Lucie couldn't accept her mother's words, she was in denial, and she was angry. There was no way she'd stay silent upon her mother's ridiculous plans.
"You can't do that, mom!" She said almost immediately, "have you lost your mind?"
"It's already been decided, Lucille. I will not argue with you about this. If Christian prefers his mother over me, then let him do as he pleases, but my son is dead because of Eloise, and I will not allow her and him to continue walking over me as if my pain were unimportant."
"We can't leave", she cried. "You can't divorce him. I'm begging you, please don't do this!"
Nathalie shook her head. "I'm not going to ask you to pack your things again, we're leaving in thirty minutes."
Her voice was loud, and then she disappeared from Lucie's bedroom leaving her in a pool of tears. And until the last moment, Lucie fought her way through the apartment complex. She didn't want to be there, yet she had no choice.
"This place stinks", Lucie said as they entered the half empty apartment space.
"No it doesn't." Nathalie objected to her daughter's words. "It's neat, and in a nice area."
Nathalie began unpacking their bags, but Lucie had no interest in helping her.
And then a certain idea crossed her mind. They were many miles away from home, and she'd never make it there by foot, but at least she could walk out of here. She could leave and wander around the city in hopes of finding some type of distraction for her aching heart. Without saying a single word to her mother, Lucie left the apartment complex and began a long walk with no real destination. Still, she had no desire to return to that place anytime soon.
The phone calls came in rather quickly, it was her mother, but she wasn't going to answer. Lucie simply switched her phone off, and when she realized where she was, she paused for a moment, thinking about her next move. This strong sensation came upon her, she wanted to be rebellious, she wanted to do everything her mother wouldn't approve of.
Perhaps that would make her reconsider, and they'd go back home. And seeing it was late, and that she was in front of a night club, Lucie decided she'd go in. She wasn't sure how she'd do it since she's underage, but she was determined.
Suddenly, a voice coming from behind alerted her, and she turned around to see who was there.
"Hello, beautiful." An obviously much older boy spoke to her.
Lucie smiled at him, this was her opportunity.
"Hello."
"What are you doing out here all alone?" He asked her in a flirty manner, and Lucie began to act in the same way.
"I don't think the security guards will let me in, but I really want to go in. Can you help me with that?"
He giggled. "Sure, but under one condition."
Lucie narrowed her eyebrows. "What do you want?"
"I want you to dance with me all night long. Then I want you to let me take you home."
She examined him for a couple of long seconds, and he looked interesting to her. He was wearing motorcycle riding gear, leather gloves, and a pair of shiny black boots. He surely was everything her mother wouldn't approve of, and so Lucie accepted.
Hours she spent with that boy, and so quickly as she'd met him, Lucie began to like him. He was nice, he was attractive, and he listened to her.
"Good night, Lucie." He said as he dropped her off at the building.
"Good night, Edmond." She blew him a kiss to then run inside.
But when she entered the apartment, Lucie found her mother in a panic state, ready to call the police because she hadn't returned home.
"Where were you!" Nathalie yelled almost immediately.
"I don't want to talk to you, I'm going to bed."
Her mother followed her every step, but Lucie only ignored her words, thinking of all the fun she had that night.
"You cannot do that, Lucille, do you hear me? You cannot do that ever again."
Shutting the door in her mother's face, Lucie went to bed, knowing well that wasn't going to be the last she'd hang out with Edmond.
———
Present Time-
Lucie is awoken by the loud noises coming from upstairs. Footsteps and loud bangs sound through the ceiling, and even as she wants to continue sleeping, she sits up annoyed by it all.
"You're finally up." It's her mother's voice, and when she looks up, Lucie finds Nathalie sitting in the desk area doing something on her laptop. She doesn't know what her mother is doing nor does she care, she only gives her an upset glare to then try and position herself back into bed.
There's no interest in being up, not when last night's events continue to torment her. Asleep or wake, yet she can still hear Adrien's voice echoing in her head.
Her mother was Mayura.
Her brother was Cat Noir.
The mere remembrance of it makes her nauseous.
"It's past noon, Lucie." She can hear her mother speak, "I know some days are harder than others, but you need to get up, sweetheart. You need to eat and do something other than sleep."
"Can you leave me alone? I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to see you, just leave."
The sound of her daughter's angry voice confuses her. For a while, Nathalie thought she was mistaken about last night. Even upon Lucie's harsh tone, cold stare, and odd demeanor, Nathalie wanted to believe her daughter was simply tired, and that's why she had behaved the way she did. Despite the little whisper in her heart that wanted to warn that something is indeed happening. It was her motherly instinct speaking, but Nathalie should've known better than to ignore it. Something is upsetting her daughter, and it's a different kind of anger. Lucie stares at with disdain, a look she had never seen in her eyes before. Almost as if she hated her, and that thought frightens her, it breaks her completely.
They were doing so much better, Lucie was opening up to her again, allowing her to hug her, allowing her to kiss her. And so suddenly, Lucie has changed, and she can't seem to understand what has triggered this sudden shift in behavior.
"What's wrong, baby?" Nathalie gets close to the bed where Lucie hides under the covers, "why are you acting this way with me?"
Moving her hand close to where she is, Nathalie attempts to move the sheet away from her face, only to feel Lucie harshly push her hand away.
That action frightens her as she watches her sit up on the bed. Her blue eyes look at her with such intensity. The intensity of her anger is nearly palpable. Nathalie can almost feel it exiting Lucie's fragile and tired body.
"Didn't you hear me?" Lucie speaks again, "I don't want to talk to you. I'm not in the mood to hear your voice, get out of here, leave me alone!"
Again, she hides herself under the covers.
