Chapter 4

Well.. That's not exactly how it went. He exaggerated just a smidge but she did come busting through the door grabbing his ear with such force. He flinched and so did everybody else in the room. "Lucian wannabe KING. Why do you keep coming broken up to my house?"

"It's just a little scrape ma. Don't worry about it." He tried to ease the tension. She glared at him with such coldness in her eyes he froze. "Okay okay! I gotinafightwithjonathan" He mumbled really quickly.

He tried to persuade her but felt a slap hit his head. He pouted at her and rubbed his head. "You know we don't have privilege like everybody else and you consistently disobey my order."

"Actually we-"

She cut him off quickly with words rolling out of her mouth. "Sit down white boy. I didn't ask. Anyways, NURSE!"

"Yes Mrs. King" The nurse stood at attention a bit afraid of his mother. We all were. He said in his head before looking over at his friends with pity.

"Sign him out for today. He's coming with me." She told her and tagged him along. "Say goodbye to your little friends too. Brianna and that white boy she's dating plus the fresh meat."

He knew it was a bad time to laugh but tried stifling it a little bit before he got smacked. "Bye Brianna and Raymond. And.. Trent."

"You're lucky I wouldn't run down that little Jonathan boy and knock him into next week. That childish boy gets on my damn nerves."

"Yes he does. Extremely but ma you didn't have to call Raymond fresh meat you know. He's new. Decency is valued?" He said slowly.

"That's what fresh meat means. I valued enough of my time with the two words that sprung out my mouth quickly." She sympathized and he rolled his eyes.

"Are you warming up to white boys now? That's your type? Don't become Brianna." He groaned and looked else where. He didn't really wanna talk about this with his mother.

He thought for a moment before skipping the subject. "Speaking of the 'fresh meat', he asked me over for video games ma. I know I'm in trouble but can we save the beating for later."

He asked politely before cursing himself underneath his breath forgetting to ask for his number and address. "I'm a black mother and me handing over my child to a white guy? SIN. What stupid question is this?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yes ma. Stop rewatching Get Out. Please, you start freaking me out every time with that little bull. I just wanna make a friend and none of them know I'm.. gay so what's the harm?" He asked her. They've reached outside the school from all the talking.

"Fine. But you check in every 10-20 minutes. I'm not tryna become one of them mothers, that uhm mother from stranger things who talked to her son when he was on the other side. I won't go that crazy for you. I warned you." She finished and he kissed her cheek with a smile on his face.

"Thanks ma." He told her and she shook her head with a little smirk on her lips. "Don't thank me yet." He put his seat belt on looking over at her with a bewildered look.

*****************

He just got finished clipping her nails and those nails down there. Scary sight.. He shivered visibly. She worked him like he was a slave in the 1800's. "Women!" He exasperated.

"Young men." She concluded and kept searching on her phone. "Text one of your friends and ask them about that little boy of yours you seem fond of."

"Pfft. What? No. Second that, I'm doing your dirty feet ma. And I know you don't like white boys ever since the grimlin dropped me." He said.

"Well.. I didn't say you technically can't date a white boy I-"

"That's exactly what you said." He cut her off with a eyebrow raised.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm your mother. I have a right to have a say in things. But things I can't control is your heart. At the end of the day if he makes you happy, do just that."

"I don't feel anything for him and besides, I don't think he'll go unscathed in this house." He said.

"You're right. He won't go unscathed, so watch out for fresh meat." She told him with a smile before shooing him away like a fly.

"Will do ma, will do." He said slowly before he forgot to text one of his friends about Raymond. He started texting Brianna since Trent was on his hit list.

"Well, Bri said he's not so far away from my house only 10 minutes. Which is confusing since it's literally his first day." He told his mother but was silently speaking to himself.

"I hate Brianna. She acts like she's too good to be black. It's like she's one of them. I know a girl will not forget where her roots come from, doesn't mean a girl can't be lost in herself."

He turned to his mom and tilted his head. "I mean.. She has been acting wonky lately. She's defending Trent over me way more even when he's said some pretty insensitive things."

"Trent will be slapped if I see him on my door step. Other than that, I wanted to tell you my award show is coming up. I'm getting promoted at my job. Finally right?"

He nodded in excitement. "This is really cool ma. Now I get to say a few words about my disturbing mother." He said jokingly his head flying forward afterwards from a hard impact.

"I'm not disturbing." She told him with a pout. "I'm a sweet, kind, beautiful, hardworking woman." She crossed her arms.

"One who acts like a child." He held his hands up in defense. "But you are all those things ma. I'm extremely happy for you." He kissed the top of her head with a smile.

"Thanks baby, though you know you're still getting grounded right?" She told him with a sly smirk.

