(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

Chapter Forty-Four - Break Up

We are slowly nearing the end of the book, but we're not quite there yet. There are still some 'discoveries' to be made, or revelations coming our characters' way. 

Enjoy!

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RILEY

WE WERE DAYS AWAY from Christmas break, and I felt barely alive.

My schedule overflowed with assignments and studies. Separating from Emma had been horrible and it showed in my mood. We saw each other in the halls, and she immediately looked away when our eyes met. I wanted to scream that she chose the wrong side, but she knew what I thought already. 

There was no progress on the mysterious texts and no news from a potential stalker. No revelation about what to search next. I noticed an increment of dark vans while driving around town, though, even in the mornings while heading to school. They didn't follow me; they were merely posted at spots, as subtle as a fox in the midst of a chicken coop. 

My concerns gravitated mainly around Chuck. How would an unbalanced guy like him handle the secret in the long run? If Emma, who had been reliable for years and now shifted, then...

He thought I was the only different one around, and it had to stay that way. Mr. Kennedy promised to watch him in class and in the halls. He'd also convinced the staff that the broken windows resulted from a weakened assemblage and a violent wind must have splintered the glass. 

"Luc?" I called from the couch. He was facing the snowfall outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Why don't you have a Christmas tree?"

All I got was a disinterested shrug. "We got tens of thousands just outside."

"You don't decorate for the holidays?" 

He twisted and searched the spot where I sat against the arm, legs tucked. "We used to put candles, bows and fairy lights all over the place. It was never really for me, so I don't bother anymore. Don't tell me you're one of those Christmas freaks."

"I just think it's nice to change up the house once in the year," I simply said. "There's still time."

"Like I said, it doesn't do anything for me."

I moved up on the cushion and leaned a cheek on my fist. "Your house has the coziest fireplace I've ever seen and you're going to let it naked like that? I come here often, you know." I bared a sticky smile. "Would warm my little heart to see it."

The bathroom in the hall flushed. 

Luc's eyes narrowed, then his mouth opened, and he angled his head. "How about you do it if you want it so bad?"

"And you just sit back and watch me deck your walls? Come on."

"Sitting back? No, I'm getting front row tickets to the show."

"What show?" Tony emerged from the hall, rubbing his hands together. This was our last practice before the break for my exams. He stared at me, at my unfinished mug of hot chocolate, then at him. 

Luc grinned like a shark. "Sunshine just volunteered to decorate my house. And I'm not going to let her use hands."

I was about to argue I'd ruin it when Tony voiced his approval with a laughing clap, and he disappeared upstairs in a flash, reappearing with a cardboard box in his arms. Several more trailed behind him same way baby ducks would. 

"I don't think it's a good idea," I warned.

Luc could not disagree more. "I think it's a fantastic idea."