gravity // luke hemmings

one

song for chapter: midnight city // m83

" No, you are so wrong! The original is way better! Queen Bey rules all! " I argued, holding my head in my hands.

" You sound like a twelve year old, oh my gosh. You probably only listen to the stupid music on the radio, my friend, you don't know what real music is. "

" What about you and your all time lows, chemical romances, panicking at discos, 182 blinks, rolling rocks, oh, the list goes on! " I laughed as I shuffled the names of the bands I remembered him mentioning just to annoy him.

" Did you just? " he trailed off.

" I win! You lo-- " I sung like a 5-year-old.

" Okay, okay, okay! You are so,  definitely twelve, " he chuckled with his hands up in surrender.

" Admit that Beyoncé was better or I'll throw my milkshake on you! " I laughed, picking up my milkshake and waving it around threateningly.

" Shut up! " he laughed, shaking his head, " we are not fighting over Beyoncé's song and John Mayer's cover of it. "

" Fine, fine, " I laughed and sipped my smoothie as I gave him the thumbs up.

" John Mayer's was bett-- "

" Luke! " I shouted, as the remains of my milkshake were launched into the air, straight at the boy across the table from me.

And that's how I got kicked out of a diner with a boy I'd just met at a Coldplay concert called Luke before going on a mini adventure with him.
Wait, wait, wait, let me go back to where the adventure really started.

-

I could feel the bass vibrating through my bones and the music ringing through my ears. There were sweaty bodies all around me yet I felt like the only one there, I was sort of in my own world. The tune to Yellow was the only thing I could hear as Coldplay were performing on stage a few metres away from me.
Was I at a concert? Yes.
Did my parents know? No.
I know what you're thinking, ' rebel child! Someone call the cops! ' I'm actually quite a well behaved child, my parents are just never around to see it. As great as the whole concert scenario may sound, my head was beginning to feel a little sore from all the loud music and the smell of sweat in the air of a confined space wasn't doing it any justice. Told you it wasn't all that great. Coldplay's set only had a few more minutes left anyway so I decided to go get a bottle of water before the queue became massive. I started to weave my way in between screaming fans towards the back of the stadium but while I was doing so, I accidentally stood on someone's foot.

I looked up at the person - a boy who seemed about my age - in front of me, " shoot, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to step on your foot, I was just going to get a drink and it's hard to walk through so many people, " I shouted over the music.

He laughed lightly at my apologetic words, " hey, it's fine, it is quite a small space. I might go get a drink too, mind if I come with? " he shouted equally as loud back at me.

" No, of course I don't mind, uh, let's go, " I laughed awkwardly, pushing a few dark hairs behind my ear, not really knowing what else to say. He nodded and I smiled then continued walking. The crowd was much thinner down the back so it wasn't too hard to get around everyone.

I reached the vending machines lined up next to each other at the back of the stadium within a minute and hummed along with the music as I quickly turned around to make sure the tall boy was still there. He was a couple of metres back so he jogged up next to me as I stood behind a queue of only two people.

" Well, now I know what it feels like to be claustrophobic, " he chuckled, taking off his what-I-could-now-tell-was-red flannel and wrapping it around his waist. I could see him better now that there weren't flashing lights everywhere but dim fluorescent ones instead. The boy had pale blue eyes, dirty blonde hair and defined facial features, the lights that were playing shadow on his face making this more obvious.

I dropped my eyes to his chest so I wouldn't be so obviously staring at him, " I like your shirt! The offspring? " I asked, trying to strike a conversation bout a band I was not familiar with.

He smiled, " yeah! Thanks, " before stepping forward to where the people in front of us had been. As he stepped in front of me, I noticed there was writing on the back of his shirt too.

" Oh, my god, " I laughed, standing next to the boy and watching him punch the buttons on the side of the vending machine before it started making noises.

" What? " he asked as he leaned down to grab two water bottles that had just dropped to the bottom of the vending machine.

" I like the - uh - your shirt, " I smiled.

" You already said that, " he said, furrowing his eyebrows still with the bottles in his hands.

I leant forward a bit, " I meant the back, " I said quieter than before as he began to smile.

" Oh, " he laughed.

See, what was so amusing was the fact that the front of his shirt seemed like a regular band shirt but the back had a whole line of cuss words.

He handed a water bottle to me after he finished speaking. " Oh, you didn't have to, I could've bought my own, " I smiled, slowly taking the drink from him.

" I know, but I bought it for you anyway, " he spoke before walking over to a bench next to the vending machines.

I stood in front of him after he sat down, " well, thank you? " I dragged the ' o ' and made it sound like a question implying I wasn't sure of his name.

" It's Luke, I'm Luke, " he smiled brightly, unscrewing the lid of his bottle.

" Thank you, Luke. "

" You're welcome? " he copied my actions, also wanting a name.

I sat next to him, " it's Olivia, I'm Olivia. "

" You're welcome, Olivia. "
We laughed at how we copied each other before I sighed, leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes with the cool bottle making my hands slippery.

I could almost have fallen asleep right there and then; I was so worn out from the concert and the sound of a live band was strangely calming even though there was also a bunch of screaming going on.

" Thank you for an amazing show tonight, guys! We have been Coldplay and this is our final song, Paradise! " shouted a pumped Chris as the song began.

I opened my eyes and looked up at Luke who was already looking at me, " do you wanna go somewhere? " he asked, his voice barely audible over the concert and his eyes darting everywhere awkwardly.

I gave him a weird look, " sorry, if I gave you the wrong impression, I'm not looking for sex. "

Luke quickly elaborated, " don't flatter yourself, " he laughed, " not that, sorry, I mean, let's go hang out or something, you seem cool. "

I narrowed my eyes hesitantly, " but I hardly know you. "

Luke shrugged, " I hardly know you either, but trust me, I'm not a creepy guy who's gonna attack you. I'm pretty sure we're the same age anyway, it makes sense to be friends. "

I laughed and shrugged as well, standing up and heading towards the exit with Luke right behind me.