” she inquired, as Lucas pushed Meg back into her small hands. Meg was a porcelain doll with rosy cheeks, red hair, and chocolate brown eyes. And just throwing the doll would shatter it and Lena always got attached to her dolls, Adelaide had learned that two years ago.
Lucas sighed, looking up as he heard Adelaide soft footsteps. He greeted her with a warm smile, looking for once, enthused about her arrival. But it was probably because he needed help with the children. He could handle his cousins, but when it came to others, he wasn’t all that great.
Giving him a small smile, Adelaide squatted down next to him, before finding herself bombarded with one of Lena’s tight hugs. Lena’s dark curls brushed against Adelaide’s face and the sixteen year old, smiled once again.
“Addy!” she cried excitedly. Alright, so Adelaide allowed the children here to use that nickname, but it was her only exception. “Lucas won’t let Meg fly.” She pouted as Adelaide pulled away from the hug, quickly starting to complain about Lucas’ behavior.
“But Lenny, I don’t think that she wants to fly,” said Adelaide wisely. “It’s the afternoon; it’s hot out right now, not great flying conditions.”
“Oh,” said Lena, her face lighting up as if it all suddenly made sense now. “Oh, I get it now. Thanks Addy!” She turned towards Lucas. “You should’ve told me that,” and with that Lena hurried off across the room, joining a few of her playmates at the doll house, which another volunteer had purchased for the daycare.
Lucas and Adelaide both straightened up, there eyes immediately resting on the other, before quickly falling to the floor, or in Adelaide’s case, a random toddler near them.
“So,” said Adelaide, tucking one of her golden tendrils behind her ear, and slowly looking back at Lucas. “—so, what are you doing here? I thought you had plans with Chelsea.”
Lucas let out a long sigh, fidgeting slightly, before taking her hand in his and pulling her over and out the entrance door, so they were outside, away from prying eyes. Of course, Adelaide didn’t quite understand why they needed to be outside, when the majority of the room had been toddlers. But Lucas was a character. He’s always been strange and unpredictable to Adelaide.
Yet, Adelaide wasn’t thinking much about the reason why he had pulled her outside, for the moment he grabbed her by the hand she felt tingles go through each of her fingers. But, she’d never had a guy hold her hand before, whether it was a romantic action, or a friendly one. When he dropped it, Adelaide looked at him in complete confusion.
“What’s going on?” she asked him dumbly. “Afraid that some three year old will eavesdrop?”
Ignoring her sarcasm, Lucas ran a hand through his messy hair, before focusing his stormy eyes intently on her.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry; I think I’ve missed something. You’re sorry…why?” Cocking her head to the side, Adelaide was honestly more confused then ever. Why the hell did Lucas have to be so damn random? One day he was going to drive her insane.
“I’ve been blowing you off,” he clarified, sounding as if he genuinely meant it. “I mean, I talked to Jen.”
Adelaide groaned. So much for keeping things between girls. She had just talked briefly to her other friend after school and it seemed as if Jennifer had decided to hunt Lucas down. That girl was going to be the death of her.
“And really Addy, I didn’t mean to get so caught up with Chelsea, really I didn’t. It just sort of happened,” he looked at her in such an earnest way, that Adelaide couldn’t have possibly prevented the smile from forming at her lips. There were times that Lucas could be a jerk and there were times that he was so unintentionally sweet that she couldn’t possibly stay mad at him.
“It’s fine,” she said at last, her smile growing slightly, as he, evidently at ease now, kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Don’t worry about it.”
.X.
“So,” said Lucas, as they walked out of the daycare center a few hours later, both of them in high spirits. Adelaide didn’t know why, but whenever she spent time with the kids there she felt oddly content. She loved seeing smiles slip onto the faces of those small children and knowing that she caused that smile was enough to make Adelaide happy. “—did you finish Bradley’s essay yet?”
Adelaide nodded. She’d hardly seen her father this week and with Lucas’ dates with Chelsea, Adelaide had, had tons of free time on her hands. It was a little depressing, but Adelaide didn’t want to read too much into it.
“What about you?” she asked, as they began walking down the street, both planning to catch a cab, and split the costs as usual.
“Nineteen pages,” he grinned. “And I used a smaller font. There’s nothing I’d rather do then torture my uncle.” Adelaide laughed lightly, pushing a few stray strands of her hair out of her face.
“So, we’ve both finished the essay, there’s a free afternoon ahead of us, do you want to catch a movie, or something?” he asked casually. They were already near the theatre, it was only a block or so down from where they were, and the streets weren’t very busy that evening. “I’ll pay.”
Adelaide smiled sweetly at him, laughing slightly. She stopped walking, stepping in front of him, and turning to face him. “You, Luke, are trying to earn some points with me, aren’t you?”
