A Year With Luck

Patrick Kingsley was born in the highest level of class in life. He knew this, his friends knew this, hell, people in a five mile radius knew this. His milky white skin and dark brown locks was an extreme contrast from everyone surrounding him. His 5"10 structure made him stick out from most people his age. He was an honor student and a debater to boot, born with a silver tongue and a hot temper. He was a musical prodigy, surpassing even Mozart with his talent. A constant air of arrogance surrounded him. Basically, he was better than you in every aspect of it.



He was constantly reminding himself of this fact. I am better than everyone. Really. So why was he lying alone in his cold bed, his heart pounding so rapidly and loudly he could hear it, his bare body weak from defeat?



I'll keep you my dirty little secret. Who has to know?



He's been idiotic these passed months, all because of stupid Luck.

-----------------



Looking back, what Patrick really blamed was the first Friday meeting of the ARHS debate team in his junior year.



"We're having cross training" Gabriel Alzaga, a burly senior and team captain, said. The whole team let out a whoop. ARHS was an all-boys private school, cross training meant training with another school's team. New blood was to be shed.



"With who?"



"Uhm" Gabriel consulted the piece of paper in his hand "St. Madeleine College"



"Oooh" Justin Convillo, a stocky sophomore, said "College chicks" he waggled his eyebrows suggestively and high-fived his fellow sophomores.



"You dipshit" Patrick told him. "It's a high school. My sister goes there"



SMC was the school his twin sister, Allison, went to. It was an all girl private school for the rich and powerful to send their kids to so they'd end up just like them, much like ARHS. The group talked more about the subject until their coach, Jericho Tenaza, enters the room and started with more official matters; like their varsity jacket.



Patrick tuned them out, bigger things in mind. Like the fact that in a year, he was to board a plane back to Switzerland. He often spent his summers there but now it was different. It was a requirement that when he turns eighteen, he was to join the army.



He didn't really feel particularly bad about it. He was finally leaving the unnaturally hot, incredibly unsafe, not to mention the calamity-after-calamity-kind of climate the country possessed. He didn't feel any strong emotion that would cause him to miss the country or the people in it; he just couldn't stop thinking about leaving. Coach Jerico finally clapped his hands and started with the debate.



When the meeting was finished, Patrick walked to the Oval.



The Oval was the nickname given to their football/track field. It was also where their main gate was located. ARHS was a big school, housing no less than 460 students per batch. Not that the school couldn't afford to have that many students with the sky high tuition fee and extra funds from the government the school was garnering, it was a wonder the school couldn't afford its own helicopter. It was an old, "prestigious" school, filled with classic architecture, top-of-the-line equipment, and douches from all over the world.



He quickly spotted two blue-and-white uniformed SMC girls in the sea of black-and-white uniformed ARHS guys milling around in the area. He slowly approached them; he knew his sister and her best friend from anywhere.



Allison Kingsley only has one thing in common with her fraternal twin brother; the milky white complexion. Her long light brown hair and 5"5 structure made her look like the younger sibling in the pair, which she was not. People often called his sister beautiful, and really she was. She was the classic kind of beautiful and the social one between the two, Patrick being slightly introverted. They were each other's opposites, though the person beside her was an even bigger contrast.



Lucianna Dasas, Allison's best friend, had short jet black hair with bangs swept sideways. She had a 5"2 structure and an eternally tanned skin tone. Patrick often wondered how someone so tiny could be so loud. She was pretty in a sense, unlike his sister's clichéd kind of beautiful, she was different, not bad, but different.



Luck basically grew up with the two, having met Allison in kinder garden and instantly bonded over lady bugs. She often spent her Friday night's in the Kingsley house with Allison and their weekly sleep over.



"Hello"



The pair jumps, nearly colliding with the sophomores they were talking to. Patrick quickly spotted the sophomores and glared at them. They quickly scurried away without a word.



"Hey! They were perfectly nice" Allison told him with a glare.



Patrick rolled his eyes "I'd like to think my sister deserves more than such cowardly sophomores. And I see you brought your friend; Hello Lucianna" he greets with a smirk.



Lucianna glared at him "It's Luck, Patty"



He bends down, partly to annoy her and partly because she was eight inches shorter than him. "Lucianna" he whispers low in her ear.



They stare each other down. Luck's eyes filled with annoyance and Patrick's filled with amusement.



"Well," Allison said, breaking the pair from the stare down. "If you're done staring each other down, I'd like to go home"



They back away, their eyes still glued to each other when suddenly Luck's eyes grew wide as though she remembered something.



