I started back up at work this past week. I'll have to go back to figuring out a way to work and write, yay for back to finding a balance. Got to love adulting. Jenn is moving through Call for Help which I can't wait to share with you all this year! I usually edit a story a couple of times, then have someone else go through it, I go through the story again, then I send it off to an editor. Right now Define a Hero (Beneath the Scars 3) is in the stage of being in someone else's hands. I mailed it to my mom and she is going through it. Apparently she edits while she is going to the city on the train. Whatever works right?
Here is Lucas Edwards. If you read Beneath the Scars, the last name Edwards should look familiar! ;) Tom Holland seems like a nice, funny guy so I was tempted to put him in as Lucas, we'll see what you all think!
Lucas Edwards
Hazel eyes
Ex Marines
Wears a prosthetic leg
Watches his niece and nephew after school
Hates Star Wars
The TV was on as I munched on some
cereal that I kept in my room. The sheets were still covering my lower half of
my body. I was waiting to hear the results of the DNA test. I didn’t understand
people. The woman said she loved her boyfriend, but slipped up and swore it was
his best friend’s baby. She promised that she had never been with another man
except those two guys. The guy on the screen pulled out the envelope. I grabbed
another handful of cereal and crunched down. The boyfriend came back as not the
father. The boyfriend bent over, covering his face. If I was him I’d take my
chance and run off the stage, change my phone number, and make sure never to
see the girl again. His best friend leaned forward in his chair. I bet was that
he wasn’t the father either. The guy opened up the envelope. He wasn’t the
father either. I could make money betting on this show. The second guy jumped
up out of his chair, knocking it over, screaming ‘I told you so’ over and over.
The woman was sobbing.
There was a knock on my door. The
door creaked open. There stood my brother, Cameron. I raised my eyebrow. He
opened the door completely and came in. He sat on the edge of my bed. My eyes
stayed on him, waiting for the shoe to drop.
“This is seriously what you are
watching?”
Quickly I swallowed. “It’s
completely mindless, and I can feel my brain dying a little with each second,
but at the same time I find myself unable to change the channel either.”
“So I got that job.”
“That’s great.”
I didn’t look at him.
“So I’m going to need some help.”
I raised my eyebrow and looked at
him.
“What kind of help?”
“Just for you to get the kids from
school and make sure they don’t die until I get home from work at five thirty.”
“Will I have to pick them up from
school?”
Cameron shook his head. “Nah, the
bus drops them off at the corner and they can walk here together. Just make
sure no sweets after school and that they do their homework. You don’t have to
leave the house.”
I shrugged. “Well in that case, I
will.”
“At some point you will have to see
people in public.”
I stared at him blankly. “I’m a
grown man, if I don’t want to do something, I don’t have to.”
He shook his head. “Whatever, but
you got the kids?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I got them.”
“You will have to leave this room
though.”
I turned my head to the other side
of the bed where my prosthetic was resting.
“Whatever.”
“You better get a grip soon because
you’re starting to affect Hunter.”
I made a noise and narrowed in at
Cameron. “I think you’re giving the kids more credit.”
“I think you don’t realize how old
they are now.”
I glanced back to the TV. The
girlfriend was covering her face as she was crying and ran off stage.
“I think you need to socialize with
actual people instead of this real life soap opera crap.”
“Please, those writers wished they
could write a script like this.”
Cameron stood in front of the TV.
His arms were folded over his chest and his were practically slits.
“I don’t want to come home to the
kids downstairs by themselves, or with this in the background as you are so
called watching them. It was nearly
impossible for me to get full custody against Laura.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Fine.”
“You must be downstairs, at the
kitchen table helping Amelia and Hunter with their homework when I walk through
the door.”
“Yes, mom,” my voice was deeper.
“When you have kids you’ll
understand.”
“I’m not a full man, who the hell
is going to have a kid with me?” I barked.
“You’re right, you’re not a man.
You’re a child. It’s one in the afternoon now get your lazy butt up. I’m not
mom and I won’t coddle you anymore. You’ve been on that bed for nearly a year.
We all took turns driving you to therapy sessions. The gloves are coming off
now. Your niece and nephew will be home soon since it was a half day. Now I
want you showered, in clean clothes, and acting like a human within ten
minutes.”
