Lonely Hearts Club // Book One

Chapter Twenty-Nine

May 7th, 2014

"Something's wrong," said Calum as he stared me directly in the eyes.

"What?" I asked, holding back a nervous fit of laughter.

"You're acting different," his eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were pursed.

"Well, how did you act when Luke told you the truth?" I huffed, crossing my arms and dramatically sighing. I told Calum earlier that Luke had me meet him at Berkelouw to discuss everything. "So, yeah, no shit something's wrong."

"Honestly, Paige, I was shocked, but probably not as much as you," he said.

"What?"

"Look, I know something is up between you two. Luke's always busy when you are, and you two look at each other in this way that's a little gross." I scoffed. "If you like him, just tell me, and I'll tell you something, too."

"Tell me!" I insisted and right away Calum caved.

"Truthfully," he started. "I introduced you to Luke because I thought you two would eventually get together, and I knew he needed somebody after his, um, previous girlfriend. I thought you two would be the perfect match. I knew Luke would treat you like you're his everything, and you would do the same for him. So hate me or kill me for this, but it's always even my plan for you two to be together."

I stayed silent for a moment, then thought it all out.

"So what was the point of the club, then?" Cal laughed and then frowned.

"To get you two to hang out and break the rules. I never followed along with them anyway to be honest," he said, scratching his head. Hunter, ew, I forgot.

"So you want me to tell you that I like him?" My best friend nodded and I sighed. "Great, um, okay, then, fine. I-I do like him, and he, he likes me."

"He does?!" squealed Calum at the too of his lungs. I bit my lower lip. Why was I even having this conversation? "I'm your best friend, you have to tell me everything!"

"I do not!" I protested but Cal rolled his eyes.

"Do, too."

"What? You want me to tell you that we've made out and went on dates and made out and went on more dates?" I asked, frustratedly.

"You-"

"Yes, pretty much." By this point, I was nervously laughing and trying not to blush as hard as possible. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case because I fail at everything but school.

"Why did you keep this all from me?" he whined.

"Because of that stupid club!" I yelled. "But, we should still meet at Nelly's some more, it would be weird not to."

Calum smiled, brightly and pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm happy for you, Pai, really, I am. I think you're what's best for Luke, if you're not, I hope he's not hopeless. You're what I like to call crystal air."

"Crystal air?"

"Fresh, clear, nothing clouding your way. Luke, however, he has a bit of turmoil in his way and he needs what you have to steer him out."

--

I never would have expected my best friend to be so happy that I had an interest in his other best friend. As confusing as it sounds, I felt like I was living a form Anna Karenina's life. She had everything going on, nobody else could understand, not even she. It was quite ridiculous, her whole life was a play but less interesting, even though there was a plot twist on every corner. While I sat still at my house, unsure of all that was going on, Luke had countless amounts of duties and things to do. He was way more interesting than I, in the worst way.

I knew so well who Luke was, but it didn't feel like it.

So tell me again, why I thought that all of that made sense, but really, it didn't.

I wanted so badly to run to him and gush to him that all of this would be okay, and that he wouldn't have to worry about us because I knew there wouldn't be an us. Yet, I liked him too much to let him down, that I couldn't bare to even see him upset. So I didn't run, I stayed locked in my bedroom and cried. I didn't know why I was crying.

He scared me, he really did. I was shivered to the bone at the thought of him falling in love with me because quite frankly, I thought falling in love was stupid. Although, I didn't want him falling in love with anybody else.

Is falling in love stupid? Or am I?

"Stop thinking and answer your god damn phone. Luke's been calling you for the past ten minutes!" shouted my brother after his stomping up the stairs. He only swore because mum wasn't home.

"How'd you know I was thinking?" I asked him.

"You sometimes talk to yourself like an old English man and it's really creepy. Here." Greg passed my phone from my dresser to me, and Luke's name and picture was on it. I smiled at his contact picture, because it was a dumb one taking at the park awhile ago when we were on the play castle. I loved it, though.

"Bonjour," I greeted and shooed my brother away.

"I'm sorry for calling you so many times but Calum somehow found out ab-"

"I know," I chuckled, glancing at the clock. It was 9:46, I wasn't allowed to be on the phone past 10. Shit. "I told him."

"You did?!" Luke's voice cracked drastically in my ear.

"Yeah," I shrugged, knowing he couldn't see me. "Since he told me a while ago about he and Hunter, and I was practically forced into it, I told him. Is that okay?"

"Uh." My stomach lurched. "Yeah, can I ask you something though?"

"Yeah."

"Are you mad at me?" he asked.

"Why would I be mad?" I lightly laughed.

"Because of what you found out on Monday."

"You mean what you told me? Luke," I sighed. "I can't be mad because of your past. I can be upset for a little while but you can't change anything, neither can I. It's just something that has to be forgotten." Maybe Greg was right, I do sound like an old English man sometimes. Well that's gross.

"So, you still wanna be friends?"

"Just friends?" That's unfair.

"Well, you know what I mean. Obviously more, but I'm not ready to be in a committed relationship," explained Luke in a monotone voice. "But if I was, I would want you."

"Me," I repeated, softly with a small smile.

"Calum said you're my crystal air, whatever that means."

"That boy is weird, Luke, he needs help. How the hell is the metaphor of crystal air supposed to relate to us?" Us.

"I get it, I think," said Luke. "I can see clearer when I'm with you. I can't think of anything else when I'm with you. And everything's better, when I'm with you."

"As great as it is to hear that, we're 17," I chuckled.

"It's true," sang Luke as if his happiness was through the roof. "You know how people say that we all have demons? And others control them better than anyone else?"

"Yeah."

"I have a hard time with that, but you're the one to control them." Then, I finally got why Luke liked me, I made him forget about his past. I made him see the good side, and what it was like to actually be happy.

--

this chapter SUCKS im really sorry i wanted to update fast.

and if you're confused, that's perfectly okay, you're actually kind of supposed to be.

i did it on purpose oops

i love you all to the moon and back, to infinity and beyond, etc.

Brittany