What Was I Supposed to Do - OLNF
Qiu Lin x Luca Montoya (OC)
Funnily enough, this is a fic I started in late 2024 0_0
I got the idea back when my sister would do ballet and I would drive her to and from and practice and go to her shows. But itâs sat in my Google docs incomplete for the longest time now. This year, Iâve started reading more and have been wanting to go back to writing for a while now too. So, I wanted to finally complete it, just to say I completed a writing related thing.
I hope you enjoy >_0. It is a little canon divergent because yes Iâm aware Qiu doesnât do performances in Step 2. So you can either choose to believe that they stop doing performances one year later than in canon or that Luca gets a phone one year earlier than he does in canon haha. Either interpretation works here.
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Qiu: remember luca dont hold up. hope youâll be able to manage without me ;) ill see u later tonight :)
The message looked back at Luca the moment he opened his phone after class got out. Itâd been sent the very second the bell had rung, by the look of the time stamp. That was right, Qiu wouldnât be walking home with Luca after school today like they normally do. Heâd go to his locker, tuck his skateboard under his arm, but when Luca would get to the schoolâs entrance thereâd be no one to greet him. It was a little disappointing, Luca would be alone because of it. He usually looked forward to his afternoons with Qiu. They helped him wind down and feel more at peace with whatever he might have struggled with throughout the day before having to start on homework and chores and whatever else there was to do at home.
But this time, it wasnât so bad. The reason Qiu wouldnât be able to partake in their usual routine was due to the fact that they had a ballet recital this evening. Their parents would be picking them up straight from school so that theyâd have time to get ready before having to head to the performance hall. Luca and Qiu did have the tendency to lollygag as some might say, even when they were more urgently expected home. Dancers had to be there much earlier than everyone else anyway, so they needed the extra time.
Luca let out a long breath once he stepped out into the cold outside air. By now, there were only a couple of warm toned leaves gracing the branches of the surrounding trees. Most of them were dead, and the skyâs grey hue made the rest of the scene look just as dreary. The beauty of Autumn had long since passed, and winter would be there in no time. Luca huffed. He hated the cold. With nothing much else to do, though, Luca grabbed his board from under his arm. The back wheels hit the floor, and he was about to get ready to take off before he heard his name being called.
âOh, Luca! Youâre still here?â Luca raised his eyebrows and his head shot to his right. He knew that voice very well. Luca secured his board back to his side as Tamarack Baumann, his previous childhood playmate, lifted herself from the spot on the bench sheâd been occupying, making her way towards him. Her movements could maybe be described as more of a scurry, they werenât exactly graceful. But as she emerged from the shadows of the trees and her golden hair caught what light there was from the sun, Tamarack looked dazzling to Luca. Her words finally registered, and Luca shut his mouth that had been agape. He realized it wasnât that late for him to still be at the school. Could she really have been asking âyouâre here alone?â That was the part that was unusual.
Luca gulped back his nerves before forming a response. âOh, yeah, I guess,â he shrugged, finding it difficult to muster much else. But Tamarack also typically wasnât one to stick around campus after hours. Usually, sheâd walk back on her own. A wave of guilt suddenly washed over Luca. While it wasnât typical for him to be heading back to the cul-de-sac on his own, it had become standard for Tamarack. That wasnât always the case, Luca remembered. When they were little kids, Tamarack often came along. Not just came along, she was a staple of the routine. But, they didnât hang out as much as they used to.
One day Tamarack just stopped talking to him as much, Luca thought. That made him feel anxious. Or was it him who stopped inviting her? That made Luca feel really sad. A change in their relationship had definitely occurred at some point from then to now. Someday, Tamarack started making Luca sweat bullets and loose his grasp on language. He didnât know when, because heâs always been enamored with the girl. Even since they first met. Maybe it was when she started styling her sparkling golden hair. Maybe it was when she started to speak with such poise and maturity. Or just maybe it was when she picked up the cello, and seemed to make magic with every note. The exact way Tamarack talked about music when they were both kids. As much as he pondered it, Luca couldnât pinpoint exactly when Tamarack had become so much larger than life in his eyes. But he knew that one day her presence started to carry so much impact that looking a fool in front of Tamarack struck more fear in him than death, even.
