|Damage||cth| -au- DISCONTINUED

|Fifteen|

Aria:
I woke up the next morning, tired and confused. I sat up, still in my oversized sweater from yesterday, the dumb sweater that I thought I could wear as a dress. It was still slightly damp and clinged onto my skin. I was in a blanket.

I rubbed my eyes and my vision cleared. I noticed a tv in the middle of room. I was in Dakota's living room. As I sat up, my neck cramped.

I hated sleeping on her couch. I always never slept comfortably. For a while, I couldn't figure out what was on but it wasn't until I heard the recognizable laugh of Spongebob Squarepants was when I knew Luke was with me.

I looked around and Luke was next to me, extremely focused on the cartoon. Personally, I can't be arsed to watch the show. I always felt like I was loosing brain cells if I watched it for longer than one episode. For as long as I could remember, I always remember coming downstairs from Dakota's room and he'd be in the exact spot that he was in now, watching spongebob...every single Saturday Morning.

I couldn't help but to admire him even though I was scolding myself. I always made fun of people who had crushes. Of course I found people attractive but I always avoided attaching emotions to boys.

It was dumb in my opinion. Especially in high school. I didn't want to attach emotions to someone I was never going to see again. Probably not until I was 30, divorced with six kids at a store. I'm practical, a little too practical.

I hated that about myself. I didn't allow myself to attach strong emotions to people. I wondered why I easily was so vulnerable to him, especially him. I guess he knew a lot about me. I'd been coming to his house for the past ten years plus. He had to see something in a girl whom finds pleasure in correcting teachers and finishing homework before 6 pm. I continued to stare at him, waiting for him to notice me. He finally turned over and smiled at me. It wasn't something I saw him doing often lately so I appreciated it.

"Hey," Luke said.
"Hi," I responded.
"You look like a mess by the way."
"Relationship goals!" Dakota sarcastically squealed.
I turned around and she was behind us in the kitchen, making food. "Never in my life would I have imagined you two. You guys don't even look like a couple," she continued.

"Whatever," Luke and I spoke in unison.
"Never mind, I guess you two are more alike than I thought."
"Did you sleep well?" He asked.
"I fucking hate this couch, Luke."
"I do too. It's really uncomfortable. Our mom won't get rid of it because -"
"Luke don't tell her. She'll never come back here again."
"She likes to hoard things that have 'sentimental value'. What I'm trying to say is that this is the same sofa that my parents conceived us and the same sofa we were born on. And I came out exactly where your head was a second ago."

Grossed out, I remained quiet.
"See, Luke. This is why we don't tell people this stuff."
"I don't understand how you guys sit here knowing your parents fluids were probably on here," I stated.
" I never thought of it like that. I'm going to get up now."

Luke got up from the sofa and helped me up. He fidgeting with the random pieces of hair in my pony tail sticking out until it was to his liking.
"Dakota used to make me do her hair in the morning," Luke explained.

He checked his phone and scratched the back of his head. He began tapping his fingers against his touch screen keyboard then stopped thinking of a response.

"Hey Dakota!" Luke yelled.
" I am five feet away. You do not have to fucking yell, Luke," she snapped.
"Do you want to go bowling with Ashton and Michael and me and Aria?"
"Did you just assume I was going somewhere with you without asking me?" I interrupted.
"Of course you're going, you're my girlfriend."
"Why would you just assume I'm going?"
"Because Aria..." Luke mumbled.
"Because?"
"You're going Aria and I'd like to see you tell me that you have something better to do."
"I'm not really talking to Ashton, Luke." Dakota chimed.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because Dakota is a selfish bitch and Ashton is only now realizing it," Luke answered.

I slapped Luke's arm in annoyance.
"Don't say that," I scolded.
"Just telling the truth but that's none of my business," Luke says as he runs his hands threw his quiff and licks his lip ring. "Come on Dakota, you guys can make up there. Plus, Michael is going on a date with this girl he really likes and I can't leave him hanging." 
"What a pussy? Can't he just take her out by himself?" Dakota whines.
"Please. You two need to make up anyways. I'll do anything."
"Anything?"
"Maybe, I shouldn't have said anything," Luke whispered to me.
"By anything, I hope you mean by stop using Aria and break up with her."
"No!"
"You need to stop using her. I don't believe that you actually like her, Luke."
Luke looked from her back to me, probably looking for a reaction out of me. I was only slightly taken aback by Dakota's statement. It didn't exactly surprise me because Dakota could never defend me in school. The only person that she could defend me from was Luke. The only person that she could control. Or thought she could control. I guess she was worried. I hadn't been myself and I wasn't really thinking straight recently. I'd been making dumb decisions. I wasn't myself and she knew it. I did too and for some reason she cared more than I did.
"Do you really think I'm using you?" He asked.
I shrugged. I really didn't know and it didn't bother me even if he was. "Aria, you have to think something about this."
"Well, it wouldn't surprise me, Luke. The timing is a little too convient."
"I don't know what I can do to get you to trust me."
He kept his eyes focused on mine which made me uncomfortable. Too much eye contact always bugged me. I looked to the ground in fear.
"Fine! I'll go. As long as I don't have to hear Luke trying to convince Aria that she isn't just a booty call."

"Thanks sis!" Luke yelled, giving Dakota a wet kiss on the cheek.

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Sorry if the formatting is weird. I'm on vacation and  I don't have a computer available so I'm updating on my phone. Oops