The Floaters [cake au] ✔

⌛ ➆: voices ⌛

Chapter 7: voices.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Luke? The most harmless, cute, misunderstood teenager, killed his whole family? No, Michael must've been talking about some other Luke because the Luke I knew could never do that. He'd painted his whole family on his bedroom wall with his fingers because he missed them so much.

"That's not Luke."

Michael threw his head back in exasperation, almost laughing at how ridiculous the whole thing was. "It is. Jenna said Luke's brother was up here temporarily and news spread around like wildfire."

A part of me wanted to believe who I once considered my best friend, yet at the same time I couldn't bring myself to deem Luke guilty of killing the people he loved the most. He just wasn't that person.

"Look, if you don't believe me, ask him yourself. He's right there, after all."

He ran a hand through his hair and pointed to Luke who was watching from his doorstep sheepishly, twiddling his thumbs and biting down hard on his lip. The more I looked, the more he resembled a very anxious person, who could've had a secret to hide.

Tentatively, I strode up to him, glancing up at his crystal clear eyes. "Okay, you have to forgive me for asking, because I know what the answer is gonna be already – but is it true... that you killed your own family?" I breathed, my heart pounding against my ribs.

Distress flooded his face like a tsunami, his eyes widening and lips becoming so pale it was like he was wearing white lipstick. "I..." His eyes grew dark and his lashed fluttered down, a tear escaping as he did so.

"So... it's true?" I replied weakly, my voice with hardly any strength at all. My body felt the same too – I felt like digging myself a hole and crawling into it.

"Y-yeah."

I slowly started backing away, shaking my head. "You... you're lying! There must be some kind of mistake... Luke wouldn't do that! Not the Luke I know, anyway!" I hollered after him, running towards Michael without realising I was in tears myself. "M-Michael, take me away, please..."

"I did warn you. C'mon," he said calmly, wrapping an arm around my waist as he took me back to Jenna's place.

~

"It's okay Calum, cry it out."

I snuggled into Jenna's motherly arms and sobbed a little harder, wanting to kill myself at how stupid I'd been. Why hadn't I seen the signs, huh?

That was why Luke didn't want to go to the voice fountain with me.

Because if he went, it would be pointless – no one would be there to talk to him.

Because they were gone.

"H-hey Jenna?"

"What is it pumpkin?"

"C-can you take me to the voice fountain tomorrow?"

She pressed her lips firmly together to form a smile, nodding as we ignored what was on the TV. The others were playing a game Ashton had created, but we'd chosen not to join in. "Of course. I mean I don't think it's a great idea but... How much money do you still have?"

"Er... not much."

"Okay, don't worry. I'll pay."

"You sure?"

"Yeah – it's fine, I promise! I have plenty, besides this is your first visit. You'll probably run away before you finish the time slot, and then they'll spit the money back to you."