âSo, whereâs Qiu? Arenât they around? You guys usually walk home together,â Tamarack asked, rocking slightly on her heels. Her eyes were glued to the ground as she was finally saying the quiet part out loud. Luca had figured that thatâs what she meant, but wondered as to why. His heart began to race. It was no secret Tamarack and Qiu didnât get along much these days. Maybe that was why she didnât walk home with Luca anymore. Had Luca been choosing them over her? Never mind that, maybe now that they werenât there, Tamarack was wanting to walk with Luca, kinda sorta like old times. He started to grow hopeful. This could potentially be the silver lining to Qiuâs absence this afternoon.
âNo, uh, not today, no. They have a ballet recital tonight. Iâm going, actually, but itâs not until later and the dancers have to get there early. So this afternoon, itâs just me,â Luca explained. He smiled at the end of the sentence and put emphasis on the word âme.â He hoped Tamarack was picking up what he was putting down so he wouldnât have to ask her directly. Luca didnât know if he could as his hands started to feel balmy.
A pained smile spread across Tamarackâs face, âAw, I wish I could come along in their place, but Omiâs picking me up from school right now. Weâre going shopping, with my parents. Theyâre sticking around for Christmas again this year. Weâre going to go out to dinner and everything. Omi said itâs supposed to be special, I guess.â She explained, her eyes sort of shifted to the right of her the whole time she was talking. There wasnât anything to look at, the subject just wasnât Luca.
âAw! Thatâs so lame!â Luca blurted in genuine disheartenment. So close yet so far. The walk home alone with the girl of his dreams just out of grasp. But Tamarack smiled.
âYeah,â she sighed, âbut you know, Iâm glad to actually be able to spend time with my whole family. Moments like these are pretty rare for me. I should be more grateful of them when they come.â
Luca felt his face get a little hot and his stomach grow queasy. He probably sounded like some run of the mill teenaged brat. âOh, uh, then, thatâs great! For you! Iâm happy for you, Tamarack.â He tried to recover, but that didnât stop him from feeling embarrassed. He mentally berated himself for his reckless outburst, âGod dammit. Stupid, stupid.â
âThanks,â Tamarack smiled, âI hope Qiuâs ballet thing goes well.â
And there it was. It was like the floodgates between Lucaâs brain and throat had suddenly been opened. The loss for words Luca had been experiencing was finally cured. âOh, I donât see how it canât, theyâve been practicing for months. I saw them a couple times after school. Theyâre getting really good, at least I think so, even though they always nitpick every single thing they apparently get wrong. But I donât get it, cause it always looks so incredible, what theyâre doing I mean. I couldnât even dream of pulling off the kind of stuff theyâre able to do. But I still donât totally know ballet, to be fair. I just wish they werenât so hard on themself all the time, yâknow?â
âUh, yeah, rightâŠâ Tamarack nervously grinned.
Luca didnât even realize how much word vomit heâd spit up until seeing the very clear awkwardness on Tamarackâs face. It was like the mere mention of Qiuâs name activated some separate part of Lucaâs brain that made him unable to shut up. He let out a hard cough âBut, uh, have fun shopping. I hope youâre able to get that out of the way, yâknow.â Luca replied.
âI actually do love Christmas shopping, so I am sort of looking forward to that,â Tamarack replied, âBut thank you, Luca. I hope you have a good time tonight, and a safe walk home alone.â God, she was so damn nice. If any family could conjure the image of the perfect daughter, it would be Tamarack. Luca was sure.
âGood god! Get it together!â He was mentally pinching his brow. Heâd slap himself in the face if he could. Luca halfheartedly smiled Tamarackâs way and waved goodbye. He couldnât bear to be in her presence any longer. Heâd just screw it up further. After Tamarack waved herself, Luca turned away and walked off.
Maybe it was a good thing Tamarack also wasnât available. Luca clearly hadnât deserved that much. But, it really was just going to be him and his board after all. Heâd been riding one around town since he was 10 and had done the trip to and from school on it plenty of times since then. By now, the crisp afternoon wind his hair had become all too familiar and his methods of avoiding pedestrians on these roads were well practiced. So much so he could pop in his earbuds and listen to music the whole ride back, which his mom always scolded him for when he got caught. Apparently, it was âfar too distractingâ and could âget him in an accident.â Luca never understood. Itâs not like it impaired his vision.
As Luca came upon the cul-de-sac, he slowed his pace. Of every driveway not a single car could be spotted, and Luca knew not a soul was home. That wasnât typical of Acorn Road. It felt somewhat peaceful, if a little lonely. But there was no time to contemplate this mundane detail, as Luca had to get home.
