Paint Stain <Lashton>

VIII

Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known. ~Oscar Wilde

Ashton's POV

I rode with Kodi as we drove to the other side of the city where Luke's apartment was. "Are you sure he wants to do this?"

"He told me he would." Kodi said. "And something tells me, Luke is a man of his word. Plus I have blackmail."

"You have blackmail, Kodi?" Kara laughed from the black. "On Luke Hemmings? How did you manage to get that?"

"I'm a photographer." Kodi shrugged. We pulled up to a large apartment complex and I almost gasped at just seeing the outside. "Well, Ashton and I will go up and get him. Do you two want to come?" James and Kara shook their heads and we climbed out of the car. Walking into the building I thought I would die about how elegant it was.

"Apartments here must be a fortune.." I mumbled and Kodi nodded in response. We walked over to the elevator where Kodi looked at the piece of paper. "Which floor is he on?"

"He's on the twenty-eighth floor." Kodi said. Before she could reach out and push the button, a man standing in the elevator pushed it for her.

"Please, allow me miss." He smiled. "Do you require any help finding a room?"

"N-No, I think we're okay." Kodi nodded. "Thank you though sir." Kodi dug around in her pocket as she pulled out a five dollar bill and handed it to the man as we left the elevator. We looked around and began to look for his room. "Room A8."

Eventually we found it, and Kodi reached out and tapped on the white door. It swung open and I was shocked to see Luke standing there, and the way he was dressed..

"You can come in." Luke stood out of the way as he pushed his nerdy-glasses back up his nose. "I just need to put on my shoes, but you don't need to stand out in the hallway." We walked inside and were shocked to see how..Cozy Luke's apartment felt. The outside felt very bright and modern. But inside it was dark and old-fashioned.

Luke walked into another room as we shut the door and walked across the dark wood floor. Admiring every component. Kodi walked over to where a fireplace was and picked up a book off the mantel. "This must be the poetry he was talking about."

"Poetry?" I asked.

"Yeah, Luke likes reading poems." Kodi said and set the book back down. "He was talking about them with me today." We walked out towards the balcony and peaked outside. "You could die from this height."

"Really?" I rolled my eyes. "He has a really nice garden out here though, I wonder where he found the time for it."

"Well he easily held out three hours for me to use." Kodi shrugged. "Did you see what he was wearing?"

I nodded my head. "It's such a change from his suit." It was true. Luke was wearing a dark blue v-neck sweater and surprisingly without a white collared shirt underneath. He had black ripped skinny jeans and his hair fell flat and messy instead of where it was normally styled perfect and upwards.

"Hey guys, are you done enjoying yourself." Luke chuckled. We turned to see him standing behind us with a taunting smile on his face.

"Wait a second.." Kodi said quietly. "Luke!"

"What?" Luke went wide eyed at Kodi's outburst.

"You have a lip piercing?" Kodi said and it took me a second and I noticed it.

"Oh yeah, I just don't wear it when I visit the classrooms." Luke shrugged. "Should I take it out?"

"No it's fine." I shook my head. Luke flashed a smile, it was almost different than his well-dressed smile. Shier, and more to himself. As if it actually meant something. I could get used to this kind of Luke.

"So Luke," I said as we walked towards the elevator. "I didn't know you liked poetry." His eyes grew wide and he shot Kodi a glare.

"I told him that you enjoyed reading it." Kodi shrugged and Luke almost seemed to relax.

"Yeah, I think it's pretty good." Luke said and he gave a shy smile as his face tinted slightly. We walked in the elevator.

"Hey Luke." The person smiled.

"How are you doing?" Luke asked.

"Good, are these your friends?" The man asked. Luke nodded his head. "What are you doing out this evening?"

"Well, I told Kodi here that I would help her for a photography project." Luke explained. "Ashton's just kind of here."

"Hey, I'm a part of this." I whined. The four of us found ourselves laughing as we exited the elevator and eventually the building.

Kodi would then drive us to a location of her choice. James and Kara seemed to just eat up everything Luke said. Although when Kara seemed to talk "business" with Luke, he immediately looked shut down. Even when she talked about her major he held very little interest in it. If it was obvious to me, I would bet it would be to Kara too, but she just kept going on about it.

Kodi parked her car on the side of the road near Turtle Park.

We stopped to sit on a bench and Luke was looking up at a tree. "Why do they call it Turtle park?" He turned to me and flashed a smile, tilting his head to the side. "Do you know?"

"Well, the man who built it asked his daughter to name it." I explained. "She loved turtles, so that's what she named it. The fountain in the middle is also in the shape of a turtle, as well as the path around the park."

"That's amazing!" Luke smiled, awfully giddy. He leaned closer to me on his hands. "Where did you learn that?"

"I'm not sure that's the truth, it's just the story my mother used to tell me." I explained. Luke nodded his head.

"Well that's a wonderful little story." Luke said as he looked around. "I've never been in this park, I really like it!"

"You never visited it as a kid? The office building your father owns is just down the street." I said.

"No, my father never brought me to a lot of places like this." Luke shrugged.

"What about your mother?" I asked.

"Oh she left my father and when I was very young." Luke said, he said it smooth so it seemed not to bother him at all.

"I read that she went missing." Kara commented and I shot her a glare, even though I was thinking the same thing.

"Well she didn't." Luke snapped. "She left."

"Kara just leave it please." Kodi said. "After all, I want you and Luke to lay under the tree together without killing each other. You guys are crushing in my photos so just appear that way."

"I hate women.." Luke muttered and I felt as if I was the only one who heard it.

AUTHOR'S NOTIFICATION; Ariana

Ah this Luke is my favorite thing ever. He reminds me of one of my favorite anime characters which is always lovely.

Hugs, Kisses, Cuddles and Serenades xX