Against The Masses

Chapter Four: One Stubborn Fridge

The short drive to Val's little cottage didn't take her too long. It was still early evening time and Val had chores to do around her home.

Val sighed heavily as she set her book bag down and looked around at all the boxes she still needed to fold and clean up.

"This might take a little longer than I originally thought." Val said out loud. She took one of her hair-ties she had around her wrist and quickly pulled her long black hair into a messy bun. "Alright boxes, time to meet your maker."

Val turned on her radio and with the help of some tunes, she was making progress quicker than she imagined. Humming along to the beat, and dancing a little as she went, Val was actually almost done cleaning up all the boxes when she heard a knock on her door.

"Hmm, I wonder who that could be. I don't think Destiny was planning on stopping by tonight. At least I don't remember her mentioning anything." Val looked around quickly on her way to the door just to double check.

Val peeked through the pep-hole and saw a shirtless, sweaty, Luke waiting on the other side. She immediately turned around and felt numerous amounts of butterflies begin to fill her tummy. She looked over at the mirror near the door to see what state she looked in and she wasn't too happy. Her hair was mess, she could smell her sweat, and she wasn't dressed to her liking. Val was wearing yoga pants and tank top. She was about to rush and change when she heard him knock again.

"f**k it. This is as good as it's gonna get for now." Val stated out loud. She took a deep breath in hopes to calm her stomach and opened the door with a shy smile.

"Hey.." Val said a little above a whisper.

"Hey Val! Hope you don't mind me stopping by. I was just running around the lake when I remembered Destiny telling me you lived around here." Luke said smugly.

"Oh! I don't mind at all. I was actually almost done cleaning up all the boxes and about to tackle my fridge if you wanted to come in for a little?"

Luke couldn't hide the giant smile on his face. "I'd be happy to! Destiny did also mention something was wrong with your fridge?"

Val rolled her eyes. "Of course she would mention the fridge..." She said in her head. "Yeah, kinda. I think? I don't know honestly. All I know is that the ice maker isn't working and I can't figure out why. Trevor said you might be able to help me out."

"I'm pretty good with my hands." Luke said with a wink as he followed Val into the kitchen.

Val blushed and quickly tried to hide her face by showing Luke around the kitchen. It was small but it was the perfect size for the small cottage. There was a little island with matching stools, lightly colored wood cabinets, gas stove, big sink, and of course a fridge.

"I like it. It's cute." Luke said after looking around. "So what seems to be wrong with your fridge, little moon?"

Val ignores the nickname and starts to show Luke the problem. "See? Everything's plugged in and it sounds like it's working but I have yet to see any ice cubes."

"Hmm, that's odd. Do you have toolbox or something around? I might need to take it apart and actually see what's going on inside." Luke asked Val.

"I do! Let me run and get it real quick." Val quickly left the kitchen, ran into her storage closet, pulled out her toolbox, and returned to the kitchen.

"That was fast." Luke said with a laugh.

"Sorry. I just really like ice in my drinks." Val says with a giggle.

"No reason to apologize. Now, lets see what's going on inside your fridge."

Luke begins to fumble through the toolbox looking for what he needs to start taking the ice maker apart when he accidentally drops a screwdriver on the floor. Both Val and Luke go to reach for it when suddenly they touch each others hand by mistake. Val instantly feels tingles all the way up her arm shooting through her whole body. She slowly looks at Luke who is already staring at her. Val notices his eyes dilate and swirl with what she assumed were butterflies as well. A blush re-appeared on her face and she turned her head away trying to hide it.

"Hey.." Luke said as he gently turned her face back towards him. "Don't be embarrassed around me. Your blush is adorable."

Tingles were felt again where Luke had touched Val's face and she signed into his grasp happily. She felt at home with a simple touch.

"Thank you. I'm sorry. I'm usually more composed than this." Val states.

"Don't worry about it, little moon. I'm a mess myself." Luke smiles, grabs the screwdriver, and starts tackling the ice maker.