"Oooh! Did you get the cross training thing?" She asked, her voice turned friendly. Luck was in the SMC debate team though Patrick never actually saw her debate.



"Yes, our captain-"



Luck let out a happy shriek and took off running. Allison and Patrick watched her as she collided with someone. Allison lets out a laugh of amusement and turned to the senior who approached her while Patrick continued to look.



Luck was with Charlie, Patrick's friend and Luck's boyfriend. They swayed in embrace neither looking like they'd let go anytime soon. They were so picturesque; it was like an incredibly doctored photograph with the sunset giving dramatic lighting and the pair looking like it was their first time to see each other in years.



It was sickening.



Patrick was never a believer of any type of public displays of affection. It was almost disgusting how sweet they were. He crinkled his nose in distaste. He turned away, how pathetic.



"C'mon" Patrick said as he turned to Allison "I thought you wanted to leave."



"Shh" She said to her brother with a dismissive wave. "Luck is still with Charlie, let's give them five minutes"



Patrick rolled his eyes and called the pair. "Let's go, you irritating love birds. I have things that need to be accomplished."



Luck glared at Patrick but complied. She tiptoed to give Charlie a good-bye kiss and literally skipped away.



"You look like a rabbit on drugs" Patrick commented as the trio walked to the Kingsley's car.



Luck sends him a look so glazed with happiness, he half expected her to burst into song. "Isn't it a wonderful day?" she hugs him tightly and runs to Allison, who was holding the back door open for her.



"What a sad dismal girl" Patrick muttered under his breath as he got into the car.



The Kingsley's home was a 5 story house found in a 10 acre lot far from the city. It used to be the quarters of the Spanish Gobernador-Heneral during the 16th century and passed down from generation to generation, until it was given to the Kingsleys, each one adding a modern touch to the house without damaging its historic value. It was equipped with flat screens, a pool, a tennis court, and up-to-date gadgets. Gifts from guilty parents, as Patrick would always say.



"Mom? Dad?" Allison called into the empty house, only to be greeted by silence.



She did this for the sake of it, of course. Their parents hadn't been home in a decent hour for years. The twins hardly saw their parents. Not like it bothered them. They were practically raised by their house keeper, Maria, though the annual Kingsley family camping trip still went strong, 'Sadly ' Patrick thought.



The girls quickly ran up the stairs to Allison's room to start their weekly sleep over.



"Pfft" Patrick muttered under his breath as he saw his sister and her best friend run up the stairs, giggling as they went. "Pathetic"



He walked to the kitchen and sat on an island stool, dragging his bad on to the table and spilling its contents in front of him. With ease, he started his homework.



"Hey, Patty" whispered a low seductive voice in his ear. Patrick, along with his blood pressure and heart rate, jumped. He hit his head on the low hanging lamps with a yelp. He turned to see Luck smiling like the Cheshire cat.



"Yeeeees?" She said innocently, batting her eye lashes for effect.



"And you're here, ruining my night, because?"



She rolled her eyes at him "You're sister placed me in a food run. Now, move, you're blocking the fridge"



Patrick moved his stool out of the way and continued his work though still talking to Luck; "So, we provide you with food yet you do nothing for us. Why is that?"



"Because, Patty the grouch, I supply you guys with love and happiness."



"Love and happiness my ass, you leech"



"I make you happy, shut up" She said, lightly slapping him on the back of his head.



"You supply as much happiness as my dick can draw a line"



"That must be a pretty talented dick then" Luck said dryly.



"Oh, wouldn't you want to know" Patrick steals away from his work to turn to Luck and wink



Luck shook her head; this was a common occurrence when talking to Patrick.



Patrick returned to his work, not noticing Luck bending low on his ear until her hair brushed his cheek. "I would" she said. She lets out a booming laugh and ran up stairs, her arms ladled with food.



Patrick woke in the middle on the night in alarm; there was a noise down stairs. Maria will get it, he thought sleepily of their house keeper as he tried to get relaxed enough to go back to sleep. He heard a few more sounds downstairs yet he willed himself to go back to sleep. He was cursed with a mind that couldn't go back to sleep once awaken. He angrily reached for the baseball bat he keeps under his bed and stood up, ready to beat the crap out of the person who woke him up.



He silently crept down stairs, surprisingly alert at 2:53 am. He saw the light from the kitchen turned on. He looked inside to see Luck sitting crossed legged on their kitchen counter, her back at him. She was bobbing her head to an imaginary beat; Patrick presumed she was using her iPod. Or was a lunatic.



