close as strangers | lrh

three

chapter three: square one

LUKE

The first time Delilah and I met was when she was in first and I was in second. She had been living next to me for a couple of years, but we never really interacted until one day after school. She had been waiting for someone to pick her up sitting promptly next to the school sign while I was sitting on the actual sign.

My mum came to pick me up and saw Delilah sitting on floor and offered her a ride. She declined politely, but my mum didn't take no for an answer. It was really awkward since we were both pretty tense next to each other.

And now, sitting next to her on our way to meet the rest of her band, it felt the exact same way but this time we weren't just meeting for the first time. She would tense up every time I moved, and Calum would chuckle each time like he knew what I was thinking.

"So Delilah, tell us about yourself," Ashton, who was seated to her right, said.

"Uh," she dragged it out at an octave much higher than her usual tone of voice. "Well, there isn't much to tell. I was born in California and then my mom decided to move to Australia. I came back to California early into the second semester of freshman year which was pretty weird since I had went from starting my freshman year to almost being done with it. Oh! Turn right here please."

"Wow, that's actually pretty cool."

"I guess. I still kind of wish I never had to move since I had to leave really great people behind, but then I wouldn't have met Isa and I wouldn't be here right now."

"Were you ever planning on going back and seeing them again?" I asked her softly and she turned to face me with this look on her face that I couldn't really quite read.

"Actually, I was. Some of the siblings of those I left and their mums were helping me arrange when a good time for me to go back would be. I have been saving up like crazy for like two years and now I finally have enough money. I was planning on taking the girls too, as a surprise, but I know that everyone would totally understand if I couldn't go because it interferes with whatever you guys have planned–"

"When were you planning on going?" Calum asked, cutting her off.

"Two weeks from today," she replied softly, turning to face him.

"Well, we were planning on going back home around that time. Where did you live in Australia, maybe you lived near us," Michael smiled at her and she smiled back. For a moment I felt a tinge of jealousy, but came back to my senses.

She already knew.

"Oh, trust me I did. I was one of the twelve at your first gig." She replied looking forward again and
tapped Jim on the shoulder. "Can you turn left at the second intersection or whatever it's called please?"

"Well then it works out perfectly then doesn't it?" I said and she looked at me with the same look she did the first time.

"Yeah, I guess it does," she murmured and turned ahead. "If you can park next to that black car with the 'I ❤️ 5sos' and 'University of California Riverside Highlanders' bumper stickers that'd be great."

"Really?" Calum scoffed a little, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, if there's something me and the girls are proud of it's being a part of the 5sos fam and UCR. Plus you haven't heard our ringtones."

"Is it She Looks So Perfect ?" she snorted at Calum's question just as I got out of the car.

"HA! No," she replied, getting out of the car.