serenity // luke hemmings

1.01

She was looking for a reason to stay; hoping to remind herself why she was still there. He was looking for a temporary escape from the chaos that had become a constant in his life. For some reason they thought they’d be find these things by gravitating towards the most popular tourist attraction the city had to offer, The London Eye.

As the doorway slid shut she took a seat on the floor of the pod. Slowly the wheel began to rotate, inching away from the ground more and more by the second. She could hear the excited chatter of the other passengers around her; they were marvelling at the city where she no longer felt at home.

She could see for miles up there in the sky. She could point out every one of the landmarks that drew people here, the same ones she’d seen a thousand times over. Sprawled out below her were the streets that she knew like the back of her hand. Despite that she felt like an outsider; she couldn’t connect to the same city that she once loved.

There was no exact moment she could pin point, but one day she just couldn’t feel the same pull that she had before. London was beautiful, she could still appreciate that, but it just wasn’t the magical city she’d fallen in love with all those years ago. It was chaotic and crazy and she used to live for that rush but now it just seemed to remind her that she didn’t fit in anymore.

She let out a sigh, this was supposed to remind her what she was doing here, not make her feel more out of place.

She spared a glance at all of the other passengers. There were a few families; parents watching as their children ran all over the place, squealing with joy and excitement. Some couples were littered around, paying more attention to one another than to anything else (at least they looked happy, she thought).

It wasn’t any of these people that caught her attention though, rather it was the tall blonde boy standing alone at the other end of the pod who held her gaze. She couldn’t fathom why he was leaning against that railing and looking back at her, but his blue eyes held something she recognised. He was just as confused and as lost as she was.

Slowly, he pushed himself off the railing, and with a few long strides he was sitting down next to her. He broke eye contact to look out of the glass casing. She couldn’t pull her eyes away from him; his features were striking but somehow still boy-ish, he had a strong jawline and prominent cheek bones, his skin was pale with just the slightest hint of a tan. He turned back to look at her and she took in the curve of his pink lips and the pale blue colour of his eyes. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t find him attractive, but there was something else that captured her attention. Something hiding just behind his smile made her want to know his story.

“So, what’s a pretty girl like you doing up here all alone?” His voice was much deeper than she’d been expecting and there was an accent that she couldn’t quite place.

She thought for a few seconds before answering truthfully. “I needed to get away for a little while. To think.”

“I know how you feel.” He responded with a smile.

She cocked her head to the side. “What are you running away from?”

“I don’t like to think of it as running away.” He laughed. “More like I wanted a break from everything. This seemed like a good way to make that happen I suppose.”

“So, you’re not running; you’re hiding.” She stated.

He held her gaze for a few seconds too long before responding. “I could say the same for you.”

“I’m trying to figure some stuff out.” She looked out over the city, they were getting close to the top now. “I needed some perspective.”

“Still hiding.” He whispered, mouth dangerously close to her ear. “The question is, why?”

“I already told you, I’m not hiding.” She was fine with the idea of running away, but she refused to think she was hiding. She hated that she sounded so defensive and he noticed.

He paused and then spoke up. “I’m hiding from everything. It’s all been so crazy, I just needed some alone time. I figured this would be kind of peaceful.”

He wasn’t sure why he’d told her that. He hadn’t admitted that to anyone before, least of all to himself. It was easier for him to pretend that it wasn’t all getting to him than to try and think about everything that was happening. He was getting everything he’d ever wanted; he was living his dreams with some of his best friends. That was why he didn’t understand the emptiness that crept up on him when he least expected it. He’d come up here looking for solitude and possibly some answers, instead he’d found a girl.

A girl with bright red hair and a gorgeous smile. A girl who saw right through his words and wasn’t fooled by his pretty face. She didn’t know who he was or she just didn’t care, and he loved that. She made him feel like a normal person, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. She made him feel like himself again.

He wasn’t really expecting her to talk, but he was glad when she did. “I don’t know what I’m doing here. I came here looking for something, and I don’t even know what anymore. All I know is that I haven’t found it and I’m still here.”

She wasn’t sure why she’d told him that. There was just something about this boy, with his sad eyes, that made her think that he might be able to understand this.

His index finger traced a light pattern across her jean-clad knee when he spoke again. “Do you do this often?”

“What?” She asked, still reeling from spilling her guts (and maybe a little from his touch).

“Come up here and share your secrets with complete strangers?” He laughed, drawing the attention of some of the other passengers to the two teenagers sitting on the floor.

“Not really. How about you?”

“Me? No.” He shook his head, lips pulling up into another smile. “I’m more of a bottle it up until it eventually explodes kind of guy.”

“I can imagine.” She smiled down at her lap.

The two sat in relative quiet as the wheel began to near the end of its cycle. Neither of them really wanted to leave the company of the other, but at the same time they wouldn’t (maybe couldn’t) say that. They’d both come here for different reasons and in the end they’d found one another instead.

They were so lost in their own little world that the door sliding open was almost surprising. After everyone else had exited, the two of them followed slowly, almost reluctantly down the ramp. At the end he turned and blocked her exit.

“You never told me your name.” He smiled.

“You never told me yours.” She responded.

“I’m Luke.” She waited for him to stick out his hand but it never happened.

“Alex.” She nodded, eyes fixed on the strange boy in front of her.

He smiled again under her scrutiny. “Well, Alex, I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

“Thanks.” He moved so she was able to walk past him. “I’ll see you around Luke.”

“I really hope so.” He replied with a wide smile.

-

the story was inspired by a recent trip to london and i feel like it's got a nick and norah's infinite playlist/dash and lily's book of dares sort of vibe to it. i just thought i'd share that tid bit of information with you all.