"I thought I got out of that." He muttered before nodding. He went to speak but got cut off. "You could probably bring fresh meat. Since he's a newbie and all. Not to spark up anything."

"Yea sure ma. Anyways, I'm off. Bye! Love you!" He told her as he walked towards the door not forgetting his keys before stepping out onto the porch.

He wondered how the Award Ceremony would go down. He knew much that his mom's colleagues were mostly white and 3% black. He really didn't want anything bad to happen to his mom.

He was so much in thought that he bumped into Raymond's front door. "Good impression genius." he muttered to himself before knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" He heard a voice say. He knew that voice sounded familiar but why would they be here? He removed that thought and answered. "Lucian King."

He saw the door opening, revealing Brianna on the other side. He tilted his head slowly. "Brianna... What are you doing here?"

"Thought we'd join you for your day at Raymond's!" She said excitedly. He looked at her confused, tilting his head.

"W..We?" He questioned and right when he said that she pulled Trent from inside.. somewhere. "Oh joy. I can't handle myself around the new boy now?"

"Anyways, forget I said anything where's Raymond." He stated before being directed to where he was in the room. He went there and waved his hand over at him. "Never been to a white boys house. One of the movie rules."

"We don't have boogie man or monsters hiding in our closets so you're totally good." Raymond waved a hand dismissively as Lucian squinted his eyes over at him.

"So you say.." He muttered before plopping down on the couch next to him but a few feet away. "They always make your race look dumb. Slipping on air is the worst one especially when it's not raining or worse crawling with bugs, slimy things."

"People live off that stuff. It was just a funny tactic. Pretty sure I would do the same in a situation purposely." Raymond said.

"It gets annoying. Especially when they enjoy making racist movies and shows. It's like they know their role so well, forgetting who they are. It makes me fear them sometimes."

"Me and my family are totally harmless. Promise you." Raymond laughed though he was being serious about being scared. He almost forgot to ask him something his mother told him to.

"Hey, Raymond. I was wonderi-" He was cut off by Brianna coming in with a bowl of popcorn with a squeal escaping her lips.

"I BARE POPCORN!" She yelled bouncing on the couch in between him and Raymond. He got a little annoyed and wanted to be at least a few feet away from Raymond again. He played it cool remembering he has to be 'straight'.

"Big Whoop. Can you move now?" He asked with a raised brow. She got up abruptly and before he could scoot over back to where he was she sat back down. "Nope! Too lazy!"

He gritted his teeth and looked the other way, holding back on strangling her. "Where's your dumb boyfriend when you need him?" He grunted.

"I am here kind sir." Trent bowed and scooped up Brianna taking her to a recliner. He nodded his head, scooting over absentmindedly. "So I take it.. We're not playing video games anymore?"

"They wanted to watch a movie." Raymond told him as he reached over for some popcorn from Brianna. She gave him a glare and Lucian let a small smile slip.

"Oh wait, before I forget to talk to you. Can we go somewhere private?" Lucian asked Raymond to which he nodded taking his hand and pulling him up taking him to a much more secluded place in his house.

He tried not to flinch when he felt jolts of electricity through his palm. He began to blush but quickly wiped it away. "What is it you want to talk about?" He asked softly.

"I.. wanted to ask you if you wanted to go to a ceremony with me? My mom told me to ask you and you know she thinks it would be nice for you fresh meat- ah I mean- Ray." He mentally face palmed realizing he rambled on.

"Your mom's kind of scary so sure. I wouldn't mind at all." Raymond told him and he nodded before glancing down realizing their hands were still touching. He quickly yanked it back and laughed awkwardly. "We should get back to the movie. They probably think we're making out or something. Not that that is what I would say or think about- you know what? Let's go."

Raymond shook his head with a smile gracing his lips. "You know. You're kinda cute when you ramble." He heard Raymond say as he watched him walk back into his living room.

He slowly touched his cheeks and for sure he was blushing. "You're straight, You're straight. Do it for them. Do it for them. He shall not flirt with you! You're Lucian King." He muttered to himself and walked back inside to meet with the rest of them.

"You mean ya'll couldn't pause the movie or make us pick a movie together when I got back?" He looked at their faces, kind of avoiding Raymond's. "Cruel."

He sat down in the couch next to Raymond and he swore he felt him shift over on the couch but kept himself in check staying where he was. You're not going to flirt, He thought.

"It was boring in the beginning anyway don't worry." Raymond told him with a smile on his face. He wondered why he smiled so much. Doesn't it hurt your glands or whatever they call them? He thought.

"OUUU are you guys going to make love? If so. I wanna watch." Brianna shouted which broke him from his trance and made him glare over at her.

"You can relax Ms. Barbie for brains. And no we're not thank you. Very. Much." He crosses his arms over his chest. He swore she was turning different by the day.