Scars (Luke Hemmings)

The sound of silence

Brynn's POV
~~~~~~~~~

I could hear Iris calling after me as I stormed into the room. I just needed to be alone for a few minutes. I needed to hear silence.

I walked to the window and threw open the curtains letting in the light. I pressed my palm against the cool glass as I watched the snow drift to the streets below.

I sighed and sat down.

She didnt mean it.

I know it just hurts more from her.

No it hurts more from Luke.

No it doesn't

don't lie. we both know it does.

Why are we having this conversation?

Because you know its true. And that hes not lying. You are everything He and your father said and more. You should starve. you are ugly. You're ju-

'Hey Ryn.' I turned to see Ashton. thank goodness he interrupted me thought battle.

'Hey Ash. is it okay if I call you that?' I asked turning back to the window.

'Only if I get to have you as a best friend.' he took a seat beside me.

'You barely know me. All you know is My name, age, where I live and attend college, and that you hit me with a car.'

'That's a start isn't it?' He said turning to face me.

'I guess.'

'So whats your story?' he said turning so his back was against the window.

'My story of how I cause pain to everyone I'm friends with and almost caused my best friends death and have a mental disorder along with many other wrong things that happen in my life?'

'Yup.' he said watching my every move.

I didn't say a word. I just closed my eyes and listened to the sound of silence.

'Read my book with a boring ending, a short story of a lonely guy' I whispered

'Blink 182. Story of a Lonely Guy.' I nodded. 'You're wrong Brynn. You're only lonely because you built up walls that no one can tear down. Walls caused by people like Luke.' I nodded again. 'Brynn, you cant hold in these emotions. they'll only hurt you more.' he grabbed my hand.

'Just don't want to be hurt by someone I love. not again.'

'Iris would never hurt you.'

'I know. can I just go see Anna now?' I whispered.

'yeah Rynny. Of course.'

~*~

'Anna!' me and iris yelled as we ran across the football stadium.

'Hey girls.' she said embracing us in a hug. 'How are my little kitties doing?'

'Were doing fine. Brynn had a few moments the past few days.' iris said.

'Awe are you okay, kitten?' she asked me.

'im fine.'

'What triggered them?' I looked away. 'Who did it? Who hurt my little Brynn?!' she shouted at the players they all cringed.

'Jackson made a bet with all the juniors that if he could get Brynn to kiss him at the final game he would get a hundred bucks form each junior!' shouted out Cameron the only freshman on the team.

'Jackson!" Anna yelled. I turned and looked Luke straight in the eye.

'you got lucky this time.' I mouthed at him. he just glared at me.

I turned to see that Jackson had made his way all the way to the front.

'So Jackson. You think you can steal my baby girls first kiss?' she asked him.

'Wait you've never kissed anyone before?' Jackson asked as all the boys looked at me.

'What did you all expect?!' I screamed at them. 'Have you ever seen me touch or willingly talk to a guy? Have you seen me at a campus party?'

'No.' They mumbled.

'How? Why? Ugh!' I shouted aggravated.

'20 laps around the field!' Anna shouted.

'Yes Coach Anna!' They all said as they followed the captains around the field.

'Girls who are these fine young men?' Anna said turning to the boys.

'Hello, I'm Ashton.' He said stepping forward and shaking her hand.

'I'm Calum.' He said stepping up from beside Iris.

'I'm Michael.'

'And I'm Luke.'

'Well I'm Anna, Iris and Brynn's foster mother and therapist. It is nice to meet you all. I'm surprised to be meeting any boys that my girls are aquatinted with but I guess they've grown up since moving out of my appartment.' She said raising an eyebrow at us.

'They hit me with a car.' I said cracking under her gaze. I face palmed. Here comes mama bear.

'Oh my lord! are you alright? Kitten can you see straight? How many fingers am I holding up? What's the capital of New York? What college is this? Can you walk alright? Have you been to the hospital?' She said spinning me around and checking for cuts and bruises other than the one on my face.

