Their morning started as usual with a roll call. The teacher began calling the student's names.
"Adler?"
Silence.
"Lucas is still absent?"
Still no answer. Gray secretly glances at Lucas' empty seat while also wondering about his absence.
"This is the third day that he's absent. Does he have any friends here?"
One hand raised up to the air immediately.
"Gray? So you have any idea why he's absent for that long?"
"None, Sir."
"Is that so? Then can you go to his house and check? Ask him when he can attend the class. The exam's near, he can't afford to be gone this long."
"Yes sir."
The teacher then continued the roll call. Gray looks at Lucas' seat one more time and sighs.
-
"Do you know where Lucas lives?" Castle asked when they got a vacant time because one of their teacher is absent.
"I'll just ask our adviser for his address later."
"Will it be okay?"
He stops drawing and glances at him for a while. "What is?"
"Going to his house. Honestly, I don't think Lucas will like it. He might not even open the door for you."
"I thought about that too. But I can't just sit back here and do nothing. Something must have happen for him to be absent this long."
Castle stared at him, his eyes showing hesitant and curiosity. He watched him as he doodle on the back of his notebook, his forehead creased adn his mouth giving a slight frown. He was always like this whenever he concentrates on something.
"Gray."
"What?"
"The thing you asked me last time."
"Last time? What is it?"
"That..." He paused, debating whether or not to continue. "You asked me how do I know if you like someone."
Gray's pencil stopped mid-air but it touched the paper soon after. He carelessly draw lines until it filled the entire paper. "What about it?"
"The person you like... Is it-"
"What are you saying?" Gray quickly dismissed him and laughed. "I told you, I was just curious. It's not like I like someone!"
"Really?"
"Of course! What's gotten into you?"
"Nothing. I was just curious too."
Gray averted his gaze and stared at his notebook. "I told you, right? That you will be the first person to know."
"I know. Forget I asked. I guess I just got excited. You've never shown interest in others... That's why..."
"Weren't you just jealous?" Gray looks at him with a smug look on his face. Castle frowns exaggeratedly.
"Why would I be?"
He leans in and gives him a tight hug while rubbing his face on his cheeks. "Don't worry, Castle... You're my only one..."
"W-what the?! Stop it! L-let me go!"
"Nope." As if to annoy him even more, he hugged him tighter.
"Gray!"
"Go back to your seats, I'm gonna start the class."
Castle was only freed by him when their teacher enters and starts the class. He rubs his cheeks frowning while Gray just grins at him.
-
Gray stared at the metallic door in front of him.
'I can't believe I came here.'
He raises up his right hand and leaves it hanging in the air, hesitating if he should ring the doorbell or not. He's probably done this for a while now without being able to come up with a decision. Truth is, he wants to back out and just go home but a larger part of him wants to find out what was wrong with Lucas. Afterall, he accepted him as his friend, right? So he should have a reason to feel worried and come here to check.
'But Castle may be right. He might not like me coming here. Would he even open the door if he find out that it was me?'
Once again his hand raised up in the air but it stayed there, only a few inches at the doorbell.
'I feel weird. What is wrong with me? I' ll just have to ring the doorbell! Why can't I do it?'
Taking a deep sigh, he tries again. The sound of the doorbell echoing made him hold his breath, waiting for a reaction. But seconds have passed and the door remained close.
'Of course. What should I expect? Maybe... He' s not here? S-should I try again?'
"One more time..." He whispered and pressed the doorbell again. 10 seconds, 20... 30 seconds has passed and still no reaction. The door's still closed shut like the owner who seemed to shut his world from others.
He sighed. Feeling defeated. 'I should just go home.'
As soon as he step back, a familiar figure walks along his way who stops upon seeing him.
"Gray?"
-
"T-thank you for coming here. Actually, I was about to call you..." Lucas' mother still has her calm and apologetic tone as she open the door, revealing a nice and clean house. It wasn't that big, probably because it was just the two of them. "Have a seat, I'll prepare you something to drink."
Gray approaches the sofa as he looked around. There were less furnitures around, with only the TV on the divider and some plants decorating the place. He's fighting the urge to stand up and looked at the picture frame on top of the TV, it might be rude to do so.
"It's fine. Our teacher's worried because the exam is nearer and he already missed a lot of lesson so I volunteered to come here and checked."
She comes back fast with a glass of ice tea and a plate of cake. She puts it on the glass table and sits across her.
"Lucas hasn't gone out of his room. He was always like this especially if..."
"If?"
She sighed. "It was Charles' birthday three days ago... He would always locked himself up in his room and won't talk to anyone for a certain period of time and every time he comes out... He would pretend that nothing happened and continues again." She looks at him, her eyes full of pain and worry. He could actually notice the wrinkles at the corner of her eyes, probably due to constant stress and worry she has to experience everyday.
"So I'm really glad that you were here... Maybe... Maybe you could convince him to go out..."
'I wanted to ask who Charles is... He' s the reason why Lucas is like this. Just what did he do that it turned out like this?'
"Why can' t we just call that Charles? Maybe Lucas will-"
"That's impossible."
"W-why?"
"Because Charles is dead."
-
With the help of the key his mother gave, Gray opened the door to Lucas' room. He feels guilty for doing this but after spending almost an hour knocking, this became their final resort. Lucas might get mad but he'll just deal with it later on. All he wants to know is if he is alright especially after knowing that the person responsible for the way Lucas is right now is dead.
'I feel like I've learned something that I should not have.'
He got welcomed by darkness. After some minutes of trying to find the light switch, he succeeds and soon enough, light emanates the room revealing a messy sanctuary. Piles of garbage lies on the ground. On the bed is Lucas, all covered in sheets. He approaches him carefully, not wanting to scare him of his presence.
"Lucas... I-it's me, Gray. I'm sorry I have to barge in like this." He sat down on the floor, lightly touching the blanket. "But I was just worried about you. Your mother too... Also, you need to come back to school. You already missed a lot of lesson but don't worry, I' ll help you catch up with the lesson. So..."
The silence was deafening and he ran out of something to say. Lucas doesn't seem to hear him making him worried even more.
"Lucas?"
He kneels and lightly sways him. "Lucas... Wake up."
To his surprise, Lucas suddenly sits up and stares at him.
"Lu-"
He wasn't able to continue when Lucas hugs him tightly.
"You..."
"Lucas?"
He hugs him back as he could feel his shoulder getting wet from his tears.
"Are you-"
"Y-you're finally here..."