Again | Luke Hemmings

iii

I couldn't sleep that night because my thoughts were mostly Luke and it was hard for me to think of anything else.

My phone alarm rang and brought me back to reality. I sighed out loud when I read the time on my phone.

I groaned when I realized that I didn't sleep at all. I leave school at 4:30pm and off to my part time at a local Pizza Hut until 7:30 pm. I will be needing at least 10 red bulls if I want to survive today.

-

"Hey, Joey?" Krissa, my co-worker here in the local pizza hut, called me. I stopped folding the napkins on the cash register and faced her.

I looked up to see her skipping her way like a child towards me. Typical Krissa. "Yeah?"

"I know it's Monday but can you please cover for my shift tonight?" She made a pout that made her light green eyes bigger. She was also staring at my cut eyebrow, but I didn't mind.

"Why?" I asked her. Not that I was complaining, I just needed to know why and I was beyond exhausted at this point.

"My mum was rushed to the hospital." She whispered to avoid the nearby customers from overhearing.

"Why? What happened? Is she okay?" I asked, concerned.

"Yeah. She, uh, she was attacked by her seizure this morning." Her tone was weak like she was trying not to cry.

I pulled her in for a hug and rubbed small circles on her back. "It'll be okay."

"I hope so." Her words were muffled by my shoulder, but I understood her.

"Go leave now, I'll cover." I gave her a reassuring smile and shooed her to the employees' lounge.

"I'll cover for your shift tomorrow so you don't have to come here." She told me before rushing out of the restaurant, earning weird looks from the customers.

I went back to what I was doing and waited a few more people. It was only Krissa, Scott and I who worked here so it was no surprise that we were like a one-man business because Krissa did the waiting and mopping, Scott did all the kitchen duties while I manned the cash register and fixed whatever was in sight but since Krissa wasn't here then I had to wait and clean as well.

The bell rang, signaling customers entering. They were quite loud to be honest and they kept laughing which irritated me a little bit because I was just exhausted.

"Go find us a table and I'll order." One of them, with a slightly high pitched voice, said and he walked over to me.

"Excuse me, miss?" The man called me and I looked up from the napkins to see a purple haired boy who I recognized immediately.

"Joey?" Michael smiled, titlting his head to the side as if trying to see if I were real.

"Mikey?" I copied him and laughed.

"How've you been?" He asked, looking me up and down even if only half of me could be seen.

"I've been good. You? I heard you were on tour or something?" I asked.

"That's great." He smiled bigger. "We just finished tour, actually so we're here for like two months or something and we leave for another tour after."

"So, who are you with?" I asked him, kind of changing the subject.

"Cal, Ash and Luke." He said, coughing awkwardly.

"Oh." I responded, looking down at one of the unfolded napkins.

We had a short silence but I broke it when I realized why he was here in the first place. My cheeks heated as I rushed to the front of the cash register.