detention gods | luke hemmings au [completed]

51: august 15th, 2015.

both.

~:~

saturday.

andie's hands were still trembling and shaking as she pulled her fingers through her hair. she sat on the carpet, her back against the couch, and waited for calum to return.

as much as she tried to be at home, she just couldn't. the stench of alcohol became too much for her, and she couldn't face crystal looking like she did. so being the crappy sister she was, she asked nikki to take care of crystal and spent the days at calum's.

he placed himself beside her and instantly wrapped both arms around her, embracing her in a hug. she broke down — again — and clutched his shirt.

andie hadn't quite stopped crying since tuesday, maybe because she actually hadn't cried in years and it felt so new and strange. calum stroked the back of her head and kissed her hair softly, soothingly almost.

"why am i still crying? i'm so bloody sick of crying." she sobbed against his chest and didn't even try to hold it back anymore.

"you know, you haven't cried since the first time i met you." he remarked, smiling a bit at the memory.

"and now i know why. this is just plain awful." she said with a hoarse voice and exhaled deeply.

"maybe that's why you're crying so much... you haven't let anything out since you scraped your knee." he released her when she went to dry her face with paper from the bathroom.

"my own reflection is scaring me right now." she laughed through a sob and blinked. "my eyes are so red."

"yeah, it's called bloodshot eyes." he said quietly and looked up at her when she came back.

"i'm such a burden to you, i'm sorry." she sighed and sunk down beside him.

"no, you're not. please, you've never needed this much support from me before, you're not a burden." he nudged her body with his and lifted his legs against his chest.

"when i told alicia about this, she almost started crying herself." andie laughed and wiped her cheek.

"i like her. she seems so genuine." he smiled and she rested her head against his shoulder. "are you done crying for today?"

"oh my gosh." she peered up at him with a glare and raised her eyebrows.

"i'm sorry!" he laughed, causing crinkles to form by the sides of his eyes. "i've never had to deal with this with you."

"because i've never faced my problems before." she muttered, the realization hitting her. "oh, i have so many problems..."

"andie..." he mumbled and rested a hand on her cheek. "you don't—"

"i never even let luke explain himself. i'm a horrible and rude person, my dad's an abusive alcoholic, my mom's barely a mom, i'm an awful sister, my ex is literally stalking me, i have to work so we can pay the bills because my dad can't, and i just had a fight with the greatest guy i've ever met. i don't know what to do after we graduate, i have no money for uni, i don't know what i want to do with life... oh my gosh..."

and she lost it all over again. you'd think she'd dry out of tears and die by now, but no. calum was quick to hug her again and rub her arms as she cried against his shoulder.

andie let everything sink in, how she had dealt with her older problems and newer ones, how she was stupid to just walk away, and how she couldn't think rationally.