Carry On

deux

After the boys told us they would finally come back home, they also said it would be better if we didn't come and pick them up from the airport ourselves. Apparently because the airport would be loaded with their Australian fans. I happened to be sceptic about that until I checked Instagram where several update-accounts (which I wasn't aware of they had either) had posted pictures of the crowd by the arrivals. That's why I was now sitting next to Jack on a petite sofa in the Hemmings' living room. We were mainly communicating by taking turns checking the time and throwing looks out of the window. The sound of the huge black cars with their blinded windows was hardly to miss, making everyone sit up rather excitedly.

I felt the lump in my throat the moment the blonde quiff appeared in  the doorway, a goofy smile growing on my face as I watched Luke embracing his mother and then his father. Ben and Jack had come home to be there when Luke came back and they joined in the group hug. I stayed silent in the background; their family reunion ball of happiness spread so much warmth that I almost felt like I was invading their privacy. But soon enough, Luke loosened himself from his mother's grip and walked over to me with his arms spread.
"I've missed you." I said as I pushed my arms around him.
"I've missed you too." He answered in my hair. We stood like that for some moments before we both let ourselves fall onto the petite sofa, laughing.

"Well, did you have a great time?" Jack said when we were all comfortable and settled again.
"Epic!" Luke mouthed. And then continued: "The avenues were huge - we got to play in some stadiums, and the crowds were even bigger. And loud, they were incredibly loud as well. 'The Modest' offered us a contract! Can you believe it? 5 Seconds of Summer bounded with the same record label as One Direction." A quick breathing pause. "We're even getting our own world tour!

Silence.

"That's amazing, little brother! You have worked so hard for this." Ben exclaimed. "You get to go to America and Europe, again! Traveling the world for months while doing what you have always wanted to do." 

Traveling around the world for months. Again. Suddenly the living room seemed to small and the air thick with Ben's words.

"When would you have to leave?" Liz asked as calmly as ever.
"The first concert that's not in Australia is in a little over a month," Luke frowned as if he hadn't actually heard that before. "So I'd say, maybe four weeks." He made it sound like a question but it wasn't.

"You should think this through. If you think it will be easy, you should get rid of that illusion first. But Ben is right: you have worked so hard to come this far, all four of you, and always with as much passion as you did the first time. I am so, so proud of you, dear." She walked over to our shared sofa and gave him a kiss. I stood up and walked out of the living room without saying or hearing another word. I only noticed I was on my way to Luke's room when I entered it. The past weeks I got so happy from the idea of finally having my friends back in town.

The bed moved under the weight of another body.
"Angry people tend to run outside most of the time." I heard Luke's voice saying.
"I'm not angry," I mumbled. "Overwhelmed sounds more like it."
"You are my best friend and we share everything remember?"
"That is the point! You are supposed to be my best friend, but where were you then during the past few years. You weren't here with Christmas, you weren't here last Live at Northwest edition, you weren't here at my birthday and you weren't there when I was being bullied." I paused. "I was so happy you were back, still am. I thought we would be able to hang out again and do bestfriend-like things."
"I know," he mumbled looking down at his hands. "I did everything I could to talk to talk to you on a daily basis. Don't you think that we feel like we've failed you?  We were with the four of us together while you never had a cuddle buddy. Please Mel, we'll make those next three or four weeks the best in years. Besties forever?"
"Yes," I answered grinning.
"Melanie, you know I can't take you serious when you don't pinky promise." Luke said with his most serious face while holding his pinky in front of my face.
"fiNE then," I laughed as he hooked his pinky with mine. "Besties forever."

Until the day they left to New York City..

"Luke, don't leave," I started crying. "Don't leave."

"Please, Melanie.." He said while trying to hide how emotional the situation made him. "Don't do this to me, it isn't fair."

"Even phone calls lasting no more than two minutes count. If you stop talking to me, I'll come and haunt you." I warned him.

"I promise, Melanie, really. You're still my bestie, pinky promise and everything, remember?" He kissed me on my cheek as I hold him tightly pressed in our hug. Then they stepped in the black blinded-window cars and waved to their loved ones standing on the sidewalk.