Luca entered his home and directly after stowing away his board he went straight to his room. Luca threw his backpack next to his desk chair and plopped himself on his bed. Qiuâs recital would be starting in 2 hours or so and Luca could feel his stomach starting to ache. People wore nice clothes to shows like this, right? He wasnât sure if he had anything up to the task. Maybe his time right now would be better spent doing tomorrowâs homework or studying for Fridayâs test. Realistically, Luca probably didnât need two whole hours to get ready to go. But it was the only possible thought his mind could latch onto right now. He jumped up and went right to the closet, pulling out the only nice button up he had. It was a nice military green and would probably look fine with one of his pairs of black skinny jeans, right? Not the ripped ones.
Luca kept messing around with whether to leave his shirt tucked or untucked. And how high should he button it? All the way? Or would that make him look like a dork. And what belt should he wear? He didnât have much to work with, so he tried to make do with what he had. It was funny, really, how much he was messing with his appearance. Itâs not like he was the one who was about to be seen by a whole crowd of people on stage. The only person who would probably end up seeing him dressed up tonight was Qiu⊠But for some reason, that made it feel all the more important.
He sat himself on his bed. As he was trying to decide between his belt with the gold colored buckle and the silver colored buckle, he felt his phone buzzing next to him. Luca stretched out his arm to pick up the device, and it was his mom. One of Lucaâs eyebrows raised. His mom didnât usually call him like this.
âMom?â Luca asked as he answered the phone. There was a pause before she spoke, but his motherâs voice wasnât exactly chipper.
âHi, Luca,â she had simply replied.
Lucaâs brows started to pinch as he put his phone under his shoulder, still assessing the belts, âWhatâs up? You donât usually call before getting off work.
âYeah, Iâm afraid thatâs just it,â Opal said, slowly and carefully. Luca was now listening much more intently. âSomething pretty huge came up today. Itâs a problem Iâm going to have to get solved by tonight. I donât know when Iâm going to be able to make it back home, but I can tell you itâs probably gonna be late.â
Luca dropped his two belts in favor of his phone. His heart plummeted. âTonight?!â Luca shouted in exasperation, âYou canât not come home tonight, Qiuâs ballet recital is inââLuca checked the timeâ âan hour!â Had it really already been that long?
âI know, Luca. Trust me, I really tried to get out of it but my hands are tied here,â Opal replied sympathetically. There was a short pause before she came back with a lighter tone, âMaybe Granny wouldnât mind giving you a ride? Maybe you could give Tamarack my extra ticket.â
However, Luca shot back still sounding dejected, âThe Baumanns arenât home. Tamarack said theyâd be out shopping and stuff.â
Opal let out a defeated sigh, they had lost tonight. âIâm really sorry, Luca, but I donât know what to tell you. Weâll go to the next one, Iâm sure.â
Opal tried to cheer up her son, but it was a fruitless effort. His mood had completely dampened as he sat slouched on his bed. Opal told Luca what he had available for dinner and the two then wished each other a good evening before Luca hung up the phone.
Luca flopped back on his bed and stared up at his ceiling. Life could be so damn unfair. He didnât know what he was going to say to Qiu. Luca worried that heâd be letting them down. He promised them heâd be there. Luca tried thinking about what possibly to do, when he heard his phone buzz a couple times. He opened it up to see some messages.
Qiu: some of the girls in my level are still trying to get in some last minute practice XP
Qiu: its crazy to see just how nervous some people get for these things XD
Qiu: im excited for u to see me dance tho. just so youll finally accept how bad I am >:)!!!!
Lucaâs heart tugged at his chest. He closed the messages app and punched the address to the performance hall into Google Maps. Heâd been there before, how far could it possibly be?
Just under three miles, thatâs how far. Three miles⊠that was a lot of miles when you didnât have a car. But, it seemed to be mostly a straight shot from his little cul-de-sac. No big roads would be in his way either. The walk would take over an hour, though. He would never be able to make it in time on foot. But if you maybe had a set of wheelsâŠ
Luca looked out his bedroom window at the setting sun. With winter just around the corner, the days were becoming dark much earlier and that time of day was soon arriving. Opal didnât like him out alone in the dark. She always said it was way too dangerous.
âSilver buckle, it's gotta be.â Luca thought, hopping off his bed. His belt in hand as he raced down the stairs.
