forum Friends And Enemies // Open

Started July 20, 2018 by @Natasha

tune

Natalia returned her friend's smile. Then she looked back at the counter. "I have more people to serve. Be right back."

Kenzie waved her friend off. "Yeah, yeah, go do your job!" she laughed.

(Imma assume they already know each other)
Lucas looked up as someone entered. "Mattie?" His textbook was open, leaving the picture of him and his family exposed. It was an old picture, very old. It had been taken when he and Claus were nine, before Claus had died.

Mattie looked up with wide eyes, smiling when they settled on Lucaa. "Hey." She hasn't noticed the picture yet.

Natalia walked back over, putting her smiled on again and taking her customers' orders.

"Do… you want to join me?" Lucas moved over so that there was room for Mattie. His hand fell on the picture as he moved the book over.

Mattie noticed the movement. "What's that?"

Lucas glanced at the picture before quickly closing the book so that it wasn't visible. "It's… it's nothing. Just a picture." He smiled weakly.

"Can I… see?" Mattie asked. She tried not to press too hard.

It would be suspicious if I didn't let her… Lucas thought for a moment before hesitantly opening the book and pulling out the photo. "I-It's really nothing special… just… just a picture of my family."

"Oh," Mature examined the photo. "Who are they?" She asked, pointing to unfamiliar faces.

Lucas hesitated again. "My brother, Claus, and my mother." He stared at the photograph almost longingly, as though wishing to get back something he had once lost.

"I've never met Claus before. Or your mother, " Mattie said thoughtfully.

"That's… that's because they're…" Lucas seemed to be struggling to get the words out as he looked at his twin and mother. Claus looked almost exactly like Lucas, though his hair was closer to ginger than the blond of Lucas's. "Gone…. have been for nine years."

Mattie pressed a hand to her mouth. She took it away and whispered, "I'm so sorry."

Lucas was silent for a moment, running his thumb along the edge of the photograph. "Don't worry about it… you didn't know." He said quietly before tucking the photo carefully back in his textbook. "Claus was my twin brother. Our names are anagrams of each other. He was always very confident and courageous… and that was his downfall."

"How?" She blurted out before she could stop it. She clapped her hands over her mouth.

Kenzie went back to her studying and coffee-drinking.

It's only reasonable that she should be curious, I suppose. "My mother was killed. Claus went to avenge her. We were only nine at the time, and I tried so hard to dissuade him, but his heart was set on it… he was killed in the attempt. My father and I didn't know, though, and father went looking for him. He forgot about me for ages. I had to go to the neighbors and ask for food, since I couldn't get into the house. My deepest regret is not going with Claus…" He shook his head mournfully.

"Oh…" Mattie looked down at her hands. Should she tell him about Bryson?

"After weeks of searching, Claus's body was found. He had been killed in the same manner as my mother; vicious animals were purposefully set upon them. The murderer's 'signature' was left on both of them."

Mattie's eyes filled with tears. Don't cry. Don't you freaking cry…

Lucas blinked away his own stubborn tears, clutching his paintbrush tightly. Nine years…. has it really been that long? Scout whined and licked Lucas's arm.