A Second Chance

Luke’s P.O.V.

I walked away from Mallory’s house with my head hanging low. I know that I had just exploded on her for nearly nothing, but I just couldn’t help myself for some reason. I tried to calm myself, but everything she was saying was only making me more and more angry. But I didn’t know what it was; actually, I do know what it was. It was that Chase kid. I know that Mallory’s right and I have no reason to hate him when I don’t even know him, but for some reason I just really don’t like him, and whenever she talks about him I feel like stabbing my brains out. Not that any of that matters now, Mal will never talk to me again.

I got to the carpentry and walked inside, though I really wasn’t in the mood anymore for work. I knew that I shouldn’t have gone by her house today; I even knew better that that I shouldn’t have spoken with her. But I did, and well now look at where we are, all because of stupid me.

When I walked in I went straight over to my working table and began whatever project that I had been assigned. I work in silence for a good few minutes when I heard Nick call over to me.

“So, you look like shit.” He said from his own work table. I turned around and glared at him with steel hard ice in my eyes. He laughed and I turned back around to my table. I heard him come walking over to me, he placed a hand on my shoulder. I wished that his hand would burn up into flames. “I’m guessing it has something to do with that pretty little girlfriend of yours huh?” I pushed his hand off my shoulder when it didn’t spontaneously combust.

“Nick I really don’t feel like talking.” I said coldly.

“But Lukey-boy! That’s the best time to talk! Come on you gotta get your feelings out, your dreams, your wishes.” I turned and looked at him.

“Ok, I wish you would burn to death.” I walked away over to another part of the shop, just so I could get away from that life sucking parasite. He came and stood behind me slightly; I was leaning over on a table. He didn’t say anything, which surprised me. For a minute he stood in silence, and I thought that was impossible for him to do. After a moment he spoke, but it wasn’t in his normal obnoxious voice. It was kinda low-key.

“Luke,” I turned around and looked at him.

“What do you want me to say Nick?! I messed up, I screwed up! I had my chance with her and I waited too long. Now Chase has her, and he’s not going to be an idiot like me and screw it up. I mean, you should have heard her this morning, how she was talking about him and—” I stopped short then looked at Nick confused. “Why am I talking to you about this?” I walked past Nick and began to make my way to the door. “I’m going to the blacksmiths.” I was almost out the door.

“Lucas.” I stopped and looked up to see my Dad standing in the doorway that leads into the back of the carpentry. He fingered two fingers at me for me to walk over to him. Knowing better than to defile my father, I walked back in and closed the door. “Let’s talk, son.” I glared past Nick and walked into the back room, where two beds where in case one of us spent an all-nighter at the shop, which happened quite often. We both sat down on one of the beds; he sighed heavily as we sat down. He looked over at me with a pain in his eyes, which was something I almost never saw.

“Luke, I never really told you much about your mother, did I?” His question caught me off guard, but I silently shook my head.

“No sir.” He sighed then seemed to stare off, into the distant past.

“When your mother and I first met, we didn’t think anything would ever happen between us. We never thought that we would fall in love, and get married, and have you. But as days passed we seemed to get closer and closer, much as I noticed with you and Mallory.” I blushed slightly, he took a deep breath. “Time moved on and so did your mother. She started to date this other boy, and I was crushed. I thought that I would never get her back. But you know what?” I shrugged; I didn’t much feel like talking still. “I did. Now I know it’s not the same kind of thing with Mallory, I mean I know you’re not in love with her, but you want her back as your friend right?” I wouldn’t look straight at my father.

“Well, Dad, I like her more than just a friend…” I said it quietly. To my surprise, my dad smiled at me. I looked up at him.

“I know. I was just waiting for you to admit it to yourself.” I sighed and got up off the bed and began to pace around the room.

“But Dad, now she’s with Chase. She barely even talks to me anymore. And the last few times we did talk we just ended up screaming at each other. I mean, I want to be around her, I want to be with her, but I don’t want to have to be screaming at her too.” My father smiled slightly.