Luca laid his board on the ground outside. He didnât even bother to grab a jacket. And without second thought, he was heading out, and fast. It was a lot darker than it had been when Luca first got home, and the atmosphere contained a different level of chill. The adrenaline caused from doing something he knew he wasnât supposed to be doing though allowed Luca not to notice a thing. He felt a rush that pumped more energy in him every time his foot hit the sidewalk to maintain momentum. He was going to see Qiu perform no matter what, and that was set in stone once he left the housing area and the streetlights flicked on.
Despite using merely a skateboard, Luca tried to propel himself as fast as he could possibly go. The feeling of the wind in his hair was next level compared to this afternoon, amplified by the cars that would pass by as Luca got further out of town. For the first time in his young life he was outside at night completely without his mom or any friends around, in a more unfamiliar part of town to boot. He was making his way from point A to point B, a trip completely on his own. It could truly only be described as exhilarating. Luca wished badly he could shout at the top of his lungs, like a wolf at the full moon or something. But he didnât want to make a scene of himself. Either way, that grin wouldnât be getting wiped from his face.
Luca looked down at his phone here and there to make sure he was still following the directions. And soon enough, he could see the performance hall in the distance. It had felt like no time had passed at all. Luca checked his phone one last time as he came upon the building. He was on time with ten minutes to spare! That should be enough time to find his seat, he thought. Luca hopped off his skateboard and tucked it under his arm as he ran up the stairs to the performance hall. He reached for the door, but thatâs when he realized something. His board. He couldnât bring that inside the building, of course.
Luca momentarily felt a panic wash over him as he surveyed the area outside. He noticed some neatly trimmed bushes lining the exterior of the building. They were about the only thing around that was still lush and green, and they were each about 2 feet tall. Could he..?
Luca looked around one more time. Everyone else was already inside. He ran up to the bushes and stuffed his skateboard into one of the ones he deduced was most âunsuspecting.â Stepping back and taking a look, no one could possibly know there was anything to find within. Luca smiled with his hands on his hips. Heâd been exhibiting some great problem solving skills tonight! Not wanting to waste any more time though, Luca swiftly ran up the stairs once again and entered the building.
Upon making his way to the main lobby, he looked around for a seating guide while straightening out his wind tousled hair. As long as not every single strand was sticking up to the sky, he figured his hair would look presentable enough, right? Thankfully due to the cold weather, he hadnât sweat too bad on the way over either. Finally, he found a guide who helped him navigate to his seat.
Luca found his row and quickly sat down. He got a pretty good view of the stage from where he sat. Good. Heâd definitely be able to pick Qiu out of the synchronized group. Not that Luca was really worried about that in the first place. Qiu was so, well, special. There was no way Luca wouldâve gotten them mistaken. He was just happy to have a good view.
It wasnât long before the lights began to dim. The show was starting! Lucaâs focus was directed completely towards the stage.
The show started with some introductions, thank yous for those in attendance, that kind of stuff. And Qiuâs group wasnât even the first to go on. Theyâd be working their way up from the youngest members of the dance studio to the oldest. Luca sat patiently during little kid performance after slightly older little kid performance until finally, Qiuâs group walked onto stage.
Lucaâs breath hitched in his throat as he caught Qiu immediately. They were wearing this brilliant red leotard, the color matching everyone else in the group. But it certainly looked great on Qiu, Luca thought. It complimented their hair color best, he supposed. It seemed suddenly he knew so much about fashion.
The music started, and their performance had begun. Lucaâs eyes couldnât be torn away from Qiuâs as they gracefully swayed their arms and moved across the stage. They looked so focused, Luca could read it on their face. He was so amazed by how much poise Qiu seemed to carry as they lifted their legs with what looked like perfect balance to Luca. If you were to ask him, there may as well not have been a single other soul on the stage. In his eyes, Qiu stole the show.
The music slowly quieted, and the dancers all finished off in a perfectly synchronized pose. Clapping could be heard around the whole room, but Luca was definitely clapping the loudest. He had even stood up! Luca wanted to shout Qiuâs name and cheer for them, but he worried it wasnât that kind of event, so he put all his energy into his applause.
After Qiuâs group had left the stage, Luca could no longer pay attention to the show. All he could think about was Qiu. Their dancing played in his head over and over, like a music box that had been infinitely wound.
