Pill By Pill {Muke}

26 - Stepping Over Cracks

To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved. ~George MacDonald

Luke's POV

I said nothing about what happened, I would be damned if I did. I knew that better than anyone else. Although, just because I knew not saying would help me, I could feel my hands still shaking. 

Before lunch period I headed to my locker and was putting something inside. Looking it over, wondering if I could shut it before actually going to. 

"Hey Luke," I heard Michael say and I screamed, slamming my locker shut and taking a few steps back before realizing it was Michael. I let out a sigh of relief as Michael stood wide eyed.

"W-What?!" I hissed. 

"Have you always been this jumpy?" Michael asked but I said nothing, instead I folded my arms and waited for the awkwardness to go away. 

"Anyways.." Michael said after a moment. "I just came to get you for lunch. Are you coming?" 

"Yeah." I nodded and followed Michael down the hallway, I could see the looks he was giving me and it made me want to implode. His stupid looks of pity. 

"What is wrong with you?" Michael asked, no tone of aggression to his voice. But he could clearly see something was different. "You're so spastic." 

"I'm not spastic." I said, trying everything to hold my hands under my arms, so they did not show. 

"You're literally looking everywhere but where I am while we're talking." Michael said, I really did not notice it. But I supposed it was true. "Luke, what's the matter?" Michael put his hand on my shoulder and I immediately took a few steps away from him. Michael had a hurt expression on his face, and it did nothing to help me.

"I'm sorry." I muttered. 

"I should be used to it by now." Michael said under his breath and I felt my eyes growing wide. It was a concept that I never thought about - Michael's feelings. I swallowed hard and stood still as Michael walked a few more steps. "Well come on." 

"Coming." I said and walked beside Michael once more.

"Do you need a smoke or something?" Michael asked, I was shocked to hear him say that. But turned to him and he tossed a pack to me. "Come on, we can go off campus." 

"Why do you - "

"A few weeks ago Skarlet gave them to me, said to give you one if you needed it." Michael shrugged. "I've been carrying them around this entire time." I looked at the package, and noticed it to be unopened as Michael and I walked outside. I shoved it in my jacket's pocket as we walked down the path until we were sitting in the park that we had first interacted in; Scatter Park. 

We sat for a few seconds, I knew Michael was watching my every move, but I did very little besides look around us before seeing Michael smirking. "You're not going to smoke?" 

"You don't like it." I said quietly. 

"You're right, you're right." He said. "I really don't like it, but I said it was okay." 

"That doesn't matter," I sighed. "I-I know how much you don't like it. Therefore you shouldn't have to sit with me while I do it." 

"Well you need to calm down a little bit, Luke." Michael spoke and this time there was a tone of worry to his voice. 

"I'm not having withdrawals." I rolled my eyes. "I'm just..Unnerved." 

"Unnerved?" Michael raised his eyebrows. "Why would you be unnerved?" I said nothing and we both sat in silence until Michael spoke again. "Figures you wouldn't tell me." I turned to him and he continued. "You never tell me anything." Michael almost looked sad to have to admit it, and I felt pretty guilty for it. 

"I'm sorry.." I mumbled. 

"It's okay." Michael sighed. We both sat on the bench in silence, I looked down at my hands slightly trembling. "You alright? Are you cold?"

"No, I'm not cold." I said quietly. "I've been like this all day." 

"Explains why you took off when you saw Ashton and I in the hallway." Michael said. I went wide eyed and turned to him. "Luke, you clear six-feet, you don't exactly disappear." 

"I didn't leave because of you and Ashton, I left because of Lynn." I said quietly. 

"What?" Michael asked. "Why don't you like Lynn?"

"Because, she was always getting me in trouble with Kody." I sighed. "Whenever I talked to you, she was the one who told Kody, Kody just didn't magically find out. She likes to take people that care about one another and turn them against each other." 

"Well then she shouldn't have a problem talking to me then." Michael shrugged.

"Huh?"

"You and Kody is different then you and I." Michael pointed out, it was an obvious statement that I was missing so he continued. "You and Kody had a mutual care about one another. Ours is kind of one-way." I knew what he was saying now, and it all made a lot of sense. 

I sighed as I stood up. Michael continued to stay seating until I gestured towards the school with my head. He let out his own sigh as he stood up and followed me. 

I felt kinda awful in a sense. I knew Michael cared a lot about me. Despite how awful I was he stuck around through it all. I guess I had a little bit of admitting to take care of. 

"It's not that I don't care." I said while shoving my hands in my pockets. "It's not that I don't want you around either. I want you to be here, and I like having you around despite what I make it seem like. I just..I know that you could be happier somewhere else. With someone that isn't me. I want you to stay, but that's too selfish and I think you should find someone else." 

Michael gave a half-smile. "I don't think so." Michael held out his hand to me and I looked at him with confusion. "Come on, just give me your hand." 

"W-Why..?" I mumbled.

"Just trust me." He smiled fully now. I took my hand out of my pocket and placed it on Michael's. He wrapped his fingers between mine and let them both hang between us. "Now, that wasn't too hard, was it?"

"Michael.." I whined. 

"If you promise to stay with me, I promise not to hurt you." Michael smiled, I felt my face flush red as my eyes grew slightly wider. "Come on, promise?" 

"O-Okay." I said quietly. "Promise." 

AUTHOR'S NOTIFICATION; Ariana

It's CUTE. Lol and #doubleupdate. I'm really good right now guys, I'm getting them updates out there like no one's business. =3

Hugs, Kisses, Cuddles and Serenades xX