“So just talk to her. Without Chase being mentioned.” I looked quickly over at him.

“I don’t think that’s possible anymore Dad.” My father furrowed his eyebrows and me and crossed his arms from where he sat on the bed.

“And why’s that?”

“Because, I can’t even look at her the same anymore. And Chase, oh God, Chase.” I began to feel a growing rage inside me, and I almost spoke with a growl. “Every time that I see him, or I hear his name I want to rip his throat out and stab him in the chest.” As I kept pacing I saw my dad look at me like I was insane.

“Let’s make a side note that we need to get you a therapist.” I stopped pacing and looked at him.

“Daaaad!” I said it long and drawn out, like a whiny kid crying. Dad put up his hands in a ‘stop’ motion.

“Alright, alright. Why can’t you see her the same and why do you basically want to kill Chase?” I began to pace again.

“Because she, she and, and he, and they, on the beach last night, and she…” I began to stutter. I honestly felt like having a break down right there in front of God and everyone. My dad got up from off the bed and came over to me; he placed both of his hands on my shoulders and looked me straight in the eye.

“Lucas. First of all, calm down. You’re working yourself up for nothing. And now, tell me calmly, what happened.” I took a few second to myself then took a deep breath.

“She said they slept together.” My dad took his hands off my shoulders and just stared at me.

“Luke, you must have heard wrong.” I shook my head back and forth.

“That’s what she said to me this morning.” Dad put one of his hands on his hips.

“She said those exact words? That she and Chase had sex on the beach?” I thought back to this morning and trailed through my memory. She hadn’t exactly said that they slept together, but she wasn’t saying anything to deny it either.

“Well…not those exact words.” My dad stared at me like he normally did when I did something bad or got in trouble. “Alright, she didn’t say that at all. But she implied it.”

Luke, I honestly cannot see that sweet young girl just sleeping with a guy she’s barely known three days. That doesn’t sound like her at all. But, then again you know her better than I would. So, I suppose if you want to go and just jump to conclusions, be my guest.” My dad was using the guilt trip, or at least the technique that forced me to actually think straight. I sighed then went and sat down on the bed, with my face in my hands. My dad came and sat down beside me. “You said you talked to her this morning, well, yelled at her this morning. Why were you so upset?” I had been thinking about that ever since I got back, and just now as my dad asked me, the answer finally came to me. I took my face out of my hands and stared at the floor.

“I was jealous.”

“Of?” My dad was talking softly, which he normally didn’t do when he was trying to reason with me. I hated myself to admit this part out loud.

“Chase.” I saw out of the corner of my eye that my dad was nodded his head slightly.

“Why?” I hadn’t really thought about that part, but as soon as I did I knew the answer. And just to say it out loud nearly killed me.

“Because I used to be Chase,” I looked over at my dad to explain. “I mean, I used to be the one that she would talk to, and spend time with, and hang out with. Now we barely even talk.” I felt like crying; but I knew better than to do that in front of anyone else.

“So you miss her.” My dad said, getting straight to the point of it. I nodded slowly.

“In not so many words, yes.” Dad put a hand on my shoulder.

“So tell her that Luke. Just talk to her for Christ’s sake. She’s a nice girl, she’ll understand.” He sighed deeply, I looked over at him. “Luke, I know it’s hard to believe but I was your age once. I know how it feels to be this age and to feel like the person you like won’t ever even look at you again. I know how it feels. But I also know you Luke. You’re a strong kid, and I don’t just mean physically. You’ve got what it takes to make it through this.” I was blown away; my dad had never really opened up to me like that before, ever since my mom had died, he and I had kind of kept our personal emotions locked away. I smiled slightly, something I hadn’t done in days.

“Thanks Dad.” He patted me on the back and got up and walked toward the door. He opened it some then looked back over at me.

“Go see her tonight at work. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you. And Luke, I know that it’s not love or anything, but I know that you’ll be ok.” My smile that had been hanging by a thread disappeared. I hung my head down.

“But Dad…,” He looked back over at me. “I am in love with her.”