Wishing stars

Lucia wrapped her arms around herself, laying her head back on the seat, closing her eyes. Guilt. Desperation. Lonliness. Despair. Anger. Anxiety. All of those emotions were coursing through her veins, mixed with an unbearable, heavy tiredness that seeped deep into her. She wanted to sleep forever, never wake up, join her to-be husband.

Tucker turned on the heater, pointing it towards her as he pulled away from the hospital and out onto the road. "I..don't know where you live. You'll have to tell me how to get there."

Lucia pointed toward the road that took them to her house. She lived about twenty minutes away, not too far down the road. She explained the rest of the directions, were pretty straight forward and waited to get home.

Tucker gave a small nod and a while later they were pulling into her driveway. He turned it off, leaving the keys in the ignition as he got out and went around to help her out, keeping a comforting arm around her as he walked her to the house.

"Thanks for the ride," Lucia said, on the verge of tears again. She knew that as soon a he left, she'd be crying again. "I really appreciate it." She gave him a tight hug and then slipped into her house, only to see her mother on the couch, looking angry. "What were you doing out in the middle of the night, Lucia?" She asked, her tone demanding. With that little bit of emotion, she broke, collapsing onto the floor and sobbing, while she explained everything that happened.

Tucker sighed and left, getting back into the truck, his arm chastising him for moving so much. He pulled away from the house and started towards the outskirts of town. He'd see her tomorrow....wouldn't he?

Lucia curled up in bed, her chest hurting from crying so much, by the light of the morning, she was finally asleep, though she knew she should be getting ready for school. She woke for a few minutes, only to remember what happened. Her stomach lurched and she was sick in a waste basket and then fell back asleep. She didn't realize that her mother was letting her sleep through the day. She decided she didn't want to go to school today... Maybe tomorrow, but not today.

Tucker made his way through school and by the end of the day he was in a sour mood. He needed something to get him out of it. He needed a drink. He had a cooler in the back of his truck that still had a six pack in it from fishing the other day. He raised his brow and snuck out of school during last our and went to his truck, lounging in the tail bed as he popped the top to one of the beers inside, and happily helped himself to it. He wondered how Lucia was..but he didn't want to intrude. He had given her his number. If she needed anything..she'd call.

Lucia had spent all day in her bedroom, only leaving to use the bathroom and get water. Her eyes were red and puffy, from the sporadic bursts of tears she got every twenty minutes or so. By the end of the school day, her chest was shaking and she had cried so much that she had retched several times.

Tucker sighed and got into the truck, his curiosity getting the better of him. He drove to her house and parked in her drive way, sitting there for a long moment, his beer having only a sip taken from it. It sat casually in his cup holder. He forced himself from the cab of the truck and walked up to the door, his grey shirt just a tad bit form fitting, his pale blue jeans containing a few holes in the knees. He knocked, then shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

Lucia heard a faint knock on the door and got up, just wearing her oversized shirt. It ws all she had been able to get energy enough for to put on. She answered the door, rubbing her eyes at the bright sunlight. "Hi," she said, very softly. She lanced down at her feet and then to his truck before looking back at him. Her blonde hair hung down in semi-tangled waves.

"Hey," Tucker felt bad for her. She was a total wreck. "I came to check on you, see how you were doing." He said quietly.

Lucia looked up at him earnestly, searching for the words to say."Would you like to come in?" She asked, smoothing down her hair. There was a misplaced sense of formality in her voice that sounded very distant. All she needed to do was talk, to come to terms. Hopefully, she'd forget.

Tucker looked at her and gave a small nod. "Alright." He stepped inside, making sure not to step on her bare feet. He turned to face her again, not daring to move from the entry way with his boots. "How are you?"

Lucia looked like a scared twelve year old, her oversized tee shirt swallowing up her small frame and her large eyes wide and brimmed with tears. "I'm..." She trailed of, looking to the floor. "Not okay."

Tucker sighed. It was only to be expected that she wouldn't be ok. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her comfortingly. He didn't know what else to do. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Lucia shivered in his arms, not realizing how cold she really had been. "Would you mind staying here for a little bit? I don't know if I can stand to be alone any more," she said, biting down on her lip. Her house seemed so empty now. Her mother was gone and so wasn't her father... Both gone on business trips. She couldn't ask them to cancel, though.

"Uh..sure. Ya. I can do that." Tucker said as he rubbed her back gently. Oh boy. This was really going to cause a set back in harvesting.

Lucia walked into her living room, looking back at him, her eyes slightly desperate. She sat on the couch, against a corner and pulled a blanket over her bare legs. She was still shivering slightly as she tried to keep the hospital and Ryder away from her mind.

Tucker slipped his shoes off and went and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her. "So, what do you normally talk about with your friends? Besides make-up and fashion? I suck in both of those areas."

Lucia actually managed a small smile. "We don't talk about fashion and make-up," she said. "We talk about college and our futures. Okay... So maybe we talk about fashion... But only a little."

Tucker chuckled as he watched her. "Alright, where are you planning on for college?"

Lucia thought for a minute and then shrugged. "I don't know. I applied to a bunch, but I've only got two acceptance letters," she said. "One to Seattle and one close by." She relaxed a tiny bit, leaning against him. Instantly, she paused mentally then regained her composure. "What are your plans for post-high school?"

Tucker took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he thought for a moment. "Well, once I get the money, I'd like to go to college for agri-buisness and teaching." He glanced down at her and gave a small smile. "But that's probably not happening any time soon."

Lucia closed her eyes for a minuteher head lolling against his shoulder. After dazing for about fifteen minutes, she woke up, disoriented. Instantly, she felt an arm around her. One thing floated through her mind. Ryder. She put her hand on his cheek, puliing his face down close, so their lips were an inch apart. Their noses and foreheads were touching as she snapped back into reality, freezing, and let out a long breath. Tucker. Not Ryder. Ryder was... Dead.