Before Luca had even realized it, the lights had come back on. That snapped him back to reality quick. Luca quickly hopped out of his seat and followed fellow patrons out of his row. He wasnât going to push or shove, but Luca wanted out of there as soon as possible. He had to meet with Qiu!
Luca made it back down to the ground floor and tried to look around for Qiu. He noticed a side hallway where kids in dance costumes seemed to be exiting, and soon enough he spotted the bright red leotard he had just seen on stage, his friend Qiu wearing it.
Immediately Luca began to wave his hands as he shouted out to his friend, âQiu! Over here!â
Qiu looked around for a brief moment before their eyes locked with Lucaâs. Suddenly, their expression was bursting with excitement as they raced over to Lucaâs position. âLuca! You came!â They called out.
âQiu, you were seriously so amazing!â Luca said excitedly, with the widest grin on his face. Qiu smiled in return, but it didnât look like their heart was in it.
âEh, Iâm nothing special. My lines could be straighter, and Iâm sometimes second guessing where I am in the choreography which lands me a bit off. But, yâknow, whatever. Whatâs it matter, right?â Qiu tried to keep a cool exterior, but Luca could tell by the way they furrowed their brow and looked anywhere but Lucaâs direction that they felt disappointed in their performance. Maybe they did get nervous about this kind of stuff after all.
Lucaâs gaze was centered right on Qiu, his eyes softening. It wasnât right, the way Qiu talked about themself. He had to say something. âI mean, I dunno the first thing about ballet. But, I, uh, couldnât really take my eyes off you, so I, um, just assumed that whatever you were doing was right. Because whether or not it was what you were supposed to be doing, you pulled it off so incredibly well that it looked like such a fantastic routine! I mean seriously, Qiu, you- uh- um, it, was so beautiful. The dancing⊠you did. Was really beautiful. Yeah.â
Luca could feel his cheeks turning cherry red, amplified by how pale he got in the colder months. How mortifying. Luca could hardly construct a sentence, and he nearly implied he thought Qiu was beautiful. His best friend needed some encouragement, and Luca was wondering why now he had to stumble over all his words. It was just like how he was with Tamarack this afternoon. Exactly the same, really. The humiliation still burned in his mind. Was his ability to speak simply deteriorating over time?
Qiu spoke up softly, âyou⊠really think so?â A sparkle could be seen flickering in their eyes. They looked towards Luca with such intent.
Luca was taken aback by how Qiuâs eyes were fixed on him. But quickly, Luca pulled himself together. âQiu, I know so. Duh, I just saw it! I mean, youâre gonna make me want to go see all kinds of ballets now!â Luca proclaimed.
Qiuâs demeanor completely lit up, and they excitedly grabbed Luca by the arms. âReally?! The company in Portland puts on several productions a year! If youâre seriously down, we should totally go to one together sometime!â
Luca smiled nervously. His body felt like an oven, Qiuâs hands being the flames. Maybe that was the cause of the light headedness he tried to subtly laugh off.
Qiu processed their outburst. They took their hands off of Luca and reverted back to their typical âcoolâ way of talking. âTogether, like, as in with my family, of course. My parents usually take me. It wouldnât uh, just be us or anything. Probably.â Luca stared at Qiu, his mouth nervously stretched into a line. Had their proposition sounded weird? He hadnât had it in mind itâd just be him and Qiu, but, could it be? Itâs not like Luca needed any parental supervision tonightâŠ
Before Luca could continue down that train of thought, Qiu filled the awkward silence themself. âYou should ask your mom!â And as the phrase left their mouth, they began to look around the lobby, a puzzled expression dawning their face. âHey, where is your mom, anyway?â
Oh, right. That was weird, huh? Luca had realized he hadnât exactly thought that far ahead. He figured there was no use in coming up with a lie now. âOh, well she got caught up at work and stuff so she couldnât make it,â he explained.
âThen how did you get here?â Qiu questioned, their eyebrow raised.
âI, uh, skated,â Luca shrugged, trying to act like there wasnât anything strange about that at all.
Qiuâs expression immediately shifted to one of shock and concern, âyou skated? Here?! Whereâs your board?!â This was starting to feel like an interrogation.
âI hid it in one of the bushes outside! Everyone was already inside before I got here, it should be fine,â Luca explained. He tried his best to sound nonchalant, but his nerves laced his voice with breathy laughter and there was just something about Qiuâs genuine concern staring back at him that made him feel light as air.
