A Familiar Face // Luke Hemmings

Aisles.

Elena tightly gripped the steering wheel of her 2018 Ford Fusion, sitting in the parking lot of the worn-out brick pharmacy. The tinted windows provided her a sense of relief from the anxiety she was enduring. She was only about three miles from the house that she shared with her lover, Cody.

The two had been together since her first year of university and met in the commons where students could go to get food. Cody was a fraternity brother, someone that Elena told herself she would never get involved with. She felt that frat members were nothing but assholes who wore backward hats, and spent their Friday nights looking for a decent hookup... or two.

When she met Cody, she thought that he was different. All the way up to her heart, a burning fire would rise in her stomach when he would place a hand on her waist. He brought her to all of his parties, showing her off like she was a shiny new toy. His shiny new toy.

She only got to meet his parents a few times, despite four years of a serious relationship. Elena noticed that the way Cody's father treated his mother was off... she seemed a little too cautious around him. It was like his mother was walking on broken glass, petrified of which step would send a shard through her foot. She tensed under his alarming touch, and her breath hitched quietly when she spoke.

Although Elena never necessarily saw anything going on behind the scenes, it only took her a few years to understand why Mrs. Olsen was always so nervous around her husband.
    
Now sharing a home in the rainy climate of Seattle, Washington, Cody became violent. He would become compelled with such animosity when Elena would spill something. He would throw glasses on the stained tile of the kitchen floor, forcing her to pick up the pieces one by one until her hands were sopping wet with a substance that Elena knew all too well, her own blood. If she didn't pick up the pieces, he would hit her.
    
Cody was smart, strategically planting bruises in particular areas that wouldn't be shown to the public. Elena's ribs, hips, and heart were painted with purple and blue splotches all over. Her tongue was littered with "I'm sorry's", and her ears were drowning in broken promises.
    
Elena grew up in Seattle, and she became accustomed to the rain. It comforted her, even still when she needed to escape from her reality. She hated where she was, stuck with a man who used and then broke her time and time again when he was no longer interested. No matter how much he would love bomb her, she knew that he was only still with her to keep her quiet. Cody knew she had nowhere to go. Her mother and father had moved to Florida years prior. They're children were old enough to live on their own, and they wanted a change from the rain Washington brought.

Elena had an older sister as well, Kaelyn... but she moved around a lot. She had a loving husband and two beautiful children who were relatively calm. Kaelyn had always loved visiting new places, so Elena understood why she moved in and out so frequently.
   
Shutting the engine off, Elena took one last heavy breath. She knew she had to run in, grab her item, and leave quickly so she could make it home before Cody.
    
She stood in the aisle lined with diapers, wipes, and condoms, ironic. She glanced at the ever-changing time plastered on her phone, 3:21. She had well over an hour to prepare for the storm. The storm wasn't going to be Cody's every day rage, at least not today.
    
Today, Elena had to focus on taking this pregnancy test, and then moving forward with what to do when she had her test results.

"Why are there so many different kinds?" The blonde girl thought to herself, biting down on her lower lip softly. Her eyes scanned the shelves worriedly, brimming with early result tests; digital tests; short sticked tests; cheap tests; expensive tests; red ink tests; blue ink tests. It was all too much for her brain to handle.
    
"Maybe I should just wait for now, just a day or two." Elena spoke quietly to herself, urging her brain to not get any more overwhelmed than it already was.

Stepping back from the intimidating shelf, the small girl felt herself bump into something hard, assuming it was the opposite shelf.

"Jeez, these aisles are tinier than they used to be." she whispered softly to what she thought was herself.

A small chuckle could be heard from the shelf.

Shelves don't talk.

Elena whipped around, "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry," she stuttered awkwardly, "I didn't notice you behind me."

The tall man let out another small chuckle, a chuckle that was gentle and familiar.

A dying Australian accent was heard shortly after the laugh, "You're all good, I guess I am pretty sneaky."

Elena recalled the accent, she knew it from somewhere... but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Yeah, I apologise again." The blonde girl looked down, refusing to look up at the menacing figure. All she knew was that he was tall, extremely tall, and Australian.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" The man asked softly, his accent still prominent as he looked down at the nervous girl.

She looked up, ashamed of the aisle she was caught in, and what lingered behind her on the shelves. The mans blonde hair and blue eyes were extremely familiar, the same blonde hair and blue eyes that Elena would see on the news and social media.

"Luke Hemmings." she smiled, feeling her anxiety rush out of her body through her fingertips.

"Elena Mack," Luke reciprocated. "It's been a while, yeah?"

"Talk about a while, you were supposed to call when you got to Australia." She crossed her arms, as if she was still angry that she never received the phone call.

Lifting his phone and shaking it lightly, Luke's lips formed a familiar childhood smile. "It wouldn't let me call without a charge, you know my mum would throw an absolute fit if she saw that on the bill."

Elena laughed softly, "How come you're back in Seattle?"

"Ah, my bandmates and I just got off a world tour." Elena was aware that Luke was in a band, she saw them plastered everywhere throughout the years. "I was getting tired of San Francisco, and decided it would be a breath of fresh air if I came back to Seattle."

"I understand, I came back after going to Santa Barbara for college." The smaller girl explained. Luke glanced behind Elena, noticing what she was at the pharmacy for. His heart immediately dropped, and he felt it beating irregularly in his stomach.

"Are you trying?" He asked, although he immediately regretted it the moment the word's escaped his lips. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound a certain way... I just assumed you're probably married by now and are ready for kids—"

"—No, Luke. It's okay." Elena smiled wholeheartedly, understanding that he didn't mean anything harmful by his words. "I do have a boyfriend, we met in college... but no we are not trying. Just a little scare is all, I want to be safe."

"Oh, I see now." He nodded, "Well, I just came to get shaving razors. My stubble is getting unmanageable." The girl noticed the pack of razors in his free hand.

Sad to say goodbye, her smile faded. "Yeah of course, I'll see you around?"

"Well I'm not just gonna walk away," the Australian grinned, "could I possibly get your new number? Surely it isn't the same. I would like to stay in touch." He placed his phone in her hand, and the screen gleamed with the empty contact.

"It definitely did change," she laughed, punching her phone number in. "Text me?"

"Wouldn't forget!" Luke continued to beam as the girl gently placed his phone on his hand.

He sauntered away, his long figure becoming smaller as he became further away, leaving Elena in a comfortable silence.

However, nothing lasts forever, and nothing stays the same. Her gray skies returned once more and she was clouded with numbness. She bought the pregnancy test and left the pharmacy, reflecting on the reunion that occurred only minutes prior.