Chapter 20 -- Sometimes We Miss the Cadance

Lukas returned home to find Peaches crying in his bedroom.

"What the hell's wrong with you," he spit, still upset at losing his best friend.

"I want to talk about what happened at prom," she whispered.

"What's left to talk about? I thought we decided that you are to blame for missing out."



"You really don't remember anything...?" she softly responded.

"I'm finished with Gena. I really don't want to think about it anymore, but thanks anyway," he sarcastically replied.

"Not about Gena. About us."

"Us? There is no us. You weren't even there."

"I was there Lukas. Tim drove me there late, no thanks to you."

"Well then I hope you had fun," he said rolling his eyes.

"Lukas, I'm pregnant," she suddenly stated, bursting out in new tears.

"Ha! And who was out of their mind enough to even touch you?" he laughed.

"You," she said quietly.

"What?" he asked, stopping his laughter at once.

"After you saw Denv and Gena," she started, going on to explain how he had drank too much punch, grabbed her and after sharing a kiss had proceeded to drag her to the locker room. Letting Lukas figure out the rest, she gave him a moment of silence.

Coming to the correct conclusion, Lukas shouted "GET OUT!" and pushed her into the hallway, slamming the door.



He was sure as hell not ready to be a father.

Tim heard he was to be a grandfather at breakfast that Saturday morning. Nearly choking on his food at just the thought. He wasn't that old was he?

S, although she was more worried than him, tried to talk some sense into the situation. They were only 3 days away from becoming elders; if they had produced children at a younger age, then they would be grandparents by now anyway.

"I guess you're right," Tim conceded, "I'll try to look on the bright side. Maybe our grandchildren will be green!"

Denver was also a titch worried.

"Noel, I'm not ready to be an uncle. I'm a teenager for frick's sake."

Noel, being the intuitive one of the family, was actually excited at the prospect of being an aunt.

"It'll be just like practice for when you have kids or I have kids! And besides, I think we're more ready than mom and dad. At least we have to be strong for them. It could happen to one of us one day too."

Denver just glanced awkwardly away at the idea of having kids of his own. At least not anytime soon he promised himself.

Lukas, on the other hand, was full of bottled up frustration at it all. How could he not remember what happened at prom? How could he even do that to Peaches? Even if she was sometimes mean, Peaches had been his only friend until that lying bitch Gena had come along. He knew he was going to have to prove he could be a good father to her, but how could he even start to explain it all? He was going to have to continue to think.

During this extremely stressful time in her life, when she seemingly had no one to turn to, Peaches kept mostly to herself, using her easel to take her mind off of it all. She didn't want to be a mother anymore than Lukas wanted to be a father. It wasn't fair. If he hadn't of been a jerk at Prom, none of this would have happened. She didn't ask for any of this. Upon finishing her latest painting, she realized what she had to do.

Unfortunately, she could not think any longer about her decision as the baby was coming. Hurrying to the hospital on her own, she barely made it in time.

Aging up to a young adult as soon as she returned home, Peaches cuddled with her babies. After putting Carter into his crib, she hugged Kadance one last time before whispering, "I'm sorry I can't be here for you, but I'll always love the both of you very much. Goodbye..."

Chapter 19 -- Repercussions

The next morning was a school day, unfortunately for Lukas. With a headache the size of Jupiter, he left for school with his siblings. During class, no one said a word to each other as they all remembered the way Lukas had acted... except for Lukas himself, who's last memory had been Gena and Denver making out on the dance floor.

Coming home from class, Lukas got started on his homework right away as he wanted to get a work out in before practice.

When he was about halfway done, Peaches sat down next to him and sat there silently, looking at him with an inquisitive look on her face.

"What," Lukas snapped, obviously irked at her presence.

"I wanted to talk about last night," she replied softly, taking a different tone than normal.

"Look, I know we ditched you and left you home, but it's not our fault that you missed out on your only Prom. You had this coming. You're a cold-hearted bitch, and that's why no one likes you. How could you think, for even a mere second, that we wanted you to come with us?"

Taken aback by his abruptness, Peaches whispered "Nevermind." and went to her room to find solace in her easel.

Later that night, however, things took a turn for the worse. Lukas and Denver were constantly snapping at one another for the first time in their lives, and Peaches was hogging the bathroom for most of the evening, having found herself feeling ill.

The next day wasn't much better. Seeing that Denver was home for once, Lukas snagged a cab over to Gena's house.

"So. You and my brother," he stated.

"Yes," she sighed in response, "I know, I'm sorry we didn't tell you. I didn't want you to think you were losing me as a friend."

"You were afraid of losing friendship?" he harshly asked, "You never once thought it would break my heart?"

"B-break your heart?" she stammered uncomfortably, "I-I had no idea Lukas, I just thought we were best buds?"

"You lying sack of shit," he countered, "If you were a real friend, you would have told me from the beginning about Denv. You've hurt me twice, once when you so obviously told me I was only ever going to be your friend, and now this. I can't afford to go through any of this again."

Speechless, Gena watched Lukas start jogging home, with hurt in her heart and tears in her eyes. How could she have known? She had been obsessed with Denver since she first laid eyes on him.

Back at home, Peaches was still feeling ill, but was getting nervous as to what was the cause. A few hours later, however, her fears became real as her belly started to grow outward.

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Notes: This was nooooot the direction I wanted to go for Lukas, but you guys inspired me and it seemed so perfect!

Chapter 18 -- Sloppy

Peaches does not approve of Noel using her easel. Especially to paint that. "What a piece of crap," she thinks, not realizing she can't paint any better herself.

Cindy the Vamp Princess does not like Lukas. Not one bit.

Abram, the Varsity Captain likes Cindy though. Figures.