Qiu lightly placed their finger tips on their forehead in a way someone might when they were mildly irritated. âLuca, the dance studio is like 3 miles away from home and you actually skated all the way here by yourself?! Are you crazy?!â They werenât shouting, but Qiuâs tone was definitely stern.
Luca sighed. He didnât want to make them worry, but Luca felt as though this was something he had no other choice. Not being here was unfathomable to him. Luca looked Qiu in the eye, âI mean, I told you I was gonna come. What was I supposed to do?â
Was it that Qiu could no longer speak or that they didnât have anything left to say? Either way, they didnât say anything more. They just started directly at Luca for what definitely felt like too long. Had their breathing gotten heavier?
âQiu! We want to get pictures before we go!â That was Yiâs voice, or Mrs. Lin as Luca referred to her. She was Qiuâs mom. As she walked up to the scene, her gaze on her child was stolen by the other kid in their presence. âOh, Luca! Itâs very nice to see you!â She kindly greeted him.
âHey, Mrs. Lin,â Luca waved and showed off his braces. Was this about to be bad?
Mrs. Lin surveyed the area the exact way Qiu had just moments ago. It was uncanny, really. âWhereâs your mother, dear?â Mrs. Lin asked, a confused expression dawning her face.
Qiu sighed frustratedly, âMom, can we give Luca a ride home?â They asked.
âUm, sure, Qiu. Is Ms. Montoya not here?â Mrs. Lin asked sweetly, her gaze now fixed on her child.
Qiu crossed their arms looking directly at Luca. He smiled apologetically. Qiu rolled their eyes. âNope, she had work. Luca was a moron, and skated here all by himself.â Luca was in trouble now.
Mrs. Lin gasped, a tremendous amount of energy entering her tone, âLuca, at this hour?! How were you planning on getting back?â Luca couldnât help but feel fond of how similar Qiu had sounded just a bit ago to how their mother sounds now.
âSame way I got here, I guess,â Luca replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.
Mrs. Linâs chin could hit the floor with the amount of shock she was carrying on her face, âOh my god, no! Absolutely not, we canât have that. Hong and I will drive you home, come with us. Weâll just get a few pictures of Qiu with their level, and then weâll leave. This way, you two!â
Qiu continued to feign annoyance, but as Luca poked and prodded at their arm they couldnât any longer keep up the facade. Qiu smiled and teasingly pushed Luca away by the top of his head before following their mother. Luca giggled and followed suit.
Mrs. Lin headed left, Qiu and Luca followed. They came upon a group of kids wearing the same costume Qiu was, their parents all congregating in the area. Qiuâs dad was over there chatting with one of the other parents before he noticed his family coming over. He waved over at his wife and kid, noticing the sore thumb between them.
âHi, Luca! Whereâs your mom?â Mr. Lin greeted, as enthusiastic as ever.
Mrs. Lin let out a nice, long, sigh, âWeâll talk about it in the car, Hong.â
Mr. Linâs face twisted into confusion, but he trusted his wife enough to know heâd be informed later.
Luca hung back with Mr. Lin as Mrs. Lin guided Qiu to his fellow dancers. They lined up next to each other, packed together like sardines. They all wore smiles on their faces, some more enthusiastic than others. Qiuâs was definitely more forced. If you squinted, it might have even looked awkward! Surprising, for Mx. Lin. Luca felt a sort of fondness over the fact and continued to watch as Qiu got their picture taken. When the Lins and Luca began to walk to the exit, Luca realized he couldnât recall a single detail about any of the other dancers whoâd been right in front of his face just moments ago.
After leaving the building, Luca had lead the Lins to the bush where he hid his skateboard and knelt down to fish it out. As he dragged it through the leaves, he saw Qiu cover their face and Mrs. Lin put her hands on her hips.
âHuh,â Mr. Lin vocalized with a smile on his face.
They all made their way back to the Linâs car, and Mr. Lin opened the trunk for Luca to stow his board into.
Once they had all taken their seats in the car, Mrs. Lin explained the story to Mr. Lin as he pulled onto the road. He did not share a reaction with the rest of his family. âReally? Youâre kidding!â He laughed. And then he laughed a bit more. Luca cocked his head to the side. Was he being made fun of?
