Amarantine ☆ LRH (coming soon)

Chapter One

Chapter One

Evangeline Winters

The details of a party taking place over the weekend didn't seem to pull me out of my constant state of daydreaming. The guest list of what seemed to be my entire high school seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Following the familiar sidewalks of Montecito was enough to keep me in a daydream and keep my best friend Lilli drowned out as she explained how she just dying to see our old classmates as if we didn't see them a week ago during our graduation.

I was partially listening to the rant Lilli was going on about, I picked up on the basics of what she was saying, like how the party was being held at Ashton Irwin's place as most parties were, he and his friends are throwing what they called a 'rager' to celebrate the newly graduated class. Which made no sense to me as they are a few years older than us.

I had heard enough and decided to immerse myself into the silly little scenarios I constantly made up in my mind. I couldn't take my eyes off the city I was born and raised in as it whipped past the car window. Something about Montecito and its coziness comforted me, reminding me of childhood, reminded me of Eli. That's the reason I chose to stay in California for University, there's no way I could move to another state or even country and continue to remember him.

"EVA" Lilli yells as she had been trying to get my attention for nearly the entire car ride but instead chose to live in my headspace.

"WHAT" I respond matching her volume and pitch as I stared into piercing blue as she turns to face me, analyzing the expression on my face. "Hey, eyes on the road !" I yell at her not wanting to get into a car crash on our way to the dance studio.

"Sorry! You're right" Lilli says snapping her head back to face the long twisting roads of Montecito. "But have you been listening to a word of what I've been saying the past thirty minutes we've been in the car" there was a hint of defeat in her voice, as she probably thinks I wasn't listening to her at all. This isn't necessarily true, I just listen and pick up on the parts I wanted to.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I was listening to you" I say, which came off a lot ruder than had intended it to. "Ashton and his idiot friends are throwing a graduation party for our class and everyone's gonna be there and you want to go. Am I missing anything?'

"Ok yay, you were listening," Lilli says through the grin that's always plastered across her face. "But I was asking if you wanted to go because I really don't feel like going by myself"

"Sure, why the hell not," I reply with a hint of excitement in my voice. I've never really been a big partyer, I enjoy people and being social, but dancing with a bunch of sweaty high schoolers who are either drunk of their asses or high on whatever drug they could get their hands on is not something that I like to part take in. Living in Montecito I knew that this party was going to be full of trust fund kids who have no desire to do anything with their lives except blow their parent's money, but it's also going to be worth thousands.

"Are you sure ?" Lilli asks sounding confused from my response "Luke and his friends are gonna be there, and you can't stand them"

"Considering it's happening at Ashton's I kinda figured the rest of them were going to be there. Also, I've grown up with your brother and his idiot friends since the first grade I can deal with them for one night." I state plainly, knowing that I could always avoid them during the party and wasn't that big of a deal that the boys were going to be there. "Plus Micheal's back from college and he's a part of that friend group as much as I wish he weren't, I wanna see him it's been months".

"Ok! I'll pick you up on Saturday at nine then?" Lilli asks, occasionally glancing over at me waiting for me to answer as I nod my head yes. "Maybe this party will finally be the night you and Luke will stop pretending to hate each other and actually act on the sexual tension!"

As soon as I hear the name fall off her lips, almost as if it were a reflex I scoff and roll my eyes.

Ever since I met her, Lilli has always wanted me to date her older brother Luke. She always says that if the two of us get together and everything works out that we finally get be sisters. When I was younger I wanted nothing more than to be sisters with my best friend but as I got to know Luke Hemmings the last thing I wanted was to be one of the girls he brought home.

"I don't understand why you're so hell-bent on setting me up with your brother," I say in annoyance "We're not in a fanfic. I'm not going to live out the 'Dating my best friend's brother trope Lilli".

"I know we're not living in a fairytale Eva, and that you and Luke probably won't ever work out but you won't even give it a chance," she responds sounding almost desperate.

"Fine," I say with a devilish grin on my face knowing she's not going to expect what I say next

"I'll go for my best friend's brother. IF you go for your brother's best friend"

"Which one? There's a few..." Lilli quickly responds not being phased by my previous statement which throws me for a loop because I thought for sure she'd say no.

"Calum," I say, staring at her in the diver seat to see if the expression on her face would change "You've had a crush on him for pretty much your entire life" but once again my statement does not seem to have any effect on her.

"Deal," she says as she turns her head just to face me and give me a wink.

"FUCK" I groan "I did not expect you to say yes"

"Which is why I said it," Lilli says almost under her breath "I knew you would not give Luke the time of day unless someone else had to 'suffer' too. And going after Calum is something I've wanted to do since the third grade," she says with a blush creeping up her face,

Seeing Lilli pine over Calum for the past ten-plus years has been one of the most wholesome things I have ever experienced. Something that started off as a childhood crush has grown into true love and admiration for her brother's best friend. That is exactly why she hasn't done anything about it; Lilli loved Luke more than anything. They had a bond that no other siblings have, and their relationship is truly something special and something I'm envious of, considering I became an only child recently.

"Ok," I say very softly, to the point where it almost sounds like a sigh. " I guess it's time I start dating Luke Hemmings..."

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:)