Chapter 7

Lake couldn’t help grinning to himself as he emerged from the building and started walking south down Third. It was only eleven o’clock in the morning, but the streets were already buzzing with hustling and bustling people. The clouds separated and made way for the sun, pouring out its rays across the landscape. It laced with a cool breeze that intermingled with excitement and anticipation in his heart.

Suddenly, his footsteps increased, he titled his head a little and watched as two men in black pointed their fingers at him. His mouth formed a little smirk as he raced down the city.

Damn the men! They were never going to catch up to him. He turned to his left and paused at the large plate-glass windows of the Richard Fame boutique. It was luxurious and well-guarded; his lusty wish of shoplifting escaped his mind as he felt the presence of the two men closely behind. He gazed around the beautiful city, and his eyes shone as he found his way into the same path he always passed through. It served as a shortcut to his neighborhood. He slowed his pace after making sure he’d lost the men.

He reached the end of the path, breathing hard as he set his feet into the familiar environment.

The street was exactly how it was the last time he visited home. It was quiet, gloomy and isolated. He gazed at Fin’s diner and his mind immediately wandered to the good old days; those blissful days were long gone; they were now layered with despair and rage.

His eyes moved in the opposite direction. Two women were now on the street, they whispered and glanced as they passed by him.

It’d become a regular routine. They always gave him the look, judged by the old and young.

The rebel. The delinquent. The truant.

He’d been called different names.

Still, he was grateful for the people. They were all free and loyal to one another. The row of houses in the neighborhood were built in similar style, having common dividing fences and walls; there was a sense of familiarity amongst the neighbors. Lake heaved a sigh as his gaze locked with the house ahead of him. The house was a modern-style bungalow that looked more like it belonged in Mexico. It stood out from the other redbrick buildings surrounding it.

The lawn was fresh and green, and the foyer walls were different, painted in a soothing taupe color. Lake mounted the wooden floor, studying the place like a lost stranger in a palace before ringing the doorbell.

There was no response.

He furrowed his brows, reached for the spare key under the carpet and unlocked the front door.

A familiar feeling arose in his mind as he stepped into the house.

The huge frame on the wall first held his searching gaze. The photo poured in memories—memories he was too scared to revisit. Without further glances, he pattered up the stairs and leaped to his room.

***

The gruff and husky voices swam into his ears as he laid flat on his bed. Gilbert Lake awakened abruptly. His bleary eyes flew open as his hand traveled to his pounding heart.

How had he managed to fall asleep?

He emptied his mind and focused on the girl.

He’d seen her again.

This time it was real. Her hair had glowed like a golden river in the dream, her grey eyes shone like the moon in a ghastly night. She was the most beautiful creature he’d ever set his gaze upon. Despite the flock of hot girls in loosely tied bikini tops, Lake found himself searching for a flash of butter colored hair since that day he encountered her.

He sighed in frustration.

For the past few days, no matter where he was, all he’d been able to think about was the mysterious girl he’d saved.

Lake could swear that he was going crazy; he’d trailed a random blondie in the mall the previous day and ended up crestfallen and embarrassed.

She was unlike the girls he saw in college; a rare one. Something about her entirety aroused his interest. After she vanished that very day, he had wandered to where he’d first encountered her. Her scent was long gone; it was replaced with the foul smell of rotten dumps.

Her name.

It wasn’t helping either that he couldn’t recall her name. There were millions of girls in the city; the odds of ever encountering her again was one out of a million.

But why was such an angelic girl lurking around a place like that? It was a mystery he was curious to uncover. The only evidence he had of her presence was the necklace he’d stolen.

How had she acquired something so valuable?

Perhaps a lover? A fine lady like that couldn’t possibly be single.

His mind eloped and settled to those bums; the ones that’d tried to harass her.

He wasn’t one to interfere whenever Josh and his thugs were up to no good, but the mysterious girl managed to bypass that rule…

Suddenly, there was a thud. Someone had barged into the room. It all happened so fast, snapping him out of his reverie.