âHong, this isnât funny!â Mrs. Lin exclaimed, âHe couldâve gotten snatched off the side of the road! Hit by a drunk driver, a number of things couldâve happened!â
âNo, I know, youâre absolutely right. It was completely irresponsible,â Mr. Lin replied. His tone was serious, but he put on a smile. The type where you could tell the person was thinking about something nice. Reminiscing, perhaps. âItâs just, I remember what it was like being a young boy with a cr-â
But before he could complete his thought, Mrs. Lin lightly jabbed his side and made a silencing grunting noise, obviously telling him to stop in his tracks with whatever he was going to say.
âAgh! while Iâm driving, honey?â Mr. Lin whined.
âWith a what?â Luca interjected. Qiu covered the side of their face with their palm and looked fiercely out the window.
âWith a death wish!â Mrs. Lin dramatically sighed trying to finally reel this conversation in. It had almost gotten out of hand.
âOh my god, you guys are being so embarrassing right now,â Qiu grunted, resting their head in their knees.
Mrs. Lin took a deep breath, âLook, all Iâm saying is that it was really sweet of you, Luca, to be so, uh, dedicated in supporting Qiu. Iâm sure that theyâre very thankfulââshe shot her child a glance through the rear view windowââBut next time something like this comes up, please donât be shy to ask Hong or me for help. Iâm sure we couldâve found a way to make something work so you wouldnât have to be outside alone in the dark for so long.â
âI understand. Iâm sorry, Mr. And Mrs. Lin. I promise you nothing like thisâll happen again,â Luca said, shooting Qiu a glance.
Qiu rolled their eyes, but a small smile tugged on their lips.
âWell, Iâm sure it wonât,â Mrs. Lin began, âbecause I hope you know Iâll have to tell your mother about this.â
âWHAT?!â Both Qiu and Luca shouted, taken completely off guard. Qiu was now sitting up completely straight and Luca was gritting his teeth.
âMom, Dad, please donât tell on him and Iâll basically love you forever, Iâll do whatever you want! Iâll try really hard to get my grades up, Iâll ask about extra credit!â Qiu pleaded. Luca felt a pain in his chest. He didnât want Qiu to have to pay for his reckless behavior. The fact that it was being put on their shoulders made Luca want to give up right now and just come clean.
There was a small moment of silence. You could see in the rear view mirror that Mr. and Mrs. Lin were giving each other quick glances. You would think they were able to read each otherâs minds. Thatâs when Mr. Lin spoke up, âYou kids are lucky nothing serious happened. Luca, weâre giving you one more strike. But next time anything like this happens, weâre not covering for you and thatâs final. Okay?â
Both the young teens in the back seat gave a huge sigh of relief. Luca nodded his head, âyes, Mr. Lin. I understand.â
âAnd Qiu, you should be seeing what you can do about that math grade, anyway,â Mr. Lin continued. Qiu grimaced, having been directly called out. Luca already knew they had an F in the class. Thatâs something he could relate to, they were both seemingly hopeless when it came to academics.
âOkay, Dad,â Qiu responded.
The remaining drive was short and peaceful, it wasnât long before they made it back to Acorn Road. Luca peeked out the window. The Baumannâs driveway had filled up, and now so did the Linâs. But his own was still empty. Luca let out a deep breath that had building in him since they got to the street. Though, now that he was here he supposed his mom probably would have called him if she suspected something was up.
Everyone exited the car after it was parked. Mr. And Mrs. Lin wished Luca a good night before heading to their door. Qiu lagged behind. Luca shot them a sympathetic look, âI really want to talk more, but I shouldnât stick around. My mom could be getting home at any time now.â
âI know,â Qiu responded, looking disappointed, âjust, text me when she gets home, okay?â Qiu looked down at Luca hopefully. The distance between the two wasnât much.
âYeah, I can do that,â Luca nodded. A brief moment of inaction was shared between them. Neither Qiu or Luca said a thing or moved an inch. Luca really didnât want to, but he absolutely had to go home. âIâll talk to you later, Qiu,â Luca finally said, turning to make a run for his house.
âBye, Luca!â Qiu said, raising their voice a bit.
Luca raced to his room as soon as he got inside to change into some home clothes as fast as possible. He didnât want his mom seeing him in his ballet recital get up or the Linâs generosity would have been a waste.
It had to of been 20 minutes later that Luca heard the front door open and shut followed by footsteps downstairs. âLuca! Iâm home!â his mom had called. Luca went down the stairs to find his mom in the kitchen grabbing a container of leftovers out of the fridge. Luca was wearing a black long sleeve and some plaid pajama pants, looking like heâd been at home for hours. Opal looked at him and spoke, âhow was your evening? Iâm sorry again about how tonight turned out.â
âYou know what, itâs ok. I know that sometimes things happen. And thereâs always next time,â Luca explained with a rather diplomatic tone. Opal sort of turned to her side and laughed, but she shrugged it off. It seemed like she didnât suspect anything.
