Gotta Get Out (a five seconds of summer story)

Chapter 35

I open up the pretty envelope and read the letter. Oh no! NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!! I shoved the letter in my bag because I couldn’t stand to look at it anymore. The tears run down my cheeks and I bury my face in my pillow. This cannot be true. This cannot be happening. Not to him. I cry and cry for some more until I am filled with rage. My emotions are interrupted by my phone ringing. I collect myself to make it seem like I wasn’t just crying. ‘Hello’ I say shakily. ‘Hey I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight. I’m kind of bored. Calum ditched me to go work out and I just wasn’t in the mood to join him today’ I hear Luke’s voice say into the phone. ‘Do you know of any nearby shooting ranges?’ I ask him through the phone.

          Luke hesitated through the phone. “That isn’t exactly what I had in mind, but I guess it could be fun.” He says confused. We hang up and he drives over to my house. I throw on my black Nike sweatshirt and wipe up my jacked up make up and rush out to meet Luke. I plug the shooting range into his GPS and it takes us about twenty minutes to get there. I go in and get my usual. I haven’t been shooting yet since I left America, but guns are guns no matter where you shoot them. I help Luke out a little seeing that he isn’t as familiar with everything as I am. I get in there, focus on my target and shoot the crap out of it. “Kaylee are you okay?” Luke asks once we finish shooting. He didn’t do as well as I did, but he wasn’t too bad. “Yeah I’m fine. Why?” I reply trying to be happy. “Look that may work for any other person in the world, but I know you too well to believe you when you lie straight to my face like that. Now let me ask you again; are you okay?” Luke says looking at me straight in the eyes. I just burst out crying and he leads me into his car where I just lean on his shoulder and cry. “What’s got you down?” he says smoothing my hair with his hand. “I wish I could tell you Luke, but I honestly can’t. It is horrific! I can’t even begin to comprehend the whole thing myself and I can’t even tell you and you are kind of like the other half of my brain.” I say beating myself up over the fact that I can’t tell Luke. “You know you can tell me anything and that no matter how bad things are I will always be here for you.” Luke says holding me tight. “I can’t tell you! I would love to, but I just can’t!” I say getting frustrated. Luke loosens his grip and I shift over more into my seat. “Just take me home please. I’m sorry I ruined your day.” I say as the tears continue to stream down my face. He tries to say something, looks at me, and then stops. He drives me back home and not a single word more was said.

          I sat up in my room and my stomach growled from hunger, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat anything. I can’t sit here any longer. There has to be something I can do. My parents sicken me. How can they stay here and not do something? I turn on some heavy music to drown out my mind and pull out my pink vintage style luggage and begin packing it full of stuff. I grab my fire escape ladder and throw it out the window so I can escape without my parents knowing. I continue packing until I hear movement. I whip my head around and let out a shocked scream. Luke’s eyes go wide and the ladder begins to wiggle. I grab the ladder and help Luke into my room. “What were you thinking Luke Robert Hemmings? You scared me to death!” I say catching my breath. “Well I knew you weren’t okay and I couldn’t get it out of my mind so I drove by your house. I wasn’t planning to visit or anything, because I didn’t want to bother you, but when I saw a ladder outside your window I got worried so I came up here to see if you were alright and that you hadn’t been kidnapped or raped or murdered or anything.” He says taking a seat on my bed. “Nice room by the way” he adds looking around. I hadn’t planned on having any boys over so there were tampons and underwear all over the place along with dirty socks a few bras and some books. “Sorry my room is messy. I wasn’t exactly expecting company.” I say returning to packing. “Why are you packing? And what is with the ladder?” Luke asks me suspiciously. “Look I can’t exactly tell you what is going on, but I have got to get out of here so I’m sneaking out and somehow going back home. I have my gun with me and I have an excellent shot so don’t you dare try to stop me.” I say and Luke can tell that I’m obviously not joking. “Hey look I don’t exactly know what is going on here, but don’t you think this is a little rash?” Luke says innocently. “You don’t know what is going on here and sometimes drastic times call for drastic measures. The sky is falling down and the earth is crumbling around my feet so I would appreciate it if you would stop trying to stop me.” I say snapping at Luke. I know he doesn’t deserve it, but he has no idea what I am going through now. “You are right. But do you even know where you are going? Do you have any money? Are you really going to go alone?” Luke says trying to use logic. I just break down crying on the floor. I feel so helpless. I don’t have any money, I don’t know where I am going, and there is no way I would be able to do anything to help anyway. “Look if you are running away I’m going with you.” Luke says getting off of my bed. “Luke you can’t!” I say going over to him. “Look I don’t care what it is that you are going to go do, where you are going, or what will happen I am here for you and I’m coming too so you can either tell me what I’m getting into so I can properly pack my bags or I can just blindly pack and hope I don’t leave out anything important” Luke says with all seriousness. I look into his eyes and I decide that if there is anybody in this whole world that I can tell then it is him. “Okay I will tell you what is going on” I say bracing myself before telling the story.