Like a cat in the night, Patrick crossed the room. Luck's eyes were closed. He smirked and places his face close to hers. He jabs his finger to her side and Luck's eyes flew open. at her. Luck shrieks in surprise. Patrick's hand quickly tried to muffle her screams so that the whole house won't wake up. Luck turned quiet but continued to look indignant. They both listened to the silence before Patrick finally stopped covering her mouth.



"You have a rather large mouth, did you know that?" Patrick commented as he crossed the room to the sink and washed his hands.



"You're an asshole, did you know that?" She said, glaring at him "And why are you washing your hands? I'm pretty sure I showered at least thrice today"



"Pfft. Who knows what kind of germs you and Charlie share after all those times of tonsil hockey"



She crinkled her nose in distaste and hopped off the counter. She leans on the sink and faces Patrick "Not like you haven't tried it"



He paused for a millisecond and remained silent, washing his hands with vigor. Luck needed only that pause to satisfy her curiosity. She sits on the side of the sink. She bends to Patrick's ear, her short hair brushing his cheek.



"What? Still have virgin lips?" She said huskily. To his dismay, Patrick started to turn red and twitchy. Luck let out a booming laughing but quickly caught herself and turned her laugh into a giggle. Hopping off the sink, she walked to the refrigerator and got a half eaten pint of ice cream.



"Wants some?" She asked him. Patrick shook his head and walked over to her. She hopped back up the counter with her ice cream. "So, what's up?" she asked, trying to make conversation.



He blinked at her "Why are you awake at 2 am, eating ice cream on my kitchen counter?"



"I only sleep for 4 hours" she answered. "This always happens to me except you people usually sleep over it. I tripped that's why there was noise. Sorry, did I wake you?"



"No, not really. I just went downstairs equipped with a baseball bat because I left like it." his tone dripping with sarcasm



She rolled her eyes "Go back to sleep then"



"Can't."



"Then you should stay with me" She smiled at him cheekily.



Patrick cast his eyes up to the heavens and muttered under his breath but still heard by Luck "Oh, Lord have mercy on my soul."



She smacked him on the shoulder. "I happen to be good company"



"Yes, I am sure people are lining up outside my house right now, begging to be with some insane insomniac who goes by the name of Lucianna." He said with a flat tone.



"Oh, like you're any better company. I've never even seen you with you a girl"



"That's because I haven't a girl worthy of my time"



"I'm honored you have graced me with you presence" she said sarcastically



"You should be" He raised his eyebrow at her.



She blinked at him and snorted "Suuure. Wants some?" She asked, holding a spoonful of ice cream near his lips. He cocks his head at her and complied.



"So, do you usually steal ice cream from us when you're awake and all alone?"



"I only eat when at least one Kingsley kid I awake, I feel guilty whenever I eat without you people"



"Your logic astounds me"



She smiled at him "I'll take that as a compliment"



They talked until dawn. Luck checked her wrist watch and her eyes opened wide in delight.



"C'mon" She said, hopping off the counter. She took Patrick's wrist and ran to the Kingsley's backyard.



"Wow" Patrick breathes, lost for words.



It was the sun rise. The horizon was filled with colors of red, orange and yellow. It was a breath taking sight with the Kingsley back yard as a fore ground. Patrick never saw something so beautifully clichéd. He felt almost childish being so pathetically amazed by the sunrise. He didn't care, it was so dazzling.



"I know" Luck whispered back.



Patrick felt something brush his hand. He looked down to see Luck's hand twitching, her finger curling and uncurling. He's taken aback when her pinky curled around his. He's surprised on how unnaturally cold her hand is. He neither moves away nor closer. He merely stood his ground, relishing the warmth the sun was giving and the coldness of his companion.



They walk back to the house; Luck's arms now wrapped snuggly around herself. They entered the kitchen to see Maria already starting breakfast.



"Anything you want?" She asked the pair.



"I'll go for some bacon" Luck said happily, hopping on the stool.



"Me too" Patrick said, sitting across Luck.



It was already late morning when Allison woke up and went down stairs to the living room, where the pair was watching some cartoons.



"How long have you guys been awake?" She asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes as she plopped down the couch with Luck, Patrick sitting on the arm chair on her left.



"Just when Maria made breakfast" Luck answered before Patrick could answer, ignoring the look he shot her.



By mid afternoon, Luck was a ready to take the bus from the Kingsley's. It was a constant argument with Allison and Luck on her choice of transportation.



"Why won't you just let me bring you home?" Allison asked.



"Its fine, Alli, I enjoy commuting home" Luck laughed "C'mon, it's getting late. Bye Alligator."



She kissed Allison on the cheek and waved a Patrick who beside her. "Bye Patty"



And so the torturous year began.