faking it l.r.h

0.6

Adelaide

"I think I'm really enjoying this weather?" Riley speaks, holding her arms out horizontally like she's soaking up the cool weather, which is rare here in Sydney. "I wished it were like this more often." She continues. I agree with her, it's either hot or extra hot here, there's not in between. We're basically located in the devil's asshole and there's no exit.

"You still gloomy about Lukey?" She asks and looks away from the boy's football team exercising on the green field.

"No, I'm thinking about the homework I have to do," I say and mentally make a list. Calc, anatomy syllabus, English notes.

"Bor-ing! How about you think about those guys on the field that keep looking over at you." She smirks and I immediately look at the field. We're on the bleachers, the eighth row, just sitting until one of us decides to go home.

"They're not looking at me," I mumble and look down at my hands. She scoffs and almost pushes me off the bench. I take that as my cue to leave since I am exhausted and I need to actually eat at some point of the day.

I stand up and grab my bag, slinging it over my shoulder. I look at the field and find out that they are in fact staring at me, I have a hunch that it's not in a good way. I swallow and hug Riley in an awkward way since she's still sitting down.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She says and I smile, waving as I walk down the steps.

I dig for my phone in my bag and pull it out, turning it on. I should call Michael, god knows how many times he's already texted me. All my texts come in at once and I shake my head, 10 missed calls from Michael only.

I dial his number and walk to my car. It rings three times before he picks up and groans.

"Do you know how many times I've called you?" He yells, so loud that I have to pull the phone away from my ear.

"I am aware of how many times you called me," I say and hold the phone between my shoulder and ear, unlocking the door to my car.

"Come home, I'm here, chilling with your mom." I hear my mom in the background and roll my eyes. Of course, Michael just comes in and makes himself at home.I swear he's more welcome than I am and I live there. I close the car door and start the ignition.

I pull out of the parking lot and once I'm on the main road I turn up the radio a bit. One of those sad, relatable songs starts to play and I wish I could change it but the knob to change it fell off one hot summer night when Michael was having one of his drunken fits after some party he forced me to go to. I hate this song because it's relatable and you can't help but think of Luke.

When I finally get home it's both a relief and a burden. I wish I lived far far away from Luke and his simple yet flawless family. Liz, Luke's mom, works at the middle school down the road, the one Luke and I attended. She's an angel. I think she actually knew I had a crush on Luke way before I actually came to mind. I admit, and will only once, I used to have a crush on Luke.

I look away from their blue little two story home and grab my bag from the passenger seat, locking the car door behind me.

"Hello?" I shout and shut the door behind me.

"Addie?!" I hear Michael yell.

The house smells like food and I mentally praise my mom because I am starving. I walk into the living room and find Michael sitting on the couch, watching the new episode of How I Met Your Mother.

"Come to my room now," I demand and head straight to my room. I hear Michael's boots pound against the hardwood floors as he follows me to my room.

"Guess what I did?!" I yell, being way too dramatic, but I can finally let it out. This whole day I had all these emotions bottled up and I just need to relieve myself by yelling at Michael. He jumps on my bed and lays on his side, watching me pace back and forth.

"Did you fall on your face in front of the popular kids?" He suggests.

"I wish that's what happened!" I yell and he raises his bushy eyebrows. I told him I'd pluck them for him but he likes them natural.

"Wow... Tell me, I'm intrigued." He says with a smirk.

After I finish I'm out of breath and I'm breaking a sweat from pacing back and forth. Michael lays there for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"Addie, is this really a good idea?" He asks, his hands clamped together. What was the reason I'm pretending again? Oh right.

"I don't know, It seemed like a good idea at the time... I'm so pathetic." I mumble, letting my hair fall in my face as I plop down on the edge of my bed next to him.

I hear him sigh and move on my bed. If I weren't in such a difficult situation I'd scold him for thinking it's okay to put his boots on my bed but I'm too tired to say anything.

"If you think it's a good idea, then I'll roll with it." He shrugs.

"But why did I even say that to him?" I say, my voice hoarse.

"Because he hurt you, Addie, he may not know it but he did and I guess you're trying to make things right again, even if it means making up some story." He places his hand on my back and I try and hide my grin. He's right, he always is. I hate to admit it to him because then he thinks he's right about every little thing.

"Thanks, Mikey," I say softly.

"No problem kid." He hits my back and I jolt forward. Everyone is so rough.

"You're a year older.." I scoff and roll my eyes.

"Adelaide, you have a friend at the door!" My mom yells from downstairs, making me perk up.

"What? I'm your only friend." Michael retorts and we share the same look. He's right, I mean, Riley would have just let herself in... Who's at the door?