Unknown

Eleanor

Eleanor

My eyes flashed open to darkened trees and the odd mellow light of street lights passing by, I lifted my head off my jacket in confusion and glanced around dazed, the familiar outline of Luke's profile jotted out of the darkness, short honey coloured hair, startling light blue eyes with dark shadows underneath them, his long fingers resting on the steering wheel as he drove. He glanced over at me quickly and smiled.
Luke smiled! Like he was thrilled to see me!

"Hey you're finally awake" He muttered his husky voice meeting my ears. "How about we find a rest stop along the way and have a chat"

"Luke! What on earth are you doing? You're meant to be in Melbourne"

"Eleanor how in this world could you possibly believe I would be happier without you!"

"I-"

"You've had me worried sick! I've been driving for two days...Like it or not Eleanor, I care about you. Aiden, Brad, Col they care about you too. That argument wasn't just your fault it was mine also"

"I'm a horrible person..." I muttered

"Eleanor...No why would you think that" Luke stated his voice calm and gentle.

I gripped the glove box in front of me, the world was shaking, walls closing in I struggled to catch my breath. Luke voice sounded like it was at the other end of a tunnel.

"El?"

"Luke stop the car! I need to get out of the car!" I screamed my voice cracking. "I need to..."

"Ella" Luke voice sounded startled.

Luke pulled over abruptly, the car bumped along the side of the highway as it hit long grass and dirt coming to a slow stop. I flung off my seatbelt, opening the door and fell out of the car into the grass vomiting. "Geez El" Luke muttered, I heard his door open before I could protest.

I was on my hands and knees sobbing into the dirt. I felt Luke lean down beside me, rubbing my back in a soothing manner. "Shh! Ellie you're okay" He muttered voice reassuring. "Oh hey...El...Shh. You're okay sweetheart"

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I questioned. Luke laughed slightly.

"Because I'm only nice to the people I care about and you're lucky once upon a time I was a jerk to everyone"

I let out a laugh wiping away my tears.

I knew that this conversation between Luke and I was a tiny, tiny step towards re-connecting as friends but I also knew that I didn't deserve a friend like Luke Harris.

...

Melbourne

Luke and I landed in Melbourne around two in the afternoon heading straight from the domestic airport through the sprawls of the city and straight to the recording studio.

A small brick building hidden behind three massive skyscrapers with its own courtyard that was at least a small 15minute walk from the nearest takeaway or café.

Inside the small lobby was cluttered with amps and instruments, I walked down the hallway following the sound of Aiden's loud voice seeing Luke look behind him, his eyes meeting mine, we never spoke much on the plane.
I felt like we were still processing the events of the awkward road trip, the fact that Luke and the others cared about me frightened me. I wasn't youse to being taken care. "You take care of yourself because god knows I won't" I still could hear Uncle George speaking to me when I was fifteen whatever love my parents had installed in me, vanished with any comment George made. All he ever did was lower my self-esteem and made me despise the person I was and that truly hurt. Then I slowly found friendship and a new family with Luke, Aiden, Colin and Brad.