Runaway. || Luke Hemmings

Chapter 5

"Shh,this is a library!"

I was in the library studying, or trying to study, but ever since Luke and I arrived, all he's been doing was flicking random pieces of paper at people's heads and having a good laugh at them. Fed up of him, I sighed and turned the page of my book: I was reading The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green. I always thought romance was cute. That love was cute; but ever since him, I never believe love is truly real. I thought that I loved Niall, and that he loved me, but that traumatising incident from six months ago has taught me to look at love at a different angle. No, love isn't real, and I refuse to think so. Until I am proven wrong.

I shook my head from the thought and focused back on the black-and-white print pages, slightly stained from what looked like tea spills.

I reminisce on the day's events so far: What was that odd episode with Luke at the lockers all about? I mean it wasn't like I was harrassing him or anything. It wasn't by choice that I decided to fix my gaze on his lips. It kinda just... happened. I didn't mean for it to happen, it just did.

I glanced up at a bored looking Luke - his chin resting on his palm, holding up his head, his mouth half open and his eyes half closed. I grinned softly to myself; you couldn't trust him to stay awake for 10 minutes.

I looked at my watch: 4:30pm. Sighing, I closed my book carefully and pushed it inside my schoolbag, shaking it a few times to make sure everything fitted inside. Pulling it onto my shoulder, I got up and quietly pushed in the squeaky wooden chair underneath the desk. I tapped Luke on the shoulder a few times. "Luke," I whispered. "School's over. Are you going home?" I watched him for a few moments, him slowly pulling himself from his dreams before his hand gave way from under his face and his forehead slammed against the table. I bit back a giggle.

"Oww." He groaned, squeezing his eyes closed and frowning as he lay his head to the side on his arm, shifting positions a couple times before getting comfy. I could see him drifting off again already.

I looked around quickly, I didn't want to get into trouble with the librarian again: I wasn't one for getting into trouble much. At all, really.

"Luke!" I whispered, shaking his arm violently before his sleepy head shot up from the desk in rage, squinting at me. I backed away a little. "I'm going home. Are you coming with?" I asked quietly.

He huffed and rubbed his face with both hands. "Whatever," he groaned, shoving back the chair, causing such a loud screeching noise off the timber floor that 4 students on the far side of the library shot us equal dirty looks, fingers pressed up to their lips to shush us. Luke rolled his eyes and grabbed his own Nike rucksack and flung it over his shoulder, so swiftly it looked easy. There was a lot of books in that that would make it heavy to carry, so he must be pretty strong.

I began walking from the library, out the door and soon walking down the street, not even bothering waiting for Luke to catch up like I usually would.

"hey, wait up!" I stopped and turned around, folding my arms as Luke ran towards me, huffing for breath as his hair bounced up and down. "Aren't you gonna wait?"

"Why? You were the one ignoring me in school earlier today." I looked down quickly, feeling it was a mistake to say what I just said. Now Luke was gonna know that it actually got to me. That it upset me.

Luke rolled his eyes and placed a hand loosely on his hip, his eyes travelling past mine and setting on whatever was so fascinating behind me.

"I'm sorry, okay?" He said finally, his eyes slipping back to mine. "I'm having a bad day, and..." he scratched the back of his neck.