1st 5 Pages December Workshop - Michael Rev 2

Name: Connie Michael
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Title: Entrusted


Luke’s broad frame filled the small porch, blocking the way down the stairs and to my car. I was already late for cross country practice and really didn’t have the energy to rehash his need for me to quit for the millionth time. But the expression on his face made it clear. We were in for another fight.

“Don’t go, Emma.” Luke wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to snuggle my neck. “I have counseling later. I need you when I get back.”

“I’ll be back.” I tried to remain firm and pushed lightly against his chest. “I have practice every day.” I knew counseling was rough. An hour of dredging up all the reasons it wasn’t your fault your life sucked. Running was my way of dealing with my crappy life. I was Luke’s way. Every day he held me and told he needed me. That he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me. He scared me when he said those words.

“Then why do I have to ask you every day?” His voice had an edge that confirmed it— he wasn’t going to let me go easily.


I stood on my tip toes and kissed his cheek in an attempt to lighten his mood. “I’ll be done at five and we’ll go eat.”

Luke voice was rough. He fingers brushed against my throat, playing with a small turquoise pendant he’d given me earlier in the day. “Stay.” My heart melted a little. Luke’s tender moments were enough for me to forgive his over possessive temper tantrums. But I couldn’t miss another practice or I wouldn’t be able to compete this weekend. I wanted a scholarship and the meet was important.

“I got to go.” I slid around him, trying not to cave and turn back into his arms. Luke caught me as I reached the first step. Turning me to face him he wrapped his arms around me, clasping his hands just above my butt. Luke’s larger body engulfed my petite frame. Usually giving me a sense of warmth and caring. Now his embrace felt stiff and cold.

“To see Greg.”His anger at my refusal began to grow. His arms tightened. “Why aren’t I enough for you?”

The words cut through me. He knew they could make me stay. “You know it’s not like that.”

Everyone at The Ridge, the therapeutic group home where we lived, had issues. Mine tended to be a need heal everyone while avoiding my own issues. At least that’s what my counselor told me. Luke held scars suffered at his fathers’ hand and had developed a strong sense of paranoia when it came to me and Greg. There weren’t any words that would make him believe Greg was just my friend. I’d tried.

“Let me go,” I whispered.

His expression turned dark when it registered I wasn’t going to stay. “Then go. Go see him.” Luke pushed me from his chest. I stepped back. My foot missed the edge of the step and I teetered scrambling for balance. I reached out for help. Luke stepped away and watched me go down. I tumbled down the five steps that led to the sidewalk. The side of my head hit the railing as I bounced to a stop. Bright lights sliced through my skull—a bump already forming on my temple. Slowly I pushed to my hands and knees and looked up. A shiver ran through me when I met his stare—his eyes were black. Not just the iris but the entire eye was a dark pool of ebony.

“You need to tell Greg to stay away from what’s not his.” Luke’s words crept into the inner most part of my brain. “Stay away from him.”

The bump on my head must have knocked me senseless. His mouth hadn’t seemed to move…yet I’d heard the words loud and clear.

“Luke?” Sasha, a twelve year old who was staying at the home temporarily, until her foster home was ready, came out to the back porch. Luke moved to block me from her view. “Mrs. Farrar wants you.”Mrs. Farrar ran The Ridge—and you didn’t keep her waiting. Sasha leaned to look around Luke. “Em? Are you okay?”

Luke’s gaze moved from me to Sasha. Sasha made a noise that sounded like “Eeep” and ran back into the house. He turned back to me. Slowly his eyes closed. When he opened them again the inky blackness had returned to the rich brown I knew. Without a word he followed her into the house. I stood up trying to decide if I should make sure Sasha was okay or leave while I had the chance. My need to get to practice won out and I got in my car. My hands shook. I couldn’t get the key in the ignition. I rested my head on the steering wheel to try and calm myself. It was just the bump on my head. My eyes had played tricks on me. I drew in a deep breath, turned on the car and drove to the high school.

I ran from the parking lot to the locker rooms and then out to the field. I threaded my fingers through my long blonde hair—lifting it off my neck to pull into a ponytail. I cringed when my fingers grazed the lump and the greenish purple bruise emerging at my temple. I hurried to catch up with the pre-workout stretches.

“Holy crap Emma what happened to your head?” My best friend and running partner,

Greg, looked over from where he sat on grass.

“I tripped over Luke and fell down the stairs.” I settled in the cool grass next to him.

Greg let out a loud snort.

“It was an accident.” Or at least that’s what I’d tried to convince myself. Over the last few weeks Luke and I had a lot of accidents. I’d come up with a variety of clever ways to camouflage my bumps and bruises but today I hadn’t had time. If The Ridge found out about his temper they would send him away. I was afraid of what he would do without me to support him.

“So are you finally going to admit you’re dating him?” Greg stood up and placed his hand on my shoulder for balance while he stretched his quads.

“We can’t date. The Ridge frowns on fraternizing. We hang out.”I’d lived at the Ridge for four years, since the beginning of eighth grade when my last foster home fell apart.
“Fraternizing? What are you? Like eighty?” Greg was like a brother to me and wasn’t a fan of Luke’s. I didn’t like talking about my relationship status with him.

I shrugged. “That’s their term so it probably came from someone who was eighty.”

“Em, you’ve spent every waking moment with him for the last month and when you’re not with him he’s texting you to find out where you are. That is the definition of dating. Or at least stalking.”

“He’s never kissed me.” I leaned over to stretch my quads, burying my words into my legs.

“What? What did you say?” Greg leaned over and stuck his face next to mine.

“Kissing? We don’t do it. And isn’t that in the definition of dating?” I used my snottiest voice.

“Ever?” he asked exacerbated.

I raised my eyebrows and shrugged.

Greg shook his head back and forth. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”