Picking Up the Pieces

I ran upstairs as fast as I could just as I heard Lucas’s muffled yell. I put down my bag with a sigh. My other suitcases were supposed to arrive here later in the evening. I didn’t know when. I also didn’t know what room I was supposed to go in.

It’s not like they lived in a mansion, but their house was pretty decent sized. There was at least three floors plus basement and attic.

I decided to wait until someone came to my rescue instead of searching each and every room and ending up trespassing on someone and becoming really embarrassed.

After ten minutes, a blonde, husky man came out of one of the rooms and paused when he saw me. He looked closely, then grinned.

“That you, Jordan?” he asked, grinning impishly.

I thought about it. That voice was somewhat familiar... “Matt?” I guessed.

“Yup!” Matt grinned wider. “Man, I haven’t seen you since Molly and Mark’s wedding! You’ve changed so much!”

I gestured to him. “You haven’t.” Indeed, Matt was much how I remembered him...but with the facial hair of a twenty-two year old single man. At least, I thought he was single.

“I’m not sure if that’s a good thing...or a bad thing...” Matt said slowly.

That one time at the carnival, I told Lucas I didn’t remember his family. I had lied, somewhat. How was it possible to forget people like them? I remembered each and every one of them in detail. Devon, Lucas’s older sister, was now twenty-three, and the twins, Bianca and Tom were twenty-four.

The last time I saw all of them together was in freshman year. All the years before then, I had been forced by Mom to go to their house and “bond” with Lucas. His siblings always rebuffed him for making fun of me.

I smiled very slightly at him. “That depends on whether my changes are good or bad.”

Matt looked me over carefully. “That depends on your taste of women,” he said finally.

“I can’t really say that I have a taste in woman.”

“I was speaking in the figurative form!”

“How is that even relevant?” I asked, just to confuse him.

“How is what? You know...never mind. As I was saying, if a guy, or girl for that matter...” He winked suggestively.

“Okay! Just keep going!”

“If a guy likes a positive, pretty, and naiive girl, like the old you...”

“I was never naiive!” I interrupted indignantly.

“Then, the changes are bad,” Matt continued like I hadn’t interrupted him. “But if a guy likes mysterious, intelligent, and beautiful girls like the new you...then the changes are good.”

I sat down on my bag. Matt never answered a question straight. “Do my piercings and tattoo make me seem emo?” I asked suddenly.

He looked surprised. “No. Not really. Why ask?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. Not that being emo would be bad...just wondering.”

“Alright...” He looked at me to make sure that I wasn’t going crazy. He wasn’t far off the mark. “Well, what are you doing out here anyway?”

“Oh,” I said, forgetting what I was doing out here anyway. “Um...I need help finding my room.”

“You mean yours and Luke’s?” Matt asked mischievously.

“Mine and Lucas’s, then,” I amended quietly.

“Just because you’re getting married to the guy doesn’t mean you have to act all formal when saying his name!” Matt teased.

“That’s not the reason why,” I said quietly. “Just tell me where his room is...please?”

“Next floor, first door to the right,” he stammered.

I got up and picked up my things. “Thanks, Matt.”

“No problem...” He watched me, at a loss for words, as I made my way lightly upstairs to Lucas’s room.

Well...I suppose Lucas’s and mine now. Great.