Whatever (Hope You Enjoy)

Second Chances

In a civilization far far from the world we know today, there once was a boy. He was the most selfish and demanding boy the town ever knew. This boy was named Luke. Luke lived on the outskirts of the palace. He worked in the town to haul wood back and forth. This was something he enjoyed but only because it made his muscles bigger. More than that, though, Luke enjoyed the townspeople. He relished making fun of them. Especially one girl named Lucy. When Luke was younger, he and Lucy went to school together. They were the best of friends. People called them Lulu because they were inseperable. That all changed in one event the night of the fourteenth of May.
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I sighed as Lucy pulled me along. "Down to the banks, just a little bit farther," she smiled back at me.
"Okay," I shrugged breaking free of her grip. I was a man after all.
"How was your day?" Lucy asked me.
I shrugged. "Good. Did you hear that Mr. Lolhn smacked that kid Duke?"
"Yeah, it has been all the gossip. All the girls at school are head over heels for him. They liked that he stood up for himself even through the painful punishment." Lucy explained.
"And you?" I asked. "What do you think?"
She looked back at me, startled. "Huh? About what?"
"Duke."
"Oh, that," she chuckled. "Sorry. I got distracted. Well, I think it is good to stand up for your beliefs but I also think it is important to respect authority," she paused. "He deserved it but, if I were in his position I would have done the same thing."
"Yeah." I said as we stopped to sit on the dock by the lake. "So..."
Lucy blushed and smiled. "There is something I have wanted to tell you for a while now."
I groaned.
Lucy looked up at me. "What?"
"Everyone is keeping secrets from me and I am tired of it. Just spill." I shrugged then gave her my full attention.
"Well," she paused, "there's no way to really say this but, Luke, I love you. I hope we can still be friends if you don't feel the same but I also hope you feel what I feel." She blurted it so fast, I didn't know what to say.
For a long time I didn't say anything. I hated love. My mom loved me, then she walked away. My dad loved me, then he died. I thought people loved me, but then they changed. I couldn't. So, I got up and walked away. That was the only way.
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Luke and Lucy now hated each other. No one knows why. Except the two of them.
One day, Luke walks up to Lucy, "Why are you even here?" He asks her. "It isn't like you are contributing to society." He knows Lucy works full time for the bakery and is always complaining about how she doesn't think she matters.
"Well," Lucy exclaims, startling Luke. Lucy never utttered a word to him again after they unfriended. "I am sorry if you feel that way and I would rather leave this town but I can't."
"Why not?" Luke scoffed. "Don't have enough money?"
Lucy nodded. "Yes. And another baby coming up soon so I have a duty to my family." Lucy frowned, then burrowed her eyebrows in thought. Seeing this expression on her face brought out something in Luke. Compassion.
"Maybe I could help you." He finally said. "Let's meet at the bank in two hours."
She smiled, but then frowned upon realizing something. "Luke, I don't think so."
"Why not?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Last time at the dock, what I said..." She trailed off. "Luke, that took a lot of gut. And you want to know what you did? You walked off. Do you know how broken I felt after that? You were the only thing holding me together. And it hurt. I had accepted long ago that you didn't like me but I thought you were better. The possibility of you walking away never crossed my mind. I don't want to play your games anymore."
"Look, Lucy. It wasn't just you that was hurt that night. I-"
"Yeah, right, Luke. I wasn't the one that walked away."
Luke looked down. "Just listen." He paused slightly before continuing. "Both my parents loved me and walked away. More people too. Friends. I always associated the two things together. I couldn't stand getting hurt again."
"But when your parents walked away, I was here. When your friends gave up, there was always me. And when I told you something, you walked away without another word." She explained, looking hurt.
Luke frowned. "I know. I should have said something. It would have changed everything."
"Yes, it would have. So why didn't you?" She interrupted.
"I didn't want to get hurt. And, I didn't want you to get hurt. But, more than that, I should have said something. I was a jerk, but-"
Lucy laughed. "You bet you were. And still are."
I shook my head. "That's why I want to change. I want to give us amother chance. Please don't walk away."
"You deserve it. You walked away from me. It is called revenge." She smirked.
"I know. But if you are willing to stay for us, then we could both leave and not look back." I explained.
"What do you mean 'us'?"
Luke shrugged. "Lucy, I like you."
"Well I more than liked you and you walked away." She stated.
"So give me a second chance," I pleaded with her. I hadn't seen, until now, how much I cared about Lucy.
She smiled. "I'll be there."