Dulcis Domus

CHAPTER-1

Chapter-1

The first and foremost problem with attending a fancy ass school in New York (in a very HUGE list of problems, like 10 phone books joined together kind of list) was simply the getting to New York part itself. New York seemed to be light-years away from their small town of Adamsville, Oregon, which was just an exaggerated way of telling that it was more than 5 and a half hours journey via a plane and she didn’t even want to think of driving all the way there.

CJ seems adamant on reminding everyone of this fact with timing of the journey increasing by 10 minutes every time he repeated his observation, currently her brother was somewhere between 10 hours and 15, she wasn’t sure, she had gotten pretty tired of hearing the same argument over and over again. Luke was not ashamed to admit that she had been the first one to give in to her mother’s wishes, that woman had raised her single handedly for 17 years okay, when she looks at you with the face that said she was disappointing the whole world even super villains would turn good and resort to a life of saving puppies and cleaning the park, unlike CJ and all his teenage pent up hormones Luke did not have the resolve to argue with her mother regardless of all her newly arisen list of problems (Ginormous list, like King Kong).

And for once the financial aspect of the journey was not the problem; Ashford Inc. meant it when they said that they were paying for every single part of their education, apparently transport was also included in that, hell they were sending a private jet to pick them up, the problem itself was of two parts, the first being that they had only gotten on a plane once, when she was 6 years old and a much shorter one to LA and not half way across the world (read other side of the country) they had even driven back to Oregon because 4 year old CJ had been hell on toddler legs throughout the journey on the plane, she is pretty sure her asshole father would have gone to some pretty drastic measure to shut him up if it weren’t for the glaring Wendell and the Sweet flight attenders watching him, maybe that’s the reason the said asshole father didn’t come back after dropping them back into their mom’s sweet arms, if it was she was forever grateful for annoying Toddler CJ.

The Second part is that apparently they would be traveling with the Ashford Children or child considering only one was currently attending high school because they were spending the summer in London or Japan or whatever (rich kids, why the f**k not right?) and it was just easier to pick her and CJ up on the way as if it was easy as carpooling to school and not travelling via a effing private plane through the country.

Luke knew that was bullshit of course, she is pretty sure Ashford was rich enough to afford more than 1 private jet and nobody needed to be ‘picked up’ on the way, they were doing this whole thing for the cameras because when they do land the media will have these beautiful pictures of Lionel Ashford’s poor Driver’s even poorer kids bonding with his own children on their way to the rich ass private school Ashford was paying for, which would make a wonderful story and they could leave the whole mess of her father’s untimely death behind, never mind the fact his kids did not even attend the moron’s funeral or even imply they even liked him (they did not, they very much did not like him) to warrant such gracious offer, people were stupid, Luke knew better than to question it.

“Well, this is going to be fun” Wendell proclaims happily from the driver’s seat once they pull up at the Airport. Wendell had done nothing but grin and laugh and tease throughout the month once they heard the news, she and CJ had been so mad at him that they chose to sit in the backseat and pretend Wen is their driver and not talk a word to him throughout the whole journey to the airport. If he continues to be a smug asshole CJ is going to punch him, and she will help, she will definitely help.

“Oh come on, don’t be so sore. Look at the both of you flying across the country with your soon to be best friend to stay at your new fancy boarding school” he teases as he gets no reply and Luke curses all gods above for making him 6 years older than her and thus escaping the torture they have to go through.

“I swear to god Wen, I will punch you, Ma is not here to stop me” CJ spits out voicing her thoughts, she had never felt this level of comradeship with CJ, its worrying,

Their Ma had wanted to come, but then again she didn’t do well when cramped in small spaces for a long time and it was almost an hour ride to Portland which had the nearest airport and most of all if their mom was present there would be tears with their goodbye, and f**k if Luke lets anyone but her family see her tears, she sure as hell was not crying in front of an airport, so they had hugged for 5 minutes in front of their bakery and although their mom did shed a tear or two between all the orders to call every single day and video chat and be good, their frustration with the situation had helped them hold back their tears, maybe Luke might have cried a bit in the shower this morning when she realized she had to leave, but that’s no one’s business but hers.

“Oh, somebody is angry. But come on guys, you already met them once, remember?” Wendell asks and Luke groans as one of her worst memories resurfaces again.