'Yes, yes, seven, Albany, Boston University, yes, and finally yes.' I said giving her a stiff hug.

'Which one was it?' She asked turning to them.

'Ashton.' We all said as he looked down.

'But he took her straight to the hospital-' Mike started.

'And barely leaves her side-' calum interrupted

'He panics whenever she's in distress-' iris said

'She's got him so whipped.' Luke said laughing.

'Hmmm.' Anna said looking in to each of our eyes. 'They're good. I'm hoping two of you will be the father of my grandchildren.'

'Mama!' Me and iris shrieked. She just laughed and walked away.

~*~

'Welcome to our dorm!' Me and Iris said as I unlocked the door.

'Nice.' Calum said as he walked in and looked around. Iris and the boys followed as she started pointing things out.

'So you've seriously never had your first kiss?' Came Luke's voice from beside me.

'Well not many people including you ever liked me.'

'Why not?'

'The same reasons that made you hate me.' I said walking into the dorm and to my room.

'Nice room.' I looked around at the white walls and my black furniture.

'The nicest one I've ever had.' I whispered while running my hand over the floral comforter.

'So what do you usually do?' Luke asked leaning against the door frame.

'I'm an engineering major with an academic and music scholarship. Why do you care?'

'Just asking.' He said walking in and sitting in my furry computer chair.

I sighed. 'C'mon lets go.' I walked out of my room and into the lounge were the others had made themselves comfortable.

'So what's the plan?' Calum asked.

'Well it's 2 o'clock. I'm supposed to got classes but you guys won't let me out of the dorm.' I said.

'I'm going to class. I'll be back at 5. Watch a movie or something.' Iris said picking up her things.

'Take them with you!' I yelled grabbing onto her leg.

'No.' She shook me off her leg. She walked to the door and called her goodbyes.

'So what do you guys wanna do?' Luke asked taking a seat in the arm chair.

'I don't know.' Calum said. They all looked at me.

'Grab the soccerball. We'll goto the green and pass it around.' I skipped to my room and put on a terrier tee and some thicker leggings. I brushed out my hair and tossed on my beanie and peacoat.

'C'mon hurry up Brynn!' Mike yelled

'Calm your pits!' I said as I walked back to the lounge and pulled on my red rain boots.

'Someone's prepared for a snow storm.' Ashton laughed.

'When I'm all warm and toasty while you're freezing I'll be the one laughing.' I said opening the door and grabbing my art bag before walking out.

We walked the short distance to the green. I took a seat on the bench by the field the boys decided to play on and pulled out my pencil and sketch book.

'Luke pass!' Cal called as he ran past mike. I drew a curved line down the blank page.

'And the crowd goes wild!' Luke shouts as him and Cal do an awkward chest bump. I giggled as cal attempted to slide across the thin layer of snow.

I drew two almond shaped ovals.

'You're going down!' Shouted Ash as he dribbled past Luke.

I added a nose and a chin.

'Foul that's cheating!' Mike yelled as Ashton attempted to run with Cal wrapped around his leg. My sides hurt from laughing.

I added a sideways smile and finished the curve of the face.

'Snow angel!' Luke screamed laying down and fiercely moving his arms and legs. I don't know how but I laughed harder. Not my usual soft laugh but my real loud one.

They laughed while I covered my mouth and blushed.

I went back to my drawing and added hair and detailed irises in the eyes.

'First one to roll the the bottom wins!' Mike yelled starting to roll down the hill.

I added eyebrows and shadows to add life to the drawing. I looked up.

'Snow ball fight!' Luke yelled throwing a snowball at Mike. I've never seen him like this. Not in the three days I've known him.

All the sudden a snow ball hit my chest. I looked up to see a very guilty Calum. I pulled out my worn leather gloves and grabbed a chunk of snow off the ground. I skipped innocently over to Cal.

'Calum.' I singsonged. He looked up and I smashed the snowball in his face and ran away.

