"Stuck In The Friend-Zone Again and Again"

"Closed the Plane Door"

yo girl was in Quebec City^

The next morning I woke late to Luke snuggled into my side, which was really funny to see since he was practically a giant.
I let him sleep, and hummed under my breath as I gently ran my fingers through Luke's soft hair.

He must have been tired, because he only woke up when I sneezed, about a half hour later, which jolted his head from its place in the crook of my neck.
I winced.
"Mmmmm," he mumbled sleepily, his eyes opening the slightest bit before focusing on me.
"Sorry," I apologized softly.
"S'okay," he said, snuggling into me more and under the covers further.
He yawned. "How long have you been up?"
"Awhile," I said resting my cheek against the top of his head.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" He asked.
"I dunno," I said. "Just figured I'd let you sleep."
Luke smiled, finding my hand under the covers and taking it in his own.
"Wanna watch a show?" He suggested.
I nodded, and he selected some random show we'd both already seen the entirety of.
"So back to tour tomorrow," I commented as the show began to play.
"Are you excited?" He asked.
"Mm-hmm," I nodded. "I love meeting the fans. I'd like to watch more shows. Not that I don't love performing and stuff but I bet the fans get sick of my singing and I love seeing you guys."
"The fans don't get sick of you!" Luke said indignantly.
I shrugged. "They might. Besides, Lukey, that's not the only reason. I'm not cut out for the rockstar life. I need quiet nights once in a while. Or just watching from backstage or the crowd."
Luke finally nodded. "I understand. I still think the fans will be disappointed though. Especially the ones that watch your YouTube videos."

YouTube had been an extra big part of my life since coming home from for the holidays. I was constantly making and editing vlogs and videos to share. There were even a few of me singing, sometimes with Luke.

"Speaking of YouTube," Luke smirked. "How's Dan?"
I burst out laughing, knowing what he was getting at. "He's good."
"I heard he fangirled pretty hard when he heard we were dating," Luke laughed.
"Who'd you hear that from?"
"Phil."
"Figures," I giggled.

After a moment of silence, I sighed contentedly. "I can't wait to go to Paris."
"Visiting your namesake?" Luke asked with a smile.
"Exactly! And French food, photography opportunities, museums, and culture," I added.
"You're forgetting one thing," Luke reminded me.
"Like what?" I said curiously.
He smirked. "It's the city of love."
I giggled, and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.
"What a softie," I smiled.
"True," he agreed.

--//--

Saying goodbye to everyone again was even harder this time, as I felt even closer to them.
Boarding the plane hand in hand with Luke made it a bit easier, but I couldn't help but think what the boys were going through.

Once seated, Luke and I immediately lifted the armrest and snuggled into each other.
I could tell how upset he was under his cheerful mask, so I took his hand a squeezed it, wiping away the couple tears that dropped despite his efforts.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay," I soothed him, rubbing circles on the back of his hand with my thumb.
"I know," he sniffed. "I'm just gonna miss everyone."
"I know you are."

As soon as the plane was in the air, Luke fell asleep with his head on my shoulder, so I chatted with Mikey who was on the other side of Luke.

"How's he doing?" Michael asked, glancing at my sleeping boyfriend.
"A little rough, but he'll be okay," I said, looking at him fondly.
"What about you?" He asked. "Do you miss your family?"
I must've looked puzzled, because he quickly corrected himself. "You don't have to tell me, I just-"
"It's okay," I assured him. "There's nothing wrong with asking about my family. And to answer your question: I honestly don't know. I mean, in some ways I guess. But as bad as it sounds, not really. It never really feels like they're there anyway, ya know? They're not mean or anything, but I usually just feel like I'm not their daughter, just a tenant whose grades they keep tabs on."
Michael frowned.
"They should be happy with my grades," I said indifferently. "I'm pulling all A's in online school so far. But I haven't heard from them much anyway."
"That's horrible!" Michael burst out.
I sighed. "It's normal, Mike. And anyway, I don't need them. I have you guys."
He frowned again. "I guess. But still. They're your parents. It's their job to take care of you."
"No, their job is a classic car dealer and a CEO respectively, I'm just their daughter who got lost in the shuffle," I stated.
"This whole thing is dreadful," Michael scowled.
"Michael, don't worry about me," I pleaded. "I have Liz and Andy, Ben and Jack, my brother, and you guys. I have plenty of people. My new family."
Michael only sighed, then told me to sleep; "It's a long flight."

A/N: I'm so sorry for the hiatus. I had terrible writers block. I wrote half of this in class and the other half on a bus on my way home from a 4 day school trip to Quebec, which was lit. Also, 13K??? P sure we hit 10K not all that long ago, so thank you guys so much, I love you 😊❤️💋