It was Lucy, his little sister. Just like every other day, she’d managed to break the rule of knocking before entering the king’s room.

“I keep losing listeners every day! What am I to do?” Lucy began to pace the length of the room. “I actually talk about things that matter in the country. It is so annoying that—'' Lucy paused at the realization of Lake’s absent attention. She scurried to his side and glanced into his eyes.

“Way to earth, your highness,” she muttered sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

Lake paused for a second and gestured to the door. “Remember the rule about knocking?”

Immediately, Lucy slouched in an awkward position and plodded to the door. She knocked gently and waited for Lake’s response.

“You can walk in,” he said slowly.

“There was no difference, Lake. Knocking is a total waste of time! What if I was dying?” She strode to his bed and flopped, her brown hair strewing across the mattress.

“What if I was naked?” Lake tried his best to conceal the smile that formed at the side of his lips.

“You're more bothered about your nakedness than my death?” Lucy frowned. The frown immediately faded off and was carefully replaced with a smirk. “Not like I haven’t seen it before,” she said haughtily.

His face burned as he tilted his head in her direction. She rose from the bed and ran to the edge of the room. It was going to be difficult to escape the king’s wrath, no doubt.

“How the hell did you know I was in?”

“You literally rang the doorbell—if only you were a little patient, I would have unlocked the door!” She retorted.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” Lake began to move close to her and her eyes tightened as she groveled by the wall.

“I should be asking you,” she hissed. “Stop acting all tough,” she gritted her teeth and placed her hand on her hip. “It doesn’t suit you.”

“You’re banned from this room!” he chided as he strode closer to her figure.

It was no use. He’d banned her countless times.

She had a way of pushing him to the wall and bringing out the worst in him.

Lucy raised her head and gazed into his eyes. Her brown bulgy eyes brightened. She was making that face—the one that always managed to convince him. The one he couldn’t resist, and hell, she was good at it!

“I—” her words were cut short by the sound from the door.

“What is going on…” Laura began, pausing as her gaze fell on Lake. Suddenly, the ticking clock became louder than usual, a gentle breeze enveloped the room and Lake remained glued to the floor.

“We were just playing around,” Lucy broke the lingering silence and sprinted out of the room.

Lake turned, finally making eye contact with his mother.

“You should be in college,” she said plainly.

“I didn’t feel like going today.” He countered.

“This is the third day in a row, Gil!” She sputtered. “I worked my ass off to pay your tuition fee.”

“But I never asked for your help!” He said gruffly, his own words piercing his heart.

Laura bowed her head and tightened her eyes. “Why are you doing this to me?” She muttered slowly and then paused, trying to find the right words. “Why are you doing this to yourself?”

Lake remained mute. The silent moment vanished as the doorbell lingered in the air.

“That should be Gavin,” she announced, and wiped the tear that was trailing down her right cheek. Her gloomy state was suddenly replaced with a stern expression. “Behave yourself this time,” she scoured the room for a moment before walking out and shutting the door behind.

Lake wanted to say something, but the words refused to form. It was already too late, she’d cliched down the hall.

He paced around the room, kicking whatever obstacle was in his path.

He hated his life.

He hated Gavin, and most of all…he hated himself.

He slumped on the wooden floor, reflecting on the havoc he was creating.

“Lake, it’s for you!”

It was his mother.

He flinched, brainstorming on who it could possibly be. The only friends he had were Amy and Max, but they didn’t have a clue on where he was living.

They were probably in some boring lecture at the moment.

So, who?

Desperate to kill the suspense, he walked out of the room and bounded down the staircase. His heart skipped as he caught a wisp of blonde hair. She was giggling with Lucy, but Lake couldn’t catch up with what they were saying.

How was it possible?

The girl rotated slowly, her grey eyes locking with his as a smirk formed at the edge of her lips.

The wicked smirk awakened something in his body; something new and unexplainable.

Something that screamed trouble…

Lake blinked and cleared his eyes till he was certain.

It was her.