3 Strikes~Calum Hood A.U.

Chapter 12

|Julie|

I woke up on Luke's couch, except without Luke there. I reached around the couch to grab my phone from the side table, but almost ended up dropping it due to the immense amount of pain that shot through my hands when I put pressure on them.

Gosh was Luke right when he said that I was going to bruise me hands. I have a giant bruise on my right hand, and a smaller one on my left. I was not expecting that. At all.

I was able to get my phone though, and the time was 10:37, wow did I sleep late. Luke must have left for school, but he did send me a message, hopefully explaining on why he left me here.

Noodle: Sorry I left you home J. Mom made me go to school, but I left you some sweats on the coffee table. Your free to anything in the kitchen, like always. And your free to do whatever in my room.

Blondie: Ok noodles, ill probably go lay down in your room for a little while if that's okay. Do you know if my house is locked?

Noodle: Yea its locked, your Mom forgot to put the key outside before she left, something about an emergency at the hospital and that'd she be back later.

Blondie: Kk, are you going down to the field to play today?

Noodle: No, I would but Benny's still pissed, and even more since I told him what happened.

Blondie:Omfg you told him? How'd he react?

Noodle: Well.....

Noodle: He may not be talking to me right now. And,

Noodle: I may have a bruise from where he punched me in the stomach.

That text the Luke had sent me meant alot, because Benny had promised me that he would never hit Luke again, ever. Even if something very bad happened. Like I knew that it happened among st boys, but I never wanted to be the reason for it.Because, just like in baseball when Benny hit, he hit hard.

Blondie: I'm going to kill him.

Noodle: No your not.

Blondie: Yea I am.

Noodle: No, your not.

Noodle: I've gotta get to class, go lay down with an ice pack Julie, Ill see you later.

And that was Luke's way of getting out of this conversation, because we all know he didn't want to have it. But he was right, I should really lay off the texting and go lay down. So I headed up to the kitchen to go grab my ice pack. On my way there couldn't help but look at the pictures hanging on the walls, they've always been there, but there so funny.

One of Luke and his brothers with Molly, the Hemmings family dog, who at the moment was curled up on her bed in the corner. They all looked the same, just like different ages of the same person.

then there was the picture of Luke and Jack, at what looks like a family barbecue, having a water balloon fight. It was an amazing picture, Liz must have always been good with the camera. I finally made it over to the fridge, grabbing an ice pack and heading upstairs to Luke's room.

I got in his room, the familiar smell of Luke hitting me. Luke well, his room didn't smell as bad as other teenage boys, but it wasn't the best. Thank god he kept his baseball stuff in the garage, because that stuff stunk to high heavens.

I looked around at the many pictures strung around his room, and couldn't help but have a smile on my face. There was the picture that liz had taken of us years ago, down at what was then the sandlot. We all looked so happy, with our gloves on, and dirty knees from sliding to bases. God ill never forget those days.

Then there was one of Luke and I from last year, that Liz must have snapped during a game. It was taken when Luke had been giving me one of his famous pre game talks. I had my helmet on, and Luke's face was pressed up against the chain link fence.

There was one more that caught my eye, I feel like I've never seen it before. It was in a frame all on its own on Luke's dresser. it was a pic of me and him years ago playing catch. God was he a lot shorter than he is now.

All these pictures made me think back to the way things used to be, and how much easier it was for all of us. I miss it so so much. And as I played down onto Luke's bed, pulling a blanket over me I realized. Even though I've had so many people come and go in my life, Ill always have Luke.