Val decided to watch Luke for a few moments. She was hypnotized by his muscles every time he moved even the slightest. He was extremely fit but not too fit. He also had one tattoo on his back. Val tried to look at it from a distance but couldn't really tell what it was.

"Hey Luke, is that a tattoo on your back?" Val asked finally.

"Oh, that? Yeah it's kinda like a tattoo. I got it a few years back when I turned 21. It's a tradition in our family that once you turn 21, you get this tattoo."

"So everyone in your family has the same one?"

"Yes ma'am. It's the northern lights in a shape of a wolf's paw print. I have mine on my back and Destiny has hers on her upper arm I believe."

Val walked over to Luke and slowly traced the outline of the tattoo. She didn't even realize she was doing it until Luke broke the silence.

"Do you have any tattoos?" He asked still trying to focus on the ice maker.

"No, unfortunately. Never really got around to getting one. Someday, maybe. But I do have nifty looking birthmark on the back of my neck. Here, look." Val said as she turned around and pulled her tank top down a bit to show more of her neck.

Luke stopped and looked at the mark Val was talking about. He was speechless. On the back of her neck, Val had a birthmark in the shape of a crescent moon and what looked like a wolf howling in the distance.

"It's beautiful, Valorie. It almost looks like a tattoo on its' own."

"Thank you, Luke. I asked my foster folks if they knew anything about the mark but they were just as confused as me." Val turned back around and fixed her shirt. "Growing up, I was a little self-conscious about it cause many of schoolmates would pick on me because they didn't know what it was. But now, I could care less."

"Yeah, screw those people." Both Val and Luke chuckled. "So, I think I fixed your stubborn fridge. Just give it a few hours and you should have ice for your drinks in no time."

"Really?! Thank you so much, Luke! I really appreciate you coming all the way out here to help me. I'll have to figure out a way to pay you back."

Luke wiped the little sweat off his forehead and grinned. "How about this. Let me take you out Friday after the game and we will call it even."

Val looked at Luke in shock with her big grey eyes. "Y-you want to take me out? Like on a date?"

Luke laughed. "Yes, I would love to take you out on like a date, if you'll let me?" He looked down at Val with pleading eyes. She couldn't contain the butterflies in her stomach anymore every time he looked at her.

"I'd love for you take me out after the game, Luke." Val finally said with a smile and a blush.

"Yes!" Luke shouted and embraced Val in a tight hug spinning her around joyfully. Tingles and sparks began to travel through both of their bodies where bare skin was exposed.

"Whoa.." Val whispered to herself once Luke had put her back on the ground. "Would you like to stay for dinner? I also might have a shirt or something for you to put on if you're getting cold."

"I'd love to stay! Whatcha making? And a shirt would be alright but you won't be able to stare at my muscles anymore." Luke said teasingly.

"Oh um, I was going to make my specialty." Val stated confidently.

"And what exactly is that, little moon?"

"I make a mean lasagna. I had the sauce cooking all day and put it together as soon as I got home. Just gotta bake it now."

"I love Italian food."

"Good." Val said as she threw Luke a shirt. "It might be a little snug on you. It's one of my foster dad's old shirts."

Luke pulled the shirt over his head and immediately noticed it was a little tight. He was more muscular than Val's foster dad. She couldn't help but giggle a little.

"Yeah, it's a little snug but I'll make it work." Luke stretched out the sleeves a little giving his arms more room to move. "Need me to help with anything?"

"Oh, no. I should be set. If you want, you can go and head into the living room while I finish moving these boxes out to the trash."

Before Val could bend down and begin moving the boxes, Luke was already beside her moving them for her.

"You just worry about putting the lasagna in the oven and I'll worry about cleaning up."

"Are you sure? I feel like you've done so much for me already."

"Nonsense. I got this. You handle dinner." Luke said with a grin as he started gathering the empty boxes to take them outside.

