Chapter Text
Lukas was sitting on the couch with his chemistry notes and a bag of Cheetos, the tv turned down low. He heard his dad come in and stomp his boots at the kitchen door.
“You in here, son?” Bo called out.
“Yeah.”
His father grunted. “Did you take the turkeys their feed?”
“Did that already.”
Bo came and leaned against the doorway. “Working on some homework? Good.”
“Yeah, I’ve got a test tomorrow so I’m just studying.”
“Remember, hard work is more important than talent.”
“Yep.”
“What’s this you’re watching?”
Lukas looked up from his notes. It had been Chopped when he sat down, but now the Food Network had changed programs and it was some show featuring cake decorating. There was a lot of pink. Lukas felt his heart pound in his chest, and grabbed the remote to change the channel.
“Nothing much. Just channel surfing and got distracted.”
“Right.” Bo gave his boy a long look. “There’s nothing for supper. What do you say we order some pizza, and pick it up after some grocery shopping?”
“Sounds good. Can you get one with pineapple?”
“You’re coming with.”
“Dad, I’ve just got a lot of material to study..”
“Take a break. Come on.”
Lukas sighed and flipped his textbook shut. He still didn’t really understand redox reactions, but he couldn’t deny that pizza sounded good. He waited until his dad had turned away before wiping Cheetos dust on his jeans.
Five yards into the grocery store, Bo ran into Mr. Dunsford from the hardware store and they settled in to shoot the breeze. Lukas slumped over the handle of the cart and stared at the apples in the produce section.
“Hey, dad? Dad?” he interrupted the mens’ conversation. “Can we get some apples?”
“Sure, Lukas. In fact, here’s the list, why don’t you take care of the rest of the items for me?”
Lukas grabbed the scrap of paper from his dad and wheeled the cart away. He threw a bag of Granny Smith in the cart. “Good kid you’ve got there.” He heard Mr. Dunsford say.
“Had to drag him away from studying. He’s going to get good marks this year.”
Lukas felt his mind sharpen in the way it always did when he heard his dad bragging about Lukas, and shook his head. What had he just been thinking? He realized that it was about Granny Smith being good for baking pies, and angrily pushed the cart off to the meat aisle. He only ever had pie at Thanksgiving at his grandparents place, or sometimes if he and his dad stopped to eat at the diner. Men didn’t make pies.
He wheeled sharply around the turn to the cereal aisle, intending to grab some instant oatmeal. He almost ran over the Sheriff.
“Whoa there, Lukas!”
“Sorry! Sorry.” The aisles of Tivoli’s only grocery store were narrow, and with two shopping carts there wasn’t much room to maneuver. He managed to squeeze past her cart.
“Philip, you must have met Lukas at school.” Lukas hadn’t noticed that there was a boy trailing miserably behind the Sheriff.
“Yeah, we have English together.” Did they? Lukas had never noticed. He took stock of Philip. His leather jacket was cool. But everything about his posture, his hands tucked in pockets, the petulant jut of his chin and detachment in his eyes said that he would rather not be having this conversation. Lukas was holding eye contact a beat too long. He looked away after Philip raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah.”
“Well, I hope you’ll do your best to make Philip feel welcome!” Lukas laughed weakly and glanced at Philip, who was looking at his shoes and biting his lip. Lukas pushed on down the aisle to the oatmeal, and found himself lingering longer than he needed to over the options. His dad was probably still talking with Mr. Dunsford. Lukas eavesdropped on Philip and Helen.
“Which cereal do you want?”
“I dunno. How about this one?”
“Raisin Bran? Ok. Are you sure?”
Philip shrugged, and Helen put a box in their cart. “How about jam? What flavour do you like?” Philip shot Lukas a look, and he realized that he had been caught staring. He put whatever box of oatmeal was closest to him into his cart and carried on. Eggs were next on the list.