chapter ONE

Pancakes.

That was the one thing that Lucas hated eating. Ever since that one morning, last week, his mother decided to join his father in business to work and handle the building, he had been eating those horrible pancakes. His mother would be in a hurry and in no time she would bake pancakes and set it on the table for Lucas and his brother.

And as for his brother, Wesley, he would be moving into his best friend's apartment in less than two months.

Stomping his legs all the way as he walked down the stairs, he could smell the disgusting smell that spread all over the house. He strongly despised entering the kitchen.

"No, no no." he muttered to himself. "Not again."

"Oh, look who cared to join us today." His father, who had been scrolling through his phone, looked up at Lucas. Lucas instantly knew it would be one of those days. Where a very- successful- CEO- of- the- company- father would mock on his second- son. Basically it would only be an argument on how much better of a son Wesley was than Lucas.

It pissed Lucas to no end.

Sure, it was very fortunate of Wesley to get into that university in Texas... In Austin?... He wouldn't, if it wasn't for his dad's constant insisting.

"I think I will have breakfast in the school, thank you." Lucas sighed. If anything, he would puke right here, there and then.

"And that's something your brother wouldn't do." his dad said grumpily. He always objected to whatever Lucas had to say. It wasn't the first time though.

"Well, he is sleeping up there." Lucas retorted pointing at the roof. "If he does wake up, it would be afternoon already. He said last night-- 'I'll wake up early and study for my future and blah and blah'-- it's 8 already. Isn't cool, now, is it?"

"The least you can do is leaving him alone. He can sleep until anytime he wants. I know he would be missing this house, and his room, so-"

"Honey, we're getting late." his mother, who was kind enough to cut his dad off, patted his shoulders and motioned him to the door. His dad just shook his head at the clock and stood up, putting on his black sleek business blazer. The company worked wonders for the city. And his father being the CEO was a rotten cherry on top.

His mother made her way towards Lucas and smiled, pulling him into a hug.

"Good morning, Sunshine." She rocked him back and forth making him shake his head at her.

"Good morning." He replied nonetheless. His mother parted away and kissed him on the forehead.

"Don't want pancakes? Don't eat. It's okay. Just have something from the fruit basket. Don't Starve though." His mother ruffled his head.

"Yeah mom, got it. I will not starve." He chuckled.

"Okay then. I will have to leave, have a good day!"

"you too!" He called back, watching his mother scramble to the door. "Perfect." Lucas said sarcastically, cringing at the served pancakes on the table as front the door clicked shut. He picked up another plate and covered it on top of pancakes because he surely wasn't going to eat or touch them.

Ew.

Instead he took an apple with him to the school.

He couldn't have breakfast in the school though; his school's cafeteria was not yet open. Seeing as he was very early to be in school, he loitered around school lobbies and corridors. And... Oh yeah. He settled in Library.

***

"I told you I wanted to eat pancakes, today!" Claire slammed her hand down on the table, glaring at her mother.

"You didn't tell me! And besides, you can eat this for today. I'll make you pancakes tomorrow." Her mother huffed at her daughter's stubborn behaviour. Ever since she hit puberty, things are going down the gutter. One day she would come with a tattoo proudly covering her arm, and the other day she would come home with a cigarette straw hanging from her mouth, bright and lit.

Neighbours did complain about the tossed cigarette butts on their yard.

Her mother was sure that Claire was on drugs, though she insisted she wasn't.

Claire slammed her hand down on the table one more time to get her mother's attention who was busy cleaning the counter. Her father... well, her father further ducked his head down hiding his face in the news papers from the two females present right in front of him. He preferred staying out of the fights.

But suddenly, the news papers in his hands were being ripped away, and he felt exposed.

"Marcus, don't you see what is happening in this house? Can you not just sit there?" His wife stood there, her hands on her hips, staring at him as if it was his entire fault.

"You know what?" Claire stood up from her chair. "I better leave for school. I don't want to be here anyways."

It had been a month that Claire had been craving some pancakes. She could, however, go get some from restaurants... but she liked it home made. And her mother couldn't make it for her.

Ever since she came home that first time, a little high and a tattoo on her arm, her parents claimed that she was doing drugs. Now, if anythings happens, it is blamed right on drugs. She doesn't do that. She keeps away from drug dealing... but that, her mother doesn't get it.

When Claire declared that she was into boxing, her mother claimed it was because of the drugs.

No, she was interested in Boxing. She doesn't need to get high or drunk to like a sport.

She got onto her car, which wasn't even a new one, it when her dad her bought a new car for himself and let Claire use his old one. She sometimes thought that her family was messed up. For starters, she was the only child in her house.

Driving through the traffic, she made her way to the school, not bothering about the ticking time and how late she was for the first class. If anything, everyone knew she wasn't for one to attend classes. At least not on time. As she was nearing the school, her phone buzzed in her pocket, making her grumble under her breath.

She slowed down, fishing her phone out of her black ripped jeans and rolling her eyes at the caller ID.

Sure she kept everyone away from herself, building walls high and all that shit... but she did have those few smoking partners that apparently happened to get close to her over the time they have spent together.

Adam and Hailey.

when Clair, Adam and Hailey are put together, they form that trio of the school, that no one would want to mess with.

She swiped the accept button and held it up to her ear, focusing back on road.

"Claire."

"Yeah?"

"You here yet?"

"yeah."

"Adam needs some help."

"yeah."

"Are you listening?"

"yeah."

"For god's sake, I know you hate talking, but tell me something except your pathetic answers."

"Fvck you?"

"Yeah okay. We need you here. Right now."

"yeah."

And with that, she switched her phone off and tuck it back into the pocket when she reached the school's parking lot.

Usually, everyday would be the same, but today, she saw a huge crowd in the school's ground.