Fraud

Chapter 3.

What is with her and these dream guys?

"You can't be serious Tracy. Enough with all this your dream guys, you've been with like five of them in just a month and none worked out for you," I tell her abruptly.

I'm losing it.

She opens her mouth to say something, but I jump right in, "you know what? You can go, but I know you'll come back crying, telling me how much of an asshole he is! And this time I'm not going to listen to your Bullshits!"

I pause, staring at her with parted lips.

That's harsh of me. That's what happens when I hold in my emotions for too long, I just lose it.

Tracy is quiet but her tears are not. Her mouth is wide open. her moist eyes are dripping at me. She wasn't expecting that from me, and neither was I. But at least she now knows how I feel about her dream guys.

"It's good to know how much you care about me," she says sadly and walks out of my closet. I hear her leave as my door opens and blasts shut.

God, what did I do? I didn't mean to hurt her, I was just...I sigh and fall on an Ottoman behind me.

It's already 8 p.m. I call Lucian to come to give me a ride since my mom won't be, plus Tracy is mad at me. Lucian is all I have.

I just received his text that he's outside my house. I go to my window to see if he's outside. I see him stalling beside his red Toyota Avalon.

He's looking good in his black stylish suit, with his blond hair styled forward. I must say his appearance is far from his behavior.

I look at myself in the mirror to be sure I look good, even if I don't feel like going to the party no more. I brush my hair and apply little makeup.

I'm wearing the flare gown since I didn't buy any new ones. Not that I don't have nice clothes, I just like getting new things. I put on decorative heels that go with my dress.

I pad downstairs, thinking about everything I and Tracy said to each other -I grimace at my thoughts.

I get down, I see my mom seated in the living room and staring at her laptop, with a coffee mug held in her hands.

She looks up at me, and her eyes shine with amazement. She gasps and puts the mug on the table.

"Honey, you look so beautiful," She says as she stands up and walks toward me.

She's also dressed, but casually, and my mom's casual is the most beautiful.

She brushes my hair away from my face.

"Are you going out?" I ask her.

She pauses, then takes a step backward.

"yeah I am, and I'll be back before you know it."

"Where to?" I ask.

This changes her mood. Even if her smile wasn't sincere, at least she was smiling, and now she's not.

"Can you stop asking me questions? You are the child and I'm the mom, so I get to ask the questions and you to answer them." She hides the anger in her voice, but not the strictness.

"Whatever," I say and walk past her.

I don't care what she does or where she goes, as long as she doesn't die. I only asked because I felt the need to.

"Who is going to rid you there? I don't see Tracy around."

I stand still for a second. Is she gonna do this now, interrogate me?

I turn to her and see that she's still backing me.

I sigh

"I won't be going with my car, and that's all you need to know."

"Well honey, I'll need to know more than that." She slowly turns to me. Authority is written all over her face, and well, she's using it.

I want to shout and scream at her, I want to unleash this anger inside of me.

I take a deep breath.

"It's Lucian, he's waiting outside for me." my mom's face brightens at the mention of Lucian. She has always liked him beside the fact that he's an adorable friend. Something that has to do with James, Lucian's dad.

"Why is he outside? He should have come in." She proceeds to the front door.

"Mom, he's probably avoiding your disturbance." I stop her by saying this, and it's true. Lucian hates the fact that my mom is into his dad despite knowing he is still married to his mom, well James is not exactly with his wife cause he cheated on her with my mom.

When I was fifteen, I and my friends caught them making out in my mom's bedroom. It was just three months after my dad died. She's so pathetic.

She's just a few feet away from the door.

"Whaaat? he loves me," she drawls, turning to me.

"Whatever, I have to go," I say, walking to the door.

I hate the fact that she sees nothing wrong with her attitude, and I don't want to remind myself of it.

"Oh yes, you do." she beams as I get to where she is. I slowly shake my head and proceed outside.

As I come out, Lucian startles, and finally relaxes after realizing it's just me.

"God you scared me," he says. His hands-on his chest as he calms his heavy breathing.

"How?" I know how, but clarity is sincerity.

Poor Lucian. Since he saw his dad cheating on his mom, things have never been okay between them. He never told his mom because he don't want to see her in tears, heartbroken.

"I thought it was your mom." Lucian straightens, still leaning on the side of his car.

I smile and strut toward him.

"And if it was?" I keep asking questions I know the answers to.

Standing in front of him, he slides his hand into his pockets. "Well her generosity is not that pleasant to me." He sounds upset, but his face tells different, as he gives a big smile which seems genuine.

"It isn't for me too," I say quietly, Feeling sorry for him.

He walks round to the driver's side, opens the door, and pops in.

I know he isn't okay, but he never lets himself be sad. I wish I'm like that. Strong and happy as he is.

I open the door to the passenger seat and get in.

He starts the gas and Zooms off.

"So what happened between you and Tracy?" He asks with a glance at me, his hands riding the steering.

If it was someone else, lying would be an option, but Lucian knows me too well to tell when I'm lying.

I suck my teeth.

"She went out with the new guy. I can't believe she ditched me for that wretch," I hiss.

I was harsh on Tracy, but she was equally harsh on me. It's unfair to throw me to the side and act like I'm invisible when she meets new guys.

"Wait, what?" He smiles

"Is he into Tracy? he's kinda cool." He sounds excited.

Does he even know what this means? Of course, he sees nothing wrong, he's not the one who will soon be sleep-deprived.

I tilt my head and furrow my brows. my eyes bulging. I wasn't expecting this from Lucian, especially when he knows how Tracy's relationship ends.

"Are you serious right now? She went out with a WRETCH!"