Cameron stormed out of the room and
slammed the door behind him so hard that it shook in the frame. The people on
TV started to yell at each other, their voices only mixed with my groan. I
threw the sheets over to the side. On the night stand was my prosthetic sock
and socket. My face twisted as I swung my leg over. My one foot rested on the
floor while my stub on edge of my bed. I rolled the sock over the nub that was
once my leg. I docked in the socket over it. Leaning over slightly I took hold
of the prosthetic leg. Hooking it up to the socket until I heard the click.
Pushing myself up I felt the weight transfer, my shorts fell over the fake leg,
resting over the ball of a joint.
Picking up my leg I started to walk
down the hall. I could feel each roll of the foot and knee of my new limb. Once
I was out of my room I turned to go down the stairs. My one hand gripped the smooth
wooden railing with each step. My pace was measured, just as I got to the first
floor it opened. Amelia came bursting through the door. Her arms were wide open
with a grin spreading across her face.
“Uncle Lucas!” she giggled and
wrapped her arms around my waist.
I placed a hand on her shoulder.
Hunter was moseying up the porch stairs with his eyes on the ground.”
“School was awesome!”
“You like your teacher?” Cameron
came up from behind me.
Amelia let go and went around me. I
heard her sandals clapping against the tile floor. Hunter closed the door
behind him. He went past me.
“Hunter, I’ll get a snack ready
please take out the paperwork so I can start signing.”
I heard the thud of his book bag on
a kitchen chair. I followed everyone else into the other room. Amelia was
following Cameron around the kitchen as he was gathering things for a snack.
Her short legs were doubling the amount of steps, but that didn’t seem to slow
her down.
“Mrs. Jackson she is sooo nice. She has short hair and she
likes to sing songs. Oh! Her favorite color is green. She has two kids. Oh! She
has toys in the room too. She told us a story today about pie.”
Her voice was going by fast. I was
pretty sure that I knew more about this Mrs. Jackson than anyone else in the
past year. Hobbling by I sat in a chair at the table. Hunter plopped a folder
onto the table then sat in a chair next to me. Cameron placed a table with
apple slices in the middle of the table.
“Thank Mr. Mom,” I smirked.
Cameron shook his head. He grabbed
a pen off the table and started to go through Hunter’s papers.
“Am I to provide fuel in such a
manner?” I asked.
Cameron was reading papers and then
his pen scribbled across the paper.
“I prefer chips if you’re taking
requests,” Hunter muttered.
He and I smiled at each other.
“We don’t have chips.” Cameron
spoke flatly.
“We can go to the store.” Hunter
responded as he looked at his dad.
“Your options are fruits or
vegetables. If it’s from the ground you’re in the clear.”
Hunter rolled his eyes and slid
down his chair.
“Amelia loves her teacher, how was
yours?”
“Miss Bennett?” Hunter raised an
eyebrow, Cameron glanced up from his paperwork and returned the facial gesture.
As I looked at both of them. Hunter
had his mother’s tanner skin and eye color. However, the shape of his eyes,
nose, and hair color were all my brother.
“That is your teacher correct?”
“Yeah. She’s new, she’s alright I
guess.”
Hunter shrugged his shoulders. Amelia
was on the other side of me. She shifted herself so that she was sitting on her
knees, she leaned half of her body over so that she could fingertip an apple
slice. I nudge the slice closer to her. She picked it up and started to munch
on it. She smiled at me and the corners of my lips curled. Amelia scooted back
a little. She swung her legs around and she dropped in her chair.
“I love my teacher.”
Hunter’s features fell. “You’re in
kindergarten, you don’t know the truth just yet.”
“What truth?” Amelia’s head titled
causing her already slanted hair tie to droop more.
“That school is just a building
that eats your soul.”
“Is that true?” Amelia’s eyes
rushed to me.
Cameron’s head snapped up and his
eyebrows were fused together.
“Hunter, where did you hear wording
like that?”
Cameron’s eyes then shot at me. My
eyes widen.
“Don’t look at me this time.”
“This time,” Cameron muttered.
Cameron put his pen down and turned
towards Hunter.
“You need to keep comments like
that to yourself. School is fine. I promise it is just another year, and
despite what you think I swear you will live through it.”
“I wish I moved with mom,” Hunter
growled.
He stood up, shoved his chair into
the table and ran up the stairs.
Cameron rubbed his face with both
hands.
“Look, I got the kids after school.
Don’t worry.”
Cameron’s green eyes caught mine.
There were deep circles under them.
“I’ll try.”