Lucas absolutely hated seeing movies with Adelaide. She’d watch the movie in silence, but as soon as the credits finished (she had to watch them all), she’d launch into a review, talking non-stop, until Lucas just blocked her out.
“Yes, I am,” said Lucas, who was evidently not ashamed. “And so, do I get those points?”
“Do you really want them?”
“Really do.”
“How much?”
“How much, what?”
“What are you willing to do to get those points?”
“Anything.”
“Aw, you feel that bad?” Adelaide smiled at him, once again feeling as if she was getting her old Lucas back; the Lucas she’d known since she was four years old. And as always, when Lucas caught her green eyes, Adelaide felt her face heat up slightly. Inwardly, she wondered why a sudden warmth had rose to her cheeks, blushing wasn’t something Adelaide did.
But Lucas appeared not to notice, for his eyes had moved from her’s, and fell on a small built brunette who was running towards them, her eyes on Lucas. Feeling her stomach drop, Adelaide stepped to the side, as Chelsea Roberts launched herself into his arms, her face wet with tears.
Chelsea was an average height girl, who had an angular face, with sharp blue eyes, and light brown locks that fell to her shoulders. She had beautiful features that immediately jumped out at Adelaide as she spotted her and whenever Adelaide saw her with Lucas, she couldn’t help but admire how perfect she looked, how flawless the duo seemed to be.
But, her usual composed self was gone today, for when Chelsea had ran into Lucas’ arms, she had tears streaming down her face. Obviously taken a back, Lucas blinked, awkwardly wrapping his arms around her waist, as she cried into his shoulder. She’d had her first day of school today, as the private school had started back a bit later then Brooklyn. And well from her actions, Lucas was pretty sure that something had fallen out of place.
“…not fair…can’t…don’t know…without…Annie…myself…”
Every once and awhile Adelaide caught snitches of Chelsea’s mumblings, but the girl was crying so hard that Adelaide had trouble even making those words.
Lucas rubbed her back soothingly, shooting Adelaide an apologetic look. Adelaide just shrugged, knowing that this was her cue to leave; she’d just leave Lucas to sort it everything out.
.X.
“She’s like a hose,” complained Adelaide to her best friend, Jennifer Warren, later that day. The two girls were sitting side by side on the porch of Jennifer’s house. Adelaide had stopped by on her way home from the daycare and had decided to pay Jen a visit, complain about Chelsea, reprimand her for telling Lucas that she felt like he was blowing her off, and mainly, about Chelsea’s tears.
“And how exactly did she know where you two were?” Jen asked, as she absently played with one of the loose strings on her jeans. Jen was a short girl with raven curls and deep brown eyes. She was small and had been Adelaide’s neighbor since she was seven years old.
“She stalks him?” Adelaide suggested, letting out a soft sigh.
“I wouldn’t put it past her,” mumbled Jen, who, like Adelaide, had a strong dislike for Lucas’ girlfriend.
Chelsea just never seemed to be his type. Sure, she was stunningly beautiful, but that was it. Lucas had always seemed to be the guy who looked for girl’s with personalities, someone who he could have an intelligent conversation with, and still enjoy himself. He didn’t care much about looks in the past, just how well he got alone with them.
But, although Chelsea attended Forest Academy, she wasn’t exactly bright. Jen had insisted that Chelsea’s parents had just bought her way in.
“And I mean, she just stole my afternoon. Again! I haven’t gotten to spend much time with Luke since school got back in and when I finally get an afternoon with my best friend, she just comes and steals it from me.”
Adelaide sighed, staring angrily into her lap.
“It’s not fair,” she mumbled.
“Life isn’t fair Adele,” said Jen comfortingly, as she watched her friend with careful eyes.
“I just hate her. I don’t even know how she would’ve gotten into Forest. I mean when I’ve talked to her, her head always seems to be full of sawdust.”
“We can have a club,” nodded Jen. “I’ll make the buttons.”
Adelaide just threw her head back and laughed and unknown to both girls, as they had began talking, Lucas Mitchell had made his way over to apologize to Adelaide and explain to them why Chelsea had gone into waterworks. But, when he heard their voices and insults towards his girlfriend, he felt rooted to the spot, and well, moving was something that he wasn’t capable of.
A/N I’m not exactly fond of this chapter, but well you were introduced to Jen, learned more of Addy and Luke’s friendship, and saw Chelsea from their point of view. Why Chelsea was brought into hysterics will be cleared up in the next chapter.
I don’t particularly like the ending to this, but prepare yourself for an Adelaide/Lucas dispute *grins evily*
Please drop off a review;)
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Waiting to Shine, Chapter Four
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