How does he not see anything wrong with it?

He gives me an unsteady gaze, his mouth parted. Looking like I just screech his Brain and it's about to explode.

"Why do I have a feeling you don't like this guy?" He sounds like all of this is normal and okay.

First of all, this isn't about me not liking him. Why the hell will I like him? He's way below. His only gain is that he's handsome.

There are lots of handsome guys.

But seriously, I've never seen anyone like him.

Secondly, Tracy is out on a date with him on their first day of meeting, and let's not forget how that is going to affect me.

"Of course, I don't like him!" I say with open palms. Like It's obvious and there's no reason for me to.

He looks at me and grins, then back at the road. Shaking his head like I'm too much of myself.

"If you ask me, I'll say he's handsome and looks friendly."

Wow, on his first day he's already stealing my best friends. How can he say that about a guy he has known for less than seven hours. Plus, is Lucian blind? Didn't he see Morgan's shabby wear? Oh yeah, I remember, Lucian does not care about anyone's status, he's friendly to everyone. But I can't be like that. don't judge me, I grew up this way.

We get to the party, there are a lot of people outside the hotel, all dressed flashy and beautiful but not as beautiful as mua.

It's more like the party is held outside. As me and Lucian stride inside, I feel everybody's eyes on me, and them murmuring how beautiful I look, but I'm kinda used to it.

Being the most popular girl in school and the richest teenager in Seattle, is my golden spoon and I will never lose it.

I still remember how the eyes adoring me right now were mocking me. And when I don't talk to them I'm being superior? They are all haters, and as they adore me, they envy me.

We get inside. A dark wide-crowed space, with glimmering lights of purple, blue and red, sparks, reflecting most shiny dresses. Pop songs blasting out from invisible speakers, and nearly everybody is dancing, while some are making out on couches. Red cups litters all over the tables.

Lucian's pathetic side friends call him, and he responds to them, leaving me all alone.

I try walking to the bar but with every step I take there's always someone who steps in front of me telling me how beautiful my dress is.

Despite the tight crowd, I'm still noticed.

Finally, I get there and sit on a chair at the counter. I order Rum, and in no time the bartender gives it to me. As I sip from it, I look around the hall, everyone looks so happy, as they hop to the song.

My hearing drum is either dancing or pushing out from my ears, All I know is I'm not comfortable with the loudness. It's like a teenagers' nightclub, a crazy night.

I get falter by the moment, maybe it's because Tracy is not here, I've never been to a party without her, we always come together.

If she was here I wouldn't be sitting, because she would have probably dragged me to the dance floor and force my body to move.

After some time, Lucian comes and sits next to me, I can perceive alcohol in his breath.

"Why are you sitting here all alone?" He asks and orders a cocktail.

Hasn't he had enough already?

"Are you seriously asking me that?"

He ditched me and he's asking me such.

"You should mingle with someone, there are lots of people around Sam," he says, and I look around again and see no one by my standers.

"you can not possibly mean that." I sip from my cocktail

"Sam, for once just stop being superior, it's just for one night.

Or you can come hang out with my friends."

I look at his so-called friends sitting in a circle on the left side of the hall, conversing and giggling, and whatever it is they are talking about, can't be good.

"I'll pass."

"Come on, what's the worst that can happen?" he says it like what happened the last time wasn't worst at all.

"Being in a bikini with my pics all over Roosevelt's high school page," I growl.

He scratches his head and wraps his hands around his glass cup.

"I know...and nothing happened to you, right? I mean you are still you."

He's right to be unsure of what he's saying.

"I'm not allowed to ride my cars for two weeks Lucian, two whole weeks! And you know my cars are babies and I miss my babies." I look at him from the corner of my eyes as I sip from my cocktail.

He furrows his brows like I'm crazy. But seriously, I love my cars, that's why my mom sees it as an effective way to punish me. Argh!

"I should bounce before you say more weird things," he thumbs over his shoulders and tatters to stand up. He toddles to his friends, leaving me alone, again.

I don't want to believe his drunk because he sounds sober, but I know soon he'll be drunk.

After a few hours of boredom, I see how drunk Lucian is, and I know he's not in a good shape to drive, don't think he's thinking about going home.

I walk up to him, where his ridiculous friends are. A long couch and a single sofa, plastic cups litter all over. girls wrap around Daniel's arms, while veronica smirks at how drunk Lucian is.

"I'm leaving," I say from a distance.

He stands up from the chair he was sitting in and staggers to me. His friend's eyes focus on us.

Veronica now frowning at me. While Daniel croaking, enjoying every bit of this. I'm not looking at Xavier, I can't afford to have eye contact with him.

"you...you are just so fu-fu...full of yourself," he slurs, with his hands vibrating all over.

"Lucian you should stay here, you are in no position to drive." I ignore what he just said, cause I'm more concerned about him.

"What are you saying? are you in any way saying I'm drunk?"

He teeters closer to me, and I shift back a little.

His breath is awful.

"I'm never drunk," he adds.

"Okay fine, I have to go then." As I'm about to leave, he pukes on me.

"Ugh!" I groan.

As if this night couldn't get any worse.

Everybody starts laughing at me like they have all been waiting for this to happen, especially his so-called friends, they are the loudest.

Daniel and Xavier carry him and lie him down on the long couch close to them.

I stand in embarrassment and awkwardness. Hanging out with Lucian makes me squirm.

I look around me to see if there's anything I can use to wipe off this mess. I see a hand giving me a small towel, I take it without looking at the face. I wipe the mess off me.

I turn to thank the person. Stupefy, it's the so-called Morgan. My heart shockingly skips a beat