apartment 304 // luke hemmings

chapter three

Michael goes to the counter to order for us, while the rest of us sit at a booth. Ashton and Calum start their own conversation, so I curiously look around the restaurant. Vintage and modern photos and signs cover the walls of the old pizza place, showing how long it's been here. Four large televisions are also hanging from the walls, playing various sports on each tv. A few arcade games are pushed to a corner of the restaurant, along with some dusty quarter machines. My thoughts are interrupted by Michael coming to the table with four cups; three filled with soda, and an empty one placed in front of me.

"Sorry, I didn't know what you wanted." He says to me.

I stand up from the table, "I'll get it thanks."

As I walk toward where I think the drinks are, I pass the guy behind the counter, and he clears his throat loudly, signaling my attention.

"Drinks are over there, you're going towards the bar area." He says, like I'm supposed to know.

"Hey Luke, cut her some slack man! She's not from here." I hear Calum say from our table.

Luke eyes me suspiciously, "You're not from here? Then why would you be here of all places?" He says.

"I'm just staying for a while."

"You know Michael and them?" He nods towards the table, using his upper lip to play with the lip ring on his bottom lip.

"Umm, I guess. I just met them today." I say sheepishly.

"Kinda weird that you just met a random group of guys and are going out for pizza with them, dont you think?"

I think about what Luke says, and before I can respond, he continues talking.

"They're not bad, they come here often and they don't cause any trouble most of the time. So what drink did you want? I'll bring it over there with your pizza." He says, grabbing the cup from my hand.

"I'll have a coke I guess."

"Okay," He leaves the counter to get the drink and pizza, and I make my way back to the table where the three boys are laughing together.

"Oh hey, Andrea!" Ashton says to me, patting the empty space next to him.

"Hey that's my seat," Calum pretends to be upset.

"You left me to sit next to Mikey so Andrea is sitting next to me. Isnt that right, Andrea?"

"Yeah," I laugh.

Luke comes to the table with the pizza and my drink, "Here's your drink."

I thank him and he nods back.

"Enjoy guys." Luke says before walking back to the counter.

"What's with that Luke guy?" I ask them once Luke is not able to hear me.

"Well," Calum mumbles. "From what I remember him saying, his girlfriend died or they broke up or something like that so he moved from California or was it Carolina? I don't know, I hate geography anyways he's staying at the apartments upstairs, owned by the person who owns this pizza place too."

"What? By himself?" I say, taking a bite out of my slice.

"Yeah. We tried inviting him to join us places and stuff but too many things remind him of his past. He says he'd rather stay alone, and we let him, as long as he's not miserable I guess." Ashton adds.

Michael shrugs, "Sucks, but life doesn't always go as planned you know?"

lol this was a shitty filler chapter but i wanted to bring luke in already

okay bye ty for reading