It was kind of ironic how her first non-voluntarily flight trip with their father ended up with the 3 of them spending a weekend with the Ashford children, and her second involuntary flight caused by the said asshole of a father was going to be with them too.

“I was like 3, I don’t even remember” CJ grumbles out, his eyes still unrelenting in his glare.

“I bet Luke remembers, don’t’cha Lucy” Wen turns to her with his eyes glinting with all the mirth of a demon. Luke hated it when he called her Lucy, mainly because Wendell had told everyone Lucy stood for Lucifer when she was younger and could not talk for herself, he was 7. That statement itself proves how much she just loves her older brother.

“I remember that it was one of the worst weekends of my childhood and that CJ was an annoyingly loud toddler who our dear father would have most likely drowned if there weren’t other people around” Luke replies as she tries to replicate CJ’ eyes as retribution for the patronizing nick name.

“I am glad, asshole deserves all the pain in the world” CJ murmurs in such a hushed voice that Luke wouldn’t have caught it if she wasn’t sitting so close to him.

“Oh come on, you know what I am talking about. Mini Ashford had refused to let you leave and even tried locking you in his room” Wendell says ignoring CJ (read completely agreeing with him, but doesn’t actually want to voice it out), his eyes do a little wiggly thing at the end that has Luke looking at her older brother weirdly.

“Oh that shindig, that was nothing and you are totally exaggerating, all I remember is ruining the kid’s homework to be honest” She replies with a shrug because despite all the crazy tales her brother had told her of that day while growing up about their impromptu trip with their deranged father as he tried to pretend to be a good man, she doesn’t have much memories other than splattering paint across the pudgy looking boy’s books and something about him feeding her cake, in her defense she was six and was kind of busy looking out for baby CJ and making sure father dear didn’t kill him.

It says a lot about the kind of man David Martinez was because that horrible trip was one of the only memories she had of her father, and when you compare it to the other memories of her mom kicking him out of the house or him pushing Wendell into the coffee table, she has no choice but to say that was the best memory she had of her father. The said trip had happened when he managed to get a job as Ashford’s driver and did something good that Ashford decided to let him stay in a guest house at one of his mansion, he had dragged the 3 of them away for ‘father bonding experience’ by threatening her sick mother about custodial rights and law suits, and that was at a time they could barely afford the apartment they were staying at so her Ma had no choice but to let the kids go with him with a promise to return them back in one piece.

“You were best friends, they guy literally force fed you stuff and all and glared at anyone else who talked to you, it was very cute and you know possessive for a 10 year old” Wendell interjects her inner hateful monologue of her father.

They had met the Ashford kids by chance, she remembers someone telling her something about their mother’s death and keeping them out of the media by hiding out in one of their ‘lesser known’ mansions. They hadn’t been best friends as Wendell put it, the girl Ashford had taken one look at them and never turned back, but the boy Ashford though, he had apparently kept her company even though he was closer in age to Wendell than her. Despite the exaggerated stories from Wendell all Luke did remember was a dark haired boy glaring at all of them hatefully, so when someone had given her some paint and a paper and the paper had run out she had done the rational thing any six year old would, she had walked over to the glaring kid and started drawing in his books, how was she supposed to know that was important? Wendell said that their father had an aneurysm when he found her like that, but the kid had took it well for some god damn reason, and to be honest that’s all she remembers and not the twisted versions of her older brother. And if she has learned anything in life, it’s not to trust her brother

“Who the f**k are you two even talking about” CJ complains clearly feeling left out from the conversation, the unnecessary swearing is brought on by his anger at the situation and the lack of the presence of their mother, CJ was unbearable without their mother around, god she is going to have to deal with him now, another reason in her Godzilla sized list of reasons she doesn’t want to go to New York.

“Alexander Ashford, the first and probably the only guy who liked Luke” Wendell smirks.

If it was a normal day and their impending doom was not waiting for them CJ would join in with Wen in his teasing because her brothers had the mental maturity of 10 year olds, and Luke would roll her eyes and contemplate if her mom’s wrath was worth hitting them both on the head with a bat, but alas, it is not and their impending doom was in fact waiting for them in front of the airport in the form of the Lawyer Lady (Carrie Hinberg, her mom had reminded her although Luke was unable to call her anything other than Lawyer lady), so CJ stays quite, just glares harder at Wendell and Wendell finally stops smirking realizing that they would in fact most likely punch him if his smugness continued on.

