Lukey Kid

Note to self: Never get in a car with Olli again.

That kid…needs his license revoked. Badly. I’m dead serious.

But anyways, he got me back to the Triple Tree hotel in one piece, and that was all that mattered. Everything seemed to reek of anger. Even the revolving door gave a negative vibe.

I prayed that everything would be fine. I don’t know what would happen without Plaster Caster in my life - I guess I’d be bored. And if we broke up…God…I didn’t want to think about that.

But I couldn’t not think about it, not when I turned the door to enter our room. And inside, it was quiet, but the air was thin like there was no need to say anything.

Brendan sat on one of the beds, playing with his cell phone. When I closed the door behind me, he perked up, holding his hand up to say hey. I said hey back. “Where were you?”

I cleared my throat. “Um…around.”

He smiled. “For an hour?”

He was right. I’d been in a car with Aaron Barrett for a full hour, until ten at night.

“I walked.”

He nodded, and then stood up to get a drink from the mini fridge.

“So, where is everyone?” I asked.

He cocked his head. “Joey’s sleeping, Ren’s scarred for life, and I’m right here.”

I raised an eyebrow, curious. “Wait, what about Soria?…I mean…are you two still fighting?”

He shook his head. “Turns out, she was…kind of…on her ‘time of the month.’ An hour ago she locked herself in the bathroom. We tried to negotiate, but she wouldn’t come out. Then she started crying and then said she was sorry.”

“Oh my God, what’s wrong?!”

“…We’re not really sure. She mentioned cramps.”

“Well…did she say she was…er, cycling?”

He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. “Um…before she locked herself in, she gave me a bloody nose, smacked the crap outta Joey, and yelled at Ren so bad the poor kid’s shaking. We just got a little theory.”

Ren walked up behind us in his pajamas. “That ain’t a theory, man, that’s a law.” He scratched the back of his head. “I wish she’d just come out.”

“I told you, it hurts!”

Heads turned toward the bathroom door. “What do we do?” I whimpered as we huddled in fear.
“I called my dad. He says we wait five days,” Brendan whispered.

“Well, we can’t just let her stay in there! She’s probably in a lot of pain! And what if someone has to pee?” I countered.

“I vote Ren takes the dive – she’s his girlfriend!” Brendan squeaked.

He shot up straight, shivering. “What? Are you kidding?! She’d eat me alive!”

We heard the toilet flush, muffled by the door. That couldn’t have been a good sign. We boys simply exchanged scared expressions, silent.

I broke the silence, remembering the main question I needed to know. “So…is everything, like, cool now?”

They nodded. “Yeah, since Soria apologized. This is the exact reason why girls are stronger than boys. They gotta put up with this crap every month,” Brendan assured, sighing and running a calloused hand through his hair.

A rock was lifted off my shoulders.

We stood in a circle for thirty more seconds, unsure of what we should do. Finally, Brendan informed us, “I’m going to bed,” and went to his room.

I yawned, realizing how tired I was. “Me too,” I said, grabbing my pajamas to change in an extra room.

“I’m just gonna bargain for however long it takes,” Ren half-laughed with a crooked smile. I wished him luck and went to bed.

When the lights went off my mind turned on. I thanked God things were alright - I’d have sworn it was the end of Plaster Caster. And I tried not to blame Soria, honest. But that’s kind of what I ended up doing, until something made me rethink.

I heard a knock on the bathroom door. “Soria, please. Come out. I don’t think you’re gonna like sleeping in a bathtub,” Ren said in a low voice. Soria sobbed.

“It hurts,” she whimpered.

“If you just get some sleep-”

“I can’t!”

I heard Ren groan, and even though I couldn’t see him, I had a feeling he was rubbing his eyes.
“Seriously. Please. Just, unlock the door.”

A pause. Then a, “No.”

“I will pick this lock. I know how.”

I heard mechanical shuffling, followed by the sound of a door being swung open. The backs of my eyelids lit up with a flood of light, and the conversation went quieter. I told myself not to eavesdrop, and yet I did.

“My God…does it hurt that bad? You could’a just told Joey and he would’a went out and got some medicine or something!”

“I don’t think…that would help…”

I could sense something happening in there. “Soria…I don’t want to see you hurting like this. Please, just get some rest. Please.”

The air grew twice in density, but it was quiet. I could guarantee that something other than words was filling the silence. Something like…well, I won’t give it away.

Soria broke the stillness with a little laugh. “I feel a little better.”

He laughed too. “Good. It’s what I was hoping for.”

I heard her yawn, trying to make it quiet, but he took notice. “Now, do you want to go to bed?”

The smile in her voice could have been heard for miles. “I don’t feel like getting up.”

“No problem.”

After some shuffling, I couldn’t resist a peek that made me beam just a bit. I saw Ren carrying his girlfriend newlywed-style, all smiles and blushes. She held him around the neck until he set her down on the bed.

“You’re tucking me in? I’m not a little kid, dude-”

“Lalala, I can’t hear you.” He kissed her. “Now - you go to sleep and feel better.”

“I will.”

I fell asleep with a content smirk on my face.

Everything was chill.

…For now.