Luke would typically be your average,teenage boy leading a normal life, despite the fame and popularity his parents and two older siblings have. But in this particular story something doesn't add up.
Read to find out what it is (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞
Anyways this...
The city sprawled out before Luke like a labyrinth, its streets a tangled mess of unfamiliar roads and towering buildings that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky. He had no clear destination, only a scribbled list of phone numbers on a crumpled piece of paper—Zack's among them. His head was still foggy from the medications and the haze of memories that felt more like someone else's dreams than his own. But running away from the hospital had been his only option. He needed answers, and he knew he wouldn't find them in the sterile white walls that had held him captive.
Luke stepped off the bus, his eyes scanning the busy street. The city was alive with people—everyone moving with purpose, knowing where they were going, what they were doing. Except for him. He felt like a ghost, drifting through a world that wasn't his own. He needed to find Zack, the one person who might help him make sense of the chaos in his mind.His first stop was a small diner on the corner, the kind of place where people might still use a payphone. He pushed open the door, the bell above it jingling softly as he entered. The smell of coffee and fried food hit him, and he realized just how hungry he was. But there was no time for that now. He needed to call Zack.
The payphone was tucked away in the back, near the restrooms. Luke fumbled with the coins in his pocket, finally managing to drop a few into the slot. He unfolded the piece of paper and dialed Zack's number, his heart pounding as he waited for the line to connect. It rang. Once. Twice. Three times. Then, a click."Hello?" A voice answered, groggy and unfamiliar.Luke hesitated. What if Zack didn't remember him? What if this number was old, and someone else had it now?"Is this Zack?" Luke asked, his voice trembling slightly.There was a pause, then a sigh. "Who's asking?""It's Luke. Luke Ross. We—we used to be friends....well technically you and my brother Tyler were best friends and I was hoping you would still remember me. You called lil dude sometimes if that helps."Another pause, longer this time. Luke could hear the distant sound of traffic through the receiver, a stark reminder that Zack was out there, somewhere in this vast city."Luke?" The voice was clearer now, more awake. "Is this really you? Where are you?""I don't know," Luke admitted, looking around the diner. "I just got here. I'm... I'm lost, Zack. I need your help."Zack's voice softened. "Stay where you are. I'll come find you. Tell me the name of the place you're at."Luke read the name of the diner from the menu on the counter. "It's called 'Simsation's Diner' on—uh—4th Street.""I know where that is. Stay put, Luke. I'll be there soon."
Luke hung up the phone, a mixture of relief and anxiety settling in his chest. He had found Zack—at least, he hoped it was still the same Zack he remembered. But what would he say? How could he explain everything that had happened, everything he couldn't remember?He took a seat at one of the booths, watching the people outside the window as they passed by. Each one had their own life, their own story, and he wondered if any of them had ever felt as lost as he did now. The minutes dragged on, each one feeling like an hour. Luke's thoughts drifted to his family—his mother, his sister Bridget, his father. What would they do when they realized he was gone? Would they come looking for him? Would they even care? Before he could dwell too long on those thoughts, the bell above the door jingled again, and Luke looked up to see a man in his late twenties, his sandy blonde hair a little longer than Luke remembered, but his face unmistakably Zack's."Luke," Zack said, his voice a mix of surprise and concern as he approached the booth. "You look like hell."Luke couldn't help but laugh, a short, dry sound. "I feel like it, too."Zack slid into the seat across from him, his eyes scanning Luke's face. "I am sorry for not being in contact with you all these years like I said I would, it's just that your brother's death hit me hard and I was taking some time away from everything and everyone. What happened to you, man? Last I heard, you were in some hospital back home. And now you're here?""I ran away," Luke said simply. "I couldn't stay there, Zack. They were keeping things from me—my own father was keeping things from me. I need to know the truth. And I thought... maybe you could help. You said that if I ever need anything I should come to you no matter what it is. I am cashing in that favor now. "Zack leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "You always were a stubborn one, Luke. Wait what do you mean your father was keeping things from you? Things like what?"Luke took in a long deep breath, placing his palms gently on the table and said " He is alive . This whole time he has been alive but kept hidden."Zack hesitated, his expression conflicted. "I mean of course your father is alive...I do not remember getting reports of his sudden death unless you suspected that he was a vampire or something", he said chuckling a little. Luke kept a straight face, staring directly into Zack's eyes, his expression softening with each passing second."No," Zack said as he finally realized who Luke was talking about. "That's impossible. No no no no no....we watched him die. I Literally held him in my arms when he got shot. This is not funny man. I was there when that machine went tuuuuuuuu. You...that is a messed up joke man."
Luke started telling Zack about everything he remembers happening to him from his time at the hospital to the conversation he overheard at the hospital between the doctor and his father. After hearing everything he remained silent , but then he broke the silence ,his expression resolute. " Out of everyone you could have asked for assistance why me? Why come to me and not your sister or very rich mother or any of your friends at this point... Is it because of the " call me if you need anything" part I said at the funeral 4 years ago?". Luke simply smiled at Zack and said " I know about you and my brother. If there is one person I know who would do anything to get another chance to be with him, as person who loved him as much as I did if not more , it would be you Zack. Right now you are the only person I can trust". Zack was taken aback by what Luke had just told him. How could he have possibly known? It was a secret nobody knew about but just the two of them. As though he could read his mind he responded by saying " Oh please ,it was very obvious. You always gave my mother compliments and fashion tips about her outfits all the time and not once did you drool over Bridget like all the other members of the football team. Your bromance was way too strong for it to be just that. Plus I read his diary with details of everything when I found it going through his stuff. He did not like it when I called it a diary though, he called it his book of thoughts . I just went with diary to make him and make fun of him for being such a girly girl ". They both laughed and ordered some food, catching up as they ate .
Luke finally allowed himself to relax, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. He had found Zack, and for the first time in a long while, he felt like he wasn't alone. But the journey ahead was still uncertain, and the truth he sought might be more painful than he was prepared for.As they left the diner together, Luke couldn't help but wonder what the city would reveal—and what it might take away.---Zack McIntire , 28 years old
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