Pill By Pill {Muke}

15 - Give It

Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. ~Arnold Schwarzenegger

Luke's POV

"Do you feel better?" Michael asked as we sat in his - actually Ashton's - house. I nodded and shrugged at the same time and Michael nodded in response. "What happened? What did you do?"

"I guess I made him mad?" I shrugged. "I-I told him that I didn't want to go back out with him and he flipped."

"I could have told you that would've happened." Michael said. "I knew something bad would happen, but no. Just don't listen to me. Instead just come running when you need me. That's all I'm here for right?"

"You're making it seem like I'm a horrible person and I'm doing you some great injustice." I snarled.

"You are." Michael replied. "You come to me when you want help, or when you need me to make sure you don't get your butt kicked. And then you just walk away after that. You want nothing to do with me."

"C-Can I just go stand outside, just for a second?" I asked. Michael rolled his eyes and nodded. I stood up and walked outside. Sitting on the stairs I pulled a cigarette out of my pocket and I lit it, putting it to my mouth I blew the smoke into the sky.

I hoped these killed me, life was way too complicated a this point. Maybe I could try heroine and just overdose on it. That was a hardcore drug and none of us ever dared to inject something into our veins. It was like we had a list of rules, to keep us from becoming too far out of hand. Kind of like a system.

"I figured you would be out here smoking." Michael said as he opened the door.

"Are you surprised?" I asked. "I'm Luke Hemmings, it's just what I do."

"Smoking is bad for you."

"Oh really?" I rolled my eyes.

"I don't need the attitude." Michael said as he sat down next to me. I held out the cigarette to him. "What?"

"Would you like to try it?" I asked.

"So I can die like you will?" Michael replied. "Sorry, not a chance."

"Maybe you'll get more enjoyment dying like your parents did." I said as I blew out smoke from the side of my mouth.

"Luke.." Michael mumbled. "That was a low shot."

"Yeah I'm just trying to get you to finally not want anything to do with me. It might make matters easier." I said.

"Why? I just saved you from Kody!" Michael snapped.

"Well at this point, I would rather be dead!" I snapped back. "Alright? I'm alone, and sad, and going nowhere! I'm nothing but an idiot who smokes and drinks in his free time! I'm nothing!"

"You're not alone, you have friends!" Michael replied.

"Skarlet kicked me out of her house this morning! Sammy turned his back on me! Riley had never liked me! Barbie, Axel and Karla will just follow suit because it's what they do!" I stood up off the steps and stomped out my cigarette.

"I'm right here!" Michael said, standing up at as well. "Why do you keep doing that!? You push me away but when you need something you come running straight back, I'm not here to play your games Luke!"

"Because I want my life to be normal!" I yelled. "I didn't want to get ignored by my parents, I didn't want an abusive relationship, I didn't want to do drugs in the first place! I wanted to be like everyone else!"

"No one is the same. We all have what makes us different and we all have our stories." Michael said.

"Well what do you do when you're story is written in a book that's gone through a house fire and has water damage!? It's a pretty damn unusable book at that point. You touch it and it just rips apart!" I snapped.

"Why are you being so bitter? I'm trying to help you!" Michael replied. "I want to help you!"

"This isn't a pity party, I didn't want to have your pity! I wanted you to care!" I yelled. I let out a sigh, ran a hand through my hair and lowered my voice. "There's a difference between people looking at you and thinking 'I feel bad for that kid.' And when people think. 'I like that kid because he's nice, and smart, and funny and just a good friend all around.'"

"I never said I felt bad for you." Michael said. "Besides, can't I think that you're a good person and still feel bad for you? Why can't I do both?"

"Because then you treat me like a child, just like everyone else and we have to realize that I'm not a child! I'm old enough to take care of myself and people need to treat me like that. But they don't." I said. "To everyone it's just 'oh guys it's Luke so lets behave. Don't let him do this, this or that. And don't say that or this to him.'"

"I haven't done any of that to you, so you should at least be able to stop pinning other people's crimes against me." Michael said. "Your friends all care for you. Why do you think that Sammy stood up for you, huh? Or Skarlet and Barbie. They did too. Karla chasing after Kody trying to stop him. Why can't instead of just looking at what everyone does wrong, look at what they do right. You can't appreciate what's being given to you."

"This is where you don't understand." I said as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I gave up everything for Kody. I now have a drug problem, a group of trash friends, and a guy who wants to kill me because I don't like him anymore. I gave up all of that, so there's nothing left for me."

"But, you gave up Kody to have your friends back." Michael said. "You did that to get them back, and that's all they wanted. They don't want to hurt you. You're acting like everyone is out to get you, or that no one really wants you here. That's not the case at all." Michael sighed as he took a step closer to me. "Look, I didn't start this whole trifle just for you to become miserable. I did it because I didn't like the way you and Kody were together. He never committed to you and it felt like everyday you came into school looking worse and worse."

"Why the hell do you care?" I asked.

"Am I not allowed to?"

"You are but why would you?"

"Cause I saw the good in you," Michael said. "Sometimes people like to take something beautiful and hide it away from the rest of the world. You have to have the strength to walk in the sun. And you don't have it." Michael paused. "I want to help you have it."

AUTHOR'S NOTIFICATION; Ariana

That reference to 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' though. xD I thought it was cute leave me alone.