Self-Destruction • Luke Hemmings

Chapter 16

"The beach? Really." I sigh, Luke's smile doesn't falter.

"We're only halfway to where I actually want to go." He corrected. Oddly enough, the beach was empty.

"Where are we going?" I groan, but he remains silent.

We walk along the wall between the path and the sand. I just look at the line where the sun and the sea meet, I remember my mum, who was an avid painter, that her dream was to recreate that line. I think of all of her half finished paintings that she'd promised herself she'd finish. It kinda shows how as much as we plan for the future, our lives could end at any moment, that's why I like to live in the present.

"What are you thinking?" Luke asks, I didn't realise I had practically stood still staring at where the sun and the sea met.

"No, it's stupid." I sigh, continuing to walk.

"I doubt it." He replied. I turned to look at him. He was smiling at me, a small smile but his dimple still showed, the way he was facing te sun made his blue eyes look the exact colour of the ocean before me. I tear away from his gaze.

"Just thinking of my mum, I guess." I reply curtly.

"I know Bess isn't your mum, because otherwise you wouldn't be British, so who's Bess to you?" He asks.

"My aunt." I reply, kicking a stone as I move my feet.

"Oh. What happened to your parents?" He questions.

"Mums dead, don't know about my dad." I half lie. He nods, and I'm glad he doesn't say anything like 'I'm sorry' because that's all everyone seems to be saying.

"We're here." He says. I blink at the sight before me, it's a metal gate, with a sign reading 'trespassers will be fined' on it.

"Aesthetics." I joke. He grins, lifting up a part of the metal fence, meaning I can climb through the small gap. He follows.

"What is this?" I frown. We were at a beach one minute, and now we're in a forest, at least it feels like a forest.

"It says we'll be fined." I comment, when he refuses to answer my question.

"Well I'm not going to let something like the law stop me from having fun." He grinned. I follow him through the underbrush, and gasp when I see the view.

I'm not one to admire views, but this was perfect, we were on top of a cliff, overlooking the sea, in the distance I could make out the town, everything just looked so perfect and fitting. This is the exact scene my mum would paint.

"I saw you angry, and knew you'd want to see this." Luke shrugs, sitting down on top of the grass, I follow his actions, prior to this I pull out a cigarette and light it, inhaling the toxins.

"It's amazing. How did you find this place?" I wonder, not expecting him to reply.

"I was really mad, this girl was spreading rumours about me, that I'd hit her, or some shit." His fist clenches slightly, and I can't help but feel intimidated by this unconscious action, but I continue listening to his explanation. "So I was just walking. And then I saw that fence and I just knew I had to climb it, so I did, and I followed the path, and came to here. The sight somehow calmed me down, I don't know why, it's just so peaceful." He says, I nod, turning towards the landscape.

He is right, there is something calming about this.

"Why did you bring me here, then?" I question, as much as I would like to know his side of the story about the girl, I haven't know Luke long, so I can't put anything past him. I need him to trust me.

"You looked like you needed it." He half smiles. I nod curtly.

This is like one of the paintings my mother would create. Everything looking perfect, and still, and just like it belonged. I felt out of place, watching everyone go about their day to day lives, while I sit at the top of a cliff, wearing a green day t-shirt and smoking.

"Why were you at my house, anyway?" I ask suddenly.

"I live literally across the road, and was bored." He shrugs, looking uncomfortable.

"Oh. I didn't know." I reply, looking out at the view.

"Lets play 2 truths one lie." Luke grins.

"Are we 12? But sure, whatever." I shrug.

"Okay... My favourite film is titanic...I can click with all my fingers...and....my favourite animal is a penguin." He grins.

"How can you click with all fingers? That's impossible. That's the lie." I say confidently, his grin gets even wider, then he clicks with each of his fingers.

"What? I can't even click with one finger!" I exclaim.

"I've actually never seen titanic. Your turn." He laughs.

"Your kidding! Okay, this is the only country I've ever been to, apart from England, I'm a virgin and I've never been in a relationship." I say quickly.

"Your a virgin?" He asks, his face looking slightly hesitant.

"Nope. I've never been in a relationship." I grin, that I've beat him.

"What! Never?" He exclaims, I shake my head.

"Why?" He asks,

"I guess I had commitment issues?" I wonder. I remember this boy telling me he liked me in year 8, when I was 13, and he was attractive and all, I just didn't want to be in a relationship.

"And I'm just going to skip the fact your not a virgin, because it doesn't matter." Luke laughs awkwardly.

"But the way you were moving your hips last night sort of confirmed that you weren't." He winked, I laugh out loud at his lame effort at flirting.

"Oh my god, never wink again." I laugh, and he grins.

"Your turn." I say, and we continue playing two truths, one lie.