“The Lawyer Lady is waving at us, I think she finally spotted us” Luke informs her brothers with the disappointment and sadness in her voice more obvious than CJ’s fuming anger.

“Can’t we just stay here and not go out?” CJ whines again, sounding like the internal scared 5 year old boy he is.

“It’s going to be fine guys, I promise” Wendell reassures as he unlocks the door making Luke internally cry because this means she will have to leave.

Wendell is the first one to get out of the car and get their bags out because he knew she and CJ would try to stall the incoming for as long as possible. The Lawyer Lady smiles, flips her blonde curls from her shoulder and walks over to them with all the finesse of a Lawyer, seriously the woman looked like the very profession of Law personified.

“Come on Dufus, get out, staying in the car is not going to help” Wendell calls out to them and Luke takes a look at CJ sitting next to her, looking very much close to tears and decides that she will have to be the rational one (as always) and gets off the car first, CJ slowly (very slowly) following behind her.

“Hello, the day is finally here-Ah, How amazing right! You guys excited or what” Lawyer Lady greets them with a fake cheery smile and a high pitched squeal that makes Luke wants to run and hide.

“Elated” Luke spits out the words will all the sarcasm her gangly body can muster up, it seems Lawyer lady finally does catch on because her cheery smile falls for a second before fake smile number 2 takes its place. Fake smile number 2 means she is going to lie through her teeth and make it all sound believable.

“So, Miss Ashford is super excited though, she is absolutely wonderful, you guys are going to get along like a house on fire, two young ladies of the same age, oh I bet the both of you will have the same classes, wouldn’t that be fun. The jet just landed and she is so excited to meet you, so we will have to hurry along a bit” she says and adds a completely pointless laugh at the end that had Luke cringing.

Luke had half a mind to tell her that a house on fire usually ends in crashing and burning, but realizes that the Lawyer lady’s poor fake smile’s possible could not deal with those so she resorts to intentionally taking as long as possible to get her bags and luggage in order, making sure they were late, CJ takes even longer than her.

“Hurry along now” Lawyer Lady rushes once they finally do have their baggage, getting impatient by every minute CJ and Luke tries to lag.

“Let me say goodbye to my baby siblings” Wendell said in a voice that said that there was nothing more to argue and Lawyer Lady makes a deep gutted voice.

“f**k off” CJ murmurs as Wendell pulls both of them into a hug, but he doesn’t actually push away Wendell either, instead CJ just shifts closer to the asshole who has been making fun of them all month, Luke too grudgingly wraps the arm that is not occupied by her shoulder bag around him.

“I mean it you know, you are going to be fine, anybody who tries to hurt the two of you will have to go through me okay? Nothings gonna happen to you, I promise” He tells them with such sincerity that makes Luke burrow her head deeper into his chest and never leave.

“But you are going to be so far away” CJ murmurs without all the anger and Luke hears his voice c***k as her own eyes get wider and wetter with unshed tears she had been desperately attempting to hold back.

“I am going to be right there, you should know that, and if anything does happen you can contact Carrie, Right Carrie?” her brother repeats, the last part a little louder so that even Carrie would hear.

After they break apart Luke sees Lawyer Lady nod, for once not sporting a fake smile as she stares at her brother. Her brother smiles as he wipes at his eyes before Luke can see them.

“Take care of each other okay?” he asks them sternly and they both nod as Lawyer lady rushes them. Luke stares at her brother one last time before he disappears from her line of sight.

“Love you, Louie” he mouths and she tries her very best not to run back to him and put up a tantrum, she has to be the rational one after all…

*******************

“Where the hell were you? I have been waiting for hours. Is it so hard to pick up some tramps on the way? I don’t even know why I have to deal with this s**t”

This is what greets them when they enter into the plane after all the documents are sorted, Luke is not sure whether it is the harshness of the words or the high pitch that makes CJ shift closer to her and grip her elbow for dear life.

“She is absolutely wonderful” Luke mouths Lawyer Lady’s earlier words silently to her brother and although there is no outer reaction she knows her brother is internally smiling by the way his forehead relaxes. He doesn’t let go of her elbow though.

The Lawyer Lady actually looks ashamed as she removes the curtain thingy from the door thingy of the flight to reveal what looks like a polished hall with soft couches and tiny windows, and of course the fuming brunet girl in the green dress that probably cost more than their whole house. For her part she actually looks a little taken back by seeing the said ‘tramps’ but does not relent on her stance.

