Another Life (Sequel to Toxic) - Luke Hemmings

Chapter 7

"Yeah, we literally had to jump out a window to get out." Calum laughed, recounting the night of the party when I ran to warn them that the cops where there. Somehow the conversation at lunch shifted to nonsense party stories, and everyone was now laughing as we looked back at that night.

"Izz had some crazy sixth sense for the cops." Sophie added in, making me roll my eyes.

"I don't know how any of you didn't stop to think it was cop bait. There was a guy screaming at cars on the front lawn." I chuckled.

"Seriously? Doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that wasn't the place to be." Val joked.

"Thank you!" I raised my hands up, finally having someone who agreed that it was obvious.

The tension was finally starting to wear away, almost resembling how things used to be before everything happened. It was nice to all sit at the same table without being at each other's throats, and I couldn't tell if our issues were finally starting to ice over, or if maybe it was just a show for Val. God knows we'd already caused enough scenes in this dining hall, the main one being the fist fight right outside just last week.

"I don't remember it being that crazy." Mike pointed out, smiling at me the slightest bit. It just made me miss him, the way he was looking at me like nothing in the last month affected our friendship.

"You were also drunk before we even got there, if I'm remembering correctly." I chuckled, shooting him a playful glare.

"You tried to stop me from selling. And I was too arrogant to accept the fact that you were right." Luke said, smirking ever so much. He looked a little amused at the thought of that memory, but I couldn't understand why. That was also the night he laid into me the first time, and then promptly rushed out of my room to go to a fight club.

"You've always been arrogant." I said quietly. It wasn't as much of a dig than me just pointing it out. I think he gathered that though, since he chuckled at my words. I looked up when I heard it, and for a second we looked at each other without any animosity.

"You are an arrogant bastard." Ashton giggled from across the table, quickly breaking Luke and I out of the short staring match we found ourselves in. Luke looked up at him with playful distaste, making pretty much everyone at the table, including me, laugh.

"Not anymore. Nope... I'm a changed man." Luke said, shaking his head. He sounded like he was still kidding around like we all had been, but after he said it he turned his gaze back to me. It was obvious that he said that one for me, but I didn't believe him even if he was joking.

"Are you though?" Mike asked, keeping the same playful tone as everyone else. But, the way he was looking at Luke made it seem like he was trying to egg him on.

"I'll believe it when I see it." I interjected. It wasn't because I wanted to make a comment about it, but because Mike's comment needed to be forgotten.

"Shit. I gotta go. My roommate just found my dildo and I don't want her fucking touching it." Val cursed as she abruptly shot up from her seat. We all turned to her in shock while she looked back with a straight face. I don't think any of us were used to someone talking so freely, but it honestly made me laugh.

"Take back what's yours." I encouraged, nodding her off as she waved good bye to everyone. No sooner than she was gone did everyone start to pack up. I really didn't want to go back to my room though, so when I walked with everyone out of the dining hall I started to break away.

"I don't wanna sit in my room all afternoon. I'm just going to go to the library for a while." I told the group, watching as they all spun around.

"Wanna get dinner?" Sophie asked, still on her way to the dorms but now stepping slowly backwards so she could face me.