MIRRORBALL ; QUINN HUGHES

Twenty one

im sure we're taller in another dimension
you say we're small and not worth the mention

white ferrari; frank ocean

TATE

LUKE FLICKERED his stern gaze between Quinn and I. "No, no. You're....you're what? Tate."

My silence was his answer, his brother's guilty face was his answer. Luke placed his fingers over his lips, a range of emotions taking over as his chair scrapped against the concrete.

"Luke." I finally spoke, my voice cracking. "Luke, please. Just let me explain."

I was now chasing after him as he fled into the house, my begs echoing as he paused, stopping in the living room. His body spun around to face me, I had never seen Luke this angry before.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Tate?" Luke narrowed his eyes at me. "How could you do this? You did this shit behind my back?"

"I was going to tell you, I swear." I tried to present my side, making no excuse for myself. "I wanted too-we wanted too."

Luke placed his hand up, shaking his head rapidly. "You guys are a 'we'? How long has this being going on for?"

"We started dating this summer." I admitted, the anger in his face turning into hurt. "But, Luke, I've been in love with Quinn since I first met him."

I wanted Luke to understand, I didn't know how. I knew Luke had never been in love the way I was. Luke had never loved someone like they were oxygen.

"I fucked up, I know." I added. "It's unforgivable, but, Luke please just try and understand."

"Understand?" Luke clenched his jaw, staring at me with disgust. "Understand that you went behind my back and started dating my brother? After all of these years of me telling you not to do that? Yeah, Tate..."

I knew I wasn't winning this. "It's not that easy!"

"You only care about Quinn!" Luke argued, his face flushed red. "You clearly didn't think about how I would feel."

"Says you." I shot back, crossing my arms over my chest. "You told Quinn to be a dick to me all summer! You don't care about how I feel when it comes to him."

Luke ran a frustrated hand through his tight curls, green eyes filled with rage. "I did that to protect you. You don't know Quinn like I do. He's my fucking brother, Tate."

"I do know him." I protested.

The side of Quinn I knew was equivalent to keeping him on a pedestal, every flaw he had was gone in my mind.

"No, you don't." Luke accentuated his words. "The second the season starts back up, what do you think he is going to do? Once he's in the game, Tate, he doesn't care about anyone else. He just got named captain for fucks sakes! You're here now, that's why he's being like this. He dosent care about you."

I could feel the tears building in my eyes as his words shot down to my heart. Quinn and I hadn't talked about our future outside of the lake house, after all, I'd be back at school and he'd be miles away in Vancouver. 

"Everything that I've done was to protect you from getting your feelings hurt." Luke swallowed, "and you went behind my back and did it anyways. That's what hurts, Tate."

I realized in that moment, that I focused on how angry Luke would be when he found out. I didn't pay much thought to how upset he'd be.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, bottom lip trembling. "I'm sorry, Luke."

Luke's eyes darted behind me, his breath hitching as he moved quickly, grabbing a fistful of Quinn's shirt.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Luke said angrily, his grip on his brothers T-shirt tightening as his knuckles went white.

Quinn shoved at his younger brother, trying to maneuver him off. "Calm down, Luke."

"Calm down?" Luke only grew angrier, shoving Quinn around. "You're a fucking asshole, Quinn! You seriously are."

"Luke!" Jack barged in, his hands holding his brother as he pried Luke off. "Luke, seriously."

I watched in horror, I watched the consequences of our actions. I was ripping them away from each other.

"I never would've expected that shit from you." Luke targeted his anger towards Quinn. "I mean, I knew she liked you but you promised you wouldn't."

Quinn couldn't look at me. "It just happened, okay? You're my brother..."

"Don't." Luke cut him off. "Don't start with the brother bullshit. You went against what I said! I can't even fucking believe this."

I felt the tear roll down my cheek as I watched my entire world fall apart, the people I loved most in the world, turned their back on me, on each other.

"Luke." I croaked, holding onto him tightly in my head.

"What, Tate?" Luke slapped his hands at his sides. "You know, for my entire life I would never do anything to hurt your feelings, not even in the slightest. Whatever I told Quinn about avoiding you, was for your own good. Quinn cares more hockey than he does anything! But you, in the matter of seconds decided that however I felt didn't matter."

"That's not true." I shook my head, tears falling freely now. I couldn't imagine my life without Luke. I couldn't imagine loosing him.

Luke pursued his lips. "Seriously? Okay, Tate. Me or him?"

I parted my lips, blurry vision going between the two of them. I loved Quinn and Luke in separate ways, in a ways that made it impossible for me to pick. This wasn't fair, in the slightest way.

"Jesus." Luke chuckled in disbelief. "You're so selfish, Tate."

"Enough, Luke." Quinn stepped in, for once, defending himself; or me. "Just leave her alone, okay? It's my fault."

Luke furrowed his brows, the overwhelming mix of his emotions dawning on him. The anger wore off, the betrayal of his best friend and brother caving in on him.

Luke's eyes met mine, and for the first time in our friendship. I saw nothing but pure emptiness. In that moment, I knew Luke wouldn't look at me the same.

"Tate." Luke cleared his throat, the hopeful glint in my eye dying down as he continued to speak. "Pack your bags, okay? I think you should leave. I don't want you here."

Luke didn't give me a chance to reply as he shoved past Quinn, his tall frame hurrying up the stairs towards his bedroom.

Quinn kept his gaze away from me, even if my stare was burning into him. He turned away, following suit to Luke.

I exhaled a shaky breath, still crying. Luke had hated me, and that was the worst possible thing that could have happened.

Jack placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, his lips pressed together. "Sorry, Tay."