"Thank you!" Val called out to Luke. She quickly turned her attention to her lasagna. Val preheated the oven, and began to make some homemade garlic bread. Val was always handy in the kitchen. Her foster mother made sure to teach her the ropes around cooking since she knew she wouldn't always be around for Val.

Luke finished cleaning up rather quickly and rejoined Val in the kitchen. The smell of the lasagna already cooking in the oven filled the room and his nostrils followed the scent of crispy garlic bread.

"Holy s**t, Val. That smells amazing. Where did you learn to cook like that?" Luke asks as he watches Val gather silverware for dinner.

"My foster mom, Candace. She pretty much adopted me when I moved into their house when I was a little older than 11. I was there until she passed away almost a year ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry Val. She sounds like she meant a lot to you."

"She did. I never knew my birth parents but Candace and her husband Ernest were the best parents I never knew I needed."

"Did you move around a lot when you were little?" Luke asked.

"I did. I wasn't a bad kid or anything. I just wasn't a big talker for a while. I always felt like I didn't belong. When I finally moved in with Candace, she actually worked with me. She helped me get out of my shy bubble and open up more. There was just something about her that made me feel at home. She got cancer about 5 years ago and it slowly killed her. Ernest died when I was 16 from a car accident so she raised me to be the woman I am today."

"She sounds like an amazing woman, Val. I wish I could have met her." Luke said giving Val a warm hug.

"You might have if you lived here your whole life. She said she grew up around here and met her husband here as well. They moved away about a year before they took me in."

"Candace and Ernest you say? Hmmm. I'll ask my parents if their names ring any bells. I might have been too busy with hockey and stuff to remember."

"No worries. So, you hungry? I think dinner is pretty much ready. I know the bread is done."

"I'm starving." Luke said with a smirk.

"Good. Help me set the little table I have and we can dig in."

"Yes ma'am!" Luke stated with a salute.

Val rolled her eyes and handed Luke the plates. Together, they both set the table for a cute dinner.

Val pulled the lasagna out of the oven and placed it on the middle of the table between the two followed by the garlic bread. Val plated a piece of lasagna and placed a piece of garlic bread on a plate for Luke and handed it to him. He took one giant whiff before immediately for digging in. Val smiled as she began to enjoy her plate as well.

Both of them sit in silence as they enjoyed the meal Val had cooked. Luke went back for seconds and even thirds. He actually almost ate the whole lasagna by himself.

After dinner, Luke helped Val with the dishes and she made him a little to-go box in case he got hungry later.

"Thank you so much for all your help today, Lucian. I really appreciate it. Here's some leftovers for you. Since you like it so much." Val said as she handed him a little lunch box.

"No, thank you for having me. I had a great time. You gonna be on campus tomorrow?"

"Oh, no. I'm only there every other day. I'm actually meeting Destiny in the morning at your bookstore. She hired me."

"Well, that's probably the smartest thing she's ever done honestly. She needs all the help she can get."

Val and Luke both laugh. Luke hugs her one more time before he says goodbye and disappears down the driveway. Val watches until she couldn't see him in the distance any longer.

"Well that was unexpected but a great time. I guess I should thank Destiny for that." Val says as she closes and locks the door.

Val heads into her room, puts on her pajamas, and sits in the living room watching TV. Pulling out her phone, she noticed she had a message from an unknown number.

"Hey Val. I got your number from Destiny. I hope you don't mind. I just wanted to thank you again for dinner and let you know I got home safe. Can't wait for our date Friday night. I'm going to take you somewhere special."

"Oh! It's Lucian. How thoughtful." Val smiles before replying.

"No problem. Thanks for fixing my fridge. I'm enjoying a nice cold drink with some fresh ice cubes thanks to you. And I'm excited as well! You don't have to do anything special for me. I'm actually more excited to see you play. I've heard your pretty skilled on the ice."

Moments later, Val's phone dings again and she see's Luke already responded. "Damn, he messages fast."

