embers • lashton

2

Luke sat silently at the dinner table that night, he wasn't very hungry but forced down some mashed potatoes to please his parents. Luke's father dropped his fork onto his plate and bit the inside of his cheek, tilting his head towards his son.

"How was school?" He asked trying to spark up some sort of a conversation. Luke mentally rolled his eyes and poked at the food on his plate.

"Okay, I guess." Luke muttered, his mother sighed from the kitchen as she poured yet another glass of wine, Luke sucked on his teeth and held in a heavy sigh. Luke's father nodded gently at the lanky boy before picking his fork back up and continuing to eat his dinner.

"Lucas, darling, won't you at least try to eat something?" His mother pleaded as she made her way back into the kitchen, he shook his head slightly.

"No, I'm just not hungry." He said slightly agitated.

"Luke," His mother whispered.

"I'm just not fucking hungry!" He roared, his mother looked at her son as her jaw hung open. His father looked at his wife and shook his head quietly.

Silence.

Luke looked down at his place, feeling the guilt wash over his body. He hated when he got loud, but he couldn't help it. It was the only way to get people to listen. The silence in room was Luke's cue to get up from the dinner table and head to his room. So that's what he did.

He didn't say a word as he did so, Luke took his bottom lip between his teeth and went straight to his room. He huffed once he shut the door behind him, a silent tear rolling down his cheek.

Why was he like this?

He quickly went over to his bed and sat down, placing his head into the palm of his hands.

"I fuck everything up," Luke muttered, "every single fucking time." A few more tears fell from his eyes, suddenly, his phone began to ring. Luke smiled gently once he saw who was calling.

It was Ashton.

"Hello?"

"Hey, you, how's it going?" Ashton's perky voice spoke, Luke chuckled at him and shook his head before scratching the back of his neck.

"It's going good, I'm okay."

"I'm glad to hear that you're alright. That's all that matters to me. Hey, did you maybe wanna come over tonight? Like, now?" Ashton giggled, Luke smiled softly at his rambling.

"Yeah, of course. I'll let mom and dad know." After the two hung up, Luke quickly got off his bed and went to his closet. He grabbed his backpack and dumped all of his school items on the floor with a laugh.

Luke began to shove his clothes into his bag, he didn't plan on coming back to his parents home, he didn't want to even be here. He was nineteen, he could move out.

His parents didn't think he was stable enough to be on his own.

He let out a loud groan as he attempted to zip up his bag, he needed everything that was in it, he couldn't take anything out. He fussed under his breath as he scrunched up his face, Luke groaned once more as he was finally able to zip up his bag.

"That took way longer than it should've," Luke laughed, throwing the bag over his shoulder. He quickly jogged downstairs where Liz, his mother, was sitting at the table with a bottle of wine pressed to her lips.

"I'm going to Ashton's." He said as he walked to the cabinet next to the fridge, he grabbed the three bottles that contained his medicine and shoved them into the pocket on the side of his bag. His mother nodded.

"When will you be back?" She asked, Luke shrugged.

"No idea, but I'll text you. I'll have Ash remind me. And yes, I know that have therapy again tomorrow... I think." Liz laughed at her son and shook her head.

"Yes, tomorrow at 3. If Ashton wants, he could bring you instead of me." She proposed. Luke shrugged once more before grabbing his mother's car keys.

"Wrong keys, Lucas." She mumbled which caused Luke to huff.

"I don't drive, do I?" He whispered sadly, she shook her head at him.

"Text Ashton to come pick you up, doll. I would drive but," Liz laughed gently as she held up the nearly empty bottle of wine. Luke sighed at his mother.

"Fine. I'll text him."

-

"Did you seriously try to take her car?" Ashton giggled, Luke rolled his eyes at his hazel eyed friend and let out a small laugh.

"I forgot,"

"You always forget. But that's okay, because I kinda think you're cool." He teased, Luke playfully scoffed at Ashton.

"Kinda cool?"

"Mega cool." He laughed, Luke tapped his fingers against his thigh as a Neck Deep song played quietly in the background, Ashton looked over at Luke as the car stopped in front of him house.

He didn't say anything, he just smiled that beautiful smile and caused Luke's heart to flutter. The two got out of the car and grabbed Luke's things before walking up to the front door.

"Mum's home," Ashton muttered as they walked inside, "you remember my mum, Luke?" He smiled, Luke watched Ashton's mum take out some dish from the oven.

She looked familiar.

Luke shoved his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and took his bottom lip between his teeth.

"She looks familiar," Luke whispered sadly, Ashton rubbed his friends back with a gentle smile.

"It's okay, Lukey. It'll come back to you soon." Luke hated not being able to remember anything and he didn't understand why he could only remember his mother, father, and Ashton. Everything else was a blur to him and nothing made sense anymore.

Luke and Ashton stood in the door frame that lead into the kitchen and watched Ashton's mother prepare what looked to be their dinner. She turned to the teens with a wide smile.

"Hi kids, dinner is almost ready if you want to go ahead and wash up." They nodded and Ashton lead the way into the bathroom, Luke grabbed his dinner medication and sighed.

"Do you want a drink?" Ashton asked as he turned on the faucet, Luke opened the bottle and took out one tiny blue pill before popping it into his mouth, he shook his head.

"I've been forcing myself to dry swallow," Ashton snickered, "what's funny?" Ashton shook his head as he continued to laugh.

"Don't ever say that in public, Luke. Trust me." Luke groaned before rolling his eyes, Ashton moving aside to dry his hands.

"You're gross." Luke said bluntly as he washed his hands, Ashton ran his fingers through his curly hair with a goofy grin. Once they were done in the bathroom, they made their way back into the kitchen where dinner was ready to be served. Luke mentally sighed.

He wasn't hungry.

But he knew that if he didn't eat at least a piece of chicken, Ashton would get upset. So he ate for his friend as much as he didn't want to. Luke sat quietly at the table, looking at an empty plate for the first time. He felt proud of himself for eating but now the real challenge was to keep it all down.

"You can do it, Luke." Ashton said to his friend as he stood up from his chair, he grabbed Luke's plate and his own before walking over to the sink and placing them in.

"It's hard."

"I know it is, Luke. Just try for me, okay?" Luke smiled softly at his friend as Ashton smiled back at him. He felt his heart pound against his chest once Ashton bit his bottom lip. Luke nodded at his friend before speaking.

"Okay."