“I-I am sorry Miss Ashford, these two are the Kaselings, this is-“ Lawyer Lady starts but is interrupted with an icy look.

“I can introduce myself, please take a seat” Ashford says turning towards the two of them and although she says please, it feels more like a command and normally Luke would say something back but she doesn’t want to piss these people of this early on so she obeys and drags along a glaring CJ too.

Out of nowhere two flight attendants come and pick up their bags for them and place them in the compartment above their seats.

“Thank you” Luke says loudly to them just to show Ashford that people have something called manners and basic decency which she seems to be lacking. One of the flight attended guy smiles at her kindly before leaving, after another icy pointed look from the Ashford demon even Lawyer lady scoots away to take a seat further away, Luke never thought she would ever miss the Lawyer lady’s presence.

“Marylyn Ashford, no you are not allowed to call me Mary or Lyn, my name is Marylyn and if by some unfortunate moment you have to address me-which I sure as hell hope the both of you avoid- it better be Marylyn, I will not stand well to pointlessly stupid nicknames, I am saying this in case your dumb country brain thinks everyone is your ‘pal’ or ‘sis’ or whatever” she says in lightning speed shattering all of Luke expectations that maybe she won’t be as much of a b***h as she expected, in fact Marylyn Ashford is exceeding in the bitchiness scale Luke just developed.

Then she looks at the both of them expectantly and realizes she is waiting for them to introduce themselves, CJ looks too intimidated and if he does say anything she is pretty sure he will intentionally use the words ‘Mary’, ‘Lyn’ and even ‘Sis’ and ‘Pal’ which Luke thinks she has never uttered in her life. Luke personally has half a mind to introduce herself as the ‘tramps’ she just referred to, but then she remembers that she promised her Ma that she would try, and god damn it why is her mom such a good effing person.

“I am Luke, and this is CJ. It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you” Luke replies sarcastically, trying her very best to stop there, CJ seems to finally relax at her side though.

It seems Marylyn’s ingenious city brain did not catch the dripping sarcasm though, because she unlocks her phone and decides looking at the screen is better than looking at them while holding a conversation, impeccable manners; people should take notes.

“Luke is a weird name for a girl” she replies absent mindedly, her eyes still on her phone.

“We survive” CJ answers hotly before she can and that actually earns them a short glare from demon Ashford before she is back to staring at her phone screen again.

“It’s a modified version of Luce” Luke replies anyway, just to show demon Ashford how kindness works.

“So your name is Lucille, or Lucinda or something, not Luke” she replies. It’s not, but Luke has no intention of correcting her.

“Whatever I don’t care, my maid tells me that we have met long ago, but I like to pretend we don’t so please don’t go sprouting about how we knew each other when we were toddlers, I don’t even remember any of you” She says next.

“It would be a struggle with all the amazing memories we had, but I think we can manage” Luke replies sarcastically as always because f**k being nice, the girl is getting on her nerves and she is going to have the worst year on earth anyway, she doesn’t care if she offends her nonexistent sensibility.

“Ugh, Whatever-Listen I don’t like this whole chit chat thing and honestly I don’t have the time for it, so this is how it’s going to go. When we land, there are going to be press there, we smile and that’s it, no holding hands, not speaking to each other, don’t even walk next to me despite what anyone would say, we smile and that’s it. And once we do get to Eddridge Academy you both never even knew me, I am a Crusadious okay, you shouldn’t bother to talk with me because we are not friends, we are not acquaintances, we don’t even know each other at all, you are just the charity case my father is sponsoring and that’s the end of that, I can’t afford to lose my rep because of you. So stay away from me. Got it” she rushes out with all the likeness of a predator talking to its prey, and before they can even process her words she is getting off her seat and leaving through another curtain thingy, to what she guesses is her private seat? Or maybe her demon lair, she looks like the kind of person to have a demon lair.

Luke looks at CJ to see him wearing the same confused angry look Luke herself has on.

“That’s what we have to look forward to” He notes with all the enthusiasm of a dead fish, Luke gives him the best smile she can afford at the moment.

He has a point though; Luke had no idea how the hell they are going to survive. That’s the only thing on her mind as she watches her home fade away from her sight as the plane ascends into the atmosphere…