the voice paused, “is the ugliest backpack I have ever seen.”
“Oh no,” I heard Elliot say from behind me, facing the stranger. “It’s Lucas Hawthorne.”
TRACK 5 – Grand Entrance (Lucas Intro)
“Run now, Alexandra!” Elliot half-whispered, but I barely moved. I tightened my grip on the sheets of music, but my feet couldn’t budge. My eyes refused to wander from h is, and my breath cut short. I felt my fingertips go numb.
And he didn’t even do anything yet.
“Are you okay?” he asked, raising one of his rugged eyebrows. My throat went dry as I tried ignoring the excessive tapping on my arm from Elliot. Lucas took one step towards me and my vision became hazy.
It was like he stepped out of a fine men’s clothing catalogue. His black hair was slick and tussled, but in all the right places. His blue eyes were warm yet mysterious and his lips were full and inviting. His face was smooth as a baby’s but his jawline was as chiseled as his body. Even through the oversized leather jacket, the baggy jeans and the black unlabeled t-shirt, I could see that he had been crafted exquisitely by the gods. It was apparent in his slack stance and amused countenance that he didn’t put any effort into his physique. He was just created that way.
“Alexandra, can you please sto p looking like an idiot?” Elliot groaned from behind. “You’re embarrassing.”
“What are you doing here?” I heard myself demand to the demi-god in front of me. Lucas chuckled and crossed his arms. I closed my eyes so that I could gain my composure from within.
“Duh. I go to school here,” he laughed. “Same as you.”
“You know who I am?” I asked, my eyes fluttering open. Another groan from behind me followed.
“Not really,” he said, making me scowl. “But hey, that doesn’t mean we can’t introduce ourselves. My name is –“
“- I know who you are,” I snapped.
“So that means you know what I can do,” he said. The tone of his voice screamed dangerous, but all it did was intrigue me more.
“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” I said honestly. “All I know is your name.”
“Oh!” he said, taking a step back. “Well, that’s new.”
“What are you doing here behind the alley?” I demanded to know.
“Well, it’s just that I caught a glimpse of that Henry kid coming back here. I knew he went missing a while back so I came to investigate.”
“What are you? A detective?”
“No, not at all,” he said, glancing behind him. “I only look into things that interest me.”
“Well, it just so happens that Henry is a friend of mine.” I felt Elliot pinch my arm but I g rimaced through the sharp pain. “And…he ran away from home because he was being abused. I would appreciate it if you kept that to yourself.”
“You think I’m trustworthy?” he asked, glancing behind him again.
“What is it? Why do you keep looking behind you?”
“ Let’s just say that I’m running from my own kind of trouble,” he laughed. “So I might have to cut this conversation short, but I never did get your name.”
“Alexandra,” I said. He stared into my eyes for a moment.
“That’s a sexy name,” he said, watching me melt without shame before him. “Sexy name for a sexy girl.”
“You…shut up,” was all I could manage to say. “You have no right to look at me.”
“Then stop looking like that.”
“No, you avert your eyes.”
“You could always make me,” he said slyly. I wanted to tackle him for all the wrong reasons. Beat him up and then see what his lips tasted like.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” I huffed.
“You’re right,” he said, beginning to turn. “But don’t worry. We’ll meet up again. You’re starting to interest me just as much as your friend’s disappearance.”
“I already told you why he left.”
“Yeah, but I don’t buy it. He doesn’t seem like the type to just take abuse. I remember his attitude in school. He wouldn’t run