Cindy glares at Lukas as he walks to class. Noel is very protective of her insane older brother.

(Sorry about the plumbob, I'm normally very good at not capturing those >.<)

Anyway. On with the story damn it.

At the Sperie household, Peaches mocks Lukas because he doesn't have a date to prom.

"Only crazy people don't have dates to prom," she claims, again not realizing she's dateless too.

Noel decides to spend sometime outdoors. Night time is always so peaceful. Unfortunately the neighborhood stops by to gawk at the celebrity.

Moar stalkers. Seriously, wtf? Go away, no one invited you over.

Prom night arrives.

The first couple to arrive of course is the Vamps, looking the part.

At home, Denver and Noel head out to the limo as they're both meeting their dates at the school.

Lukas is not happy that Peaches is matching his tux. At least his zebra loafers are unique. It's his job to distract her long enough to get to the dance without her. No one even pretends they want her along.

Reminding her of her unfinished painting, he dashes out the door into the limo in time to leave her behind. 

Lukas is happy they decided to go as a group, dates are lame anyways! Hanging out with all of his friends at once beats having to deal with some random girl he doesn't know.

By the end of the night, the kids all returned home safely. Upon arrival at the dance, Lukas figured out Gena and Denver's plan since Noel had never heard of it. Furious, he drank too much of the spiked punch and ended up making a fool of himself multiple times. When he saw Gena and Denver kiss, it was the last straw. Striding over to Peaches, he grabbed her and gave her a rough kiss before dragging her away for pictures before leaving early. (Crowns belong to Lukas and Noel.)

Chapter 17 -- Growth

Lukas spent the next few weeks training religiously. The JV team he was captain of was pretty pathetic, but he did his best to help the team get better. The coach let him run his own "captain's practice" once a week where he would dictate how the team would work out (and get to wear his swim trunks!). At the beginning, the other kids didn't show him a lot of respect.

Even though he was one of the more attractive kids, Lukas was still known as a freak due to his fits of insanity and neurotic attacks in the halls. Once he started proving to them that they could be a better team, they started, albeit slowly, to look up to him. Each practice they were running plays better, passing the ball with more and more ease and by the time their season opened up they actually had a slight chance at winning. For being inherently evil, Lukas was acting pretty weak by bringing out the best in people.

At home, things were getting just as worse as Sports Club was getting better. He and Peaches continuously snubbed each other, not even daring to be in the same room together. Tim and S were completely clueless as to the odd hatred between their son and his humanized doll.

They noticed Noel was starting to open up to the idea of friends outside of her family,

and that Denver wasn't around virtually at all anymore,

but when it came to the eldest kids, they didn't pay much attention.

Lukas knew as soon as he was of age, he'd be gone in a flash. His parents obviously didn't care if he was around or not and Noel and Denver were more of the family type.

Peaches on the other hand would also be farther away if he moved and that was reason enough of itself.

On days when he felt completely unwanted, he wouldn't even stop to relax his muscles while training. He had used some of his parents wealth to purchase some more equipment and set it up in the upstairs foyer. They didn't really even notice.

Denver would join in from time to time, but Noel had no interest and Peaches just thought it was utterly disgusting.

Deep down inside, he knew that all of this training was motivated by something completely separate from Abram and the team. It helped him take his mind off of Gena who he hadn't hung out with one-on-one since that night in her entryway. It was better this way, at least that's what he thought.

Denver was the one who was getting the most out of Lukas' predicament. With his brother completely engaged in training, he could venture over to Gena's and continue their secret relationship.

They both knew it would kill Lukas if he ever found out. He'd probably throw a neurotic fit and have a heart attack. When the teens were at school, they played it cool. Lukas would sit across from Gena at lunch and Denver would sit with Noel and try to get her to make a move on Kenton. Gena played her part perfectly, mostly because she really was best friends with Lukas. She didn't have to pretend at all. That is, until Prom was officially announced.

Noel was still worrying over how to ask Kenton and Lukas and Denver were both vying for the same girl even if one of them didn't know about it.

The next day after class, Lukas mustered the courage to ask Gena.

"Gena, I was wondering since we're best friends and all, if we should go to Prom together?" he stuttered out.

"Oh Lukey, Denv and I were just talking and we decided we should all go together! It would be much more fun that way don'tcha think?" she completely bulled, not expecting Lukas to ask at all.

"I guess that sounds like a good idea... as long as Peaches doesn't have to come. Have you told Noel yet?"

"No worries, just don't tell Peaches. And no, I was about to but you can if you'd like?"

Noel was currently in mid-conversation with Kenton Blossom.

"Did you hear the school's throwing a Prom this weekend?" Noel asked nervously.

"Yea, it sounds like a lot of fun! Do you know if there's a theme or not?"

"I haven't heard anything about a theme so I'm guessing not... Listen, I was wondering if maybe---"

"I'd love to go with you Noel," he said, pulling her into a hug while cutting her off, looking as happy as she was surprised, "That is if that was what you were going to ask me. I was going to ask you either way."

"Yes!" Noel bubbled, "I was so worried you'd say no or be weirded out cause we aren't really that great of friends or anything. I just think you're smart and that's really cool I think. And you're quiet, like me. I like quiet, it's nice and peaceful and...Oh I'm sorry! I'm rambling aren't I? I tend to do that sometimes when---"

"Shh," he soothed, cutting her off again, "I like you too Noel. You don't have to be nervous."

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Chapter Notes:

I'm sorry for the abrupt cut off at the end there but I just wanted to get something up before you all thought I was done! School has been in session for the last two weeks for me already and between that and trying to set up a new world and building the stadium in the pic below this, I had no time to write. Now that I'm all set story-wise and school-wise,I'll be able to have regular updates now! :)