'This means war!' He yelled chasing me. The football players were just leaving practice and coming onto the green.

'Ahh!' I screamed as I ran right through them. They stopped to watch the show as it was the first time they've ever seen me smile and laugh without iris.

They watched with giant grins as I dodged snowballs and the hands of the boys, laughing the whole time.

'Brynn?' Anna called as I ran behind a tree that was close to the team.

'Mama!' I yelled taking cover behind her. I wrapped my arms around her waist. I gasped for air and watched the clouds form as I breathed out.

'Kitten I don't think I've ever seen you this happy.' She said laughing.

'I don't think I've ever been this happy.' I said sneaking into the middle of the team and hiding behind Corey, the star linebacker.

'Hey Brynn.' He whispered not turning around. My heart beat faster as I realized I was surrounded by guys. I turned to Anna with wide eyes.

'They won't hurt you kitten. If anything they'll protect you sweetheart.' She said reassuringly as I looked down.

'Rynny! Where'd you go!?' Ashton called walking toward the team. I squealed and took off running. I felt an arm snake around my waist and toss me over his shoulder.

'Mike put me down!' I said laughing.

'Sorry Ryn!' He said still not putting me down. I sighed and shook my head as I watched the boys do a victory dance over mikes shoulder. I looked and saw the football team clapping and laughing.

'You boys will be the death of me, I swear.' I said giggling at Calum who attempted to do the worm.

'You know we make your life 10 times better.' Mike said putting me back on my feet.

'I cant deny that.' I said. Walking back to the bench I was previously on as the boys started to talk to the football team.

I stared intently at my drawing before looking back and forth between him and my sketch. I moved with fast hands, using the side of the pencil to deepen his features, emphasize his cheek bones and highlight his hair.

'Brynn!' Anna called to me from beside the boys. 'What are you drawing?'

I slowly made my way over and uncovered my drawing to Anna. 'This is amazing.' she whispered as she ran her fingers over the page. 'its almost like its real.'

'Can we see?' Jackson asked. I looked at Anna and she just nodded toward them. I turned my book around. it was met by stunned faces and wide eyes.

'Brynn...' Luke said touching the page. 'how'd you do that?'

'I've been needing to draw ever since I first woke up on that couch. I needed to release my emotions. so I put my pencil on the paper and... it drew you.' I said looking down at the portrait of Luke.

'No wonder you got a scholarship for art.' Luke said.

we stood in silence as everyone took in my drawing of Luke's face. It was the exact same one he had on after he finished his rant in the music room back at the hotel. The same taunting eyes and laughing smile. But no one knew that. At least everyone but me and Luke did.

'What else have you drawn?' Ashton asked. I handed him my book. he flipped through the first few pages where drawing of Iris and Anna were. there was even ones that I drew when I sometimes went to the football practices. 'These are amazing.' he said handing the book back to me.

'Thanks.' I looked down. 'C'mon guys its 4:30 already. We have to go get Iris and then we have to get food.'

'Already?' Mike asked. I nodded. 'but the fun just started!'

'Lets go before Iris gets mad.' I said walking up the path. 'Bye Mama! Bye Boys!'

'Bye Brynn!' they called as we walked away.

~*~

'So how was your time without me?' I heard iris ask the boys before I zoned out.

Don't even think about eating anything. He's right there watching you. How could you pig out like the fatass you are?

Im not going to eat it now.

Good. to think of everything you've eaten while I've been gone.

I was healthy.

Ha! you think being fat is healthy?

No never.

Because eating makes you fat. the less you eat the more perfect you are. Maybe then he'll love us.

He'll never love us.

As long as you look like that he won't even think about it. Let me take over! i'll make you perfect like we were before.

okay.

'Brynn, are you going to eat anything?' iris asked.

'No thanks. I'm not hungry.' I said turning back to the window.

'But you have to eat.' Ashton tried.

'I said i'm not hungry.' I snapped.

Good girl.