"I have many skills, little moon. Just you wait. I'll make sure I score a few goals just for you. Gotta show off a bit especially since it's the first game of the season."

Val smiled and replied again.

"I look forward to Friday night. Should definitely be interesting. I heard Nikita wears Trevor's old smelly jersey."

Val and Luke message back and forth most of the night. Before long, Val slowly starts to fall asleep with her phone in her hand. She spent the whole night on the couch, passed out, while clutching her phone.

The morning sun slowly poked through the blinds of Val's living room waking her up. She stretched and looked around noticing her bed for the past night. She still had a little drool on her mouth and her hair was even messier than it was before Luke arrived yesterday. Val wiped the drool off her face and checked the time on her phone. It was a little past 8:00 in the morning giving her plenty of time to shower before meeting Destiny at her bookstore.

Val showered and quickly picked an outfit for today. She decided a pair of jeans and a red flannel would be perfect for today. The wind was blowing and the leaves on the trees had already started to change color. Val noticed from her bathroom window she was going to have to invest in a rake if she wanted to keep her yard clean. She swiftly put on some makeup and pulled her hair into her traditional messy bun. Val grabs her wallet, keys, and starts to head over to the bookstore.

To Val's surprise, Destiny is already there holding two cups of coffee. Val smiled and parked her car.

"Good morning! I bought you some coffee." Destiny said with a smile as she handed Val a cup of coffee.

"God, you're a lifesaver. It's like you can read my mind." Val takes a sip of her coffee and grins. "And you even know exactly how I like it. I'm never letting you go."

Destiny chuckles. "Good, cause I don't plan on going anywhere girl. And I just took a guess on how you liked your coffee actually. Surprisingly, you and Luke take your coffee exactly the same. More cream and sugar than coffee. I guess you guys like the sugar rush."

"It's all about the sugar and cream for me. I like the taste of coffee but not that much."

"You guys are a trip. Luke couldn't stop talking about your homemade lasagna. He normally hates lasagna so what did you put into it?" Destiny asked with a puzzled look as she started to turn on the lights around the bookstore.

"It's just an old family recipe. Nothing fancy. Maybe he just was really hungry? Or maybe he was just being nice? He is your brother so maybe he doesn't want to hurt my feelings since I'm your friend."

"Oh, stop that right now young lady. Just because he's my brother, doesn't mean he's just being nice to you. I think he likes you. He won't shut up about you at the house. It's rather annoying actually."

Val blushes. "Well, he did kinda ask me out Friday after the game."

Destiny squeals with glee. "No he didn't?! Oh my god! This is amazing. This changes everything. I know exactly what outfit you're gonna wear that night. It's gonna be perfect. Wait, did you say yes?"

"Yes, I agreed. I hope you don't mind?"

Destiny stopped and gave Val a weird look. "Why would I mind? You're both two single individuals. Go have fun. Plus, he knows that if he hurts you, I'm gonna hurt him."

"Thank you but I can throw a punch if I need to."

"Oh, I can tell girl. You seem strong even though you aren't the tallest."

Both girls laugh and start getting to work. Destiny shows Val around the store and teaches her how to use the cash register. Most of the day, the girls could been seen chatting or stocking books around some of the empty shelves.

"Having you here really made the day fly by. How would feel about helping me out on your days off from classes? Gives you something to do like you were looking for."

Val grins happily. "That would be perfect Destiny. Thank you for the opportunity. I won't let you down."

Destiny gives Val a hug. "Girl, you don't have to thank me. You're too sweet. Get home safe alright? I'll see you tomorrow at campus."

"I will! See you tomorrow!" Val waves from her car and starts driving home.

With the weather already changing, night began to arrive quicker than normal. Val was comfortable driving at night but she was still getting used to the area. She was minutes away from reaching her driveway when creature appeared in the middle of the road out of nowhere causing her to break intensely. Val tried to stop before hitting the animal but she was unsuccessful knocking the creature to the ground.

"Oh f**k. I hope I didn't kill it..."