âWell, thatâs good. Was Qiu too disappointed?â Opal asked, putting her plate into the microwave.
âI promise, mom, everythingâs alright,â Luca reassured his mother. She nodded his way.
The two chatted a little bit longer about their day before parting ways again. It was already somewhat late, so the Montoya family decided on one of those chill âkeep to yourselfâ type evenings. Luca opened his phone to update Qiu, just as he promised.
Luca: Talked to my mom! Everythings cool ;-]
Qiu: ok. meet me outside. u know where.
Luca raised his eyebrows. He was maybe expecting a call or something. But just as Qiu said, he knew exactly where to go and he didnât waste any more time. Luca made his way to the back door of his house and made sure to slip out quietly.
Luca made his way quickly to Qiuâs backyard, his eyes fixed on the hideout the pair had played in since childhood. This was Qiuâs spot, reserved for very private meetings. Luca knew there wasnât anywhere else Qiu would be expecting them to meet. Luca grabbed the rope at the hideoutâs base and quickly hoisted himself up. He practically launched himself through the hideoutâs entrance, spotting Qiu immediately.
âYou called?â Luca teased.
Qiu rolled their eyes but nodded, âthanks for sneaking out.â
Luca crawled until he was next to Qiu, and then he promptly took his seat, âyeah, whenever.â
The two sat in silence for a little while. Qiu was breathing pretty heavy but they never even opened their mouth. Their eyes were elsewhere. But Luca was being tortured by his curiosity. âYou wanted to talk about something, right?â Luca asked.
âOf course,â Qiu responded. They were seemingly having trouble finding their words. But finally, they gave Luca a response. âLuca, really, I⊠Thank you. Thank you so much for coming. I really donât think I can even thank you enough.â
Luca blinked. He felt all gooey inside. Qiu was being uncharacteristically sweet, so Luca responded wholeheartedly. âAw, Qiu. Really, it was nothing.â
âI donât think so,â Qiu argued, âI mean, if you couldnât have made it tonight I know I would have understood. But I wonât lie, I wouldâve been really disappointed. You being there, it seriously meant a lot to me. Youâre a really good⊠friend.â
Luca was taken aback. Seeing Qiu so touched by his actions, he didnât expect it. Luca hadnât initially seen it as this grand gesture. But is that what it was? He just didnât want to miss his friendâs show. It felt weird to accept such glowing praise. But it felt weirder not to respond at all. âThank- thank you, of course, yeah, anytime, Qiu. For you, uh, um, yeah. Any- anytime.â Great.
Qiu didnât chastise him for his eloquent response, though. In fact, they picked at the ground with their pointer finger, they seemed to have a lot on their mind. Their eyes were fixed on the hideoutâs floor. But nonetheless, they spoke. âYou looked really nice, by the way.â
Luca could feel his throat closing up and his heart practically pounding out of his chest. Suddenly it felt like it was 100 degrees out on this chilly autumn night. He couldnât tear his eyes away from Qiu, who currently wasnât meeting his gaze. But they opened their mouth yet again.
âIâm sorry. I thought about it earlier. I noticed it the moment I saw you. But I got all caught up in talking about myself and then I noticed your mom was gone and⊠anyway, I just wanted you to know. You looked nice tonight.â At the last few words, Qiuâs eyes fluttered upwards and the two finally made eye contact. Lucaâs heart beat so fast he felt as though he could die.
âTh- uh, thanks,â Luca mumbled. He couldnât say anything more. He stared at Qiu and they were staring back. He wished he could sit there all night with them. He felt the urge to reach out and⊠well, he was very touched by Qiuâs words.
Luca sucked in what felt like all the air in the atmosphere. But, he let it all go and he smiled as he repositioned himself, scooting closer to his friend. Their knees and pinky fingers were touching now. Lucaâs skin burned, feeling Qiuâs touch. But he seemed to crave even more of it. He couldnât help himself from resting his head softly on Qiuâs shoulder.
Qiu simply smiled, laughing softly. Both teens felt lucky that evening, to have somebody like each other in their lives. Even when problems arose, theyâd be there for each other. That they both knew.
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